Back To The 80s: President's Doted Wife Chapter 1493 - 1494: Transaction

Hearing the familiar snores echoing beside her, Chiang Qing gently removed his arm from around her waist, slipped out of bed, and positioned herself beside the window.

Her spacious room overlooked a scenic view with several French sycamore trees standing nearby. Midnight had arrived, and amid the scorching summer heat, crickets chirped from the grass while faint green glows flickered in the air.

She crossed her arms over her chest, chilled to the bone even in the midst of summer warmth.

Abruptly, a booming snore erupted from behind. She spun around to watch the old man smack his lips, shift position, and sink back into slumber.

Disgust flared stronger in Chiang Qing’s eyes. Her fists clenched hard, she peered out the window once more, and released a heavy sigh.

Endure it, just hold on for the time being.

She had figured, like her parents, that their collapse would pull her down too—leading to arrest, questioning, and a harsh sentence. Yet nothing of the sort happened; she remained at liberty. Even strolling down the streets, no one came to seize her.

That wretched old man—if she hadn’t feigned admiration and guided the discussion, he likely wouldn’t have let it slip so soon!

However, once outside, what leverage would remain for her? Her grandfather lay dead, the Loo Family lay in ruins, Jiang Conghe rotted in jail. She possessed zilch. Fleeing would strip her of her status as the Proud Daughter of Heaven, the offspring of Commander Chiang. Who might assist her? Who would dare? Most would shun her like a deadly contagion.

She couldn’t depart just yet. A careful scheme for the future was essential. Without it, how could she alone haul her tormentors down to the abyss?

A icy chuckle escaped Chiang Qing, laced with faint despair, as she finally comprehended that her former crutches—her father and the Loo Family—were all she’d truly had. Their absence left her utterly empty-handed.

Thus, she ended up as the mistress of Gao Hongbo, a geezer old enough to be her grandsire, surviving in a manner more pitiful than a stray mutt.

The cruelest twist: she couldn’t abandon him. Dependence on him persisted, leaning on his aid to uncover what she craved. The moment she secured it...

Chiang Qing pivoted halfway, fixing a grim stare on the man sprawled across the bed, then headed to the bathroom, twisted the faucet open, and confronted her reflection in the mirror.

Ashen-faced, frail, resembling a lifeless marionette.

Obedience had become her hard-learned skill. Right now, submission was her sole option. For her ambitions, yielding remained unavoidable.

Gao Hongbo craved her for her youthful figure, her captivating allure, and her ability to indulge his twisted whims.

Her pursuit centered on his influential ties. By attending to this elderly man diligently and delighting him, she could track down that target.

Essentially, theirs formed a bargain, a sordid exchange.

All she sacrificed was her worn-out, tainted flesh. Already sullied, a touch more grime meant little if it propelled her toward victory, if it enabled her to...

"Chiang Qing, nothing remains for you. This is your sole opportunity. Fail to grasp it, and your enemies—those lucky bastards—will keep reveling in joy!" she whispered to her mirror image. "You were destined as the Proud Daughter of Heaven; bliss was yours by right, stolen by others. No matter. If happiness eludes you, it shall elude them too—just endure. Yes, endurance is your weapon, ensuring your ultimate triumph."

A subtle, eerie grin gradually twisted her lips, the reflection appearing as some stranger rather than herself.

Stepping from the bathroom, Chiang Qing gazed at the dancing tree shadows beyond the window, her mouth pressed into a thin line, desperately seeking the escape her grandfather had once described.