Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 45

“Mom, if Li Yang had stabbed Xiaoxin yesterday or hurt me, would he still have faced no consequences? Would you still have blamed us?” Yue Youhui stared straight into Li Yan’s eyes as he asked, “No matter what Li Yang does, he’s never wrong, right? And no matter what Grandma or Uncle do, they’re never wrong either—only Xiaoxin and I are at fault, is that it?”

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?” Li Yan avoided his gaze, her expression uneasy.

“Xiaohui, Yangyang was just playing around with you two that day. Look, you and Xiaoxin are fine—nothing happened.”

Ever since Yue Youhui had grabbed her hand yesterday and forced her to choke him, she’d been afraid of him. There was something unhinged about him now.

Even the way he was looking at her at this moment sent chills down her spine.

“Stop being so stubborn! What’s gotten into you after just one day at your grandma’s place?”

“I told you two not to stay there, but you wouldn’t listen!”

“No wonder they say nephews are like dogs—you can’t raise them to be loyal! One day at your grandma’s, and you’ve turned your backs on your maternal family—even on me! After all I’ve done for you two!”

Grumbling under her breath, Li Yan glanced at the clock hanging by the door and reached out to grab Yue Youxin and Yue Youhui.

“Hurry up! I still have to go back and cook. It’s all your fault—you made your grandma so angry she fell sick. When we get there, you’d better apologize properly to your uncle and Yangyang, understand?”

When the two of them dodged her grasp and stepped back, Li Yan’s temper flared. She raised her hand, ready to strike them.

“You two really think you can defy me now, huh?”

Then, remembering they were still near the school gate and not wanting to make a scene, she reluctantly lowered her hand and glared at them.

“Don’t embarrass me here in front of the school, you hear me?”

“You’re going to your grandma’s today whether you like it or not!”

“If you refuse to apologize to your uncle and Yangyang, then don’t ever call me ‘Mom’ again!”

“Fine! Then I won’t!” Yue Youxin snapped, grabbing Yue Youhui’s hand and running off.

Li Yan, in her high heels, stumbled after them, nearly twisting her ankle. Furious, she cursed at their retreating figures:

“I should’ve strangled you two little beasts when you were born!”

“Xiaoxin? Xiaohui?”

Yue Mingde saw the two boys running toward him, their faces flushed and sweaty. He quickly fetched a towel and handed it to them.

“Tell me what happened.”

Yue Youxin muttered, “Mom tried to drag us to apologize to Uncle and Li Yang.”

“I’ve got some cool water for you two. Go drink some and calm down. Dinner’s almost ready.” Yue Mingde patted their shoulders reassuringly.

Once they went inside, his expression darkened.

This has to be Li Zhigang’s doing again.

How could Li Yan push the kids like this? Does she even care about her own sons?

After dinner, Yue Mingde broached the subject carefully:

“Xiaoxin, Xiaohui… How would you feel about transferring schools?”

“Here’s the thing—if your mom and I divorce, the three of us will have to move. I’ve already quit my job and found work as a maintenance worker at your uncle’s school. I’m planning to relocate closer to there.”

“There’s a night market nearby where I can set up a stall in the evenings. The extra income should be enough for us.”

“But if we move, your current school will be too far. Commuting would be tough.”

“Most importantly, transferring would mean putting distance between you two and your mom… and Li Yang.”

“Your mom might be unreasonable, but she’d never hurt you. Li Yang, though? What if he tries something?”

He hadn’t slept all night, turning these thoughts over in his head.

He had to guard against Li Zhigang—and the boys needed to be wary of Li Yang.

That kid was worse than his father. Twisted from the start, his words and actions reeked of malice.

And because he was just a child, there’d be no real consequences if he did something terrible.

If we can’t confront him, then we’ll avoid him.

“Dad, I’m all for it! Absolutely!” Yue Youxin blurted excitedly, shaking Yue Youhui’s arm.

“Xiaohui, isn’t this grea— Wait, why aren’t you happy? Don’t you want to transfer?”

Yue Youhui ignored his brother and asked Yue Mingde, “Dad, won’t transferring cost a lot of money?”

Yue Mingde answered honestly, “I’m not sure yet. I wanted to hear what you two think first. If you agree, I’ll visit an old friend tomorrow—Uncle Chen, who teaches at Hualang Elementary.”

“Xiaohui, I know what you’re worried about.” He ruffled Yue Youhui’s hair gently. “But it’s not as hard as you think.”

“Even if I can’t handle it alone, your uncles and aunt will help. We’ll make it work.”

“As for money—don’t you fret about that.”

Standing up, he smiled at both of them.

“Your only jobs are to eat well and study hard. Leave the rest to me.”

That afternoon, Yue Mingde took time off work. After walking the boys to school, he waited nearby until he spotted Li Yan approaching.

Before he could speak, she lashed out:

“Yue Mingde, forget it! I’m not going back with you!”

“Your family crossed the line this time—especially Yue Mingyuan! He—”

“I’m not here to take you home,” Yue Mingde cut in. “I’m here to finalize our divorce.”

He pulled a folded paper from his pocket and unfolded it for her to see—the approved divorce application he’d gotten that morning after resigning.

Under normal circumstances, approval would’ve taken weeks. Today, it had been immediate.

“You—!” Li Yan’s eyes widened. She hadn’t actually believed he’d go through with it.

“Yue Mingde, tell me the truth—are you seeing someone else?” She pounded his chest accusingly.

In her mind, she couldn’t possibly be at fault. His rush to divorce could only mean another woman.

“I was blind! I thought you were a decent man, but you’re just a hypocrite—a womanizer!”

Yue Mingde had expected this. He caught her wrist and shoved it away.

“Li Yan, how much money is left in our savings?”

Her gaze darted away. “There’s… just the usual amount.”

“What’s ‘the usual amount’?” he pressed. “There’s barely anything left, isn’t there? You gave it all to Li Zhigang for his gambling debts, didn’t you?”

“H-how did you know?” Panic flashed across her face.

Since their marriage, Yue Mingde had entrusted their finances to her—though in reality, he was the one who’d earned most of it.

Her own paycheck had gone straight to her parents every month.

For years.