Chapter 147: Chapter 137: A Slap in the Face

Xiao Man quickly calmed down. The frozen look in Tang Yaxuan’s eyes thawed, and she immediately pulled Tang Haocheng up, intending to walk around Xiao Man’s left side.

Tang Yaxuan was pulling Tang Haocheng so tightly that he squirmed uncomfortably. As he tried to pull away, he somehow bumped into Mo Xiaoman’s arm. A small clay cat she was holding fell to the ground. The concrete was, of course, harder than the clay. CRACK! The cat’s head snapped off.

Xiao Man whirled around. Just as Tang Haocheng turned back at the sound, she slapped him across the face. SMACK!

Tang Haocheng and Tang Yaxuan were stunned once again.

Tang Yaxuan: "You’re insane!"

Tang Haocheng snapped out of it, furious. "Why did you hit me?"

’You call that a slap?’ Xiao Man thought. ’Do you have any idea how much I’d like to string you up, skin you alive, and pull out your tendons?’

"You break my things and think you can just walk away? Go get your parents! Where are your manners!"

Tang Haocheng was speechless.

"Um, I didn’t do it on purpose."

"Oh, so you meant to do it?"

"No... I’m sorry!"

"You think ’sorry’ fixes everything? The head on my little cat broke off!"

"It’s just a toy."

"It’s *my* toy, not yours, is it? Cut the crap! Pay up!"

Tang Haocheng and Tang Yaxuan looked at each other, at a loss. Tang Haocheng asked, "Sis, do you have any money?"

Tang Yaxuan shook her head. Children from families like theirs rarely carried their own money. Besides, they had just gotten out of the car, and she’d deliberately avoided asking Wu Xiaowen for any cash, planning to have Gu Shaojun drive her home later.

’That’s right, Gu Shaojun! I absolutely cannot let Gu Shaojun see Mo Xiaoman!’

As she sized up Xiao Man again, a strange gleam flashed in Tang Yaxuan’s slender eyes. She recalled Liu Fengying saying that Mo Xiaoman looked just like Tang Qingyun. She was certain now. ’The girl across from me must be my "other self"!’

’A short-sleeved purple blouse with a small floral print, faded and altered military trousers, a grass-green shoulder bag, and two shoulder-length pigtails... Could she *be* any more hick? Compared to my own fashionable bob and pale yellow dress with its pristine white collar, we’re not even in the same league! But... her complexion is far too good, isn’t it? Isn’t the countryside supposed to be harsh and poor? Why does she look so fair and delicate? And that face... Why does it have to look so much like one of the Tang Family!’

Tang Yaxuan was seething with jealousy, biting her lip. ’Those people in the countryside are completely useless! They couldn’t even control one child, letting her run around so freely. And now she’s even made her way to Wancheng!’

’That’s right! I remember Liu Fengying’s letter. It said Mo Xiaoman was resourceful and had managed to get a PLA soldier to be her "older brother"! The man actually visits her every month, and in a car, no less. Anyone who can requisition a vehicle must be some kind of junior officer.’

’One of my reasons for coming to Wancheng was to secretly find out who this soldier is. I can’t ask Shaojun or Dad for help—if I accidentally expose Mo Xiaoman’s existence, it’ll be a disaster! I have to figure it out on my own, play it by ear. If I can’t break them up, then I’ll find a way to ruin his career!’

’Dad is well-connected. His old friends are always visiting the house. I know all of them. I can use them!’

Another reason she was in Wancheng was because her mother had told her and her brother to spend more time with their father, to keep his mind from wandering.

Seeing Tang Yaxuan lost in thought with her head down, Tang Haocheng grew frantic. He couldn’t stand the way Mo Xiaoman was glaring at him so fiercely. A moment ago, he’d found the girl familiar and even friendly, but now she looked like a little she-devil ready to eat him alive.

"Sis, Sis! Why don’t you go find Shao—"

"Shut up!" Tang Yaxuan snapped at Tang Haocheng.

Tang Haocheng froze for a second, then bristled. ’By what right? At home in the Tang family, I’m treated like a prince. Even my grandparents never raise their voices at me. Today, not only did some country girl hit me, but my own sister is yelling at me too! Who do they think they are?’

Tang Haocheng shot Tang Yaxuan an angry glare, then tilted his chin up at Xiao Man. "You just wait," he said with a cocky swagger. "I’m going to borrow some money and pay you back double!"

With that, he clenched his fists and bolted toward the inpatient building.

Tang Yaxuan stood there, stunned. "Hao... Brother! Brother!" she called out.

Mo Xiaoman stood with her arms crossed. "What’s all the shouting about? Isn’t it better that he’s gone? Now we can talk price."

Tang Yaxuan turned to face her. "What price? It’s a toy cat made of clay. How much could it possibly be worth? Don’t try to scam me, or I’ll have the police arrest you!"

Xiao Man sneered. "Oh? Does your family own the police department? You think they’ll arrest anyone you point a finger at?"

Tang Yaxuan gritted her teeth. "You’re just a country bumpkin. What are you so smug about?"

Xiao Man recalled a common comeback and threw it right back at her. "You’re the country bumpkin! Your whole family are country bumpkins!"

"You!" Tang Yaxuan was furious, but she was utterly speechless.

She desperately wanted to deny it, but why did she suddenly feel so unsure of herself?

"Who are you?" Tang Yaxuan asked tentatively, a strange flicker of hope rising within her. She prayed this wasn’t *that* girl.

’That girl isn’t supposed to be doing this well. She’s not!’

’I hope her parents in the countryside have already... taken care of her.’

"You want to know who I am?" Mo Xiaoman tilted her chin up, a wild, arrogant smile spreading across her face. Tang Yaxuan bit her lip again, hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood. ’That infuriating smile! It’s the spitting image of Tang Haocheng’s whenever he wins at chess!’

The next words hit Tang Yaxuan like a clap of thunder. "I can tell you who I am, but do you have the courage to tell me who *you* are? Tang Yaxuan and Mo Xiaoman... we don’t have to switch the names back, but this identity of yours... The truth will always come out. Are you really not planning on giving it back?"

After a long moment, Tang Yaxuan pressed her lips, now stained with dried blood, together and rasped, "What are you talking about? I don’t understand!"

"It doesn’t matter whether you understand or not. I’ve given you your warning," Xiao Man said nonchalantly. "Consider this my good deed for the day. This whole deceptive charade of yours, this grand switch... you’re in way over your heads. I’m worried you won’t be able to handle the consequences. To be honest, I didn’t want to meddle, but fate just had to have us meet today. So I might as well tell you: you’re not the only one who knows the secret. I’ve heard it too—I overheard it from Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying. If you want to blame someone, blame them for having loose lips. But I’m free of them now. I have nothing to do with their family. They can’t catch me, and they can’t hurt me. And that’s why you see me standing here, alive and well, completely intact."

Seeing Tang Yaxuan’s face go deathly pale, Xiao Man scoffed, "Oh, don’t you dare faint on me. I’m not Wu Xiaowen; I won’t be taking care of you if you collapse. But don’t get too upset. I’m not planning on finding ’them’ and making this secret public. I have absolutely no intention of doing that. You can rest assured, the secret will never pass my lips."

Tang Yaxuan’s head snapped up. "Why? If you know, why wouldn’t you tell everyone?"

"Because I am me, not you. Is that really so hard to understand?"

"I don’t understand!" Tang Yaxuan glared at Xiao Man. "What are you planning? I won’t let you get away with it!"

Xiao Man nodded. "Fine. Do as you wish, then. And whatever you do, don’t let your guard down. We clearly have nothing more to say to each other. Tell Tang Haocheng he doesn’t need to pay for my cat."

"Why not? We can afford it!" Tang Yaxuan shouted at Xiao Man, her eyes red as she grew hysterical. "Don’t you dare get any ideas about him! He’s my brother! You belong in the countryside! You have all those little brothers and sisters back there—I only have him!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.