The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 496 - 499. It really is his 1 ( update)
Ding Minghui was not a weak man, and Ning Xiuji winced in pain as he was pinched by him. He raised his hand to slap at Ding Minghui’s, "Let go of me, it hurts."
Li Minghui not only did not let go but instead gripped tighter, "Call me Daddy; if you don’t call me Daddy, I will hit you." He couldn’t believe it; if he couldn’t handle the older ones, he wouldn’t be able to manage the younger ones either? Was he supposed to be as pliable as clay, without any temper? Even mud figures are allowed three points of anger.
"Let me go, it’s killing me!" Ning Xiuji slapped at the hand Ding Minghui was using to grab his arm. He was really in pain.
"Call me Daddy quickly." Ding Minghui glared at him, determined to fix the little brat’s terrible temper today.
Seeing that Ding Minghui was unwilling to let him go, Ning Xiuji burst into tears with a loud cry. The servants downstairs heard the commotion and hurried upstairs, "What’s wrong with the young master?"
Then they saw Ding Minghui not letting go of the little guy’s arm, and their faces changed immediately, "Son-in-law, what are you doing? Can’t you see the young master’s face is pale with pain?"
Heh, Ding Minghui sneered coldly. Look, now even the servants dared to lecture him, rebuking them, "I’m disciplining my son; a servant like you should not interfere."
"Xiu Jie is not even three years old yet; if you have something to say, you should speak kindly." The servant looked discontentedly at Ding Minghui. It wasn’t that she wanted to look down on this son-in-law, but it was true that there wasn’t much redeeming about Ding Minghui. It was bad enough that he flirted around outside, and he also liked to boss them servants around imperiously. Even Ning Ke, the rightful master of this house, would not behave in such a way.
"Let go of me, Mommy!" Ning Xiuji’s cries grew louder.
Ding Minghui had come home drunk, his head still aching. Ning Xiuji’s crying made his head buzz, and he felt like it was going to explode, "Stop crying, or I really will hit you." He raised his hand.
Ning Ke was in the study, having a video conference with the company’s executives, when she heard her son crying. She thought he would stop after a little while and didn’t pay much attention, but then the crying got louder and he called for "Mommy." She faintly heard Ding Minghui’s voice and suddenly could not sit still.
When she came out, she saw Ding Minghui gripping her son’s arm, raising his hand as if to hit the boy. Ning Ke was furious, "Ding Minghui, what are you doing?"
Ding Minghui, not expecting the child’s crying to draw Ning Ke out, guiltily lowered his hand, "I, I was just about to wipe his tears." His grip unconsciously loosened.
Seeing this, Ning Xiuji quickly pulled his arm free and ran to Ning Ke’s side, pointing at Ding Minghui, "Mommy, he wanted to hit me."
Hearing that, Ning Ke’s expression changed, and she looked at Ding Minghui, who had an innocent look on his face, "I didn’t hit him, I was just stopping him from crying." He looked at Ning Xiuji, "Xiuji, Daddy was just joking with you, how could Daddy bear to hit you?"
Ning Xiuji clutched his arm, "Mommy, he hit me; my arm hurts."
Ning Ke lifted up his sleeve and saw the reddened area where Ning Xiuji’s arm had been pinched, with several clear thumbprints on it. A child’s skin is delicate, and the contrast between the red and white made it particularly shocking to look at.
Ning Ke glared coldly at Ding Minghui, "Do you have anything else to say, Ding Minghui?"
Ding Minghui felt even more wronged than Dou E; he only meant to scare the little brat, not really wanting to hit him, "I didn’t hit him, really." He tried to explain, but as he spoke, the heavy scent of alcohol filled the air.
Ning Ke, seeing his drunken state, said icily, "We’ll settle this matter when you’re sober." She then took her son and left; Ning Xiuji looked back halfway and made a face at Ding Minghui.
Ding Minghui’s face darkened. The little scamp was truly asking for it.
The servant naturally saw this scene; she shook her head at Ding Minghui’s unsteady walk and turned to go downstairs.
Ning Ke took her son to the study and gently rubbed his arm, "Does it still hurt?" Her voice was soft.
Ning Xiuji nodded, "It hurts."
"Then tell Mommy, why did he want to hit you?" Although Ding Minghui was someone who lived off a woman, he had never concerned himself with Ning Xiuji’s matters, much less laid a hand on him. There must have been a reason for the conflict to flare up today.
Ning Xiuji said softly, "I was playing with the ball, and it fell and hit him, and he got angry."
Ning Ke immediately understood.
She looked down at her son, "You hit someone with your ball, did you apologize?" Ning Xiuji shook his head.
Ning Ke’s smile faded as she spoke earnestly to her son, "Xiu Jie, it was wrong of you to hit someone with the ball. You must apologize, understand?"
"But Mommy, he hit me," Ning Xiuji complained.
"Mommy knows, it was wrong of him to hit you, and Mommy will talk to her about that. But it was also wrong for your ball to hit someone, and you need to apologize. You’ll have to say sorry later, okay?"
Ning Xiuji pouted but still nodded, "I understand."
Although Ning Ke loved her son dearly, she never spoiled him. When it was time to discipline, she never held back.
"Mommy, why doesn’t he like me?" Ning Xiuji whispered. He didn’t call Ding Minghui ’Daddy’ because Ding Minghui had never liked him.
"He doesn’t dislike you," Ning Ke said softly, stroking her son’s hair.
"Mommy, he really doesn’t like me," Ning Xiuji insisted solemnly. Despite his young age, he could feel that Ding Minghui truly didn’t like him.
"Why do other kids’ daddies like them, but my daddy doesn’t like me?" Ning Xiuji spoke softly, a hint of loss in his innocent eyes.
Ning Ke’s heart soured upon hearing her son’s words. Silly child, he’s not your biological father, and my marriage to him is only in name. How could he possibly like you? But she couldn’t tell her son the truth; he was only two years old, what would he understand?
"Isn’t Mommy’s love for you enough?" Ning Ke asked softly.
"But Mommy, other kids go to the amusement park with both their mommy and daddy, and I only have Mommy." Even a young child could see the difference.
Ning Ke looked into her son’s innocent eyes, especially the sadness in them, and her heart ached. She hugged her son, suddenly unsure if marrying Ding Minghui to give Ning Xiuji a legitimate status had been a mistake.
Ding Minghui didn’t wake up until the afternoon. Lying in bed, he rubbed his sore forehead, and as the memories of his drunkenness returned, he wished he could punch himself. Why did he have to drink so much? Now, Ning Ke had seen him mistreating her precious son; who knew how she might scold him later?
Thinking this, Ding Minghui’s headache worsened. No matter how much it hurt, he had to face Ning Ke. He got up, changed clothes, and went downstairs, where, as expected, Ning Ke was waiting for him on the sofa.
He sat down next to her, and Ning Ke stood up, "Come with me."
Ding Minghui had a bad feeling as he followed Ning Ke to the study, "Close the door." Ding Minghui closed it.
"Ding Minghui, let’s get a divorce." Ning Ke got straight to the point and picked up a document from the desk, "This is the divorce settlement. I’ve prepared it; you just need to sign."
Ding Minghui was utterly taken aback that Ning Ke would divorce him over this, panicking, "Listen to me, this morning was a misunderstanding. I was drunk and not thinking straight, but I didn’t hit him."
"It’s not just because of this. Ding Minghui, we both know why we married in the first place. Now Xiu Jie is already two years old. He’s starting to understand things, and I don’t want him to live in a loveless home."
Ning Ke had thought it through that afternoon. For a child, a single-parent home was better than a cold, loveless one.
"I won’t divorce," Ding Minghui said firmly. If he divorced, he would lose everything.
"If you sign the divorce settlement, I’ll give you 50 million," Ning Ke stated indifferently. This amount was already five times what they had initially agreed upon, and she deemed herself more than fair to Ding Minghui.
Ding Minghui’s expression twitched, but he responded resolutely, "Even if you give me 50 million, I won’t divorce. You were the one who came to me, wanting to marry for your fatherless child. Now that you’ve used me up and don’t need me, you want to kick me aside, but that’s no way to treat someone."
"I’ll add another ten million."
"Don’t be excessive, Ning Ke. It’s not about the money," he protested.
Ning Ke looked at him steadily, her eyes filled with mockery, "If it’s not for money, then what do you want?"
Angered by Ning Ke’s gaze, Ding Minghui retorted, "Do you really see me as someone who’s only after money?"
"Are you not?" Ning Ke asked evenly. Ding Minghui had once abandoned his beloved girlfriend for the sake of his future, a fact Ning Ke had not forgotten.
If it hadn’t been for that, Ning Ke might not have chosen to marry Ding Minghui. After all, someone who could be appeased with money was the most convenient to deal with.
"Anyway, I’m not going to divorce you right now."
"Tell me, what will it take for you to agree to a divorce?" Ning Ke asked directly. She had no feelings for Ding Ming, and she didn’t believe that Ding Minghui’s refusal to divorce was because he had grown to love her over time.
"I’ll give you three seconds to think about it and state your terms. If you don’t, then we’ll go through legal channels."
Ding Minghui’s face darkened. "Ning Ke," he had just begun when Ning Ke held up one finger, "one."
"Don’t you go too far."
Ning Ke raised a second finger, "Two. You’ve got one last second."
Ding Minghui’s face stiffened. As Ning Ke was about to raise a third finger, he quickly said, "I want 3% of Shuangcheng International’s stock shares."
Ning Ke lowered her hand and looked at him steadily, "3% of Shuangcheng International’s stock shares? Ding Minghui, you’re asking for too much." Shuangcheng International was a major listed company. One percent of the stock was worth tens of millions, and 3% was far beyond the number of 50 million. Plus, stocks were assets one could hold over the long term. As long as Ding Minghui held on to the stocks, he would receive annual dividends.
Ning Ke had not expected Ding Minghui to have this in mind, no wonder he wasn’t tempted by the 50 million she offered. Getting wool from a sheep is nothing compared to taking the whole sheep.
"After divorcing you, I’ll become someone who has been married three times. Although it’s said that it’s not much for a man, it’s still a depreciating factor. Plus, I’ve been a free daddy to your son for these three years, but others don’t know this child is mine; they just think I got married and had a child. If I want to remarry, people will always consider this. It would greatly limit my options. You should compensate me for these losses," Ding Minghui argued convincingly.
He had it all figured out. If he didn’t divorce, he had a long-term meal ticket, so it didn’t matter if he had the shares or not. But once divorced, he needed to secure a fallback for himself. He was aware that Ning Ke had a considerable amount of Shuangcheng International’s stock. Even if she gave him 3%, it wouldn’t have any impact on her control over the company, nor would it shake her position. That was one of the reasons he dared to make such a demand.
He had thought, well, but he hadn’t considered whether Ning Ke was someone to be manipulated so easily.
"In that case, you may continue playing your role as the Ning Family’s son-in-law," Ning Ke said calmly.
Ding Minghui was startled. "Aren’t you the one who wants a divorce?" Why suddenly refuse? He couldn’t grasp Ning Ke’s tactics.
"I’ve changed my mind now," Ning Ke said with a wave of her hand. "Get out, and forget about the divorce." The cost of divorce was too high, so it was natural she wouldn’t consider it anymore. It was just taking care of one more idle member of the household, and she could afford it.
Ding Minghui did not understand why Ning Ke had suddenly changed her mind, but not divorcing suited him better. He promptly turned around and left.
Ning Ke touched her chin. Was Ding Minghui smart? Not necessarily, as he had made the mistake of giving up a watermelon for a sesame seed. But was he stupid? At the critical moment, he knew how to maximize his own interests.
Although Ning Ke had spoken boldly earlier, stating she would take legal action if he didn’t agree to a divorce, Shuangcheng was a publicly listed company. Changes in the family situation, especially of a key executive like her, could impact the stock price. If she divorced and gave up a part of her shares, Shuangcheng International’s stock might fluctuate. This was one reason Ning Ke did not agree to Ding Minghui’s terms when he demanded them. She considered divorce for the sake of her child but refrained for the sake of the company.
Ding Minghui did not return to his own room but went straight back to his parents’ home. Life at Ning’s house was too suffocating for him, and he felt he needed to clear his head to avoid suffocation.
Ding Minghui’s parents were surprised by their son’s sudden return, and he sat on the sofa with a gloomy expression.
However, seeing their son back home was still a joy. "Minghui, what’s wrong? Who upset you?" Mrs. Ding asked with concern. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
To her, this son was her greatest pride; not only was he the only one from their village to have graduated from a prestigious university, but he was also the only one to own his own place in Beijing. Furthermore, he had married a wealthy daughter. Now that the whole family lived in Beijing, although their daughter-in-law was temperamental and had not visited them in many years, she had bought them a house.
When they returned to the village, everyone praised their good fortune, all thanks to Ding Minghui.
Ding Minghui kept a stern face, "Mom, can’t you just let me have some peace?"
Mrs. Ding didn’t get angry at her son’s retort but simply said with a smile, "Okay, mom won’t disturb you, won’t disturb you. What would you like for dinner? I’ll cook it for you."
"Whatever," Ding Minghui replied.
Ding Minghui’s sister, Ding Mingjing, sat on the sofa playing with her phone, and her brother’s expression told her everything, as clear as a mirror. Once Mrs. Ding had left, she leaned over and said, "Brother, did Ning Ke scold you again?" Her expression conveyed no surprise. Every time her brother got scolded by Ning Ke, he always came back with a dark look on his face.
Ding Minghui gave her a cold glance. Ding Mingjing patted his shoulder, "Alright, it’s not the first time you’ve been scolded. You’re used to it by now. And besides, didn’t you marry her for her money in the first place? As long as she’s generous with her money, that’s all that matters."
Ding Mingjing was well aware that the marriage between Ding Minghui and Ning Ke was purely transactional. Ning Ke married Ding Minghui to provide her son with a cheap father, so her child wouldn’t be considered illegitimate. Thus, she accepted everything Ning Ke provided for their family as a matter of course; it was a transaction between her brother and Ning Ke, and nothing to be ashamed of.
Years earlier, to ensure Ding Minghui could continue his education, Ding Mingjing had dropped out of school early to work. She later married a co-worker, only to find her husband was a worthless man who did nothing but hit and yell at her. So, when Ding Minghui bought her a house in Beijing, she promptly divorced her ex-husband.
She had considered finding a decent job in Beijing to experience what it’s like to be a white-collar worker in the city, but her limited education meant that good companies didn’t give her a second look. She scoffed at jobs like cleaning, never really settling on anything until she finally decided to just stay at home and let Ding Minghui support her.
In Ding Mingjing’s view, all of this was compensation her brother owed her for her sacrifices—dropping out of school to work so he could study. Without her support, he wouldn’t have been able to attend a prominent university, land a job in a big company, meet a wealthy lady like Ning Ke, and gain access to the house, car, and cash. She felt completely entitled to ask Ding Minghui for these things.
Ding Minghui was her only brother, and given his abilities, he fulfilled all of Ding Mingjing’s requests without hesitation.
"Brother, let’s talk serious. I saw a new purse while shopping yesterday," Ding Mingjing said with a sly grin, rubbing her hands together, her intention couldn’t be clearer.
Ding Minghui frowned. "Didn’t I just give you 50,000 yuan a few days ago? Have you already spent all of it?"
"Bro, you know how expensive Beijing is. 50,000 yuan can be gone in a single shopping trip." Back when she worked in the South, she used to browse the stores, but the clothes were too expensive, and she could only look on longingly, not even daring to touch them. Now that she had the means, she wanted to indulge. It didn’t matter since Ning Ke was so rich; what was the harm in spending a little?
"Brother, can you give me a little?" Ding Mingjing patted Ding Minghui’s arm. With a scowl, Ding Minghui pulled out a card from his wallet, "There’s 30,000 yuan on this. It’s your allowance for the month. If you run out, wait until next month."
Ding Mingjing exclaimed, "Bro, it’s only the 5th, and you’re giving me just 30,000 yuan. That’s not enough. That purse I like is 70,000 yuan."
"All you think about is buying purses. How much do you spend on them in a month? You don’t work and just keep the purses at home to look at. Isn’t that wasteful?" Ding Minghui was irate.
"Why are you yelling at me? You take Ning Ke’s crap and then come back and snap at me. Are you even a man?" Ding Mingjing was not one to take things lying down. Seeing her brother lash out at her, she too was displeased.
"You can be unhappy, but you have to deal with it. If you can’t stand it, then get out." Ding Minghui had taken a lot of flak from Ning Ke that day, and now his sister, whom he supported, dared to give him attitude. The usually indulgent Ding Minghui was now thoroughly annoyed.
Ding Mingjing was just making some complaints, but she hadn’t expected Ding Minghui’s reaction to be so extreme. She softened upon seeing her brother’s face, "Brother, what did Ning Ke do to you?" She used to be able to say a couple of things and at most her brother would just laugh, but today he snapped at her, which was completely out of the ordinary.
Ding Minghui didn’t want to talk about it and simply said, "In the future, don’t be so extravagant with money. If I get divorced, you’ll have to struggle along with me."
Ding Mingjing dismissed the idea, "Ning Ke isn’t going to marry you and then divorce you. After all, she has a little bastard who needs you to step in as the cheap Daddy, doesn’t she?"
Ding Mingjing couldn’t understand Ning Ke’s approach. Abandoned by a man after getting pregnant, Ning Ke made the incredible decision to keep the child and find a sham husband to avoid the stigma. If Ding Mingjing were in her shoes, she would get rid of the child and live her life freely.
However, if Ning Ke hadn’t been so foolish, her brother would never have become a son-in-law by appointment, and their family would still be living in a rural village as before. With that in mind, Ning Ke’s foolishness seemed to have its advantages.
Ding Minghui had come home seeking some peace, but Mingjing’s constant chatter by his ear had only served to increase his irritation. Li Minghui stood up without saying goodbye to his parents and slammed the door shut on his way out.
Mrs. Ding, hearing the commotion, came out of the kitchen and looked at the closed door, then at her daughter, "Hey, why did your brother leave? He didn’t even eat."
Ding Mingjing curled her lips, "How should I know? He’s always on edge. If he wants to leave, let him. Mom, I’m hungry. Is dinner ready?"
"If you’re hungry, come in and help. You’re not some precious daughter who gets waited on hand and foot. You’re an adult; aren’t you ashamed?" Mrs. Ding was far less patient with her daughter.
"Mom, you can’t be too biased. When brother comes back, you cook for him for fear he’ll go hungry. But if I’m around, you always find fault with me. I suppose I’m just someone you picked out of the trash, right?" Ding Mingjing grumbled.
Mrs. Ding snorted, "Your brother can buy me a house, give me money. Can you do that? Didn’t your brother buy your house? If you had your brother’s talents, I would serve you like an ancestor every day."
"Fine, fine, my brother is capable. Let’s just say he’s capable, okay? I don’t want to eat anymore. You and dad can eat by yourselves." Ding Mingjing said, then ran to her room, grabbed her bag, and stormed out. If there was no food at home, couldn’t she just eat out? It was ridiculous.
