Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao exchanged a glance and felt somewhat reassured. Now, all they had to do was wait for the two key people to return.
As time passed, the three of them appeared to be leisurely drinking tea, but in reality, none of them were truly at ease.
Fortunately, the father and daughter returned home earlier than expected, and what’s more, they didn’t even try to avoid suspicion—they came back together.
“Huh? They actually came back together? Aren’t they even trying to cover it up? Or have they already decided to team up and deceive Mom? Secretly meeting with his old flame behind her back, slowly luring the wolf into the house, and eventually driving Mom out?”
The system spat in disgust: “Tsk, tsk, tsk, as expected, the rich are heartless! If we hadn’t run into this today, wouldn’t your wealthy mom be wearing a green hat right now? That scumbag man, TUI1I think that’s a spitting sound!”
Xu Yanwen, who was unjustly shot: “…” QAQ.
Xu Yao quietly tugged at his father’s sleeve, her gaze offering comfort.
Xu Yanwen took a deep breath, suppressing his grievances. When he looked up again, he met Jiang Xin’s cold and sharp gaze. The air conditioning was on, yet he inexplicably felt a chill down his spine.
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Tl qsanle y pxkzl. “Tsdlu, ol’al cynj.”
Ms yhske lmrspkdt bla plnalv yckzkvu vs blya bla eywtbvla’p vbswtbvp, Kkydt Dkd poyzzsole bla ydtla yde pxkzle yp pbl oyzjle shla. “Ebyv y nskdnkeldnl vseyu, usw vos ynvwyzzu nyxl cynj vstlvbla.”
Tla pnawvkdkgkdt tygl polrv shla vbl qyvbla yde eywtbvla, obs csvb pxkzle cwv alxykdle pkzldv, pjkzzqwzzu yhskekdt bla lulp yp vblu nbydtle vblka pbslp yde ldvlale vbl bswpl.
Txrb, vblal’p elqkdkvlzu psxlvbkdt qkpbu tskdt sd!
Kkydt Dkd nwaple kdoyaezu cwv alzwnvydvzu qszzsole vblx kdvs vbl zkhkdt assx.
Wyvbla yde eywtbvla ekpnallvzu lmnbydtle y tzydnl clqsal iwknjzu rwvvkdt sd vblka wpwyz pxkzlp, ralvldekdt yp kq dsvbkdt bye byrrldle.
Jwv vbl xsxldv vblu pyo Dw Zys, csvb sq vblx qasgl. Ebu kp bl blal?
Dw Zydold qlktdle nypwyz nwakspkvu. “Gb Zys, usw’al blal? Psd’v usw byhl nzypp vseyu?”
“Today was the last day of monthly exams, so we have the afternoon off.”
Xu Yanwen nodded in understanding. Then, noticing the wound on Xu Yao’s lip, he asked with concern, “You’re injured? What happened? Did you see a doctor?”
Xu Yao raised a hand to touch the wound, unconcerned. “It’s just a small injury. My sister already helped me treat it, no need to worry, Uncle.”
The word “sister” made both Xu Yanwen and Xu Yaoyao pause.
If they remembered correctly, this was the first time Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao had met—so why did they sound so familiar with each other?
Suspicious. Something’s definitely off today!
The father and daughter exchanged another glance, silently speculating in their minds.
Jiang Xin explained why Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao had returned together, then added, “Ah Yao just told me he saw you two at the mall. I didn’t believe him at first, but then you both came back together. Were you meeting a client?”
Xu Yanwen’s heart skipped a beat. He finally understood why Xu Yao was here.
He was Xu Yinyin’s spokesperson, here to sow doubt in Jiang Xin’s mind. Since Xu Yinyin was afraid of making their parents misunderstand her as trying to stir up trouble between them and Yaoyao, she had found an outsider to expose the truth—defending Jiang Xin’s rights while preventing them from secretly meeting Zhou Xinyi again.
Having a smart daughter was usually a blessing, but right now, it was just a headache.
How on earth am I supposed to deceive both my daughter and my wife at the dinner table?
Xu Yanwen shamelessly shifted his gaze to Xu Yaoyao, his silent plea for help completely obvious.
Xu Yaoyao felt a pang of frustration but still braced herself and explained, “Mm, I ran into Dad at the mall. He was also meeting a client at Mingya Pavilion.”
Jiang Xin smiled. “I see. Was the client a man or a woman?”
A vein throbbed on Xu Yanwen’s forehead. She’s really going to dig until she hits the bottom, huh?
Honey, I really suck at lying, QAQ.
Before he could seek help again, Xu Yaoyao jumped in, “When I arrived, Dad was just sending the client off. I met with the deputy manager of Shenghong Group, a woman.”
Jiang Xin smiled again. “I seem to be asking a lot of questions today. Maybe I just have too much free time. Go change and get ready for dinner.”
“Ah, ah, okay.”
Xu Yanwen, feeling as if he had just been granted amnesty, hurried upstairs, with Xu Yaoyao following closely behind.
“See? I told you they’re guilty! They hesitated when answering, pretending to give details but actually skirting around the issue. No doubt about it, they must have discussed their story beforehand. My poor, poor rich mom, she’s been cheated on for sure!”
“Look at those two sneaking upstairs together. We shouldn’t have let them go up at the same time! Now they’ll have a chance to get their stories straight, tsk!”
Just as the father and daughter set foot on the second-floor landing, they froze in place when Jiang Xin suddenly called out.
“Yaoyao, stay here and chat with Ah Yao for a bit. Yinyin and I will go to the kitchen to get some snacks.”
Xu Yanwen hurriedly shot her a look, silently urging: Go, go!
“Alright.”
Xu Yinyin, suddenly being singled out, felt a little flustered.
“Crap, Mom definitely wants to talk to me. What should I say to avoid making her think I’m sowing discord? If Yaoyao really leaves with her birth mother, I’ll be the biggest beneficiary of the inheritance. If that scheming woman turns around and accuses me of driving Yaoyao away and ruining my relationship with the Xu family, I’ll be completely screwed. I really don’t want to get involved in this rich family drama, QAQ!”
“Just play dumb! If she asks, say you don’t know anything!”
Jiang Xin: “…” I swear, I’m so done with you!
She pulled Xu Yinyin into the kitchen and started prying.
“Yinyin, where exactly did you and Ah Yao run into your father and Yaoyao?”
“At a mall, I don’t remember the name. We were in the car when we happened to spot them. Besides Dad and Yaoyao, there was another woman with them.”
“I see. Did you get a good look at the woman?”
“It was too quick, I didn’t see clearly.”
Xu Yinyin discreetly observed Jiang Xin’s expression. Seeing her looking restless and anxious, she felt guilty.
So she added, “Mom, you usually don’t ask about Dad’s affairs. Why are you so concerned today? Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing major, I just had a dream last night. I dreamed that your father was cheating—with his first love. They were supposed to get married back then, but your grandfather broke them up. You know how it is, people always pine for what they can’t have. I’m just worried my dream might come true.”
Jiang Xin spoke vaguely, but she knew her daughter would understand.
“Wow, Mom’s intuition is sharp! She’s right—Dad did meet Zhou Xinyi, but it was by accident. He caught Yaoyao secretly meeting her birth mother. They argued, and then Dad took Yaoyao away. As for what they said, Xu Yao lost track of them and didn’t hear.”
“Dreams and reality are opposites. Even if they did meet, it doesn’t mean they rekindled old feelings. You know Dad’s character best, don’t you?”
Xu Yinyin didn’t want to sow discord. She just wanted her mom to take this seriously, investigate properly, and stop Zhou Xinyi’s schemes before they went too far.
“But people change. A wife at home is never as exciting as a mistress outside.”
“True. There’s no such thing as a cat that doesn’t steal fish. If Zhou Xinyi intends to use both father and daughter, Dad’s IQ might not be enough to outwit her. After all, old flames burn the hottest.”
Jiang Xin: “…” I knew it!
“Dad shouldn’t be that kind of person, right? Could you be overthinking it?”
Xu Yinyin deliberately kept her words vague, hoping to plant a seed of doubt in her mother’s mind—just enough to occasionally prick at her and draw her attention.
“Maybe… Let’s head out. We’ve all been working all day, and everyone must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”
“Mm-hmm, okay.”
“I’ve hinted at it this much—Mom should start paying attention, right?”
“A woman’s intuition is sharp. Once she starts suspecting, she’ll definitely get to the bottom of it. Don’t worry.”
“I was so subtle about it… She won’t misunderstand and think I have bad intentions, will she?”
“Of course not. You’re helping her avoid misfortune.”
“Sigh… It’s just that my identity and situation are too awkward. Otherwise, I could be upfront about it. Speaking in riddles like this is so frustrating.”
“There’s no other way—being part of a wealthy family, you have to be cautious.”
Jiang Xin suddenly reached out and patted Xu Yinyin’s head, pretending to smooth her hair while secretly reassuring her.
“Yinyin, you mustn’t feel constrained at home. No matter what happens, you can always talk to Mom. Also, remember to use the card I gave you properly—don’t hold back. No matter what happens, Dad and Mom will always love you, okay?”
Xu Yinyin was deeply moved and nodded quickly. “Mm-hmm, I understand, Mom.”
“Wah, Mom is so good to me. I must protect her and never let Zhou Xinyi harass our family.”
Jiang Xin smiled lovingly, her earlier unhappiness caused by Xu Yanwen instantly vanishing.
If he really dared to get involved with that woman, she would take both daughters and leave, making sure he would never find them again!
On the sofa, Yaoyao scrutinized Xu Yao (the younger brother) and lowered her voice to ask, “Did you and Sister plan this together on purpose to make my mom suspicious?”
Xu Yao’s eyes widened. “You—how did you know?”
“Sister’s inner voice.” She reminded him in a whisper.
In a flash, he suddenly thought of a crucial issue. Since everyone could hear Yinyin’s thoughts, didn’t that mean Uncle’s family had long known the truth about the real and fake daughters?
A normal person, knowing they were about to face misfortune, would naturally take precautions. So—
“Don’t tell me… you deliberately let Uncle discover your secret meetings with your biological mother?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“And the argument you had with your dad—was that acting too?”
“Not that part. Dad had to act naturally for it to be convincing.”
Xu Yao recalled how Uncle had been furious at that moment—it really didn’t seem fake.
“So, you’ve been setting up this whole thing?” Xu Yao suddenly felt an excited urge to take action.
Yaoyao glanced at the kitchen, then tempted him, “Do you want to join?”
“Of course I do!” Xu Yao was practically bouncing with excitement, as if about to embark on an adventure or a mystery-solving quest.
“Then swear—if you leak the secret I’m about to tell you, you’ll go bald in your prime, turn into a greasy middle-aged man with a beer belly, and spend your old age confined to a nursing home, bedridden and living on medicine!”
Xu Yao’s pupils trembled. “That’s way too vicious! You’re really my dear sister, huh?”
“No choice—things are urgent, I have to be careful.”
Thinking about what Yinyin had told him about the real-and-fake-daughter scheme, Xu Yao instantly felt chills. Against such an opponent, they really had to be cautious.
“You’re telling me this alone… are you trying to bypass Yinyin to complete something?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust Sister—it’s just that her inner voice might ruin things. I don’t want her to get targeted by bad people, so we need someone to cover for her and let her think her plan is going smoothly. Understand?”
“But Sister isn’t working alone; she has a helper. Can we really hide this?”
“That’s where you come in. You’re smart—handling this should be a breeze for you. Otherwise, how could you live up to your reputation as a top student?”
“Well, that’s true!” Xu Yao lifted his chin proudly.
Yaoyao smiled. “Hurry up and swear, or Sister will be back soon.”
For the sake of fully enjoying the drama, Xu Yao swore with great determination.
“Alright, then—tonight at ten, meet in the wine cellar.”
“Mm-hmm, got it.”
“Just follow Sister’s previous instructions, okay?”
“So basically, I’m a double agent now?”
“Of course! You’re the brain of our family—ordinary missions wouldn’t be worthy of you.”
“Well, that’s true!” Xu Yao’s eyes gleamed with pride.
When everyone returned to their seats, the atmosphere at the dining table became tense again.
While serving food to Xu Yao and her two daughters, Jiang Xin subtly gave Xu Yanwen a hard time.
This included, but was not limited to: having the chef remove his favorite dishes, replacing them with an assortment of leafy green salads; swapping his seafood porridge for vegetable juice; and even changing his dumplings to spinach wrappers—fully embracing the green theme.
Xu Yanwen was furious but didn’t dare say anything. He forced himself to eat the green dumplings and sip vegetable juice, occasionally taking a bite of salad, all while enduring the suffering and pretending to enjoy the meal like it was gourmet cuisine.
Xu Yao secretly gave him a thumbs-up in his mind, admiring his uncle for being a man who knew when to endure humiliation.
Yaoyao watched her father suffer and boldly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs for him, only to hear Jiang Xin say with a smile, “Yaoyao is such a thoughtful girl—look how well she’s taking care of her dad.”
Yaoyao smoothly turned her wrist and placed the ribs on Xu Yao’s plate instead. “My little brother rarely gets to eat at our house—eat more, don’t hold back.”
Receiving his uncle’s resentful gaze, Xu Yao shed invisible tears while eating several ribs. They were delicious!
Xu Yanwen: “…Why am I always the one suffering? QAQ”
“What do I do? I suddenly feel bad for Dad.”
Xu Yinyin poked at her rice, torn over whether she should risk offering him some comfort.
The system scoffed: “Sympathizing with men will bring retribution. If he has a first love, then his white moonlight is an original sin in the eyes of the current wife!”
Hearing this, Jiang Xin became even more convinced that she was right—white moonlights were original sins, especially since this particular one was the mastermind behind the fake daughter scheme. That was a crime on top of a crime!
“Honey, you seem a little stressed lately, so I had the chef prepare some bitter melon soup for you. Have some.”
As she spoke, the chef brought over a steaming bowl of bitter melon soup. Judging from his expression, the taste must have been intense.
Sure enough, the moment the soup was placed on the table, the air was filled with an overpowering bitterness.
Xu Yanwen’s face turned green with fright, but he still had to smile at Jiang Xin and say, “Thank you, dear. You’re so good to me.”
Wuwuwu, Zhou Xinyi! You and I are sworn enemies! QAQ!
“It’s only right. Drink up.” Jiang Xin smiled gently, staring at him without blinking, ready to watch him finish every last drop.
Xu Yao swallowed hard and, seeing his uncle’s miserable fate, reached a conclusion—never mess with women!
The next day at work, a shocking news report exploded across Fengyi Group.
#Tragic Victim Kills Illicit Lovers—Fengyi’s Former Son-in-Law, Guo Cheng, Dead#
The moment Xu Yinyin entered the company, Xue Weiwei grabbed her excitedly. “Yinyin, have you heard? Guo Cheng is dead! They say he was killed by Shen Ling’s boyfriend. That guy created a distraction and then stabbed them both right in the heart—one hit, instant kill!”
“What?!” Xu Yinyin was utterly shocked.
It wasn’t that she thought his death was undeserved—she was just worried her aunt would be upset upon hearing the news.
“If Secretary Sun asks for me, just say I’m in Vice President Xu’s office.”
“Oh, okay, go ahead.”
Xue Weiwei thought to herself, The princess must be afraid her aunt won’t be able to handle the blow. After all, she did love that man once…
Inside the office, Xu Yanyan held a cup of coffee, gazing at the distant clouds. Seeing the trending news on her phone, her eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions.
Guo Cheng was dead—killed by the biological father of his child. Such a dramatic ending was something she had never even imagined.
“Aunt!” Xu Yinyin’s slightly breathless voice came from behind her.
She turned around, setting down her coffee, just as Xu Yinyin ran up and hugged her, gently patting her back in comfort. “Aunt, don’t be sad. No matter what happened to him, it has nothing to do with you. You mustn’t blame yourself, okay?”
Since even Xue Weiwei knew, it must have already spread, meaning her aunt had surely heard about it too.
A wave of sourness surged in Xu Yanyan’s heart at Yinyin’s concern.
They had only known each other for a few days, yet the change and courage this girl had brought her were things she had never experienced in her thirty-five years of life.
It could be said that without Yinyin, she wouldn’t be who she was today—someone who could face the truth and admit her mistakes.
“Silly girl, I’m not sad, and I don’t feel guilty,” Xu Yanyan reassured her. “I just suddenly feel relieved, like a heavy weight on my shoulders has finally lifted with his passing.”
She held Yinyin’s shoulders and pulled her up, gently stroking her hair. Her voice softened, “That day, I made everything clear, and I showed him the last thing I could do for him. We’re even now.”
“I’m glad you can think that way, Aunt! You’re even stronger and braver than I imagined—you’re amazing!”
Xu Yinyin genuinely admired her aunt’s decisiveness—loving without hesitation and letting go just as swiftly.
“And Yinyin, you’re amazing too. Your arrival has brought us luck and brought our family closer together. Thank you, Yinyin.” Thank you for giving me courage and support.
Xu Yinyin looked guilty. “I really haven’t done anything. If you put it that way, I feel embarrassed.”
“In a family, you don’t need to do anything. Just being here, sharing each day’s joys and sorrows, is enough. You’ve already done a great job—Yinyin, you’re our family’s little treasure.”
Xu Yanyan pulled her into a hug, affectionately pressing her cheek against hers.
“Wuwu, Aunt is so gentle. I love her!”
Compared to this heartwarming moment, Wu Youde and Zhao Xing were like ants on a hot pan, pacing anxiously.
Guo Cheng’s death had made all his former associates tremble in fear.
Ever since he was convicted, they had been living in constant anxiety. Anyone with a brain could see that the old man had been waiting for his daughter to kick Guo Cheng out before swooping in to finish him off. But no one had expected that Guo Cheng would be murdered instead!
If he had just gone to prison, they could at least believe the old man had shown some mercy. But being stabbed to death? That left far too much room for speculation.
“I told you before—Guo Cheng couldn’t be trusted! Now look what happened. We tried to get a piece of the pie and ended up covered in filth instead!” Zhao Xing fumed.
“What’s the use of saying that now?” Wu Youde snapped. “The old man didn’t even lift a finger—he just sat back and watched Zheng Rui’s downfall, and then Guo Cheng conveniently died. It’s clear we’re next on the list.”
The moment he finished speaking, both men felt a chilling sensation down their spines.
Zhao Xing’s expression turned vicious. “It’s all Xu Yinyin’s fault! And that damn gossiping sidekick of hers! Anyone who goes up against her ends up losing. Losing power is one thing, but getting all our dirty secrets dug up and exposed—that’s the real humiliation!”
He thought about how ever since his son met Xu Yinyin, he had locked himself in his room, practically developing depression. No matter how much he was asked, he refused to say a word—just sitting there in a daze all day. This was a grudge he had to settle.
Wu Youde, recalling his own son’s situation, sighed and said, “This is just a temporary setback. Once we ruin Xu Yinyin, we’ll get our revenge.”
“Ruin her?” Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow. “How? She’s the old man’s favorite right now! He practically has bodyguards on her 24/7. The driver who picks her up every day is an ex-special forces soldier, and her residence is swarming with security. The old man is begging someone to try something, just so he can strike back hard!”
Wu Youde chuckled darkly, slowly lighting a cigar and taking a deep drag.
“Who said ruining someone means drawing blood? Seduction is the real way to destroy someone without a trace.”
Zhao Xing immediately leaned in attentively.
“Remember what happened with Xu Yanwen and his first love? The old man was so furious he nearly dropped dead and personally tore them apart. And just when he thought he had put that scandal to rest, Xu Yanyan fell completely under Guo Cheng’s spell. Who’s to say Xu Yinyin won’t be the same? After all, genes are hereditary2love brain.”
Zhao Xing didn’t look too convinced. “It’s a good plan, but don’t forget—Xu Yinyin has a secret weapon. Where are we supposed to find a guy with zero dirt on him? Just filtering through candidates would take ages.”
“It just so happens that my unfilial son has recently graduated and returned to the country. One of his close friends is a once-impoverished student whom I sponsored in the past. He has a clean background and, thanks to our family’s support, has now graduated from a prestigious university and significantly increased his social standing. It’s about time for him to repay the favor.”
“You’re that confident Xu Yinyin will fall for him? Putting aside his academic background, the most important factor is his looks.”
“Looks and charm aren’t for us to judge—it all depends on how people react.”
Wu Youde glanced at his watch and said with a mysterious smile, “If everything has gone as planned, he should have already arrived at the company by now. You just sit back and enjoy the show.”
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