Three Worlds and Three Lives [32]

How could the things that woman bought back then appear on a girl roughly the same age as Minglu?

He finally remembered the inconsistency. When he took out the clothes and toys the girl had used from his pocket, An Meijun’s face turned pale. She seemed afraid and anxious, as if she wanted to rush over several times to stop him from continuing. At that time, he had only thought that the woman was afraid he would reprimand her for her extravagance and question why she favored her niece over Minglu.

When he mentioned buying gifts for her niece, the woman’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Eventually, she reluctantly admitted it. Yin Yunqiu’s thoughts raced, carefully recalling her facial expressions from back then. The woman had avoided his gaze somewhat sheepishly, hardly daring to make eye contact with him. Her reaction was clearly one of extreme guilt.

Ironically, at that time, his heart had been focused on the child who felt neglected. He had completely overlooked the woman’s numerous flaws in her acting and reactions. He had been preoccupied with dealing with An’s family members who had come to find her.

When the assistant provided him with recent behavioral investigation data on the Weibo account owner and An Meijun, Yin Yunqiu let out a cold laugh, thinking, “As expected.”

He had always wondered why a woman wouldn’t like a smart, adorable child like Minglu who was healthy, without any disabilities or intellectual issues. Even to the point of physically abusing the child when she was in a bad mood and isolating him from any contact. The reason was evidently simple: that mother knew that the child didn’t come from her womb.

There was a fatal difference between the boy and the girl. How could a woman who had given birth herself mistake her own child’s gender? Yet, in the end, she came to him with a baby boy in her arms.

Presumably, she had switched someone else’s child with her own, obtained what she wanted, and then began to miss her daughter, so she secretly bought some things that girls liked to console herself.

Another person who had been kept in the dark was Minglu himself. He had been inexplicably given different parents, and none of this had been his choice.

Yin Yunqiu still remembered that in the hospital, the baby in the crib, unlike the other wrinkled red faces, had looked incredibly cute with snow-white skin. His eyes were already open, and when he saw Yin Yunqiu, he had innocently tilted his head and blinked his eyes. When Yin Yunqiu extended his hand involuntarily, the baby had playfully gripped his fingertip, and his chubby legs kicked happily. It was as if the child regarded him as his own father, smiling happily. This was still the case now.

Such a lively child would surely receive the utmost care from parents in any other family. Suddenly, a sense of fear gripped him. If that child ever found out he had been intentionally switched, if he discovered the truth and couldn’t accept it, would he look at him with resentment and disbelief? Would he move out, leaving his father behind and returning to his biological parents?

Thinking of this possibility, Yin Yunqiu’s face turned cold, and he wished he could strangle An Meijun, that woman, to calm his growing anxiety.

Since the mistake had already been made, why not let it be and accept it as it was for the rest of their lives? However, that woman, An Meijun, obviously couldn’t stay put. She wanted to rectify the situation, and Yin Yunqiu’s own biological daughter seemed to have known the truth for a long time. She not only lacked gratitude for the family that raised her but also harbored hostility towards Minglu, his child.

He had raised his son for over a decade, and compared to a daughter he had no previous connection with, he knew which one he valued more.

The only thing he was unsure of now was the attitude of the Jiang family’s young man. He had specifically come to work as Minglu’s assistant. Was it his personal choice, or had the Jiang family’s elders already known the truth and hoped for Minglu’s return?

On the other hand, Yin Minglu sat in the luxury car, enjoying the breeze as he went for a joyride with his family driver.

The teenager opened the car window, feeling the wind rushing past, and his dark eyes curved into crescent moons. He laughed heartily as he enjoyed the wind, which frightened the owner of the car in the next lane. The man muttered to his wife, “Damn, this car is really expensive, but the person inside seems to have some mental issues.”

His wife was also startled and nodded in agreement. “Let’s go, don’t mess with such people.”

Jiang Mingyao, who was driving the car, sighed, feeling embarrassed all the way.

During this period, Jiang Mingyao had accompanied Yin Minglu to various company events and social gatherings. He had traveled far and wide with him. It was through this experience that Jiang Mingyao realized his own shortcomings. Minglu could confidently and charmingly handle interviews with reporters, and when negotiating business deals, he displayed excellent manners. His behavior and decisions were never swayed by personal feelings. He believed in doing business professionally, making people reluctant to underestimate him because of his age. However, Jiang Mingyao, as his assistant, was slow even in handing out business cards. Throughout the events, he seemed to be more of a bystander than a useful assistant.

He felt quite ashamed of himself.

Even when Minglu shook hands with others at events, if a piece of paper appeared in his hand afterward, and he inquired about its contents, Minglu would calmly crumple the paper and toss it into a nearby wine glass. He would say, “You don’t need to know.”

Watching the handsome youth and the man who had acted so frivolously just moments ago, Jiang Mingyao was initially puzzled, but then he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was overwhelmed with anger. “Why? Aren’t you President Yin’s son? With your status, why would anyone dare to look down on you?”

Minglu remained calm. “Bold people won’t restrain themselves just because of your status. When I reach my father’s position, no one will dare to treat me this way.” In this circle, which was always filled with all sorts of people, including those who were smart and handsome, anyone could be targeted if they caught someone’s fancy. Even mistresses of mayors could be stolen. Moreover, these people were intelligent, and they didn’t really do anything wrong openly. They would engage in suggestive conversations and slip you a note. Essentially, it couldn’t be proven, and they would even mock you for not being able to take a joke.

Of course, this circle also strongly believed in trampling the weak and lifting the strong. When the original host had his halo, everyone surrounded him, flattering him. However, when his true identity was revealed, those same people were the harshest critics. Numerous people with no morals and lustful desires even tried to flirt with him shamelessly, suggesting that they would “support” him, which essentially meant they wanted him to exchange his youth and body for something.

After all, once a prince or prince consort was abandoned by the emperor, they would be subjected to cruel treatment by the servants. What could be said for ordinary people?

If Yin Minglu didn’t have the Deer Factory to support him in this lifetime, he would have faced even more humiliation once his true identity was exposed. In this circle, both women and men are exceptionally good-looking, but without a strong backing to protect them, they are more vulnerable to danger.

Understanding the implied meaning of the young man’s words, Jiang Mingyao felt a heavy burden in his chest. He wanted to say, “What about when you leave the Yin family? Will these behaviors become even more ruthless? If you don’t achieve something on your own and don’t have the label of Deer Factory’s CEO¹so Deer Factory is a game under Minglu’s company which is Lu Game Company; I’m not entirely sure about it because I’m mostly mtl-ing all of my translations, that and I don’t speak Chinese so bear with me. on your chest, maybe these people’s actions will be even more brazen.”

He… didn’t want that child to return to the Jiang family. The Jiang family, being small and insignificant, couldn’t protect anyone.

He used to be overly naive, thinking that his heartfelt sincerity could make up for more than ten years of misplacement. But how could he bridge this enormous gap in status? As the daughter of the Yin family, how could Mingqin adapt to the cutthroat world of high society, where it’s every man for himself in the pursuit of fame and fortune? And as the former young master of the Yin family, would he become the subject of endless mockery from countless internet users due to his sudden change in status?

Seeing his troubled expression, the young man seemed to feel guilty for exposing the ugly side of high society to him. He patted his shoulder reassuringly and even served him a piece of cake. “Don’t overthink it. You’re with me now, and if those people don’t show you respect, it’s also because of me. As long as we work hard and earn more money, their attitudes will change.”

However, it was true that when his true identity was revealed, the backlash would be even more severe. There was still more than a year until the plot unfolded, so he had plenty of time to climb the ranks slowly.

Looking at the beautiful cake in front of him, Jiang Mingyao made an effort but couldn’t eat it. He held a fork in one hand and a plate in the other, but he couldn’t bring himself to eat it. The overwhelming sweetness in his mouth couldn’t rescue him from his chaotic thoughts and the bitterness in his heart. Clearly, he was someone who easily got lost in his own thoughts.

The young man seemed to be pondering something and suddenly said, “If you look closely, we look quite similar, don’t we? We both have double eyelids, high nose bridges, fair skin, and our eye shapes are similar too. Is your skin so fair because you don’t tan easily?”

The topic changed so abruptly, like a whirlwind, that Jiang Mingyao was caught off guard. The handsome teenager was curiously studying him, and his words left Jiang Mingyao astonished. He had already changed his mind; he didn’t want the boy to know the truth.

Jiang Mingyao cleared his throat and pretended to focus on eating his cake. He mumbled, “Where do we look alike? Young Master, are you nearsighted or something?”

“Really? Maybe it’s because handsome guys all look alike,” the teenager arrogantly commented, cupping his own flawless face and indulging in self-admiration. “Ah, why do I look so good? Xiaojie, you’re just a bit less good-looking than me. I used to think you were handsome, but on closer inspection, you’re not the type that stands out. You look too plain, and you’re not even tall. I might be shorter than you now, but I’m younger, and I can still grow taller. You, on the other hand, have already reached your peak.”

After saying this, the teenager looked at him sympathetically.

Jiang Mingyao: ???

This little brat is way too self-absorbed. It’s one thing to praise oneself, but he even wants to take a few shots at him. Jiang Mingyao stared at him, and for a moment, he forgot to even swallow the cake in his mouth.

And where is he short? Is 1.85 meters considered short? You’re not using your dad, Yin Yunqiu, as a benchmark, are you? Jiang Mingyao really wanted to grab the young man by the shoulder and tell him to wake up. You’re from the same father as me. At most, you’ll be 1.8 meters tall. Don’t daydream.

But unfortunately, he couldn’t say that. He let the young man bask in his self-admiration, and Jiang Mingyao was left with a lump in his throat, so he had to take more bites of cake to ease his frustration.

He didn’t notice that his attention, which had been stuck in a dead end, had been diverted by the young man’s words. In fact, he couldn’t help but smile when the young man suggested taking him out for barbecue and a drive.

He didn’t notice that his attention, which had been stuck in a dead end, had been redirected by the teenager’s casual conversation. He even found himself smiling when the teenager mentioned taking him out for barbecue and a joyride.

Meanwhile, at the An family’s side.

An Meijun’s father knocked on her door and shouted, “Meijun, how come you’ve spent half of your brother’s money for buying the house?”

Upon hearing this, An Meijun shut down her computer, feeling increasingly frustrated. She replied, “Dad, can’t you be reasonable? That’s the money I’ve worked hard to save. How did it become money for An Jun to buy a house? This is too biased!”

Father An was even angrier than her. When he saw the bank passbook, he was furious. “Little Bao is already three years old. It’s time to pay the down payment for a house in a good school district. You don’t even have a son or daughter yet. In the future, you’ll have to rely on Little Bao for your retirement! If you buy him a house, he will take care of you in the future. That’s the only way this family can live together for a long time.”

An Meijun was so angry that she trembled. “Why don’t I have a son or daughter? Yin Minglu is still my nominal son, and Mingqin is my biological daughter. They will take care of me in the future. Do I really need Little Bao to take care of me?” Can the relationship between nephew and niece compare to her own biological children? Besides, look at the lazy appearance of that young couple. She might as well rely on a mother pig to climb a tree!

The argument between the two reached the living room, where An Jun’s wife, Meifang, who had been playing with her son, stopped and listened. She had been married into this family for more than four years and had given birth to a son two years ago. An’s family didn’t keep it a secret from her, so she naturally knew the family’s past secrets. She chuckled and said, “Sis, you can’t say that. Minglu has nothing to do with you now, and Mingqin is being raised by the Jiang family. There’s no guarantee that they’ll come back in the future. If they break the pot, it’ll definitely be for someone else, right? You’re not that young anymore, and you don’t want to get married. Where will your security come from in the future?”

“Yeah, Meifang is right,” Father An added. “Don’t rely on any retirement plans. Nurses will take care of you coldly when you’re cold or hungry. Only family is reliable.” Father An had old-fashioned ideas. He believed that children were meant to support their parents. After his grandson was born, his heart, which had originally leaned toward his son, became even more biased.

Especially since his daughter was getting older and still dreaming of being a wealthy lady, refusing to be someone’s concubine or marry an honest and decent man. He wanted to wake her up and tell her not to dream, to find a honest and decent man and just get by.

Was An Meijun the type of person to accept her fate? Definitely not, especially when her family opposed her. The more they opposed her, the more determined she became to face challenges.

She sneered, “Who said Mingqin can’t go back? Uncle has already told me that the hospital will move to a new location next year and will destroy some of the records. Once they’re destroyed, Mingqin will be able to go back.” Moreover, she secretly registered her daughter for etiquette and French classes in the name of the school. The college entrance examination isn’t important; learning these skills will help her daughter establish herself better in the wealthy family in the future.

When her daughter goes back, she won’t be far away.

The author has something to say: School is about to start, so busy!

Thank you to all the cuties who gave me thunder and poured nutrient solution! Give each of you a kiss, muah!

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  so Deer Factory is a game under Minglu’s company which is Lu Game Company; I’m not entirely sure about it because I’m mostly mtl-ing all of my translations, that and I don’t speak Chinese so bear with me.