Originally, An Meijun was at home, having a heated argument with her sister-in-law, Meifang. Meifang, holding a chubby little boy, sat on the sofa with an air of superiority, mocking her, “Sister, didn’t you say that once Jiang Mingqin returned to the wealthy family, she would take you, her birth mother, to enjoy a comfortable life? How come she hasn’t come to see you even once in the past six months?”
An Meijun was embarrassed by her words, suppressing her anger, she replied, “She’s usually busy, and it’s normal that she doesn’t have time to visit me. When she’s free, I’ll call her, and then you can come over.”
This statement was a form of self-deception, and Meifang pretended to believe it. She chuckled lightly and teased her son, “I’ve always said that children need to be raised by their own parents. Otherwise, they go to college, and all year round, they don’t come to see their birth mother, don’t even provide for her, and it’s as if they were never born. Some people are better off raising someone else’s son properly. Otherwise, how did they end up like this? They’ve lost their so-called son and even their own daughter. It’s really pitiful. After they’ve withered away like a dried-up vegetable, no one will lend them a helping hand. Don’t you think that makes sense, little one?”
The woman grabbed her son’s hand and waved it a few times. The little boy tilted his head, blinked his eyes, clearly not understanding what his mother was saying, but he obediently replied, “Yes.”
The mother and son were in harmony, leaving An Meijun infuriated. Her face turned dark, but she couldn’t argue back because her situation was indeed as described. She had thought that her daughter, Jiang Mingqin, returning to the Yin family, would treat her birth mother well. Even if she didn’t bring her to live with her, she would send her some living expenses each month.
After all, they were both Yin family young ladies. Wearing luxury, champagne, and expensive cars were all normal for them. Just a little bit of financial support from them would be enough for her to live comfortably.
However, Jiang Mingqin didn’t do any of that. Throughout the year, she would only contact An Meijun when she needed something, and the rest of the time, no matter how many times An Meijun called her, she couldn’t reach her. It was either because she was busy with something or because she didn’t have time. But An Meijun could hear the sounds of playing cards and clinking glasses in the background when she called.
It was evident that the excuses of being busy with studies or having no free time were just that – excuses. An Meijun was getting anxious. She didn’t necessarily need her daughter to keep her company, but even if you can’t be with me, can you send some money to your mom? It would be so much better if your mom could also live decently. Yet, Jiang Mingqin hadn’t taken any practical actions.
Before An Meijun could even ask for money, the girl claimed she was poor. She said she was not as wealthy as Yin Minglu, who was running a successful business himself. She complained that the Yin family favored males over females, leaving her in a difficult position, like a little cabbage planted in someone else’s field, struggling to survive. She claimed that she lived frugally, carefully considering every purchase, just to maintain her image as a rich young lady when she went out and not lose face.
In short, she told her mother that she couldn’t even make ends meet with her own money, so how could she possibly share any with her?
At first, An Meijun believed her daughter’s words, but then she stumbled upon a video on a social media platform featuring a “Miss Qin” flaunting her wealth. In the video, this wealthy young woman went to a famous international beauty brand’s store and asked the shop assistant to try on various lip colors. She applied dozens of colorful “rainbows” on her fair arms, ranging from fiery blue-gold to enchanting wine-red. Despite the shop assistant’s initial impatience, she quickly changed her attitude after the wealthy young woman bought all the lipstick shades she had tried.
The price of a single lipstick from that brand was as high as two thousand, and the extravagance of the young woman’s shopping spree astounded many netizens. They also found it satisfying to watch the shop assistant’s change from impatience to enthusiasm. As a result, this short video became very popular.
The wealthy young woman never showed her face in the video, but An Meijun had a keen eye and could immediately recognize that the person who bought dozens of lipsticks without hesitation was her own daughter, the one who had claimed to carefully consider every purchase, including lipstick.
Not to mention that the wealthy young woman’s account had other videos flaunting her wealth. The excuses about not having money to send her own mother living expenses were all just lies! An Meijun was nearly overwhelmed with anger. She had worked so hard to act in front of Yin Yunqiu, just so that her daughter could return to the wealthy family one day and ensure her own future. Yet, this was how Jiang Mingqin repaid her?
After her financial situation was exposed, the young woman even stopped answering her calls. When she did pick up, she immediately hung up with a sharp tone and a cold attitude, saying, “Don’t call me anymore. My father won’t like it if I stay in contact with you.” Her attitude resembled that of a completely heartless person, making An Meijun regret all the sacrifices she had made for her daughter throughout her life.
An Meijun harbored resentment in her heart but felt powerless. She could only endure day by day, hoping that her daughter would be in a good mood and call her voluntarily.
Today was no different. Just as she was about to lose control of her temper when her younger sister-in-law taunted her, the doorbell of the An family’s house rang.
An Meijun shouted irritably, “Who is it?! Can’t you remember to bring your keys when you go out?!” After her outburst, she shuffled over in her slippers to open the door. However, she was taken aback when she saw a group of tall, imposing men in uniforms outside the door. What startled her even more was that one of them specifically stepped forward and flashed a badge in her direction.
Among the crowd, several curious neighbors had gathered, carrying bags of vegetables. Instead of hurrying home to cook, they seemed eager to know what was happening at the An family’s residence.
Behind this group of people stood several neighbors from the neighborhood, all with curious expressions. They were holding bags of vegetables, but they didn’t seem in a hurry to go home and cook. It seemed like they wanted to know what was happening at the An family’s house.
An Meijun’s body trembled, her lips quivered, and she forced a smile, “Officers, did you perhaps make a mistake and got the wrong person?” Despite her words, she had unsettling thoughts crossing her mind. Her heart pounded wildly, and she couldn’t hide her nervousness.
Her younger sister-in-law, Meifang, also leaned forward curiously, still holding her child. When she saw the scene, she was also startled and almost dropped her son.
Although this family had their disagreements and wasn’t always harmonious, they suddenly united when the police came knocking on their door. Meifang felt panicked, and she was about to scream or call her father-in-law and husband to report the situation. However, she then saw that An Meijun, who had been arguing with her just moments ago, was taken away by the police.
She was completely bewildered, and she dialed her husband’s number. When she found out that her husband was currently at the police station undergoing investigation, and her maternal uncle, who worked as the head of the gynecology department at the tertiary hospital, was also present, she was left dumbfounded. She held her son, feeling lost, a deep sense of fear overwhelming her. She felt like their family might fall apart at that moment.
She was still young, and her son was only three years old. They had just paid the down payment for their school district house in the city last month, and they hadn’t even started paying the monthly installments… What was she going to do?
The panicked woman didn’t notice that, among the crowd witnessing An Meijun being taken away, the Jiang family members stood at a distance, watching everything coldly. It wasn’t until An Meijun was in the car that they slowly breathed a sigh of relief, as if they could finally let go of their thoughts and worries from these past days.
…
During dinner that evening, which took place at the Jiang family’s home, the atmosphere was warm and cheerful. The Jiang couple had an unspoken agreement not to tell their younger son about the situation. While he was capable, he had not grown up in their presence, and they still saw him as quite young. They didn’t want to expose him to the harsh realities of the world just yet.
Jiang Shi poured himself a small glass of liquor, and the sound of the clear liquid pouring into the glass was pleasant to the ears. Their younger son, eager to join in, pushed his own glass toward his father and said, “Dad, I want to drink too.” In the Yin family, he had the lowest status. Not only was he not allowed to enter Yin Zhongyuan’s wine cellar, but he also couldn’t hide or secretly drink the rare wines stored by Yin Yunqiu.
Hearing his younger son’s plea, Jiang Shi sat up straight and glanced at his wife, who was in the kitchen. He then, as if committing a secret act, discreetly filled his son’s glass and whispered, “Drink quickly, don’t let your mom see.”
Yin Minglu nodded eagerly, holding a small glass of Er Guo Tou. He took a quick sip, and the fiery liquor went down his throat. He instantly looked delighted, as if he were drinking some precious elixir. After finishing the drink, he even let out a small burp.
Jiang Mingyao couldn’t help but smile at his younger brother’s antics. Seeing that his younger brother’s mood remained unaffected, he also couldn’t resist a slight grin. After everything settled down, he felt it was time to reveal something he had intentionally kept from his younger brother—the fact that he had intentionally gotten close to him.
Because he still remembered the day when his younger brother found out that his subordinate had suddenly turned into his own older brother. He had locked himself in the conference room without eating or drinking for an entire afternoon (in reality, he had been happily chatting with his crush). His bright eyes had lost their usual sparkle, and it seemed he couldn’t accept it for a while. He had to convince himself that it was fate.
But it wasn’t a coincidence or fate; it was something he had intentionally orchestrated. With his eyes covered, the younger brother asked, “Brother, are you saying that you actually knew a long time ago?”
Jiang Mingyao nodded, “But I didn’t have any ill intentions.” At that time, he had only wanted to get closer to his younger brother, even if it meant starting as a lowly game planner. He had never expected to get this close, being able to see the younger brother’s lively smile every morning and evening, taking care of his daily life as an assistant, and even accompanying him to experience the upper-class society. He had long felt blessed.
“Oh, and I could even secretly pass messages to Yin Yunqiu when you met with that famous star surnamed Chu,” Jiang Mingyao said with a smile.
“At first, I did have a purpose in getting close to you, and I don’t want to hide it from you anymore.” Deceiving such an innocent child and seeing the trusting look in his eyes had always made Jiang Mingyao feel guilty. He took this opportunity to express what he had wanted to say for a long time. “You are very successful now, with a team of over ten assistants, and my qualifications and abilities aren’t enough. Yet, I’ve been serving as your chief assistant, managing finances and affairs for you. I’ve started to feel overwhelmed, so I thought, instead of waiting until your career grows even bigger and realizing that I’m no longer suitable for the role, I should…” He paused and announced his resignation.
Furthermore, when he initially came to be by the young man’s side, he hadn’t thought about gaining benefits from this position. However, as the young man’s company grew from a small team of around a hundred people to the massive organization it was now, with money seemingly clashing and multiplying every second, his heart couldn’t help but beat faster. But he was more afraid that the child might mistakenly think he had approached him for these benefits.
After the family had an open and honest conversation, Yin Minglu felt more at ease. He casually propped up one leg and shook his flip-flops happily. Pouring himself another drink, he said, “Brother, you’ve been by my side for two or three years now. I noticed long ago that you lacked confidence. You always felt that you lacked qualifications, were unimpressive, and had insufficient abilities. You worked late into the night at the company every day, and as a result, you’re still single. Many female employees secretly criticize you for being a workaholic, thinking you’re just a wooden log who only knows how to work. You always believed that your body was full of shortcomings, and the larger my team of assistants became, the harder you worked. You were afraid of exposing your weaknesses and being seen as a privileged relative who doesn’t deserve their position, embarrassing me. Am I right?”
Jiang Mingyao was taken aback. He had thought he was hiding his feelings well, but he didn’t expect the young man to be so perceptive and see through all the pressure he had been carrying.
“But have you ever thought about why I need you? What can you do for me compared to other assistants?” Suddenly, the young man asked, leaving Jiang Mingyao pondering.
“What I need is someone with a personal touch, always thinking of the boss in every situation. Even if it’s biased, it would only be biased in favor of the boss’s assistant. I need an assistant who, when the boss has to socialize, the first thought is to prevent the boss from overindulging in alcohol and willingly stepping in. I need an assistant who, even when the boss takes a leave of absence, still pays attention to the boss’s diet. I need an assistant who cares more about whether the game is selling well than the boss does, staying up late to check reviews on the app store. I need an assistant who is willing to learn multiple languages and improve their social skills just to keep up with the boss, so they won’t feel out of place. I need an assistant who, even though they don’t have a girlfriend, cares more about the boss’s private life than their own and doesn’t hesitate to report to the boss’s father.”
As he listened to each point, Jiang Mingyao was initially touched, but the last sentence made him both laugh and cry. “So you knew all along?” He thought he had done an excellent job as a double agent, maintaining his cover without saying a word, as if he had never done anything. He had even suspected everyone from Assistant Wang to Xiao Li, all the while keeping up the pretense of being solemn and never resorting to reporting. He had never imagined that the young man had seen through him.
This child was truly exceptionally intelligent.
“Hmph, what do you think!” When this was mentioned, the young man became angry. At first, he didn’t even suspect that Jiang Mingyao was the one chosen. As a result, it turned out that the least likely person was the real culprit! A big liar!
When the young man got angry, he started to be stubborn, ignoring how others tried to stop him and insisting on having a few more drinks. However, when he got too drunk, he stopped being angry and had a smiling face. When he was preparing to go home, his walking posture was all crooked, as if his body had no bones, and he had to rely on Jiang Mingyao’s support to walk properly.
But it couldn’t be denied that with the young man’s heartfelt words, Jiang Mingyao’s heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, completely and securely came down, filled with warmth and confidence.
Then his smile came to a sudden halt when he saw Yin Yunqiu, who had a cold and seemingly waiting-for-them expression, because he knew he was in the wrong, and he immediately became timid.
Seeing his youngest son running around barefoot, singing happily while stepping on the ground, Yin Yunqiu’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. For a moment, the veins on his forehead bulged as he reached out to grab the unruly person. The other person seemed to be in pain and let out a belch after whimpering.
The strong smell of alcohol hit him, almost suffocating Yin Yunqiu. What made his gaze even colder was what happened next. The young man coquettishly called out “Run Run, Run Run” a few times, clearly having had too much to drink.
Frustrated, Yin Yunqiu scolded him, “You little drunkard, go back to your room and sleep obediently for me.”
On the other side, Jiang Mingqin had long ago blocked her own mother’s phone number, so she had no idea that her own mother had been arrested. Seeing that it was already well past midnight and Yin Minglu had not returned, and with Yin Yunqiu also absent, the whole house was empty except for the elderly Yin patriarch who had gone to bed early. She became suspicious.
With the man’s gentle admonition still ringing in her ears, she covered her wildly beating heart and stealthily entered the young man’s study.
After opening the young man’s personal computer and taking out her own hard drive, she was almost too nervous to speak. Holding the mouse, her hand trembled a few times as she navigated through the folders on his desktop.
Her mood was a mix of excitement and nervous tension. The desktop was filled with folders with very familiar names, such as “The Last Earthling,” a storyline game that had attracted her ex-fiancé in her previous life; “Milk and Profiteroles,” a girl’s adventure game that won the Best Healing Game award overseas; and “Ancient Civilization,” an epic battle game that had swept up billions of players worldwide and had propelled the young man to godlike status at the age of forty-five. Although these folders seemed to contain only a few images, indicating that the young man currently had only a few ideas and inspirations, without complete game prototypes, it didn’t diminish the value and worth of these folders…
Almost every game had a name associated with it from her past life, and Jiang Mingqin’s eyes were spinning as she completely forgot to breathe, unable to stop herself from copying the files.
But just as she was halfway through copying, there was a noise in the corridor outside the door. It sounded like someone had come upstairs and was talking loudly, slurring their words as if they were drunk.
Was it Yin Minglu coming back? The young woman was startled, and she instinctively closed the computer with a “snap,” her gaze fixed on the door as she held her breath.
“Walk properly.” After just taking a few steps, the person’s body went limp against the wall. Their head was tilting as if they were trying to nuzzle into something, much like a pig trying to snuggle with a cabbage.
It was Yin Yunqiu’s voice again, with a hint of helplessness in his tone. Jiang Mingqin’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected there to be two people, and her father was unexpectedly there too. Why did these two have to come back at this exact moment?
If Yin Yunqiu were to discover her in Yin Minglu’s study, she couldn’t even begin to imagine the consequences. As the voices of the two grew closer, the young woman was so scared that her entire body went cold, and her feet started to feel like they were floating. Fear had reached its peak, and her heart was pounding violently.
She desperately prayed that the young man was drunk and that Yin Yunqiu would take care of him, leaving them with no time to investigate what was happening in the study.
However, no matter how fervently she prayed in her mind, the footsteps came to a halt at the door.
It was because the young man was walking with the support of the wall, without his shoes, and he had even stepped on Yin Yunqiu a few times with his bare feet. He was swaying as he walked, but his gaze was sharp. At this moment, he had wide, puzzled black eyes and a protruding tongue as he addressed his father, saying, “Dad, Dad, why are the strands of hair hanging in my study gone?”
“Hmm?” Yin Yunqiu’s gaze followed suit and stopped at the door of the study, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
His gaze felt tangible, causing the young woman behind the door to catch her breath.
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrients~
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