《I Became Super Rich After Resigning》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Congratulations, Youre Pregnant Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Congratulations, You¡¯re Pregnant ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re pregnant with twins,¡± the doctor announced, cradling two gestational sacs in his hands. Yuan Xi, clutching the report in her hands, felt her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, utterly die upon hearing the doctor¡¯s words. Seeing no joy on the face of the young woman in the blue suit dress, the doctor said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want them, it¡¯s still possible to have a medical abortion now.¡± Yuan Xi gripped the report tighter, ¡°No, I want to keep them.¡± Before she could finish, a melodious ringtone filled the air. Yuan Xi answered the call, only to be met with the irate voice of a man. ¡°Secretary Yuan! What time is it? During this critical time of the company¡¯s IPO, how dare you ask for leave? Did I approve your leave?¡± ¡°Get back to work immediately!¡± ¡°I want to see you within half an hour.¡± Yuan Xi pulled the phone away slightly, ¡°Alright, Mr. Gu, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°In a while? I said immediately, right now¡­¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t wait for the man on the phone to finish; she hung up and turned to the doctor, ¡°Doctor, if I want to keep these twins¡­¡± Before Yuan Xi could finish, her ringtone chimed again. With reluctance, she took the call. Gu Hanchen¡¯s furious voice erupted from the phone, ¡°Yuan Xi! You dare hang up my call? Who gave you the audacity? Do you want your year-end bonus cut in half? Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital,¡± Yuan Xi simply stated, ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯ll call you back later.¡± ¡°Hospital? What illness do you have? As long as you¡¯re breathing, you must return to work. I¡¯ll have the best doctors in Jiang City come to the office. Come back right now.¡± Yuan Xi hung up again and turned back to the doctor, ¡°I drank quite a bit when I became pregnant, and the father of the children¡­ was also drunk. Will it affect the babies?¡± The doctor peered at the report on the computer, ¡°Do you usually drink heavily?¡± ¡°No, not usually. It¡¯s just that night I drank more.¡± The doctor thought for a moment, ¡°Currently, the babies are still too small for us to determine whether they will have fetal alcohol syndrome. As long as you have regular prenatal check-ups, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Later, if¡­¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang once again. Seeing it was Gu Hanchen, she immediately hung up and turned off her phone. The doctor smiled lightly, ¡°So busy, huh? If later your prenatal check-up has issues, there¡¯s still a choice not to keep them but no matter how busy, you must come in for your check-ups. I¡¯ll prescribe some folic acid for you.¡± Yuan Xi thanked him, and upon leaving the doctor¡¯s office, a nurse led her to the pharmacy to pick up the folic acid. When Yuan Xi got back to her car with the folic acid, she saw that she had already missed thirty calls on her phone. Checking them, they were all either from Gu Hanchen or his right-hand man, Special Assistant Wang. Leaning against the car, Yuan Xi massaged her temples. Michen Game, the company she worked for, was founded six years ago. Yuan Xi had been Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary since her senior year internship and continued straight after graduation. For five years, she watched as Michen grew from a startup to a titan in the gaming world. Gu Hanchen, the young master of one of Jiang City¡¯s top four noble families¡ªthe Gu Family¡ªfounded Michen Game without much intention of managing it seriously. It was more of a response to being seen as an easy mark after spending lavishly in several games, and simply wanting to develop a game that he could thoroughly enjoy. Over the years, though officially Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary, Yuan Xi¡¯s workload was in no way lighter than that of Gu Hanchen, the president. For five years, she had not taken a single day off. Today, for the first time since becoming a full-time employee, she took a sick leave which was immediately met with relentless capitalist pressure. The private hospital Yuan Xi visited was in the city center, a ten-minute drive from Michen¡¯s headquarters located at Lintian Building by the river. As soon as she parked her car in the building¡¯s lot, Yuan Xi saw two young women decked out in luxury attire approaching her car in high heels. One carried the latest Dior Lady Dior bag, the other an Herm¨¨s Mini Kelly. Yuan Xi recognized the two people instantly: one was Yu Xiaoxiao, Gu Hanchen¡¯s fianc¨¦e designated by his family, and the other was Chu Yan, the daughter of Jiangcheng¡¯s richest family, the Chu Family. Yu Xiaoxiao walked up to Yuan Xi¡¯s Ice Raspberry-colored Panamera and patted the hood, saying, ¡°New car? Did Gu Hanchen buy it for you?¡± After Yuan Xi got out of the car, Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s words really annoyed her. There are four major wealthy families in Jiang City: the Chu Family, the Bo Family, the Gu Family, and the Yu Family, each with their own matrimonial alliances. Yu Xiaoxiao was the bride chosen for Gu Hanchen by the Gu Family. However, Miss Yu had always believed that she had an unspeakable relationship with Gu Hanchen, having worked as his secretary for five years by his side. Yuan Xi replied with a faint smile, ¡°Miss Yu, I bought this car with my own salary.¡± ¡°Your salary?¡± Chu Yan walked up to Yuan Xi. She was quite shorter than Yuan Xi, but her voice was full of sneers and disdain, ¡°This isn¡¯t considered a good car in our eyes, but even so, a normal secretary¡¯s salary wouldn¡¯t come anywhere close to affording it.¡± Chu Yan warned, ¡°Yuan Xi, I advise you to be clear about your own status. Gu Hanchen is not someone you can yearn for.¡± ¡°I have never yearned for Mr. Gu.¡± Yuan Xi, resigned, ¡°No oppressed corporate slave would fall for their boss.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao frowned and retorted, ¡°How dare you argue? Gu Hanchen has been calling for ¡®Secretary Yuan¡¯ for the past few days. Won¡¯t you admit it? I¡¯ve looked into your background. You were trafficked as a child. After your foster parents passed away, you even had to borrow money for school fees. In five years since graduation, at 26, you managed to buy a car and a house in Jiangcheng City Center, isn¡¯t it all because you seduced Gu Hanchen?¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, I¡¯m about to get engaged to Hanchen, so have some decency and leave Mi Chen Company immediately.¡± Yuan Xi squeezed out a professional, polite smile, ¡°Miss Yu, I really have no thoughts about Mr. Gu. In my eyes, Gu Hanchen is just my boss, nothing more.¡± Chu Yan folded her arms and looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, there are plenty of little sparrows like you in our circle who wish to turn into a phoenix overnight.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery, ¡°But an ugly duckling can become a swan because it is a swan to begin with, whereas you, you don¡¯t have the qualifications to become the Gu Family¡¯s daughter-in-law. I suggest you resign sooner to save yourself some face, instead of deluding yourself into thinking you can go from secretary to CEO¡¯s wife.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao reached out and pinched Yuan Xi¡¯s face, ¡°Yuan Xi, you¡¯re delusional if you think you can steal my man. You¡¯re not qualified. I advise you to resign and get out.¡± Yuan Xi shook off Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand, ¡°Miss Yu, I have no thoughts about Mr. Gu, please show me some respect.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°If you really have no designs on him, then resign to prove your innocence. We¡¯ve made our point very clear today. You should have some shame. Respect is something you give yourself. Consider the consequences of offending our Chu Family in Jiang City.¡± Yuan Xi touched her flat belly, and upon seeing the elevator arriving at the garage she entered without further entanglement with Yu Xiaoxiao and the others. After all, as Chu Yan said, in Jiang City, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend either the Chu Family or the Yu Family. When she reached the fifty-eighth floor, Yuan Xi had just left the elevator when she saw the secretaries in the secretarial office with gloomy faces. ¡°Sister Xixi, you¡¯re finally back. You have no idea how furious Mr. Gu was!¡± Yuan Xi entered the CEO¡¯s office, where Gu Hanchen sat, ice-cold, on a leather CEO chair, with three-sided floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the bustling traffic in Jiangcheng City Center. The young CEO exuded a powerful presence, and he said to Yuan Xi with fury, ¡°During such a critical period for Mi Chen¡¯s IPO, you took leave without approval to go to the hospital. Do you know how much this could delay? Plus, you ignored my calls and even turned off your phone. I guess you don¡¯t want your year-end bonus, huh?¡± Yuan Xi felt a wave of nausea, covered her mouth with her hand, and ran to the trash bin to vomit. Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and sneered, ¡°A stomach ailment? Even if it¡¯s stomach cancer, you have to keep working until the company goes public!¡± Yuan Xi crouched by the trash bin, vomiting for a while, thinking of Yu Xiaoxiao and Chu Yan in the basement¡­ And listening to Gu Hanchen¡¯s imperious words, she suddenly found herself quite ridiculous. She had been with Mi Chen for a full five years without a break, misunderstood by the boss¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and even if she had stomach ¡°cancer¡±, she was still being squeezed by her boss¡­ She didn¡¯t want to be this overworked corporate drone for another day. Yuan Xi stood up slowly, leaning on the office desk, and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯m pregnant, I want to resign.¡± Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Genuine Rich Heiress Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Genuine Rich Heiress Gu Hanchen stood up from the leather chair upon hearing this and scratched his short, cropped hair. ¡°Are you joking? You got pregnant before Mi Chen¡¯s IPO?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not married yet, how did you get pregnant?¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°I am not married, the child was just an accident.¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, I want to resign.¡± She did work hard in the past five years at Mi Chen, true, but her salary was not low either. By now, she might not be financially free, but she had managed to acquire a small 100-square-meter apartment in the heart of Jiang City, where real estate was worth its weight in gold, along with a car for commuting. Although her savings weren¡¯t substantial, they were enough for her to have the child. Moreover, once Mi Chen¡¯s shares were listed, they would be sufficient to support her two children. It was the right time to find a more relaxed job, given that her pregnancy-induced vomiting was severe lately and needed proper rest. Not to mention, Gu Hanchen¡¯s fianc¨¦e Yu Xiaoxiao was troublesome to deal with, and she couldn¡¯t afford to offend either the Yu Family or the Chu Family¡­ Better to resign now and take care of her pregnancy. Gu Hanchen frowned and said, ¡°Resign? Impossible. How could you have the gall to resign at such a crucial point in Mi Chen¡¯s plan to go public?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Although having a child was an accident, I still want to bring my child up properly. Since joining Mi Chen after graduating, I have never taken a day off. Now that I have a child, I want to find another job that is relaxed and allows me to take care of the child.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t approve it; you can¡¯t resign!¡± Gu Hanchen said coldly, ¡°Yuan Xi, you need to think clearly. Is it worth sacrificing your career for a child? It seems like the child¡¯s father doesn¡¯t even know he has a child, does he? If the father of your child doesn¡¯t take responsibility, can you raise the child alone? You are still young, you will have other children in the future. You might as well have an abortion. Nothing is more important than Mi Chen¡¯s IPO.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen coldly; how could he say such a thing? ¡°Mr. Gu, I have been an orphan since I was eighteen, and I crave having a child more than anyone else. I will never willingly give up this child.¡± Yuan Xi gently stroked her flat abdomen, her determination to resign growing firmer, ¡°Mr. Gu, I will submit my resignation request via the OA system. In principle, I can leave after finishing the handover of my work. Please expedite the process of finding someone to take over my job.¡± Gu Hanchen¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°Yuan Xi, you should understand the consequences of offending the Gu Family of Jiang City. If you dare resign at this time, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t find a job in Jiang City in the future, and we¡¯ll see how you support your child!¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, the police are here; they say they want to see Yuan Xi.¡± Special Assistant Wang opened the door of the office and hurried in. Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°How did you get involved with the police?¡± Yuan Xi looked outside; there were several familiar police officers, and behind them followed Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man, Chu Qing, and his wife Yang Ying. The Chu Yan who had stopped her in the parking garage earlier was Chu Qing and Yang Ying¡¯s most adored daughter. The police approached Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, congratulations, you have found your parents. The DNA comparison results are out, and you are Chu Qing¡¯s daughter.¡± Upon hearing the police officer¡¯s words, Yuan Xi stood frozen, more shocked than when she learned of her pregnancy. At the age of eighteen, Yu Xiaoxiao was left orphaned after her adoptive parents died unexpectedly. The compensation money became a point of contention; her aunts and uncles, eager to snatch away what her parents left behind, claimed she was a child bought by her parents and kicked her out of the house. At first, Yu Xiaoxiao refused to believe it, but when the DNA test results were laid before her, she was forced to accept the truth. For eight years, Yu Xiaoxiao had been searching for her parents, never imagining that they could be Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man! After hearing the police¡¯s statement, Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Qing with confusion and asked, ¡°Uncle Chu, what¡¯s going on? How could Yu Xiaoxiao be your daughter? And what about Chu Yan?¡± Chu Qing explained, ¡°Twenty-six years ago, Xinxin, who was only three months old, was kidnapped by the nanny, who then demanded a million-dollar ransom. While we were trying to raise the ransom, Xinxin was again abducted from the train station and went missing.¡± ¡°At that time, your Aunt Yang was devastated. After searching for a year with no success, we adopted a daughter from the orphanage to raise as if she was Xinxin, who is now known as Chu Yan.¡± With tears brimming in her eyes, Yang Ying embraced the stunned Yu Xiaoxiao, ¡°Xinxin, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all mom and dad¡¯s fault. We¡¯ve never given up on looking for you all these years, but we never imagined you were right here in Jiang City, and it took us so long to find you.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao stood there in shock, embraced by her mother, a feeling she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long while. Her foster parents weren¡¯t wealthy, but they had treated her very well; before she reached eighteen, she had lived almost like a little princess. Her adoptive mother was quite short, less than 1.5 meters, while Yu Xiaoxiao stood at 1.7 meters, yet her mother always liked to hold her. Now Yang Ying, wearing high heels, was even taller than her and had the scent of a high-end, elegant perfume. Perhaps it was the connection of blood, but that single embrace made Yu Xiaoxiao feel as if she was back in the days when her adoptive mother was still alive. ¡°Mom¡­¡± a voice came from deep within Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s throat, ¡°Mommy.¡± Tears streamed down Yang Ying¡¯s face uncontrollably, ¡°My Xinxin, my Xinxin¡­ Mommy has finally found you, let¡¯s go home with mommy.¡± ¡°No!¡± Just as the mother and daughter were having this touching reunion, Gu Hanchen interjected, ¡°Aunt Yang, Uncle Chu, it is still working hours. Yu Xiaoxiao is still my secretary and can¡¯t just leave with you!¡± With tear-filled eyes at having found his daughter, Chu Qing said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal just to take a day off.¡± Gu Hanchen, with a headache, said, ¡°How can it not be a big deal, one of the major shareholders of Mi Chen specifically requested that Yu Xiaoxiao deliver the financial report to him, he¡¯s the god who has the power of life and death over our company¡­ if Yu Xiaoxiao doesn¡¯t go now, he might really pull his investment!¡± Chu Qing replied, ¡°How is that a big problem? If the major shareholder pulls out, Uncle Chu will invest in your venture.¡± Hearing about the major shareholder from Gu Hanchen, Yu Xiaoxiao paused slightly and stepped out of Yang Ying¡¯s embrace, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. ¡°Dad, mom, even though I¡¯ve handed in my resignation letter, I haven¡¯t officially left yet. I want to continue to work diligently to the end.¡± Chu Qing smiled and said, ¡°Resigning is good, after quitting, come and succeed at Chu Group. I¡¯ve always heard your brother say how capable Gu Hanchen¡¯s Secretary Yuan is. It¡¯s much better to work for our family business than being a secretary for someone else.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, wondering how Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly became the daughter of the Chu Family. How could she be the daughter of the Chu Family? Mi Chen might do without Gu Hanchen, but not without Yu Xiaoxiao. He definitely couldn¡¯t let Yu Xiaoxiao resign. Chu Qing and Yang Ying instructed Yu Xiaoxiao to come back to the Chu Family as soon as she got off work. After agreeing, she returned to the office and printed the first-quarter financial report. It was already May; Huo Shiyuan should have seen the first-quarter financial report by now. Why did he still need her to report it? After organizing the financial reports, Yu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, took out the ultrasound report from her bag, and slid it in with the financial statements. Looking at the fetal sac on the ultrasound, Yu Xiaoxiao gently touched her flat belly, unsure if he would force her to terminate the pregnancy once he knew about the child¡­ Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Getting Married with a Certificate Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Getting Married with a Certificate Yuan Xi drove to the residence of Huo Shiyuan, the largest shareholder of Mi Chen, feeling somewhat distracted. The daughter of the wealthiest family, that was something she never dared to dream of. Yuan Xi and Chu Yan had attended the same university. Chu Yan was a prominent figure at Jiangcheng University, flaunting a red Bugatti Veyron around campus since her freshman year. Back then, after Yuan Xi¡¯s adoptive parents passed away, her uncles had seized the family inheritance meant as compensation, and she couldn¡¯t claim much since she was kidnapped and lacked official adoption papers. Even pursuing lawsuits didn¡¯t allow her to receive much inheritance. To continue her studies, Yuan Xi had to work from dawn to dusk to earn tuition and living expenses. Yuan Xi would always remember that day in June of her sophomore year, after a heavy rain, as she was returning to her dorm from her part-time job at a milk tea shop. Chu Yan sped past her in her Bugatti Veyron, splashing muddy water from a puddle that soaked Yuan Xi through and through. The cup of toppings given to her kindly by the store manager, her dinner, was ruined by the mud and water. In the distance, the laughter of Chu Yan and her friends could be heard. At the time, Yuan Xi felt both angry and helpless. Looking back now, Yuan Xi could only find it laughable. Could it be that Chu Yan, the arrogant girl envied by the whole school, was actually a fake heiress, while she, drenched in muddy water, was the true daughter of the richest family? Yuan Xi finally arrived at Ruohu, where the road beside the lake was completely devoid of cars and the scenery was magnificent. Passing through a grove next to Ruohu, Yuan Xi reached a small Western-style house in the woods. As her car approached the entrance, the butler hurriedly opened the iron gate upon seeing the license plate. Yuan Xi drove in, parked the car next to the front door, and walked towards the house. The living room of the mansion was spacious, with a vaulted ceiling and a hanging crystal chandelier. Entering the house, Yuan Xi saw a young and handsome man sitting on the sofa under the crystal chandelier. The man looked to be about twenty-seven, wearing a casual black silk shirt. Upon seeing Yuan Xi come in, he closed his laptop. ¡°Secretary Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi, looking at the extremely handsome man before her, recalled the absurd drunken night from over a month ago, her ears turning slightly red. Yuan Xi took the documents out of her bag and handed them to Huo Shiyuan, offering a professional, faint smile, ¡°President Huo, I¡¯ve already sent you the electronic version of the first quarter¡¯s financial report. This is the paper version.¡± Huo Shiyuan opened the paper file, flipped to the first page, and saw an ultrasound report. He looked up at Yuan Xi, ¡°Mine?¡± Unable to discern Huo Shiyuan¡¯s emotions, Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°President Huo, I want to keep these two children. If you don¡¯t wish to acknowledge them, my children will never know who their father is.¡± Huo Shiyuan gripped the report tightly, ¡°Did you bring your household registration book?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Since we have children, can Secretary Yuan allow me to take responsibility? Let¡¯s get married.¡± Perhaps because she had faced one major event after another today, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t show any shock at the news that Huo Shiyuan wanted to marry her, but she didn¡¯t know what to say for the moment. ¡°Secretary Yuan, I hope our children can grow up in a family with both parents present.¡± Although Yuan Xi wished for her children to grow up in a complete family, she had heard from Gu Hanchen that Huo Shiyuan had a childhood sweetheart who grew up with him, his lifetime¡¯s first love. Huo Shiyuan had always been determined to marry that childhood sweetheart, and yet now he was proposing to her. What about his first love? Huo Shiyuan pulled out his phone and checked the calendar, ¡°May 13th, auspicious for marriage. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yuan Xi asked Huo Shiyan, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to find a lawyer to sign some sort of property agreement?¡± Although Huo Shiyan was young, as the sole heir of the Huo Family, his net worth was in the hundreds of billions, and he additionally possessed tens of billions in cash¡­ Huo Shiyan still had no idea she was the precious daughter of the Chu Family. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°No need.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyan, ¡°President Huo, can we keep our marriage a secret from Gu Hanchen for now? Let¡¯s just not let anyone know.¡± Huo Shiyan was taken aback, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve submitted my resignation. After serving Gu Hanchen for five years, I don¡¯t want to deal with his temperament while I¡¯m pregnant. If he finds out we¡¯re married, he¡¯s likely to dump all of Mi Chen¡¯s issues on me.¡± After all, Huo Shiyan was Mi Chen¡¯s largest shareholder, holding close to forty-nine percent of the shares. Once Mi Chen¡¯s IPO went public, Huo Shiyan would reap the greatest benefits. If Gu Hanchen knew about her marriage to Huo Shiyan, he would definitely play the absentee manager and leave her to handle everything at Mi Chen. Huo Shiyan agreed, ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll keep it a secret from Gu Hanchen for now.¡± The afternoon sun in May was bright, and the marriage registration office wasn¡¯t very crowded. When they got their two red marriage certificates, Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t help admitting that getting married to Huo Shiyan was a win for her as she looked at the photo on the marriage certificate. Huo Shiyan, at twenty-seven, was in the prime of manhood, and his looks could hold their own even in the entertainment industry as a top-tier celebrity. Otherwise, a month ago, she wouldn¡¯t have found herself in a drunken daze after a drinking party¡­ Huo Shiyan turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Shall we go to your place to pack up to move to Ruohu Mansion, or just go straight to the mall and buy new things?¡± Yuan Xi was momentarily stunned at his words. Huo Shiyan pointed at the marriage certificate, ¡°Yuan Xi, we¡¯re married now, and I have no intention of living apart after marriage.¡± Yuan Xi clutched the marriage certificate tightly, looking at Huo Shiyan, ¡°President Huo, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you¡ªI¡¯ve found my biological parents. I need to visit my biological parents¡¯ home today, so I can¡¯t move today.¡± Huo Shiyan raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°Congratulations on finding your biological parents.¡± Yuan Xi put the marriage certificate into her bag. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much joy for her in it. Because all this was too much like a novel, and right now, she was the malicious real heiress in such a story¡­ To say she didn¡¯t hate Chu Yan, she would feel like she was lying to herself. Even though she knew Chu Yan was innocent too, just a child adopted by her biological parents. But that day, when the mud splashed on her and she heard Chu Yan¡¯s guilt-free laughter with a friend in the car after seeing her drenched, it hurt. And it should have been her in that Bugatti¡­ Yuan Xi¡¯s four years at Jiangcheng University, she didn¡¯t know how she made it through, working all day every day in order to scrape by. The clothes Chu Yan wore during her four years of university, which cost tens of thousands for a single piece, were never seen on her more than once. Yuan Xi finally understood why the real malicious heiress in the novels would be so full of hatred towards the fake heiress upon returning, even if the fake heiress was innocent. Some ¡°malicious¡± real heiresses feel entitled to believe that the innocent fake heiress stole everything from them and are determined to force the fake heiress to leave their home. This raw contrast of wealth and poverty brought about a resentment that Yuan Xi, who had been struggling in the workplace for five years, found difficult to calm down in the moment. Yuan Xi pulled herself out of her thoughts and raised her eyes to Huo Shiyan, ¡°President Huo, I need to go back to my biological parents¡¯ house now. Be careful on your way back to Ruohu Mansion.¡± Huo Shiyan¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, ¡°Yuan Xi, now that we are married, don¡¯t you plan on taking me with you to meet your biological parents?¡± Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Blue Diamond Ring Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Blue Diamond Ring Yuan Xi helplessly said, ¡°My brother, Chu Lin, and Gu Hanchen grew up as close as brothers, so taking you to meet my parents is essentially the same as telling Gu Hanchen about our marriage.¡± Huo Shiyuan was slightly surprised by Yuan Xi¡¯s background, ¡°Then, how long do you plan to keep it from Gu Hanchen?¡± ¡°After Mi Chen¡¯s IPO,¡± she replied. Yuan Xi said, ¡°I have to go now.¡± Huo Shiyuan stopped Yuan Xi, ¡°Wait.¡± Huo Shiyuan took a brocade box out of the car, opened it, and inside was a teardrop-shaped deep blue diamond, approximately twelve carats, as deep blue as the ocean depths, the main diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds. Huo Shiyuan placed the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s ring finger; it fit just right. Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°You¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan smiled softly, ¡°When I saw this diamond, I felt it was very suitable for you.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the deep blue on her hand; she remembered this blue diamond, named Charlotte Blue Diamond. It had been trending on social media, just auctioned off a month ago for 339 million yuan. Yuan Xi knew so much about it because it was initially intended by Bo Fan, a good friend of Gu Hanchen, as an engagement diamond ring for Chu Yan, but unfortunately, it was out of Bo Fan¡¯s budget when it reached 300 million yuan. At that time, several junior secretaries in the secretary office had even talked about whose hand could wear this blue diamond, worth as much as an old Western-style house in A City. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan; a month ago, he bid for this blue diamond¡ªwas it to make up for that night of drunken confusion? Huo Shiyuan escorted Yuan Xi to the car and fastened her seat belt for her. Yuan Xi looked at the close-up Huo Shiyuan, feeling her cheeks warm. Huo Shiyuan said softly, ¡°Give me a call when you leave the Chu Family, and I¡¯ll have the driver pick you up.¡± ¡°I can drive on my own.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It takes forty minutes from the Chu Family to Ruohu Mansion on the elevated road; it¡¯s better to have the driver pick you up.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, he was insistent on her staying at Ruohu Mansion¡­ Now that they were already legally married and even had a child, Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t find a reason not to go to Ruohu Mansion. She smiled at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a call after leaving the Chu Family.¡± Yuan Xi drove all the way to the Chu Family. Having been Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary for five years, it was not her first time at the Chu Family; she had accompanied Gu Hanchen there several times over the years as his partner. Recently, the engagement ceremony between Chu Yan and Bo Fan was held at the Chu Family, and Yuan Xi had attended the engagement banquet as Gu Hanchen¡¯s partner. Chu Yan was radiant at the engagement banquet, the envy of all the high society ladies in Jiang City. At that time, Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t imagine that she was the real heiress of the Chu Family. As the car entered the grounds of the Chu Family, the main mansion was fully styled in European architecture, complete with a fountain in front. As Yuan Xi¡¯s car circled past, the water from the fountain seemed to scatter rainbow light under the sun. Yuan Xi got out of the car and saw Chu Lin at the door. As soon as she got out, Chu Lin approached, ¡°What wind blew Secretary Yuan here? Did Hanchen send you to find me?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin, ¡°Didn¡¯t mom and dad tell you?¡± Chu Lin puzzled, ¡°What?¡± Yang Ying came out from inside the house, saw Yuan Xi, and said with a smile, ¡°Xinxin, you¡¯re back.¡± Hearing Yang Ying¡¯s words, Chu Lin was startled, ¡°Xinxin? What Xinxin? Mom, she¡¯s Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary, Yuan Xi.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°It¡¯s too sunny outside; let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± Yuan Xi followed Yang Ying into the Chu Family¡¯s living room, which was lavishly decorated in European style. Yang Ying asked the housemaid, Nanny Zhang, to call Chu Yan downstairs. Chu Yan descended the stairs and upon seeing Yuan Xi sitting beside Yang Ying, she slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°Yuan Xi, how did you come to my house?¡± Chu Yan looked down on Yuan Xi, knowing well that despite Gu Hanchen having a fianc¨¦e, Yuan Xi still repeatedly accompanied Gu Hanchen as his female partner to banquet occasions, such women who wanted to climb to the top in one step were too many in their circle. Yang Ying spoke up, ¡°Yanyan, this is also Xinxin¡¯s home, and Xinxin is indeed Yuan Xi, my daughter.¡± Chu Yan, stunned by Yang Ying¡¯s words, stood frozen in place, ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡± Yang Ying reached out, took Chu Yan¡¯s hand, and had her sit beside her, ¡°Yanyan, you are actually a child adopted by our family.¡± ¡°At that time, our Xinxin went missing, and after searching for her for a very long time without success, we adopted a baby girl from the orphanage who was about the same age as Xinxin, which is you.¡± ¡°Yanyan, over the years, Dad and Mom have always treated you as our biological child, and in the future, you will still be the daughter of the Chu family, that will not change.¡± Yuan Xi, sitting on a sofa to the side, maintained the faint, polite smile she had grown accustomed to in the workplace upon hearing Yang Ying¡¯s words. Meanwhile, Chu Yan was so shocked she could not utter a word; she clenched her hands so tightly that her diamond-adorned nails dug painfully into her palms. This is not a dream! Chu Lin incredulously asked, ¡°Mom, do you mean that Yuan Xi is my biological sister?¡± ¡°Yes, Yuan Xi is Xinxin, Chu Xinyan.¡± Chu Lin began to scrutinize Yuan Xi¡¯s face closely, ¡°So, Secretary Yuan Xi is actually my biological sister!¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi, struck as if by a bolt from the blue. Yuan Xi¡¯s long straight black hair was tied into a ponytail. Without makeup, Yuan Xi was not the type that would be considered a beauty at first glance, but she was definitely pleasing to look at, wearing a light blue business suit dress that suited her professional demeanor. Chu Yan then glanced at the blue diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, shimmering brilliantly. Compared to that diamond, which seemed to be over ten carats, the five-carat engagement diamond ring on her own hand suddenly seemed much less impressive. Chu Yan remembered the warning she had given Yuan Xi in the underground car park today; she had said the ugly duckling turned into a swan because it was a swan all along¡­ At this moment, Chu Yan felt she was the biggest joke of all, having lived the life of a wealthy heiress for twenty-six years, only to be told today it was all a lie! Was she just an adopted child? Yang Ying patted Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Xiao Lin, now that Xinxin is back, don¡¯t call her Yuan Xi anymore.¡± Yuan Xi, touching the blue diamond that Chu Yan had been staring at, lightly smiled and said, ¡°Mom, keep calling me Yuan Xi; I¡¯ve grown accustomed to this name.¡± Yang Ying slightly frowned and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, how can you still use the surname of the buyers? Your dad and I investigated, and your foster parents did not treat you well at all. You should go back to your original name, Chu Xinyan.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°All my identification now bears the name Yuan Xi; changing it would be too troublesome.¡± Yang Ying, not just any rich lady living off her husband but also the vice president of the Chu Group, was known for her firm decisions. ¡°Xinxin, you are called Yuan Xi because your foster parents bought you. If not for them buying you, maybe your dad and I would have found you sooner. Are you sure you want to keep the name given by the buyers, which saddens us?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, what if I said I want Chu Yan out of the Chu family, would you agree?¡± Chu Yan gripped her white dress tightly. Yang Ying said, ¡°We adopted Chu Yan when she was one year old, and it¡¯s been twenty-five years¡ªa lot of deep feelings are involved.¡± ¡°My foster parents raised me for eighteen years, giving me all their love, even losing their lives at work to provide me with a better living condition,¡± Yuan Xi spoke softly, ¡°So I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t let go of the name Yuan Xi.¡± Chu Lin, trying to ease the tension, said, ¡°Mom, Yuan Xi is also a nice name, everyone is used to it, and it would be troublesome for Xinxin to change it now.¡± Yang Ying frowned, and because Yuan Xi had just returned, she did not force the name change. Chu Yan sharply eyed the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°Yuan Xi, wearing a fake diamond is not good for one¡¯s health, dyed stones can cause skin erosion, and wearing a fake diamond ring in our family is quite¡­ improper.¡± Yang Ying looked at the diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°It looks pretty real.¡± Chu Lin also took a glance, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Charlotte Blue Diamond? I wonder who won it at the auction; the person on the phone during the bidding didn¡¯t hesitate at all.¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips, ¡°Brother, the Charlotte Blue Diamond was auctioned off not long ago, how could it have been made into a ring so quickly?¡± Chu Yan looked kindly towards Yuan Xi, ¡°If you like diamonds, you can pick anything you like from my walk-in closet. The wealthy circle in Jiang City is very small, and it looks bad for you to wear a fake diamond¡­¡± Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Return Banquet Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Return Banquet Chu Lin, worried about Yuan Xi¡¯s embarrassment, said, ¡°What¡¯s fake and what¡¯s real, in the end, it¡¯s just a stone. If Yuan Xi really likes it, when there¡¯s a similar diamond at the auction, I¡¯ll bid for it and give it to you.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, not bothering to explain the authenticity of the diamond ring. Yang Ying patted Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Dinner is still a while away. Mom will take you to see your room first.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°No need, Mom. I didn¡¯t plan to stay here¡­¡± ¡°How can you not stay here?¡± asked Yang Ying. ¡°You¡¯re already back home.¡± Yuan Xi whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a bit far from my company. I¡¯d prefer to stay at my own place, which is closer to work.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already resigned, haven¡¯t you?¡± Yang Ying inquired. Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I put five years of my heart into Mi Chen. I think I should part with Mi Chen on good terms. The transition will probably take about a month.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°You finally brought up resigning. The fact that you could endure Gu Hanchen¡¯s nasty temper for five years is impressive.¡± Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°Gu Hanchen gave a lot.¡± Chu Yan, who was listening, clenched her skirt, ¡°Yuan Xi, one must have principles. You can¡¯t just sell yourself for more.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips and turned to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, you know that Xiao Xiao and Hanchen began talking about marriage two months ago. But during these two months, whenever Gu Hanchen attended various banquets and parties, he always had Yuan Xi as his companion, even at my engagement party. Now that Gu Hanchen is a married man, Yuan Xi should be avoiding suspicion¡­¡± Yang Ying asked, ¡°Xinxin, do you like Gu Hanchen? The marriage agreement between the Gu family and the Yu family has only been discussed verbally; it¡¯s not set. If you like Gu Hanchen¡­¡± Yuan Xi immediately shook her head, ¡°Mom, I haven¡¯t gone crazy. Even if Gu Hanchen were the last man on Earth, I couldn¡¯t possibly like him.¡± Chu Lin laughed along, ¡°Gu Hanchen would explode if he heard you say that.¡± Chu Yan watched her siblings joking, pouting slightly. Even if Yuan Xi was the true daughter of the Chu family, she had once, using her status as a secretary, tried to climb up the social ladder and transform into a phoenix by associating with Gu Hanchen. Chu Yan still looked down on Yuan Xi. A secretary driving a Panamera, wearing a fake diamond ring, and unwilling to admit her seduction attempts on Gu Hanchen just showed how vain she was¡­ Chu Qing returned home and greeted Yuan Xi with a smile, ¡°Xinxin is back.¡± Yuan Xi stood up and called out, ¡°Dad.¡± Chu Qing replied with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the dining hall. Today, our family is finally reunited, and we should have a nice meal together.¡± Yuan Xi followed them to the dining room, where the solid wood French dining table was adorned with fresh flowers, various exquisite porcelain plates, and an array of delicious dishes, both meat and vegetables, that looked extremely appealing. After Yuan Xi took her seat, Chu Lin poured her a glass of wine from the decanter and handed it to her, ¡°Congratulations on coming back. Have a drink.¡± Seeing the wine glass, Yuan Xi waved her hand, ¡°My stomach is weak; I can¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°I heard from Gu Hanchen that you have a good tolerance for alcohol. He said that just a month ago, you managed to outdrink the largest shareholder of Mi Chen¡­¡± Yuan Xi really didn¡¯t want to bring up that drinking session from over a month ago; it was all trouble caused by Gu Hanchen. Yang Ying showed concern, ¡°Your stomach is weak? You need to take care of it. I know a great traditional doctor; should I have him take a look?¡± ¡°No need, Mom. It¡¯s just a minor issue; I¡¯ll be fine if I don¡¯t drink.¡± Chu Yan took the wine glass from Chu Lin¡¯s hand, ¡°If Yuan Xi can¡¯t drink, I¡¯ll have it.¡± Chu Yan boldly took a sip, ¡°Brother, you really are biased. Romanee Conti? That¡¯s wine you don¡¯t even let me drink usually.¡± Chu Lin replied with a smile, ¡°Where¡¯s that? Half the wine in my cellar has been drunk by you. Xinxin is back today, so of course, I have to serve quality wine. It¡¯s a pity that Xinxin can¡¯t drink.¡± Yuan Xi maintained a professional smile, ¡°Once my stomach condition improves, I¡¯ll have the chance to drink in the future.¡± Yang Ying served Yuan Xi some food, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you like to eat. This lobster is very fresh; give it a try.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± The Chu family¡¯s dinner table was mostly quiet, with Chu Yan doing most of the talking, discussing the plans for her wedding to Bo Fan. Yang Ying and Chu Qing doted on Chu Yan, ¡°Our Chu family will make sure our daughter¡¯s wedding is grand. As long as Yanyan is happy, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan. She didn¡¯t seem affected by the fact that she wasn¡¯t her biological parent, still as radiant as ever and still the pampered daughter of Jiangcheng¡¯s richest man. Chu Yan turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Dad, Mom, can I have Yuan Xi be my bridesmaid?¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t expect Chu Yan to ask her to be a bridesmaid. She wanted to refuse, but then a strong smell of meat hit her nostrils, making her feel nauseous, and she suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The dining room of the Chu Family was convenient with its small door leading to the outside. Yuan Xi exited and started vomiting. Seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s retching figure, Chu Yan gently frowned. Yang Ying followed her out and, seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s state, hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xinxin?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°It¡¯s just an upset stomach, nothing serious.¡± Yang Ying soothed Yuan Xi¡¯s back and asked, ¡°Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just went today, it¡¯s nothing major.¡± Chu Yan came out too and, looking at Yuan Xi with tightly clasped hands, she said, ¡°Yuan Xi, is it that you don¡¯t like me? Is that why you¡­¡± Yuan Xi took a cup of water offered by a maid of the Chu Family, rinsed her mouth, then politely smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a stomach issue.¡± Chu Lin and Chu Qing both came out, concerned for Yuan Xi. Chu Lin said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you to see a doctor?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need, I¡¯ve just been to the hospital today.¡± Yuan Xi returned to the dining table, afraid of morning sickness; she didn¡¯t dare to eat much else. After Chu Qing and Yang Ying finished their meal, the family sat together for a chat. Looking at Yuan Xi with eyes full of guilt, Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, your father and I are planning to hold a welcome-back banquet for you, to welcome you back to the Chu Family, and to let our friends and relatives know you¡¯ve come home.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for now, Mom. I haven¡¯t formally resigned yet, and I¡¯ll probably be too busy with the handover to have time for a banquet.¡± Chu Yan said with a smile, ¡°Let me take care of the banquet; I love organizing parties.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°Right, we must hold it. I want everyone to know that the precious pearl of the Chu Family has come home. We¡¯ve been looking for you for so long; this banquet is a must.¡± Yang Ying asked, ¡°Xinxin, you graduated from Jiangcheng University as well, right? Come to think of it, you might have been university classmates with Yanyan?¡± ¡°I was one year ahead of her,¡± Yuan Xi said with a light smile. Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Then I shall call you ¡®sister¡¯ from now on. Sister, what kind of welcome party do you want? What color theme do you like? Do you have any favorite dress brands? If it¡¯s a custom-made dress, it will take at least three months to make. Or should we just buy ready-to-wear?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at the time and softly said with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the welcome banquet to you, and I¡¯ll prepare my own dress.¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s getting late, I should head back.¡± Yang Ying still wanted to persuade Yuan Xi to stay, ¡°Leaving so soon? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay at home? In the morning, the driver can just take you to work.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, a lot has happened today, and I need some space to quiet down and accept all these things.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°then why don¡¯t you come home and stay for a couple of days this weekend?¡± Yuan Xi responded with a wry smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have weekends off.¡± Yang Ying frowned and said, ¡°What kind of terrible company is Hanchen running that doesn¡¯t even give weekends off? Chu Lin, you need to have a word with him.¡± Yuan Xi got into her car and waved to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m going now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride,¡± Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve had a drink; I can get back by myself.¡± After leaving the grounds of the Chu Family¡¯s estate, Yuan Xi sent a message to Huo Shiyan and, after driving through two traffic lights, saw a Maybach parked by the roadside. Recognizing the familiar license plate, she pulled over. Huo Shiyan, who got out of the Maybach, walked up to Yuan Xi¡¯s car and knocked on the window. After Yuan Xi rolled down the window, she said, ¡°President Huo, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d send a driver to pick me up?¡± Huo Shiyan gave a shallow smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been driving for nine years; I can drive better than the driver.¡± Yuan Xi got out of her car and took a seat in the passenger side, glancing at Huo Shiyan as he drove. Compared to becoming the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, she felt even more like she was dreaming to be Mrs. Huo. Counting back, she had known Huo Shiyan for just over a year and had seen him only a handful of times. Yet, they were married now, and tonight was their wedding night. Yuan Xi clutched her phone, barely concealing her nervousness¡­ Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Huo Shiyuans Childhood Sweetheart Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Huo Shiyuan¡¯s Childhood Sweetheart Ice Raspberry¡¯s Panamera sped along the elevated road, the streetlights shimmering like stars. After entering Ruohu Mansion, Huo Shiyuan turned his head to Yuan Xi, ¡°This car isn¡¯t suitable for a pregnant woman. Do you have time this weekend to go with me to pick out a new one?¡± Indeed, the comfort of Yuan Xi¡¯s new car wasn¡¯t great, especially with Huo Shiyuan¡¯s tall stature of 1.9 meters. It definitely wouldn¡¯t be suitable for her to drive in her late pregnancy. She really needed to change the car. ¡°President Huo, I don¡¯t have any days off this weekend.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Then wait until after you resign and we¡¯ll buy a new car. In the meantime, I¡¯ll have a driver take you around.¡± Huo Shiyuan parked the car, opened the door for Yuan Xi, and together they walked into the house. Reaching the spiraling staircase, Yuan Xi hesitated slightly. Owing to work, she had visited Ruohu Mansion several times but had never stepped above the second floor. There was a shoe-changing area at the foot of the stairs, containing a pair of flat, blue women¡¯s slippers. Huo Shiyuan handed the slippers to Yuan Xi, ¡°I picked these out especially for you.¡± Yuan Xi changed into the slippers presented by Huo Shiyuan, and followed him up to the master bedroom on the third floor. Inside the living area, and further in was the bedroom, its color scheme of gray, white, and black suited Huo Shiyuan. ¡°This is the master bedroom, the master bathroom is over there, the study room is in the room next door, and here is the dressing room and makeup room I just prepared for you. The cosmetics are all selected to be suitable for pregnant women. I don¡¯t know if they are your usual brands¡­¡± Yuan Xi entered the dressing room and the makeup room to find various types of clothing, some with the tags still on. The majority of the clothes were shades of blue. Yuan Xi glanced at her own pale blue outfit, ¡°President Huo, you didn¡¯t think I like blue just because I¡¯m wearing it today, did you?¡± Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like blue?¡± Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that I have a particular favorite. I usually wear professional clothing like suits and shirts, so I like all kinds of colors in my clothes to avoid monotony. Actually, I do like blue.¡± Huo Shiyuan must have bought every blue series from the major brands in the mall. Yuan Xi glanced at a cupboard beside her, again full of blue¡­ Huo Shiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°As long as you like them. The pajama section is here.¡± Yuan Xi opened the pajama section and saw silk camisole nightgowns hanging inside. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t all blue. However, she had never worn such mature-style camisole nightgowns before. Yuan Xi blushed instantly when she saw the undergarments in the drawer beneath the nightgowns. ¡°President Huo, I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Huo Shiyuan responded solemnly. Yuan Xi went to the bathroom, but Huo Shiyuan¡¯s bathroom was bigger than her small bedroom at home. After quickly finishing her bath, Yuan Xi dried her long hair, looking in the mirror at herself wearing the silk camisole nightgown. The whiteness beneath her collarbones, Yuan Xi tried to cover it with her dried hair as much as possible¡­ She already had a child, there was nothing to be nervous about. Yuan Xi took a deep breath, casually tying her hair into a messy bun. Inside the bedroom, Huo Shiyuan had also finished his bath. He was wearing a set of gray-and-black silk pajamas, conservatively not revealing any skin. Huo Shiyuan heard movement, put down his mobile phone, and looked at Yuan Xi, his Adam¡¯s apple moving involuntarily. From the two-meter-wide bed, there was a distance of about one and a half meters between Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan. She stayed as close to the edge of the bed as possible, picking up her mobile phone to see it was low on battery, ¡°President Huo, do you have a charging cable?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Shiyuan unplugged the charger from the bedside and handed it to Yuan Xi. After she plugged in her phone, she forcefully suppressed her nervous heartbeat. Yuan Xi opened WeChat and sent a message to her group of girlfriends. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I got married. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: ??? Sui Sui: ??? Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I quit my job. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Did you finally decide to leave Gu Hanchen? Sui Sui: Secretary Yuan, you¡¯ve been saying you would quit every year for the last five years, but you never actually did. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Her WeChat name is still Mi Chen Game, believing she would quit is like believing I¡¯m the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Sorry, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City. Sui Sui: Fine, fine, if you two are the Daughters of the Richest Man in Jiang City, then I¡¯m the Daughter of the Richest Man in A City. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: The Daughter of the Richest Man in A City is my daughter, I¡¯m pregnant. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: You¡¯re so busy every day we barely even see you, which dynasty was it last time we had a meal together? And you still have time to get pregnant? Sui Sui: Believing you¡¯re pregnant is harder than believing I¡¯m the daughter of the richest man in A City. Seeing her two best friends in disbelief, Yuan Xi sent them a photo of her marriage certificate with the identification number blurred out. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I really did get married, and I¡¯ve been pregnant for five weeks now. Sui Sui: I¡¯ve gotten married too. [Wedding Photo.jdp] Yuan Xi clicked on the marriage certificate photo sent by Liang Suisui. The groom in the photo against a red backdrop was a very handsome face. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Liang Suisui, when did you get married? Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Liang Suisui, we have the same husband, Lin Mu is my husband! Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± Yuan Xi checked her old pal Lin Mu¡¯s name; he was a popular young idol at the time, obviously, Liang Suisui¡¯s wedding photo was photoshopped. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Yuan Xi, where did you find such a hot guy to Photoshop into a wedding photo? Is he a web celebrity? How have I never come across such a handsome man? Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Because he really is my husband. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I won¡¯t believe it unless he¡¯s right in front of me. Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyuan, and upon meeting her gaze, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My friend wants to meet President Huo.¡± Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°Okay, you arrange a meeting.¡± ¡°Also, we¡¯re married now, I hope you won¡¯t call me President Huo anymore, you can call me Shiyan, or¡­husband.¡± Huo Shiyuan moved closer to Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi felt her ears heat up but suddenly rushed out of bed and into the bathroom to throw up. Huo Shiyuan followed her; seeing the vomit, he didn¡¯t flinch but patted Yuan Xi¡¯s back, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± After rinsing her mouth, Yuan Xi said, ¡°Morning sickness, it¡¯s okay; I¡¯ve been vomiting badly these days. Eating some sour and sweet fruit will help.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s flat belly and called his assistant, ¡°Buy some sour and sweet fruits.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°No need, it¡¯s too much trouble.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine, not a bother.¡± Yuan Xi insisted, ¡°Really, no need, I don¡¯t want to be like Gu Hanchen, making my secretary¡¯s assistant buy food for him in the middle of the night.¡± Gu Hanchen had made her buy supper for him after she had already bathed, not just once or twice. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡± While Yuan Xi was still dazed, Huo Shiyuan had already left. Yuan Xi heard the sound of the car starting; she touched her belly, thinking Huo Shiyuan would make a good father. Yuan Xi looked at a photo frame by Huo Shiyuan¡¯s bedside. Moving closer, she saw it contained a photo of a girl around twelve years old. The girl wore a blue Dior princess dress, holding a Balabala little magical fairy¡¯s magic wand in her hand. Looking at the girl¡¯s eyes and brows in the photo, Yuan Xi paused; the little girl looked a lot like her. Was this little girl in the photo the childhood friend Huo Shiyuan had mentioned? So the Huo Shiyuan, who was supposedly indifferent to women as per Gu Hanchen, had a wild night with her after getting drunk because she resembled his childhood friend? Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7: So You Like Bo Fan? Chapter 7: Chapter 7: So You Like Bo Fan? Outside the Jiangye Club in Jiang City, known for its luxurious nightlife, a variety of luxury cars were parked. In the VIP room, Gu Hanchen was drinking sullenly, ¡°Damn it, haven¡¯t I treated her well? Tell me, whose secretary in Jiang City has a higher salary than hers? She¡¯s so ungrateful to resign, I won¡¯t approve her resignation letter!¡± Chu Lin kicked Gu Hanchen, ¡°Who are you calling ¡®old man¡¯? Yuan Xi is now my sister!¡± Gu Hanchen took another gulp of his drink. Bo Fan overheard Chu Lin and raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°Secretary Yuan is your sister?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°I¡¯ve just found out about this matter. It turns out that I had a sister who was kidnapped when we were young. Chu Yan was adopted, Yuan Xi is actually my real sister. I¡¯ve known Yuan Xi for five years now, and who could have imagined that she¡¯s my sister. This really is fate¡¯s play and the world¡¯s unpredictability.¡± Bo Fan took a sip from his glass. Chu Lin patted Bo Fan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Yanyan may be adopted, but she¡¯s also the Chu Family¡¯s precious daughter, and that won¡¯t change.¡± Gu Hanchen grumbled while drinking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Why does she want to resign?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even give her weekends off, Yuan Xi is the only one who could tolerate you for five years.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just weekends off? I¡¯ll give it to her, starting this week!¡± Bo Fan asked Gu Hanchen, ¡°Does Yuan Xi have a place to go after she resigns? Would she be interested in being my secretary?¡± When Chu Yan arrived at Jiangye to find Bo Fan, she heard him say this at the entrance. She walked over to Bo Fan and wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Mr. Bo, are you in need of a secretary? How about I become your secretary?¡± Seeing Chu Yan, Bo Fan smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s better for Yuan Xi to be the secretary. Secretary Yuan wants to resign, and Young Master Gu is acting as if he¡¯s heartbroken, it shows how remarkable Secretary Yuan is. I wonder what salary it would take for her to come work for me as a secretary.¡± Chu Yan started to feel an inexplicable panic; her relationship with Bo Fan was largely based on a marriage alliance. Now that Yuan Xi had returned, and being the true daughter of the Chu Family, would Yuan Xi come and take Bo Fan away? After all, among the four major wealthy families of Jiang City, Bo Fan and Gu Hanchen were arguably the most outstanding. Yuan Xi said she didn¡¯t like Gu Hanchen, but what about Bo Fan? The Chu and Bo families were already in a marital alliance, would Yuan Xi want to ¡°take back¡± Bo Fan? Gu Hanchen stood up and said, ¡°No one is going to take Yuan Xi away from me, she¡¯s mine, mine!¡± Chu Lin frowned at Gu Hanchen, ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± Gu Hanchen picked up a nearby phone and sent a voice message to Yuan Xi, ¡°I want to eat the wontons you make, deliver them to Jiangye.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, wontons, small wontons, bring them over immediately.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t reply, there will be no year-end bonus for you.¡± ¡­ Inside the Ruohu Mansion. After Yuan Xi put down the photo frame, a wave of drowsiness hit her. Perhaps it was because she was pregnant, she was particularly sleepy and had settled down to sleep before Huo Shiyuan could return. When Huo Shiyuan entered, he found Yuan Xi already asleep. He put the fruit in the refrigerator. Seeing that Yuan Xi¡¯s phone kept ringing, showing messages from Gu Hanchen, Huo Shiyuan decided to mute the phone. Lying beside Yuan Xi, he took her into his arms. At the moment she was embraced, Yuan Xi woke up for an instant but quickly fell back to sleep. Too much had happened that day, and she really needed to rest properly. ¡­ When the morning sunlight pierced through the gauze curtains, Yuan Xi¡¯s biological clock accurately woke her up five minutes before the alarm went off. She opened her eyes and saw Huo Shiyuan still asleep beside her. Just looking at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s profile, Yuan Xi thought to herself, being a stand-in is just that, after all. Marrying Huo Shiyuan, from any perspective, was definitely not a loss for her. When the alarm sounded, Yuan Xi turned it off but still felt the person beside her open his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I woke you up.¡± Huo Shiyuan checked the time, ¡°It¡¯s only half-past six¡­doesn¡¯t Mi Chen start work at half-past nine?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My work schedule isn¡¯t fixed; I usually arrive at the office around eight o¡¯clock. It takes half an hour on the road, so I set my alarm for half-past six.¡± Ruohu was already equivalent to a rural area on the outskirts of Jiang City, and Mi Chen was located in the city center of Jiang City. Just the elevated roads alone took forty minutes to drive. Thankfully, the elevated highway they took was not congested, and the forty-minute drive was almost always smooth and unobstructed. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I originally thought the air here was good, suitable for pregnancy care. If your commute to work is too long, shall I buy a house near Mi Chen?¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll soon be resigning anyway. I¡¯ve also gotten used to getting up this early.¡± Huo Shiyuan got up with Yuan Xi. ¡°Shall I drive you to the company?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, in case Gu Hanchen sees us¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Gu Hanchen¡¯s moments? He was still playing at Jiangye Club at two in the morning. You won¡¯t see him until noon today.¡± Yuan Xi unlocked her phone to find quite a few messages from Gu Hanchen. ¡°Secretary Yuan, at Jiangye Club, little wontons.¡± ¡°Where are the little wontons? I want to eat little wontons. Within half an hour, I want to see little wontons!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want your year-end bonus anymore?¡± The messages continued for nearly a minute, all about little wontons. Yuan Xi wondered how soundly she had slept not to have heard these message tones. Huo Shiyuan glanced at Yuan Xi¡¯s phone screen and frowned, ¡°Is Gu Hanchen treating you like a secretary or a nanny?¡± Yuan Xi gave a wry laugh. When she went into the washroom for her morning routine, she noticed that her toothbrush and toothbrush cup were both blue. Yuan Xi pursed her lips, thinking that Huo Shiyuan¡¯s little childhood heartthrob must like the color blue a lot. After freshening up and applying light makeup, she went downstairs, where breakfast was already laid out ¡ª a grand spread of both Chinese soy milk and fried eggs and Western sandwiches and oatmeal. Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°These were made by the chef. I wasn¡¯t sure about your tastes, so I just had a bit of everything made.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I usually don¡¯t eat breakfast.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°But now that you¡¯re pregnant, you should have breakfast.¡± Yuan Xi, fearing she might experience morning sickness on the road, ate only a little breakfast and drank some bird¡¯s nest soup before heading out. When Yuan Xi walked up to the car, Huo Shiyuan took her hand and led her to another vehicle, opening the passenger door for her, ¡°Sit in this one; it¡¯s more comfortable.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t refuse. Once she was in the car, she checked her emails on her phone. The car parked downstairs of the company¡¯s building. Yuan Xi unbuckled her seat belt and said to Huo Shiyuan inside the car, ¡°President Huo, drive carefully on your way back, and take care.¡± Huo Shiyuan extended his hand to embrace Yuan Xi, leaning in close to the passenger side and kissed Yuan Xi¡¯s lipstick-covered lips, a brief and gentle touch, ¡°Still calling me President Huo?¡± Yuan Xi, looking at the close Huo Shiyuan, blushed slightly, ¡°Shiyan, I should go now.¡± Yuan Xi hurried to her office, but just as she arrived at the elevator entrance, she received a message from the reception. Yuan Xi went down to the first floor, where in the rest area next to the reception, Chu Yan¡¯s complexion did not look good as she watched Yuan Xi approach. Yuan Xi noticed that Chu Yan hadn¡¯t changed her clothes and was still wearing the white dress from the day before. Chu Yan stepped forward and said, ¡°Sister.¡± Seeing Chu Yan, Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Why are you looking for me so early in the morning?¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Bo Fan wants you to become his secretary. Will you agree?¡± Bo Fan had been a childhood friend of Gu Hanchen and, over the past two years, had tried more than once to poach Yuan Xi to be his secretary. Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t agreed because Bo Fan¡¯s offer wasn¡¯t as generous as Gu Hanchen¡¯s. Chu Yan sneered, ¡°So you¡¯ll agree, will you?¡± Chu Yan clenched the skirt of her dress, ¡°Is that why you told Mum you didn¡¯t like Gu Hanchen ¡ª because you like Bo Fan instead?¡± Chu Yan eyed the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°Did you know Bo Fan intended to bid for this diamond ring to give to me as an engagement ring, so you had a replica made just like it?¡± Chu Yan gave a cold laugh, ¡°Although the Bo Family and the Chu Family are to be joined by marriage and you truly are the legitimate daughter of the Chu Family and have the status to marry into the Bo Family¡­¡± ¡°But Yuan Xi, the Bo Family is also an established wealthy household. Do you think the elders of the Bo Family would accept you¡­ a country girl raised in a small village, to be the wife of the Bo Family heir?¡± Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Formal Attire Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Formal Attire Yuan Xi slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°Chu Yan, the piece of land in Jiangcheng CBD you¡¯re standing on was a rural area fifteen years ago.¡± ¡°And also, Chu Yan, you should go find a class to attend instead of thinking every normal work-related interaction is an attempt to steal your man all day.¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°In the workplace, there should be avoidance of any suspicion between men and women, right?¡± Yuan Xi was resigned and no longer paid attention to Chu Yan, then took the elevator reserved for the CEO. Arriving in the office, Yuan Xi replied to emails and opened the OA to work on approvals, as she had virtually not worked the previous day, and today¡¯s workload was not small. After busying herself for half the day, Gu Hanchen finally arrived late. Yuan Xi entered Gu Hanchen¡¯s office with a thick stack of documents, ¡°Mr. Gu, all these documents need signatures, and I¡¯ve checked them all; there are no issues.¡± Gu Hanchen picked up his pen and began signing briskly, after a while, he started to examine the documents he had signed earlier, scrutinizing the contents. Yuan Xi gave a faint smile, ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Gu Hanchen looked up at Yuan Xi, ¡°What if you sneaked in a resignation letter in there as well?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°¡­ Even if you don¡¯t sign the resignation letter, according to the process, I can leave automatically after one month.¡± Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring me little wontons yesterday?¡± Yuan Xi was quite helpless, ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯m pregnant, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to have a pregnant woman get up in the middle of the night to cook and deliver little wontons to you?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°What would it take for you to be willing to stay? Giving you half the shares of Mi Chen?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Fifty-one percent of Mi Chen¡¯s shares are now in Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hands. You currently hold only thirty-three percent, and once it¡¯s public, your shares will be diluted even further. How are you going to give me half of Mi Chen¡¯s shares?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten percent, then you will have eleven percent of the shares. When Mi Chen goes public, you will be the largest shareholder aside from me and Huo Shiyuan, and you won¡¯t have to talk about resigning anymore.¡± Yuan Xi thought for a moment and then looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°No, I still want to resign.¡± ¡°Why are you so stubborn?¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°What does it matter if you¡¯re the real heiress of the Chu Family? Even if you go back to being a wealthy heiress at the Chu Family, you would still have to work, right? Is there a better job than the one at Mi Chen?¡± Yuan Xi gently caressed her belly, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t work as desperately as before. I need a job that¡¯s more relaxed. I¡¯ve had enough of leaving work at midnight or one o¡¯clock in the morning, starting at eight o¡¯clock, working without a single day off all year, and even having to be at the company on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Gu Hanchen clenched his teeth, ¡°From now on, your hours are nine to five, weekends and public holidays off, no need for overtime, plus I¡¯ll give you ten percent of the shares. You¡¯re not allowed to resign.¡± Yuan Xi thought it over and said, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Do you really need to think about it?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes, you better hurry up and sign. There¡¯s a meeting to attend at one o¡¯clock.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯ve already lowered my bottom line so much; what¡¯s there to consider?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu, the nine to five you suggested, with weekends and public holidays off, is not a bottom line. It¡¯s something a normal boss should offer.¡± Look at Gu Hanchen, treating a weekend off like he¡¯s bestowing a favor. Gu Hanchen frowned deeply as he continued to sign the documents. Yuan Xi was busy all day, and when it was time to leave, not a single person from the secretary¡¯s office had left. Today, Yuan Xi was the first to pack up and clock out. ¡°Sister Xixi, you¡¯re leaving work? It¡¯s only five-thirty!¡± Yuan Xi said with a light smile, ¡°Mi Chen¡¯s working hours are eight hours, nine-thirty to five-thirty. It¡¯s five-thirty now; it¡¯s time for me to get off work.¡± Gu Hanchen stepped out and saw Yuan Xi packing up to leave; he widened his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re leaving now? What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s five-thirty, Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Hanchen glanced at his wristwatch, reluctantly watching Yuan Xi leave. Yuan Xi went down to the underground parking lot and realized she hadn¡¯t driven to work that day. Just about to call Huo Shiyuan, she saw a black Maybach stop beside her. Huo Shiyuan in the back seat rolled down the window, ¡°Get in.¡± Yuan Xi followed and got into the back seat of the Maybach. ¡°How did you know I would be off work at this time today?¡± Huo Shiyuan smiled lightly, ¡°Even if Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t let you off work at this time, I would have asked you to come and report the data to me.¡± Yuan Xi pursed her lips. Although she had left work, her official duties were not yet finished, and she continued to work on her laptop in the car. Huo Shiyuan closed Yuan Xi¡¯s laptop and said, ¡°After work, there¡¯s no need to work overtime for Gu Hanchen without pay. Yesterday, it seemed you weren¡¯t very satisfied with the clothes I bought for you. How about we go shopping at the mall now?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Xi did want to go to the mall, but not to buy clothes for herself; she wanted to buy things for the baby in her belly. Even though the birth of the child was more than half a year away, she knew items like baby cribs and crawling mats were not to be without their formaldehyde and smell of wood, and it was definitely better to prepare early to air them out and remove the odor. The high-end Hengfan Mall in Jiang City was about a fifteen-minute drive from Mi Chen, surrounded by numerous large and small shopping centers. By the time they arrived, it just so happened to be during the evening rush hour, and traffic was severely congested. When they reached it, there weren¡¯t many people in Hengfan Mall. This Hengfan was a property of the Bo Family. The Bo Family started with real estate and after building a film and television city, they transitioned to the entertainment industry. Still, this largest high-end mall in Jiang City remained one of the most profitable among the many industries of the Bo Family. Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since she had last strolled through a mall; the last time was a year ago when she accompanied Gu Hanchen¡¯s little girlfriend to the mall. Huo Shiyuan followed behind Yuan Xi, and upon seeing her enter a shop specializing in baby products, he looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s flat stomach and smiled lightly. The shop assistant approached Yuan Xi and asked, ¡°Hello, what would you like to pick out? Is it for a gift?¡± ¡°No, for personal use,¡± Yuan Xi replied with a light smile. ¡°We¡¯ll just take a look around first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the baby clothes and socks inside the shop and found everything so adorable and interesting, and the feeling of soon becoming a mother deepened. Huo Shiyuan stood next to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°This one is nice.¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°It is nice, but it¡¯s a pity that when our baby is just born, it will be about two months old, and such a thin baby dress won¡¯t be suitable. Let¡¯s look at baby cribs first.¡± Yuan Xi immediately took a liking to an oval-shaped baby crib, ¡°Is this all solid wood?¡± ¡°Yes, you can rest assured, it¡¯s all solid wood and free of any formaldehyde.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°What do you think of this one?¡± Huo Shiyuan took a promotional leaflet from the side, examined it with Yuan Xi, and compared it with the data on the leaflet. ¡°This one is indeed quite nice.¡± The shop assistant smiled on the side, ¡°This model is currently the best baby crib on the market. Are the two of you looking to place an order now? If you order now, I can apply for a Mother¡¯s Day return event and offer you both a discount.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Good, we¡¯ll place the order now, and we¡¯ll take two.¡± After buying quite a few baby products, Yuan Xi was ready to go back. Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to pick something for yourself?¡± Yuan Xi thought of the comeback banquet the Chu Family insisted on holding for her, and she indeed lacked a dress for attending the banquet. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a casual look. Will I be delaying you?¡± Huo Shiyuan answered, ¡°Not at all.¡± Right after saying he wouldn¡¯t be delayed, Huo Shiyuan¡¯s phone rang with a string of German, which Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t understand. Yuan Xi spotted a red strapless dress displayed in a nearby shop, perfect for attending a banquet as formal wear, so she gestured to Huo Shiyuan that she would go inside first. As soon as Yuan Xi entered the store, she encountered Bo Fan. ¡°Mr. Bo.¡± ¡°Secretary Yuan, what a coincidence,¡± Bo Fan said, eyeing the deep blue teardrop Diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s ring finger, with his narrow phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, ¡°Secretary Yuan, this Diamond Ring¡­¡± Chu Yan came out from the fitting room and seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, she moved over and wrapped her arms around Bo Fan¡¯s arm, the intent to assert ownership was obvious. ¡°Bo Fan, this one is a fake, not the Charlotte Blue Diamond that you failed to bid for last time.¡± Bo Fan replied, ¡°Really? The fire of this diamond could almost be mistaken for the real thing.¡± Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Where Did You Kids Come From Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Where Did You Kids Come From Chu Yan said, ¡°Aren¡¯t there those synthetic diamonds now? I heard that without professional equipment, the naked eye can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re real or fake.¡± Chu Yan shifted to hold Bo Fan¡¯s hand and twirled in front of him, ¡°Bo Fan, does this dress look nice? Should I wear it for the toasting ceremony at our wedding?¡± Chu Yan then turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, would you be my bridesmaid at the wedding?¡± Yuan Xi declined, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. I¡¯m quite busy with work.¡± Bo Fan wasn¡¯t joking about wanting to poach Yuan Xi, ¡°Secretary Yuan, I heard from Hanchen that you¡¯re resigning, have you found a new job? Fanyan Entertainment is in need of a deputy general manager.¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi with a nervous expression. Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t found a new job yet, but I¡¯m not considering Fanyan Entertainment. I want to find a job that¡¯s a little more relaxed.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I was hoping to become colleagues with Secretary Yuan.¡± Chu Yan clung tightly to Bo Fan¡¯s arm, looking worriedly at Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi pointed at a red dress on display and told the salesperson, ¡°I would like to try on that red dress.¡± The salesperson took down the red dress for Yuan Xi to try on. Chu Yan, not wanting Bo Fan to stay too long with Yuan Xi, pulled on Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, let¡¯s go.¡± Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to change out of the dress?¡± ¡°No need to change, I¡¯ll wear it today. After all, I still have several haute couture pieces.¡± As Bo Fan and Chu Yan left the store, Bo Fan saw a young man enter. The young man wore casual clothes without any logos and a plain Apple watch on his wrist, but he exuded an indescribable air of noble grace. Chu Yan scoffed at the sight of the Apple watch on the young man¡¯s wrist, ¡°These days anyone dares to enter a luxury shopping mall. But with May 20th coming up, maybe he¡¯s scrimping and saving to buy a luxury bag as a 520 gift for his girlfriend. Bo Fan, let¡¯s leave.¡± Huo Shiyan entered the shop and saw Yuan Xi in a strapless silk red dress. He had never seen Yuan Xi in a dress before; over the year, she was either in shirts or suits, and even during the hot summer, she wore work dresses. Huo Shiyan¡¯s breath faltered at the sight of Yuan Xi¡¯s fair shoulders. Yuan Xi, looking at her reflection in the mirror, turned to Huo Shiyan, ¡°How does it look?¡± ¡°Very beautiful.¡± Huo Shiyan took out his phone and snapped a photo of Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Why are you taking a photo?¡± Huo Shiyan smiled faintly, ¡°To show my grandmother her granddaughter-in-law.¡± Yuan Xi lifted her gaze to Huo Shiyan, ¡°Your family knows we¡¯re married?¡± Huo Shiyan nodded, ¡°Such a big matter as marriage, naturally I have to tell my family. They all wanted to meet you, but they are busy, and I was afraid of scaring you, so I stopped them.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°How could I let the elders come to see me? I should be the one to visit them.¡± Huo Shiyan smiled lightly, ¡°After you resign, I¡¯ll take you to meet my family.¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± When they returned to Ruohu Mansion, it was already dark. Yuan Xi looked at the table full of dishes and turned to Huo Shiyan, ¡°Who made these dishes?¡± Huo Shiyan replied, ¡°The chef did. They live in the small western-style house in the back, they only come to the main courtyard when they work. I didn¡¯t ask what you like to eat, so they just made some dishes.¡± Yuan Xi commented, ¡°With so many dishes, it would be a waste not to eat them all.¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°We won¡¯t cook so much in the future. Let¡¯s just waste a little today.¡± As Yuan Xi enjoyed the meal, she wondered where Huo Shiyan found the chef as the taste was very much to her liking. Yuan Xi: ¡°It¡¯s really good, especially this sweet and sour pork ribs. It¡¯s rare to find such authentic cooking methods outside now, with most being pre-made sweet and sour ribs. This is the sweet and sour pork ribs I loved as a child.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°If you like it, eat more.¡± Yuan Xi, patting her belly, said, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten quite a lot. I¡¯ll save the rest in the fridge and bring it to the office for lunch tomorrow. I¡¯ve grown tired of the Mi Chen cafeteria after five years.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Now that you¡¯re pregnant, you need to be careful of Listeria; it¡¯s better to eat less from the fridge. After the chef cooks fresh tomorrow, I¡¯ll deliver the meal to you.¡± Yuan Xi hastily said, ¡°No need, what if I run into Gu Hanchen?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You can pick it up from the underground garage; you won¡¯t run into him.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°President Huo, you already drive me every day, but if you deliver lunch to me as well, that¡¯s over a hundred kilometers back and forth. Won¡¯t it affect your work?¡± Huo Shiyuan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it won¡¯t affect work. After all, the child in your belly is important.¡± Yuan Xi looked at her belly; indeed, she was benefiting from having the two children. After becoming pregnant, Yuan Xi was particularly sleepy. After taking a bath and dealing with some work in the study, it was only nine o¡¯clock, but Yuan Xi already felt incredibly sleepy. Huo Shiyuan stood by Yuan Xi, lifted her sleepy self horizontally, and placed her on the bed: ¡°If you¡¯re tired, then sleep.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the movement and glanced at Huo Shiyuan before falling into a deep sleep. Huo Shiyuan covered Yuan Xi with the quilt and gently kissed her forehead, ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡­ With Mi Chen about to go public, Yuan Xi¡¯s work was still quite busy. She could not simply not care about the life or death of Mi Chen and resign without managing anything. Yuan Xi got to the office early and began working. Being busy until noon, if it had not been for Huo Shiyuan¡¯s phone call, she wouldn¡¯t have realized it was almost twelve o¡¯clock. Yuan Xi got off the elevator and went to the garage, where she saw Huo Shiyuan¡¯s Maybach. She walked to the back seat, where Huo Shiyuan opened the little table and placed food on it. Upon seeing the still-steaming sweet and sour pork ribs, Yuan Xi¡¯s appetite grew. Huo Shiyuan peeled shrimp for Yuan Xi, ¡°These shrimp were caught from Ruohu just this morning, give them a try.¡± Yuan Xi took the peeled shrimp meat from Huo Shiyuan and said with a faint smile, ¡°Delicious, the shrimp and crab from Ruohu are the best.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I think so too, the shrimp and crab from Ruohu are the best. When I was studying in the United States, I missed Ruohu¡¯s shrimp and crab very much.¡± Yuan Xi coughed and said, ¡°Coincidentally, I have a friend who also studied in the United States. When he first went there, he would call me every day saying how much he missed the shrimp and crab from Ruohu.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Your friend?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°A childhood friend. After he went abroad to study in junior high, we gradually lost contact. It¡¯s been nearly thirteen or fourteen years with no news; I don¡¯t even know how he¡¯s doing now.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi; she actually didn¡¯t recognize him? ¡°Knock, knock, knock!¡± Someone knocked on the Maybach¡¯s door; Huo Shiyuan opened the window and saw Gu Hanchen outside. Gu Hanchen saw Yuan Xi in the back seat of the Maybach, biting into the ribs, and was startled, ¡°President Huo, it really is you. I thought this license plate looked like yours. Why is Yuan Xi eating¡­ in your car?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Secretary Yuan is reporting to me the budget for June and the data on the new game. To save time, we¡¯re reporting while eating.¡± ¡°Is it necessary to eat crammed in a car?¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me when President Huo came? And to have President Huo accompany you to eat in the underground garage, how impolite!¡± Gu Hanchen then turned to Huo Shiyuan with a sycophantic smile, ¡°President Huo, please come to my office to chat.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Wait until Secretary Yuan finishes eating. She¡¯s pregnant and can¡¯t be left hungry, that¡¯s why we¡¯re reporting and eating in the underground garage.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You also know Secretary Yuan is pregnant? Alas, Yuan Xi now only cares about her and some wild man¡¯s child, abandoning both me and our child.¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough.¡± Yuan Xi choked so hard that food went all over the back seat. Huo Shiyuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Hanchen outside, ¡°What child are you talking about?¡± Yuan Xi coughed twice, ¡°Gu Hanchen, what child are we talking about?¡± Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Fake Diamond Ring That Wild Man Gave You? Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Fake Diamond Ring That Wild Man Gave You? Gu Hanchen pointed upward, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mi Chen our child? Yuan Xi, you can¡¯t neglect one for the other, only caring about your child with that other man and not about our little Mi Chen.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°¡­¡± Gu Hanchen, looking at the rice grains on the back seat, said, ¡°Yuan Xi, what am I to say about you? You¡¯ve made President Huo¡¯s car so dirty. President Huo, why don¡¯t you hand your car over to Yuan Xi and have her drive to the car wash for a thorough cleaning?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Yuan Xi had lost her appetite, afraid to eat too much because of morning sickness, ¡°President Huo, I¡¯ve finished eating. Let¡¯s talk upstairs.¡± Once inside the elevator, Gu Hanchen noticed the big diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°I had dinner with Bo Fan yesterday, and Chu Yan said you were wearing a fake diamond ring; I didn¡¯t believe it. Is that the fake diamond ring that other man gave you?¡± Yuan Xi frowned and said, ¡°Mr. Gu, please stop calling him that other man. We¡¯re married now; he¡¯s my legitimate husband.¡± ¡°Married!?¡± Gu Hanchen was shocked, ¡°How did you just go and get married?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°It¡¯s normal to get married when there¡¯s a child.¡± Gu Hanchen, with a frown said, ¡°You must invite me when you have your wedding. I really want to see which male fox spirit has lured you away!¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans for a wedding just yet.¡± Gu Hanchen sneered, ¡°Can¡¯t afford it, right? That fox spirit gives you a fake diamond ring and expects to afford a wedding?¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°Mr. Gu, you might as well not worry about whether I can afford a wedding and concentrate on the IPO. We¡¯ve been busy with it for more than two years; we can¡¯t afford any mistakes.¡± Gu Hanchen said to Yuan Xi, ¡°You know we can¡¯t afford to fail, and yet you get pregnant? You¡¯d better not let me find out who that fox spirit is. He¡¯s the biggest stumbling block for Mi Chen¡¯s IPO. If I run into him, I will definitely kick him far away.¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyuan beside her. Huo Shiyuan brushed the rice grains off his coat. After arriving at the office, Huo Shiyuan and Gu Hanchen entered the office. Yuan Xi asked Huo Shiyuan, ¡°What would you like to drink, President Huo?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°No need.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°I want coffee, the kind you grind by hand.¡± After Yuan Xi left, she instructed the new secretary that had just started working to grind the coffee for Gu Hanchen, figuring he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if she¡¯d done it herself or not. Yuan Xi, busy with work, felt incredibly sleepy in the afternoon. After looking up online and confirming that pregnant women could drink coffee, she went to the coffee machine in the administration department¡¯s pantry and made herself a cup. Just as Yuan Xi got back to her office, she ran into Huo Shiyuan coming out of Gu Hanchen¡¯s office. Upon seeing Yuan Xi with a cup of coffee, Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. You should cut down on the coffee.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°I checked. A small amount of coffee shouldn¡¯t harm the baby.¡± Huo Shiyuan said to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Before the Mi Chen IPO, you wouldn¡¯t want anything to go wrong with Mi Chen¡¯s future sibling, would you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Hanchen was taken aback. Huo Shiyuan pointed at Yuan Xi¡¯s belly, ¡°Let Secretary Yuan get some rest when she¡¯s tired. What era do you think this is? Don¡¯t act like Boss Zhou.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you¡¯d say.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi worriedly, and she smiled lightly and said, ¡°President Huo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of myself, thank you for your concern.¡± Gu Hanchen escorted Huo Shiyuan out, feeling that something was amiss. After drinking a cup of coffee, Yuan Xi¡¯s sleepiness faded, and she received a call from Yang Ying. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, are you free to come home today? The date for the homecoming banquet has been set for the evening of May 22. What do you think?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at her schedule, ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Also, I¡¯ve prepared a few dresses for you. Do you have time to come try them on tonight?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a dress.¡± ¡°Xinxin¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I still have work to do, so if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± Yuan Xi hung up the phone. Even though she had found her birth parents, there was still a barrier. Yuan Xi gently touched her belly. ¡°Secretary Yuan?¡± Yuan Xi looked up to see Bo Fan and rose to her feet, saying, ¡°Mr. Bo, what brings you to Michen?¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Our company¡¯s artists are going to participate in the Forest Pursuit game competition. I came to talk with Gu Hanchen about the specifics of the cooperation.¡± Yuan Xi led Bo Fan into Gu Hanchen¡¯s office, ¡°Mr. Gu, Mr. Bo is here.¡± When Gu Hanchen saw Bo Fan come in, he looked at him defensively, ¡°You¡¯re not here to poach from my company, are you? Don¡¯t even think about taking Yuan Xi away.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°I do want to poach Yuan Xi. She hasn¡¯t agreed, saying she wants a job with more leisure.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°She¡¯s been bewitched by a male fox spirit, to get married and pregnant at 26. What was she thinking, wasting her youth on raising children. She¡¯s completely foolish!¡± Bo Fan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s flat stomach with slight surprise, ¡°Secretary Yuan, you¡¯re pregnant? I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± Yuan Xi said with a faint smile, ¡°Just about five weeks pregnant, it¡¯s not showing yet.¡± Gu Hanchen, upon hearing Yuan Xi¡¯s words, calculated the timeline, ¡°Five weeks? Weren¡¯t you still attending a dinner party with me five weeks ago? That day, you and Huo Shiyuan got so drunk, you ended up sleeping at the hotel. Won¡¯t the child be affected?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Should be fine.¡± Bo Fan asked, ¡°Huo Shiyuan? The Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance? He¡¯s in Jiang City?¡± Gu Hanchen nodded, ¡°He¡¯s been here for nearly half a year now, he¡¯s quite idle, coming to Michen every day to hover over me.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Fan Yan is now looking for investment from Shixi Finance. Could you help us set up a meeting?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Huo Shiyuan doesn¡¯t attend dinner parties, don¡¯t even bother trying to meet with him.¡± Downstairs in the Michen Building, Chu Yan, her nails perfectly polished, watched Bo Fan¡¯s car pull into the visitor¡¯s area, her fingers trembling slightly. Chu Yan walked inside Michen and overheard two receptionists¡¯ conversation. ¡°Mr. Bo is really handsome. No wonder he and the young Miss from the Chu Family were trending on social media for their engagement. It¡¯s like a novel come to life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity for Secretary Yuan. If the Chu Family had recognized her as their true daughter earlier, maybe the one marrying into the Bo Family would have been Secretary Yuan!¡± ¡°I think Secretary Yuan is a better match for Mr. Gu. He¡¯s got a temper that only Secretary Yuan can handle.¡± ¡°I think Mr. Bo and Secretary Yuan are the better match, a true heiress matched with a true tycoon, and Mr. Gu doesn¡¯t fit the tycoon bill¡ªhe¡¯s more of a maverick!¡± Chu Yan clenched her fist upon hearing the gossiping receptionists. Seeing the two people who came down from the CEO¡¯s private elevator, Bo Fan in front, followed by Yuan Xi. ¡°Mr. Bo, we¡¯ll follow up with the detailed cooperation plan for the star competition of Forest Pursuit after the marketing and PR departments have developed the plans and then communicate with you.¡± Bo Fan said with a light smile, ¡°Good, I feel at ease with you in charge, Secretary Yuan, more reliable than your boss, Mr. Gu.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly. Chu Yan watched the smiles between the two, feeling a sharp sting in her eyes. Chu Yan approached and wrapped her arm around Yuan Xi familiarly, ¡°Sister, I was just about to go to Cuijing Pavilion to pick out a necklace with my mom. Why don¡¯t you help me choose one as well? It can be a gift from us sisters for her.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m still on work hours.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to Brother Hanchen. Michen won¡¯t fall apart without you here.¡± Bo Fan told Yuan Xi, ¡°Yanyan is right, Yuan Xi, just go with her. It so happens that Cuijing Pavilion just got some high-end pieces that would make a great present for Aunt Yang.¡± Seeing Chu Yan¡¯s arm enfolded around her own, and the time nearly at the end of the workday, Yuan Xi agreed to go with Chu Yan. After all, it was about choosing a gift for Yang Ying; she had no reason to refuse. The car stopped outside an antique mansion. As Chu Yan got out of the car, she looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Even though you¡¯re now the real heiress of the Chu Family, there are still things you can¡¯t just dream of getting. Today I¡¯ll make you understand that you are not qualified enough to enter the Bo Family¡¯s door.¡± Yuan Xi furrowed her brows slightly; she really wanted to find some work for this heiress to do, so she wouldn¡¯t be so idle. Yuan Xi saw a well-maintained, middle-aged woman in a cheongsam come out. ¡°Auntie,¡± greeted Chu Yan obediently. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mrs. Bo.¡± Madam Bo looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You are Hanchen¡¯s secretary, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chu Yan confidently said, ¡°Auntie, you have a good memory. She¡¯s not just Hanchen¡¯s secretary now; she¡¯s also the true heiress that our Chu Family recently found. It should have been her marrying Bo Fan. I¡¯m the one at fault, I took everything from her, made her grow up in a village, only able to be someone¡¯s secretary. Yuan Xi is right; I really should return the position as Bo Fan¡¯s wife to her¡­¡± A young woman in a cheongsam emerged from the house with a disdainful tone, ¡°Not just anyone can become the Bo Family¡¯s daughter-in-law, especially certain secretaries who always dream of climbing higher¡­ they¡¯re simply not eligible!¡± Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11 When are you planning to have the wedding? Chapter 11: Chapter 11 When are you planning to have the wedding? ¡°Sister Yan!¡± Chu Yan greeted her warmly, ¡°Sister Yan, long time no see, you¡¯ve become even more beautiful.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the young woman dressed in a cheongsam, accentuating her delicate figure, and judging by Chu Yan¡¯s form of address, she must be Bo Fan¡¯s sister, Bao Yan. In fact, Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao were wary that she might try to seduce Gu Hanchen, partly because of Bao Yan, or more precisely, because of Bao Yan¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦, the president of Youzi Film and Television. Youzi Film and Television is one of the largest video platforms in the country, and its president, Si Chen, made it into the Forbes rankings at just thirty years old. The Bo Family, having shifted to the entertainment industry in recent years, naturally wanted to forge a marriage alliance with a film and television company like the Si Family, and the Si elders were inclined to arrange a marriage between Bao Yan and Si Chen. However, just before the engagement could be announced, Si Chen suddenly declared he would marry his secretary, who had been by his side for three years. Ignoring his family¡¯s objections, Si Chen resolutely registered his marriage with his secretary, and the wedding invitation for Si Chen and his secretary still lay in Gu Hanchen¡¯s office. It appeared the wedding was scheduled for May 20th. Looking at Yuan Xi with disdain, Bao Yan warmly linked arms with Chu Yan: ¡°Yanyan, you are so sweet with your words. Rest assured, the Bo family recognizes only you as our daughter-in-law, and I only see you as my sister-in-law. Some people should not harbor the illusion that they can enter our Bo family¡¯s doors.¡± Mrs. Bo also chuckled, as if Yuan Xi¡¯s status as the true daughter of the Chu Family didn¡¯t matter ¨C after all, years of upbringing could not be hidden. Everyone knew Yuan Xi was Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary, and even if she transformed into the daughter of the Chu Family, it would not change the fact that she came from the countryside and used to be someone¡¯s secretary. Chu Yan, with her arm around Mrs. Bo¡¯s, said, ¡°Auntie, let¡¯s go take a look at the jewelry. I want to buy a No Matter Plate made of jade for my mother to wear at my sister¡¯s homecoming banquet.¡± Mrs. Bo chuckled lightly, ¡°We just got a few pieces of Emperor green No Matter Plates in recently.¡± Yuan Xi followed them into a guest room, filled with antique furniture and burning incense, which she could not bear to smell due to her pregnancy and covered her nose with her hand. ¡°Auntie, Bo Fan thought of having my sister work as his secretary¡­ It seems that Bo Fan is very satisfied with my sister. If not for me, my sister would be the Bo family¡¯s daughter-in-law¡­¡± Mrs. Bo chuckled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m in the business of jade. The Myanmar Jade and the Guatemala Jade are both types of jade, but there is a world of difference in their price. Where the jade is sourced from greatly differs in value, and the Bo family doesn¡¯t just take any jade ¨C we don¡¯t want Guatemala Jade.¡± Several attendants dressed in traditional Chinese dresses came in and served tea. Yuan Xi pretended not to understand the hidden meanings behind Mrs. Bo¡¯s words. Mrs. Bo said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Secretary Yuan, this must be your first time tasting this type of tea, why don¡¯t you have a try?¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a stomach ailment and can¡¯t drink tea.¡± Bao Yan sneered from the side, ¡°Is it really a stomach ailment, or are you just afraid of embarrassing yourself because you don¡¯t know how to appreciate fine tea? Don¡¯t worry, we know you grew up in a village and we won¡¯t laugh at you for not understanding tea.¡± Yuan Xi felt extremely bored in her heart but still maintained the professional smile of the workplace. Just as she was looking for an excuse to leave, Huo Shiyan¡¯s call came through at the perfect moment. Yuan Xi answered, ¡°Off work now, yes, okay¡­¡± Standing up, she addressed Mrs. Bo, ¡°Mrs. Bo, I have other things to attend to and must leave now.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister, why are you leaving so soon? What about the jewelry for Mom?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I have some things to take care of, and I will choose the jewelry for Mom from somewhere else.¡± Chu Yan had clearly set a trap for her; Yuan Xi had no interest in participating in their mockery of herself, nor did she want to give them any money. Yuan Xi went outside and called a car to meet Huo Shiyan at the agreed-upon location. After getting into Huo Shiyan¡¯s passenger seat, she sighed softly. Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Why not at Mi Chen Game?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Chu Yan insisted on thinking I wanted to marry Bo Fan. Today she took me to Mrs. Bo¡¯s to intimidate me; she really is¡­ way too idle.¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her you¡¯re already married? Letting her know would save a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°I was afraid she¡¯d pry into who my husband is,¡± said Yuan Xi, ¡°which would eventually reveal to Gu Hanchen that we¡¯re married.¡± Huo Shiyan responded, ¡°Even if Gu Hanchen finds out we¡¯re married, it wouldn¡¯t matter. If he really wants to play the hands-off boss, should I find a new CEO for Mi Chen?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yuan Xi agreed. Huo Shiyan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to dinner with a friend tonight.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Yuan Xi opened the mirror on the passenger side and glanced at her tired makeup after a day¡¯s work. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Yes, you might have met him before.¡± Yuan Xi took out the air-cushion lipstick from her bag to touch up her makeup, glancing sideways at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Si Chen.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I just met Bao Yan.¡± Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Who is Bao Yan?¡± Yuan Xi raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Si Chen your friend?¡± ¡°Yeah, when I was studying in the United States, he was my neighbor, and he¡¯s three years older than me. He helped me a lot when I was there.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Since Si Chen is your friend, how could you not know that he almost got engaged to Bao Yan half a year ago?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Was it something the elders decided on their own? Si Chen has never mentioned it, he and Qin Yue have been dating for three years, how could he possibly get engaged to someone else? Qin Yue is Qin Lang¡¯s twin sister, and she used to be one of my assistants. Si Chen took a fancy to her and lured her away from me. Technically, I¡¯m the matchmaker for them.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°So you¡¯ll be attending their wedding in a couple of days?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded and said, ¡°I will be going. What about you?¡± Yuan Xi said softly, ¡°Gu Hanchen asked me to be his date for the wedding. We had already agreed upon receiving the invitation a week ago¡­¡± Not accompanying her husband but instead going with her boss, Yuan Xi felt somewhat guilty. Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t say much else and took Yuan Xi to a private restaurant by the side of Ruohu. Upon entering the private room, what came into view was a huge floor-to-ceiling window. Yuan Xi had thought that the view of Ruohu from the Ruohu Mansion was the best, but she hadn¡¯t expected the view from this restaurant, looking out at Ruohu in the sunset, to be even more breathtaking. Yuan Xi took out her phone and snapped a photo, ¡°I grew up by Ruohu, but I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful Ruohu.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°The view of Ruohu from here is indeed magnificent.¡± ¡°Shiyan, are you really not going to be my best man?¡± Yuan Xi turned her head to the voice at the door, it was Si Chen and Qin Yue. Qin Yue was quite surprised to see Yuan Xi. Si Chen said, ¡°This lady looks familiar, I think I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before.¡± Yuan Xi extended her hand generously and said, ¡°President Si, I¡¯m Yuan Xi, Secretary to Gu Hanchen of Mi Chen Game. We¡¯ve met a few times at internet conferences and Jiang City comic conventions.¡± Si Chen shook hands with Yuan Xi, ¡°So it¡¯s Secretary Yuan.¡± Huo Shiyuan put his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°My wife, Yuan Xi.¡± Si Chen was surprised, ¡°You¡¯re married? Why didn¡¯t you announce such big news earlier?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°We just got married a few days ago, and Yuan Xi doesn¡¯t want Gu Hanchen to know about her marriage to me, so don¡¯t mention it in front of Gu Hanchen.¡± Si Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m not close with Gu Hanchen, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t spill the beans. No wonder you didn¡¯t want to be the best man, it turns out you¡¯ve already tied the knot.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Also, don¡¯t let anyone know I¡¯m in Jiang City.¡± ¡°I got it, I got it,¡± Si Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll tell others you are Qin Yue¡¯s cousin; we won¡¯t say you are Huo Shiyuan.¡± Qin Yue commented, looking at the blue diamond ring on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°That blue diamond suits Mrs. Huo well.¡± On hearing the title of Mrs. Huo, Yuan Xi smiled and said, ¡°Just call me Yuan Xi.¡± Qin Yue also smiled, ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± Huo Shiyuan put his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s waist, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, so let¡¯s have coconut juice.¡± Si Chen looked at Huo Shiyuan with surprise, ¡°You sure moved quickly. When do you plan to hold the wedding?¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, and Yuan Xi looked back at him. She actually had no plans to have a wedding¡­ Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to wear a wedding dress with a big belly, moreover, she and Huo Shiyuan weren¡¯t truly in love when they got married. It was just an accident in one night that led to marriage for the sake of the child. Yuan Xi felt nauseous, ¡°Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.¡± Yuan Xi spent quite some time vomiting in the bathroom. After rinsing her mouth with water, she saw Qin Yue handing her a soft towel, ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Yue watched Yuan Xi and said, ¡°I used to see your photos in President Huo¡¯s office all the time, and finally, today I see you in person. You¡¯ve grown up to be prettier than the little girl in those photos.¡± Using the soft towel to wipe her face, Yuan Xi said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else. I am not his childhood sweetheart. I just happen to look similar to her.¡± Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 The Fake Bracelet Chapter 12: Chapter 12 The Fake Bracelet Qin Yue said, ¡°Could there be some misunderstanding? That little girl looks a lot like you, and President Huo doesn¡¯t seem the type to get married using a stand-in¡­¡± Yuan Xi gently stroked her belly and smiled faintly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Huo Shiyuan when I was a child, we got married just because we had a child.¡± Returning to the private room, Huo Shiyuan placed a plate of fruits in front of Yuan Xi, ¡°Want some fruit?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yuan Xi was eating the Xia Hei grapes Huo Shiyuan had peeled, the sweet and sour taste helped suppress the discomfort of her morning sickness. Huo Shiyuan and Si Chen were discussing the details of a new movie project. Youzi Film and Television wanted to shoot a science fiction movie with an estimated investment of around 500 million yuan. Si Chen¡¯s gathering today also had the purpose of seeking investment from Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan hadn¡¯t immediately committed himself, on the way back from Ruo Lake Whisper to the mansion. Yuan Xi looked curiously at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°An investment of 500 million isn¡¯t much, and President Si is only asking for a 50 million investment from you, so why don¡¯t you agree?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°500 million is not enough to shoot a science fiction movie. Once you¡¯re in his scheme, it¡¯s hard to get out. With an initial 50 million, I fear it might exceed two billion later on. If the box office doesn¡¯t meet expectations, all that investment would just go to waste.¡± ¡°What a pity, I quite liked the original movie ¡®Escape from Galaxy¡¯ that he wants to remake.¡± Yuan Xi said lightly. Afterward, Huo Shiyuan sent a text message to Si Chen and put his phone back into his coat pocket. In May, the lakeside was filled with the sounds of frogs and insects. As they walked, Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°As a child, I loved coming here to catch field frogs and insects with my friends. During the summer vacations, there used to be a lot of fireflies here. I remember one summer, my friends and I sneaked out late at night and walked three kilometers around the lake to catch fireflies.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Are there still fireflies here now?¡± Yuan Xi shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in summer for almost eight years. I don¡¯t know if there are still any fireflies. When I was young, Brother Zhuangzhuang was really good at catching fireflies. It¡¯s too bad he went to the United States for school in the first grade and afterward, no one took us out to catch fireflies during the summer anymore.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°This summer, I¡¯ll bring you to catch fireflies.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Okay.¡± After the two returned to the Ruohu Mansion, Yuan Xi bathed and lay on the bed, considering what kind of jade to give Yang Ying as a gift. Yuan Xi knew nothing about jade, nor did she understand their values, so she could only do some research now. Huo Shiyuan, seeing Yuan Xi looking up jade, asked, ¡°Are you looking to buy jade?¡± ¡°Uh-huh, it¡¯s for my mom.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I just got two jade bracelets that were meant for my grandmother, but the size of the bracelets was wrong, and I was about to return them. What size bracelet does your mom wear?¡± Yuan Xi truly did not know which size Yang Ying wore, so she thought for a moment and sent a message to Chu Lin. Chu Lin replied quickly, ¡°56 millimeter size. Do you have the money to buy a bracelet for mom? Should I send you some?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Yuan Xi said. ¡°I have money.¡± Yuan Xi told Huo Shiyuan, ¡°56 millimeters.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll go get it and you can have a look.¡± Huo Shiyuan got up from the bed and went to the study, returning shortly with two jewelry boxes. Yuan Xi opened one and saw a full-circle green bracelet, clear and glossy. Even without an understanding of jade, she had heard of Emperor green. Yuan Xi asked, ¡°This isn¡¯t the legendary Emperor green jade bracelet, is it?¡± ¡°Not really, it¡¯s just Yang Green, not as valuable as Emperor green. If you like it, you can take this to gift your mom.¡± Yuan Xi closed the jewelry box and said, ¡°How much? I¡¯ll transfer it to you.¡± Since the blue diamond ring was given to her as a wedding ring, Yuan Xi felt perfectly at ease accepting it. But such a valuable jade bracelet, Yuan Xi really couldn¡¯t just accept it. Huo Shiyuan leaned in close to Yuan Xi, their noses nearly touching, ¡°We¡¯ve already obtained our marriage certificate, Mrs. Huo, after marriage, property is split equally, there¡¯s no need to separate what¡¯s yours and mine, understand?¡± Yuan Xi nervously clutched the bedsheets, which were silk and became wrinkled. Huo Shiyuan¡¯s breathing deepened, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower first.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already take a¡­¡± Yuan Xi wasn¡¯t some na?ve eighteen-year-old girl, she quickly grasped Huo Shiyuan¡¯s implication and, with a red face, immediately went to sleep. The next two days of work were just as busy, perhaps because of leaving promptly at 5:30 PM, Yuan Xi felt her workdays were especially short. On Friday, close to the end of the workday, Chu Lin arrived at Mi Chen Game. Chu Lin knocked on Yuan Xi¡¯s desk, ¡°Secretary Yuan, quite busy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Indeed, not as leisurely as Mr. Chu here.¡± Chu Lin smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s a family dinner at the Chu Family tonight, Bo Fan, his parents, and his sister will all be there too. Mother insisted that I must bring you home. If Gu Hanchen asks you to work overtime, I¡¯ll give Gu Hanchen a beating just to make sure you come home.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t believe that Yang Ying would actually have Chu Lin beat up Gu Hanchen, but she certainly had no reason to refuse the dinner invitation. When Gu Hanchen stepped out of the office and heard this, he snorted lightly, ¡°Who asked her to work overtime? She¡¯s been leaving work at 5:30 PM these past days. You can¡¯t take her away now, there are still ten minutes until she¡¯s off work, not a minute less.¡± Yuan Xi went to the restroom and called Huo Shiyuan to inform him that she was going to the Chu Family today and there was no need for Huo Shiyuan to pick her up. After work, Yuan Xi took a ride in Chu Lin¡¯s car to the Chu Family. Yang Ying was already waiting outside the Chu Family¡¯s house early. Chu Yan stood beside her, jealously stating, ¡°Mom, the sun is so hot, why don¡¯t we wait inside?¡± ¡°The sun at nearly six o¡¯clock should not be hot. Xinxin has returned, I can wait a bit longer.¡± Chu Yan said softly, ¡°Mom, do you stop loving me when Xinxin comes back?¡± Yang Ying placed her hand on Chu Yan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Silly child, you are the daughter dad and mom chose ourselves, our love for you will never change. But we love Xinxin too, and besides, we truly owe her.¡± When Yuan Xi arrived at the Chu Family¡¯s, she saw the mother and daughter embracing. Yuan Xi got out of the car and walked over to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, Chu Yan.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve arrived. Mom has been waiting outside for you a long time. Mom has never waited like this for me.¡± Yang Ying stepped forward and looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°How did you lose weight? How is your stomach condition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better now. Oh, and Mom, this is a Jade Bracelet I¡¯m gifting to you, a belated Mother¡¯s Day present, I suppose.¡± Yuan Xi took out two wooden boxes from her bag. Yang Ying, full of sorrow, said, ¡°To have your concern is truly moving to me.¡± Chu Yan leaned forward eagerly, ¡°What kind of jade is it? Let me see. Mom, Bo Fan and I have also prepared an Emperor green No Matter Plate for you. It was supposed to be a joint gift from sister and me, but sister might not have known you only love jade, she said she would gift you something else.¡± ¡°Look, speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives, Bo Fan and Aunt Bao¡¯s car have arrived.¡± Chu Yan approached the Bo Family¡¯s car, and when Bo Fan got out, she wrapped her arm around his intimately, ¡°Did you bring the No Matter Plate?¡± Bo Fan took out a box, approached Yang Ying and said, ¡°Yanyan felt the Mother¡¯s Day gift we sent you was not good enough, so we specially selected another old pit Emperor green piece for you.¡± Yang Ying accepted it, ¡°Thank you, Yanyan is also filial.¡± Chu Yan eyeing the two wooden boxes in Yang Ying¡¯s hands said, ¡°Mom, open it up and see what kind of Jade Bracelet sister has given you, since Aunt Bao is here now, and she¡¯s an expert, you should let her take a look.¡± Yang Ying opened a box, and inside, the translucent green bracelet was dazzling. Chu Yan picked up the Jade Bracelet and immediately smashed the one in her hand, which was Emperor green, onto the ground; the bracelet broke into three pieces upon impact. ¡°Oh dear, sister, it¡¯s one thing for you to wear fake diamond rings yourself, but why give Mom a fake bracelet? These dyed acid-washed Jade Bracelets can cause cancer if worn!¡± Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Impossible Divorce Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Impossible Divorce Yuan Xi looked at the three-section jade bracelet that had fallen on the marble floor tiles and picked it up, ¡°Chu Yan, what makes you think this jade bracelet is fake?¡± Chu Yan lightly scoffed, ¡°It is fake. If this were a real green jade bracelet, the price would be over five hundred thousand. You have two? Together that would be over a million. How could you afford it with your salary?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My salary, plus bonuses, and the year-end bonus, after taxes, my annual income is six million. What makes you think I can¡¯t afford this jade bracelet?¡± Chu Lin took a sharp breath, ¡°Gu Hanchen is really so generous to you, no wonder he doesn¡¯t let you leave even ten minutes early.¡± Bao Yan commented with a cold laugh, ¡°Secretary Yuan, you really have no experience. Although it¡¯s Yang Green, if the quality of this green jade bracelet were real, its price wouldn¡¯t be much less than that of Emperor Green. Besides, it¡¯s a pair made from the same piece of material, and their estimated value should be around twenty million. You don¡¯t even know the price of the bracelet and you still won¡¯t admit it¡¯s fake.¡± Chu Yan added, ¡°Sister, actually, if you bought some cheap jewelry, mom wouldn¡¯t mind. Why bother buying a fake one?¡± Yang Ying took the broken bracelet from Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, comforting her, ¡°Real or fake, it was a gift from Xinxin, and I like it. Please, Mrs. Bo, could you help find a craftsman to fix this broken bracelet?¡± Mrs. Bo snorted lightly, ¡°Mrs. Chu, we never repair fake jadeite.¡± Bo Fan said from the side, ¡°Aunt Yang, give me the broken bracelet. I happen to know a master in jade bracelet repair who can fix it so it won¡¯t be noticeable.¡± Bao Yan frowned, ¡°Brother, that¡¯s not a good idea. Our Bo Family is also in the jewelry business. If people found out you¡¯re repairing fake jadeite, how can we do business¡­¡± Yuan Xi thought her good temper had been honed by Gu Hanchen. Everyone at Mi Chen always said Secretary Yuan was good-tempered. But this time, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to hold back, ¡°Mrs. Bo and Miss Bo specialize in the jewelry and jade business, yet you can¡¯t even distinguish between a real and a fake jade bracelet. It¡¯s better to close up shop early.¡± Bo Fan closely inspected the broken bracelet in his hand and frowned at Chu Yan, ¡°This jade bracelet is real.¡± ¡°How can that be? Such high-quality goods¡­¡± Mrs. Bo stepped forward for a look, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the pair that was just sold recently from Ping City? It sold for three million six, it¡¯s this pair of jade bracelets.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan, ¡°How do you plan to compensate?¡± Chu Yan hugged Yang Ying¡¯s arm, ¡°I was just worried about mom¡¯s health, I¡¯m sorry, sister. You don¡¯t need to get angry over a jade bracelet.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, Yanyan was indeed wrong, but she has already apologized to you, let¡¯s forget it. Let¡¯s all go inside, it¡¯s quite hot out here.¡± Mrs. Bo walked up to Yang Ying, ¡°Yanyan giving you this ¡®No Matter Plate¡¯ is from the best of my collection¡­¡± Yuan Xi watched as Chu Yan, Mrs. Bo, and Yang Ying all went inside together, her hands clenched into fists then released. Chu Lin patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder, ¡°Chu Yan was indeed wrong just now, but since the Bo Family is here today, mom can¡¯t scold Yanyan in front of the Bo Family. Besides, Yanyan has apologized to you, and isn¡¯t there still one bracelet intact? Let¡¯s not talk about compensation among family.¡± Yuan Xi covered her mouth with the back of her hand, stifling the urge to vomit, ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk about it?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Yuan Xi, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to make a joke out of the Chu family¡¯s discord in front of the Bo Family over twenty million? Yanyan did apologize, didn¡¯t she? If you¡¯re missing that twenty million, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± Yuan Xi asked Chu Lin, ¡°May I see the watch on your wrist?¡± Chu Lin unfastened the watch band for Yuan Xi, ¡°You like it too? I can ask someone to keep an eye out for it if there¡¯s stock.¡± Yuan Xi took the watch and tossed it into the fountain pool nearby, ¡°Sorry, and you don¡¯t need to pay. Keep it and continue buying watches!¡± Chu Lin saw the watch thrown into the fountain and quickly scooped it out, but it had already cracked. ¡°Yuan Xi! Do you realize the value of this watch?¡± Yuan Xi, of course, knew, as Gu Hanchen had once asked her to buy a similar one. The price of the watch had skyrocketed and was now almost at twenty million. Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°We¡¯re family, is brother really going to argue with his sister over a watch worth less than twenty million?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yuan Xi heard a cold laugh and turned around to see Bo Fan leaning against the pillar at the entrance, chuckling, ¡°No wonder Hanchen is so well-behaved around Secretary Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°How could I have such great ability? It¡¯s Gu Hanchen who has me well in hand.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°So you earn such a high salary working for Gu Hanchen, no wonder you never wanted to switch over to Fan Yan.¡± Bo Fan could only offer Yuan Xi a salary of up to two million before taxes. She had not expected Gu Hanchen to pay such a high salary, especially since Mi Chen had only been established for six years and was already making a killing. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu is indeed very generous when it comes to salary.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Yanyan¡¯s temperament is spoiled, like a pampered heiress. She doesn¡¯t mean any harm. I apologize on her behalf for today¡¯s incident¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Inside the room, Chu Yan, looking through the French windows at the two people at the door, smiled sweetly while flattering Mrs. Bo, but her heart was filled with unease. Seeing Yuan Xi and Bo Fan enter together, Chu Yan, with a smile, said to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m about to have my wedding with Bo Fan soon. Sister is around my age; I don¡¯t know if she has a boyfriend. She¡¯s already twenty-six, it¡¯s about time she settled down and got married too, shall I introduce her to some candidates?¡± Bao Yan said, ¡°Actually, I have a good candidate. My driver is twenty-eight this year, should be two years older than Secretary Yuan, and would be a good match for her.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Thank you for the kindness, Miss Bo, but I¡¯m already married.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chu Lin, with his trouser legs damp, came in frowning, ¡°When did you get married? When did you have the wedding? Why hasn¡¯t Gu Hanchen mentioned it?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since the marriage, and we won¡¯t be having the wedding for a while.¡± Hearing this, Chu Yan let out a big sigh of relief, feeling reassured, ¡°Congratulations on your marriage, sister.¡± Yang Ying was also surprised, ¡°Xinxin, you got married? Who is your husband? Why didn¡¯t you bring him to meet us earlier? Call him and have him join us for dinner.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°He lives far away, by Ruohu. With the evening rush hour, it would take him nearly an hour to get here, let¡¯s not bother.¡± ¡°Ruohu?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that area all rural? Doesn¡¯t your husband have a house in Jiang City?¡± ¡°None.¡± Yuan Xi said calmly, ¡°He only has two houses by Ruohu.¡± ¡°Even if you have many houses by Ruohu, they are still in the countryside.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister, how could you marry someone from the countryside? I really owe you an apology; my wedding should¡¯ve been yours¡­¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°I heard that Shiyi Group is already assessing the area next to Ruohu, planning to create a high-end travel and vacation resort integrating a golf course, racecourse, and other facilities. If your area undergoes demolition, the compensation from Shiyi Group won¡¯t be low.¡± Yuan Xi had not heard this news before, ¡°Is that so?¡± Bo Fan nodded, ¡°Isn¡¯t Gu Hanchen saying that Huo Shiyuan is in Jiang City? Huo Shiyuan, the young master of Shiyi Group, must have come to Jiang City for this big project in Ruohu.¡± Yang Ying turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Call your husband over, it¡¯s just an hour¡¯s drive, not far.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a few days. We have the homecoming banquet on the 22nd, right? I¡¯ll bring him over then.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, I think you should let us meet your husband to see what he¡¯s like. If it doesn¡¯t work out, you can get a divorce first. Maybe you¡¯ll meet your true soulmate at the homecoming banquet¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m pregnant, so a divorce really isn¡¯t a possibility.¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi in shock but felt completely relieved. What did it matter if Yuan Xi was a true heiress? Her profession was a secretary, and she had married a man from the countryside; she would never be able to compare with Chu Yan who¡ªthough not a true heiress of the Chu Family¡ªwas at least engaged to Bo Fan. ¡°Sister, then we¡¯ll look forward to you bringing your husband to the homecoming banquet.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Disliking Chu Yan Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Disliking Chu Yan Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s belly with astonishment: ¡°Pregnant? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Please, take a seat quickly.¡± After Yuan Xi was seated, she said, ¡°I originally didn¡¯t want to say anything before the three months were up. I¡¯m five weeks pregnant now.¡± Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You¡¯re usually so busy with work, how did you find time to date, get married, and even have a child?¡± Yuan Xi responded simply, ¡°Mhm.¡± Mrs. Bo interjected, ¡°Congratulations, congratulations. Bo Fan was saying that your place is about to be demolished, right? Now that you¡¯re pregnant, you can get extra compensation for the demolition for another household member.¡± Yuan Xi detected a hint of disdain in Mrs. Bo¡¯s words. Chu Yan actually felt a bit guilty, originally fearing that Yuan Xi would steal Bo Fan away. Now knowing that she would not, but seeing that she had married a man from the countryside and had a child, and that she had to rely on demolition compensation to buy a city apartment, Chu Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of pity for Yuan Xi. During the meal, Yang Ying took special care of Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi, looking at the table full of delicious dishes, found she lacked appetite. She missed the food cooked by the chef at the mansion. After the meal, Yuan Xi stood up: ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m going to head back.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow the weekend? I¡¯ll talk to Hanchen and ask him to give you a day off. Just stay at home.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Mom, I¡¯d rather go home.¡± Chu Qing stood up and addressed Yuan Xi, ¡°Xinxin, are you still blaming us? Since you came back, you haven¡¯t had a proper conversation with us, nor discussed the years we missed as you grew up.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I imagine you have already inquired about everything about me. Actually, the first eighteen years living with my adoptive parents were quite good. Although they were not as wealthy as you, they owned a small factory, and as their only child, I grew up with no worries about food or clothes. They were very kind to me, and had it not been for my adoptive parents¡¯ accident, I would never have guessed I wasn¡¯t their biological child. After turning eighteen, life got a bit tougher, but I had some very good friends and classmates who helped me a lot. Then, after graduation, I smoothly entered Mi Chen and have been Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary. The growth of Mi Chen is all over the internet.¡± Yang Ying, with tears in her eyes, said, ¡°As long as you¡¯ve been well, that¡¯s what matters. All these years, we¡¯ve thought about you day and night. We adopted Yanyan, hoping that you would meet kind people to amass fortune for you. Now that you say your adoptive parents treated you well, we can rest assured.¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yeah, I need to leave now.¡± Chu Lin offered, ¡°Shall I drive you?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll take a taxi¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± Chu Lin said confidently. Yuan Xi did not refuse and got into Chu Lin¡¯s car, activating the navigation app on her phone. Chu Lin glanced at Yuan Xi, ¡°Actually, these past few days, Mom has been drinking and crying every night, feeling guilt-stricken about her actions towards you. Now that you¡¯re pregnant too, you should understand Mom¡¯s feelings, right?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I know, but I¡¯m not a child anymore. I¡¯ve been through ups and downs at Mi Chen for five years. Did you expect me to hug Mom and cry? Sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Is it because of Yanyan? I can see you don¡¯t seem to like Yanyan much,¡± Chu Lin said. ¡°Actually, Yanyan, she¡­¡± Yuan Xi was blunt: ¡°Yanyan isn¡¯t money; not everyone has to like her, right? What does it matter if I don¡¯t like her?¡± She couldn¡¯t pretend to have a fake sisterly bond with Chu Yan, especially since Chu Yan had broken her jade bracelet today. ¡°Actually, Yanyan is a very kind¡­¡± Yuan Xi interrupted, ¡°Stop at the next intersection. I¡¯ll get off at the upcoming intersection.¡± Chu Lin frowned, ¡°I won¡¯t mention Yanyan anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. My husband¡¯s car is up ahead.¡± Yuan Xi saw her Panamera parked by the roadside. Chu Lin hit the brakes and stopped the car, then walked with Yuan Xi to the Panamera, where he saw a handsome young man sitting in the backseat. After Huo Shiyuan got out of the car, he looked at the man beside Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, who is this?¡± ¡°My brother, Chu Lin.¡± ¡°Brother,¡± Huo Shiyuan greeted Chu Lin indifferently. Chu Lin, looking at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s features, thought that Huo Shiyuan¡¯s appearance was more than a match for Yuan Xi. Chu Lin glanced at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s attire and the cheap Apple watch he was wearing and felt somewhat uncomfortable. ¡°Is this car yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, it¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s,¡± Huo Shiyuan said. ¡°My car was crashed.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuan Xi asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine; I wasn¡¯t driving at the time.¡± Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Anyway, I¡¯m free this weekend. I¡¯ll just go buy another car. To be honest, this one isn¡¯t really suitable for me during pregnancy anyway.¡± ¡°What do you think about a Continental?¡± Huo Shiyuan asked. Yuan Xi pondered for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t a Continental a bit pricey? I¡¯m about to be out of a job.¡± Huo Shiyuan chuckled lightly. ¡°Once Mi Chen¡¯s IPO is done, you¡¯ll still have shares. Based on the money you can get from your shares, buying a Continental is no big deal.¡± Listening to the man in front of him, Chu Lin furrowed his brows, inwardly labeling him as a gold-digger phoenix man. Yuan Xi had been at Gu Hanchen¡¯s side for five years. She had seen all kinds of talented young men. How could she have been so easily deceived by a pretty boy? ¡°Brother, we¡¯re going to head off now.¡± Yuan Xi got into the passenger seat and waved goodbye to Chu Lin. Chu Lin watched the departing Panamera, his brow tightly furrowed. In the car. Yuan Xi asked, ¡°I heard from Bo Fan that Shiyi Group is planning to develop Ruohu?¡± Shiyi Group was the Huo family¡¯s enterprise. It had started since Huo Shiyuan¡¯s great-grandfather¡¯s generation and had grown to become the largest five-star hotel group in the country, with hotel projects also in various locations abroad. Shiyi Group also included high-end resort businesses. Huo Shiyuan nodded. ¡°He¡¯s well-informed. Indeed, it won¡¯t be long after the assessment is done before we start negotiations for demolition. The large villages around Ruohu will basically all be demolished. The project reconstruction and construction time should be about five years. By then, our children will have grown up, and we can bring them here to play.¡± ¡°What about Huxi Village?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan. ¡°Will that be demolished too? And the public cemetery there?¡± ¡°All will be demolished,¡± Huo Shiyuan said. ¡°If the process goes quickly, they¡¯ll start the demolition next year. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived in Huxi Village for eighteen years. If it really gets demolished, it will be hard to let go.¡± ¡°We¡¯re now living in Ruohu Mansion, which won¡¯t be demolished. There will be plenty of chances to come back in the future,¡± Huo Shiyuan assured her. Yuan Xi nodded. ¡°Mhm.¡± Yuan Xi sent a message in her close friends group chat from the car, wanting to hang out tomorrow. But she finally had some free time, and Liang Suisui and Chen Yuan both happened to be busy on Saturday. So any plans to meet up had to be shelved. ¡­ Chu Lin returned to the Chu family¡¯s home, and Yang Ying immediately asked, ¡°Did you get your sister home? How come you¡¯re back so soon?¡± ¡°I ran into her husband halfway.¡± Chu Yan eagerly asked, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s her husband like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s disastrously handsome,¡± Chu Lin said. Bo Fan, listening on the side, chuckled at Chu Lin¡¯s description. ¡°What kind of description is that?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°He¡¯s handsome enough that Fan Yan could sign him without needing any packaging, and he could rise to the top among male celebrities.¡± ¡°Is my brother-in-law that handsome?¡± Chu Yan curiously asked. ¡°Do you have a photo?¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Speaking of which, when I ran into Yuan Xi at the shopping mall the other day, I saw a man who looked just like what you described. Could it be him? The one wearing an Apple watch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Chu Lin confirmed. ¡°His looks are hard to come by even in the entertainment industry. No wonder Yuan Xi was blinded and married off to someone in the village.¡± ¡°He may look good, but he¡¯s just a pretty boy with no real ability who relies on others. And to think he¡¯s banking on Yuan Xi¡¯s pre-IPO shares in Mi Chen to buy a Continental, not even considering buying an apartment in the city. He¡¯s only thinking about luxury cars.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°My sister is really unfortunate, to marry such short-sighted man.¡± Yang Ying frowned, feeling upset, but she didn¡¯t dare go and say anything to Yuan Xi now. She could sense that there was still a barrier between Yuan Xi and them. Yuan Xi¡¯s interactions with the Chu family remained solely in the capacity of the proper Secretary Yuan. Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses Saturday morning. The alarm rang, Yuan Xi, groggy, turned off her phone alarm and was about to get out of bed when a force wrapped around her waist. Huo Shiyuan said hoarsely, ¡°Isn¡¯t today Saturday, our day off? Why are you getting up so early?¡± Yuan Xi could no longer remember the last time she truly rested. This rare Saturday off made Yuan Xi somewhat dazed. ¡°I forgot,¡± Yuan Xi yawned, ¡°Sorry for waking you up. You go back to sleep.¡± Huo Shiyuan tightened his hold around Yuan Xi¡¯s waist and fell back asleep. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s sleeping face close to her, her lips slightly curved. Rather than calling it a drunken mistake a month ago, it was more accurate to say that she had been drawn to his face the first time she saw Huo Shiyuan, which led to a spring night¡¯s fling after getting drunk. Yuan Xi glanced guiltily at the photo of the little girl in blue on the bedside table. She didn¡¯t understand why Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t pursue his childhood sweetheart and chose to marry her instead. But Yuan Xi thought that even if she was a substitute, she wasn¡¯t at a loss. With Huo Shiyuan¡¯s genetics, even if she had a child and he left, she would still benefit. Even if one day Huo Shiyuan regretted it and chose his childhood sweetheart, at least she would still have their child. Yuan Xi¡¯s phone lit up, showing messages from her best friends¡¯ group chat. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: @Shi Shishitou, hey big boss, working on Saturday too? Aren¡¯t you afraid the workers will rebel and raze your factory? Shi Shishitou: Shiyi Group is coming to our area to build a high-end resort, so our factory will be relocating after this summer. So, we are working this Saturday [Smiley]. Sui Sui: So, the rumor about relocation is true? I¡¯m becoming a second-generation relocated person, already wealthy and now I¡¯ve gained three more properties [Heart]. This username really works; I really did get rich! Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: If changing usernames works, then should I change mine to Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City? Will I become the actual rich man¡¯s daughter? Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I heard that Chu Yan isn¡¯t the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, she was adopted. The Chu Family has a lost daughter; could it be me? Shi Shishitou: No way, you look exactly like your grandma! Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Actually, I am the lost daughter of the richest Chu Family. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Are you guys free on the 22nd? The Chu family is planning a banquet for me. If you¡¯re free, you could come too. Sui Sui: Yuan Xi, what are you joking about this early in the morning? That sounds pretty believable. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: No joke, it¡¯s true. I also found out not long ago. You¡¯re welcome to join the banquet on the 22nd. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Life imitating fiction? Really? Are you serious? Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Really. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Daughter of the Richest Man! Ahhhhh! Let¡¯s not forget each other in times of wealth! Shi Shishitou: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, rich lady, is your Chu Family looking for a son-in-law? I don¡¯t want to try hard anymore. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Hah, have you looked in the mirror? Could you even match up to our Yuan Xi? Yuan Xi chuckled at the group chat messages as she heard Huo Shiyuan¡¯s voice. ¡°Shi Shishitou, is he a guy?¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t know when Huo Shiyuan had woken up, ¡°Yes, his name is Shi Lei, his family has a clothing company, and my family used to run a thread factory. Our factories were close, so we grew up playing together. Him wanting to marry in is just a joke; he and Chen Yuan are about to get engaged.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know you¡¯re married?¡± ¡°I posted our marriage certificate photo, but Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui didn¡¯t believe it, thinking I photoshopped it with some handsome guy from the internet.¡± Yuan Xi had only intended to keep her marriage hidden from Gu Hanchen, not from her best friends. Huo Shiyuan let out a light laugh, photoshopping a marriage certificate, indeed something Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui would do. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s light laugh, noticing the dimples on his cheeks. Yuan Xi playfully poked Huo Shiyuan¡¯s dimples, ¡°President Huo, you actually have dimples.¡± Huo Shiyuan grasped Yuan Xi¡¯s fingers and looked into her eyes. His breath deepened, and he lowered his head to kiss her red lips. Yuan Xi¡¯s body trembled, and she slowly closed her eyes, allowing Huo Shiyuan to take what he wished, his thin lips feeling soft¡­ In the quiet room, the sound of breathing was clearly audible. At that moment, the temperature-controlled room seemed to gather heat. ¡­ Inside the duplex flat on the top floor of Jiangjing No.1 in the center of Jiang City. Chu Yan was awakened by Bo Fan and moaned, ¡°Bo Fan, you woke me up again.¡± Bo Fan listened to Chu Yan¡¯s coquettish complaint and chuckled helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock, time to get up.¡± Chu Yan stretched lazily. ¡°It¡¯s only eight o¡¯clock. I didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday.¡± ¡°Bo Fan, I always feel so guilty towards my sister. I¡¯m like the fake heiress in the novels who steals everything from the real one. My sister is so pitiful, she has already returned to the Chu Family, but she married such a loser¡­¡± Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°All of this has nothing to do with you; you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± Chu Yan pouted, ¡°I still feel sorry for my sister. The husband she chose is really terrible. I want to go and persuade her.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Everyone has their own thoughts; you shouldn¡¯t interfere too much.¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips, ¡°But I still feel sorry for my sister. If it weren¡¯t for me, she wouldn¡¯t possibly have married a man from the countryside.¡± Bo Fan saw a message on his phone and frowned, not bothering to console Chu Yan. Chu Yan asked Bo Fan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°President Huo of Shixi Finance is in Jiang City. I want to find him to invest in Fan Yan, but I don¡¯t know his whereabouts. Gu Hanchen knows where President Huo is but won¡¯t tell. I hired a private detective who only found out that President Huo¡¯s car had an accident, but couldn¡¯t track down his specific address.¡± ¡°Is this President Huo of Shixi Finance that impressive?¡± Chu Yan asked. Bo Fan nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Shiyi in City A, right? That¡¯s his family¡¯s enterprise. He studied abroad in the United States and Germany in his early years and established Shixi Finance upon returning. Michen and Youzi Film and Television both hold half the shares in Shixi, and Huo Shiyuan is known as the ¡®Cash King¡¯ of City A. If Fan Yan could secure his investment, it would be a huge boost for us.¡± Chu Yan asked, ¡°Is Fan Yan running short on funds?¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Not exactly short, but Fan Yan wants to make two movies, and having Huo Shiyuan¡¯s help would be ideal.¡± Chu Yan tilted her head, ¡°Since Shixi has invested in Youzi Film and Television, perhaps Huo Shiyuan will attend Si Chen¡¯s wedding in a couple of days? Maybe we should also attend Si Chen¡¯s wedding?¡± The Bo Family naturally received an invitation to Si Chen¡¯s wedding, but initially did not plan to go because of their relation with Bao Yan. However, Bo Fan thought that for the sake of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s investment, it might be worth attending. ¡­ Over the weekend, Yuan Xi finally managed to get some good rest. On Monday morning, she woke up on her own without an alarm. The girls¡¯ group chat was filled with 520 emojis, and social media was bustling with people showing off flowers, transfers, and gifts. Yuan Xi didn¡¯t intend to ask Huo Shiyuan for any 520 gifts. After all, though married, they hadn¡¯t married for love. Huo Shiyuan drove Yuan Xi to the Michen Company and then took the executive elevator with her. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan beside her and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Today is Si Chen¡¯s wedding. I need to accompany him to pick up his bride this afternoon. In the morning, I¡¯ll stay at Michen to assist Gu Hanchen with the pre-IPO roadshow draft, so I won¡¯t be going back.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Okay.¡± After Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived on the fifty-eighth floor and left the elevator together, Yuan Xi received a call from the front desk through the secretary¡¯s office, ¡°Roses?¡± The person at the front desk was excited on the other end of the line, ¡°Yes, nine hundred and ninety-nine roses. We wanted to bring them up to you, but a few of us together couldn¡¯t even lift them.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ll come down right away.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan beside her and whispered, ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to send me so many roses.¡± Huo Shiyuan said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t send you roses.¡± Yuan Xi paused, ¡°It wasn¡¯t you? Then who else would send me nine hundred and ninety-nine roses?¡± Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Roses Sent by Gu Hanchen Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Roses Sent by Gu Hanchen ¡°President Huo, please go to the guest room to rest for a while. I¡¯ll go and see who sent the roses.¡± Yuan Xi entered the elevator and reached the reception area, right when most departments at Michen Company started their workday, and numerous colleagues who had just arrived were gathered around the reception desk. On a day like Valentine¡¯s Day, seeing flowers at the reception isn¡¯t strange, but 999 roses are indeed rare. ¡°Are these imported Ecuadorian Explorer roses? On a day like today, one rose costs thirty already, right? This many, just the roses alone must be around thirty thousand, right?¡± ¡°Secretary Yuan is so lucky!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing so many roses.¡± Yuan Xi approached the reception desk and sneezed loudly. Seeing Yuan Xi approaching, her colleagues made way for her. The PR Manager, Fang Qin, came up to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Secretary Yuan, congratulations, such a large bunch of roses; the person who sent them must really love you deep down.¡± Yuan Xi thought for a long time and couldn¡¯t figure out who could have sent the roses besides Huo Shiyuan. It¡¯s funny, actually. She had never been in a relationship, living a single life for 26 years. In high school, she aimed for Jiang University, studied hard with no distractions, and kept her distance from male classmates. Whenever a boy showed the slightest sign of puppy love, Yuan Xi would nip it in the bud. In university, Yuan Xi wanted to enjoy a normal university romance and youthful campus life like her peers. But, sadly, her adoptive parents passed away unexpectedly. Although her friends helped gather her tuition fees, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to owe anyone and filled her spare time with part-time jobs, leaving no room for romance. During her senior year internship at Michen, Yuan Xi became even busier, squeezing no time for dating. Yuan Xi picked up the folded card next to the flowers and opened it; the few bold words on it were all too familiar to her. Yuan Xi even thought of the high school boy who had confessed to her, but she never expected it would be him who sent them. ¡°Gu Hanchen!¡± ¡°Mr. Gu sent them!¡± the receptionist nearby read it out loud, ¡°Secretary Yuan, Mr. Gu treats you so well!¡± ¡°Mr. Gu likes you so much, so many roses.¡± ¡°Secretary Yuan, you and Mr. Gu¡­¡± Seeing her colleagues¡¯ suggestive looks, Yuan Xi coughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m already married, and I have a child. These roses are a 520 gift from Mr. Gu for every female colleague; you¡¯re all welcome to take one.¡± ¡°Thanks to Mr. Gu.¡± ¡°Mr. Gu is so handsome!¡± Yuan Xi held the card, rendered speechless. To say that Gu Hanchen liked her, she might as well believe that the world would end tomorrow. Yuan Xi got into the elevator, just as she met Gu Hanchen inside. ¡°Mr. Gu, good morning.¡± Gu Hanchen being on time for work at nine-thirty was few and far between. Gu Hanchen saw the card in Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and yawned, ¡°Did you receive the flowers I sent you?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ve shared them with my female colleagues. I¡¯m already married, Mr. Gu, please don¡¯t do things that could make my husband misunderstand.¡± Gu Hanchen scoffed, ¡°The day before yesterday, while I was drinking with Chu Yan, Yan Baofan, and Chu Lin, I heard that your husband is a soft-mannered country boy from a rural area who doesn¡¯t even own a house in Jiang City.¡± Yuan Xi frowned, surprised to hear how Chu Yan and Chu Lin had spoken about Huo Shiyuan behind his back. After getting out of the elevator, Yuan Xi told Gu Hanchen, ¡°President Huo is in the guest room.¡± ¡°So early?¡± Gu Hanchen entered the guest room. Yuan Xi prepared two cups of coffee and also entered the guest room. Huo Shiyuan took the coffee and looked up at Yuan Xi, asking, ¡°Secretary Yuan, who sent the roses?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Who else but me?¡± Huo Shiyuan glanced at Gu Hanchen and said coldly, ¡°I heard from Secretary Yuan that she¡¯s already married, yet you still sent her roses?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her freeloadin¡¯ husband. No house, no car, yet he¡¯s eyeing Yu Xi¡¯s yet-to-be-listed Michen shares thinking about buying a luxury car. That kind of man isn¡¯t worthy of Yuan Xi.¡± Gu Hanchen picked up his coffee, ¡°Only I am worthy of Yuan Xi!¡± ¡°Hem, Hem!¡± Shiyan coughed lightly. Yuan Xi furrowed her brows. ¡°Mr. Gu, what are you blabbering about in front of President Huo?¡± ¡°Where am I blabbering? What did your husband give you today? If he didn¡¯t buy you flowers, can¡¯t I?¡± Shiyan uncomfortably touched his nose. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°My family is pushing me to go on arranged dates. Rather than marrying someone like Yu Xiaoxiao, I would rather marry you, so you wouldn¡¯t resign. Although you are not the glamorous type of beauty I prefer, you are still quite pretty. Marrying you wouldn¡¯t be a loss for me, and being the lady boss of Michen Company wouldn¡¯t be a loss for you either.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu, I am already pregnant.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Two for the price of one, isn¡¯t that great? My grandma has always been eager for a great-grandchild, now she can get two at once. For the sake of our Michen Company, I don¡¯t mind helping you raise your little siblings.¡± Shiyan said, ¡°Secretary Yuan¡¯s husband would mind.¡± Gu Hanchen raised his eyebrows. ¡°President Huo, you are not Secretary Yuan¡¯s husband. How would you know her husband would mind? Not even a single flower on May 20th, does he even have the right to object?¡± Shiyan changed the subject by asking about work, ¡°How is the roadshow in the United States coming along?¡± Gu Hanchen answered, ¡°It¡¯s been ready for a while¡­¡± Shiyan said, ¡°Let me check.¡± Seeing them engaged in work discussions, Yuan Xi returned to the office to do her own tasks. After a busy day, she didn¡¯t even know when Shiyan had left Michen Company. Before the end of the workday, Yuan Xi went early to the building next door to select her dress, get her makeup done, and have her hair styled. Today, being Si Chen¡¯s wedding, she was attending as Gu Hanchen¡¯s female companion, representing Michen Company in some capacity. She aimed not to overshadow the bride but also not to be too casual. After she was styled, Yuan Xi saw Gu Hanchen¡¯s Aston Martin sports car as she descended the stairs. Gu Hanchen, looking at Yuan Xi, joked, ¡°I take back what I said about you not being a great beauty. How did I never notice how beautiful you are?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu, no secretary ever falls for her own boss, so please stop disgusting me.¡± Yuan Xi knew that Gu Hanchen felt no real romantic feelings for her, his so-called pursuit was purely because he didn¡¯t want her to resign before Michen Company¡¯s IPO. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t today¡¯s wedding between Si Chen and his secretary?¡± Yuan Xi was speechless. Her freshly done hair became messy because Gu Hanchen insisted on driving with the roof down. Arriving at the wedding venue, Yuan Xi tidied her hair in the car for a while, as Gu Hanchen lit a cigarette next to her. After getting out of the car, she took the cigarette from Gu Hanchen¡¯s hand and put it out, ¡°Mr. Gu, sorry, but I have a child now, and I can¡¯t inhale your secondhand smoke.¡± Gu Hanchen scratched his head, ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡± From a distance, Yu Xiao saw Yuan Xi near Gu Hanchen¡¯s sports car, snatching the cigarette from him and was visibly annoyed, ¡°Yanyan, that¡¯s Yuan Xi right? We already warned her last time, and she still dares to come as Gu Hanchen¡¯s companion to the Si family¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°She really is shameless!¡± Chu Yan looked from afar and disdainfully smiled, ¡°Xiao Xiao, you don¡¯t need to worry about her competing with you for Gu Hanchen. Yuan Xi is already married and pregnant.¡± Yu Xiao asked, ¡°Married? How do you know?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Because she is the long-lost true daughter of our Chu Family.¡± ¡°Yanyan.¡± Chu Lin joined Chu Yan, ¡°Have you taken a photo with the bride yet?¡± Chu Yan shook her head, ¡°Not yet.¡± Chu Lin looked toward the bride, frowned, and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Yuan Xi¡¯s husband?¡± Chu Yan asked, ¡°What did you say, brother?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°The man in the dark blue shirt next to the bride, that¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s husband¡­¡± ¡°So handsome!¡± Yu Xiao¡¯s eyes lit up. Chu Yan scoffed, ¡°Being handsome is useless. He¡¯s just a pretty-faced country boy who survives on his wife¡¯s earnings, too poor to even afford a house, needing to rely on his looks even to own a car.¡± Yu Xiao asked, ¡°But this is Si Chen¡¯s wedding. Yuan Xi only got in because she came with Gu Hanchen. How did her husband get in here? He seems quite familiar with the bride, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Has Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance Arrived? Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Has Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance Arrived? Chu Yan, upon hearing Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s words, felt intensely curious. How could Yuan Xi¡¯s husband know Si Chen¡¯s bride? After Yuan Xi had extinguished Gu Hanchen¡¯s cigarette butt, she quickly spotted Huo Shiyuan chatting with Qin Yue in the group photo area. Gu Hanchen followed Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze, ¡°Hey, Shi Dazhuang is here today too?¡± Yuan Xi was puzzled, ¡°Shi Dazhuang?¡± Gu Hanchen leaned close to Yuan Xi and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan doesn¡¯t want people in the circle to know he¡¯s in Jiang City. Later, don¡¯t call him President Huo by mistake. If you blow his cover and he pulls his investment, that¡¯ll be troublesome. Just call him Shi Dazhuang.¡± Yuan Xi said softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit disrespectful?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Shi Dazhuang, pretending to be dead, isn¡¯t that what he wants? If you give him a nicer name, it might reveal his identity as Huo Shiyuan. Call him Dazhuang, and absolutely no one will think he¡¯s the president of Shixi Finance.¡± Yuan Xi, ¡°¡­¡± As Gu Hanchen said this, he walked toward the bride, calling out to Huo Shiyuan from a distance, ¡°Shi Dazhuang!¡± When Huo Shiyuan saw Yuan Xi, who was dolled up and dressed in a formal gown, she was so beautiful that people couldn¡¯t look away. Gu Hanchen approached Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°Shi Dazhuang, you¡¯re here too?¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Shi Dazhuang? Are you calling me?¡± Gu Hanchen hooked his arm around Huo Shiyuan¡¯s shoulder and whispered in his ear, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me not to expose your whereabouts in Jiang City? I came up with this nice-sounding name to hide your identity.¡± Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Should I be thanking you for this?¡± Gu Hanchen patted Huo Shiyuan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s our relationship? No need to thank me, Dazhuang!¡± Yuan Xi approached Qin Yue and presented the monetary gift from Mi Chen Game, ¡°Congratulations, and best wishes for your wedding.¡± Qin Yue smiled at Yuan Xi, ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Hanchen noticed Chu Lin, Chu Yan, Yu Xiaoxiao, and Bo Fan approaching, frowning, ¡°Why is Ms. Yu here too?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao examined Yuan Xi¡¯s dress, which matched Gu Hanchen¡¯s suit in tone, and was displeased. Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the handsome man next to the bride, ¡°Secretary Yuan, aren¡¯t you going to introduce this man?¡± Gu Hanchen, fearing that Yuan Xi might make a mistake, spoke first, ¡°His name is Shi Dazhuang.¡± The bride, Qin Yue, smiled lightly, ¡°Yes, his name is Shi Dazhuang, my distant cousin.¡± Chu Yan smirked contemptuously. So, Yuan Xi¡¯s husband was the bride¡¯s cousin. Because of Bao Yan, Chu Yan knew the bride came from an extremely poor background. A distant cousin of the bride, one could imagine he was only able to mingle in their circle by virtue of his cousin marrying Si Chen, without the need to lean on Yuan Xi. No wonder Yuan Xi was reluctant to mention her husband at first. With a name like Shi Dazhuang and a rural family background, indeed, it was not something one would proudly introduce. Yu Xiaoxiao approached Gu Hanchen, looped her arm through his, and said, ¡°Hanchen, I heard you ordered 999 roses to give to me at the flower shop, thank you~¡± Gu Hanchen removed Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s arm wrapped around his, ¡°Those weren¡¯t for you, the 999 roses were for Yuan Xi.¡± ¡°And Yu Xiaoxiao, our relationship isn¡¯t at the point where you can cling to my arm. Bride, I¡¯ll come find you later for a photo. I¡¯m going to the restroom first.¡± After saying that, Gu Hanchen quickly walked away, keeping his distance from Yu Xiaoxiao. Yu Xiaoxiao glared at Yuan Xi, ¡°Quite capable, aren¡¯t you? With your husband present, you still dare to accept Gu Hanchen¡¯s roses? Acting smug as if becoming a true rich family¡¯s daughter, are you planning to abandon your poor husband?¡± ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao!¡± Chu Lin frowned, ¡°Be polite to Yuan Xi.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao, in her ten-centimeter-tall heels, stomped angrily and turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°You better keep your wife in check. Don¡¯t let her entice the president under the guise of a secretary even when she¡¯s married and pregnant!¡± Chu Lin glared at Yu Xiaoxiao, ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao!¡± Chu Yan added, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t blame Xiaoxiao. She is Hanchen¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and today, on Valentine¡¯s Day, Hanchen didn¡¯t send flowers to Xiaoxiao, but to my sister instead, so it¡¯s no wonder Xiaoxiao is upset and blunt.¡± Huo Shiyuan gently placed his arm around Yuan Xi, looking at Yu Xiaoxiao, ¡°Is Gu Hanchen engaged? Without an engagement, how can one speak of a fianc¨¦e?¡± Chu Yan, seeing Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s ugly expression, turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Brother-in-law, you grew up in the countryside and are unaware of the rules in our circle. Marriages are generally determined by the parents and elders. Yu Xiaoxiao is already engaged to Gu Hanchen in the opinion of the Gu family elders.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t know, as forced marriages have long been out of practice in the village.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao, incensed by the mention of arranged marriages, stomped her foot and left to find Gu Hanchen. Yuan Xi decided not to argue with Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao. After all, today was Si Chen and Qin Yue¡¯s big day, and she didn¡¯t want to cause any unpleasantness at their wedding. Qin Yue said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Secretary Yuan, shall we take a photo together? Let Huo¡­ Dazhuang take it for us.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Huo Shiyuan borrowed a camera from a nearby photographer, adjusted the settings and took a photo of Qin Yue and Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi leaned in to check the photo and had to admit Huo Shiyuan indeed had quite good photography skills. Huo Shiyuan said softly, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Brother-in-law Dazhuang, could you take a few photos for us too?¡± Chu Yan sweetly smiled at Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan returned the camera to the photographer and completely ignored Chu Yan. It was the first time Chu Yan had been so blatantly disregarded by a man, and she frowned tightly. Huo Shiyuan asked Yuan Xi in a gentle voice, looking down, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°There¡¯s a dessert table over there, and it might be more than half an hour before the banquet begins. How about we go have some small cakes to stave off the hunger?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Xi followed Huo Shiyuan to the dessert table. After getting pregnant, she indeed felt hungry quite easily. Huo Shiyuan, watching Yuan Xi eat the small cake, said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ve been abroad for a long time and I didn¡¯t know about today¡¯s 520 festival. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t prepare flowers and gifts for you.¡± Yuan Xi quickly replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to prepare them. I didn¡¯t prepare anything for you either. 520 sounds like ¡®I love you,¡¯ and we got married just because of the baby, so we can skip the 520 gifts.¡± Just as Huo Shiyuan was about to explain, he saw Yuan Xi set down her dessert and go to greet and make small talk with those collaborating with Mi Chen. ¡­ Chu Yan looked towards the retreating figures of Yuan Xi and her husband, her brows slightly furrowed. ¡°Brother, why is Sister¡¯s husband so lacking in manners? I asked him nicely to take a photo, but he completely ignored me, and he didn¡¯t even greet you.¡± ¡°Even if Sister¡¯s husband grew up in a village, he shouldn¡¯t lack such basic social etiquette and upbringing. Now that he¡¯s married to Yuan Xi, he¡¯ll be our son-in-law in the Chu Family. This petty behavior is truly embarrassing. I hope he won¡¯t be so disrespectful and ignore us at Sister¡¯s homecoming banquet in a few days. Otherwise, the banquet might become a laughingstock!¡± Chu Lin furrowed his brows slightly. Bo Fan saw Si Chen coming over to greet the guests and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, ¡°Brother Chen.¡± Although the relationship between the two families was quite delicate due to the matter involving Bao Yan, Bo Fan still addressed him as Brother Chen, and Si Chen maintained a cordial demeanor as well. ¡°Bo Fan, this must be your fianc¨¦e? She has quite a presence, truly worthy of being a Miss from the Chu Family.¡± Chu Yan followed Bo Fan and called out, ¡°Brother Chen.¡± Bo Fan asked Si Chen, ¡°Brother Chen, did Shixi Finance¡¯s Huo Shiyuan come today?¡± Si Chen answered, ¡°Oh, he just dropped off a gift and left early.¡± Bo Fan felt it was a pity. Seeing Bo Fan¡¯s disappointment, Chu Yan smiled at Si Chen and said, ¡°Brother Chen, do you have Huo Shiyuan¡¯s WeChat? Could you perhaps introduce us?¡± Si Chen replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that would be inappropriate.¡± Dusk was approaching, and the guests were taking their seats. The seating arrangement for the main and secondary tables at the Si Family wedding was quite distinct. The bride, Qin Yue, was not from Jiang City, so she didn¡¯t have many relatives attending; they were all at the main and secondary tables. Aside from the parents of the couple, the main table was reserved for well-known and influential figures from Jiang City. Chu Qing and Yang Ying were seated at the main table. At the main table, there were still two seats empty, facing south. Chu Yan and Bo Fan were seated near the main table. Chu Yan, noticing the empty seats, questioned, ¡°Who are those two seats reserved for? Even the Si Family patriarch has to sit to the side?¡± Bo Fan replied, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re for some VIPs known to the Si Family.¡± All the guests had taken their seats for the banquet, so Yuan Xi began looking for Gu Hanchen to join him, but after a long search, she couldn¡¯t find him. Huo Shiyuan accompanied Yuan Xi in the search and said, ¡°Could he have already left? Why don¡¯t you check your phone for any messages from him?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°My phone is at the coat check, I¡¯ll go look for it.¡± Yuan Xi headed to the coat check area and found her phone. Upon opening WeChat, there indeed was a message from Gu Hanchen. Mi Chen¡¯s Most Handsome: Yu Xiaoxiao is too annoying, I¡¯ve taken off first. You represent Mi Chen and enjoy the wedding banquet. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: ¡­¡­. Si Chen and Qin Yue approached the two: ¡°Shiyan, Yuan Xi, so you are here. The wedding banquet is about to start, and we¡¯ve reserved two places for you at the main table.¡± Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18: How Dares Yuan Xi Take the Main Seat Chapter 18: Chapter 18: How Dares Yuan Xi Take the Main Seat Yuan Xi put down her phone and said, ¡°President Si, I¡¯m terribly sorry, Mr. Gu suddenly had to leave early due to urgent matters.¡± Si Chen replied, ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± Qin Yue, dressed in a custom-made silk cheongsam, smiled softly, ¡°The banquet is about to start, please take your seats first.¡± Qin Yue led Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan to the main table. Seeing the reserved seats, Yuan Xi whispered, ¡°This seat¡­¡± Qin Yue smiled faintly, ¡°President Huo is our matchmaker, and it¡¯s fine for the matchmaker to sit at the main seat.¡± Huo Shiyuan took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and calmly took their places at the main table. Upon arriving at the main table, Yuan Xi first greeted Si Chen¡¯s grandparents and parents, then turned to look at Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Mom and Dad, this is my husband.¡± Chu Qing and Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and then studied Huo Shiyuan by her side. ¡°Mr. Chu, is this your daughter? I remember Chu Yan doesn¡¯t look like this,¡± said Gu Hanchen¡¯s father, Gu Jiujin, one of the leaders of Jiangcheng¡¯s four major families, the Gu Family. Gu Jiujin scrutinized Yuan Xi, ¡°Mr. Chu, wasn¡¯t it said your daughter engaged to Bo Fan? Have you changed people?¡± Gu Hanchen¡¯s mother said, ¡°Ah, Gu Jiujin, this girl isn¡¯t Chu Yan, she is Yu Xiaoxiao, the secretary by our Xiao Chen¡¯s side! You¡¯ve seen her several times; don¡¯t you remember?¡± Gu Jiujin retorted angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve even forgotten what that scoundrel looks like, let alone his secretary¡¯s appearance! Gu Hanchen is always up to no good, nearly ruining our Gu Family¡¯s shipbuilding reputation, whereas President Si is truly fortunate to have a son like Si Chen.¡± Father Si sighed, ¡°Is that so? I heard that Michen is going to IPO soon; it seems Hanchen is quite capable.¡± Gu Jiujin sneered, ¡°That company of his is just child¡¯s play.¡± Yuan Xi knew Gu Hanchen¡¯s parents despised the fact that Gu Hanchen had started a gaming company. It was understandable that the traditional shipbuilding industry, flourishing at the moment, disdained the internet gaming sector. However, Gu Jiujin might not know that if Michen successfully went public, based on current estimates, on the first day of listing alone, Gu Hanchen¡¯s net worth would far surpass the century-old shipbuilding foundation of the Gu Family. Mrs. Gu asked Yang Ying, ¡°Why did Secretary Yuan call you ¡®mom and dad¡¯?¡± Yang Ying smiled, ¡°Her original name is Chu Xinyan; she is our daughter who we lost 26 years ago.¡± Mrs. Gu asked, ¡°Ah? Then what about Chu Yan?¡± ¡°Chu Yan is the child we adopted,¡± Yang Ying said slowly. Mrs. Gu was incredibly shocked, ¡°You lost your daughter, such a major event, how come we never heard about it?¡± After Yuan Xi was seated, Huo Shiyuan poured her a glass of orange juice. Holding the beverage, Yuan Xi thought about how few knew in their circles about the loss of a billionaire family¡¯s daughter¡­ While working during her college years, Yuan Xi encountered various parents searching for their abducted children, wearing t-shirts printed with their children¡¯s information, holding signs with photos from when their children were abducted. Some parents of the missing children would go wherever there was a crowd¡ªconcert entrances, busy tourist sites¡ªholding their signs, hoping more people would see their child¡¯s information, hoping more people would notice, in case someone could provide a clue. Even when chased away by security, these parents stubbornly moved through various crowded tourist spots. Many thought these parents, disturbing the scenic beauty and causing trouble for security, were objectionable. Such methods impact others negatively and are undesirable, but these grieving parents were persistent, driven by the hope that one more person seeing might mean one more chance of finding their child¡­ Yet, the Chu Family kept the news of their lost daughter tightly concealed, to the extent that even Chu Lin didn¡¯t know. Yuan Xi thought that perhaps the Chu Family, being so wealthy, feared causing a commotion once the news spread, attracting many who might falsely claim kinship, so they decided to investigate quietly instead. But if the Chu Family had started searching for their missing daughter in a high-profile manner, considering their resources as Jiangcheng¡¯s richest family, how could they possibly not find their daughter? Moreover, she was right there in Jiang City. Indeed, Yuan Xi heard Chu Qing responding, ¡°We didn¡¯t mention losing our daughter because twenty-five years ago, during our high-profile search, many coveted the Chu Family¡¯s wealth, bringing girls claiming kinship, trying their luck to strike it rich. Every time we did a DNA test, it just led to more disappointment, and Yang Ying gradually couldn¡¯t take it anymore¡­ So, we simply decided to adopt Chu Yan, claiming we had found our daughter, but we continued searching for her privately.¡± Si Chen¡¯s grandmother said, ¡°Thank goodness, finding her back is truly a joyous occasion.¡± Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and smiled, ¡°Yes, having Xinxin back is wonderful.¡± Yuan Xi also smiled faintly. Beside the main table, Chu Yan had been wondering who would take those two most prestigious seats, and to her surprise, it turned out to be Yuan Xi and her husband. Chu Yan nudged Chu Lin with her elbow, ¡°Brother, look, are Yuan Xi and her husband crazy? Don¡¯t they know those are the most important seats at the main table? How dare they sit there!¡± Chu Lin looked over, ¡°Mom and Dad are over there, maybe they went to greet them?¡± Chu Yan replied, ¡°Yuan Xi has already sat down and started drinking orange juice. Yuan Xi¡¯s husband must be from some village and doesn¡¯t understand manners. How can she not understand manners either? Does she think she can sit at the main table just because she became a daughter of the Chu Family?¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips and stood up, ¡°I can¡¯t let them sit in the main seats. If those two important guests arrive later, it will be terrible. I don¡¯t even know who these VIPs are, but we can¡¯t afford to offend them for the Chu Family.¡± Just as Chu Yan was about to walk over. Si Chen grabbed the microphone on stage and said, ¡°Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend mine and Qin Yue¡¯s wedding. We also sincerely want to thank our matchmaker, John.¡± The waiter handed the microphone to Huo Shiyuan, who then said, ¡°I wish you both early fertility and a lifetime of happiness.¡± After speaking, Huo Shiyuan passed the microphone to Si Chen¡¯s grandfather. At a nearby table, Chu Yan commented, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be a matchmaker, and also to take such a funny English name. Doesn¡¯t he know that John is a name for those middle-aged Caucasian men? He probably has never been abroad and just randomly picked an English name for himself!¡± Chu Lin furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Yanyan, quiet down a bit, he is already Yuan Xi¡¯s husband.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Brother Chu Lin, Yanyan is just annoyed by people who pretend.¡± At the wedding, Yang Ying and Chu Qing kept watching Huo Shiyuan, seeing him taking care of Yuan Xi, peeling shrimp for her, which slightly raised their opinion of him, but not by much. Yang Ying asked, ¡°John, I didn¡¯t expect you to be Si Chen¡¯s matchmaker. How did you meet?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Qin Yue and Si Chen are my colleagues, and I just happened to pair them up.¡± ¡°What work do you do now?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°I am currently working in construction.¡± Huo Shiyuan was reluctant to hide his identity from Yuan Xi¡¯s parents, but given the variety of people attending the wedding today, revealing that he was the president of Shixi Finance could mean he would not have a single quiet day in Jiang City. The Ruohu development project could also be considered part of the construction industry. Regardless of what Yang Ying and Chu Qing asked, Huo Shiyuan confidently answered. Mrs. Gu remarked, ¡°Yuan Xi found a good husband. He is handsome and eloquent. You are fortunate to have such an outstanding son like Xiao Lin and two good sons-in-law like Bo Fan and John.¡± Chu Yan scoffed nearby. How could Yuan Xi¡¯s husband possibly compare with Bo Fan? Construction industry? Bricklayers are also part of the construction industry, and so are construction workers¡­ As guests at the wedding began to leave in groups of three or two. Yuan Xi got up and said to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Mom and Dad, we are going to head back now.¡± Chu Yan, remembering Mrs. Gu¡¯s words, approached Yang Ying and said, ¡°Mom, my sister and her husband live in a village, who knows how far it is from Shiyi Hotel. It¡¯s worrisome for them to drive back. Why not book them a suite at Shiyi Hotel? Shiyi is the best among five-star hotels; it is much more comfortable than a village house.¡± Chu Yan wanted Mrs. Gu to know that Yuan Xi¡¯s husband simply couldn¡¯t compare with Bo Fan. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu exclaimed, ¡°Yikes, Yuan Xi, why are you still living in a village? Mr. Chu, Mrs. Yang, if I had lost my daughter for 26 years and she came back, I would be willing to blow up Hanchen¡¯s Michen Building to build my daughter a castle, how can you still bear to let your own daughter live in a village?¡± Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 You Will Always Be My Sister Chapter 19: Chapter 19 You Will Always Be My Sister Mrs. Gu¡¯s words plunged the room into sudden silence. Chu Yan hurried to explain, ¡°My parents have repeatedly wanted my sister to come back and live at home, but she didn¡¯t want to. She said our home is too far from Michen Building and it was inconvenient for work, living at her place is closer¡­¡± Mrs. Gu said, ¡°But then, wouldn¡¯t living in the village near Ruohu make it even more inconvenient for her to get to Michen Building?¡± Yuan Xi, smiling, said, ¡°Mrs. Gu, thanks to Mr. Gu, I do have an apartment in Jiangjing No.1. Since I¡¯m pregnant now, the scenery and air in Ruohu are good and quiet, and I grew up near Ruohu, so I have an emotional attachment to that place. It might be better for my pregnancy if I stay there.¡± Mrs. Gu said, ¡°The air is definitely good there; I¡¯ve been to play golf a few times. I heard Ruohu is going to develop a high-end tourist area, with several holiday villa estates planned. Maybe buy a villa there someday, retire and on weekends take Xiao Chen¡¯s children to fly kites or fish by the lake. Sigh, you¡¯re pregnant, and my Xiao Chen doesn¡¯t even have a girlfriend yet. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to hold my grandson. You should also persuade Xiao Chen for me.¡± Chu Yan quickly said, ¡°Aunt Gu, Hanchen and Xiao Xiao¡­¡± Mrs. Gu glared at Gu Jiujin, complaining, ¡°Times are different now; arranged marriages are the ways of the older generations. Xiao Xiao is such a good child; I wouldn¡¯t dare let my Xiao Chen hold her back.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao, sitting at the next table, looked very upset. She glared at Chu Yan; the engagement between her and Hanchen had been agreed upon by Hanchen¡¯s grandmother, but Mrs. Gu had always been non-committal. Mrs. Gu saying Hanchen didn¡¯t have a girlfriend now, and Chu Yan bringing her up, made Yu Xiaoxiao face an outright rejection in front of everyone, leaving her feeling humiliated. Sticking to her principle, Yu Xiaoxiao blurted out, ¡°Chu Yan,Is that necessary? Didn¡¯t you know already that Yuan Xi has an apartment in Jiangjing No.1? Wasn¡¯t it you who told me it might have been bought by Hanchen for Yuan Xi? What¡¯s this pretense about having her stay in Shiyi Hotel now?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face flushed red, her eyes teary, ¡°Sister, I wasn¡¯t pretending. I was truly worried about your safety. I thought that the apartment in Jiangjing No.1 was rented and that the lease had expired. I was really afraid it wasn¡¯t safe for you to drive back to the village¡­¡± Tears fell from Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as she turned to another table, ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯m not good with words. Brother, Bo Fan¡­ can you help me explain?¡± Chu Lin frowned. Bo Fan was about to speak when Yang Ying interrupted. ¡°Yanyan, apologize to Xinxin!¡± Chu Yan kept apologizing, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry, so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said you live in a village with your husband, but believe me, I was really worried about the accidents you might encounter driving back. I didn¡¯t mean to look down on rural life. After all, I know that Jiangcheng CBD was also considered rural fifteen years ago; I¡¯ve never felt inferior about being from a rural area¡­¡± A frustrated Yuan Xi thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what she said to Chu Yan?¡± Chu Yan declaring she didn¡¯t feel inferior about rural areas was surely trying to suggest Yuan Xi felt insecure about her rural origins. Not to mention Huo Shiyuan wasn¡¯t a farm person from near Ruohu, even if he were, Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t feel inferior¡ªher friends, her family before, they all came from villages near Ruohu. Ruohu and Huxi Village carried her carefree childhood, the most beautiful memories of her life. In front of Chu Yan, Yi felt she could hardly keep her patience, with one incident following another. But considering it was someone else¡¯s wedding and many prominent figures were present, she had to hold it in. Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao might disregard their dignity, but today she represented Michen, Hanchen had already left without saying anything, she couldn¡¯t discredit Michen by quarreling with Chu Yan. Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s best if Miss Chu thinks that way. Elders, President Si, Mrs. Si, we will take our leave now.¡± After Yuan Xi left, Chu Lin frowned deeply at Chu Yan, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have spoken so much.¡± ¡°Brother, is it because your sister came back that you think whatever I do is wrong?¡± Chu Yan, in tears, said, ¡°I was really just worried about Sister. Aren¡¯t I your sister for twenty-five years? Don¡¯t you trust me at all?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Stop crying; it¡¯s not good to cry at someone else¡¯s wedding. I know you are frank, but Yuan Xi has just returned. Even if you were truly worried, you shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the rural house in front of Mrs. Gu.¡± Chu Yan, sniffling, said, ¡°I know I was wrong.¡± Chu Lin gently touched Chu Yan¡¯s head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, you will always be my little sister.¡± Chu Yan stretched her hand to wipe away her tears and smiled at Chu Lin. ¡­ Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t leave the hotel with Yuan Xi; instead, they took the elevator. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going back to the mansion?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Chu Yan¡¯s jinx might come true; let¡¯s stay at the hotel today.¡± Chu Yan had mentioned more than once that the road was unsafe, and although Huo Shiyuan was not superstitious, he still felt it was ominous. They reached the duplex suite on the top floor of Shiyi. A month¡¯s memories flooded back, and Yuan Xi felt her cheeks heating up. Upon entering the bedroom, Yuan Xi saw her clothes from a month ago neatly placed by the bedside. Yuan Xi, who had been worried about not having clothes for tomorrow, now had no such concern. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower first.¡± With flushed cheeks, Yuan Xi went into the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, she looked in the mirror, constantly cooling her cheeks with cold water, reminding herself not to be nervous. After showering, Yuan Xi realized she hadn¡¯t brought pajamas, and there was only one bathrobe in the bathroom. Seeing that Huo Shiyuan had come without making a reservation, it was clear this was no ordinary hotel suite but one reserved for Huo Shiyuan¡¯s use; the only bathrobe must be his. After putting on the bathrobe, which was quite large; even at her height of 170 cm, it reached her ankles. Coming out of the bathroom, Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi wrapped in his robe and smiled lightly, ¡°Sit down, let me dry your hair for you.¡± Huo Shiyuan picked up the hairdryer beside him and began to dry Yuan Xi¡¯s long hair. Yuan Xi¡¯s nervous mood relaxed completely, perhaps because the hair drying was so comforting, she fell asleep in the chair. Looking at Yuan Xi¡¯s peaceful sleeping face, Huo Shiyuan put down the hairdryer, lifted her horizontally, placed her on the bed, and gently stroked her abdomen. ¡­ Chu Yan and Bo Fan saw off Chu Qing and Yang Ying, then boarded a Rolls-Royce. After getting in the car, Bo Fan looked up and had the driver stop. Chu Yan asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°A light is on in the sub-top floor of Shiyi Hotel.¡± ¡°A light on? So what?¡± Bo Fan explained, ¡°The sub-top floor of Jiang City Shiyi Hotel has always been reserved for the Huo Family, probably because Huo Shiyuan¡¯s mother is from Jiangcheng. So the sub-top floor has always been reserved for the Huo Family when they come to Jiangcheng, even if any big shot stays at Shiyi, that floor is never open to the public. Today, given Si Chen¡¯s wedding, it¡¯s very likely that Huo Shiyuan is staying on the sub-top floor.¡± Chu Yan suggested, ¡°Should we go up and pay a visit now?¡± Bo Fan replied, ¡°We probably can¡¯t access the sub-top floor. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll just stake out the hotel entrance early.¡± Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20: President Huo, You Called the Wrong Number, Didnt You? Chapter 20: Chapter 20: President Huo, You Called the Wrong Number, Didn¡¯t You? Chu Yan pouted in the car, ¡°Bo Fan, if you want to invest in making a movie, I¡¯ll just ask my parents to invest for you. Making a movie that costs a few billion is nothing for our Chu Family; why do you have to find Shiyan so early in the morning?¡± Bo Fan replied, ¡°The movie market isn¡¯t doing well right now; many films are massive financial flops. But in the past two years, Shixi¡¯s investment in two Youzi Film and Television movies made a huge profit. Once Shixi invests in our movie project, we won¡¯t have to worry about arranging screenings and promotions at theaters.¡± Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, I don¡¯t want you to humble yourself and beg others. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just didn¡¯t make movies? After all, Fan Yan has already made a stable place in the entertainment industry.¡± Bo Fan pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°Michen is about to go public, with an estimated market value of a hundred billion. These past two years, Fan Yan has faced a cold spell in the film and television industry, with continually disappointing revenue. We urgently need these two big investment movies to succeed, to vindicate Fan Yan¡­¡± The failure of oneself was terrifying enough, but the success of a brother was even more distressing. If it were not for Gu Hanchen, but Chu Lin or Yu Qiao, Bo Fan would not be so anxious to make two big-budget movies to prove his capabilities. Gu Hanchen had always been a wastrel, barely making it into the international class at Jiang University. Gu Hanchen founded Michen, and nobody in Jiang City believed in him until two years ago when he bought the Lintian Building, which was sold by Bo Family, and renamed it Michen Building. Gu Hanchen¡¯s success undeniably placed a lot of pressure on his peers. The two movies that Bo Fan was now investing in could be said to be Fan Yan¡¯s gambles for a turnaround, and he couldn¡¯t afford to invest all of Fan Yan¡¯s liquid assets into them. Seeking investment from the Chu Family was not his preference either, for one, the Chu Family was a traditional energy company with no connections to the entertainment industry; they could only provide money. Furthermore, if the movies didn¡¯t meet expectations, he would never be able to lift his head in front of Chu Yan again. But Shixi was different; Shixi¡¯s investments were all in the Internet industry, so they could provide not just money but also resources. Chu Yan pouted, ¡°Michen is about to go public, but it¡¯s not certain whether it will ring the bell successfully; Fan Yan is already public. Bo Fan, if you need it, I can call my parents right now. It¡¯s not like Shiyan is the only person in the world who can invest in you; why do you have to come here early in the morning and beg Shiyan like a beggar!¡± Bo Fan frowned, ¡°Chu Yan! Shiyan¡¯s investment would be the optimal solution for Fan Yan.¡± Chu Yan also realized her words were inappropriate, so she wrapped her arms around Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°I just feel bad for you. Wake me up early tomorrow, and I¡¯ll come with you to wait for Shiyan.¡± ¡­ On the second-highest floor of the Shiyi Hotel. Yuan Xi slowly opened her eyes and fumbled for her phone, which she realized had been turned off at some point, and the alarm had not sounded. It was already 8:30 in the morning. Yuan Xi glanced at the messages in her phone and felt she was wearing a man¡¯s silk shirt when she got up. She vaguely remembered falling asleep while wearing a bathrobe. So, had Shiyan changed her clothes? Yuan Xi saw that Shiyan was sleeping soundly next to her, carefully got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and changed into her own clothes. She left the room without disturbing Shiyan. Michen Building was just a little over a kilometer away from Shiyi Hotel, so Yuan Xi decided to walk there. As soon as Yuan Xi reached the hotel lobby, she saw a familiar Rolls-Royce, Bo Fan¡¯s car. Chu Yan inside the car saw Yuan Xi and got out, saying, ¡°Sister, were you staying at the hotel yesterday? You should have said so earlier; I would have had my parents book a room for you. The presidential suite here is much more spacious and comfortable than regular rooms.¡± Bo Fan also came up to greet her, ¡°Yuan Xi, good morning.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Good morning; I¡¯m off to work.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Bo Fan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°You¡¯ve met Shiyan, haven¡¯t you?¡± Yuan Xi paused slightly, ¡°Mhm.¡± Bo Fan handed her his phone, ¡°Could you see if Shiyan is among these people?¡± Yuan Xi looked at all the clients that came out of the hotel early in the morning, captured by Bo Fan. Yuan Xi shook her head without looking closely, ¡°President Huo isn¡¯t here. Did you need him for something? I can pass on a message.¡± Chu Yan repeatedly said, ¡°I need to discuss some business cooperation with President Huo.¡± Chu Yan didn¡¯t want Yuan Xi to think they had come so early to seek investment from Huo Shiyuan because Fan Yan was only experiencing the winter season in film and television; it wasn¡¯t that they were unsuccessful. Bo Fan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, do you have a photo of President Huo?¡± Yuan Xi thought about it and realized she did have one; it was on their marriage certificate. But officially, Gu Hanchen had told her not to disclose President Huo¡¯s identity. Privately, Yuan Xi also didn¡¯t want to reveal Huo Shiyuan¡¯s identity. After all, they were ¡°family¡± now. If Fan Yan was seeking investment from Shixi, it would be difficult for Huo Shiyuan to refuse, but Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want Chu Yan to owe Huo Shiyuan a favor. They might be married, but they aren¡¯t close. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Sorry, I do have a photo, but I can¡¯t give it to you. Mr. Gu has instructed me not to reveal President Huo¡¯s whereabouts. I need to start work now, so I have to go.¡± Chu Yan snorted softly as she watched Yuan Xi¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Knowing Huo Shiyuan has really gotten to her head, and she¡¯s even saying she can¡¯t give us a photo of Huo Shiyuan. Our movie will definitely be a box office hit. If President Huo finds out that she missed out on such a good project because of her, it¡¯d be strange if he doesn¡¯t blame her.¡± Bo Fan continued waiting under the Shiyi Hotel, but after a long wait, she did not see any young man who might be Huo Shiyuan leaving the hotel. It wasn¡¯t until almost noon at twelve o¡¯clock that Chu Yan saw a man exiting the hotel entrance. Chu Yan nudged Bo Fan in the car, ¡°That¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s husband. Really has the air of a petty bourgeois, leaving just before check-out time, not willing to waste even a little bit of time.¡± Bo Fan whispered softly, ¡°Yanyan, there¡¯s no need to focus on such people, understand?¡± Chu Yan nodded and said, ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡­ Yuan Xi was very busy all morning, her work shift had changed from ¡°007¡± to eight hours, and there were too many tasks to handle. As lunchtime approached, seeing a pile of files on the OA and the red dots in her inbox, Yuan Xi regretted requesting not to work overtime. ¡°Yuan Xi! The Chu Family is holding a welcome back banquet for you tomorrow, why didn¡¯t you invite me earlier?¡± Gu Hanchen came over with an invitation, ¡°It was Chu Lin who brought it over.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°You have a meeting tomorrow night.¡± Gu Hanchen smiled at Yuan Xi, ¡°I will postpone that meeting. I must attend your welcome back banquet to support you! I heard your husband also attended Si Chen¡¯s wedding last night. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have left early. I would have stayed to see what your pretty-faced husband looks like!¡± Yuan Xi was busy managing emails. ¡°Will your pretty-faced husband be at your welcome back banquet tomorrow?¡± ¡°Gu Hanchen, stop calling him ¡®pretty-faced!¡¯ He is not a pretty boy.¡± Gu Hanchen tapped Yuan Xi on the head, ¡°If he¡¯s not a pretty-faced guy, then you¡¯re just lovestruck, blinded by some village guy. Is it worth giving up your career for him? Do you want to rely on your husband and eat potatoes and tomatoes every day? Even your family¡¯s cow has become angular in the shoulders?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t plan on giving up my career, I just want a job from nine to five with weekends off, so I can balance work and spending time with my children. And my husband¡¯s family doesn¡¯t raise cattle¡­¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I must see tomorrow who this pretty-faced guy is that has you so enchanted!¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang. Gu Hanchen glanced at it, noticing the call was from Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Huo Shiyuan? What does he want now? He really has too much free time. With Shixi investing in so many companies, he just has to focus on Michen, right? He might as well just send someone to replace me as the CEO. Answer it.¡± Gu Hanchen slid the answer button and pressed speakerphone, and Huo Shiyuan¡¯s mellow voice came through: ¡°Come to the garage. I¡¯ve had the chef make you some sweet and sour ribs.¡± Gu Hanchen raised an eyebrow, ¡°President Huo, did you dial the wrong number?¡± Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Yuan Xi Gets Promoted Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Yuan Xi Gets Promoted There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, and after a while, Yuan Xi heard Huo Shiyan¡¯s voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t dial the wrong number, I mentioned I wanted to invite Secretary Yuan for lunch.¡± Gu Hanchen glanced at Yuan Xi, ¡°An invitation to lunch in the underground garage?¡± Yuan Xi took Gu Hanchen¡¯s mobile phone from his hand and turned off the speaker, ¡°I¡¯ll be down soon.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already come up.¡± As the voice faded, the elevator doors opened. Huo Shiyan arrived carrying several lunch boxes. Gu Hanchen promptly went forward and flatteringly helped Huo Shiyan with the lunch boxes in his hands, ¡°President Huo, let¡¯s go to the lounge.¡± Huo Shiyan saw the half-drunk coffee cup on Yuan Xi¡¯s desk and slightly furrowed his brows. Yuan Xi followed him into the lounge. Gu Hanchen instructed, ¡°Make a cup of coffee for President Huo.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, Secretary Yuan shouldn¡¯t stay hungry now.¡± Yuan Xi sat down on the sofa, with Gu Hanchen opening the lids of the lunch boxes. Gu Hanchen: ¡°Stir-fried prawns, sweet and sour ribs, steamed opium fish, is this scallion oil lobster? Oyster sauce greens, asparagus shrimp stir-fry, gourd and ham soup¡­ Isn¡¯t this too lavish for Secretary Yuan alone?¡± Yuan Xi looked up at Gu Hanchen and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat together?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be fortunate thanks to Secretary Yuan.¡± Seeing only one set of cutlery, Gu Hanchen unceremoniously got Special Assistant Wang to fetch two sets from the downstairs cafeteria. Gu Hanchen gave one set of utensils to Huo Shiyan, ¡°President Huo, don¡¯t be shy.¡± Huo Shiyan: ¡°¡­¡± After tasting, Gu Hanchen kept on praising, ¡°President Huo, your chef¡¯s cooking skills are really good. It¡¯s rare to find these Jiang City home dishes made this tasty, no wonder you didn¡¯t invite Yuan Xi to the Shiyi Hotel. Your chef¡¯s skills are even better than those at Shiyi.¡± Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi, who was quietly eating, and picked a piece of sweet and sour rib for her, almost all of which had been eaten by Gu Hanchen. Yuan Xi gave Huo Shiyan a faint smile. After eating, Gu Hanchen lay down on the sofa without any CEO¡¯s air, ¡°President Huo, when you return to A City, could you introduce me to your chef? There are so few chefs in Jiang City who can make dishes taste so good¡ªAh!¡± Gu Hanchen burped. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°I cannot.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to poach your chef myself. No, I¡¯ve eaten too much, haven¡¯t had home-cooked food for a long time. I need to go out for a walk to aid digestion, Yuan Xi, you take good care of President Huo.¡± After Gu Hanchen left, Huo Shiyan started peeling shrimp for Yuan Xi, ¡°Gu Hanchen really doesn¡¯t have any CEO¡¯s airs.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°He only lacks CEO¡¯s airs when it comes to eating; when it comes to work, people can hardly bear his temper.¡± Huo Shiyan asked, ¡°Yuan Xi, do you plan to keep drinking coffee every day before you resign?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked it out, up to 200 milligrams of caffeine is fine. Work is too busy; I really get sleepy if I don¡¯t drink coffee.¡± Huo Shiyan wiped his hands with a napkin, took out his mobile phone, and said, ¡°I will find someone to replace you; this way, your work could become much easier.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Xi nodded. After finishing the meal, Yuan Xi¡¯s drowsiness became more evident. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest here on the sofa for a while?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of work¡­¡± Yuan Xi said helplessly. Huo Shiyan embraced Yuan Xi, letting her lie on his lap, ¡°Half an hour of rest won¡¯t make a difference. I¡¯ll wake you up in half an hour.¡± Listening to Huo Shiyan, Yuan Xi eventually fell asleep on his legs. ¡­ Yuan Xi woke up an hour later. She noticed the curtains in the reception room had been drawn at some point, and when she rose, she saw Shiyan, who was also resting with his eyes closed. Shiyan sensed the movement and opened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I should sleep for half an hour? It looks like I¡¯m going to have to work overtime today.¡± Shiyan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already got someone from Shixi to help you with your work. You might have met her, Monica.¡± Yuan Xi was familiar with Monica. When Shiyan first invested in Shixi, it was Monica who followed up on the project. Monica, thirty-two this year, was a true career woman with an impressive educational and professional background. ¡°Isn¡¯t having her work as Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary a waste of her talent?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯ll be your secretary. Ever since Mi Yi left, Mi Chen has been missing a vice president. You should have been promoted to vice president long ago. Have Monica be your secretary while you¡¯re pregnant, so you don¡¯t have to quit. After you¡¯ve given birth, Monica will go back to Shixi.¡± In fact, Yuan Xi¡¯s current job was less that of a secretary, and more that Gu Hanchen had handed over his own duties and those of the vice president, after Mi Yi left, to Yuan Xi. That¡¯s how Yuan Xi, a CEO¡¯s secretary, ended up being busier than the CEO himself. Shiyan said, ¡°Monica is coming from City A and will be at Mi Chen in about an hour. I¡¯ll talk to Gu Hanchen about your promotion in an hour.¡± Yuan Xi was stunned. Was she really getting promoted just like that? The suggestion Shiyan gave seemed indeed to be the best solution. After the promotion, she could find a secretary like Hanchen did who would take care of everything, which would indeed make her pregnancy period a lot easier. Monica was fully capable of handling most of her duties. In a year, Monica would be able to continue her work at Shixi, and she would still be able to stay at Mi Chen without sacrificing five years of her hard work. ¡­ The Chu Family. Having waited at the Shiyi Hotel entrance for a long time without seeing anyone who looked like Shiyan, Chu Yan returned home. One reason was to prepare for the return banquet tomorrow, and the other was to surprise Bo Fan. For the Chu Family, investing a few billion in a movie project was not a difficult task. Chu Yan coordinated with the decorators, continuously adjusting the estate¡¯s setup. ¡°Mom, how do you like the venue I¡¯ve prepared for sister¡¯s return banquet? This place will be filled with flowers!¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Did you ask if your sister would like it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely going to love it. I¡¯ve hired the best team in Jiang City. Look at the design render I have, and I¡¯ve also prepared a surprise for her. I bought a DIOR haute couture gown from the bridal store that matches these decorations perfectly.¡± Yang Ying laughingly said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Yanyan.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Chu Yan wrapped her arms around Yang Ying¡¯s arm. ¡°Bo Fan wants to invest in making two movies. In terms of funding¡­¡± ¡°How much do you need?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°It depends on what you think is worth investing, Mom!¡± ¡°We recently installed two new offshore drilling platforms, and currently, the company¡¯s liquid assets aren¡¯t abundant; we could probably only invest two billion.¡± Chu Yan smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you, Mom. Bo Fan¡¯s movie will definitely turn our two billion into at least five billion.¡± Yang Ying stroked Chu Yan¡¯s head. ¡°Has Bo Fan ever treated you differently because you¡¯re not our biological child?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Yan smiled sweetly at Yang Ying. ¡°I know I¡¯m not your biological child, but I am the child you chose yourself. My sister and brother were chosen by Mom, but it was Mom who chose me¡­¡± Yang Ying embraced Chu Yan and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good you think that way. We were so preoccupied with finding Xinxin that we forgot about your feelings. It¡¯s good as long as you¡¯re not upset.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Having a sister and parents who managed to find their long-desired daughter makes me happy too. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure sister makes a stunning appearance tomorrow in front of our friends and relatives.¡± Chu Lin came over and said, ¡°By the way, Yuan Xi told me she¡¯s got three childhood friends coming over for the return banquet tomorrow.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°What? I¡¯ve already set the seating. Why are you only telling me now?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°It¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s return banquet, haven¡¯t you asked her if her friends would be attending?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare places for her friends right away, three people, right? I¡¯ll have them seated at the main table then.¡± Chu Yan scoffed coldly, Yuan Xi really wasn¡¯t afraid of losing face¡ªher childhood friends, weren¡¯t they just like Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, just countryfolk from near Ruohu? Yuan Xi¡¯s friends probably didn¡¯t even own a decent dress. Since Yuan Xi wasn¡¯t afraid of losing face, she was happy to oblige. Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Haute Couture Gowns Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Haute Couture Gowns Mi Chen¡¯s President¡¯s Office. When Gu Hanchen heard Huo Shiyuan mention the idea of promoting Yuan Xi to vice president, he paused slightly and said, ¡°Yuan Xi as vice president?¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°After Mi Yi left Mi Chen, the position of vice president has remained vacant. In terms of qualifications and ability, who else at Mi Chen is more suitable for the position than Yuan Xi?¡± Gu Hanchen glanced at Yuan Xi, who was outside preparing tea, then walked over to Huo Shiyuan and lowered his voice: ¡°President Huo, you may not know that Mi Yi is Yuan Xi¡¯s senior from Jiang University. That¡¯s why, I would rather leave the vice president position vacant than let Yuan Xi take it after Mi Yi left.¡± Mi Yi was one of the founders of Mi Chen and a senior in the computer science department that Yuan Xi met at Jiang University. Yuan Xi came to Mi Chen because she was recommended by Mi Yi. When Mi Chen Game was first established, Gu Hanchen provided the funding and Mi Yi provided the technology. One and a half years ago, when Gu Hanchen sought investment from Huo Shiyuan, Mi Yi was against it. Mi Yi felt that she founded Mi Chen for the love of games, not to let capitalists tarnish her efforts. But at that time, Mi Chen was indeed facing a triple crisis of financial trouble, bad public opinion, and a gaming halt, and with the Gu Family intentionally suppressing the company, they would not have been able to survive without Huo Shiyuan¡¯s investment. After Huo Shiyuan invested and shared the idea with Gu Hanchen about taking Mi Chen public, Mi Yi left the company with the original startup team and sold all her shares to Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan: ¡°Why can¡¯t Yuan Xi take over?¡± Gu Hanchen said: ¡°The relationship between Yuan Xi and Mi Yi is exceptionally good. I heard Mi Yi plans to establish another game company and currently, even though Yuan Xi, as Mi Chen¡¯s secretary, is the one who deals most with the company, ultimately everything has to go through my signature, so it doesn¡¯t have much impact on the company. But if the vice president decides to help Mi Yi, it would significantly affect Mi Chen. I even suspect that Yuan Xi¡¯s recent pregnancy and resignation is just an excuse. It must be that Mi Yi is already planning to establish a company and wants Yuan Xi to join her. That¡¯s why I sent Yuan Xi 999 roses and said I would pursue her, to drive a wedge between her and Mi Yi, and also to keep Yuan Xi with Mi Chen¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°¡­¡± Yuan Xi, carrying the tea, heard Gu Hanchen¡¯s speech and was speechless. It was just like him, the young master raised in the Gu Shipyard. Yuan Xi: ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t worry. Mi Yi has no immediate plans to start another game company. She¡¯s traveling around the world. She also said that if she were to start another game company, she would only work on online games and not mobile games; only for the sake of passion. She won¡¯t become a businessperson like you. You can completely trust her concerning Mi Yi.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t play games and didn¡¯t understand her senior¡¯s attachment to the word ¡®passion.¡¯ But after selling half of her Mi Chen shares to Huo Shiyuan, Mi Yi made a cash fortune of sixty-eight billion, achieving real financial freedom. Mi Yi was in a position to talk about passion. Gu Hanchen touched his nose and said: ¡°If you become vice president, will you not resign?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡± Huo Shiyuan took the tea cup from Yuan Xi with both hands and looked at Gu Hanchen: ¡°Proceed with the appointment.¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°It¡¯s such a big deal to appoint a vice president. Don¡¯t I need to give it some proper thought?¡± ¡°No need, I trust Yuan Xi,¡± said Huo Shiyuan. Gu Hanchen made a phone call to the HR Director and looked at Huo Shiyuan and Yuan Xi: ¡°When did you two get so close?¡± Huo Shiyuan got up: ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± After sending Huo Shiyuan downstairs, Yuan Xi turned back to the office and saw that her position had been changed to vice president on the OA system. The HR Director had also sent her the official appointment letter via email. Yuan Xi moved into her private vice president¡¯s office and sat in the leather swivel chair, overlooking the entire Jiangcheng City Center from a unique perspective. The hard work of the past five years seemed worth it at the sight of such a view. Yuan Xi opened her best friends¡¯ group chat, which was buzzing with discussions about what to wear to Yuan Xi¡¯s return banquet the next day. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: I¡¯ve been promoted. From now on, I¡¯m the vice president of Mi Chen Game. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I knew you wouldn¡¯t resign! Sui Sui: Heh, I knew convincing you to quit Mi Chen would be as hard as believing I¡¯m the daughter of the richest man in City A. Shi Shishitou: Congratulations, congratulations Vice President Yuan, treat, treat. Today we¡¯re going to the boutique next to your company to pick out formal attire. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Ok, meet at Shi Yi¡¯s at six o¡¯clock, shall we pick out dresses after dinner? Sui Sui: No way, we need to try on dresses before dinner, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t fit into the dresses after eating. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Alright. About half an hour later, Yuan Xi received a call from Monica. Monica had participated in Shixi¡¯s investment in Mi Chen and was very familiar with Mi Chen¡¯s operations. ¡°President Yuan.¡± It was the first time Yuan Xi heard this title; she was momentarily stunned before smiling and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you a lot this year.¡± Monica also chuckled, ¡°Just command me as you see fit, President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi went through Monica¡¯s daily work with her, and Monica took note of everything. As night fell, Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang, thinking it was Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui, but to her surprise, it was Huo Shiyuan. Yuan Xi answered the phone in a soft voice, ¡°I have a dinner with friends today¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Let me join you all for the dinner.¡± Yuan Xi had also thought of bringing Huo Shiyuan to meet her friends, smiling, she said, ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Xi went downstairs and got into Huo Shiyuan¡¯s car, ¡°They are in the building next door, still selecting dresses; let¡¯s go up.¡± Huo Shiyuan followed Yuan Xi up the building, to the boutique on the top floor. Entering the boutique, they were greeted by a stunning display of high-end custom dresses. ¡°Who would have thought there would be such a collection of high-end custom dresses here?¡± Yuan Xi said to Shi Lei, who was playing with his phone at the entrance. Shi Lei saw Yuan Xi and said, ¡°President Yuan, how long has it been since we¡¯ve met? You¡¯ve become even more beautiful.¡± ¡°Cough.¡± Huo Shiyuan coughed from behind Yuan Xi. It was only then that Shi Lei saw the man beside Yuan Xi. Shi Lei, who considered his own height of 1.8 meters quite tall in Jiang City, found himself slightly shorter than the man beside Yuan Xi, ¡°And this is?¡± Yuan Xi, holding Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hand, said, ¡°My husband.¡± Shi Lei remembered the marriage certificate photo from their group, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Can real people really be Photoshopped?¡± Chen Yuan came out wearing a pink trailing dress. Liang Suisui said, ¡°Chen Yuan, in real life it¡¯s not called Photoshop, it¡¯s called makeup. But it seems he hasn¡¯t worn any makeup.¡± Yuan Xi, holding Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hand tightly, introduced him, ¡°This is Chen Yuan, Liang Suisui, Shi Lei. They are good friends I¡¯ve known since birth.¡± Chen Yuan reached out to say hi, ¡°Hello, Yuan Xi¡¯s husband.¡± Huo Shiyuan greeted back, ¡°Hello.¡± Yuan Xi asked Liang Suisui, ¡°How come there¡¯s a boutique of custom dresses here?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°This boutique is a private collection of a fashion designer, not open to the public. The designer often comes to my family¡¯s and Shi Lei¡¯s family¡¯s fabric factory to order materials. Today, when she came to our factory, she found out that Yuanzi and I were fretting over dresses for the Chu family¡¯s party, so she allowed me to come here to pick something. Luckily, I have the same figure as hers.¡± ¡°Do you want me to ask her, so you can pick one out too? Our figures are quite similar.¡± Even though Yuan Xi had already prepared a cocktail dress, she knew that the dresses here would indeed be more fitting for tomorrow¡¯s homecoming banquet, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pick one too.¡± After Yuan Xi followed Liang Suisui and Chen Yuan to pick out dresses. Shi Lei turned to Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before, have we met?¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°We might have.¡± Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Pollen Allergy Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Pollen Allergy Shi Lei asked, ¡°Which company do you work for?¡± Shiyan replied, ¡°Shixi Finance.¡± Shi Lei, who had never heard of Shixi Finance, took out his phone and searched for Shixi Finance on the mobile app in front of Shiyan. He saw a densely packed list of companies in which Shixi Finance held shares, including well-known internet companies. Among the media platforms were Youzi Film and Television, Lizhi Entertainment, VE Media, and also online shopping platforms like Haopin and Yiyi. The most prominent was Mi Chen, with Shixi holding fifty-one percent of its shares. Shixi Finance had only two shareholders, Shiyan and Shiyi Group. Tapping into the shareholders of Shiyi Group, the surnames were either Huo or Shi. Shi Lei stood up and exclaimed, ¡°Oh man, when Yuan Xi said that her daughter was the richest heiress in A City, she wasn¡¯t kidding, was she?¡± Shiyan smiled lightly, ¡°If she¡¯s carrying a daughter, then it¡¯s no joke. She¡¯s pregnant with twins, so there¡¯s indeed a good chance they could be girls.¡± Shiyan did not plan to let Yuan Xi have a second child; having one son and one daughter would be ideal. Shi Lei: ¡°¡­¡± Inside the fitting room. Chen Yuan said, ¡°Yuan Xi, I can¡¯t believe your husband is for real, and he¡¯s so handsome too!¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Is good looks enough to live off? How old is he, where does his family live? Why did you get married without discussing it with us? And what does he do? Just because you¡¯re married doesn¡¯t mean everything¡¯s settled; you still have to pass our best friend test even with a marriage certificate.¡± Yuan Xi lightly smiled, ¡°He¡¯s 27, a year older than me, from A City, has a suite at Ruohu Mansion by Ruohu, works as the president at Shixi Finance, and Shiyi Group belongs to his family. He¡¯s the only child in his family, and technically, Shiyi is also his¡­¡± Both Chen Yuan and Suisui widened their eyes. Suisui exclaimed, ¡°How on earth did Huo Shiyuan fall for you?¡± Chen Yuan asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t been tricked by him, have you?¡± Suisui commented, ¡°You are pretty, but he¡¯s the crown prince of Shiyi, surrounded by beautiful women. Why would he lack options?¡± Chen Yuan remarked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve seen his assets? There are plenty of scams out there; he might be pretending to be Shiyan to deceive you.¡± Yuan Xi was unruffled by her childhood friends¡¯ comments, understanding that only close girlfriends dared to speak so frankly; even she found it unbelievable that Shiyan married her. Yuan Xi said, ¡°His identity is real, but he probably didn¡¯t fall for me; he has had a childhood crush he liked from a young age. I just happen to look like her, and since I got pregnant, we ended up getting married because of the baby.¡± Chen Yuan said, ¡°A stand-in? Your life lately seems straight out of a drama, doesn¡¯t it? Real heiress, becoming a childhood crush¡¯s stand-in for a CEO, marrying because of a baby¡­ This plot could stretch over a dozen episodes in a prime-time TV series.¡± Suisui turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Becoming someone¡¯s stand-in? How can you tolerate that? You used to hate novels about stand-ins back in high school.¡± Yuan Xi shrugged, ¡°Back then, I was young and naive. Shiyan is handsome, young, wealthy, and capable; besides treating me as a stand-in, as a husband, he is flawless.¡± Chen Yuan acknowledged, ¡°Yeah, handsome, rich, and competent ¡ª being a stand-in is indeed quite a sweet deal.¡± Suisui questioned, ¡°Have you ever considered what if Shiyan¡¯s childhood crush comes back?¡± Yuan Xi responded, ¡°Even then, it would be worth it. Where else could I find better genes to father my child than those of Shiyan?¡± Suisui found herself momentarily at a loss for words. After each choosing a dress, Suisui greeted a designer she knew; she transferred the money to rent the dresses to the designer, who did not accept payment, only requesting that they take good care of the dresses. As the three of them left, Shi Lei inquired, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Shiyan looks familiar to you?¡± Suisui responded, ¡°Why would we be familiar with President Huo?¡± Yuan Xi suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± With their new knowledge of Shiyan¡¯s identity, both Chen Yuan and Suisui dared not joke any longer, showing noticeable unease during the meal. At the quiet dinner table, Suisui asked, ¡°Since President Huo is from A City, has he been living in Jiang City all along, or will he return to A City once the Jiang City project ends?¡± Shiyan, looking down at Yuan Xi, responded, ¡°It depends on Yuan Xi. After all, she grew up in Jiang City, and all her friends are here. We¡¯ll see whether she prefers A City or Jiang City.¡± ¡°Do your parents allow you to stay in Jiang City?¡± Liang Suisui asked. Shiyan replied, ¡°My grandmother raised me, and I went abroad for school in middle school. My parents probably won¡¯t care in which city I live.¡± Liang Suisui didn¡¯t ask further. After dinner, while waiting for their cars to arrive, Liang Suisui patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder and said, ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t see you as a stand-in for his childhood friend, but genuinely likes you.¡± Yuan Xi was stunned for a moment; looking at Shiyan, who was chatting with Shi Lei, she dared not hope for Shiyan¡¯s affection. After the dinner party, when Yuan Xi returned to the mansion, it was already almost 10 PM. She almost fell asleep as soon as she finished her shower. Shiyan watched Yuan Xi¡¯s sleeping figure, looked over at the photo of the little girl in blue on the bedside table, and held Yuan Xi tightly in his arms. Yuan Xi woke up very early in the morning and saw the message from Gu Hanchen, saying she could take the day off to go get styled at the Chu Family early. The return banquet was in the evening; Yuan Xi had initially planned to go to the Chu Family after work. Now, since Gu Hanchen had given her a day off, presumably because of the Chu Family, she had no choice but to go there in the morning. Yuan Xi changed into the cocktail dress she bought the last time and put yesterday¡¯s chosen haute couture dress in the car. After Shiyan came downstairs, he saw Yuan Xi having breakfast and said, ¡°I saw Gu Hanchen¡¯s message to you last night, saying you don¡¯t need to go to the office today. Why did you get up so early?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t really sleep anymore.¡± Yuan Xi stirred the bird¡¯s nest soup with her spoon. It had been a week, but she still couldn¡¯t accept that she had found her biological parents. Shiyan put his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Is it because you are nervous about the return banquet?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Just treat it like any ordinary banquet. I¡¯ll take you to the Chu Family after breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shiyan drove his newly acquired Continental, taking Yuan Xi to the Chu Family. Upon arriving, Shiyan saw the garden full of roses in various shades of white, blue, and pink and furrowed his brow. Yuan Xi sneezed loudly, covering her nose. Chu Yan approached the car and said, ¡°Sister, you really bought a Continental huh¡­¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Yuan Xi sneezed heavily again. Shiyan told Chu Yan, ¡°Yuan Xi is allergic to large amounts of Rosa Chinensis pollen. Remove all the Rosa Chinensis here.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°How do you know I¡¯m allergic? Achoo.¡± Shiyan took a mask from the car and placed it on Yuan Xi, without answering her. Yuan Xi indeed had an allergy to pollen, but her allergy was peculiar; she was not allergic to all types of pollen, even small amounts of modern Rosa Chinensis wouldn¡¯t affect her. She only reacted to large amounts of modern Rosa Chinensis, a situation she seldom encountered unless, like two days ago when Gu Hanchen had prepared 999 roses to convince her to stay at the company, causing her to sneeze a few times. Since her allergy was so unusual, Yuan Xi never publicly disclosed her pollen allergy. ¡°That¡¯s not Rosa Chinensis.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°These are roses, what do roses have to do with Rosa Chinensis allergies?¡± Shiyan explained, ¡°These are commonly known as roses in flower shops and to the public, but scientifically they are called hybrid tea roses, also known as modern Rosa Chinensis. If these were true roses, Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t be allergic. She is only allergic to large amounts of this modern Rosa Chinensis.¡± ¡°What roses, what Rosa Chinensis, it¡¯s so annoying.¡± Chu Yan frowned anxiously, his tone harsh. ¡°Why bring up pollen allergies now? Why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier? None of our family members are allergic. Where am I supposed to find other flowers to replace all these roses in the decorations now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yanyan?¡± Chu Lin approached, seeing Yuan Xi wearing a mask, ¡°Are you sick?¡± Yuan Xi sniffed her itchy nose, ¡°Pollen allergy.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Brother, what do we do now? The return banquet is only six or seven hours away, and distant guests might arrive this afternoon. It¡¯s too late to find other fresh flowers and redo the decorations.¡± Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°How about we just have Sister stay in her room today and not come out?¡± Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Dowry Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Dowry Yuan Xi laughed in frustration at Chu Yan¡¯s words, ¡°Hide myself? Chu Yan, do you know why we are hosting this party today?¡± Chu Lin frowned and instructed the party planner standing by side, ¡°Quickly remove all the roses first, contact all the major florists to see if other flowers can replace them. Don¡¯t worry about the price, thank you for your hard work.¡± The planner responded, ¡°I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± Chu Yan, with a deeply furrowed brow, said, ¡°It took me several nights to finalize the design. Replacing it with other flowers would look so ugly! If others saw how ugly I made my sister¡¯s return party, they would think I did it because I dislike her!¡± Yuan Xi retorted, ¡°So hiding me away and not letting me come out isn¡¯t out of dislike then?¡± Chu Yan stamped her foot and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you at all. If I disliked you, would I spend so much time and effort taking charge of everything for the return party? You previously told me to find a class to attend; you don¡¯t understand our circle. Organizing a successful party is much harder than working. I¡¯ve spent so much energy¡­ I have really put my heart into it for you. I drew all these flower designs with the planner, I cannot count how many nights it took. And you say I did it out of dislike?¡± Tears slid down Chu Yan¡¯s cheeks. Chu Lin said, ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t cry today. Yuan Xi, we didn¡¯t know about your pollen allergy, and Yanyan didn¡¯t think about your allergy either. Now, we¡¯ll just replace the roses with other flowers, just go inside.¡± Chu Yan wiped her tears and, feeling aggrieved, clutched Yuan Xi¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to get ready.¡± Yuan Xi expressionlessly pulled her arm away from Chu Yan¡¯s grasp and walked inside. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan entered the house where Yang Ying and Chu Qing were contacting important guests. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Huo Shiyuan also followed Yuan Xi¡¯s lead, calling out, ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Seeing Yuan Xi wearing a mask, Yang Ying became extremely nervous, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Xin¡¯er, are you ill?¡± Chu Yan spoke before Yuan Xi could, crying, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all my fault. I never asked my sister if she was allergic to rose pollen before deciding to use them¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to bother her. I only wanted to give her a grand return party which is why I used so many flowers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Hurry up and contact the floral wholesalers to send over flowers that Xin¡¯er is not allergic to. Some glitches are inevitable in hosting a party.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled upon hearing the word ¡®glitches¡¯. Huo Shiyuan grabbed Yuan Xi¡¯s hand. Yang Ying asked, ¡°Do you have any allergy medicine? Should I get Nanny Zhang to buy some?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°No, please bother Nanny Zhang. Loratadine will do.¡± Yang Ying, looking at Huo Shiyuan, said, ¡°Last time at someone else¡¯s wedding, I didn¡¯t ask very thoroughly. John, you work in construction, what projects?¡± ¡°Currently, I am working on the demolition project over at Ruohu.¡± Yang Ying somewhat frowned and said, ¡°John, since you¡¯re already married to our Xin¡¯er, I¡¯ll speak frankly. Both Xin¡¯er and Yanyan are our daughters. For Yanyan, we have prepared a villa worth a hundred million yuan, an eighty million yuan flat at Jiangjing No.1, another hundred million in cash, and a billion in shares as her dowry. We owe Xin¡¯er a lot, her dowry should be more. But you should also be aware of the gap between you and Bo Fan. I still can¡¯t trust you, so I¡¯ll temporarily keep Xin¡¯er¡¯s dowry myself. I hope you join Chuneng Group and show us your efforts. Once we recognize your capabilities, I¡¯ll give Xin¡¯er¡¯s dowry to you¡­¡± Yuan Xi interjected, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, Mom. I don¡¯t need the dowry. John won¡¯t be joining Chuneng Group either.¡± Yuan Xi understood that Yang Ying was afraid she¡¯d chosen a freeloader, a common concern for many mothers, and her approach was nothing to be criticized. However, Huo Shiyuan¡¯s assets were several times those of the Chu Family, and his wealth was only growing, it made no sense for him to safeguard against him, and for her to do so was indeed ridiculous. Yang Ying frowned and said, ¡°Xinxin, you can¡¯t just be smitten by his good looks and go all what¡¯s the word the young people use?¡± Chu Lin chimed in, ¡°Love-struck.¡± Yang Ying continued, ¡°Xinxin, Mom is really looking out for your best interest here. If he¡¯s unwilling to join the Chuneng Group, at least have him sign a prenuptial agreement stating that assets acquired after the marriage won¡¯t be divided equally in case of a divorce.¡± Huo Shiyuan assured with a deep voice, ¡°Mom, Yuan Xi and I will never get a divorce, not in this lifetime!¡± Chu Yan whispered, ¡°He¡¯d definitely not want to get divorced.¡± A rural man marrying into the wealthiest family, nobody would willingly let go of that. Yuan Xi spoke softly, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to sign that agreement. I trust Huo ¡­ John, and you don¡¯t need to provide a dowry for me either.¡± Yang Ying was visibly annoyed, ¡°Without a dowry, do you plan to just live in the village until your child is born?¡± ¡°The village is quite nice,¡± Yuan Xi stated, ¡°It¡¯s no worse than a villa in the city center.¡± Chu Lin quickly tried to mediate, ¡°Mom¡­ let Xinxin go get her makeup and styling done first.¡± Yuan Xi felt a lump in her throat and clutched her hand as she ran to the bathroom to vomit. Yang Ying followed her, looking at Yuan Xi with sympathy, ¡°When I was pregnant with your brother, I also vomited severely. But when I carried you, you were so well-behaved, rarely causing me morning sickness. I knew then it must be a daughter.¡± After rinsing her mouth, Yuan Xi took the wet wipes Yang Ying handed her and gently dabbed her face. Yang Ying said, ¡°I¡¯ll still give you the dowry that¡¯s due to you. The Chu family doesn¡¯t lack that little, but you should still be cautious with John. Go get your makeup done now.¡± Yuan Xi caressed her belly and was led by Yang Ying to a guest room for styling. Yang Ying instructed the stylist, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, so try to avoid using hair spray if possible, and use the special makeup I provided.¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Chu.¡± ¡­ Three hours had passed by the time Yuan Xi finished her styling. In the afternoon, the guests began arriving one after another. Before Yuan Xi had time to change into her haute couture gown, she received a call from Chen Yuan saying they were almost there. Yuan Xi hurried to the entrance of the estate to meet them. ¡°Wow, Yanyan, isn¡¯t that this year¡¯s new haute couture from Elie Saab? You got it so quickly?¡± Chu Yan held her head high, pridefully saying, ¡°This dress was so hard to obtain. I had to fly to Dubai twice just to secure it, but it was worth it. This haute couture is just too beautiful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only Yanyan who can debut in new haute couture dresses at every gala. The dress is indeed beautiful, and you¡¯re even more so.¡± ¡°Yeah, it has to be Yanyan. We wouldn¡¯t dare think about debuting in that dress.¡± Yuan Xi looked over; the haute couture that Chu Yan wore today looked familiar. Wasn¡¯t it the same dress that Liang Suisui picked out yesterday? Could there really be a clash in haute couture dresses from this year¡¯s new collection? From afar, Chu Yan spotted a white Porsche Cayenne parked at the entrance of the estate and scoffed, ¡°Whose car is that? Who would drive a Cayenne to an event like today? It¡¯s practically laughable.¡± Chu Yan, unfamiliar with the car, walked toward the entrance. Shi Lei rolled down the car window as he drove up to the entrance, ¡°Xiao Xi!¡± Yuan Xi walked quickly over and said, ¡°Shi Lei, just leave the car here and give the keys to the security. They¡¯ll handle the parking.¡± Chu Yan sneered disdainfully, ¡°If you had said it was your sister¡¯s friend, we could have had our driver pick him up. There¡¯s no need to rent a Cayenne, especially an old one from eight years ago¡­¡± Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Childhood Photos Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Childhood Photos Chen Yuan sat in the back seat, slowly rolled down the window, and took a look at Chu Yan in front of her. ¡°Huh? Do you even need to rent a Cayenne? Xiao Xi, is she your sister?¡± Yuan Xi said to Chen Yuan, who had just gotten out of the car, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s Chu Yan.¡± Chu Yan and Bo Fan¡¯s engagement party had been a hot topic online for a while. Given that Chen Yuan spent eight hours a day surfing the web, she definitely knew who Chu Yan was. Chen Yuan gave a sheepish laugh, ¡°No way? She¡¯s actually Chu Yan? The Chu family¡¯s daughter thinks she needs to rent a Cayenne? Aren¡¯t Cayennes pretty common in Jiang City?¡± Chu Yan scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re friends of my sister; there¡¯s no need for a self-deprecating show of bravado. No one will laugh at you for saying it¡¯s rented¡­¡± Shi Lei handed the car keys to a nearby security guard and got out of the car to explain. ¡°It really isn¡¯t rented, and the reason we¡¯re driving an eight-year-old Cayenne is that my new Maybach was hit a few days ago.¡± ¡°How did you also end up in a car accident?¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°There¡¯ve been quite a few lately, are you okay?¡± Shi Lei replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was just a rear-end collision. No one was hurt, but it¡¯s a pity the new car got damaged.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Suisui?¡± Yuan Xi inquired, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she come with you guys?¡± Shi Lei answered, ¡°She¡¯s taking pictures. She said since she finally got her hair and makeup done and got to wear a haute couture dress for the first time, she had to take a few photos to commemorate the occasion, so we came ahead.¡± Chen Yuan glanced at Chu Yan and whispered in Yuan Xi¡¯s ear, ¡°Even haute couture dresses can clash? Should we ask your sister to change into another dress?¡± Yuan Xi saw Chu Yan¡¯s evident disdain for the Cayenne. Yuan Xi didn¡¯t feel like reminding Chu Yan either, ¡°A dress clash isn¡¯t that big of a deal, right?¡± Chen Yuan responded, ¡°According to my ten years of experience reading CEO novels, a dress clash is the most, most, most important thing at a banquet, without exception!¡± After thinking for a moment, Yuan Xi went to find Chu Lin, ¡°Bro.¡± Chen Yuan followed Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze towards Chu Lin, ¡°The young master of Chuneng Group! So handsome!¡± Chu Lin smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Bro, my friend¡¯s dress and Chu Yan¡¯s have clashed. Could you ask Chu Yan if she minds, and if she does, could you trouble her to change?¡± Chu Lin nodded, ¡°I understand.¡± Yuan Xi then took Chen Yuan and Shi Lei to say hello to Yang Ying. Yang Ying was talking to Huo Shiyuan, and Yuan Xi, a bit nervous, hurried over, only to feel slightly relieved when she heard Yang Ying tell Huo Shiyuan to treat Yuan Xi well. ¡°Mom, these are my childhood friends, Shi Lei, Xiaoshi, Chen Yuan, Yuanyuan.¡± ¡°Hello, Auntie!¡± Shi Lei and Chen Yuan greeted together. Yang Ying looked at Shi Lei in his sharp suit and Chen Yuan in her gown, smiled faintly, ¡°Hello, you¡¯ve been friends with Xinxin since childhood?¡± ¡°Yes, Auntie.¡± Yang Ying smiled, ¡°Do you have childhood photos of Xinxin?¡± ¡°Actually, we do have one.¡± Chen Yuan opened her phone to show her, ¡°This is Xiao Xi when she was little, this is me, this is Suisui, and this skinny one that looks like a stick is Shi Lei. The short and pudgy one resembling a winter melon is Brother Zhuangzhuang.¡± Yuan Xi leaned forward to look; it seemed like this photo was taken during a field trip to the zoo in the second grade. Back then, Shi Lei and Zhuangzhuang, the two little boys, one skinny because he was raised free-range by his parents, and the other plump, raised by his grandmother, were both quite short. One Zhuangzhuang was as heavy as two Shi Leis. Both boys were short, but Yuan Xi, Liang Suisui, and Chen Yuan, the three little girls, were obviously a head taller than the two boys. Shi Lei had grown as he¡¯d hoped to 1.8 meters tall, taller than them, and Yuan Xi wondered if Brother Zhuangzhuang, who had gone abroad to study, was still short and plump. Looking at herself in the picture, Yuan Xi thought, she did resemble Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood sweetheart more when she was little. ¡°This is our Xinxin when she was little,¡± said Yang Ying, her voice slightly choked up. Chen Yuan laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll look for some childhood photos of Xiao Xi when I get home, and I¡¯ll bring them over if I find any.¡± ¡°` ¡­ In the village in the center of Jiang City, inside a dark and damp cramped rental house. A well-dressed girl kicked a young man smoking beside her. ¡°How did it go? After crashing into two Maybachs to hook a rich second-generation guy, one turned out to be a driver, and the other, a guy from a rural fabric factory, none of them of any use to me.¡± The young man exhaled a puff of smoke, ¡°You look down on a factory owner¡¯s son?¡± ¡°A factory owner¡¯s son without money? Marrying him would mean working for his factory for free. I might as well just go work in a factory now!¡± Ren Tian took the cigarette from the man¡¯s hand, ¡°Did you get the license plate number for Gu Hanchen¡¯s car?¡± ¡°Got it, and he¡¯s going to the Chu Family¡¯s banquet today. He¡¯ll definitely pass through Jiangyi Road; you can get ready. You must catch Gu Hanchen this time.¡± Ren Tian: ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely catch Gu Hanchen this time.¡± ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t your goddess now pretending to be a rich girl? Aren¡¯t you going to comfort her?¡± Fu Yi stubbed out his cigarette and glanced at Ren Tian, ¡°I believe Yanyan can live well even if she¡¯s pretending to be wealthy. Renting a luxury car for a day isn¡¯t cheap, and you¡¯ve already been in two car accidents. You can¡¯t afford to lose this time.¡± Ren Tian exhaled smoke, ¡°Okay.¡± Ren Tian, wearing a low-cut t-shirt, went to the car rental place to get a car and squatted at the corner waiting for Gu Hanchen¡¯s Aston Martin to drive by. On Jiangyi Road, the convertible Aston Martin was quite conspicuous. Gu Hanchen, with earphones on, spoke on the phone, ¡°Chu Lin, I¡¯m on my way to your place now, and I have to see with my own eyes what that pretty-boy husband of Yuan Xi looks like!¡± ¡°Is the pretty boy handsome? Handsomer than me?¡± ¡°In Jiang City, how could anyone be handsomer than me!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chu Lin heard Gu Hanchen¡¯s shout of surprise and hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hanchen? Gu Hanchen?¡± Gu Hanchen cursed, ¡°Damn, I got rear-ended. Are they insane? How can they rear-end me on this kind of city road? I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Gu Hanchen walked to the rear Mercedes, ¡°Beauty, did you get your license? Can you tell the difference between the gas and the brake?¡± Ren Tian frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I¡¯m hurt. Please take me to the hospital quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call 120 for you, and you better call your insurance company. I need to catch the pretty boy who took the mother of my child.¡± Ren Tian frowned. Gu Hanchen has a child? ¡°I¡­ please, Mr. Gu, you wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch me die, right? Please take me to the hospital.¡± Gu Hanchen wasn¡¯t surprised Ren Tian recognized him; after all, he was an internet celebrity. The phrase ¡°stand by and watch me die¡± forced Gu Hanchen to compromise. More than a year ago, due to his inappropriate remarks, Mi Chen almost went under. Now, on the eve of Mi Chen¡¯s IPO, he couldn¡¯t let this woman create news about Gu Hanchen being indifferent to someone¡¯s life and death. Gu Hanchen saw that the car was not very seriously damaged, helped Ren Tian into his car, and took her to the hospital. Gu Hanchen had already thought of asking the public relations team to write an article praising how the Mi Chen CEO, after being rear-ended, didn¡¯t care about the fault but instead kindly took the accident-causing beauty to the hospital, showing how kind he was! Thinking that, Gu Hanchen felt catching the pretty boy was still important, but earning a reputation for helping others seemed more valuable. Gu Hanchen called Chu Lin, ¡°I¡¯m taking the driver who caused the accident to the hospital. I¡¯ll be late to the banquet.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine, it¡¯s okay to be late.¡± After hanging up, Chu Lin turned to Chu Yan, ¡°Yanyan, oh right, Yuan Xi just told me her friend¡¯s dress has clashed with yours. Do you want to change?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°How could her friend possibly clash with me? Elie Saab¡¯s latest haute couture, I have just received it, and it¡¯s a premiere for me.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s friend definitely couldn¡¯t get into the haute couture circle. She probably bought a fake dress that looked similar to hers, right? That would certainly be interesting to see. ¡°` Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Isnt Huo Shiyuan Yuan Xis Husband? Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Isn¡¯t Huo Shiyuan Yuan Xi¡¯s Husband? At dusk, as the sky gradually darkened, more and more guests arrived at Chu¡¯s Mansion. Chu Yan found Yuan Xi in the makeup room touching up her makeup. ¡°Sister.¡± Yuan Xi turned around and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Sister, the guests have almost arrived, and your cocktail dress really isn¡¯t suitable. I¡¯ve prepared a haute couture gown for you, please change into the gown I prepared.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Thank you, I have prepared one myself; my husband helped me get it from the car.¡± Chu Yan frowned and said, ¡°Sister, you know the significance of today¡¯s event, right? It¡¯s attended by influential figures. If your gown looks subpar, others might think less of the Chu family. I prepared for you a DIOR haute couture gown from last autumn¡¯s season. This gown was worn by Fan Yan¡¯s artist in March at an award ceremony. You know Chao Qing, right? The TV series she stars in is currently a hit. The gown she wore is very popular. I know her stylist, and that¡¯s how I managed to buy this gown she wore, specially prepared for you.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t mind wearing a gown worn by others; when she previously accompanied Hanchen to banquets, it wasn¡¯t possible to always buy new gowns. They were often rented. Even the exhibition hall Liang Suisui introduced yesterday had clothes worn by others. Yuan Xi, having grown up in an ordinary household and having been poor during college, couldn¡¯t accept spending five to six hundred thousand or even a million for a gown to wear only once. Indeed, renting a gown worn by others was more cost-effective than buying. However, although she rarely accompanied Hanchen to banquets, she knew that wearing a haute couture gown worn by a famous actress was a major faux pas in these circles. There are several reasons for this, with two major ones being: first, after a star has worn a gown, various online platforms will frantically produce imitation gowns. Second, others may feel that wearing the same gown as a celebrity indicates a lack of personal taste and a tendency to merely imitate. Previously, even when she was only accompanying Hanchen as his partner, Yuan Xi made it a point to avoid renting gowns worn by famous actresses. A gown worn by Chao Qing wouldn¡¯t enhance the gown¡¯s allure, and even if it were the same model, it wouldn¡¯t be suitable to wear, let alone this one that Chao Qing had worn¡­ Yuan Xi looked up briefly and said, ¡°Chu Yan, this isn¡¯t my first time at such an event. I know well what I should wear, but thank you.¡± After Chu Yan left with the gown, she bumped into Yang Ying, looking distressed. ¡°Mom, I specially spent three hundred thousand to buy a DIOR haute couture gown for my sister, hoping she¡¯d look stunning today, but she actually despised my intentions and said no¡­ Mom, I feel like sister has always disliked me. I know everything I have should have been hers; I¡¯ve been trying hard to make it up to her¡­¡± Yang Ying patted Chu Yan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me go have a look.¡± ¡°Xinxin.¡± Yuan Xi looked up at Yang Ying and Chu Yan. Yang Ying asked, ¡°Xinxin, didn¡¯t you like the gown Yan Yan prepared for you?¡± Yuan Xi responded, ¡°Well, I made my own preparations. John should be bringing it up soon.¡± As soon as Yuan Xi stopped speaking, Huo Shiyuan arrived at the second-floor makeup room with the gown. After Yuan Xi unzipped the gown¡¯s garment bag, the style of the dress was revealed. Chu Yan, seeing the gown, said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that DIOR¡¯s new spring-summer collection? I haven¡¯t even gotten it yet! How¡¯s that possible? Sister, you haven¡¯t picked a fake dress, have you?¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t wear a counterfeit at today¡¯s event, Mom, I need to change.¡± Yang Ying pulled Chu Yan out of the room saying, ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t dislike you; she was just prepared. Go down and attend to the guests.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Mom, was sister deceived? I also ordered that gown, and it¡¯s still being made. How could she have received it so quickly, unless it¡¯s a counterfeit? Please, tell sister to change it.¡± Yang Ying replied, ¡°Xinxin has been Hanchen¡¯s secretary for five years; she¡¯s not lacking that discernment. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s attend to the guests.¡± Inside the makeup room. As the stylist was helping Yuan Xi change into the gown, Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You all can leave; I¡¯ll help Yuan Xi change.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, shyly letting him help her into the gown. ¡°Has Gu Hanchen arrived yet?¡± Huo Shiyuan took a deep breath and said, ¡°He was in a car accident.¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± Yuan Xi asked anxiously, It was not a good time for anything to happen to Gu Hanchen with Mi Chen¡¯s IPO pending. Huo Shiyuan smiled faintly and said, ¡°He¡¯s fine. He was rear-ended in the city. Wanting to do a good deed, he took the driver who hit him to the hospital, so he will be a bit late.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Yuan Xi was relieved then. Yuan Xi opened her phone and asked Liang Suisui where she was. Sui Sui: The subway line 5 broke down today, and during rush hours, it¡¯s impossible to hail a cab. I just got on a car, I will probably arrive in about half an hour. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: Be careful on the road. Jiangcheng First Hospital. Gu Hanchen was waiting in the hallway while Ren Tian was having X-ray photos taken in the emergency room. When he saw the young girl hurrying over, Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Xiao Yi, why are you here? Didn¡¯t I ask Mrs. Zhong to come?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi panted and said, ¡°My mom is old, and she doesn¡¯t understand how to operate many of the machines here. I was at home, so I came in her place.¡± When Ren Tian was wheeled out, Gu Hanchen handed his phone to Zhong Xiaoyi, ¡°Quick, take a few photos of her and me.¡± Zhong Xiaoyi hesitated for a moment, then took photos of Gu Hanchen and Ren Tian. Gu Hanchen took his phone back and said, ¡°Xiao Yi, take good care of her, arrange the best ward for her. It¡¯s getting dark, and I need to go to Chu¡¯s Mansion now.¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, Mr. Gu!¡± Ren Tian called after him repeatedly. Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t look back; Ren Tian turned to the young-looking girl beside her and asked with a displeased tone, ¡°Who are you to Gu Hanchen?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi answered openly, ¡°I am the daughter of Mr. Gu¡¯s housekeeper.¡± Ren Tian breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Hanchen called his driver only to find out that Jiangyi Road was completely blocked, and the driver couldn¡¯t make it to the hospital. Gu Hanchen waited at the hospital entrance for a taxi, but every taxi that came was already full of people. Until a white electric car stopped in front of Gu Hanchen, ¡°Mr. Gu, are you also going to Chu¡¯s Mansion?¡± Gu Hanchen looked at the young woman inside the car, dressed in an elegant gown and wearing delicate makeup, ¡°Do we know each other?¡± ¡°I am Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, Liang Suisui. If you are heading to Chu¡¯s Mansion, you might as well ride with me. The subway line 5 is down, and it¡¯s hard to hail a taxi now; booked rides are queued up beyond a hundred spots.¡± Gu Hanchen got into the car, his height of six-foot-two making it somewhat cramped inside the rideshare, ¡°Did Yuan Xi ever talk badly about me in front of you?¡± Liang Suisui asked, ¡°Why would you think Yuan Xi would talk badly about you?¡± Gu Hanchen nervously touched his nose, ¡°Have you met Yuan Xi¡¯s husband?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Liang Suisui and asked, ¡°Is he better looking than me?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit presumptuous to ask that when we just met?¡± Gu Hanchen responded, ¡°I get it now, Yuan Xi¡¯s husband is definitely not as handsome as me! I should have gotten a makeover today too.¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Even if you had a makeover, you wouldn¡¯t be as handsome as Huo Shiyuan.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan? Well, I certainly am not as handsome as Huo Shiyuan, the great hero who saved Mi Chen from distress, but I am definitely more handsome than Yuan Xi¡¯s husband.¡± Liang Suisui: ¡°Isn¡¯t Huo Shiyuan Yuan Xi¡¯s husband?¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°???¡± Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Chu Yan, Stop Being a Green Tea B*tch Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Chu Yan, Stop Being a Green Tea B*tch In the Chu Family¡¯s grand hall, guests filled the space to the brim. Chu Qing held the microphone, his eyes slightly red, ¡°Thank you all for coming to my daughter Chu Xinyan¡¯s welcome home banquet. Xinxin was not even a year old and still in swaddling clothes when she left us. We¡¯ve kept her nursery intact, and every time I enter and see the scene inside, my heart aches like it¡¯s being cut with a knife. Heaven has shown us mercy, and I also must thank the police officers and everyone else who helped us in finding my daughter, Xinxin. Here, I promise to donate twenty million to aid families of abducted children in finding their own.¡± ¡°Next, let¡¯s welcome our Xinxin¡­¡± Dressed in a pale blue gown that was tailored to fit, Yuan Xi slowly descended the spiral staircase, the warm light from above casting an ivory glow on her skin. Due to her pregnancy, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t wear high heels, choosing flats instead. However, the marble tiles covering the Chu Family¡¯s staircase were quite slippery, prompting Yuan Xi to quickly grasp the handrail for support. Yuan Xi had seen a red carpet when she went upstairs earlier, so she hadn¡¯t bothered to scuff the soles of her new shoes. Yuan Xi had not anticipated that the red carpet would be removed; her smooth leather soles slipped on the marble floor with almost every step. After taking two steps while holding onto the handrail, Yuan Xi dared not continue. Chen Yuan noticed something was amiss and frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Xixi is pregnant? Why would you suddenly remove the red carpet from the stairs?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I thought it looked better without the red carpet, so I had it removed on purpose. See, isn¡¯t my sister more beautiful without it? The photos won¡¯t have that reflective glare from the red carpet.¡± Chen Yuan glared at Chu Yan, ¡°Chu Yan, stop pretending to be so innocent. Don¡¯t you know that Yuan Xi¡¯s shoes today have a new leather sole? These tiles are so slippery¡­ If anything happens to the child in Xixi¡¯s belly, don¡¯t think you will have an easy time!¡± Frightened, Chu Yan hid behind Chu Lin, ¡°Brother! I¡­ Even with leather-soled shoes, these tiles shouldn¡¯t be too slippery. I wear leather-soled shoes on these stairs every day and never slipped. Sister is just being too timid. How can sister¡¯s friend call me an innocent faker?¡± Chen Yuan was nearly livid with anger, ¡°Shitou, I am so angry!¡± Shi Lei chimed in from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. Today is a significant day for Xiao Xi. Let me go and help Xiao Xi down the stairs.¡± Just as Shi Lei was about to go up to help Yuan Xi, he saw Huo Shiyuan already ascending the spiral staircase to assist Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi saw Huo Shiyuan coming to her aid and placed her hand in his, offering him a faint smile. Huo Shiyuan held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand tightly and slowly walked down the stairs. The entire hall was silent, everyone¡¯s gaze fixed upon the two figures descending the staircase, Yuan Xi in the pale blue mermaid gown shining brightly under the lights. Chu Yan saw Bo Fan off to the side, all his attention on Yuan Xi, and pursed her lips in slight annoyance. Huo Shiyuan helped Yuan Xi to the middle between Chu Qing and Yang Ying, then stepped aside. Yuan Xi took the microphone and said, ¡°I am very thankful to the police for their help in reuniting me with my mom and dad. After my foster parents passed away, I learned that I still had a mom and dad. I¡¯ve imagined countless times whether my parents had abandoned me or had lost me¡­¡± Yang Ying, her eyes reddening, interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xinyan¡­¡± Yuan Xi responded with a light smile, ¡°Now that I have found my mom and dad, I am very happy. In fact, I had met my parents a long time ago, never imagining that they were really my mom and dad. Heaven has pitied me, giving me parents once again, letting me know my real birthday and my true heritage.¡± Yuan Xi turned her gaze toward the night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, ¡°My mom and dad in heaven can rest easy now, I have a home again.¡± As Yuan Xi said this, the expressions on Chu Qing and Yang Ying¡¯s faces grew uneasy; they had not expected Yuan Xi to mention her foster parents, who in their eyes were just the buyers. ¡°I also thank everyone for attending my welcome home banquet. I will personally donate a million to assist in the search for parents of abducted orphans. Thank you, everyone.¡± After finishing her speech, Yuan Xi handed the microphone to the host nearby. As the feast began, Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan took their seats at the main table. Chen Yuan, sitting beside Yuan Xi, said, ¡°Chu Yan, that innocent faker, is so infuriating. She¡¯s not the slightest bit remorseful for removing your carpet, and even criticized you for being timid. Can¡¯t you, with all the bearing of the real heiress, drive out this fake heiress?¡± Yuan Xi spoke softly, ¡°She¡¯s different from the typical fake heiresses; she¡¯s adopted. In a way, she¡¯s also a real heiress of the Chu Family.¡± Chen Yuan retorted, ¡°Rather than donating to help kidnapped children find their biological parents, why not help Chu Yan find hers? Wouldn¡¯t it be best if everyone returned to their own homes?¡± Chen Yuan quickly added, ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. According to my experience of reading novels, if you insist on being the real heiress jealous of the fake, forcing her to find her biological parents, then her biological parents will turn out to be incredibly influential figures¡­¡± Yuan Xi laughed, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that melodramatic, could it?¡± Chen Yuan shot back, ¡°Have the melodramatic events of the past ten days been few and far between for you?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± During the post-dinner courtyard dance party, Yuan Xi helped Chen Yuan take photos among the flowers. Shi Lei and Huo Shiyuan stood by, with Shi Lei looking at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s profile, ¡°I still feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before; we definitely must have met.¡± Huo Shiyuan sipped his red wine lightly, ¡°Maybe.¡± Listening to Huo Shiyuan¡¯s indifferent three words, Shi Lei said, ¡°Just now I heard them all saying that the real heiress¡¯s husband is just a little farmer from the village who builds houses. Aren¡¯t you the President Huo from Shixi Group?¡± Huo Shiyuan lowered his voice, ¡°There are simply too many companies wanting to invest with Shixi Group, I don¡¯t want to be disturbed, so I didn¡¯t reveal my identity to them.¡± Shi Lei said, ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to be disturbed, or you don¡¯t want your childhood sweetheart to know that you found a stand-in to get married?¡± ¡°Childhood sweetheart? Stand-in?¡± Shi Lei said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Xiao Xi look exactly like your childhood sweetheart? Aren¡¯t you using Xiao Xi as a stand-in?¡± Holding his wine glass, Huo Shiyuan laughed lightly and shook his head. Shi Lei, confused, said, ¡°So you¡¯re not treating her as a stand-in?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°You think I look familiar, don¡¯t you? Think about it.¡± Shi Lei scratched his head, ¡°I can¡¯t remember, I couldn¡¯t possibly have any interaction with a young master like you in my memory.¡± Shiyi Group had been one of the top businesses in the hotel industry even before Shi Lei was born. It was no wonder Shi Lei would never have had the chance to meet someone like Huo Shiyuan, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. ¡­ ¡°Yanyan, the floral design for your courtyard party is so beautiful!¡± ¡°You truly are Yanyan, the parties you design are always the best.¡± Chu Yan, being complimented by a group of young heiresses, sighed, ¡°It was supposed to be even more beautiful, but my sister said just today she¡¯s allergic to roses, so we had to change to the current flowers. If it were roses, I wonder how beautiful that would be! All my hard work staying up late these past few days has been wasted.¡± Chu Yan appeared somewhat annoyed. ¡°Secretary Yuan is really making things difficult for you, huh? You¡¯re just so good-natured, Yanyan!¡± ¡°If my hard work were trampled on and I were deliberately troubled like this, I would be absolutely furious. You are truly kind-hearted, Yanyan.¡± Chen Yuan listened to these few words and felt very frustrated, whispering to Yuan Xi, ¡°Do these young heiresses have issues with their IQ? They don¡¯t hesitate to offend you to flatter the fake heiress? When I read novels before, I didn¡¯t believe there could be such brainless villains, but now I believe it.¡± Qin Yue came over with a glass of red wine and said, ¡°They¡¯re not brainless. Aside from being a fake heiress, Chu Yan is soon to be the Bo Family¡¯s young mistress, the CEO¡¯s wife of Fan Yan. She will always be a part of the top circle of wealthy elites in Jiang City. Even if President Yuan is the real heiress, she¡¯s just married to a ¡®countryman¡¯¡­ It¡¯s normal for this circle to fawn over the powerful and step on the downtrodden. President Yuan shouldn¡¯t mind.¡± After Qin Yue finished speaking, she raised her glass to Yuan Xi, ¡°Congratulations to President Yuan on the promotion.¡± Yuan Xi picked up a nearby cup of a drink and clinked glasses with Qin Yue, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°This is my friend, Chen Yuan. Chen Yuan, this is the CEO¡¯s wife of Youzi Film and Television.¡± ¡°Youzi Film and Television?¡± Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yue and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, CEO¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Just call me Qin Yue.¡± Chen Yuan then asked, ¡°Countryman? Isn¡¯t your husband from Shixi¡­¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°A countryman is not bad either; it lets you see people¡¯s true colors clearly.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, aren¡¯t you going too far?¡± Bao Yan walked up to Yuan Xi, ¡°Even if you are the real Chu Family heiress, you can¡¯t bully Yanyan like this. Yanyan is still going to be our Bo Family¡¯s young mistress, not someone you can trouble and bully. When Gu Hanchen sent you 999 roses, why didn¡¯t you say you were allergic? Now today you come and say you¡¯re allergic? Also, what about saying you¡¯d tear up the red carpet and then you couldn¡¯t walk on floor tiles, why are you being so fussy?¡± Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Fan Yans Capital Chain Problems Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Fan Yan¡¯s Capital Chain Problems Bao Yan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s companion, Qin Yue, ¡°Birds of a feather really do flock together, don¡¯t they?¡± Qin Yue looked at Yuan Xi sympathetically. Clearly, Bao Yan had approached them to create trouble because of her. Chu Yan and several other young ladies of wealthy families who had gathered around her overheard the commotion and came over. Chu Yan said to Bao Yan, ¡°Thank you for standing up for me, Sister Yan, but after all, Yuan Xi is my sister, and today is her homecoming banquet. So¡­ Let¡¯s just forget it, shall we?¡± ¡°Yanyan, you¡¯re Chu Yan, aren¡¯t you? When have you ever suffered such an indignity?¡± ¡°Yanyan, some people don¡¯t deserve your generosity.¡± The daughters of the affluent families around her each paid their compliments one after another. Bao Yan said, ¡°Yanyan, we can¡¯t just let this matter of principle go. I can¡¯t stand by and watch her bully the future young mistress of the Bo Family.¡± Yuan Xi maintained an aloof smile and addressed Bao Yan, ¡°Miss Bo, since you¡¯ve come to the Chu Family today, you know that today is the Chu Family¡¯s homecoming banquet, right?¡± Bao Yan replied, ¡°It¡¯s your homecoming banquet all right, but I still need to seek justice for Yanyan. She stayed up all night working on design drawings for your banquet, and at the last minute, you intentionally complained about an allergy just to make things difficult for Yanyan. Who knows if you¡¯re really allergic or just faking it.¡± Yuan Xi raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you suggesting I pretended to be allergic on purpose?¡± Bao Yan retorted sarcastically, ¡°You know very well whether you were faking it or not.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Did Chu Yan ever ask me about any allergy or dietary restrictions beforehand? Today is my homecoming banquet, and it was only upon my arrival that I found out this venue was full of roses, something Chu Yan never discussed with me in advance. While Chu Yan worked hard on organizing the banquet, her efforts were not at all related to me. She needn¡¯t have lost sleep over it, especially since this is supposed to be my homecoming banquet, yet she never once asked me what I like or dislike.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Sister, you were busy during the day, and then you were staying in the village at night, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to discuss it with you.¡± Yuan Xi continued with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a signal in the village? You didn¡¯t have time to send a single message?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face became even more embarrassed, ¡°I¡­ I was afraid of disturbing you, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Bao Yan added, ¡°What about the incident with the red carpet being removed and you not being able to walk on it? Your friend even threatened Yanyan, acting like you¡¯re some treasure just because you¡¯re pregnant. Just because you¡¯re pregnant, does the whole world have to accommodate you? Is the child in your stomach really that precious?¡± Chen Yuan¡¯s temper flared up, ¡°A threat? So what if I threatened her? Why did she need to remove the red carpet just before Xiao Xi was coming downstairs?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao smiled from the side, ¡°The child in Yuan Xi¡¯s belly is indeed precious. After all, isn¡¯t their village about to be demolished? An extra child could mean an additional million in compensation¡ªno wonder she cherishes the child so much.¡± Chu Yan and the young ladies beside her all chuckled softly. Bao Yan said with a hint of mockery, ¡°Even if the child in her belly is precious, why can¡¯t she walk without the red carpet? It seems Secretary Yuan has forgotten her former status. All of us wealthy young ladies born into luxury have never required a red carpet to walk on.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Bao Yan, ¡°Miss Bo, Chu Yan, what shoe size do you wear? Your Hengfan Mall hasn¡¯t closed yet, has it? I¡¯ll have the staff at the RV store send over two pairs of new shoes right now. Why don¡¯t you both try walking on the marble steps?¡± Bao Yan sneered coldly, ¡°We don¡¯t wear RV shoes. Our shoes are all custom-fitted.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s very easy to prove if the soles of my shoes are slippery. Simply walk in a pair of new leather-soled shoes, and you¡¯ll know. I¡¯m quite curious why Chu Yan would suddenly decide to remove the red carpet.¡± Chu Yan raised her voice, filled with agitation, ¡°Do you think I did it on purpose to hurt you? I was just trying to make your photos look better. Do I need to deliberately plot against you? Your return to the Chu Family doesn¡¯t affect me at all.¡± Chu Yan was definitely not rooting for Yuan Xi and her rural husband to enjoy an everlasting marriage, and she certainly had no intention of intentionally causing Yuan Xi to be childless¡ªhence her air of righteous indignation. Suddenly removing the red carpet was merely Chu Yan¡¯s way of preventing Yuan Xi¡¯s entrance from being too grandiose; Yuan Xi¡¯s gown today would undoubtedly have been dazzling had she walked the red carpet. The nearly one million spent on the custom Elie Saab by Chu Yan could not just be upstaged so easily. At the banquets of Jiang City, only one person could shine, and that was Chu Yan herself. Yuan Xi, however, believed that Chu Yan wouldn¡¯t actually try to harm her by making her fall, but the idea that they removed the red carpet just so the photos would look good was ludicrous. ¡°Yanyan, we believe you¡¯re not that malicious; there¡¯s no need to argue with her,¡± sneered Bao Yan, ¡°Yuan Xi, you better remember this: Yanyan is not someone you can bully!¡± ¡°Yanyan, let¡¯s go over there. The air here reeks of poverty. Even if a sparrow dresses in brocade, it will never transform into a phoenix.¡± Although Bao Yan deliberately lowered her voice when speaking to Chu Yan, Yuan Xi heard every single word loud and clear. Upon seeing Bao Yan¡¯s retreating figure, Qin Yue said with a smile, ¡°The Bo Family¡¯s fortunes are declining day by day, and yet she dares to act so arrogantly and disdain the poor. She does have quite the mentality.¡± Yuan Xi looked curiously at Qin Yue: ¡°The Bo Family¡¯s fortunes declining, is that really true? Hengfan still has the Bo Family¡¯s film and television base¡­¡± Qin Yue said, ¡°If the Bo Family were still as glorious as before, do you think they would continue the marriage alliance after discovering Chu Yan was a fake heiress?¡± ¡°Mrs. Bo and Bao Yan got defrauded of nearly 1.5 billion in Myanmar doing the jade business, causing a significant liquidity crunch for Fan Yan. Now, with the film and television industry in a winter season, the Bo Family might not be able to overcome this difficulty.¡± Yuan Xi remarked, ¡°No wonder Bo Fan has been squatting in the hotel lobby since early morning waiting for Huo Shiyuan.¡± Yuan Xi had felt that it was unlike Bo Fan to do such a thing. Without Shixi¡¯s investment, Fan Yan had their own funds, so why would Bo Fan be camping out in the hotel lobby looking for Huo Shiyuan so early in the morning? It turned out there was a deficit. In reality, a loss of 1.5 billion wasn¡¯t much for the Bo Family. However, if this amount led to a breakdown in liquidity, it would be a matter of life and death for Fan Yan. Qin Yue went on, ¡°The Bo Family thinks they¡¯ve covered up the matter well, but secrets have a way of coming out. It was only after Si Chen uncovered this news that he was able to convince the Si Family elders to cut off the marriage alliance with the Bo Family. But, given the past relationships and the fact that everyone operates in the business world, they didn¡¯t spread the news. Now, during this difficult period for the film and television industry, it won¡¯t be easy for the Bo Family to get through it unless a significant financial institution is willing to invest in Fan Yan and give them a hand. Therefore, it¡¯s best not to reveal President Huo¡¯s identity,¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Mm.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao returned and looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s Gu Hanchen? Why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?¡± Yuan Xi had no intention of paying attention to Yu Xiaoxiao; with a mere ¡°hey¡±, who knew who she was trying to address. Yu Xiaoxiao scrutinized Yuan Xi¡¯s gown, as if she had made a grand discovery, and then walked over to Chu Yan and Bao Yan¡¯s side. Yu Xiaoxiao anxiously said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a DIOR spring-summer new high-end custom gown on Yuan Xi? I remember you ordered it, and it was still being modified. How did she get it so quickly? It was finalized at least two months ago, and she wasn¡¯t yet the Chu Family heiress back then. Did Gu Hanchen pay for it?¡± Chu Yan frowned tightly and said, ¡°Who knows where she got her gown from; it might as well be a fake knockoff.¡± ¡°How could it be a knockoff when the high-end gown hasn¡¯t even been unveiled yet?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao was frantic, ¡°It must be something Gu Hanchen bought for her!¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Some copycat designers also purchase high-end gowns and then have their counterfeit products ready before the original is even finished. Maybe that¡¯s how Yuan Xi got hers¡­¡± After finishing her thoughts, Chu Yan quickly added, ¡°Xiaoxiao, today is my comeback banquet, so please don¡¯t reveal that she¡¯s wearing a counterfeit, okay?¡± Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Knockoff Formal Wear Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Knockoff Formal Wear Yu Xiaoxiao took a nearby wine glass and sipped lightly, ¡°I still have that much perceptiveness, I won¡¯t purposely spoil the comeback party you¡¯ve worked hard to prepare. As long as the dress Yuan Xi is wearing isn¡¯t bought by Gu Hanchen, whether it¡¯s a copy or a knockoff, what does it have to do with me?¡± Chu Yan: ¡°¡­¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Gu Hanchen arrived yet? If he doesn¡¯t come soon, the party will be over!¡± Yu Xiaoxiao stretched her neck, looking outside, anticipating the arrival of Gu Hanchen¡¯s car. ¡­ Inside a white ride-hailing car. After hearing that Huo Shiyuan was Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, Gu Hanchen did not speak for a long time. After a while, he finally cursed out loud. ¡°Damn! No wonder, hiding in the underground parking lot for lunch, and Huo Shiyuan even specifically brought Yuan Xi food!¡± ¡°Damn! They were having an affair right under my nose, and I didn¡¯t notice it at all.¡± ¡°Five years, five years of day and night interaction, what deep friendship that was, and Yuan Xi actually hid it from me?!¡± ¡°No wonder Yuan Xi is so busy with work but still has the chance to get married and have children¡­ Looking back, I¡¯m at a loss. The time she spent with Huo Shiyuan was spent using work hours to date!¡± Liang Suisui watched Gu Hanchen go mad and shifted towards the car door, ¡°That Mi Chen owns half of the shares belonging to Huo Shiyuan, so you actually haven¡¯t lost out¡­¡± Gu Hanchen raised his voice, ¡°How have I not lost out? Damn! No wonder she initially wanted to resign, she and Huo Shiyuan wanted me to be their beast of burden to make money for them, right?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Mr. Gu, please be mindful of your conduct. Don¡¯t swear with every other word. After all, you¡¯re about to be the CEO of a listed company, right?¡± Gu Hanchen¡¯s face was full of indignation, looking at the road that was still blocked. He wished the car could sprout wings and fly over to settle accounts with Yuan Xi. ¡°Why can¡¯t this car grow wings?¡± Liang Suisui said softly, ¡°Could it be that things that have wings are called airplanes?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Right, airplanes!¡± Gu Hanchen made a call to Special Assistant Wang, arranging for a helicopter, and found a nearby building with a helipad. Liang Suisui followed Gu Hanchen onto the helicopter, her first time in one, as the rumbling sound of the propeller echoed in her ears. With the helicopter, it only took a few minutes to reach Chu¡¯s Mansion. The helicopter circled Chu¡¯s Mansion, the enormous noise causing all the guests below to look up. Yuan Xi had a very bad premonition. The helicopter landed on a lawn outside Chu¡¯s Mansion, its spinning propellers causing the blades of grass to thrash wildly. Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the helicopter. After the door opened, Gu Hanchen stepped down from the helicopter, not forgetting to be a gentleman by helping Liang Suisui inside. Liang Suisui descended in her heavily customized gown, her hand resting on Gu Hanchen¡¯s wrist, her slightly curled long hair being blown about by the helicopter¡¯s propeller wind. Chen Yuan looked and exclaimed, ¡°Ah! Suisui is stunningly beautiful, and the handsome guy by her side is so handsome!¡± Shi Lei also came over and said, ¡°Suisui is drop-dead gorgeous!¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°The handsome guy by her side is the same Gu Hanchen you¡¯ve cursed countless times for not giving me leave.¡± Chen Yuan: ¡°Ah? Gu Hanchen himself is even more handsome than his photos and videos online.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao also saw Gu Hanchen descending from the helicopter, and she felt as if she had been coated in a layer of frost, ¡°Who is that woman next to Gu Hanchen?¡± Chu Yan looked towards the helicopter and saw Liang Suisui next to Gu Hanchen. She was wearing a dress identical to hers. Liang Suisui was fifteen centimeters taller than her, which made the dress look even more elegant on her. Chu Yan clenched her hands tightly. And the young ladies around her who were just now complimenting Chu Yan¡¯s daughter caught sight of the identical dress as well. At a loss for words, they had just been praising Chu Yan for being the first to wear the dress. But now it was obvious someone else was wearing the exact same one as Chu Yan, and she was Gu Hanchen¡¯s date¡­ When had Chu Yan ever experienced a fashion clash with someone? If other celebrities wore the same dress first, Chu Yan wouldn¡¯t wear it again. It was nothing short of humiliation for Chu Yan; there was a spectacle to be seen. ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯m so sorry, I had no idea there would be issues with the subway on Line 5. There were traffic jams everywhere, and I¡¯m late. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted time taking pictures,¡± Liang Suisui said as she approached Yuan Xi, full of apologies. Yuan Xi let out a light laugh, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re here now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay now!¡± Gu Hanchen took Yuan Xi¡¯s wrist and pulled her into a corner, unconcerned with President Huo following them. Gu Hanchen said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Do you think this is fair to me? Damn it¡­ Why did you hide your marriage to Huo Shiyuan from me? Do you find it fun to have an affair right under my nose?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu, please watch your language; don¡¯t swear. It¡¯s not good for the baby¡¯s prenatal education.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°I should watch my language? If Liang Suisui hadn¡¯t told me, how long were you planning to keep this from me? Five years, we¡¯ve known each other for five long years, and you kept this from me!¡± Huo Shiyuan stepped forward, grabbed Gu Hanchen¡¯s wrist, and freed Yuan Xi¡¯s wrist from his grasp, ¡°Mr. Gu, please show some self-respect.¡± ¡°Show some self-respect my ass!¡± Gu Hanchen was on the verge of exploding, ¡°Were you two romancing during work hours? You¡¯ll have your salary docked, Yuan Xi, and your year-end bonus is cut in half!¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°We didn¡¯t date during work hours; don¡¯t dock Yuan Xi¡¯s year-end bonus.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°So you¡¯re treating me like a workhorse. No wonder Yuan Xi wants to resign. You¡¯re holding a huge share in Mi Chen, expecting me to slave away for you two? Screw that! Yuan Xi, now that Mi Chen is your husband¡¯s, you have to shoulder its responsibilities. I¡¯m not going to be your workhorse. Don¡¯t even think about resigning.¡± Yuan Xi was silent. She knew it¡ªGu Hanchen¡¯s thought process would definitely go there. Annoyed, Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Stop saying ¡®I¡¯ in that manner; it¡¯s bad for the baby¡¯s prenatal education.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my son,¡± Gu Hanchen said. ¡°Why should I care about the baby¡¯s prenatal education?¡± Knowing Gu Hanchen was furious and drawing upon her years of experience by his side, Yuan Xi tried to smooth things over, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping my marriage to President Huo a secret from you.¡± Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Is a ¡®sorry¡¯ supposed to be enough?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°What else do you want?¡± Gu Hanchen continued, ¡°I have no relation to the child in Yuan Xi¡¯s belly, and it¡¯s not my place to worry about whether the baby¡¯s prenatal education is good or not, unless, unless you¡¯re willing to make me the godfather.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, for whom it didn¡¯t matter either way. Gu Hanchen might be temperamental, often cursed, and was flamboyant¡­ But he was also generous. Every year he threatened to dock her year-end bonus, but the actual amount always turned out to be more generous than the year before. Yuan Xi placated Gu Hanchen only after agreeing that he could be the child¡¯s godfather. Her glance caught Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao heading over to Liang Suisui with several wealthy ladies. As Liang Suisui came with Gu Hanchen, Yu Xiaoxiao was likely to stir up trouble again. Yuan Xi hastened over. Gu Hanchen put his hand on Huo Shiyuan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Shi Dazhuang, that¡¯s not very brotherly of you. I thought you decided to invest in Mi Chen because you recognized my character and it was love at first sight. Why did you help Yuan Xi keep this from me?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied slowly, ¡°The only reason I invested in Mi Chen was to get closer to Yuan Xi.¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°???¡± Yu Xiaoxiao approached Liang Suisui and inquired, ¡°Which family¡¯s daughter are you? I don¡¯t recall ever seeing you before. How did you come here with Gu Hanchen?¡± Liang Suisui replied, ¡°I¡¯m Yuan Xi¡¯s childhood friend. I happened to meet Mr. Gu on the way here.¡± A young heiress who followed Chu Yan said, ¡°I know her; her family owns a small cloth factory in Huxi Village. They supply fabric to one of our garment companies.¡± With a wine glass in her hand, Chu Yan came over, her voice dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s childhood friend? So, Miss Liang must be attending a city banquet for the first time, right? No wonder she¡¯s wearing a knock-off dress.¡± Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Yuan Xi, Apologize to Yanyan Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Yuan Xi, Apologize to Yanyan Liang Suisui looked at Chu Yan standing in front of her, ¡°Ha? Are you saying my gown is a counterfeit?¡± Chu Yan sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I understand you¡¯re my sister¡¯s friend from the village, unfamiliar with high society. This gown is worth a million, requires a three-month lead time for custom fitting, how could you possibly have ordered this gown three months ago?¡± Yuan Xi walked up to Liang Suisui and said to Chu Yan, ¡°Chu Yan, that¡¯s enough!¡± Looking up at Yuan Xi, Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Your friend showing up in a counterfeit gown reflects poorly on your reputation, and it¡¯s a knockoff of Elie Saab, no less. It¡¯s ridiculous; hurry and have her change it.¡± Yu Xiao said, ¡°Yuan Xi, you must be so capable, introducing your friend to Gu Hanchen after you got married, right? Dream on! Yanyan prepared last year¡¯s haute couture gown for you and you refused it. It¡¯s one thing for you to wear a gown that¡¯s a plagiarized knockoff, but for your friend to wear one too, trying to snag Gu Hanchen without spending a dime?¡± Liang Suisui laughed angrily, ¡°So this is what a high-class banquet at the home of Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man is like? Aunt Xian at the village gate has far better manners than they do.¡± The young heiresses consoled Chu Yan by her side: ¡°Once the poor suddenly get rich, they surely aim for the finest, yet don¡¯t realize that the finest gowns aren¡¯t meant for people of their class.¡± ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t get upset, a fake will never measure up to the real thing.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Chu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get my dad to cancel the cooperation with their little textile mill as soon as I get back.¡± Sneering, Liang Suisui said, ¡°Cancel the cooperation with our little textile mill? Settle your debt first. Your family owes us three million already. Why do the big textile mills refuse to work with you? Because they demand immediate cash payment. Does your family even have the cash to settle accounts? Turns out, this is all the followers surrounding the rich heiress can amount to.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s voice turned cold, ¡°It¡¯s just three million. Take off that counterfeit gown right now!¡± Chen Yuan, hot-tempered, said to Chu Yan, ¡°Suisui won¡¯t take it off. The gown Suisui is wearing is no counterfeit. You keep harping on about fakes and knockoffs. I really want to ask, what right do you have to talk about counterfeits? Are you real? Are you the real heiress of the Chu Family? Your real parents aren¡¯t here, your real family isn¡¯t here. Have you played the role of the fake daughter in the Chu Family for so long that everything looks fake to you?¡± Chu Yan, trembling with rage, poured her glass of red wine over Liang Suisui¡¯s gown, staining it with wine. Liang Suisui was furious, also feeling an agonizing sense of guilt and distress. Yuan Xi stepped forward, took the wine glass from Gu Hanchen, who was watching the commotion, and poured it over Chu Yan¡¯s head. The wine ran down Chu Yan¡¯s carefully done makeup. Chu Yan screamed, ¡°Ah! Yuan Xi, what are you doing?¡± The commotion caught the attention of the older generation nearby. Chu Lin and Bo Fan hurried over. When Chu Lin saw the wine glass in Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, he shouted, ¡°Yuan Xi, what is this nonsense? How could you pour wine on Yanyan¡¯s head? Bo Fan¡­¡± Bo Fan took off his suit jacket, put it on Chu Yan, and pulled the crying Chu Yan into his arms, ¡°Yuan Xi¡­ today is your homecoming banquet, a joyous day for the Chu Family. After being missing for twenty-five years, why must you bully Yanyan like this?¡± Gu Hanchen also took off his jacket, gave it to Yuan Xi, and his protective gesture towards Yuan Xi was very clear. Yuan Xi held a suit jacket for Liang Suisui, whose dress had been soaked in red wine. Chu Yan, her head drenched in red wine, cried with sniffling, ¡°Bo Fan, big brother, I thought if I treated my sister with a sincere heart, we could get along. I know it¡¯s like I stole a life of luxury from her for twenty-five years, which is why I¡¯ve been trying my hardest to make up for it. Even though sister said she didn¡¯t need a designer dress, I still kindly tried my best to purchase a haute couture piece for her. I wanted her to dazzle at the event, the same dress that Chao Qing wore to the awards ceremony that made her famous, which I bought specially for 300,000 yuan. But she disdainfully refused it, choosing to wear a knock-off instead¡­¡± Chu Yan grew increasingly aggrieved as she spoke, her tears becoming more heart-wrenching, ¡°Her friend even wore the same knock-off gown as me. I felt it wasn¡¯t right for my sister¡¯s friend to so brazenly wear a counterfeit brand, so I criticized her, but then another of my sister¡¯s friends called me the fake, said I¡¯m not the real daughter of the Chu Family.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Who says you¡¯re not a real daughter of the Chu Family? You are our true daughter, and even after Yuan Xi returned to the Chu Family, that fact hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Both Chu Qing and Yang Ying, hearing Chu Yan¡¯s anguish, came over, their faces also filled with sympathy upon hearing Chu Yan¡¯s tearful accusations. Chu Yan lowered her voice, ¡°I was so angry at being called a fake that I poured red wine on my sister¡¯s friend¡­¡± Chu Yan then raised her voice and pointed at Yuan Xi, ¡°And then my sister, she poured red wine on my head too. Sister, I¡¯ve always wanted to make up for what mom and dad did to you, but you, from the start of today, you¡¯ve been picking on me¡­¡± Chu Yan felt so aggrieved that many present felt sorry for her. Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Yuan Xi, apologize to Yanyan.¡± Chen Yuan whispered into Liang Suisui¡¯s ear, ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s own brother, the young master of the Chu Family, sure is handsome, but he¡¯s not too bright.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Chen Yuan appreciatively and said, ¡°You got that right.¡± Gu Hanchen walked up to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Apologize? Is Chu Lin deaf? Chu Yan was the one who first splashed red wine on Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, and she doesn¡¯t apologize but demands one from Yuan Xi? You¡¯re bullying its way to my doorstep?¡± Yuan Xi took a deep breath, ¡°Chu Yan, you¡¯re right, have you ever kept quiet since this morning? The issue of my pollen allergy could¡¯ve been easily resolved by changing the floral arrangements, yet you purposely kept bringing it up, saying you¡¯re voicing your grievances for staying up for me. Don¡¯t you find it laughable that you didn¡¯t communicate this in advance?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Laughable indeed! At Yuan Xi¡¯s welcome-back party, isn¡¯t it ridiculous that no one bothered to ask how things should be arranged or about her taboos?¡± Gu Hanchen then faked a few loud laughs at the right moment. Yuan Xi continued, ¡°As for you saying you prepared a dress for me¡­ Chu Yan, I¡¯ve been to functions for the past five years and often saw you. During these five years, have you ever worn a dress that was the same model as a celebrity¡¯s? Have you worn last season¡¯s dresses? What right do you have to make me wear outdated haute couture a celebrity has already worn?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Huh? Chu Yan actually made you wear second-hand clothes that a celebrity had worn? Chu Lin, Uncle Chu, Aunt Yang, is the Chu Family so poor that even the true heiress returned only to wear second-hand celebrity clothes? When Yuan Xi attends functions with me, she never wears outfits that celebrities have worn before. Has the Chu Family become that poor?¡± All the guests¡¯ eyes turned to Chu Yan, who was in Bo Fan¡¯s arms. Bo Fan loosened his hold on Chu Yan a bit. Chu Yan hastily tried to explain, ¡°Brother Hanchen, it was because there wasn¡¯t enough time for my sister¡¯s welcome-back party to custom-make a brand-new haute couture gown, so I had to buy a second-hand one that a celebrity had worn¡­ It¡¯s wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to provide her with a new gown, if there had been enough time, I would definitely have custom-ordered a new one for my sister. Sister, even if you care so much about the second-hand celebrity gown, you shouldn¡¯t be wearing a knock-off. And after I spoke up about the shame of wearing counterfeits, you didn¡¯t change out of your dress, but instead allowed your friend to insult me¡­¡± Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Yanyan, Apologize to Yuan Xi Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Yanyan, Apologize to Yuan Xi Yuan Xi heard Chu Yan¡¯s defense and smiled faintly, ¡°The gown on Suisui is indistinguishable from yours in both fabric and stitch craftsmanship, even the lace and beading. How did you come to know that my and her dresses are knockoffs? You¡¯ve worn couture gowns, haven¡¯t you? Hundreds, if not thousands. Can¡¯t you even tell the difference between a counterfeit and the real deal?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Impossible, there is generally only one customer per country for this haute couture dress. When I ordered it, there was only one person in the country who had done the same, Miss Fu Qin from the Fu Family in A City. How could you possibly know Fu Qin?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we know Fu Qin? She¡¯s a fashion designer who can¡¯t easily customize fabric at big textile mills. Opening her own would have been a hassle to manage, so she found us and partnered with our family¡¯s textile mill. Both Xiao Xi and my gowns are from Fu Qin¡¯s private collection, which she lent to us. Now that you¡¯ve ruined my gown, pay up!¡± Chu Yan looked at Liang Suisui with disbelief, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, you couldn¡¯t possibly know Fu Qin!¡± ¡°Do I need to call her to come over?¡± Liang Suisui raised her cell phone and asked. Chu Yan¡¯s face turned rather ugly. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Go on, call her over. I heard she grew up with Huo Shiyuan as childhood sweethearts¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan glared at Gu Hanchen, who enjoyed stirring up trouble. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, the six degrees of separation really did exist. Who would have thought that the designer Liang Suisui knew was Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood sweetheart? Chu Lin said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble the daughter of the Fu Family to come here, Yanyan, quickly apologize to Yuan Xi and her friends.¡± Chu Yan, feeling everyone¡¯s gazes on her, felt as if they were filled with mockery. Chu Yan looked at Yang Ying, seeing an unusual disappointment in her gaze, and apologized continuously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis, and your friends, I, I, I didn¡¯t realize you knew Fu Qin and thought you were wearing knockoffs. I meant well reminding you, see how my good intentions led to trouble. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll compensate for the gown.¡± ¡°I will personally go and apologize to Miss Fu, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Sis, can you forgive me?¡± Yuan Xi scoffed. Chu Yan always apologized quickly, but there was little sincerity in those apologies. ¡°Xinxin, since Yanyan has apologized, forgive her this time.¡± After saying that, Yang Ying approached Yuan Xi and whispered, ¡°Xinxin, mom knows you¡¯ve been wronged today, but Yanyan really had no ill intentions. Consider the bigger picture, the Bo Family is here, give them some face.¡± Chu Yan bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis, sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said you were wearing fakes. I really did mean to remind you properly¡­ Bo Fan, you believe me, right? I really didn¡¯t mean to insult sis intentionally, I was truly trying to help.¡± Bao Yan came over and said, ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve known each other since we were young, we trust your character. Bo Fan, you agree, right?¡± Bao Yan glared at Bo Fan, who was aware of the crisis facing the Bo Family at the moment. If they couldn¡¯t get through it, Chu Yan would be their lifeline. Bo Fan took Chu Yan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I believe you, but you were indeed wrong today. Apologize properly.¡± Chu Yan said again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gu Hanchen coughed and said, ¡°If apologies were effective, what would be the need for police?¡± Hearing Gu Hanchen¡¯s words, Liang Suisui laughed, ¡°Forget it, Xiao Xi is magnanimous and won¡¯t hold grudges against anyone.¡± Yuan Xi eventually considered the intricate relationships within the circle and did not pursue justice further. After the crowd dispersed, Yang Ying said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Xinxin, I will have a good talk with your sister. You indeed suffered an injustice today. Let your friend change their clothes in the guest room, I¡¯ve already had someone rush to buy a new outfit. Xinxin, your dad and I still have to entertain our guests, you¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom, you go entertain the guests.¡± Yang Ying looked worriedly at Yuan Xi and then went to greet the guests. Liang Suisui wrapped herself in a jacket and returned it to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m going to change my clothes.¡± Gu Hanchen took it and said, ¡°No need to thank me, I¡¯m just playing the good guy to the end today, what a good feeling.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen and said, ¡°Being hit and then taking someone to the hospital doesn¡¯t seem like you.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯ve just thought of a great publicity strategy for Mi Chen. Just wait until tomorrow when the news breaks about President Mi Chen¡¯s good Samaritan act of taking the woman who caused the accident to the hospital. It¡¯s definitely going to attract a lot of praise for Mi Chen, and I bet people can¡¯t wait to buy Mi Chen¡¯s stocks.¡± Yuan Xi frowned slightly. Something about what Gu Hanchen said didn¡¯t seem right to her, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. Yuan Xi asked Gu Hanchen in a soft voice, ¡°Is it true what you said about Fu Qin being Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood friend?¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be truer. The Huo and Fu families are neighbors.¡± Yuan Xi let out a soft ¡°oh,¡± contemplating whether the photo of the little girl beside the bed was indeed Fu Qin. Yu Xiaoxiao approached Gu Hanchen and asked, ¡°Brother Hanchen, what¡¯s your relationship with Liang Suisui?¡± Gu Hanchen smiled, ¡°Relationship? Nothing has happened yet, but who knows, it might happen soon.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao bit her lip and ran off, her eyes brimming with tears. Yuan Xi glared at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Please refrain from speaking disrespectfully about my friend in the future, Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Would Yu Xiaoxiao have left if I hadn¡¯t said that?¡± Liang Suisui came back in a new outfit and said, annoyed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to explain to Fu Qin after dirtying her dress. She told me to take good care of it, and now I¡¯m too ashamed to face her.¡± Huo Shiyuan said beside Yuan Xi, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about dirtying Fu Qin¡¯s dress; I¡¯ll explain it to her. She¡¯s always been generous and won¡¯t mind.¡± Yuan Xi gently bit her lip, ¡°Thank you for helping Suisui explain.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and gave a gentle smile. Gu Hanchen stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something to eat. Doing good deeds has starved me. Suisui, right? Let¡¯s go eat together.¡± Liang Suisui was indeed hungry and followed Gu Hanchen to the dessert table. From behind the dessert table¡¯s display board came the voices of several heiresses. ¡°Yanyan, we know you meant well, don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s only because Fu Qin pitied them that she lent them the dress. It¡¯s just a dress, no need to be angry about it and harm your health.¡± ¡°Borrowed items are never truly theirs. They just borrowed those designer dresses for a single occasion. Unlike you, Yanyan, even if you dirty a dress, requesting another designer piece is just a matter of words. Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream of such a thing. Would her rural husband ever allow her to spend a million on a single piece of clothing?¡± ¡°Indeed, Miss Chu, in not-too-distant future, you¡¯ll be the Young Lady of the Bo Family. Yuan Xi married nothing more than a rural man. Your lives are worlds apart; there¡¯s no need for you to be upset or compare yourself with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Yanyan. Look at you, about to marry Bo Fan¡ªthat¡¯s Bo Fan of Jiang City, a man many top female stars dream of marrying¡ªa far cry from some rural resettlement dweller.¡± ¡°Even if Yuan Xi truly is the Chu Family¡¯s daughter, after she¡¯s married, her life will still be vastly different from yours. Her husband could never match up to Bo Fan.¡± Surrounded by the adulation of other heiresses, Chu Yan smiled, ¡°A woman¡¯s marriage is like reincarnation. My sister indeed has poor taste; I¡¯m actually worried for her. Marrying a construction worker from the countryside, sigh¡­¡± ¡°Yanyan¡¯s heart is truly kind.¡± Hearing the flattery from the group of heiresses, Liang Suisui, standing at the dessert table, took a bite of her cake and chuckled lightly. Chu Yan had just been humiliated, yet they were still so eager to fawn over her. ¡°Gu Han, this must be Miss Liang, right?¡± Bo Fan came over and extended his hand to Liang Suisui, ¡°Miss Liang, I¡¯m Bo Fan.¡± Liang Suisui couldn¡¯t be bothered to give Bo Fan any respect and rolled her eyes. Gu Hanchen said to Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, what is it?¡± Bo Fan replied, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about Miss Chu dirtying Miss Liang¡¯s dress. I heard it belonged to Fu Qin, and I¡¯d like to personally visit Miss Fu to apologize. I was hoping Miss Liang could provide me with Miss Fu¡¯s contact information and address?¡± Gu Hanchen had already said that Huo Shiyuan and Fu Qin were childhood friends, and Bo Fan figured he might be able to get in touch with Huo Shiyuan through Fu Qin. Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Rift Cannot Be Dissolved in a Day Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Rift Cannot Be Dissolved in a Day Suisui glanced at Bo Fan, ¡°I will give you the card number, and you can just transfer the money for that dress to my bank account, there¡¯s no need to meet Fu Qin!¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Miss Liang¡­ I truly am very sorry.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Being sorry is enough with compensation, the rest of visiting and such is unnecessary.¡± Suisui nodded in appreciation. ¡°Yes, just transfer the money, nothing else is necessary.¡± Bo Fan felt a little defeated but didn¡¯t continue to ask Suisui about Fu Qin¡¯s whereabouts. ¡­ Around nine o¡¯clock, Yuan Xi felt drowsy, as her pregnancy made her very sleepy. Huo Shiyuan, seeing Yuan Xi yawn, asked, ¡°Heading back?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuan Xi went to inform Chu Qingyang Ying, who was hosting the guests, that she was going back. Yang Ying said repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯s late today, just stay at our place.¡± Yuan Xi shook her head, ¡°No need, I¡¯m particular about where I sleep.¡± Yang Ying whispered to Yuan Xi, ¡°Are you not staying because of what happened with Yanyan earlier? Xinxin, Yanyan indeed has been spoiled by us. Since she was young, she¡¯s hated plagiarism intensely; she dislikes copycat designs. Her nature is to be straightforward and spontaneous, to do whatever she wants¡­ I know she was in the wrong just now, but her wedding with Bo Family is already set. Xinxin, Yanyan is still the would-be young lady of Bo Family. The incident just now shouldn¡¯t have escalated too far; it would make Bo Family lose face. She¡¯s already apologized¡­¡± Hearing Yang Ying¡¯s explanation, Yuan Xi still distanced herself with a light smile, ¡°Mom, we¡¯ll be going now.¡± Watching Yuan Xi leave, Yang Ying sighed deeply. Just as Chu Qing finished seeing off a leader from Jiang City, he asked, ¡°Why did Xinxin leave?¡± Yang Ying choked up, ¡°After all, it¡¯s been twenty-five years¡­ Such estrangement can¡¯t be resolved in a day.¡± Chu Qing embraced Yang Ying, ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, Xinxin will understand one day; let¡¯s make it up to her from now on.¡± ¡­ Ruohu Mansion. In the car, Yuan Xi fell asleep for a while, and after reaching home and taking a shower, her drowsiness had significantly diminished. While Huo Shiyuan was still in the bathroom, Yuan Xi glanced at the photo of a little girl on his bedside table. She knew she shouldn¡¯t care, but seemed unable to ignore it. Yuan Xi, hearing a noise, quickly returned to bed and picked up her cell phone. Huo Shiyuan came over to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You seemed upset after the fuss Chu Yan made, do you think your parents handled things unfairly?¡± The conflict with Chu Yan earlier wasn¡¯t something Yuan Xi held on to. The arrogance of Chu Yan, the tycoon¡¯s daughter, was something Yuan Xi experienced in college. Although many classmates considered Chu Yan¡¯s behavior as vivacious and unrestrained. Parents siding with Chu Yan didn¡¯t truly upset Yuan Xi; she thought if her foster parents were still alive. Even if Chu Qingyang Ying reached out, Yuan Xi might still be more biased towards her foster parents. Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy.¡± Huo Shiyuan softly said, ¡°Every time you are unhappy, you tend to bite your lip.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan in surprise; she didn¡¯t even know this habit herself, but now that she thought about it, it was indeed true. Huo Shiyuan, hearing the phone¡¯s notification sound, picked it up and smiled knowingly. Yuan Xi rarely saw Huo Shiyuan with such a smile, ¡°Are you chatting with Fu Qin?¡± As soon as she asked, Yuan Xi regretted it. They were married because of an accidental pregnancy, and whatever Huo Shiyuan and Fu Qin did, she shouldn¡¯t interfere. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s Shi Lei who sent a photo of you from your childhood.¡± Yuan Xi leaned forward to see; her childhood face nearly identical to the little girl¡¯s photo on the bedside table, but she remembered she couldn¡¯t have worn luxury princess dresses as a child. Huo Shiyuan scrutinized one photo with some confusion, ¡°This one¡­¡± Yuan Xi stepped forward to look; it was her and Brother Zhuangzhuang in the village church pretending to get married, probably around five or six years old. Yuan Xi said, ¡°It was just playing house when we were kids.¡± Shi Lei really, what photos he wouldn¡¯t send. Huo Shiyuan, ¡°You have many photos with this chubby little boy, what¡¯s his name.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°I don¡¯t know his real name, because he was very chubby, and in Jiang City dialect, chubby translates to ¡®strong,¡¯ so we all called him Brother Zhuangzhuang. He later went abroad to study, and I¡¯ve never been in contact with him since. As children, we indeed played best with each other, but by sixth grade, we hardly interacted, and playing house and getting married were just childish mischief¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly, ¡°You didn¡¯t like Brother Zhuangzhuang?¡± ¡°I did enjoy playing with him when I was a kid.¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°I mean the kind of liking between a man and a woman¡­¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°President Huo, not everyone falls in love with a childhood playmate like you do. Brother Zhuangzhuang always had two streams of snot under his nose when he was small. I vividly remember how he got stuck in the mud while catching crayfish at the lake and couldn¡¯t pull himself out, and how loudly he cried and threw tantrums not to leave the village; how could I possibly like him?¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned; he couldn¡¯t always have had two streams of snot or thrown tantrums. Yuan Xi was simply slandering him. But getting stuck in the mud was true. Huo Shiyuan turned off his phone, but his notion of telling Yuan Xi that he was Brother Zhuangzhuang vanished. Yuan Xi felt somewhat happy recalling her childhood fun and set aside her phone to sleep with closed eyes. Leaving Huo Shiyuan pondering if he had any other dark past from his childhood. Huo Shiyuan looking at his childhood photos, was relieved to see that he bore no resemblance to his younger self. ¡­ When Yuan Xi woke up the next morning, she saw her phone bombarded with messages. The group chat of the public relations department was full of them. Yuan Xi knew there must be trouble again. She logged into her Weibo, and the comments section was filled with insults, something Yuan Xi was already accustomed to. Mi Chen Game had been criticized by players not just for a day or two. Yuan Xi glanced at the Weibo trending topics, just as Gu Hanchen wished, the good deed of him taking the culpable female driver to the hospital yesterday had trended. Four of the top ten trending topics were related to Gu Hanchen. #GuHanchenInsultsFemaleDriver# #BoycottMiChenGame# #MiChenGameDegradesWomen# #GuHanchenGoodDeeds# Clearly, the ¡°Gu Hanchen Good Deeds¡± topic must have been paid for by Gu Hanchen himself. Yuan Xi opened Gu Hanchen¡¯s Weibo. Last night at ten o¡¯clock, he posted a Weibo: Mi Chen¡¯s Most Handsome: ¡°Took the female driver tailgating me to the hospital ???????????? Female drivers, be careful while driving!¡± Yuan Xi knew something was off about Gu Hanchen¡¯s words yesterday. The term ¡®female driver¡¯ she had heard countless times while learning to drive, and she found it distasteful. Male learners made the same mistakes, but the instructor and other learners wouldn¡¯t tease them as ¡®male drivers.¡¯ But any slight error she made, she would be teased by the instructor and male learners as a ¡®female driver.¡¯ Later, Yuan Xi switched to a female instructor and passed the second and third tests with full scores. When Yuan Xi bought her first car, male salespeople would tease her as a ¡®female driver¡¯ during test drives, even though male drivers who were also newbies did no better, yet no one teased them, only the ¡®female drivers.¡¯ The term ¡®female driver¡¯ and the discrimination that came with it was pervasive and grating. Did Gu Hanchen think the IPO process was too smooth and needed to stir up some controversy? If Yuan Xi weren¡¯t relying on the salary from Gu Hanchen, she would have liked to scold him for causing such a public relations issue before the IPO. Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyuan sleeping soundly, then went to the balcony and called the PR department manager, Fang Qin. Fang Qin answered Yuan Xi¡¯s call, ¡°Thank goodness you finally picked up. We still can¡¯t reach Mr. Gu, the official account of Mi Chen has already issued an apology and clarified that there was no intention to insult female drivers, but since we can¡¯t reach Mr. Gu, his personal account can¡¯t issue an apology, and now the female gamers are boycotting¡­¡± Fang Qin continued, ¡°Moreover, this time we discovered that someone seems to be fueling the fire behind the scenes, specifically highlighting Mr. Gu¡¯s insult to women, and the public opinion fermented very quickly, with work starting soon in the morning. We need Mr. Gu to post an apology early to resolve this issue.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find Gu Hanchen right away. Have you found out who is fueling the public opinion from behind the scenes?¡± Fang Qin replied, ¡°It¡¯s some marketing accounts that usually post entertainment gossip; I am still investigating. With the public opinion so inflamed before the IPO, many gamers are asking for refunds and boycotting, which could significantly impact the roadshow.¡± ¡°Entertainment circles¡­¡± After hanging up, Yuan Xi opened Qin Yue¡¯s WeChat and sent a message. Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Bo Fan Backstabs Mi Chen Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Bo Fan Backstabs Mi Chen Yuan Xi washed her face in a hurry and skipped breakfast to drive and find Gu Hanchen. Gu Hanchen had three residences and generally stayed at any one of them randomly. When Yuan Xi arrived at Jiangjing No.1, she went to the top floor and just as she exited the elevator, she received a reply from Qin Yue, hardly daring to believe it was him! Yuan Xi entered the password and saw a young girl inside. Both were momentarily stunned upon encountering each other. ¡°Secretary Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the girl for a moment and asked, ¡°Is Gu Hanchen inside?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu is inside,¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said as she handed Yuan Xi a pair of slippers. After changing into the slippers, Yuan Xi went to Gu Hanchen¡¯s bedroom. Gu Hanchen was sleeping soundly in his bedroom while the entire PR department had stayed up all night without proper rest to rush to the company and discuss tactics. Yet, he could afford to sleep sweetly in his bedroom. ¡°Mr. Gu, Mr. Gu,¡± Yuan Xi called softly. Gu Hanchen frowned, opened his eyes, and after rubbing them, he saw Yuan Xi in front of him, ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you and Huo Shiyuan enjoy your newlywed life and sleep a little more? It¡¯s only eight o¡¯clock, why are you waking me up? I might as well change the password to my house.¡± Yuan Xi handed her phone to Gu Hanchen. Seeing the trending news on his phone, Gu Hanchen cursed softly, ¡°Damn, how could they interpret it like that? I told the female driver to be cautious out of respect for women. I thought my female fans would praise how considerate their husband is!¡± Yuan Xi took a deep breath, ¡°Mr. Gu, you aren¡¯t a celebrity and don¡¯t need female fans. The misunderstanding and resistance towards Mi Chen on social media isn¡¯t your fault. There is a wave of marketing accounts and bot armies leading the opinion.¡± Gu Hanchen scratched his scalp, ¡°Me, disrespecting women? The top executives at Mi Chen are mostly women! Such injustice, it¡¯s too unfair! If I dare show any disrespect towards female drivers, would my mother and sister let me off?¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, is it snowing outside?¡± ¡°I feel more wronged than Dou E.¡± Yuan Xi indeed believed that Gu Hanchen was respectful towards women, but that he wouldn¡¯t intentionally ridicule or insult female drivers either. Gu Hanchen got up and called, ¡°Mrs. Zhong, Mrs. Zhong!¡± Zhong Xiaoyi came in and said, ¡°My mom went to the hospital to take care of the young lady from yesterday. What do you need, Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Prepare breakfast for me. I¡¯ll go to the office right after eating. Have you found out who¡¯s leading the opinion? Is it Yu Xin or Mengyou?¡± Yu Xin and Mengyou were also well-known game companies in the country; Mengyou was the game company where Gu Hanchen spent and then turned from a fan to a critic. Mi Chen¡¯s customer base overlapped greatly with Mengyou¡¯s. And Yu Xin mostly targeted female gamers, making it very possible that Yu Xin was behind this. Yuan Xi lowered her voice, ¡°It¡¯s not them. It¡¯s¡­¡± Yuan Xi thought of the message Qin Yue had sent earlier, slightly at a loss for words. Gu Hanchen yawned, ¡°Hurry up, when did you start dawdling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Fan Yan.¡± ¡°Fan Yan?¡± Gu Hanchen jumped out of bed, ¡°Fan Yan? How is that possible? Bo Fan is my sworn brother, why would he do this? I¡¯m going to settle this with him!¡± Yuan Xi urgently said, ¡°Wait, this was found out by Youzi Film and Television. Don¡¯t confront Bo Fan just yet; just be aware of it. If you really go to him, he won¡¯t admit it.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Why would Bo Fan do this to me? Fan Yan and our Forest Pursuit still have collaborations coming up, with the celebrity race being just a month away¡­¡± As Gu Hanchen spoke, Yuan Xi opened a new push notification from Weibo. #Chao Qing withdraws from Forest Pursuit celebrity race# #Chao Qing stands up for female driver community# Chao Qing posted a photo of herself driving, captioned ¡°Driving skills are top-notch (already dropped out of the Forest Pursuit celebrity match)¡± #BoycottMiChen# ¡°Chao Qing sis is awesome!¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t support the wrong person.¡± Chao Qing¡¯s fan base was growing rapidly, and clearly, this move was very attracting to new followers. Yuan Xi showed Gu Hanchen Chao Qing¡¯s Weibo. After Gu Hanchen charged his dead phone, he soon received a call from Bo Fan. ¡°Hello, Hanchen.¡± Gu Hanchen gave Yuan Xi a gesture to keep silent, ¡°Bo Fan.¡± Bo Fan¡¯s rich voice came through, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about Chao Qing quitting Forest Pursuit, sorry, she¡¯s now the top celebrity at Fan Yan, she didn¡¯t consult me before taking this action, I¡¯m really sorry, um, do you need my help with the public opinions this time? Could it affect the IPO?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°No need, I can handle it myself!¡± Gu Hanchen hung up the phone, furrowing his brows tightly, ¡°Even if Chao Qing is the top celebrity at Fan Yan, does she dare to boost her popularity by stepping on me without the company¡¯s approval? She infuriates me, from now on, Mi Chen will absolutely not collaborate with any celebrities from Fan Yan, cancel all endorsements from those celebrities at Fan Yan!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yuan Xi responded. ¡°Mr. Gu, Secretary Yuan, breakfast is ready.¡± Gu Hanchen yawned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi has been promoted already, you should call her President Yuan from now on. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in school?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°I¡¯m about to graduate, currently looking for a job.¡± ¡°Time really flies, I remember it feels like just recently you were taking your college entrance exam,¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°and now you¡¯re graduating from college.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Zhong Xiaoyi, ¡°What was your major in college?¡± ¡°Chinese Language and Literature.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Interested in being a secretary at Mi Chen?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi gently said, ¡°President Yuan, I might not be up to the task¡­¡± Yuan Xi looked at Zhong Xiaoyi, as if she saw herself five years ago, and said with a light smile, ¡°You have a good temperament, you¡¯d probably be suitable to be Mr. Gu¡¯s secretary.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d be good as my secretary, but there¡¯s one condition, no having children within thirty years, the annual salary is up to you to decide.¡± Zhong Xiaoyi: ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°Also, no dating shareholders of the company, no dating during work hours, and if you have children within thirty years, you¡¯ll be a puppy.¡± Zhong Xiaoyi paused, not sure why such rules were needed for a secretary, but obediently agreed, ¡°Oh.¡± After Gu Hanchen finished breakfast, Yuan Xi urged him, ¡°Hurry up and post a Weibo apology to calm this public outcry.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Let Bo Fan that sly green tea be happy for a while, wouldn¡¯t the salaries he gives to those marketing accounts and fake supporters be wasted otherwise? See how brotherly I am.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°If we delay, a simple apology might not suffice later. Why not let HR recruit a few more female drivers to be Mi Chen¡¯s company drivers, to clearly show that Mi Chen has always respected female drivers. Now that Mi Chen¡¯s IPO is a crucial point, you better settle this matter peacefully soon.¡± Gu Han: ¡°Relax, I won¡¯t let your husband¡¯s assets suffer.¡± Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen got off at the garage, and ran into Chu Yan. Yuan Xi kept urging Gu Hanchen to hurry and post an apology, ¡°Mr. Gu, stop messing around, hurry up and issue a Weibo apology to calm the storm.¡± Chu Yan seeing Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Sister, Hanchen is the young master of the Gu Family, are you having him condescend and apologize to netizens? Nowadays, female netizens just take themselves too seriously, this issue with the female driver is not a big deal. We girls aren¡¯t as good as boys at driving anyway. Hanchen, don¡¯t take it to heart, the netizens¡¯ anger will pass in a while, there¡¯s no need to demean yourself by apologizing to them, if you need help just reach out to me and Bo Fan, Fan Yan supports plenty of marketing accounts that can help calm the public opinion.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan, seemingly unaware of Bo Fan¡¯s betrayal. Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Chu Yan: He is Huo Shiyuan? How is that possible? Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Chu Yan: He is Huo Shiyuan? How is that possible? Hanchen chuckled lightly when he heard Chu Yan personally admit that Fan Yan was employing a whole bunch of marketing accounts. Bo Fan really was a good ¡°brother¡± to him! Yuan Xi, seeing Hanchen yawning continuously, didn¡¯t dare let him drive and went to sit in the driver¡¯s seat. As Hanchen sat in the passenger seat, he took out his phone and began texting Special Assistant Wang, occasionally flashing a sly smile. Upon reaching the fifty-eighth floor of Michen Building. Yuan Xi had just returned to her office when she saw Huo Shiyan waiting inside. Huo Shiyan had a food container with him, ¡°Why did you leave without having breakfast?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Bo Fan caught wind of the Weibo post that Hanchen made last night. Bo Fan is using marketing accounts to stir up public opinion against Michen; it¡¯s not looking good for us. I left early in the morning, and I¡¯ve already had breakfast.¡± Huo Shiyan took the bird¡¯s nest out of the food container and handed it to Yuan Xi, ¡°Then eat the bird¡¯s nest, it was just freshly stewed by the nutritionist.¡± Looking at the bird¡¯s nest in the bowl, Yuan Xi picked up a spoon and began eating, ¡°I didn¡¯t think Bo Fan would do such a thing; I thought he and Hanchen were good brothers.¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Fan Yan has been seeking investment from Shixi since half a year ago. Shixi has been refusing, not only because they don¡¯t see a bright future for Fan Yan but also because Bo Fan is not as straightforward as Hanchen.¡± Yuan Xi saw the online public opinion getting more and more intense and didn¡¯t understand why Hanchen was still dragging his feet. Huo Shiyan, seeing Yuan Xi frowning, reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if this small matter is too much for Hanchen to handle, then I really should consider finding a new CEO for Michen. Isn¡¯t it about time for the baby¡¯s check-up?¡± Yuan Xi, thinking about the baby, felt somewhat relieved, ¡°Last time during the ultrasound scan, we couldn¡¯t see the fetal heartbeat or the embryo, and the doctor said that a check-up between six to eight weeks would be more suitable. It¡¯s been over six weeks now, and we plan to go for a check-up this weekend.¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make time on Saturday to accompany you to the check-up. I should go now; the nanny will bring you lunch later, make sure to eat more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The public opinion worsened during the lunch break; some marketing accounts even started spreading rumors about Hanchen¡¯s endless private affairs with women, and they were demanding female gamers to get refunds and cancel their accounts¡­ Hanchen was eating lunch sent from the nanny at Ruohu Mansion, looking utterly unfazed. Seeing him like this, Yuan Xi also started to feel more at ease. Hanchen¡¯s cellphone rang, and Yuan Xi saw ¡°Bo Fan¡± on the caller ID, asking the smiling Hanchen, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer it?¡± Hanchen handed his phone to Yuan Xi, ¡°You take it, tell him I¡¯m in Michen meeting with Huo Shiyan.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Huo Shiyan? Didn¡¯t he just leave?¡± Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Why would Bo Fan spend money to harm me? Can¡¯t you see through his shallow intentions? Just answer the phone.¡± Yuan Xi answered Bo Fan¡¯s call, ¡°Hello, Mr. Bo, Mr. Gu is in a meeting with Huo Shiyan, yes, President Huo is currently at Michen.¡± After hanging up the phone. Hanchen took his phone back and called Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Did you find the person I asked you to look for at Jiang City Film City among the crowd of extras to play Huo Shiyan? Did you find anyone? Hurry up, you¡¯re dragging your feet.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Hanchen in surprise, ¡°Finding someone to play Huo Shiyan?¡± Hanchen said, ¡°Yeah, why do you think Bo Fan would spend money to harm me? After all, we grew up together, brothers. Even if he is jealous of my handsome and dashing looks, there¡¯s no need to spend money to harm me. This public opinion is just a small wave affecting the flotation process; it doesn¡¯t do any significant harm to Michen¡¯s outlook. If he doesn¡¯t have a motive, why would he waste the money?¡± Yuan Xi laughed in realization, ¡°Bo Fan is thinking about taking advantage of Michen¡¯s PR crisis to step in and help you settle it, thereby making you owe him a favor and help him get introduced to Huo Shiyan? After all, Huo Shiyan holds 51% of Michen¡¯s shares, and by helping Michen, Bo Fan is also helping Huo Shiyan. Through your mediation, Huo Shiyan might agree to meet him because of the favor he did for Michen?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Hmm, since he wants to meet Huo Shiyuan, let him meet! He¡¯s using me, so I have to play a trick on him.¡± Yuan Xi responded, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit childish? It¡¯s not a good idea to find someone to play as Huo Shiyuan, right?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it? I just want to tease Bo Fan, nothing more.¡± Yuan Xi still didn¡¯t want to agree, ¡°Mr. Gu, I think this is inappropriate.¡± Gu Hanchen argued, ¡°What¡¯s the harm in seeking a bit of satisfaction? Bo Fan uses me, can¡¯t you even let me have a little fun at his expense? I¡¯ll have Special Assistant Wang find a handsome guy. It won¡¯t embarrass your husband, I promise. Why don¡¯t you lend your husband¡¯s sub-penthouse in the Shiyi Hotel to my actor for a while?¡± Yuan Xi, recalling what had happened in that room, firmly said, ¡°Not there!¡± Gu Hanchen then suggested, ¡°Then lend the presidential suite on the 21st floor of Building 8 at Jiangjing No.1 to my actor.¡± Yuan Xi sent a WeChat message to Huo Shiyuan, who quickly replied. Yuan Xi told Gu Hanchen, ¡°Huo Shiyuan has agreed, but he wants rent.¡± ¡°Stingy¡­¡± Gu Hanchen muttered. Yuan Xi said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t approve of you getting someone to impersonate him, so by charging rent he¡¯s showing he¡¯s also a victim of the impersonation.¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, President Yuan, we¡¯ve found the person, and he¡¯s absolutely perfect!¡± Special Assistant Wang declared confidently as he arrived. Yuan Xi looked over and saw a handsome young man standing behind Special Assistant Wang. He had very pale and thin skin, exuding an indescribable gloomy aura, but it was his overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke that made Yuan Xi unable to stop herself from retching into a nearby trash can, though nothing came out except for nausea. Gu Hanchen spoke to the young man with a teasing tone, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, who would¡¯ve thought Jiang City had such a fine specimen. Don¡¯t mind her, she¡¯s pregnant and feeling sick, not because she saw you.¡± Yuan Xi, having calmed the queasiness in her chest after a moment of retching, looked at the man who was about the same height as Gu Hanchen. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Fu Yi looked Yuan Xi over, a hint of disdain in his eyes, ¡°Fu Yi.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Special Assistant Wang must have briefed you, right? You just need to be Huo Shiyuan for a while around Bo Fan, get him to treat you with respect. Just entertain me, and after the act, you¡¯ll receive one million as your acting fee. Think you can pull it off?¡± Gu Hanchen then directed Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Go get one of my newly arrived suits from the lounge, and also bring over that new Richard Mille watch.¡± Yuan Xi sighed helplessly at Gu Hanchen¡¯s childish antics, catching Fu Yi¡¯s gaze and feeling an odd discomfort in her lower abdomen. She didn¡¯t trust this Fu Yi from the bottom of her heart; perhaps she simply didn¡¯t like the idea of someone impersonating Huo Shiyuan. After Fu Yi changed into a shirt and suit, the smell of tobacco on him dissipated, and he truly exuded an ineffable charisma. Gu Hanchen appraised Fu Yi, ¡°Not bad, with that outfit you really do look like a CEO. Remember, from now on you are Huo Shiyuan. I¡¯ll provide you with fancy cars and houses. Just play the part well around Bo Fan without giving yourself away. Focus on taking from Bo Fan, on accepting his flattery, but always drag your feet on investing in Fan Yan.¡± ¡°Mr. Bo, Miss Chu, President Huo, and Mr. Gu along with President Yuan are in the lounge,¡± Special Assistant Wang¡¯s voice came from outside. Upon hearing the three words ¡°Miss Chu,¡± Fu Yi looked visibly uncomfortable but quickly composed himself and looked toward the door. Chu Yan entered, clinging to Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°Hanchen, sister, Huo¡­¡± Chu Yan turned to the young man in the custom-made suit, a frown forming, ¡°Is he Huo Shiyuan? That¡¯s impossible?¡± Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Its Not So Easy to Enter the Huo Familys Door Chapter 35: Chapter 35: It¡¯s Not So Easy to Enter the Huo Family¡¯s Door Gu Hanchen was momentarily stunned¡ªdid the minor actor Chu Yan who Wang Xin found actually know him? Bo Fan whispered to Chu Yan, ¡°You know him?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s expression was a bit odd, ¡°I knew him before, we were high school classmates¡­¡± Fu Yi spoke frankly, ¡°My grandmother is from Jiang City. When I was in high school, I developed depression abroad. My grandmother, feeling sorry for me, brought me back to Jiangcheng Middle School for a year. I didn¡¯t take the college entrance exam and instead went abroad to study.¡± In a voice only the two of them could hear, Gu Hanchen whispered to Yuan Xi, ¡°This kid is quite the actor, he even writes his own scripts.¡± Extending his hand toward Fu Yi, Bo Fan said, ¡°President Huo, I am Fan Yan from Fanyan Entertainment.¡± Fu Yi extended his hand and shook hands with Bo Fan. Chu Yan caught a glimpse of the Richard Mille Crystal Polo Watch on Fu Yi¡¯s left wrist. Chu Yan frowned deeply and turned his gaze to Fu Yi¡ªhe really was Huo Shiyuan?! After shaking hands, Bo Fan said, ¡°Mi Chen has been in the midst of quite a bit of public opinion trouble today. I¡¯ve already contacted friends in the industry and can help clear up this mess for you, Hanchen.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Then I¡¯m really thankful.¡± Bo Fan laughed lightly and said, ¡°We grew up together; no need to be formal and thank me. Helping Mi Chen is something I should do. The business about Chao Qing¡¯s unilateral contract termination and Weibo post is already being handled by her agent.¡± Gu Hanchen responded, ¡°No problem, I won¡¯t take a minor celebrity¡¯s Weibo post seriously. But in the future, I¡¯d be afraid to work with any stars from Fanyan¡ªwhat if you can¡¯t control their social media posts again¡­¡± Bo Fan¡¯s face was somewhat uncomfortable, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten help to deal with the public opinion for you. You don¡¯t have to worry, President Huo; this wave of public opinion will dissolve soon.¡± Fu Yi¡¯s gaze fixed openly on Chu Yan as he said, ¡°Thanks to Mr. Bo for helping Mi Chen through this crisis.¡± With both hands, Bo Fan pulled out his business card and offered it to Fu Yi, ¡°President Huo, here¡¯s my card.¡± Fu Yi took the card and took out his phone, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my business card, how about we add each other on WeChat?¡± Bo Fan took out his phone and started adding Fu Yi as a friend. Chu Yan, on the side, frowned as he observed Fu Yi, his expression now even more uncomfortable. Yuan Xi watched Chu Yan and Fu Yi, certain that there was nothing simple about their relationship. Bo Fan proposed, ¡°I just met President Huo today, and by chance, I¡¯ve reserved a very exclusive private dining restaurant. I wonder if President Huo would do me the honor of joining me for a meal?¡± Fu Yi responded, ¡°Sure.¡± Chu Yan looked even more uneasy. After Bo Fan, Chu Yan, and Fu Yi agreed on a location, Bo Fan and Chu Yan left Mi Chen first. Gu Hanchen patted Fu Yi on the shoulder approvingly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got some serious acting talent. It¡¯d be a waste not to pursue acting.¡± Fu Yi replied, ¡°I should get going now, Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Hanchen added, ¡°For a full performance, let Special Assistant Wang take you to my garage to pick out a supercar to drive.¡± After Fu Yi left, Yuan Xi said to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Mr. Gu, I think something about this isn¡¯t right. Seems like Chu Yan has an unusual relationship with Fu Yi?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°What¡¯s it matter if they¡¯re unusual or not? You¡¯re suggesting I let Bo Fan use me without getting revenge? I¡¯m not that spineless or meek kind. Watching him be all respectful to the fake Huo Shiyuan, and then come away empty-handed¡­ won¡¯t that be satisfying?¡± Seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s worried face, Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Yuan Xi, if you dare expose to Bo Fan that Fu Yi isn¡¯t Huo Shiyuan¡­ you can kiss your year-end bonus goodbye!¡± Yuan Xi wasn¡¯t concerned about her year-end bonus, but she wasn¡¯t going to make trouble by exposing anything either. In the midst of the escalating online crisis over insulting a female driver, Gu Hanchen started live streaming. ¡°Stop the cursing, stop the cursing. I¡¯ve been scolded all day today¡ªmy intention was to be the ¡®nice guy,¡¯ reminding the ladies to stay safe, and I¡¯ve been called out all day for it. I¡¯m going live today to show everyone what kind of cars Mi Chen¡¯s female employees drive, with the first interview being with our beautiful Vice President of Mi Chen Game.¡± Yuan Xi, busy managing emails, frowned when she saw Gu Hanchen enter her office, ¡°Mr. Gu, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Proving live that I¡¯m not discriminating against female drivers, that I¡¯m not demeaning women. Showing them just how many female employees Mi Chen has, how many female drivers¡ªif I really dared to disrespect female drivers, wouldn¡¯t your combined spitting drown me?¡± Hearing the live stream, Yuan Xi looked nervously at Gu Hanchen¡¯s phone camera and said, ¡°Hello netizens, I¡¯m Yuan Xi, Vice President of Mi Chen Game and have been working as Mr. Gu¡¯s secretary for five years. Mr. Gu may have a rough temper, but he has never shown the slightest disrespect toward women.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Bad temper? Nevermind, you¡¯re pregnant, I won¡¯t argue with you. What car do you drive?¡± Yuan Xi took out her car keys from her bag, ¡°Continental.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Next, I¡¯ll take you to meet our Public Relations Manager Fang Qin, and ask what car she drives. She must be swamped today.¡± After Gu Hanchen left, Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, she didn¡¯t like being on camera. The childhood photos posted by Shi Lei had mostly been taken without her knowledge. Aside from taking photos for official documents, Yuan Xi rarely took pictures willingly. Gu Hanchen¡¯s live broadcast had indeed frightened her, but it was also a good opportunity for Gu Hanchen to address the public opinion and clarify things. Due to Mi Yi, women occupied more than half of the leadership positions at Mi Chen Game, which was a rare phenomenon in gaming companies and even in many ordinary companies. For the Public Relations Department to use this fact for publicity, it would be easy to defuse this public opinion crisis. ¡­ Inside a private restaurant by the river in Jiang City. Chu Yan arrived at the restaurant early and saw Fu Yi, already seated in the private room. She frowned and questioned, ¡°Are you Huo Shiyuan? Why did you lie to me? Why didn¡¯t you say you are from the Shi Yi Huo Family in A City?!¡± Fu Yi lit a cigarette in his hand and looked at Chu Yan in front of him, ¡°Yanyan¡­¡± Chu Yan had always been a wealthy heiress, but she also had a period of ¡°poverty.¡± During her rebellious high school days, her international high school classmates were all preparing to study abroad, but Chu Yan did not want to study overseas. She aimed to get into Jiang University. In their circle, going to Ivy League schools seemed like something anyone could do if they had money to donate, even if they got in purely on their own merit. Being able to get into Jiangcheng University for undergrad was the true mark of a top student. Thus, to prove herself, Chu Yan gave up the chance to study abroad and went to the neighboring public middle school. The totally different education philosophy and the sudden onslaught of academic pressure made the adolescent Chu Yan want to experience a wild phase. She started dating the poorest boy from her former school, someone she had once looked down upon. Fu Yi was very poor, so poor that he only ever had six sets of school uniforms that had been washed so many times they had turned white from the original color. Fu Yi could only afford to rent a tiny, dilapidated room in an urban village for 300 yuan a month. Back then, Chu Yan enjoyed the rebellious thrill of sneaking around with Fu Yi to smoke, drink, skip school, and mess around in his rental room, all while basking in the rush of teenage hormones. For an heiress of a rich family, these were the most rebellious actions Chu Yan could think of. Until right before the college entrance exams, Chu Yan regretted her rebellious times with Fu Yi. How could the Chu Family heiress debase herself with a poor boy? At that time, Chu Yan cut off all contact with Fu Yi. She later heard that Fu Yi didn¡¯t even take the entrance exams because his mother tore up his admission ticket and forced him to work and make money instead. So he turned out to be Huo Shiyuan; no wonder he didn¡¯t take the exams. For Huo Shiyuan to go abroad for studies was a piece of cake. Hearing Fu Yi say ¡°Yanyan,¡± Chu Yan realized it had been a long time since she heard that name from him. Chu Yan said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, don¡¯t call me that! I am now Bo Fan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I am soon to marry Bo Fan. I love Bo Fan very much, and I can¡¯t lose him.¡± Fu Yi let out a sneering laugh upon hearing the words ¡®very much,¡¯ ¡°Yanyan, that year when you were eighteen, you also said you ¡®loved Fu Yi¡¯ while in my arms¡­¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, it¡¯s over between us. I only like Bo Fan now¡­¡± Fu Yi blew out a ring of smoke, mockingly smiled, and said, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t tell Bo Fan about our past.¡± Chu Yan let out a deep breath. She knew all too well that she wasn¡¯t the Chu Family¡¯s biological child, and that it wasn¡¯t easy to marry into a top-tier conglomerate like the Huo Family. She had abandoned Huo Shiyuan once before and didn¡¯t know if his return to Jiang City was for revenge. It might be better to just marry Bo Fan safely¡­ Chu Yan glanced at the Richard Mille Crystal Polo watch on Fu Yi¡¯s wrist, then quickly looked away. Bo Fan wasn¡¯t so bad either. In Jiang City, marrying Bo Fan was enough to make others envious. It was far better than the rural man Yuan Xi married, no need to think too much about Huo Shiyuan¡­ Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Fu Familys Illegitimate Son Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Fu Family¡¯s Illegitimate Son Michen Building. Yuan Xi was in the office, showing Monica the ropes of the day-to-day workflows she normally dealt with. Upon seeing Huo Shiyuan appear at the door, Monica repeatedly called out, ¡°President Huo.¡± Yuan Xi looked up and saw Huo Shiyuan at the doorway, dressed in a casual white short-sleeve shirt and light-colored jeans, and she felt as if her surroundings had suddenly brightened. Huo Shiyuan said with a light laugh, ¡°It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock, time to get off work.¡± ¡°The sky is still bright, it¡¯s already seven?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at the time on the bottom right of her computer, and indeed it was already seven o¡¯clock. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s nearly June, so it gets dark late, but you and the baby should have dinner.¡± Yuan Xi touched her belly and organized the items in her purse, then said to Monica, ¡°You should get off work too, thank you for your hard work.¡± Monica smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s not hard.¡± After all, she was collecting two salaries, from both Shixi and Michen. Yuan Xi grabbed her purse and followed Huo Shiyuan down to the parking garage. Seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s bare left wrist, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°What kind of watch do you like?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Anything is fine.¡± After getting in the car, Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Fu Qin said she wants to meet you. Are you available to dine with her today?¡± Yuan Xi pursed her lips; just last night she had stained Fu Qin¡¯s gown. Even though she had compensated for it, she still felt embarrassed, and by all accounts, it was only proper to treat Fu Qin to a meal, ¡°I¡¯m available.¡± Huo Shiyuan drove to a private dining restaurant by the river. While in the car, Yuan Xi felt her phone ringing nonstop. She opened her phone and first clicked into her bestie chat group. Sui Sui, rich and skinny: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, you¡¯re trending, you¡¯re trending! Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: The diamond ring that looks like a fake actually worth three hundred million? Oh my God! Shi Shishitou: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, do you need a bodyguard? I think walking around with three hundred million without hiring three bodyguards is risky. I can be your bodyguard for a monthly salary of half a million. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I¡¯ll take one hundred thousand a month. Sui Sui, rich and skinny: I¡¯ll take fifty thousand a month, black belt in Taekwondo. Shi Shishitou: Don¡¯t disrupt the market value, if it¡¯s half a million, then it¡¯s half a million. To protect three small targets, how could it be less than half a million a month? Yuan Xi looked at their chat messages with a faint smile. She opened the hot search on Weibo and saw Gu Hanchen¡¯s livestream occupying the top spot. The third one was #MiChenFemaleExecutivesPredominate#, which was obviously a paid hot search from Michen¡¯s PR department. #MiChenDeputyGM, Charlotte Blue Diamond# #ThreeHundredMillionDiamondSpotted# Yuan Xi clicked in and saw that, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t her trending, but the blue diamond on the ring finger of her left hand that was in the hot search. The Charlotte Blue Diamond had previously trended when it was auctioned. After all, spending over three hundred million on a stone is something many would click to see. Yuan Xi was glad that the internet¡¯s focus was on her blue diamond. Gu Hanchen¡¯s livestream footage was simply beyond words. ¡°When I saw Yuan Xi pull out a Continental car key, I was envious. Seeing the three hundred million diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± ¡°Does Yuan Xi really not need a bodyguard?¡± ¡°How much money has Michen made over the years, even the female executives¡¯ cars are not under a million.¡± ¡°What does wearing a three hundred million diamond ring on your finger actually feel like?¡± The restaurant was not far away, and Yuan Xi had not finished reading the comments when she arrived inside. Fu Qin was already waiting inside the restaurant. When Yuan Xi entered, she saw that Fu Qin was wearing a modified cheongsam, her hair done up elegantly, portraying the very image of a well-mannered young lady. Fu Qin glanced at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Finally, I get to see the living.¡± Huo Shiyan frowned and said, ¡°Speak nicely.¡± Fu Qin let out a light laugh, then turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Huo Shiyan has been talking about you all the time.¡± Yuan Xi was stunned. Huo Shiyan had been talking about her all the time? Yuan Xi said, ¡°Miss Fu, I¡¯m truly sorry about the gown yesterday.¡± Fu Qin: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Sui Sui has explained it all to me already, I don¡¯t mind. Just custom-make another one; it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve also heard about your marriage, congratulations, congratulations. You¡¯re pregnant, aren¡¯t you? Grandma Shi has been boasting to my grandmother every day that she¡¯s going to cradle a great-grandchild. She¡¯s so happy.¡± Listening to Fu Qin¡¯s words, Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyan again. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°My grandmother can¡¯t keep a happy event secret. When she found out you were having kids, twins no less, she¡¯s been showing off to her friends all over the world.¡± Yuan Xi gently placed her hand on her stomach; she had yet to tell Huo Shiyan whether her two children were healthy¡­ After all, they had indeed drunk quite a bit that night¡­ Yuan Xi was afraid that the elder¡¯s expectations might be dashed. ¡­ In another private room of the restaurant. Chu Yan, with a smile brimming on her face, watched Bo Fan and Fu Yi chat about everything under the sun, with Bo Fan not immediately pushing for an investment. Listening to Fu Yi speak at length, Chu Yan held her hand tightly; indeed, he was Huo Shiyan. Chu Yan¡¯s phone kept chiming with notifications. Opening it, she saw that many people had sent her news about Yuan Xi trending online. She had thought it would be the news that Yuan Xi was the real daughter of a conglomerate that was trending but turned out it was the story about Yuan Xi¡¯s fake diamond that had gone viral. Rising to her feet, Chu Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡± Just as Chu Yan reached the restroom, she saw Yuan Xi washing her hands by the sink, the blue diamond ring on her ring finger still dazzling. ¡°Sister, you should hurry up and take off and throw away that blue diamond. Initially, it was just embarrassing within Jiang City, but now you¡¯ve embarrassed yourself nationwide!¡± ¡°After trending online, even the true owner of the Charlotte Blue Diamond will know about it. You, as the daughter of the Chu Family, wearing a fake blue diamond¡ªwhere will you leave mom and dad¡¯s faces?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan beside her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn your lesson at all from yesterday?¡± Chu Yan, reminded of how confident she had been yesterday in claiming their gowns were knock-offs, got even more irritated, ¡°You could¡¯ve said your gowns weren¡¯t knock-offs all along. You had access to the gown, but could you also rent a Charlotte Blue Diamond worth over three hundred million?¡± Chu Yan, looking at the blue diamond on Yuan Xi¡¯s finger said, ¡°I advise you to quickly post a Weibo to explain, admit that your blue diamond is fake and that you wore it for fun. In case the true owner of the blue diamond comes forward and says your diamond is fake, Mi Chen, having just quieted down from public opinion, will be badmouthed by netizens again¡­¡± Yuan Xi flicked the water droplets off her hands, ¡°You need not concern yourself with Mi Chen or me. There¡¯s no need for me to explain anything on Weibo.¡± Chu Yan frowned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi, a fake is a fake. Even if netizens praise you now, even if they envy you for wearing a three-hundred-million diamond ring, everything you¡¯re getting is fake. You may embarrass yourself all you wish, but at the return banquet yesterday, you have already made your appearance. Everyone of significance in Jiang City knows you¡¯re the daughter of the Chu Family. If you get exposed by the real owner of the Charlotte Blue Diamond that yours is fake, the Chu Family will be humiliated alongside you!¡± Yuan Xi ignored Chu Yan and went back to the private room. Inside, Fu Qin¡¯s voice was heard: ¡°That bastard child shouldn¡¯t even dream of coming back. Whether the bastard child is a boy or girl, whether dead or alive, whether they were even born, we don¡¯t know. Eldest brother is now in a vegetative state, but it¡¯s not certain he won¡¯t wake up. Even Uncle Fu is so eager to find that bastard child, who might not even have been born¡­¡± Huo Shiyan spoke in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Fu wishes to groom his own flesh and blood to take over the Fu Family business. You have no desire to inherit the Fu Family legacy, and elder brother¡¯s condition shows no signs of improvement. Besides that child, who else would take over the Fu Family business?¡± Fu Qin spat, ¡°What kind of flesh and blood is that? His mother was aiming to gain status through her son, hoping the mistress could replace the wife. I believe my brother will recover, will wake up. That bastard child shouldn¡¯t even dream of coming back to inherit the Fu Family fortune.¡± Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Sister is Too Vain Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Sister is Too Vain Yuan Xi pushed the door open, and inside, Fu Qin was still quite annoyed as he said, ¡°My grandma has already spoken. Even if that illegitimate child was born, she wouldn¡¯t allow him to enter our Fu Family¡¯s door. She¡¯d rather find a girl with a clean background to have a test-tube baby for my brother than let that illegitimate child inherit the estate left by my grandfather.¡± Huo Shiyuan responded with a faint smile, ¡°Brother Yixian will definitely wake up safely.¡± Fu Qin nodded, ¡°Yeah, I also believe that my brother will definitely wake up.¡± Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t stay long in the restaurant and said goodbye to Fu Qin before getting into the car. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan with curiosity and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this about an illegitimate child that Fu Qin mentioned?¡± Huo Shiyuan explained, ¡°Twenty-six years ago, Fu Qin¡¯s granduncle had an affair with a young model, who delusionally thought she could use the child in her womb to force her way into legitimacy, the mistress turning into the wife, showing up at the Fu Family¡¯s doorstep heavily pregnant with a nine-month belly. The Fu Family outright denied that the child was theirs, forced the model out of A City, and she was about to give birth around that time. She probably gave birth shortly after leaving A City, but whether it was a boy or a girl is unknown to anyone.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Did the model ever try to contact the Fu Family afterward?¡± Huo Shiyuan gave a shallow laugh, ¡°As long as the Fu Family doesn¡¯t want to see her, no matter how hard she tries, she can¡¯t get close to them. The Fu Family¡¯s lawyers also warned her and probably gave her some money privately. She never troubled the Fu Family again.¡± Yuan Xi sighed softly, ¡°So why are they looking for the illegitimate child now?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°The Fu Family heir, Fu Yixian, had an accident abroad during his New Year¡¯s holiday, and he is now in a vegetative state, uncertain if he will ever wake up. Fu Qin never planned to be the heir of the Fu Family; he has his own life plans. There are two attitudes in the Fu Family now. Grandpa Fu and Uncle Fu hope to find the illegitimate child and groom him to inherit the estate, while Grandma Fu and Aunt Fu think that although Brother Yixian is in a vegetative state, it doesn¡¯t prevent having a child with his genes, and they can groom Yixian¡¯s next generation in the future.¡± Yuan Xi remarked, ¡°Twenty-six years ago, if that illegitimate child is alive, he would be 26 years old? Also surnamed Fu; it couldn¡¯t possibly be him, could it?¡± Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Who?¡± Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not likely to be such a coincidence. Although the surname ¡®Fu¡¯ isn¡¯t common, there should still be many people with that name. It wouldn¡¯t be him.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be who?¡± Yuan Xi answered, ¡°The actor Gu Hanchen brought today to play you, named Fu Yi, who is also 26.¡± Remembering Gu Hanchen hiring someone to impersonate him, Huo Shiyuan was somewhat helpless, ¡°¡­ Gu Hanchen really is extremely childish.¡± Yuan Xi smiled gently, ¡°Indeed, quite childish.¡± When Yuan Xi returned to Ruohu Mansion, the Charlotte Blue Diamond was already the number one trending topic. Yuan Xi thought about the enduring popularity and considered that her friend Shi Lei¡¯s concerns in their group chat weren¡¯t unreasonable; after all, wearing a diamond ring worth three billion on her hand was quite dangerous. After taking a bath, Yuan Xi removed the diamond ring and placed it in the drawer of the bedside table next to her. Seeing this, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing it anymore?¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Gu Hanchen went live today, and my diamond ring made it to the trending list. I¡¯m afraid of being robbed while walking¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Shall I arrange two bodyguards for you?¡± Yuan Xi laughed and shook her head, ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine if I just don¡¯t wear it. Such a big diamond ring is indeed inconvenient, and I¡¯m also worried about gaining weight when I¡¯m pregnant, making it difficult to remove the ring, so it¡¯s better not to wear it at all.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi¡¯s flat stomach, ¡°Alright, then don¡¯t wear it.¡± ¡­ After saying goodbye to Fu Yi, Bo Fan and Chu Yan got into the car. Bo Fan glanced at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Yanyan, aren¡¯t you and President Huo high school classmates? Why did you barely talk to him today?¡± Chu Yan let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m not very close to him. What I¡¯m more worried about is my sister. Her fake diamond made it to the trending searches. I¡¯m afraid that the person who bought the real diamond will be unhappy and cause us, the Chu family, to lose face¡­¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Indeed, Yuan Xi shouldn¡¯t have been so high-profile on the trending searches.¡± Chu Yan sighed, ¡°Anyone who can spend 339 million to buy that diamond would definitely be angry knowing my sister flaunted a fake as trending news. I¡¯ve advised my sister to post an apology blog and admit that the diamond she wore was just for show, but she¡¯s immersed in the vanity of netizens¡¯ praises and doesn¡¯t want to clarify, sigh.¡± ¡°Her vanity is just too much, sigh!¡± Chu Yan was browsing the trending comments on Weibo with furrowed eyebrows. Xiao Bai 66 Tu: I heard that the diamond was initially for the CEO Bo Fan to give to his fianc¨¦e, the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City as a wedding ring, but Bo Fan stopped bidding after it surpassed three hundred million. Mi Chen Game closed down: That diamond ring Yuan Xi has, which even the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City couldn¡¯t get ¨C what¡¯s the background of Yuan Xi? Wasn¡¯t she just Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary before? Are secretaries at Mi Chen paid that well? Colleague Boss in Heaven: The diamond sits on her ring finger, obviously a wedding ring. It must be a gift from her husband! Her husband must be a big shot! Gu Hanchen, His Wife: Yuan Xi graduated from a prestigious university, is beautiful, and competent. A year ago when Mi Chen faced a public relations crisis, it was her who attended the interviews. If I were a tycoon, I¡¯d like her too. Yuan Xi¡¯s looks are so comforting. Not immediately stunning, but the more you look, the prettier she seems¡­ ¡ª¡±Is it the three hundred million diamond that¡¯s pretty?¡± ¡ª¡±Is it the European key that¡¯s pretty?¡± Chao Qingqing, my goddess: A blue diamond ring that even the wife of CEO couldn¡¯t get, and Yuan Xi got it, doesn¡¯t this mean her husband must be an even more incredible tycoon than Bo Fan and Gu Hanchen? Chu Yan looked at the netizens¡¯ comments, filled with annoyance, ¡°What some big tycoon? Her husband is just a construction worker from a rural area. Netizens are really easily deceived. What do you mean by a blue diamond ring I can¡¯t get? It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it! I want a better diamond ring from you, Bo Fan.¡± Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we already buy a diamond ring?¡± Chu Yan replied, ¡°Though that diamond ring is twenty-one carats, it was only eighty million. Its value is nothing compared to the Charlotte Blue Diamond ring.¡± Bo Fan furrowed his brows, then patiently explained to Chu Yan, ¡°The estimated value of the Charlotte Blue Diamond is really at the top of three hundred million. Going above that isn¡¯t worth it. I¡¯ll make it up to you next time there¡¯s a chance.¡± Chu Yan chuckled softly, scrolling through more comments. No Recharge in Games: Yuan Xi¡¯s husband definitely spoils her. The estimated price of the Charlotte Blue Diamond is around 298 million. The bidding was fierce initially, but after 298 million, it was just the domestic diamond mogul and Yuan Xi¡¯s husband left bidding. I watched that auction. The auctioneer commissioned by her husband was very decisive, even giving off the feeling that no matter the price, he would match it. Chao Qing Number One Hater: CEO Fan Yan markets how much he loves his fianc¨¦e, but when it reached about 2.8 billion, each bid he made was extremely cautious, clearly not genuinely wanting to buy it, unlike Yuan Xi¡¯s husband who, at 339 million, had the auctioneer not even make a phone call to check. Chao Qing Number One Hater: Everyone knows Bo Fan intended to buy a three hundred million diamond ring for his fianc¨¦e, but he never finalized the payment or purchase, yet his reputation profited. From top to bottom, Fan Yan is just hypocrisy and nauseating. The CEO¡¯s wife is probably scrolling through our comments insanely jealous of Yuan Xi right now. Chu Yan was infuriated by this comment from Chao Qing Number One Hater. After some thought, she created a new Weibo account and posted a status. Busting Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, can you have some shame? Don¡¯t think the real owner of the blue diamond doesn¡¯t browse the internet. Using a fake diamond to deceive netizens just to satisfy your vanity must make you think your husband is truly wealthy, huh? Not clarifying on trending searches that your blue diamond is fake because you¡¯re afraid to admit your husband is actually just a construction worker? Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Chu Familys True Heiress Exposes the Fake Yuan Xi Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Chu Family¡¯s True Heiress Exposes the Fake Yuan Xi In the early morning, light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, Yuan Xi opened her eyes and reached for her phone to check it. Yuan Xi first dealt with messages on WeChat, glanced at her work email to see if there were any urgent matters requiring a response, then once again opened Weibo to see if the trending topic had been removed. But to Yuan Xi¡¯s surprise, she was still the number one trend. #Chu Family¡¯s Real Daughter Exposes Mi Chen Yuan Xi# #Fan Yan CEO¡¯s wife Accidentally Likes Post# Yuan Xi clicked in and saw that an account called ¡®Exposing Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond¡¯ had mentioned her in a post which Chu Yan had accidentally liked. Looking at the title ¡®Exposing Fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond¡¯, Yuan Xi chuckled softly, not the least bit annoyed. She didn¡¯t even want Chu Yan to go to work; such clumsy tactics wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in the corporate world. Using an alt account to insult her, at least they should change their tone. Yuan Xi opened the besties¡¯ chat group, where Chen Yuan had posted several screenshots of Weibo and sent her a video from a marketing channel on a short-video website. Bingxixi the socialite: So, Yuan Xi¡¯s blue diamond is fake, huh? That¡¯s way too vain. No wonder the real Chu Family daughter stepped up to expose the fake. Opening the video from the marketing account named ¡®Exposing the Socialite¡¯, the account¡¯s voice played out and Yuan Xi quickly turned down the volume, yet still woke Huo Shiyuan beside her. Huo Shiyuan wrapped his arm around Yuan Xi, his voice hoarse, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Seven thirty, sorry, I didn¡¯t realize the phone was so loud, I woke you up.¡± Huo Shiyuan opened his eyes to look at Yuan Xi, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Since Yuan Xi didn¡¯t bring her earphones, she listened to the marketing account¡¯s video at a low volume. Exposing the Socialite: ¡°Sisters, this is a sight for sore eyes, finally seeing the real heiress stepping up to expose the fake rich girl boasting online. Yesterday, Mi Chen Vice President Yuan Xi was trending for her blue diamond, everyone praised it as a three billion yuan piece, but it turns out to be fake, fake! A mogul with real diamonds posted on Weibo to call out Yuan Xi, and the Chu Family heiress and CEO¡¯s wife Fan Yan accidentally liked it, solidifying that Yuan Xi is indeed a fraud.¡± Huo Shiyuan, hearing the marketer¡¯s voice, frowned deeply, stood up, and went to get the authentication certificate from the auction house for Yuan Xi, ¡°I didn¡¯t give you a fake.¡± Of course, Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t suspect Huo Shiyuan of giving her a fake diamond. Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a mix of opinions online, we don¡¯t need to verify it for ourselves. I know it¡¯s real and that¡¯s enough for me.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I don¡¯t want netizens who are in the dark to call you vain.¡± Huo Shiyuan took a photo of the diamond certificate and sent it to Qin Lang, instructing Qin Lang to post it using the official account of the Shiyi Group. Shiyi Group: The most exquisite Charlotte Blue Diamond, only for the best girl @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi. Underneath was a photo of the certificate Huo Shiyuan had just taken. Yuan Xi saw a new mention pop up on her phone, she clicked it to see it was from the Shiyi Group, and looked over at Huo Shiyuan beside her. ¡°Using the official Shiyi Group account to clarify for me, won¡¯t it affect the company in some way¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just don¡¯t want others to insult you, not even online strangers.¡± Yuan Xi smiled softly and reposted the Shiyi Group¡¯s Weibo, simply replying with two words: Thank you. Then, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t bother with the online drama anymore, with the Shiyi Group¡¯s post, the public opinion should calm down too. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan went to freshen up together, and after brushing their teeth, Yuan Xi saw the sleepy-eyed Huo Shiyuan in the mirror, who was, through the mirror, looking back at her. Yuan Xi quickly cast her gaze down, not daring to look at him any longer. Huo Shiyuan noticed Yuan Xi¡¯s apparent discomfort; given the number of events that had happened to Yuan Xi lately, he thought she hadn¡¯t yet adjusted to the fact that they were married¡­ Yuan Xi changed into a crisp dress shirt and blazer. As she was zipping up the skirt, she found it somewhat difficult to pull up the zipper. She looked at her reflection in the fitting mirror ¨C had she gained weight? However, she was now eating three square meals a day, unlike before when she would often miss meals due to her busy schedule. Recently, Huo Shiyuan had been making sure she ate three meals a day, and sometimes there were even snacks for afternoon tea. The Huo Family¡¯s cook made dishes that really suited her tastes, far more delicious than the meals at the Mi Chen Cafeteria. Yuan Xi stepped out and asked Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Do you have a scale in your house?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°What do you need to weigh? There should be a kitchen scale. Ask the chef or the housekeeper.¡± Yuan Xi said softly, ¡°A body scale ¨C I think I¡¯ve gained some weight. Clothes that used to fit me perfectly are now a bit tight¡­¡± Six weeks into her pregnancy was not enough to show, but it wasn¡¯t weight gain just around the waist. Yuan Xi felt that she indeed had been eating more lately. Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°Looking a bit plumper is nice. If the clothes don¡¯t fit, just buy new ones.¡± Yuan Xi pursed her lips and thought, that¡¯s true. The child in her belly was the most important thing. There was no need to consider dieting during pregnancy. ¡­ Inside the Chu Family home. Chu Yan had not returned to Jiangjing No.1 with Bo Fan the previous night. Instead, she returned to the Chu Family home, just to have breakfast early in the morning and to see Yang Ying and Chu Qing. ¡°Dad, Mom, big brother!¡± Seeing Chu Yan in a white dress nightgown, Yang Ying was momentarily dazzled. She truly wished that Yuan Xi could also leap towards her as brightly and happily, calling her mom. Unfortunately, due to a 25-year gap, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t even want to stay at home¡­ Chu Lin said to Chu Yan, ¡°Why did you come home? I thought with Bo Fan around, you¡¯d have forgotten all about us.¡± Chu Yan chuckled, ¡°How could I? Even after I marry Bo Fan, I¡¯ll still come home often to be with Dad and Mom, as long as you don¡¯t mind me.¡± Yang Ying smiled and said, ¡°How could we possibly mind? You¡¯re such a sweetie.¡± Chu Yan sat down next to Chu Lin and whispered while eating bird¡¯s nest porridge, ¡°Dad, Mom, big brother, I did something wrong last night that I feel really sorry about. Sister doesn¡¯t like me, and I¡¯m too embarrassed to apologize to her¡­¡± Chu Lin asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Chu Yan whispered, ¡°I was scrolling through Weibo yesterday and accidentally liked a post from an account that was insulting sister, calling her vain and telling her to ¡®have some shame.¡¯ The like caused a backlash against sister, with netizens calling her vain, and she was criticized harshly. I didn¡¯t mean to like it, and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d slip up like that¡­ By the time I realized and unliked it, many people had seen it. Now there are marketing accounts on the internet saying that I¡¯m exposing my fake sister. I don¡¯t know how to explain it!¡± Yang Ying and Chu Qing rarely got involved with the internet, and as a traditional business, they had no need to rely on online marketing. Chu Lin opened up the trending marketing account¡¯s video alleging to unmask the fake socialite, and a sentence about ¡®exposing Yuan Xi¡¯ made Yang Ying very angry. Yang Ying said, ¡°That¡¯s completely nonsensical, Xinxin is also our child. You must get on Weibo right now and explain that she is also the heir to the Chuneng Group.¡± Chu Yan softly said, ¡°Mom, but if we acknowledge that sister is the heir to Chuneng Group, wouldn¡¯t it be even more embarrassing for us if she¡¯s seen wearing a fake diamond ring? Could it disgrace the Chuneng Group online?¡± Chu Lin gave Chu Yan a deep look, ¡°How do you know Yuan Xi¡¯s diamond ring is fake?¡± Chu Yan replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t that account exposing the fake Mi Chen Blue Diamond say so? The real collector of the Charlotte blue diamond was there. I was at that auction too. The bidding agent acted like cost wasn¡¯t an issue when bidding, which shows that the real owner of the blue diamond might be someone much more influential than even our Chuneng Group could afford to offend. Mom and Dad, I think we shouldn¡¯t be the ones to come forward and explain. Instead, sister should apologize and admit that she was just playing around with a fake diamond and didn¡¯t expect things to blow up like this¡­¡± Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 39: So, Huo Shiyuan gave Yuan Xi the blue diamond? Chapter 39: Chapter 39: So, Huo Shiyuan gave Yuan Xi the blue diamond? Chu Lin looked at the content on his phone, ¡°There¡¯s no need for Yuan Xi to apologize¡­¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Chu Yan said anxiously, ¡°Yuan Xi has probably already offended that big shot who bought the real diamond. Why won¡¯t you let her apologize? If this escalates, it will negatively impact the Chu Family¡¯s reputation.¡± Chu Lin looked toward Chu Yan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you check your phone when you got up?¡± Chu Yan, worried she wouldn¡¯t wake up early and that Chu Qing and Yang Ying would already be at the company, had specifically set an alarm and hadn¡¯t had time to check her phone when she got up. Chu Lin handed his phone to Chu Yan, ¡°The Shiyi Group has claimed the blue diamond and posted on Weibo that the Charlotte Blue Diamond was a gift from the Shiyi Group to Yuan Xi.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Chu Yan took the phone and looked at it; she clicked on the Shiyi Group and checked the group¡¯s verified account. It was indeed the official account. Chu Lin took back the phone and said, ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t always assume and believe everything you read from small accounts on the internet.¡± Chu Yan was still in a daze. How could it be the Shiyi Group? Wasn¡¯t the Shiyi Group supposed to be owned by Huo Shiyuan¡¯s family? The Shiyi Group claiming this blue diamond means Huo Shiyuan was the one who gifted the blue diamond to Yuan Xi? Chu Yan took out her own phone and looked at the diamond certification issued by the Shiyi Group, clenching her hands. Returning to her room on the second floor, Chu Yan typed a string of numbers she knew all too well into her phone. ¡­ At Jiangcheng Renmin Hospital. Fu Yi was peeling an apple for Ren Tian, ¡°How come you can¡¯t even deal with Gu Hanchen?¡± Ren Tian took the phone next to her and turned on the front camera, ¡°I do have a pretty face, don¡¯t I? Should I get plastic surgery? But this car crash will cost a lot of money to settle, and I¡¯ve already run out of savings. Gu Hanchen even sent his nanny to take care of me a few days ago, but today he withdrew her¡­¡± Fu Yi said, ¡°Gu Hanchen is hiring a secretary. You should find a way to get close to him.¡± Ren Tian said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with Gu Hanchen anymore. He¡¯s a complete nutcase. The day before yesterday, he took me to the hospital, took so many photos of me, and I thought he was interested in me. But that night, he posted photos of me lying in the hospital bed on Weibo, promoting his good deeds, and he even photoshopped his picture but not mine¡­¡± Ren Tian added, ¡°I knew I should have stuck with that factory heir from last time. At least he was normal.¡± When Fu Yi heard the phone ring, he answered it, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Huo, Huo Shiyuan, it¡¯s me. I didn¡¯t expect you hadn¡¯t changed your number in eight years.¡± Fu Yi recognized the voice on the phone. It had been eight years, but he indeed hadn¡¯t changed his number. ¡°What is it?¡± Chu Yan asked, ¡°Why did you give Yuan Xi the blue diamond?¡± Fu Yi hesitated, seeing the news Ren Tian was scrolling through, and slowly said, ¡°Shixi invested in Mi Chen; Yuan Xi has excellent work capability, so the blue diamond was given to her¡­¡± Chu Yan accused, ¡°Are you doing this to upset me? Because Bo Fan wanted to buy that blue diamond to make a wedding ring for me, you snatched it from him and gave it to Yuan Xi to embarrass me, right?¡± ¡°Think what you want.¡± Fu Yi hung up after saying that. Chu Yan, after being hung up on, furiously threw her phone; she looked at the diamond ring on her ring finger, took it off, and threw it into a corner of the room. Huo Shiyuan really did this to get back at her, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given that blue diamond ring to Yuan Xi. Chu Yan then went to pick up her diamond ring; after putting it back on, she took a deep breath, relieved that Yuan Xi was already married. Huo Shiyuan giving Yuan Xi the blue diamond was just to spite her. Chu Yan wasn¡¯t envious of that blue diamond at all. After hanging up, Fu Yi took Ren Tian¡¯s phone and looked at the news content inside. Ren Tian said, ¡°I just overheard a girl¡¯s voice; who was it?¡± Fu Yi: ¡°Chu Yan.¡± Ren Tian¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Your goddess actually called you? Wait, looking at your outfit, have you made it big?¡± Fu Yi: ¡°Gu Hanchen asked me to pose as the president of Shixi, Huo Shiyuan, and I would receive a million after the task was accomplished.¡± Ren Tian touched her own face, ¡°With a million, I could go for plastic surgery, then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not marrying into a wealthy family anymore. I don¡¯t want to get involved with Gu Hanchen anymore, Bo Fan has your goddess, how about Chu Lin¡­¡± Fu Yi looked at Ren Tian: ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy becoming the young lady of Chuneng Group? Gu Hanchen is different, he established Mi Chen himself, and he could ignore the arranged marriages his family sets up, but Chu Lin can¡¯t. You better just go apply to be a secretary at Mi Chen.¡± Ren Tian sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything, you know that my family stopped letting me go to school after I graduated from middle school, how can I apply to be Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary? Don¡¯t his secretaries at least need to have graduated from prestigious universities?¡± Fu Yi: ¡°Just go, I have prepared a fake resume for you. I have taken care of all kinds of background checks. When you get next to Gu Hanchen, you are not actually there to be a secretary, but it¡¯s the best opportunity for you to become Mrs. Gu.¡± Ren Tian thought of the dark, damp, and cramped urban village, she indeed was eager to leave the urban village. ¡°Fu Yi, thank you, once I become Mrs. Gu, I will definitely not forget you.¡± ¡­ On Friday, Yuan Xi saw Zhong Xiaoyi, who was on her first day at the office. Yuan Xi looked at Zhong Xiaoyi, who was wearing a mid-sleeve blouse and an A-line skirt bought from Uniqlo, and remembered herself five years ago. Back then, that was the best outfit she could think of when she had just graduated, and she had spent her only savings to buy that outfit. Later, because of work, her clothes gradually became branded or tailor-made, costing ten to a hundred times more than that outfit. However, that outfit was still in Yuan Xi¡¯s wardrobe, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to throw it away. ¡°President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi smiled and said, ¡°Just call me Sister Xixi, that¡¯s what everyone in the secretarial office calls me. For starters, you can handle Mr. Gu¡¯s personal schedule¡­ just help Mr. Gu arrange his time reasonably¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Zhong Xiaoyi obediently responded. ¡°President Yuan.¡± The HR director came up to her and said, ¡°Mr. Gu has recruited a batch of new secretaries, do you have time to take a look?¡± ¡°Why are we recruiting more secretaries?¡± HR director: ¡°Mr. Gu said there are currently twelve people in the secretarial office, and none are married or have children. He fears they will follow your example of marrying and having children early, so he decided to recruit a couple of younger, freshly graduated ones who could make up for¡­¡± Yuan Xi chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look together.¡± Yuan Xi went to the interview room and as soon as she entered, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao wearing a Chanel dress and big double C logo earrings. Yu Xiaoxiao, seeing Yuan Xi come in, crossed her arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ve come to apply for Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary. Yuan Xi, don¡¯t think about introducing your friend to Gu Hanchen. I¡¯ve checked, and that Liang Suisui¡¯s family just owns a small textile factory, and their business has been bad these past years. Just based on her, she can¡¯t enter the Gu Family¡¯s door. I am determined to be Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary. Don¡¯t even think about introducing your friend to Gu Hanchen under my watch.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± If Yu Xiaoxiao were to become a secretary at Mi Chen, Yuan Xi figured she would not be able to see Gu Hanchen at Mi Chen anymore. The HR director looked toward the door, ¡°Hmm? There were over a dozen people coming for interviews today, how come it¡¯s only Yu Xiaoxiao here?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao slammed her BV bag onto the table and took out a stack of red banknotes. ¡°No need to look further, I gave each one of them ten thousand, told them not to compete with me for the job, and they have all been hired by the Yu Group already. Our Yu Group offers double the salary that Mi Chen does, this secretary position for Gu Hanchen can only be mine! Anyone who comes to apply, I will pay them to leave. No one will refuse a higher salary and better benefits.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± HR director: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hello, is this the place for the interviews for the secretary to the president of Mi Chen?¡± A sweet voice rang at the doorway. Yuan Xi looked over and saw a young, sweet, and beautiful girl, but her body had a nauseating mix of smoke and perfume scent, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling sick, so she headed to the restroom, ¡°Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.¡± Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 40 But I Just Despise Chu Yan Chapter 40: Chapter 40 But I Just Despise Chu Yan Yuan Xi had gone to the restroom and vomited for a while, gargled, and reapplied her makeup before returning to the interview meeting room. She hadn¡¯t even entered when she heard Gu Hanchen¡¯s voice. ¡°Just settle on Ren Tian, no need to say more.¡± ¡°Brother Hanchen!¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said from the side, ¡°I also want to be your secretary.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°We have enough secretaries already, you should go back. Mi Chen isn¡¯t that easy to get into.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao was full of dissatisfaction, ¡°Why not? In what ways am I inferior to this woman?¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°You¡¯re not as pretty as Ren Tian. Being my secretary requires attending banquets as my companion. That¡¯s settled then; we¡¯re going directly with Ren Tian.¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Ren Tian standing beside her and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°You won¡¯t ask further and just settle on her?¡± Being the president¡¯s secretary, Gu Hanchen was being somewhat too arbitrary. Gu Hanchen whispered to Yuan Xi, ¡°She has to be better than Yu Xiaoxiao, right?¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± Yu Xiaoxiao saw Gu Hanchen and Yuan Xi whispering and talking softly to each other, and she furrowed her brows and approached Yuan Xi, ¡°You wait!¡± Yuan Xi looked innocently at Yu Xiaoxiao. Ren Tian walked up to Yuan Xi, revealing her slightly yellowed teeth from smoking and smiled lightly, ¡°Mr. Gu, when do I start working?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Ren Tian was startled, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow the weekend?¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°Weekend? Who¡¯s Weekend? I don¡¯t know Weekend.¡± Yuan Xi said to Ren Tian, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Mr. Gu. Our company¡¯s office hours are from 9:30 to 5:30, with weekends off. You can start on Monday.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®don¡¯t listen to me¡¯? Yuan Xi, am I invisible to you?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°The president¡¯s secretarial office has always had weekends off.¡± Only she did not have them, but now she did too. On Friday night, Yuan Xi stayed at work until nine, briefed Zhong Xiaoyi on her work processes and then went down to the underground garage. Just as she was getting in her car, she saw Huo Shiyuan taking a short nap. ¡°Sorry for making you wait so long.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Monica come? Why are you still busy until now?¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°The weekend is coming up, so I worked a few extra hours. Monica is okay with my job, but Mr. Gu lacks a secretary who has the patience to handle him properly. A new junior secretary, Zhong Xiaoyi, joined today, and I spent some time training her. She¡¯s quite smart and caught on quickly.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°It seems you are quite satisfied with the new junior secretary?¡± ¡°I see a bit of myself when I first left school in her. I was very confused then, uncertain about the future. Many of my classmates who just graduated weren¡¯t earning much, and most of them chose to pursue further studies. I too was scared I wouldn¡¯t find a suitable job.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pursue further studies?¡± Huo Shiyuan asked. Yuan Xi helplessly replied, ¡°I had no money back then. After my adoptive parents passed away, relatives on my grandparent¡¯s side seized all the inheritance they left behind. My maternal grandmother¡¯s family was also facing some troubles at the time, hardly able to fend for themselves. It was already quite a feat for me to finish four years of university.¡± Huo Shiyuan¡¯s brows lightly knit, ¡°Shi Lei and Liang Suisui come from well-off families, didn¡¯t their families help you?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t always rely on their families¡¯ help, even though they are my best friends. I couldn¡¯t comfortably keep using their money.¡± ¡°I usually paid them back whenever I earned money from my part-time jobs. It¡¯s true that both families weren¡¯t short of money, but the income from the textile factory wasn¡¯t very good either, and it was all built up through the hard work of Uncle Liang and Uncle Shi. I was also afraid of owing too much and not being able to pay it back.¡± ¡°Back then, working part-time was exhausting. With a busy school schedule, earning fifty a day from part-time jobs was already not easy. Tutoring kids during summer and winter vacations could earn a bit more, but it was barely enough to cover tuition and book fees. To continue with my graduate studies, I didn¡¯t know how many more milk teas I would have to make, or how many more favors I¡¯d owe. I didn¡¯t want to keep making milk teas anymore¡­¡± Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t expected to talk about her past¡ªwhich she never wanted to recall¡ªin front of Huo Shiyuan. She had been really poor back then, but fortunately, she knew good people. Her roommates had never looked down on her for her poverty; learning that she was an orphan, they had even taken the initiative to cover most of the electricity bill since she spent little time in the dorm. When they saw Yuan Xi wearing the same clothes for a long time, they would intentionally buy clothes a size too large and give them to her, claiming they were too cheap to return because of a coupon and were too lazy to do so. Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Won¡¯t you ask Brother Zhuangzhuang for some help?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Him? I don¡¯t even have his contact anymore, and he hasn¡¯t reached out to me either. Besides, it¡¯s been over six years since we last met. It wouldn¡¯t be right to ask for his help now, and if he helped, I would need to pay him back.¡± Huo Shiyuan drove onto the highway, grasping the steering wheel tightly, he couldn¡¯t imagine Yuan Xi had quit her studies because of poverty. Nor could he imagine she had experienced such a tough time. He hadn¡¯t failed to come back looking for Yuan Xi. Since his first year in high school, he couldn¡¯t get in touch with Yuan Xi. When he hurriedly flew back, Yuan Xi was living at school, and outsiders were not permitted to enter. Huo Shiyuan finally got the chance during a weekend and saw Yuan Xi walking side by side with a boy; her classmates said they were a couple. At that time, Huo Shiyuan thought Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to contact him, but he still didn¡¯t let his family get rid of the landline phone. Nowadays, not many homes still have a landline phone. But Huo Shiyuan still didn¡¯t allow his family to remove it; he thought if Yuan Xi ever needed him, she would call. Later, when Huo Shiyuan was twenty, he visited Huxi Village again. That time, neither Shi Lei nor Suisui were there. Huo Shiyuan went to Yuan Xi¡¯s house, only to learn she had moved and no one knew where to. Due to needing to return to school urgently, he didn¡¯t continue searching. Huo Shiyuan thought, if he had continued searching then and found where Yuan Xi was, even just seeing her once and knowing her situation, would¡¯ve spared her almost not graduating because of money during her four years at university. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hearing Huo Shiyuan utter those three words of apology, Yuan Xi was a bit puzzled, ¡°Why do you say sorry to me?¡± Huo Shiyuan explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for not being there when you needed help the most. If I had met you during your college years, your life wouldn¡¯t have included those tough times, and you wouldn¡¯t have had to abandon your studies.¡± Yuan Xi paused, then smiled slowly, ¡°President Huo, if I had met you during my college years, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have ended up together. Back then, I would have thought you were as unreachable as a star in the sky.¡± Huo Shiyuan also chuckled lightly and turned on the car¡¯s music, ¡°That time must have been tough, right?¡± Listening to the soothing music, Yuan Xi said, ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t too bad. The days weren¡¯t too difficult. I knew even if I didn¡¯t work, anyhow Shi Lei and Suisui would support me. My roommates were also kind, and my part-time job bosses were good people. Actually, society still has more kind people. Knowing I was an orphan, many people treated me kindly.¡± ¡°Only¡­ The only time I felt aggrieved and broke down was one day after a rainstorm. It had rained heavily, business was bad, and there were still many leftover drinks. I had to wait until very late to close. On the way back to the dorm, Chu Yan, driving a Bugatti, splashed me with muddy water.¡± ¡°At that moment, I thought the world was really shitty. Chu Yan¡¯s Bugatti, I couldn¡¯t shake milk tea fast enough to afford it, and even though I was living my life as hard as I could, I still got splashed with muddy water by her.¡± ¡°My roommate couldn¡¯t stand it and posted a complaint about Chu Yan on the confession wall, but other comments on the wall said our dorm was just jealous of Chu Yan being rich, jealous that she was the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City, saying our dorm was ugly and making a fuss over getting splashed with water, which is a common occurrence¡­¡± ¡°Even though I knew those could very well be Chu Yan¡¯s lackeys flattering her and seeking favor, in that moment, looking at the muddy clothes and feeling all the grievances, oppression, and exhaustion accumulated over more than two years, I just completely broke down. Later, I convinced myself, Chu Yan was just born luckier, no need for me to be upset, just continue to work hard and live my own life.¡± ¡°But I never expected Heaven would play such a big joke on me¡ªI am actually the real heiress of the Chu family¡­¡± Yuan Xi gave a hollow laugh, placing her hand on her stomach, ¡°I find it hard to get along well with Chu Yan. It feels hypocritical even saying I am not jealous of her. Despite the fact that she¡¯s the adopted fake heiress, I still despise her. I know in the novels, real heiresses who despise adopted fake heiresses like me typically don¡¯t have happy endings, but I just despise Chu Yan¡­¡± Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41 The Day I Wasnt Drunk Chapter 41: Chapter 41 The Day I Wasn¡¯t Drunk Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°So you¡¯re not willing to go back to live with the Chu Family, not because you married me and are living with me, but because you don¡¯t want to see Chu Yan and pretend to have a deep sisterly bond?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yeah, and I guess it¡¯s also because Ruohu holds the most beautiful memories of my childhood. Everyone says that you spend your life making up for your childhood, and I¡¯m fortunate that my childhood is enough to heal the most difficult times of my life.¡± After returning to the Ruohu Mansion, Yuan Xi saw a full table of dishes, still warm. It was clear that the chef had just prepared a late-night snack. Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°I asked the chef to prepare it when we were out. Have something to eat.¡± Yuan Xi touched her chin, ¡°Eating at this hour won¡¯t make me gain weight, will it?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You won¡¯t get fat from one meal.¡± Yuan Xi ate the food with a clear conscience; the cooking of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s chef really suited her taste. ¡­ Early Saturday morning, at the hospital. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived at the hospital bright and early. Even though it was a private hospital, it was still a bit crowded on weekends. Yuan Xi had made an appointment in advance and was quickly queued up for her examination. While waiting for the results, Yuan Xi was a bit nervous, ¡°This time they can only check the fetal heartbeat and the embryo. We have to wait until the ninth week to get a preliminary view of any abnormalities.¡± Huo Shiyuan, listening to Yuan Xi¡¯s words, said, ¡°How could there be any abnormalities?¡± ¡°We were both drunk that night, weren¡¯t we?¡± Yuan Xi said quietly, ¡°I heard that getting pregnant while drunk can be harmful to the child¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t drink much, and I wasn¡¯t drunk.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°But that night you clearly said you were drunk¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t said that, Gu Hanchen would have kept making you toast me all night; in fact, I wasn¡¯t drunk at all that day.¡± The sentence ¡°I wasn¡¯t drunk at all¡± exploded in Yuan Xi¡¯s mind like a bomb. So, she was the only one drunk that day? ¡°Yuan Xi.¡± Yuan Xi heard her name called and entered the examination room. The doctor said, ¡°Both babies¡¯ heartbeats have been detected. Your pregnancy reactions will get more severe; eat more foods that are high in vitamins CA, and try to relax more. Come back around eleven weeks for an initial screening for abnormalities.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, doctor.¡± The doctor looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t overwork yourself. Today your boss is finally not calling you.¡± Yuan Xi smiled, clearly remembering the last time she was there, continually rushed by calls from Gu Hanchen, ¡°Today¡¯s Saturday.¡± Huo Shiyuan reached out to help Yuan Xi up, and she was taken aback, ¡°I don¡¯t need help to stand yet.¡± Huo Shiyuan chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just practicing.¡± As they went downstairs, they encountered a neonatal area where babies were swimming and sunbathing. The soft and tender infants were lined up in their cribs, basking in the sunlight through the glass. Before, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t have much sentiment for children, and even because Mi Chen Game had a significant number of bratty players, she didn¡¯t have any particular longing to have a child of her own. But now that she was expecting, she found herself quite fond of the idea; in this world, only the two children in her belly were the closest to her. Seeing so many soft and tender infants now, a faint smile appeared on Yuan Xi¡¯s face, ¡°They are all so cute.¡± Before long, she too would have two soft and cute babies. ¡°Shiyan, have you ever taken care of children before? Like siblings or anything?¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any younger brothers or sisters, but when I was young, I used to help a friend take care of her cousin. Thinking about it, he should be getting ready for his college entrance exam soon.¡± As soon as Huo Shiyan¡¯s words concluded, Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang. After answering, a young boy¡¯s voice came through from the other side. ¡°Sis, what¡¯s with the rumors online? Did you get married? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about your marriage?¡± ¡°I just found out you got married!¡± ¡°I went home and asked Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, and Mom, and none of them knew you were married. How could you not tell us about something as big as getting married?¡± Yuan Xi listened to the young voice on the phone and glanced at Huo Shiyan, whispering, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret from Grandma and Grandpa. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t know how to tell them about my sudden marriage. I¡¯ll come back later.¡± ¡°Come back? You can come back now? That evil capitalist Gu Hanchen is willing to let you go? I was even thinking about choosing law as my major after my college entrance exam so that I could properly judge that wicked capitalist Gu Hanchen!¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°Tell Grandma and Grandpa that I¡¯ll come back today, and I¡¯ll bring your brother-in-law with me.¡± ¡°He married you without our consent, so how is he any brother-in-law of mine? At least he¡¯s not considered one in my heart right now!¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyan, ¡°That was my cousin¡¯s call. I haven¡¯t yet informed Grandma and Grandpa about my marriage and finding my family. I really don¡¯t know how to tell them¡­ I was thinking¡­ of taking you with me today and telling them in person.¡± Being pregnant before marriage and subsequently having a shotgun wedding, Yuan Xi simply didn¡¯t dare to tell her elders. Especially Grandma and Grandpa, who in their entire lives had only traveled as far as City A for a check-up. They had spent their entire lives in Huxi Village, and their mindset simply couldn¡¯t accept the idea of a girl getting pregnant before marriage. Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Okay, I happen to be free today.¡± Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyan, ¡°Could you say we dated for a year before getting married? My grandparents can¡¯t accept the fact that I was pregnant before marriage. They both had surgery before and can¡¯t be upset by me¡­¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ At the Chu Family. The Yang Family had a tradition of meeting for a meal once a month, and Yang Ying had risen early to check on the gifts. Chu Qing asked Yang Ying, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Xinxin come over yet?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Did you tell Xinxin about going to her uncle¡¯s house for the gathering?¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°I thought you told her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°I thought you did. Oh dear, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll quickly give Xinxin a call and have the driver pick them up.¡± When Yang Ying called Yuan Xi, she was busy selecting gifts for her grandparents with Huo Shiyan. ¡°That¡¯s right, just this cordyceps should be enough¡­ Hello, Mom.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Are you out shopping?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Hmm, buying gifts to visit my grandparents.¡± Yang Ying chuckled, ¡°Your brother must have told you, remember to come early.¡± Yuan Xi felt a bit perplexed, and fearing that Huo Shiyan might choose some extravagant gifts that her grandparents wouldn¡¯t use and would worry about, she simply agreed with a ¡°Sure¡± and hung up the phone. ¡°Shiyan, there¡¯s no need to buy the best quality cordyceps, ordinary ones are fine. If you buy high quality, my Grandpa will get angry. I¡¯ve been giving this for years, and he¡¯s used to it. It¡¯s the thought that counts for the elderly.¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Grandpa getting upset before was just because he¡¯s concerned about you and didn¡¯t want you to waste your hard-earned money. As a son-in-law making his first visit, I can¡¯t fall short on manners.¡± Yuan Xi also felt that what Huo Shiyan said made sense and didn¡¯t protest further. Over at the Chu Family, Yang Ying said to Chu Qing, ¡°Xinxin is already picking out gifts for her grandparents. It must have been Lin¡¯er who told her about today¡¯s gathering at her uncle¡¯s house.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°That¡¯s good, we should head out too.¡± Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 42: I am at my grandmothers house Chapter 42: Chapter 42: I am at my grandmother¡¯s house Yuan Xi¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house was located in Lianbu Village, next to Huxi Village, which also surrounded Ruohu Lake. Yuan Xi had rarely come here, the last time being two years ago during the Winter Solstice when she wasn¡¯t working overtime. She came to pay respects to her parents¡¯ graves and had stopped by to visit her grandparents. ¡°I could only navigate to Lianbu Village, how did you know my grandmother¡¯s house is inside here?¡± Yuan Xi curiously asked Huo Shiyan. After Huo Shiyan stopped the car, he touched his nose, ¡°All the villages around Ruohu Lake are being relocated, so I made a point to remember where your relatives live.¡± Yuan Xi understood; besides the villagers themselves, very few could navigate the area like Huo Shiyan could. Yuan Xi, carrying gifts, arrived at a large iron gate where a grapevine grew along the surrounding wall, ¡°Grandpa, Granny.¡± ¡°Big sis!¡± A young boy inside hurried over to open the gate. Seeing Yuan Xi, he smiled, ¡°Sister, I haven¡¯t seen you for so long! I must get into the Labor Bureau so I can properly sanction that evil capitalist, Gu Hanchen.¡± Seeing the tall youth before her, Yuan Xi gave a faint smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you about to take the college entrance exams? How come you have time off on Saturday?¡± ¡°Times have changed. We¡¯re focusing on reducing stress now; seniors get two days off on weekends. We even went on a spring outing recently.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so envious. We used to have to work two weeks straight.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Huo Shiyan behind her, ¡°Xiao Hao, this is your brother-in-law.¡± Liang Hao looked at Huo Shiyan before him with disdain, ¡°What a pretty boy!¡± Yuan Xi, ¡°Xiao Hao, you can¡¯t be so impolite.¡± Liang Hao, ¡°I¡¯m still more polite than he is. He didn¡¯t make any gestures to us and just married you away. When Brother Zhuangzhuang left, he emphasized that I needed to keep a tight watch over you and not let men deceive you so easily.¡± Yuan Xi was rather helpless; that was more than ten years ago. Back then, Liang Hao was still in kindergarten. It was remarkable that he remembered for so long! Liang Hao, ¡°Looks so fragile too, he doesn¡¯t compare to Brother Zhuangzhuang who¡¯s strong and protective at all.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyan; no way could he be considered weak¡ªhe was actually quite muscular¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my brother is young, and he¡¯s just joking.¡± Huo Shiyan said with a light laugh, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Liang Hao, ¡°I¡¯m of age now, not young anymore. He married you and I had to find out you got married by checking trending news. What¡¯s wrong with saying a couple of words to him?¡± ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Xiao Xi, I haven¡¯t seen you in so long, and you¡¯ve lost weight.¡± Yuan Xi handed the gifts to the two elders coming from inside, ¡°Grandpa, Granny, this is Huo Shiyan.¡± Grandpa Liang looked at Huo Shiyan and asked in broken Mandarin, ¡°Not bad-looking, tall too. Where are you from? What do you do?¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°Grandpa and Granny, I¡¯m from A City. My family runs a hotel, and now I¡¯m in investments, currently involved in the renovation project around Ruohu Lake.¡± ¡°Wait, Huo Shiyan¡­¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°Are you that super, super rich young master of Shiyi Group, Huo Shiyan?¡± Huo Shiyan gave a faint smile, ¡°Yes.¡± Liang Hao sighed; Brother Zhuangzhuang probably didn¡¯t stand a chance. A middle-aged woman entered through the iron gate, ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯re back! I didn¡¯t believe Xiao Hao when he told us you¡¯d come back. It¡¯s been so long since we last saw you. Your uncle can¡¯t get time off from the company, but he misses you too. Xiao Hao said you¡¯d definitely come back, so I went ahead and packed some dishes from the restaurant. We can stir-fry a couple more dishes later.¡± ¡°Aunt,¡± Yuan Xi greeted the woman who had returned from buying groceries, ¡°No need to trouble yourself, we can just have something simple.¡± Huo Shiyan also chimed in, ¡°Aunt.¡± Aunt Liang smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯ve got good taste. We still couldn¡¯t believe it when we found out you were married. This young man is from which family?¡± Liang Hao, ¡°He¡¯s from that super, super, super rich family of Shiyi Group!¡± Aunt Liang was quite surprised but laughed again, ¡°Xiao Xi deserves it. Life is finally getting better. Your aunt and uncle would be at peace if they knew, and it would be even better if Xiao Xi could find her relatives.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ve found them.¡± Grandpa Liang asked, ¡°You have? And where are they from?¡± As Yuan Xi was about to answer, her phone rang, ¡°Hello, mom.¡± ¡°Xinxin, where are you now?¡± Yang Ying looked at the clock, which was nearing eleven, and not having seen Yuan Xi, decided to call her. Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I¡¯m at my grandma¡¯s place.¡± Yang Ying glanced at the Yang Family¡¯s courtyard, ¡°You¡¯re at grandma¡¯s? I¡¯m here too, and I haven¡¯t seen you. Where are you? This is your first time coming to grandma¡¯s house¡­¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m at my own grandma¡¯s house, the one next to Ruohu.¡± Yang Ying frowned and said, annoyed, ¡°Xinxin, they can only be considered your buyers. It¡¯s already generous of our family not to hold their family accountable. How can they be your so-called grandma¡¯s house? Your grandma¡¯s house is the Yang Family!¡± Yuan Xi replied softly, ¡°Mom, they are the grandparents I have been calling for twenty-six years.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Come to the Yang Family right now. I¡¯ll send you the address on WeChat. Come over immediately.¡± After saying this, Yang Ying hung up the phone. ¡°Knowing you love shrimp, your grandpa went to catch some when he heard you were coming back. He actually caught quite a lot of river shrimp. I¡¯ve just cooked them; you all eat up while it¡¯s hot.¡± Hearing her grandmother¡¯s voice and seeing the WeChat message sent by Yang Ying, Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t make it.¡± Yuan Xi then sent a message to Gu Hanchen and Monica, stating that if there were work issues, to contact Huo Shiyuan. Following that, Yuan Xi turned off her phone. Yuan Xi set down her phone and said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t go down to the lake to catch river shrimp anymore. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grown up by the lake, whether it¡¯s dangerous or not, I¡¯m well aware. They say this house will be demolished soon. Afterward, it¡¯ll be hard to get Ruohu shrimp.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard, he is the big boss who bought this place,¡± Liang Hao said, pointing to Huo Shiyuan. Grandpa looked at Huo Shiyuan in surprise. Huo Shiyuan smiled lightly, ¡°After the demolition here, high-end villas will be built. When that time comes, I¡¯ll leave a set for the grandparents, so you can continue living by Ruohu.¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°A villa, wow!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t accept this,¡± Aunt Liang scolded, glaring at Liang Hao. Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re all family.¡± Aunt Liang said, ¡°Really, we can¡¯t accept it. We owe Xiao Xi enough as it is. When she was in the toughest spot, our family wasn¡¯t able to help. Later, when her grandparents went to A City for surgery, with all the medical expenses and hiring specialists, it was her who managed it. We really can¡¯t accept any more. We appreciate your good intentions. Come, sit down and eat with us.¡± Aunt Liang wiped the table again and set the takeout dishes on it, ¡°Xiao Xi¡¯s husband, please don¡¯t disdain it. We didn¡¯t know Xiao Xi would be coming, so it was too late to shop for groceries. We thought we¡¯d just get takeout for convenience. We have our own pumpkins and eggplants; I¡¯ll go stir-fry a couple of dishes¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not picky.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s really fine. There is no need to stir-fry anything else, let¡¯s all sit down and eat together.¡± Aunt Liang insisted, ¡°You¡¯ve always loved eggplant, and it¡¯s quick to cook. Plus, the ones we grow are quite tasty.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± Granny Liang asked Yuan Xi, ¡°You said you found your biological parents. Are they good to you?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°They¡¯re quite good. You wouldn¡¯t believe it. My biological parents are the CEOs of Chuneng Group, the people who send us calendars every new year. That Chuneng Group.¡± Liang Hao exclaimed, ¡°Damn, aren¡¯t they Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man? Sis, you¡¯re actually the daughter of Jiangcheng¡¯s wealthiest family? Damn, how come this hasn¡¯t hit the news? Wait, isn¡¯t it that online rumor where they accidentally liked a post saying your diamond was fake?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story; I¡¯ll explain it to you slowly after we have dinner.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s grandpa sighed, ¡°We haven¡¯t treated you well. If you had started looking for your biological parents from the beginning, you wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer at our place. We really owe you an apology¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t say that.¡± Liang Hao whispered, ¡°Really though, if Aunt and the others hadn¡¯t kept it from you back then, you could have gone back to being the Chu family¡¯s young missy¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°From the start of my search until I found my biological parents, it took eight years. Even if I¡¯d known I was adopted from a young age, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily have meant finding my biological parents any sooner. Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡­ At the Yang Family¡¯s. Yang Ying looked at the message from Yuan Xi on her phone, full of anger and sorrow. Calling back, she only found that the phone had been switched off. ¡°Mom,¡± Chu Lin approached and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yang Ying took a deep breath and said, ¡°Try giving Xinxin a call¡­¡± Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Lets just treat each other as distant relatives from now on. Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Let¡¯s just treat each other as distant relatives from now on. Chu Lin dialed Yuan Xi¡¯s number, and a mechanical female voice came from the phone, ¡°The number you have dialed is switched off.¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s turned off.¡± Yang Ying¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Does she have any other contact methods? Go ask Gu Hanchen. Honestly, today is her first time coming to the Yang Family¡¯s gathering since she returned, and she chose to go to that so-called grandmother¡¯s house in the village. If your grandfather knew about this, he¡¯d probably be so angry he¡¯d get sick! Hurry up and ask Gu Hanchen.¡± Chu Lin contacted Gu Hanchen, ¡°Can you get through to Yuan Xi¡¯s phone?¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°Oh, can¡¯t get in touch with your sister? I can¡¯t get through either, she¡¯s switched off her phone. She¡¯s President Yuan now, it seems she has no time for me anymore¡­¡± Chu Lin turned towards Yang Ying, who was clearly annoyed, and asked Gu Hanchen, ¡°Then do you know where her grandmother¡¯s house is?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°How would I know? But I can help you ask her childhood friends, I have their WeChat.¡± Old Sir Yang came over and asked Yang Ying, ¡°Xinyan hasn¡¯t come?¡± Yang Ying replied, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s my fault. I thought Chu Qing had told Xinxin about coming over to grandfather¡¯s house for a gathering today, and Chu Qing thought I had told her. Neither of us made it clear to her in advance. Xinxin doesn¡¯t know she is supposed to come to the Yang Family gathering. She didn¡¯t show up at noon, so I sent Chu Lin to pick her up this afternoon, so we could all eat together tonight.¡± Old Sir Yang was slightly displeased, ¡°You¡­ How could you not even mention such an important affair to Xinyan?¡± Yang Ying guiltily said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± After Old Sir Yang went back inside, Yang Ying said to Chu Lin, ¡°Hurry and go find Yuan Xi now, you must bring her to grandfather¡¯s house. Your uncle specifically took the whole day off to come back, she shouldn¡¯t be absent.¡± Chu Yan walked over to Yang Ying and wrapped her arm around hers, ¡°Mom, what happened? Hasn¡¯t sister come yet?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Your sister has something to deal with.¡± Chu Yan whispered, ¡°Uncle is such an important and busy person and he came back. Could sister be busier than uncle? Yuan Xi is really taking her time.¡± Yang Ying told Chu Lin, ¡°Go quickly.¡± ¡­ Lianbu Village. After lunch, Liang Hao pulled Yuan Xi, wanting to go to Ruohu to catch crayfish for fun, ¡°We¡¯ll catch a bucket of crayfish this afternoon, and tonight I can make you ¡®Thirteen-Spice¡¯ crayfish. I cook it really well.¡± Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°You can cook too? Impressive.¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°Of course, men who can¡¯t cook these days can¡¯t get married. Does Huo Shiyuan cook for you?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyuan and chuckled softly, ¡°He employs a chef, he doesn¡¯t need to cook himself.¡± Liang Hao wagged a finger, ¡°NO! Food cooked by a chef is completely different, it doesn¡¯t have any love in it, only food that one cooks themselves contains love.¡± Huo Shiyuan cleared his throat lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll try to learn.¡± Yuan Xi quickly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to listen to the nonsense of children.¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°I am of age now, not a child. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go catch crayfish. I¡¯ll give Suisui a call; if she¡¯s awake, she can come over and catch crayfish too.¡± Yuan Xi followed Liang Hao to a small stream by Ruohu. Because it was the weekend, there were also a lot of people bringing their children to catch crayfish. Yuan Xi looked at Liang Hao, ¡°Are you sure there aren¡¯t more people than crayfish here?¡± Liang Hao responded, ¡°Definitely more crayfish. There¡¯s plenty here.¡± Yuan Xi, being pregnant, wouldn¡¯t dare eat these wild crayfish, but she had to admit, after staring at the computer for so long, sitting by the lake and catching crayfish had its own charm. ¡°Pretty auntie, here¡¯s a flower for you.¡± A little girl about three or four years old picked a small wildflower from the roadside and brought it over. Yuan Xi took it and laughed lightly, ¡°Thank you, little one.¡± Huo Shiyuan watched the little girl with two braided pigtails, then glanced at the little boy playfully drenched from playing in the water. He, who previously had no special hopes for the gender of the child Yuan Xi was carrying, found himself rather wanting a daughter. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Little girls are cute and soft. I hope the child is a daughter.¡± Huo Shiyuan smiled, ¡°I hope for a daughter too.¡± Liang Hao caught quite a few crayfish alone, ¡°Today¡¯s catch is good. Why hasn¡¯t Suisui arrived yet? Didn¡¯t she say she was on her way already?¡± On a village road at the border between Huxi Village and Lianbu Village. Liang Suisui was riding her bicycle when she suddenly couldn¡¯t brake in time, veering directly into a Koenigsegg supercar turning in front of her and fell onto the ground. After she stood up, she frowned: ¡°Do you even know how to drive? This is a village road, didn¡¯t you see the speed limit sign? Is this your living room? Driving so fast, it¡¯s unbelievable, don¡¯t you know that the right of way is given to vehicles on the main road during a turn?¡± Chu Lin looked at his hit car, also frowning, ¡°It was you who suddenly rode out and hit me.¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Let¡¯s call the police, I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± After Liang Suisui spoke, she made a call to Liang Hao: ¡°Hurry over to the small supermarket here.¡± Liang Suisui also called Chen Yuan, Shi Lei, and everyone in her family. While Chu Lin was waiting for the traffic police to arrive, he found that the villagers had surrounded them, and after learning that Liang Suisui was the Liang Family¡¯s daughter, they even criticized him in the local dialect. ¡°These young people from the city really drive recklessly; it¡¯s like this every weekend. Either they park wherever they want or drive however they want.¡± ¡°Such a young guy, and doesn¡¯t even know how to drive properly.¡± Chu Lin, being from Jiang City, couldn¡¯t speak the local dialect but could understand it, ¡°It was her who suddenly crashed into me!¡± Liang Suisui, looking at the Chu Lin in front of her, found him more and more familiar; when Chen Yuan arrived, she said, ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s brother?¡± Liang Suisui looked up at Chu Lin, ¡°He is Yuan Xi¡¯s brother?¡± Chen Yuan said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s brother. You also saw him at Yuan Xi¡¯s return banquet a few days ago, don¡¯t you remember?¡± Liang Suisui indeed didn¡¯t remember Chu Lin, she uprighted her bicycle and said, ¡°Forget it, since he is Yuan Xi¡¯s brother, I won¡¯t ask you for compensation. I¡¯ll just consider myself unlucky.¡± When Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived, they saw a large crowd surrounded them and spotted the iconic Koenigsegg, indeed Yuan Xi saw Chu Lin. ¡°Brother.¡± Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi displeasedly and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the Yang Family for dinner.¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip, Liang Hao approached Chu Lin and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten a bucket of crayfish, my sister is staying with our family for dinner today.¡± Chu Lin looked at the crayfish, frowning in disgust, ¡°Yuan Xi, how can you eat such garbage? Today, Uncle has specially taken time out to join the dinner, it is to give you face. You should quickly follow me back to the Yang Family.¡± Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Go wherever you like, you don¡¯t need to care what others think.¡± Although Yuan Xi was also wary of eating wild crayfish during her pregnancy, she was annoyed by Chu Lin¡¯s blunt calling it garbage, ¡°I¡¯ve been eating such ¡®garbage¡¯ for 26 years, and nothing has happened. Today, I will stay at my maternal grandparents¡¯ house here. Maybe next time I¡¯ll visit the Yang Family¡¯s maternal grandparents.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Yuan Xi, what are they to you, calling them your maternal grandparents? After all, they were accomplices in child trafficking. Our Chu Family is already being lenient by not taking revenge on them. Don¡¯t be so clueless and unable to distinguish right from wrong.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I can clearly distinguish between right and wrong, and it¡¯s because of that clarity that I choose to stay here.¡± Chu Lin frowned, ¡°Do you know Uncle¡¯s position? To welcome you today, Grandpa has decreed that everyone must be present. And you?¡± Yuan Xi had vaguely heard from Gu Hanchen that Uncle Yang was the second-in-command in Jiang City, and Yang Family¡¯s grandpa was also a high-ranking leader before retirement. Under normal circumstances, Yuan Xi indeed should hurry to ingratiate herself, as after all, Mi Chen¡¯s influence was also in Jiang City. But¡­ Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin: ¡°To welcome me, everyone must be present, but did you inform me in advance that I had to come? Just like my previous return banquet, everything didn¡¯t require my consent. Why do you assume that I should be at your beck and call? In the end, you clearly look down on me. Would you summon Chu Yan and Bo Fan like this?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°What does this have to do with Chu Yan and Bo Fan? Hurry up and come with me, don¡¯t be so sensitive, and stop making a scene.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Chu, I¡¯m not making a scene. I¡¯m searching for my biological parents because I wanted to know my origins and my real birthday, but I don¡¯t want the pressure from them to control every single move I make. From now on, let¡¯s act like distant relatives, keeping our interactions accordingly¡­ For personal family gatherings like the one at the Yang Family today, distant relatives don¡¯t need to attend.¡± Chu Lin frowned, ¡°Yuan Xi, do you realize how hurtful your words would be to mom and dad? You chose to come here at noon, shopping at the buyer¡¯s, and mom is already quite upset and hurt. I only forgot to inform you beforehand, and I¡¯ve come personally to fetch you, yet you still feel like it¡¯s an insult. Aren¡¯t you being too self-conscious and over-sensitive? You really aren¡¯t as straightforward and generous as Yanyan, why are you so touchy and petty?¡± Huo Shiyuan put his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s waist, ¡°Junior President Chu should probably have his eyes checked.¡± Liang Suisui: ¡°Not just an eye checkup, he should also go to the Seventh Hospital for a good psychiatric evaluation!¡± Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Im Going to the Yang Family with You Chapter 44: Chapter 44 I¡¯m Going to the Yang Family with You Yuan Xi sneered, ¡°I might not be as open-handed or sweet-tongued as Chu Yan, I¡¯m just sensitive and petty. Mr. Chu can just treat Chu Yan as his real sister from now on.¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t bother with him, where did he escape from, a mental hospital?¡± Chu Lin¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed. When the traffic police arrived, they took photos of the accident scene, ¡°The car making a right turn failed to observe properly, and the bicycle was going against traffic. The car has the primary responsibility, and the bicycle has secondary responsibility.¡± Liang Suisui argued, ¡°Where is there any wrong-way traffic on this little village road?¡± ¡°Even on the smallest village road, you need to stick to the right side. Plus, when you¡¯re entering from a side road onto a main road, you need to check. The right-turning car had almost completed the turn. If you had stayed on the right, you wouldn¡¯t have collided. You have to bear secondary responsibility.¡± Chu Lin glanced at Yuan Xi and said to Liang Suisui, ¡°I¡¯ll accept full responsibility. She can¡¯t afford to pay for my car anyway.¡± Liang Suisui retorted, ¡°Who are you insulting? It¡¯s just a lousy supercar, who can¡¯t afford your car?¡± Shi Lei whispered into Liang Suisui¡¯s ear, ¡± That Koenigsegg car of his probably costs over 20 million. The whole car is made of carbon fiber material. Even if your bike¡¯s scrape isn¡¯t serious, repair costs would be about a million. If you¡¯re bearing secondary to ternary responsibility, you¡¯d have to pay at least 300,000.¡± Liang Suisui didn¡¯t argue any further. If Chu Lin chose to take full responsibility, then so be it. As both parties had reached a mutual agreement and no one was seriously injured, the traffic police didn¡¯t tow away any vehicles. Chu Lin and Liang Suisui signed the traffic police¡¯s accident report. After the traffic police left, Chu Lin turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Come back to Yang Family¡¯s place with me. Your Uncle Yang couldn¡¯t make it to the welcome back banquet because of work, and you haven¡¯t met your uncle and grandfather yet.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m sensitive, I¡¯m petty.¡± Chu Lin: ¡°¡­¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°Sis, let¡¯s not bother with him anymore. Let¡¯s go home. The sun is scorching, let¡¯s go home and eat some watermelon!¡± Chu Lin spoke up, ¡°Yuan Xi, this kid is studying at Jiangcheng Ren¡¯an Middle School, right? And his mother works as a gas station attendant at Chu Neng¡¯s service station, right? His father is a sales team leader at one of Chu Neng¡¯s sales companies, right?¡± Yuan Xi frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°Chu Lin, are you threatening me?¡± Chu Lin leaned against the car and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a threat. The principal at Ren¡¯an Middle School is one of grandfather¡¯s good friends. As for the ground-level employees at Chu Neng, I have the right to lay them off.¡± Liang Hao said annoyed, ¡°I¡¯m about to take my college entrance exams anyway. Even if you know our principal, you can¡¯t threaten me.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°You know you¡¯re about to take your exams. Your aunt may have passed away, but your grandparents and parents were involved in abducting Yuan Xi too. Your whole family knew about it and should bear some responsibility. Chu Neng¡¯s lawyers are not to be trifled with. I heard you want to go to A City University of Political Science and Law. If your grandparents have a criminal record, you might graduate only to be unemployed.¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned and said, ¡°Junior President Chu, your tactics are rather shameless.¡± Liang Hao said, ¡°I¡¯ll just go deliver food; you¡¯ll not intimidate my sister!¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Yang Family with you, but you have to promise not to harm my grandparents¡¯ family!¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to go to the Yang Family, I won¡¯t harm them.¡± Yuan Xi turned to the visibly upset Liang Hao, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll go home with you first to say goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma. Right now, the most important thing for you is to do well on your exams.¡± Liang Hao followed Yuan Xi and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do well on my exams.¡± Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°The doors of Shi Yi¡¯s home will always be open for Xiao Hao. It¡¯s easy for me to arrange a job for your uncle and aunt. You don¡¯t need to fear Chu Lin¡¯s threats.¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip and said, ¡°Xiao Hao has his college entrance exams soon. Let¡¯s just get through this period peacefully, Xiao Hao, you must stay calm and score well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis, I¡¯ll do well.¡± After saying goodbye to Liang family¡¯s grandparents, Yuan Xi got into the car with Huo Shiyuan. Yuan Xi watched Huo Shiyuan drive off towards Ruohu Mansion first. After stopping the car, Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°You can also choose not to go to the Yang Family now. I can arrange for Xiao Hao¡¯s family to be well taken care of in A City.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°Forget it, today he threatened my grandparents, next time he could threaten Suisui, Yuanzi, and Shitou. It¡¯s not like Suisui and Shitou¡¯s family can just move to City A whenever they say so. It¡¯s just a visit to the Yang Family. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°I¡¯ll go grab a tin of tea leaves from the tea room to give to Uncle Yang. Wait for me in the car for a moment.¡± ¡­ Yang Family Residence. Chu Yan definitely felt something was off at the Yang Family¡¯s today. The second aunt who used to suck up to her was now keeping her distance. The three cousins from the Yang Family were also evidently aloof toward her. Only when Bo Fan was around did the Yang Family treat her a bit nicer. Since finding out she was adopted, Chu Yan had feared being looked down upon, but with her wedding to Bo Fan approaching, many people still flattered her because she was going to be the young mistress of the Bo Family. But today¡­ she could distinctly feel the Yang Family¡¯s coldness toward her. A middle-aged man in a jacket spoke up, ¡°Little sister, has Xinyan not arrived yet?¡± Yang Ying replied, ¡°She¡¯ll be here soon, she¡¯s on her way.¡± Yang Zhang glanced at Chu Yan standing beside Yang Ying and then walked over to the sofa to sit down, picking up a newspaper to read. Chu Yan sweetly called out, ¡°Uncle¡­ Bo Fan still has some issues he¡¯d like to ask for your advice on.¡± Yang Zhang replied, ¡°We don¡¯t talk business at family gatherings on weekends.¡± Chu Yan pursed her lips and said, ¡°Uncle, is it because my sister has returned that you don¡¯t like me anymore?¡± Yang Zhang scolded, ¡°I¡¯ve warned you before, nowadays the internet is a double-edged sword. Families like ours must be careful not to expose too much online. I already warned you to keep a low profile when you and Bo Fan¡¯s engagement hit the trending searches, so what was the meaning behind you ¡®liking¡¯ a post on Weibo to call out Yuan Xi a few days ago?¡± Chu Yan said in a low voice, ¡°It was a slip of the finger, and besides, it was my sister who first showed off her three-billion-yuan diamond ring online.¡± Yang Zhang uttered a brief scoff. Yang Ying had always been somewhat afraid of her stern elder brother, so she pulled Chu Yan back, signaling her to speak less. The sound of a car engine came from the doorway, and Yang Zhang frowned again, ¡°Chu Lin is almost thirty and still driving supercars like a young kid, completely lacking any sense of stability.¡± Yang Ying quickly said, ¡°It must be Xinxin who has arrived.¡± At the entrance, Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan got out of the car and saw an old western-style house situated in the center of the city, guarded at the door. When Huo Shiyuan and Yuan Xi entered the house, they saw Chu Yan and Yang Ying standing there. ¡°Mom,¡± called out Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan together. Yang Ying said, ¡°This is your elder uncle, quickly greet your elder uncle.¡± ¡°Elder Uncle.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the man on the sofa as she called out, this man, Yang Zhang, could be seen quite often on Jiang City¡¯s local news media. Upon seeing Huo Shiyuan next to Yuan Xi, Yang Zhang rose to his feet, ¡°Shi¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan smiled faintly at Yang Zhang, ¡°Elder Uncle, I am Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, John.¡± Yang Zhang looked at Huo Shiyuan and Yuan Xi with a hint of surprise, remembering Chu Yan saying that Yuan Xi¡¯s husband was just a country bumpkin, and smiled, ¡°John, welcome, welcome.¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Huo Shiyuan. He clearly knew Yang Zhang and it seemed like Yang Zhang was aware of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s identity. Yang Zhang looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°You really do resemble your mother when she was young. After being lost for twenty-five years, you finally returned. It turns out you were in Jiang City all along. We¡¯ve been misled by the nanny, thinking you were abducted to another place. If you had been in Jiang City, we would have found you much sooner.¡± Yuan Xi just offered a faint smile, considering her grandfather and uncles were some of the most influential figures in Jiang City, yet she couldn¡¯t be found for twenty-five years¡­ Huo Shiyuan presented the gift he was carrying, ¡°Elder Uncle, this is some tea leaves my uncle roasted himself this year. Shall I brew you a cup in the tea room?¡± Chu Yan snickered, her mockery clear, ¡°Brother-in-law, Elder Uncle is not like the rural uncle¡¯s home you just visited. The tea Elder Uncle usually drinks is of collectible grade. Can the tea leaves your uncle roasted himself be palatable to him?¡± Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Person Who Isnt Family Refers to Chu Yan Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Person Who Isn¡¯t Family Refers to Chu Yan Yuan Xi listened to Chu Yan¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but smirk internally. Chu Lin must have used some thick filter to perceive such rudeness as straightforwardness. Yang Zhang didn¡¯t scold Chu Yan, he just glanced at Yang Ying, his face full of displeasure, ¡°For future family dinners, those who are not family members need not be brought to the Yang Family.¡± Yang Ying was stunned. Chu Yan chuckled from the side, ¡°Brother-in-law, did you hear that? It¡¯s your first time at Uncle¡¯s house, and bringing this kind of homemade tea from your rural relatives was definitely inappropriate. You didn¡¯t treat Uncle as family. You should apologize to Uncle; he¡¯s generous and won¡¯t exclude you from the family after you apologize¡­¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan and gently shook her head. She was actually quite envious of Chu Yan; she must be so na?ve from never having worked a day in her life. Yang Zhang ignored Chu Yan and turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°John, please to the tea room.¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded indifferently, taking Yuan Xi by the hand to the tea room. Yuan Xi asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you met Uncle?¡± Huo Shiyuan also whispered, ¡°He had worked under my aunt¡¯s command and I¡¯ve met him a few times at my aunt¡¯s house.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t know the specific position of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s aunt, but the respect Yang Zhang showed Huo Shiyuan indicated that it must be quite a significant position. Chu Yan looked at their retreating figures and murmured to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t Uncle dislike the tea that brother-in-law brought? Why did he then invite brother-in-law to the tea room?¡± Yang Ying looked at the na?ve Chu Yan, realizing that when the older brother spoke of ¡®those who are not family¡¯, he was referring to Chu Yan. ¡°Yanyan, you should speak less. Regardless of the quality, it¡¯s the thoughtfulness of your brother-in-law¡¯s gift that counts. You can¡¯t be so impolite, especially with your uncle¡¯s status, you need to be careful not to cause trouble with your words. Why would your uncle only drink collector¡¯s grade tea? Such words, if spread, could greatly affect his future prospects.¡± Chu Yan was quick to admit her faults and with a sweet smile, she said, ¡°Mom, I realize my mistake now. I guess Uncle¡¯s inviting brother-in-law to the tea room to show his down-to-earth manner.¡± ¡­ Once Huo Shiyuan entered the tea room and took a seat, he smiled, ¡°I heard from my uncle that you also enjoy tea. This tea was personally roasted by him at the tea mountain by Ruohu in March. It¡¯s not rare, but homegrown and roasted without any chemicals or artificial flavors; it¡¯s safe to drink. I will humbly make a cup of tea in front of you.¡± Yang Zhang smiled lightly, ¡°I cannot claim mastery, but tea roasted by Minister Xiao himself must be excellent.¡± Yuan Xi watched Huo Shiyuan prepare the tea. Gu Hanchen had gone through a phase where he was obsessed with tea ceremony and learned to make tea for a couple of days; Yuan Xi had joined him in learning from a tea master as well. However, after two days, both she and Gu Hanchen gave up. Making tea was simply too hot for them; their hands almost blistered from picking up the tea bowls. Gu Hanchen asked the tea master, ¡°What to do if the tea is too hot?¡± The tea master¡¯s answer was just one word, ¡°Endure.¡± So, Gu Hanchen gave up on making tea altogether. Now, seeing Huo Shiyuan making tea, it seemed like he didn¡¯t find it hot at all, nor did he seem to be enduring it. His movements were smooth and graceful. Huo Shiyuan handed the freshly brewed tea to Yang Zhang, and also passed a cup to Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi took the tea, took a sniff, and was greeted by a burst of tea aroma. Yang Zhang tasted a sip and said, ¡°This is good tea, smooth on the palate with a lingering sweetness. Homegrown tea really is different, and the roast is done just right too.¡± Huo Shiyuan smiled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m glad Uncle likes it.¡± Yang Zhang set down his teacup and asked, ¡°Shiyan, how did you become the ¡®farm laborer¡¯ that Chu Yan mentioned?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I live in Ruohu Mansion by the lakeside of Ruohu. When my family found out I was settling in Jiang City, they asked me to oversee the Ruohu Shi Yi high-end resort project. Chu Yan assumed I was a construction worker living in the countryside.¡± Yang Zhang said, ¡°Chu Yan has been spoiled by her family. Ah, why didn¡¯t you explain your identity?¡± Huo Shiyuan did not conceal his reasons, ¡°The Bo Family has found itself in some trouble and wants Shixi to invest. However, in my opinion, there is no need to invest in Fan Yan, and several domestic investment companies agree, assessing that it¡¯s not worth investing in. Bo Fan has tried to contact me more than once, and there are many like Bo Fan in Jiang City. The lakeside of Ruohu is still quite serene. Letting outsiders know my identity would likely disturb the peace, especially now that Yuan Xi is pregnant. It¡¯s crucial we keep Ruohu Mansion quiet.¡± Yang Zhang said, ¡°Xinyan is pregnant, congratulations! Xinyan, we must have met before, right?¡± Yuan Xi listened to the unfamiliar name and responded with a professional, faint smile, ¡°Yes, a year ago when you were giving the award to the outstanding young entrepreneurs of Jiang City, I was right beside Gu Hanchen, and I saw you then.¡± Yang Zhang said, ¡°No wonder you looked familiar to me. It¡¯s good that you could come back. For twenty-five years, our family has never stopped looking for you. The nanny and the human trafficker said you were taken to the North, and we kept searching there without realizing that you were actually in Jiang City¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I heard from the villagers that my parents found me by Ruohu, about to be thrown into the lake. My parents never had children and thought the people who were there to work from outside the village couldn¡¯t afford to raise me and didn¡¯t want me anymore, so they bought me from her. My adoptive parents had already planned to adopt a child from the orphanage that day, and they went to bring a child home, but the orphanage told them that the child had been taken back by their biological parents. My adoptive parents were very disappointed at first, but on their way back, they found me by Ruohu, about to be thrown into the lake, and felt it was fate that they encountered me, so they bought me. If it wasn¡¯t for my adoptive parents, I would have died a long time ago. It can be said that they gave me a second life, just like my biological parents.¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned slightly, ¡°After the human trafficker took you, instead of selling you for money, they chose to kill you?¡± Now that Yuan Xi thought about it, it was quite strange¡ªchild traffickers generally chose to sell children for money. Why did that trafficker decide to let her drown in the lake? If it weren¡¯t for her adoptive parents happening to see her, she would¡¯ve ended up at the bottom of Ruohu. Yang Zhang said, ¡°It does seem strange indeed¡ªthe trafficker even deliberately made us think you had gone to the North.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Is it possible that my parents offended someone? Someone intent on revenge?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°If it was intentional revenge, then killing Chu Lin would have been more valuable. At that time, Chu Lin was already two years old.¡± Knock knock, the door to the tea room was struck. A young woman dressed in a cheongsam entered, ¡°Is this Xinyan? She¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the woman in front of her, unfamiliar. ¡°I am your Aunt Yang.¡± Aunt Yang stepped forward and took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand. ¡°Aunt Yang,¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°You look very young, almost the same age as me.¡± Please with the compliment, Aunt Yang said cheerfully, ¡°Oh, I am much older than you. I¡¯m already thirty-six.¡± Hearing that Aunt Yang was thirty-six, Yuan Xi was also surprised at her age. Her uncle was almost fifty¡ªthis was a case of an older man with a younger woman¡­ Yuan Xi didn¡¯t say it out loud, but Aunt Yang, Ye Zhu, started to explain, ¡°Your uncle and I are both in our second marriage, so there is quite an age gap. We can eat now. Today is a rare occasion with you back; let¡¯s talk while we eat.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yuan Xi agreed. On a late May evening, a gentle breeze wafted under the setting sun, and dining in the courtyard while enjoying the view of the plants and flowers had a unique charm. Chu Yan saw that she and Bo Fan were seated at the very end of the table and immediately looked upset. She turned to see Ye Zhu holding Yuan Xi¡¯s hand warmly and sitting in a forward position, which made her even more displeased. Chu Yan thought to herself, her Aunt Yang truly didn¡¯t hide her opportunistic intentions with her second marriage, cozying up to Yuan Xi, thinking she was a true lady of wealth. Little did she know, Yuan Xi had married a construction worker from a rural area; the highest class she could ever belong to was probably just being a deputy manager in Mi Chen¡¯s firm¡ªa kind of company that was hardly recognized by the old elite circles of Jiang City. Bo Fan saw Yang Zhang walking over with Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, both chatting amicably. And thinking back to how he wanted to ask Yang Zhang about the development of cultural entertainment in Jiang City, only to be snubbed, he narrowed his eyes and took a scrutinizing look at Chu Yan beside him. Chu Yan whispered to Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan, our uncle¡¯s status is not ordinary; it¡¯s essential that he¡¯s not caught in the crosshairs for favoring the rich over the poor. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so friendly and close to my sister and brother-in-law¡ªit demonstrates our uncle¡¯s populist image¡­ not that he¡¯s deliberately close to my brother-in-law while snubbing you.¡± Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Should I Continue to Marry Chu Yan Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Should I Continue to Marry Chu Yan ¡°Cousin! You, in person, are so much prettier than Gu Hanchen on his live streams, aren¡¯t you?¡± Upon hearing a playful female voice, Yuan Xi saw a young girl, around twenty, supporting an elderly person as they came out from inside the house. When Yang Kexin saw Yuan Xi, she walked up, took out her phone¡¯s notes app, ¡°Sis, these are the game characters in Mi Chen that I think you guys should enhance. Can you help me with that? Also, Mi Chen hasn¡¯t had any benefits for a long time. Now there are only events during anniversaries, and, and the game Interstellar Voyage is becoming more juvenile. It¡¯s all elementary students¡­¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Add me on Wechat, send me these suggestions, and I¡¯ll speak to the product manager. Thanks for the suggestions.¡± ¡°Sis, also, can you find a way to let me get the Ba Wanghua skin in Forest Pursuit? I¡¯ve already spent three thousand and still haven¡¯t received it¡­¡± Yang Zhang frowned and scolded, ¡°Not focusing on important things! Spending three thousand yuan on a skin? Where did you get that money?¡± ¡°Grandma gave it to me.¡± Yang Kexin looked back at the kindly old lady behind her. Yuan Xi stood up and called out, ¡°Grandma.¡± Chu Yan also sweetly called out, ¡°Grandma.¡± Grandma Yang just nodded and chuckled at Yuan Xi, ¡°Your welcome party had too many tables, and though your grandpa is retired, it wasn¡¯t suitable for us to attend. We finally met today. Here is a gift I prepared for you.¡± Grandma Yang took out a wooden box. Yuan Xi opened it to find a green jade bracelet inside, ¡°Grandma, this is too precious, I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Yang Kexin said, ¡°This is nothing compared to your three-billion-yuan diamond ring. Just take it, sis. Can you show me what a three billion diamond ring looks like? I want to see and learn.¡± Seeing that Grandma Yang wasn¡¯t paying attention to her, and even her cousin Yang Kexin was this close to Yuan Xi, Chu Yan clenched her fists in anger, ¡°Sister, grandpa and uncle always taught us to be low-profile. True wealthy people disdain flaunting their wealth online. I know you suddenly became the Daughter of the Richest Man in Jiang City and want to show off, but it¡¯s really unnecessary to flaunt a three-billion-yuan diamond ring online.¡± Yang Kexin responded, ¡°It wasn¡¯t cousin¡¯s intention to expose it. It was accidentally revealed during Gu Hanchen¡¯s live stream and discovered by netizens. And Chu Yan, what are you doing here today? You are not a relative of the Yang Family anymore.¡± Tears welled up in Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as she looked at Yang Ying and Chu Lin. Chu Lin stood up and said to Yang Kexin, ¡°Kexin, no matter what, Yanyan is still our family.¡± Yang Kexin scoffed, ¡°Family? She liked a post online claiming cousin wears fake diamonds. Does that seem like treating someone as family? If it weren¡¯t for Shiyi Group stepping in to clarify, cousin would have been badly slandered!¡± Chu Yan blushed with anger, ¡°It was just a slip of the finger.¡± Yang Kexin retorted, ¡°A slip? That excuse has been stale for eight hundred years. You saw a small account spreading rumors about cousin and you didn¡¯t report it, instead you slipped and added heat to it?¡± Yang Kexin clearly didn¡¯t want to be treated as a fool, ¡°Cousin, let me open my eyes. Three billion must be a stunning stone; no wonder people are jealous and spreading rumors.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Once the diamond was exposed online, I dared not wear it anymore, afraid of being robbed. It¡¯s hidden at home.¡± ¡°Gu Hanchen really should be blamed, I was hoping to see what a three billion diamond looks like.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°If you really want to see it, you can come visit my home and I¡¯ll show you.¡± Yang Kexin responded, ¡°Really? Are you free tomorrow?¡± ¡°Kexin!¡± Yang Zhang frowned. Clearly, Yang Zhang held significant sway in this family, but he didn¡¯t have much control over his own daughter. Yang Kexin eagerly looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Cousin?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Okay, come over tomorrow.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister, can I come too? I want to see what rural living is like. Do they have running water and toilets by now? Is going to the bathroom inconvenient? Could it be a dry toilet? Do they have electricity and air conditioning?¡± Yang Kexin scoffed, ¡°Please, we¡¯re just going to the countryside, not time traveling. And Chu Yan, Ruohu is only a half-hour drive from here. How different can it be? I remember going to a village near Ruohu for a school trip in elementary school. The houses there looked so nice, like small villas. I even saw a little castle back then, so luxurious. I even have photos. I wanted to live in a big house in the village too.¡± Yang Kexin showed her phone to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sis, do you recognize this little castle?¡± Yuan Xi looked at the image of the little castle filled with memories, ¡°That¡¯s Grandma Zhuangzhuang¡¯s house. Their whole family moved abroad, and the house has been empty for quite a while.¡± Kexin said, ¡°Sister, Shiyan is really generous. Why would he give you such an expensive diamond?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face was full of displeasure, stemming from being neglected by the Yang Family. Hearing Kexin¡¯s question, she sneered. It¡¯s only because Shiyan wants to take revenge on me that Yuan Xi has the blue diamond. That diamond should have been mine. Kexin should be envying me. Bo Fan also looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°It seems President Huo and you have a good relationship.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s just a wedding gift from President Huo.¡± Chu Yan muttered bitterly, ¡°It was just something I didn¡¯t want.¡± Indeed, Shiyan gave the diamond ring to Yuan Xi only to seek revenge on her. After Grandma Yang and Chu Qing finished playing chess, they started having dinner. Yuan Xi also got to know everyone in Grandma Yang¡¯s family, including two uncles; the eldest and the second. Yang Family didn¡¯t have any male cousins, only female cousins, with Kexin, twenty this year, being the eldest cousin born to the eldest uncle and his former wife. Yuan Xi thought that being informed to come to the Yang Family on the same day meant they didn¡¯t care much about her. However, at the dinner table, Grandma and Grandpa Yang were very warm towards Yuan Xi, urging her to eat more. It was the first time Yuan Xi felt the presence of a family after returning, similar to the grandparents at the Liang Family. After dinner, Kexin, along with her two younger sisters, approached Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, how about we play a round of ¡®Forest Pursuit¡¯?¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t play video games.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯ve worked at Mi Chen for five years, and you don¡¯t play games? Not any game at all?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yeah, I hardly play.¡± Kexin was surprised. ¡°You are a senior executive at Mi Chen, and you don¡¯t play games? How do you manage Mi Chen then?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°Gu Hanchen is still in charge of the gaming aspect; I mainly handle company management.¡± Chu Yan, seeing the Yang Family cousins clustering around Yuan Xi, looked pitifully at Bo Fan with tears in her eyes. However, Bo Fan did not show any pity toward Chu Yan and began contemplating whether to continue the plan of marrying her¡­ Clearly, the Yang Family disfavored Chu Yan today. Kexin, due to her parents¡¯ divorce, was particularly favored by the elderly Yangs. It might also be the elderly Yangs¡¯ intention that Kexin could declare Chu Yan as not a Yang Family relative, suggesting marrying her might not bring any benefits to Bo Fan. Chu Yan, seeing the indifference from Bo Fan, felt even more anxious and tightly grasped his wrist, ¡°Bo Fan.¡± It was then that Chu Lin noticed Chu Yan¡¯s tear-filled eyes and came to comfort her, ¡°Yanyan, why are you crying?¡± Chu Yan sniffed in a wronged manner, ¡°Brother, is blood relationship really that important? Ever since sister came back, Grandpa, Grandma, and the uncles haven¡¯t liked me as much.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Why cry? It¡¯s Yuan Xi¡¯s first visit to the Yang Family; it¡¯s natural to give her more attention. Don¡¯t worry, you will always be my sister, our Chu Family¡¯s daughter. Grandma, upon knowing the truth, even specifically instructed us not to mistreat you.¡± Chu Yan looked at Chu Lin, ¡°Brother, it has been a long time since we visited Grandma¡¯s house. Tomorrow is also the weekend; maybe we should visit and have a meal there. Grandpa was sick on the day of the homecoming feast, and Grandma couldn¡¯t come because she had to take care of him. Let¡¯s have Yuan Xi and her husband come meet Grandpa and Grandma as well?¡± Due to the cold treatment from the Yang Family, Chu Yan increasingly missed her grandparents, who had doted on her since she was young. Chu Yan also wanted Bo Fan to know that she is still the cherished little princess of the Chu Family¡­ She could not afford to lose Bo Fan. In the circle of Jiang City¡¯s second generation, Bo Fan is undoubtedly an enviable match. As long as she could marry Bo Fan, even if she wasn¡¯t the real daughter of the Chu Family, she could still live a life once adored by everyone¡­ Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Everything Chu Yan Has is Thanks to Yuan Xi Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Everything Chu Yan Has is Thanks to Yuan Xi Chu Lin said, ¡°Alright, indeed Grandpa has been sick and discharged from the hospital, and I haven¡¯t visited him yet. I¡¯ll go speak with Yuan Xi about it.¡± Chu Lin walked over to where Yuan Xi was surrounded by three cousins. Yuan Xi was generously giving out game skins and equipment to her three cousins. ¡°Thank you, cousin! Mwah!¡± An eight-year-old cousin kissed Yuan Xi after receiving a favorite skin. Yuan Xi smiled faintly. Being pregnant, she simply had no resistance to such adorable girls. Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi, she is only eight years old and it¡¯s not the age to be playing online games. And yet you¡¯re giving her skins. Isn¡¯t this encouraging her obsession with gaming? You¡¯re harming her.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Even though I no longer play games now, I too grew up playing Obi Island and 4399. It didn¡¯t stop me from getting into Jiang University. I¡¯ve always believed that a child¡¯s addiction to games isn¡¯t due to the games themselves, but rather the lack of proper guidance from parents. I believe my uncle and aunt will manage my cousin well, and won¡¯t let her be consumed by games.¡± The little cousin nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, I only play during the weekends for a little while, cousin. I¡¯m very good, I won¡¯t get addicted to the games.¡± Chu Lin, still displeased, said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯ll take John to Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s for lunch.¡± Yuan Xi frowned slightly upon hearing Chu Lin¡¯s instruction. Yang Kexin interjected, ¡°Brother, did you forget? Tomorrow I am supposed to go see Diamond at cousin¡¯s place, if you ask her to go for lunch at Grandpa Chu¡¯s, what about me?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°You can go together.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not free.¡± Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow Sunday? You don¡¯t have to work.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Oh, so basically I just don¡¯t want to see you both days of my weekend off.¡± Yang Kexin, sensing the awkward atmosphere between the siblings, didn¡¯t mind stirring the pot, ¡°Cousin, why don¡¯t you want to see your brother? Do you dislike him?¡± With Yang Kexin asking this, everyone at the table turned to look. Yuan Xi nodded without hiding her distaste for Chu Lin, ¡°Yes.¡± MR. Chu and Yang Ying frowned at Chu Lin. Mr. Chu said sternly, ¡°Xiao Lin, what have you done to your sister?¡± Huo Shiyuan said evenly, ¡°He called Yuan Xi sensitive and petty¡­¡± Yang Ying stood up and gave Chu Lin a sharp clap on the shoulder, ¡°How could you say things like that about your sister? Apologize at once!¡± Huo Shiyuan continued calmly, ¡°He also threatened a cousin from the Liang Family who is about to sit for college entrance exams, saying that Grandpa and the principal of Ren¡¯an Middle School are good friends. This cousin is studying at Ren¡¯an Middle School, and even threatened the future of a student about to take his exams.¡± Yang Zhang frowned heavily at Chu Lin, his face also showing displeasure, ¡°There are only a few days left until the exams, and you¡¯re threatening a student?¡± Old Sir Yang was also furious, ¡°Are you tarnishing Grandpa¡¯s reputation in this way?¡± Yang Ying was angrily reprimanding Chu Lin. Faced with the rebukes from the elder family members, all Chu Lin could do was bow his head and apologize to Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Chu, please don¡¯t call me that, I¡¯m not your sister, Chu Yan is your sister.¡± Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Must you be so unrelenting when you¡¯re right?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°You even realize I am right?¡± Yuan Xi then stood up and said, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, it¡¯s getting late. We¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡± Yang Zhang also stood up, sending off Huo Shiyuan and Yuan Xi, ¡°The way you talked to Chu Lin just now reminds me of your mom when she was young. Drive safely and let us know when you get home.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°Will do.¡± After getting in the car. Huo Shiyuan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°The Yang Family elders will teach Chu Lin a good lesson for you.¡± Yuan Xi replied with a soft smile, ¡°Hmm, if my cousin is coming over tomorrow, will there be any inconvenience at home?¡± Actually, Yuan Xi herself had not really explored the Ruohu Mansion; she dared not enter many of the rooms at will. Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any inconvenience.¡± ¡­ Inside Jiangye, the dim light flickered on the side of Chu Lin¡¯s face as he drank. Gu Hanchen watched Chu Lin drown his sorrows in alcohol and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to your grandpa¡¯s house today? From the look on your face, it seems you got a scolding?¡± Chu Lin frowned and replied, ¡°I never realized before how touchy and petty Yuan Xi¡¯s temper was.¡± Gu Hanchen kicked Chu Lin, ¡°How is Yuan Xi touchy and petty? Yuan Xi has a great temper; there¡¯s not a single person in Mi Chen who dislikes her.¡± Yuan Xi treated people gently; even when there were mistakes at work, she never scolded anyone. Instead, she gently pointed out what was wrong and where improvements were needed. The staff under Mi Chen liked Yuan Xi much more than they liked him. Chu Lin scoffed, ¡°Yuan Xi has a good temper? Compared to Yanyan, she falls far short. At least Yanyan is never so sensitive and insecure. Being with sensitive people is really exhausting.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned and glared at Chu Lin, ¡°Chu Lin, get something straight. Who is your biological sister? She was lost for twenty-five years; you have no idea what a tough life she had when she first came to Mi Chen. Back then, Mi Chen didn¡¯t have a cafeteria, and meal and transport allowances were only given out at the end of the month. She ate ten yuan Shaxian meals from downstairs every day for several months, and it¡¯s a wonder she didn¡¯t get sick of it. Sometimes she finished work at eleven o¡¯clock, and if she couldn¡¯t return to the school dorm, she would sleep on the floor at the office, just like those programmers. There were only two or three girls who stayed overnight at the company, and those were the programmers who needed to get up at any time to fix bugs. Yuan Xi was the only one from the administrative staff who stayed overnight at the company. Her salary wasn¡¯t high at the start, and she mentioned having to pay her tuition fees. It wasn¡¯t until Forest Pursuit became a big hit and Mi Chen¡¯s earnings increased that her salary rose a bit. After she graduated and no longer had a dorm to stay in, she moved ten kilometers away to rent an inexpensive small apartment. She rushed to catch the last subway every day. Sometimes, when she missed the last subway due to working late, she rode a bicycle home. I didn¡¯t like seeing her pinch and scrape like that, so I simply gave her a high salary and year-end bonus to make her life easier. And what about Chu Yan during that time? She was either attending various Fashion Weeks or dinner invitations from various brands, carefree and happy, shopping as much as she liked. You really shouldn¡¯t compare Chu Yan and Yuan Xi. Everything Chu Yan has, rightfully belonged to Yuan Xi. If Yuan Xi had not been taken away, would your family have adopted Chu Yan? Would she have had such a good life? Everything Chu Yan has is thanks to Yuan Xi, and now you say Yuan Xi isn¡¯t as good as Chu Yan? Are you sick? Seriously sick?¡± Gu Hanchen was so angry he didn¡¯t even care about their brotherhood anymore. Chu Lin gripped his glass tightly, ¡°Give me Yuan Xi¡¯s card number.¡± ¡­ The next day. Yuan Xi woke up around nine o¡¯clock and didn¡¯t see Huo Shiyuan next to her. She picked up her phone and responded to several messages. After replying, Yuan Xi got out of bed to wash up. While brushing her teeth, she glanced at a text message from her bank, saw the long string of digits transferred into her account, and counted the zeros¡ªeight million¡­ Who sent her such a large sum in the middle of the night? Yuan Xi opened a WeChat message from Gu Hanchen. Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Your brother transferred eight million to you. Remember to treat us on Monday! Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Your brother said you blocked him on WeChat. He asked me to tell you to remember to have lunch at Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s house tomorrow. Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Eight million for a meal, what a deal! Under my reprimand, your brother has deeply realized his mistake. Let¡¯s forgive him this time for the sake of our elders! Mi Chen¡¯s Handsomest: Do me a favor¡ª if not for my sake, then for the sake of eight million [smile]. When Huo Shiyuan came over and saw Yuan Xi was already up, he glanced at the messages on her phone and asked, ¡°Are you going?¡± Yuan Xi looked back at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Let¡¯s go. For the sake of eight million, we can donate a school to the children in the mountains.¡± Money obtained so easily, instead of using it to buy Chu Lin luxury cars and watches, why not donate it to the children left behind in impoverished mountain areas? Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Lets Get Divorced Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Let¡¯s Get Divorced Yuan Xi decided that after she visited her grandparents, she put on some makeup. When Yang Kexin arrived, it was almost ten o¡¯clock. As she got out of the car, she also took a long paddleboard from the trunk, ¡°Sis!¡± Yuan Xi laughed lightly at the paddleboard Yang Kexin brought, ¡°You pretended to visit Diamond, but in reality, you came to Ruohu to play with the paddleboard, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yang Kexin showed her teeth with a giggle, ¡°Sis, are you going out?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to Grandpa and Grandma Chu¡¯s place for dinner.¡± ¡°I advise you better not go.¡± Yang Kexin said, ¡°Those cousins at the Chu Family are nothing but gold diggers, and only Chu Yan is their favorite. My brother suddenly mentioned going to your grandparents¡¯ yesterday¡ªit must have been Chu Yan¡¯s doing. Didn¡¯t you see the change in Bo Fan¡¯s attitude toward Chu Yan? Chu Yan can¡¯t wait to go to the grandparents¡¯ to reaffirm her status as the Little Princess of Chu Family. If you go, you¡¯ll just be used to contrast with her, believe me.¡± Yuan Xi was stunned. Yang Kexin patted the paddleboard and said, ¡°Why not join me in paddleboarding instead! The Chu Family is no fun. When I went to my aunt¡¯s place, Old Lady Chu looked down on my Sister Zhu. Chu Yan has always despised Sister Zhu too, thinking Sister Zhu¡¯s second marriage is not good enough for my dad. Because of Sister Zhu, my dad has never liked Chu Yan, but because of my aunt, we had no choice but to welcome Chu Yan into our home.¡± Yang Kexin looked at the house in front of her and said, ¡°Sis, your house is so beautiful. This seems like Sander¡¯s architectural design style.¡± ¡°It is designed by Sander,¡± Huo Shiyuan chimed in from the side. ¡°Are you studying architecture?¡± Yang Kexin nodded, ¡°Yes, I majored in architectural design at university. Isn¡¯t it rare for Master Sander to design something?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°One of my professors knows Sander and referred him to me. If you like, you can take a look around.¡± Yang Kexin set down her paddleboard and eagerly appreciated Sander¡¯s architectural design. Yang Kexin said, ¡°May I take some photos and post them on social media for my classmates to see? I won¡¯t disclose the address.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yang Kexin took several photos and before posting on social media, she showed them to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sis, you really don¡¯t need to go to Grandpa Chu¡¯s house.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Yang Kexin¡¯s social media, which was marked as Chu Li, and saw a group photo with the caption, ¡°The Chu Family together again, full of joy @Chu Yan @Bo Fan.¡± Yuan Xi glanced at it and didn¡¯t seem to care much, laughing lightly to Yang Kexin, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll join you in paddleboarding.¡± Huo Shiyuan disagreed a bit, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I checked, swimming is fine, and I¡¯ll be careful not to fall into the lake.¡± Yang Kexin also confidently said, ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m great at paddleboarding.¡± Huo Shiyuan was still somewhat worried, but he didn¡¯t want to spoil Yuan Xi¡¯s fun, so he had someone bring over a small yacht, instructing the bodyguards to follow at a distance alongside the paddleboard. While in the center of the lake, Yuan Xi received a call from Chu Qing, ¡°Xinxin, haven¡¯t you arrived yet?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t agree to go to the grandparents¡¯ house yesterday.¡± Yang Kexin spoke up from the other side, ¡°Uncle, Chu Li has already posted on social media saying you are all happily reunited, so my cousin and I won¡¯t disturb your family time¡­ We¡¯ve got bad reception in the countryside, hello hello hello¡­¡± Saying this, Yang Kexin hung up the phone for Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi gave a light laugh toward Yang Kexin. Yang Kexin, looking at the distant yacht, said, ¡°Sis, your husband isn¡¯t just a regular construction worker, is he? That yacht must be pretty expensive.¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Huo Shiyuan.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Yang Kexin almost fell off the paddleboard, but Yuan Xi steadied her. Yang Kexin said, ¡°Did Chu Yan also say your husband is just a peasant worker with a self-built house in the countryside?¡± Yuan Xi pointed to a house by the edge of Ruohu, ¡°Self-built house.¡± Yang Kexin laughed out loud, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Chu Yan¡¯s face when she finds out the truth. I want to call her right now, but no, calling her won¡¯t let me see her reaction. We should go tell her at the Chu Family.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°There¡¯s a bit of trouble with Fan Yan in Bo Fan¡¯s family. They¡¯ve been seeking investment from Shixi, and Huo Shiyuan doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed by Bo Fan.¡± Yang Kexin gestured a zipper across her lips and said, ¡°Okay, but you have to call me when you let Chu Yan know the truth. She¡¯s bullied me since I was young. I have to see the look on her face.¡± ¡°Why would she have bullied you since you were small?¡± Yang Kexin said, ¡°Because of my dad¡¯s job, I¡¯m destined not to wear those luxury brand clothes, in case someone makes a fuss. I also don¡¯t get much pocket money, and Chu Yan always likes to come and show off in front of me, compare with me. I can¡¯t be bothered to compete with her over these things, she wants to be the only princess in Jiang City, just let her be. It¡¯s so meaningless.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly. After half a lap around Ruohu, Yang Kexin was utterly exhausted and eventually returned to the Ruohu Mansion by yacht. Yang Kexin didn¡¯t stay long, glanced at her ring, and then left. After sending off Yang Kexin, Yuan Xi rested on the sofa. She received a message from Yang Ying, ¡°Xinxin, are you free this afternoon? I¡¯m coming to the side of Ruohu. I want to chat with you and also see where you are living now.¡± While Yuan Xi didn¡¯t know how to reply, a bodyguard came in and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s a little boy at the gate asking for President Huo. What do you think¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan was in a video conference. Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± At the gate of Ruohu Mansion, a five-year-old boy was dragging a little yellow Minion suitcase, wearing a small backpack, and had a little yellow hat on his head, looking incredibly cute. If only he didn¡¯t look so much like Huo Shiyuan¡­ This little boy actually looked exactly like Huo Shiyuan. Yuan Xi felt as if she was frozen in place until a twinge of pain came from her lower abdomen. With her hand lightly caressing her lower abdomen, she should have thought earlier that if she could have a one-night stand with Huo Shiyuan and have a child, it was also likely that Huo Shiyuan had his romantic histories¡­ She should have realized that, with Huo Shiyuan¡¯s wealth, she wouldn¡¯t be the first, nor perhaps the last. The bodyguard glanced at Yuan Xi with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. Feeling the increasing pain in her lower abdomen, Yuan Xi said to the bodyguard, ¡°Please take me to the hospital¡­¡± The bodyguard, not daring to delay, didn¡¯t care whether Huo Shiyuan was still in a meeting and went upstairs to find him. Upon learning that Yuan Xi was experiencing abdominal pain, Huo Shiyuan hurried downstairs. Seeing Yuan Xi already seated in the car, Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Why is your stomach suddenly hurting? Was it because of the paddleboard?¡± Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan, who had drawn close, and said, ¡°President Huo, perhaps we both got carried away about getting married¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a rash decision, I¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I think it was indeed an impulse. Let¡¯s get divorced. I¡¯ll take good care of the child and won¡¯t let him disturb any aspect of your life.¡± Huo Shiyuan wanted to explain, but his glance fell on the little five-year-old boy still standing at the door, ¡°Who is this child?¡± Yuan Xi spoke coldly, ¡°He¡¯s the spitting image of you, and you¡¯re asking me who he is?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°The first time I was with you, there¡¯s no way I could have a child elsewhere.¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip, obviously unconvinced, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital first. Please get out of the car.¡± Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Marrying You Was Never an Impulse Decision Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Marrying You Was Never an Impulse Decision Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t get out of the car but instructed the driver to head to the hospital. ¡°Yuan Xi, that night at Shiyi Hotel was indeed my first time, and I have no idea where this child came from, why he looks so much like me, but he really isn¡¯t my child, I can go for a DNA test with him.¡± Yuan Xi looked into Huo Shiyuan¡¯s candid eyes, which didn¡¯t seem deceitful. Yuan Xi¡¯s cellphone rang, and she answered, ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± ¡°Xinxin, our car is almost at Ruohu, where are you at Ruohu?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the hospital, Mom, let¡¯s talk when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Hospital, what happened?¡± Yang Ying asked anxiously. Yuan Xi said, ¡°My stomach hurts a bit, and I¡¯m worried about the baby, so I¡¯m heading to the hospital for a check-up.¡± ¡°Then hurry to the hospital.¡± After a half-hour drive, Huo Shiyuan reached the hospital, and the doctor confirmed after examining Yuan Xi that there was no major problem. The doctor patiently told Yuan Xi, ¡°It¡¯s possible to experience gestational growth pain during early pregnancy. It¡¯s okay as long as it¡¯s not very severe. It seems that it may have coincided with excessive emotional fluctuations. From what we see now, there¡¯s no problem. If you¡¯re still worried, it¡¯s best to rest for the next three days. If the pain intensifies, come back for another check-up.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Doctor.¡± Yuan Xi felt relieved after hearing there were no problems. Huo Shiyuan also silently breathed a sigh of relief from the sidelines. On the ride back, Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s profile and said, ¡°You live inside Ruohu Mansion, where not many people know, right?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Yes, only my family knows.¡± Yuan Xi asked Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Are you sure that night at Shiyi Hotel was your first time?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded. Yuan Xi pursed her lips lightly. If it weren¡¯t for Huo Shiyuan¡¯s firm admission, she wouldn¡¯t have dared to believe it before. But it was also possible that Huo Shiyuan had always been preserving himself for his childhood sweetheart. After returning to Ruohu Mansion. The little boy had already been brought into the house by the bodyguards and was obediently watching Paw Patrol on one of the bodyguard¡¯s cell phones. Huo Shiyuan asked the bodyguard, ¡°How did this child get here?¡± Such a young child couldn¡¯t possibly have come alone. The bodyguard said, ¡°He came in a business car. The driver lifted him out, handed him a suitcase, and then drove away immediately. We¡¯re currently looking up the license plate number.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the little boy and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The little boy said, ¡°Shihuo.¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned and asked, ¡°Your surname is Shi?¡± The little boy nodded, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Xiao Shihuo, my mom said Xiao Shihuo would take care of me, are you Xiao Shihuo?¡± Huo Shiyuan¡¯s face turned ashen, he had somewhat guessed the child¡¯s identity. After sending the bodyguard outside, Huo Shiyuan dialed a number that had been silent for a long time. It took a while for the other side to answer, and a gentle female voice came through, ¡°Hello, Xiao Shihuo, why are you calling me?¡± Huo Shiyuan turned on the speakerphone and asked the child in front of him, ¡°Who is this voice?¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± The little boy shouted towards the phone. The gentle female voice on the phone said, ¡°Good Huohuo, you¡¯re at your brother¡¯s house now, get along well with your brother, and listen to what he says, okay?¡± Huo Shiyuan took a deep breath, clearly very annoyed, ¡°Ms. Shi, why do I have such a big younger brother, and I¡¯m completely unaware of it?¡± A male voice came through the phone, ¡°It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t know how to tell you, and you immediately went to Jiang City upon returning to the country; you didn¡¯t even visit home. We thought we weren¡¯t good parents when you were young, so we had another child, hoping to make up for it¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan let out a cold, ironic laugh. A gentle female voice arose, ¡°Later, we thought it wasn¡¯t right. If we made up for everything we owed to your brother, that would be even more unfair, wouldn¡¯t it? So, to be fair, we¡¯ve decided that from now on, you¡¯ll be the one to raise your brother.¡± A male voice followed immediately, ¡°Aren¡¯t you about to have a child too? Your mom and I didn¡¯t have experience with kids when we had you and owed you a lot. Now you can practice well with your younger brother, and by the time you have my granddaughter, you will be experienced.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? You almost ended up without a granddaughter!¡± Huo Shiyuan was truly angry now; he had always known his parents were unreliable, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to become even more so as they got older. Yuan Xi, listening to the conversation on the side, also guessed the identity of the callers: Huo Shiyuan¡¯s parents. But from what she heard, her in-laws seemed extremely unreliable. Indeed, if they had been reliable, they wouldn¡¯t have just left a four or five-year-old son at the front door. Even waiting until the son was four or five years old before Huo Shiyuan even knew he wasn¡¯t an only child¡­ Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Take the child back to where he came from. Hurry up and pick him up.¡± Ms. Shi¡¯s voice was tender, ¡°Oh no, that won¡¯t do. We¡¯re already in Switzerland, and it rains all the time here, so cold¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he attend kindergarten?¡± ¡°Just let him attend a kindergarten in Jiang City. Just pick any school and stuff him in there.¡± ¡°Hello, little fatty, the signal here isn¡¯t good, we are going to hang up now¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan heard the phone being hung up on the other side. When he tried to call back, it was clear that he had been added to their blacklist. Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my parents are very unreliable, extremely unreliable, for making you misunderstand.¡± Yuan Xi felt some pity for Huo Shiyuan; she wasn¡¯t loved by her biological parents because she had been trafficked, but Huo Shiyuan¡¯s situation was much more miserable¡­ Huo Shiyuan found it hard to bring himself to send the kid, who looked exactly like him, back to City A alone. ¡°This is your sister-in-law, you should call her sister from now on, and I¡¯m your brother.¡± ¡°Sister, brother,¡± Xiao Shihuo called. Huo Shiyuan instructed Qin Lang to hire a nanny. Yuan Xi went to the hospital and then back to her room for a shower. When she came out in her home dress, she was embraced by Huo Shiyuan and seated on the bed. Looking into Huo Shiyuan¡¯s eyes, she could still see his worry and tension, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Do your parents not seem familiar with you?¡± Originally, Yuan Xi had been afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to cope with the esteemed family of her father-in-law and mother-in-law, but now it seemed her worries were superfluous¡­ Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°The Shiyi Group was founded by my great-grandfather and my maternal great-grandfather. The Huo and Shi families were destined to intermarry in my parents¡¯ generation, so they had me when they were twenty. When I was a child, to my parents, I was just a toy; they played with me when they were happy, and when they were unhappy, they made me cry to cheer themselves up. When they were young, they broke up and reunited countless times, also not wanting to take over the family business. I, therefore, became the only successor to Shiyi. I was raised by my grandfather and maternal grandfather and indeed wasn¡¯t close to those two unreliable people. I never expected that they would still be so unreliable, even in their old age. They had a second child who was nearly five before I even knew about it¡­¡± Yuan Xi tenderly stroked Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hair out of sympathy. After the stroke, though, feeling it was inappropriate, she tried to withdraw her hand, but then she saw Huo Shiyuan¡¯s gaze darken. Huo Shiyuan¡¯s large hand clasped Yuan Xi¡¯s head, and his thin lips pressed against Yuan Xi¡¯s red lips. ¡°Yuan Xi, let¡¯s not talk about divorce ever again. My marriage to you was never a momentary impulse.¡± It was premeditated. Just as Huo Shiyuan was about to kiss her again, the bedroom door was opened, and a little head peeked out. Yuan Xi quickly got out of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s arms and went over to take Xiao Shihuo¡¯s little hand. She looked at the face that was a mini-version of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s and found herself quite fond of it, ¡°Good Huohuo.¡± ¡°Huo Shiyuan, did you look like Huohuo when you were little?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡± Shihuo, like a little adult, said, ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t lie. Lying will make your nose grow longer.¡± Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Chu Yan, I Dont Need Your Pity Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Chu Yan, I Don¡¯t Need Your Pity Yuan Xi was speechless listening to Chu Yan¡¯s words. Xiao Shihuo looked up at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Sister, does Mom refuse to buy KFC because we don¡¯t have the money?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°No, it¡¯s because KFC is unhealthy fried food, and children should eat less of it.¡± Chu Yan laughed, ¡°Sister, why bother lying to the child? I know for many people in the village, it¡¯s a matter of not wanting to spend the money on KFC. You should let the child face the fact that his family can¡¯t afford KFC.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Sister, is it because we don¡¯t have money?¡± Xiao Shihuo opened his phone watch and made a call, it took a while before the other side answered. ¡°Huohuo, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you calling so early? We¡¯re still sleeping. If it¡¯s something urgent, ask your brother or sister.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Mom, do we not have the money to buy KFC?¡± The female voice on the other side, still drowsy, said languidly, ¡°If we were to buy KFC, our family¡¯s money might indeed not be enough. Mainly, buying KFC isn¡¯t just about money, it¡¯s because KFC is doing well on its own, they don¡¯t want to sell to us. Plus, I don¡¯t even know how much KFC costs, based on our current finances, we probably couldn¡¯t afford to buy it¡­¡± Xiao Shihuo obediently said, ¡°I understand now, our family just can¡¯t afford KFC. I won¡¯t want KFC anymore. When Huohuo grows up, I¡¯ll earn money to buy KFC.¡± ¡°Then you work hard when you grow up.¡± After all, Shi Yi had invested in quite a few projects recently, it really was possible that he couldn¡¯t afford to buy the KFC company. Xiao Shihuo hung up his phone watch and raised his eyes to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want KFC anymore.¡± Yuan Xi thought her mother-in-law was probably muddled from sleep, with the time difference in Switzerland, it should be early morning around five or six o¡¯clock there. She obviously confused buying a meal at KFC with buying the whole KFC company. With Shi Yi¡¯s current ability, that really wasn¡¯t possible. Chu Yan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, you heard it, your mother-in-law just can¡¯t afford KFC and is making up a bunch of excuses. Aren¡¯t you considering divorcing your husband? You¡¯re alone supporting the whole family, your in-laws are still asleep at eleven o¡¯clock, and you¡¯re pregnant and still have to work¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just because I¡¯m pregnant, why can¡¯t I work!¡± Gu Hanchen came out of the office, ¡°If being pregnant means you can¡¯t work, then Mi Chen definitely won¡¯t hire any female employees in the future!¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I just feel bad for my sister. She¡¯s the precious daughter of the Chu Family, and she has to work hard while being pregnant. Which daughters from the upper class in Jiang City have to work hard after getting pregnant? It¡¯s enough that she has to work while pregnant, but helping her in-laws and taking care of her brother-in-law too? Sister, you might as well listen to me and divorce Shi Dazhuang; I¡¯ll introduce you to someone who at least won¡¯t make you work while pregnant!¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Chu Yan, do I have a grudge against you? Why must you insist Yuan Xi stops working? If she leaves, will you come to Mi Chen as the vice president? Even if you do, I still won¡¯t be pleased!¡± Yuan Xi, holding Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hand, looked at Yang Ying, who was frowning, ¡°Mom, today is really not convenient, the child is also hungry, I¡¯ll take him to eat something first, we can talk another time when I¡¯m free.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Then let¡¯s all go have lunch together?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Chu Yan and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m already suffering from severe morning sickness, seeing Chu Yan when I don¡¯t feel like eating will make me even more nauseous and unable to eat.¡± Yuan Xi very bluntly expressed her dislike for Chu Yan. Yang Ying¡¯s tightly knitted brows deepened. Chu Yan said aggrievedly, ¡°Sister, what I said was for your good. Look at you, working is one thing, but also helping with the care of your brother-in-law while your parents-in-law are still sleeping, I truly feel you are too pitiable. How can you be so ungrateful?¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°Chu Yan, I don¡¯t need your pity.¡± After receiving a call from Huo Shiyan, Yuan Xi walked to the elevator with Xiao Shihuo, completely disregarding Yang Ying and Chu Yan. Chu Yan, seeing Yuan Xi walk away, turned to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, you came all the way to Mi Chen especially for her, look at her; I sympathize with her kindly, yet she doesn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Yang Ying sighed. After exiting the elevator, Yuan Xi saw a new Maybach. Yuan Xi held Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hand as they approached the car, where a child¡¯s seat was installed in the back. Huo Shiyuan took them to the nearby Shiyi Hotel. They were eating lunch brought from the mansion at the hotel. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I saw the Chu Family¡¯s car in the Mi Chen parking lot just now, so I didn¡¯t go directly to find you.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It was my mom who came to see me, saying she wanted to talk heart-to-heart with me, but I really didn¡¯t think there was anything to talk about¡­¡± The rift between her and the Chu Family could only be slowly changed over time. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I also saw Chu Yan just now. Did Chu Yan say something to you again? You seem quite unhappy?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I took everything she said as if it were wind past my ears. I¡¯m not unhappy, just a bit emotionally drained. Besides, I finally expressed my dislike for Chu Yan to my mom earlier, so I won¡¯t have to feign politeness with Chu Yan anymore.¡± Yang Ying came to talk heart-to-heart with her and brought Chu Yan along. Yuan Xi really didn¡¯t understand why. But Yuan Xi really didn¡¯t want to suppress her aversion towards Chu Yan anymore. Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°You said you despised Chu Yan, what did your mom say?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She just frowned. After I got your call, I took Huohuo and came to find you.¡± ¡°Actually, the home I had left for twenty-five years, even if I returned, it ultimately wasn¡¯t my home.¡± Huo Shiyuan reached out and caressed Yuan Xi¡¯s cheek, ¡°Wherever I am, that¡¯s your home.¡± Yuan Xi, gazing into Huo Shiyuan¡¯s deep eyes, felt her heart stir. After lunch, at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s insistence, Yuan Xi napped briefly in the hotel. When she woke up, Yuan Xi¡¯s phone was filled with messages; she didn¡¯t know when it had been put on silent mode. Yuan Xi picked out the important ones to reply to, then washed her face and applied light makeup before she and Huo Shiyuan took Xiao Shihuo to kindergarten. Yuan Xi invested using Mi Chen¡¯s name, and the kindergarten principal generously offered Xiao Shihuo a spot to join mid-session. Yuan Xi had seen many strategies online. To gain admission so easily to a top kindergarten in Jiang City, even Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Who would have thought it would be so easy to get in?¡± Huo Shiyuan chuckled lightly, ¡°The tuition for my five years of master¡¯s and doctoral studies in Germany wasn¡¯t even a million; one spot in a kindergarten costing a million definitely means it¡¯s easy to get in. Moreover, it¡¯s only a month away from summer vacation, but we still have to pay for a whole semester.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Yuan Xi typed her number into Xiao Shihuo¡¯s phone watch, ¡°Huohuo, call sister on this number if anything happens in kindergarten.¡± Huo Shiyuan noticed Xiao Shihuo¡¯s watch and pulled a box out of the car for Yuan Xi, ¡°Last time I noticed you were missing a watch.¡± Yuan Xi opened the logoless box and saw it contained a watch resembling an Apple watch but, upon closer inspection, it was the same as the one Huo Shiyuan wore. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°This is a watch developed by a tech company invested in by Shixi. It hasn¡¯t been launched yet; I have been wearing it for half a year. It helps with heart rate monitoring, message alerts, and organizing work tasks. You¡¯re pregnant now, and this watch can monitor your health in real-time.¡± Huo Shiyuan put the watch on Yuan Xi, and she whispered with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuan Xi checked the time and realized it was still early. She decided to go to the office. Though she was on annual leave, the past couple of days off had indeed accumulated quite a bit of work. When Yuan Xi arrived at the office, she didn¡¯t expect Yang Ying to be waiting for her. ¡°Xinxin.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, I still have work¡­¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°I also specifically postponed many important meetings and work to see you today, let¡¯s talk.¡± Knowing evasion was futile, Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a caf¨¦ downstairs. Let¡¯s go to the caf¨¦.¡± Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Chu Yan, I Dont Need Your Pity Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Chu Yan, I Don¡¯t Need Your Pity Yuan Xi was speechless listening to Chu Yan¡¯s words. Xiao Shihuo looked up at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Sister, does Mom refuse to buy KFC because we don¡¯t have the money?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°No, it¡¯s because KFC is unhealthy fried food, and children should eat less of it.¡± Chu Yan laughed, ¡°Sister, why bother lying to the child? I know for many people in the village, it¡¯s a matter of not wanting to spend the money on KFC. You should let the child face the fact that his family can¡¯t afford KFC.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Sister, is it because we don¡¯t have money?¡± Xiao Shihuo opened his phone watch and made a call, it took a while before the other side answered. ¡°Huohuo, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you calling so early? We¡¯re still sleeping. If it¡¯s something urgent, ask your brother or sister.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Mom, do we not have the money to buy KFC?¡± The female voice on the other side, still drowsy, said languidly, ¡°If we were to buy KFC, our family¡¯s money might indeed not be enough. Mainly, buying KFC isn¡¯t just about money, it¡¯s because KFC is doing well on its own, they don¡¯t want to sell to us. Plus, I don¡¯t even know how much KFC costs, based on our current finances, we probably couldn¡¯t afford to buy it¡­¡± Xiao Shihuo obediently said, ¡°I understand now, our family just can¡¯t afford KFC. I won¡¯t want KFC anymore. When Huohuo grows up, I¡¯ll earn money to buy KFC.¡± ¡°Then you work hard when you grow up.¡± After all, Shi Yi had invested in quite a few projects recently, it really was possible that he couldn¡¯t afford to buy the KFC company. Xiao Shihuo hung up his phone watch and raised his eyes to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want KFC anymore.¡± Yuan Xi thought her mother-in-law was probably muddled from sleep, with the time difference in Switzerland, it should be early morning around five or six o¡¯clock there. She obviously confused buying a meal at KFC with buying the whole KFC company. With Shi Yi¡¯s current ability, that really wasn¡¯t possible. Chu Yan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, you heard it, your mother-in-law just can¡¯t afford KFC and is making up a bunch of excuses. Aren¡¯t you considering divorcing your husband? You¡¯re alone supporting the whole family, your in-laws are still asleep at eleven o¡¯clock, and you¡¯re pregnant and still have to work¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just because I¡¯m pregnant, why can¡¯t I work!¡± Gu Hanchen came out of the office, ¡°If being pregnant means you can¡¯t work, then Mi Chen definitely won¡¯t hire any female employees in the future!¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I just feel bad for my sister. She¡¯s the precious daughter of the Chu Family, and she has to work hard while being pregnant. Which daughters from the upper class in Jiang City have to work hard after getting pregnant? It¡¯s enough that she has to work while pregnant, but helping her in-laws and taking care of her brother-in-law too? Sister, you might as well listen to me and divorce Shi Dazhuang; I¡¯ll introduce you to someone who at least won¡¯t make you work while pregnant!¡± Gu Hanchen frowned, ¡°Chu Yan, do I have a grudge against you? Why must you insist Yuan Xi stops working? If she leaves, will you come to Mi Chen as the vice president? Even if you do, I still won¡¯t be pleased!¡± Yuan Xi, holding Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hand, looked at Yang Ying, who was frowning, ¡°Mom, today is really not convenient, the child is also hungry, I¡¯ll take him to eat something first, we can talk another time when I¡¯m free.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Then let¡¯s all go have lunch together?¡± Yuan Xi glanced at Chu Yan and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m already suffering from severe morning sickness, seeing Chu Yan when I don¡¯t feel like eating will make me even more nauseous and unable to eat.¡± Yuan Xi very bluntly expressed her dislike for Chu Yan. Yang Ying¡¯s tightly knitted brows deepened. Chu Yan said aggrievedly, ¡°Sister, what I said was for your good. Look at you, working is one thing, but also helping with the care of your brother-in-law while your parents-in-law are still sleeping, I truly feel you are too pitiable. How can you be so ungrateful?¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°Chu Yan, I don¡¯t need your pity.¡± After receiving a call from Huo Shiyan, Yuan Xi walked to the elevator with Xiao Shihuo, completely disregarding Yang Ying and Chu Yan. Chu Yan, seeing Yuan Xi walk away, turned to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, you came all the way to Mi Chen especially for her, look at her; I sympathize with her kindly, yet she doesn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Yang Ying sighed. After exiting the elevator, Yuan Xi saw a new Maybach. Yuan Xi held Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hand as they approached the car, where a child¡¯s seat was installed in the back. Huo Shiyuan took them to the nearby Shiyi Hotel. They were eating lunch brought from the mansion at the hotel. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I saw the Chu Family¡¯s car in the Mi Chen parking lot just now, so I didn¡¯t go directly to find you.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°It was my mom who came to see me, saying she wanted to talk heart-to-heart with me, but I really didn¡¯t think there was anything to talk about¡­¡± The rift between her and the Chu Family could only be slowly changed over time. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I also saw Chu Yan just now. Did Chu Yan say something to you again? You seem quite unhappy?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I took everything she said as if it were wind past my ears. I¡¯m not unhappy, just a bit emotionally drained. Besides, I finally expressed my dislike for Chu Yan to my mom earlier, so I won¡¯t have to feign politeness with Chu Yan anymore.¡± Yang Ying came to talk heart-to-heart with her and brought Chu Yan along. Yuan Xi really didn¡¯t understand why. But Yuan Xi really didn¡¯t want to suppress her aversion towards Chu Yan anymore. Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°You said you despised Chu Yan, what did your mom say?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She just frowned. After I got your call, I took Huohuo and came to find you.¡± ¡°Actually, the home I had left for twenty-five years, even if I returned, it ultimately wasn¡¯t my home.¡± Huo Shiyuan reached out and caressed Yuan Xi¡¯s cheek, ¡°Wherever I am, that¡¯s your home.¡± Yuan Xi, gazing into Huo Shiyuan¡¯s deep eyes, felt her heart stir. After lunch, at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s insistence, Yuan Xi napped briefly in the hotel. When she woke up, Yuan Xi¡¯s phone was filled with messages; she didn¡¯t know when it had been put on silent mode. Yuan Xi picked out the important ones to reply to, then washed her face and applied light makeup before she and Huo Shiyuan took Xiao Shihuo to kindergarten. Yuan Xi invested using Mi Chen¡¯s name, and the kindergarten principal generously offered Xiao Shihuo a spot to join mid-session. Yuan Xi had seen many strategies online. To gain admission so easily to a top kindergarten in Jiang City, even Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Who would have thought it would be so easy to get in?¡± Huo Shiyuan chuckled lightly, ¡°The tuition for my five years of master¡¯s and doctoral studies in Germany wasn¡¯t even a million; one spot in a kindergarten costing a million definitely means it¡¯s easy to get in. Moreover, it¡¯s only a month away from summer vacation, but we still have to pay for a whole semester.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Yuan Xi typed her number into Xiao Shihuo¡¯s phone watch, ¡°Huohuo, call sister on this number if anything happens in kindergarten.¡± Huo Shiyuan noticed Xiao Shihuo¡¯s watch and pulled a box out of the car for Yuan Xi, ¡°Last time I noticed you were missing a watch.¡± Yuan Xi opened the logoless box and saw it contained a watch resembling an Apple watch but, upon closer inspection, it was the same as the one Huo Shiyuan wore. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°This is a watch developed by a tech company invested in by Shixi. It hasn¡¯t been launched yet; I have been wearing it for half a year. It helps with heart rate monitoring, message alerts, and organizing work tasks. You¡¯re pregnant now, and this watch can monitor your health in real-time.¡± Huo Shiyuan put the watch on Yuan Xi, and she whispered with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuan Xi checked the time and realized it was still early. She decided to go to the office. Though she was on annual leave, the past couple of days off had indeed accumulated quite a bit of work. When Yuan Xi arrived at the office, she didn¡¯t expect Yang Ying to be waiting for her. ¡°Xinxin.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, I still have work¡­¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°I also specifically postponed many important meetings and work to see you today, let¡¯s talk.¡± Knowing evasion was futile, Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a caf¨¦ downstairs. Let¡¯s go to the caf¨¦.¡± Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Chu Family Can Only Have One Daughter Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Chu Family Can Only Have One Daughter At the coffee shop at three in the afternoon, it was very quiet, with only a few employees coming in to buy a cup of coffee. Yuan Xi handed a cup of coffee to Yang Ying and took a seat, looking out of the window at the wide view of the river in Jiang City. Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Was everything okay with your hospital check-up yesterday?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°It was okay, nothing serious.¡± Yang Ying set down her coffee and said, ¡°Xinxin, yesterday Kexin told me on the phone about the incident in Chu Li¡¯s social circle, and I want to explain to you that Chu Li was leaving at noon, and you hadn¡¯t arrived yet so she took a photo that said it was a family reunion. She didn¡¯t intentionally exclude you, so you really shouldn¡¯t have stayed away from your grandparents¡¯ house because of that.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s smile faltered slightly and she replied, ¡°Mom, if you¡¯re just here to question me and accuse me of why I didn¡¯t go to my grandparents¡¯ house, then I think there¡¯s no need to talk further.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, your father and I are usually very busy at work, and since you returned, your father and I haven¡¯t really had the chance to sit down and talk with you properly. Actually, Xinxin, not a single day has passed in these twenty-five years when we haven¡¯t thought of you. Do you know how heartbroken I was when you turned your phone off on Saturday, choosing to stay with the so-called grandmother of the people who bought your house?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Yang Ying and said, ¡°What about you? Since I returned to the Chu Family, have you ever thought about me whenever you showed favoritism towards Chu Yan? Chu Yan smashed the green jade bracelet I gave you, and my brother said Chu Yan meant well, and that it would be fine if he paid for it. At my homecoming party, Chu Yan openly criticized my and my friend¡¯s dresses as knockoffs, yet you still asked me to endure it¡­ Did you ever consider that I might be hurt too?¡± Yang Ying was taken aback, ¡°Xinxin, Yanyan was raised by me, and she didn¡¯t mean any harm. She initially thought the bracelet was fake and smashed it in her concern for my well-being without considering the facts. She has apologized to you. As for the dresses, your father and I were busy, and the homecoming party was managed by her. That day the Bo Family was also present, and you spilled your wine, and Yanyan was embarrassed as well. After all, we are family¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°So, being family means having me wear a high-end dress that a female celebrity wore to my homecoming party?¡± ¡°Xinxin, I didn¡¯t realize you still remembered that incident. It wasn¡¯t that we didn¡¯t want to prepare a dress for you, but custom dresses take at least three months. You just happened to have a similar body type to the one that female celebrity wore, so Yanyan specifically bought it for you¡­ Yanyan really treats you like a sister, including just now in the office when she told you to get a divorce, she was truly considering your best interest.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°If we¡¯re really family, why couldn¡¯t I wait a bit to put on a custom dress at my homecoming party, but Chu Yan had to wear a new seasonal high-end dress instead of ready-to-wear?¡± Yang Ying was taken aback, ¡°Xinxin¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just act like distant relatives from now on, even if Chu Yan truly has good intentions towards me. I am petty and sensitive; I can¡¯t become family with a ¡®sister¡¯ who doesn¡¯t share blood ties with me.¡± Yuan Xi took a sip of her iced Americano, the bitter taste spreading between her lips and teeth, also helping her clear her head quite a bit. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really busy with work, and I don¡¯t want to spend more energy on trivial matters.¡± ¡°If you really consider me as Xinxin, as your daughter, then completely clarify the relationship and declare that Chu Yan is no longer the daughter of the Chu Family.¡± Yang Ying hurriedly said, ¡°Xinxin, Yanyan is the daughter we¡¯ve raised for twenty-five years. When you went missing, I was truly about to break down, and after repeated disappointments that led to despair, I was consuming handfuls of sleeping pills and was rescued. Later your father suggested we adopt a child, and we adopted Yanyan. Xinxin, Yanyan is your replacement, and all the love and affection we show her are because of you¡­ I often look at Yanyan and think of you¡­ Ultimately, Yanyan is our adopted daughter; we can¡¯t just disregard the twenty-five years of emotions and abandon her after finding our biological daughter¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°If you are unwilling to sever ties with Chu Yan, then there¡¯s no need for further discussion. We should just treat each other as distant relatives from now on.¡± When Yuan Xi uttered these words, she breathed a sigh of relief. Yang Ying asked, ¡°Xinxin, why do you detest Yanyan so much?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Just think of me as sensitive, petty, and jealous. The luxurious life she enjoyed for twenty-five years should have been mine. If I hadn¡¯t been stolen by the nanny, she would never have been able to live those twenty-five years. Everything she has should have been mine. Now, she uses the life that should have been mine to look down on me with pity. Why can¡¯t I despise her?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, you know that Yanyan is already aligned with the Bo Family through marriage. If we sever ties with Yanyan now, how are we supposed to interact with the Bo Family? We are all in the Jiang City circle. It¡¯s not like we can just sever ties with Yanyan that easily¡­¡± Yuan Xi knew this would be the outcome and felt it was reasonable. Yang Ying choosing Chu Yan didn¡¯t hurt her at all. ¡°Alright, I understand, Mom. If there¡¯s nothing important, let¡¯s not contact each other anymore. My time may not be as precious as yours and Dad¡¯s, but it¡¯s still quite valuable.¡± After saying this, Yuan Xi stood up and said, ¡°I need to get to work now.¡± ¡°Xinxin!¡± Yang Ying stood up. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk? I¡¯ve already made my intentions clear. There can only be one daughter in the Chu Family. If Chu Yan is in the Chu Family, I can¡¯t possibly return.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, Chu Yan is getting married to the Bo Family in four months, in September. We can¡¯t just kick out the future Young Madam of the Bo Family from our house now. If we really do that, we¡¯d completely burn our bridges with the Bo Family. Can¡¯t you consider the bigger picture?¡± Yuan Xi took a deep breath and said with a distant, light smile, ¡°So, your so-called dearly missed biological daughter can¡¯t compare to the Chu Family¡¯s reputation and standing?¡± Yang Ying replied, ¡°Xinxin, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Yuan Xi glanced at her watch, ¡°I really have a lot of work to do. You¡¯ve heard about Mi Chen going public, right? I¡¯m really quite busy.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t stop Yang Ying. When Yang Ying returned home, she discussed on the living room sofa with Chu Qing the situation of Yuan Xi wanting Chu Yan to leave the Chu Family. ¡°This child¡­sigh!¡± Yang Ying sighed deeply. Chu Qing frowned and said, ¡°Yanyan has also been our daughter for twenty-five years; we can¡¯t just tell her to leave like that.¡± Yang Ying¡¯s eyes teared up, ¡°But our daughter, whom we searched for twenty-five years, can¡¯t just be abandoned, right? I see that Xinxin is quite determined. If Yanyan doesn¡¯t leave the Chu Family, she won¡¯t come back to the Chu Family¡­ She insists that Yanyan must leave.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°Actually, Yanyan is already twenty-six years old, and we have fulfilled our duties of adoption. The dowry we¡¯ve given her should be enough for her to stand firm in the Bo Family. We truly owe a lot to Xinxin and can¡¯t hurt her anymore¡­¡± ¡°Yanyan.¡± At the front door, Chu Lin¡¯s voice caught the attention of the two inside. Chu Lin chased after Chu Yan who had run out, grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Yanyan.¡± Chu Yan leaned on Chu Lin¡¯s shoulder and cried out with grievance, ¡°Brother, now that sister is back, I¡¯m just superfluous in this home¡­¡± Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Still Want to Ruin the Marriage Between Yanyan and Bo Fan Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Still Want to Ruin the Marriage Between Yanyan and Bo Fan Chu Lin wiped the tears from Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as he held her, ¡°You are not superfluous at home.¡± Seeing Yang Ying and Chu Qing come out, Chu Yan stepped back from Chu Lin¡¯s embrace, swallowing her grievances, ¡°Mom, Dad, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you both, I will leave the Chu Family voluntarily. All of this should rightfully be Yuan Xi¡¯s.¡± Chu Yan went forward and hugged Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, I am very grateful for your care over the past twenty-five years.¡± Yang Ying, looking at Chu Yan in her arms who was trying to hold back the tears, felt a wave of reluctance, ¡°Yanyan¡­¡± Chu Yan, sobbing through her sniffles, ¡°Mom, once I leave, you can let Sister come back. She must be having a hard time at her in-laws¡¯, and now she even has to help her parents-in-law take care of her brother-in-law¡­ She really is too pitiable.¡± Chu Lin frowned and sent a message to Yuan Xi, but the red circles that popped up indicated he was still blocked by Yuan Xi. Chu Lin told Chu Yan, ¡°What do you mean leave? Weren¡¯t you listening to Grandma yesterday at her house, when she told you that you are forever a member of the Chu Family?¡± Chu Yan, ¡°But what about Sister?¡± Chu Lin let out a snort, ¡°If Yuan Xi is unwilling to come back then let her be. We¡¯ve been a family for twenty-five years, how can we just cast you out because she decides to return?¡± ¡°Chu Lin!¡± Chu Qing frowned, ¡°Xinxin is your biological sister, she¡¯s your family too!¡± ¡°Has she ever considered us her family?¡± Chu Lin argued, ¡°If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have made you choose between us despite knowing the difficulty you¡¯re in.¡± Chu Lin looked at the rejection message on his phone, ¡°Dad, Mom, if you disown Yanyan now, how am I supposed to explain this to Bo Fan? Not to mention that the Bo Family is an old-established wealthy family in Jiang City, Bo Fan and I have been good friends since we were young. If I kick his fianc¨¦e out of the house, how could I ever face Bo Fan again?¡± Yang Ying let out a sigh, feeling a sudden pain in her chest. Holding her chest, Yang Ying then fainted. Chu Qing and Chu Lin rushed forward to support her, ¡°Mom!¡± ¡­ Yuan Xi had been delayed today with an abundance of urgent work, working overtime until seven-thirty when she received a call from Chu Qing. ¡°Hello, Daddy.¡± ¡°Xinxin, your mom has been hospitalized; she was just diagnosed with angina. Can you come to the hospital?¡± Yuan Xi raised her eyebrows slightly, ¡°Alright, which hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After getting the hospital details, Yuan Xi went to the garage, got into her car, and drove to the hospital. Inside the VIP ward. Yang Ying lay on the hospital bed, looking very weak. ¡°Mom.¡± Entering the ward, Yuan Xi saw Chu Yan crying and a few people she did not recognize in the room. Chu Yan, with a tearful voice, approached Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, I am willing to leave the Chu Family. After I leave, you should come back home. Mom has been very stressed because of you, and I know you despise me, but I won¡¯t disturb your life anymore.¡± ¡°Yanyan, what¡¯s this about leaving or not leaving?¡± The elderly lady sitting in a chair, wearing a maroon silk blouse, spoke up, ¡°No one can make you leave the Chu Family; our Chu Family has painstakingly raised you for twenty-five years, and no one has the right to force you out!¡± Chu Yan walked over to the Old Madam Chu, holding her, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. I already feel guilty enough that Mom is in the hospital because of me, and if you get sick over this, my sins would be grave.¡± ¡°Yanyan, how could this be your fault?¡± a middle-aged woman wearing a dress full of LV logos interjected, ¡°You¡¯ve always been the most sensible and filial.¡± Chu Yan replied, ¡°Second Aunt, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Old Madam Chu approached Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, I heard you made your parents choose between you and Yanyan?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Old Madam Chu said, ¡°What right do you have to make the future Young Madam of the Bo Family leave the Chu Family? Are you just unable to bear seeing Yanyan getting a better marriage than you, so you incited your parents to drive her away, just to make her marriage to Bo Fan fall through?¡± Chu Yan lowered her head and said, ¡°Grandma, my sister would never have such a malicious thought, and even if she did, it¡¯s understandable, after all, if she had returned a year earlier, she would have been the one to enter into a marriage alliance with Bo Fan. Bo Fan was originally taken from her by me. It would be reasonable for my sister to not want me to marry Bo Fan.¡± Old Madam Chu gently patted Chu Yan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yanyan, Mrs. Bo has already spoken to me. Although our two families are entering into a marriage alliance, Mrs. Bo also likes that you were raised as a cherished daughter, and it¡¯s because you are bright and generous that she chose you to be the daughter-in-law of the Bo Family. After all, the Bo Family is an old, prestigious family in Jiang City, not just anyone can become the Young Madam of the Bo Family!¡± Chu Qing frowned and said, ¡°Mom!¡± Yang Ying also said weakly, ¡°Mother-in-law.¡± Old Madam Chu said, ¡°I will lay my words down here today, no one in this Chu Family has the authority to make Chu Yan leave. After all, Yanyan is about to enter into a marriage alliance with the Bo Family. What can Yuan Xi bring to our Chu Family? Is it her in-laws who are still sleeping in until eleven or twelve, or her husband who lives in the countryside? Or maybe her little brother-in-law who has never even eaten at KFC? Yanyan¡¯s marriage alliance with the Bo Family means a powerful union, and it will bring considerable benefits to our Chu Family. But what about Yuan Xi? It¡¯s already good enough that she isn¡¯t using the Chu Family¡¯s assets to support her husband¡¯s family. What right does she have to drive away Yanyan, and even think about sabotaging Yanyan¡¯s marriage to Bo Fan?¡± Yuan Xi originally thought that, knowing the Bo Family¡¯s plight and not telling the Chu Family, watching idly as Chu Yan married Bo Fan might be inappropriate. Now she thought it was fortunate that she hadn¡¯t spoken of the Bo Family¡¯s difficulties; otherwise, it might have looked even more like she was deliberately trying to ruin the marriage alliance between Chu Yan and Bo Fan. Yuan Xi still wore a faint smile, ¡°No, I have never intended to sabotage the marriage between Chu Yan and Bo Fan. I couldn¡¯t be happier for them if they lasted forever.¡± ¡°And I have never taken any assets from the Chu Family. Just yesterday, Chu Lin gave me eight million, which I donated to Mi Chen Charity. I will transfer it back to Chu Lin shortly.¡± ¡°Xinxin, there¡¯s no need for you to transfer the money. I admit that life hasn¡¯t been easy for you, and the family hasn¡¯t given you any support¡­¡± Yang Ying, agitated, tried to sit up. Chu Qinglian stepped forward to Yang Ying and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Yang Ying¡¯s condition, recalling her adoptive mother surrounded by similar equipment when she passed away¡­ Ultimately, she didn¡¯t want the mother she had finally found to leave her too. Yuan Xi said to Yang Ying, ¡°Mom, you should take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m doing very well. From now on, if you want to see me, just contact me when Chu Yan is not at home.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang; she pulled it out to see a call from Huo Shiyuan. Chu Yan, with sharp eyes, saw the caller ID was Huo Shiyuan, and felt somewhat worried, ¡°Why is Huo Shiyuan contacting you at this hour?¡± Chu Yan knew all too well that the reason her grandmother was so protective of her was largely because of her impending marriage into the Bo Family. And considering Huo Shiyuan had previously given Yuan Xi a diamond ring worth three hundred million as a means of revenge against her, could it be that to spite her, he was now deliberately getting close to Yuan Xi to make her regret abandoning him for her upcoming marriage to Bo Fan? After all, it was already half-past eight in the evening. Even if it was business related to Mi Chen, there was no need for communication at this time. If Huo Shiyuan was indeed trying to get close to Yuan Xi as revenge, Yuan Xi might find it hard to resist Huo Shiyuan¡¯s temptations¡­ Once Yuan Xi got together with Huo Shiyuan, the grandmother would certainly not protect her anymore¡­ Yuan Xi ignored Chu Yan and answered the call; Huo Shiyuan¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Are you at the hospital? What¡¯s happened to you?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you downstairs at the hospital.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°Should your brother drive you home?¡± ¡°No need, my husband is waiting for me downstairs at the hospital.¡± Yuan Xi spoke and then hung up the phone, and left the ward. While Yuan Xi was waiting for the elevator, she heard Old Madam Chu¡¯s voice coming from the room. ¡°Yanyan, what¡¯s this about Huo Shiyuan you just mentioned?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan is the Crown Prince of Shiyi Group, and his own Shixi Finance is also one of the largest investment companies in the country. He is also the largest shareholder of Mi Chen, so I¡¯m curious why he would call my sister so late¡­¡± Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Huo Shiyuan is My Ex-Boyfriend Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Huo Shiyuan is My Ex-Boyfriend Second Aunt Chu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Shiyi Group? Is that the Shiyi Hotel?¡± Chu Li leaned on Second Aunt Chu and said, ¡°The three hundred million diamond that Yuan Xi has must be the one Huo Shiyuan gave her, right?¡± Granny Chu also felt some regret about her earlier attitude toward Yuan Xi, ¡°A three hundred million diamond ring? The Crown Prince of Shiyi Group gave it to Yuan Xi? Why would Huo Shiyuan give such an expensive diamond to Yuan Xi?¡± Chu Yan whispered, ¡°Dad, mom, Grandma, I must admit a mistake to you¡­¡± Everyone in the ward looked at Chu Yan. Chu Yan said in a low voice, ¡°Actually, the reason Huo Shiyuan gave Yuan Xi the diamond ring is all because of me. Huo Shiyuan is my ex-boyfriend¡­¡± Yuan Xi, overhearing the conversation from the hospital room and watching the elevator arrive, couldn¡¯t bring herself to step in, wanting to listen a bit longer. It wasn¡¯t until the elevator operator urged her that Yuan Xi hurriedly apologized and entered the elevator. Inside the ward, Chu Yan said softly, ¡°I dated Huo Shiyuan back in high school, but back then, he wasn¡¯t called Huo Shiyuan, he was called Fu Yi. We were in a relationship for a year, and then I broke up with him. Perhaps he¡¯s harbored resentment against me ever since¡­ Now that he knows I¡¯m not the Chu family¡¯s biological child and I¡¯m engaged to Bo Fan, he learned that Bo Fan wanted to give me the Charlotte Blue Diamond. So he joined the auction for the Charlotte Blue Diamond, grabbed it, and deliberately gave it to Yuan Xi¡­¡± ¡°My god, Sister Yan Yan, wasn¡¯t that three hundred million-dollar diamond originally yours?¡± Chu Li said. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, Huo Shiyuan approached Yuan Xi to get revenge on you, right?¡± Chu Yan said anxiously, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so late; there¡¯s no way Huo Shiyuan is calling my sister for work-related reasons¡­ I¡¯m afraid my actions will bring harm to my sister.¡± Chu Li said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yuan Xi isn¡¯t foolish enough to have such wishful thinking. Even if Yuan Xi is the real heiress of our family, she¡¯s been married once before and is pregnant now. If she¡¯s so vain as to think Huo Shiyuan genuinely likes her, then she deserves to be used by Huo Shiyuan for revenge against you.¡± Yang Ying frowned upon hearing Chu Li¡¯s words, ¡°Chu Li!¡± Chu Li dared not say any more. Chu Yan turned to Chu Lin, ¡°Brother, I know sister doesn¡¯t like me. You should convince her. I support her divorce from her current husband. Sister deserves a better man. But Huo Shiyuan isn¡¯t someone our sister can aspire to. The Huo family¡¯s wealth and power both far surpass ours¡­¡± Noble families also have their differences. Although the Bo Family¡¯s wealth no longer compares to the Chu Family¡¯s, the Bo Family has been wealthy for over a century, and can truly be considered one of Jiang City¡¯s old-money noble families. The Chu Family¡¯s wealth has only spanned thirty years. When Chu Yan was little, the Chu Family was even called upstarts. Although the Chu Family now ranks among the top four wealthy families, it still lacks the heritage of the Bo Family. The Chu Family¡¯s marriage alliance with the Bo Family was meant to solidify its standing as an old-money noble family in Jiang City. And both the Huo Family and the Shi Family have been wealthy since a century ago. Huo Shiyuan¡¯s great-grandfather created Shiyi when he was young, and the Shiyi Hotel has nearly a hundred years of history now. The Huo Family has both heritage and wealth. Even though Chu Neng¡¯s market value is not low, it still falls quite far behind the Huo Family in the rankings of the rich. Especially since Huo Shiyuan, so young, has established Shixi Finance. Even Chu Yan herself dare not have delusions about rekindling her relationship with Huo Shiyuan. She is content with Bo Fan, truly fearing Yuan Xi might be confused enough to be used by Huo Shiyuan for revenge against her. Chu Lin replied, ¡°I will speak to Yuan Xi properly and tell her not to indulge in such fantasy.¡± Yuan Xi in the elevator finally understood what Chu Yan meant when she said that Huo Shiyuan was her ex-boyfriend. Gu Hanchen, that childish ghost, had Fu Yi pretend to be Huo Shiyuan. Chu Yan looked unnatural when she saw Fu Yi, so he was her ex-boyfriend. Yuan Xi left the hospital and saw that it had started raining. Huo Shiyuan came over with an umbrella, ¡°I went to buy some tonics, shall we go up together and visit mom?¡± Yuan Xi shook her head, ¡°No need, it¡¯s late. You should head back.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t want to see Granny Chu¡¯s demeanour again, nor did she want Huo Shiyuan to see it. After getting into the car, Yuan Xi saw that Xiao Shihuo was also there. ¡°Sister!¡± Yuan Xi sat down beside Xiao Shihuo, ¡°What are you doing here too?¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°I like Sister.¡± Yuan Xi touched his little cheek, ¡°I like Little Huohuo too.¡± Huo Shiyan drove himself today. After fastening his seatbelt, he looked back at Yuan Xi, ¡°Do you like Little Huohuo more, or do you like me more?¡± Yuan Xi was startled; she hadn¡¯t expected this question to come from Huo Shiyan. Little Shihuo dangled his little legs, ¡°Definitely like me more, I¡¯m cuter and better-looking than brother!¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Mm, I like Little Huohuo more.¡± Little Shihuo was very happy, ¡°Brother, sister likes me more!¡± Huo Shiyan furrowed his brow, clearly displeased throughout the whole trip. Inside the Ruohu Mansion, Yuan Xi emerged from the bathroom, drying her damp hair with a hairdryer. Huo Shiyan walked over to Yuan Xi, blowing her hair for her, ¡°Why would you like that stinky boy more than me?¡± Yuan Xi, looking at the mirror in front of her, saw that Huo Shiyan, fresh out of the shower, hadn¡¯t put on a shirt. His six-pack abs made Yuan Xi repeatedly look away. During the time they lived together, Huo Shiyan would wear pajamas with long sleeves and pants every day. Suddenly, he switched to wearing sports shorts and going shirtless, which made Yuan Xi somewhat uncomfortable. Yuan Xi whispered softly, ¡°He¡¯s a child, if I said I liked you more, he would be sad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that I would be sad?¡± Huo Shiyan turned off the hairdryer and asked quietly. Yuan Xi: ¡°Ah? You¡¯re so grown up, would you still get sad?¡± ¡°I would.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you as a child. Little Huohuo looks just like you did when you were young. So if I like him more, it¡¯s like liking you more when you were a child. In fact, it¡¯s because of you that I like him.¡± Yuan Xi looked up into Huo Shiyan¡¯s eyes, ¡°Okay, I like you a little more.¡± Huo Shiyan reached out to hold Yuan Xi¡¯s head and lowered his head to kiss her red lips. In the bathroom, still humid from the shower, Yuan Xi felt she had broken into a sweat again. It was a long while before Huo Shiyan let go of Yuan Xi, glanced at her stomach, and sighed softly, ¡°I¡¯m going to take another shower.¡± After Huo Shiyan left, Yuan Xi found herself blushing and it took a long time to calm down. The look in Huo Shiyan¡¯s eyes just then made Yuan Xi feel that he liked her for who she was, not as a substitute for his childhood sweetheart. ¡­ At the Jiangye Club, lights glowed red and green amidst a haze of drunken revelry. Gu Hanchen sat on the sofa, watching Bo Fan toast after toast to Fu Yi, his sycophantic eagerness made Gu Hanchen almost laugh. ¡°Mr. Gu, what a coincidence to bump into you here.¡± Liang Suisui approached Gu Hanchen. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence. I¡¯m here every day. It¡¯d be a coincidence if you came here and didn¡¯t run into me.¡± Liang Suisui: ¡°So while Yuan Xi is working hard all year round for Mi Chen without a day off, you get to be here enjoying yourself every day?¡± Listening to Liang Suisui¡¯s complaint, Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll come less often. Since we¡¯ve met today, let¡¯s go to the private room. Play cards together. Do you know how to play gan da¡¯n? Today, Chu Lin had something to do, and we¡¯ve been one short.¡± Liang Suisui: ¡°I know how. Let¡¯s play together then.¡± Once in the private room, Liang Suisui overheard Bo Fan talking with Fu Yi. Hearing Bo Fan call him President Huo and chatting about Shixi, Liang Suisui was a bit puzzled. Gu Hanchen leaned in and whispered to Liang Suisui the story about asking Fu Yi to pretend to be Huo Shiyan, to which Liang Suisui rolled her eyes at Gu Hanchen, ¡°That¡¯s really immature.¡± Liang Suisui hadn¡¯t expected the president of such a big company like Mi Chen to be so childish. When Chu Lin walked into the private room, he saw Liang Suisui and Gu Hanchen acting affectionately and whispering to each other. Remembering the car Liang Suisui had bumped into the other day and her telling him to go to the seventh hospital to get his brain checked, Chu Lin¡¯s face didn¡¯t look very good. ¡°Gu Hanchen, why is she here?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°She¡¯s a friend of Yuan Xi, we ran into each other at Jiangye today, it¡¯s fate. We came to play gan da¡¯n together.¡± Chu Lin scoffed, ¡°Is it fate, or does she want to come to Jiangye to fish for a rich husband? Who doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here every day?¡± Liang Suisui laughed lightly, ¡°That seventh hospital really is something, letting a patient with an untreated brain condition out.¡± Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Sibling Affection Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Sibling Affection Gu Hanchen glanced at Chu Lin, then at Liang Suisui, understanding clearly that these two didn¡¯t get along. Gu Hanchen broke the ice, ¡°If Suisui wants to hook me, I¡¯d be more than happy to be hooked.¡± Liang Suisui was quite attractive too, although not in the internet-celebrity kind of way, but with a charm of a water township girl. There were no traces of plastic surgery, evidently coming from a middle-class family with a good-girl image. In other words, she was the type Mrs. Gu would like. Gu Hanchen originally had no thoughts about dating or marriage, but with Bo Fan and Si Chen getting engaged and married respectively, his family was on his back about it every day. Now he was using the upcoming IPO as an excuse to fend off the marriage pressures, but once the IPO was over, he would inevitably be pushed into marriage. If he could really end up with Liang Suisui, Gu Hanchen actually wouldn¡¯t mind. Liang Suisui smiled slightly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare try to hook Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Why not dare? You are Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, by association, you¡¯re my friend too.¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°I¡¯m an only child, and my family is hoping I find a live-in son-in-law. Mr. Gu surely wouldn¡¯t stoop to being my son-in-law, right?¡± Gu Hanchen laughed, ¡°What age are we living in that we¡¯re still talking about live-in sons-in-law?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°How can we not? I¡¯m the only one in my family. What else if not marrying in?¡± Gu Hanchen just smiled and called over Bo Fan and Fu Yi to play cards, ¡°Come on, Bo Fan, President Huo, stop chatting, let¡¯s play cards.¡± Chu Lin looked at the brooding man beside Bo Fan, ¡°Is he Huo Shiyan?¡± Fu Yi stood up and reached out his hand to Chu Lin, ¡°Junior President Chu.¡± Chu Lin shook hands with Fu Yi, ¡°President Huo.¡± After the handshake, Fu Yi turned to Bo Fan and Gu Hanchen, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should be going.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Let me walk you out, President Huo.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Hey, only one of you can leave, because once you¡¯re gone, we¡¯ll be one short again.¡± Liang Suisui suggested, ¡°Just play ¡®Landlord¡¯ with three people.¡± Gu Hanchen thought it was a good idea, letting Bo Fan walk Fu Yi out. Gu Hanchen personally cut the cards, then asked Chu Lin, ¡°How is your mom doing? Why did she suddenly end up in the hospital?¡± Chu Lin glanced at Liang Suisui, ¡°Yuan Xi insists that my parents choose between her and Yanyan, isn¡¯t that utterly thoughtless? Yanyan and Bo Fan¡¯s wedding is just three to four months away. If our family, the Chu Family, kicks Yanyan out now, how am I supposed to face Bo Fan?¡± Gu Hanchen dealt the cards, ¡°Why can¡¯t you face him? Do you believe if you guys kick Chu Yan out the Bo Family would cancel the wedding immediately?¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°That¡¯s even more reason not to let Yanyan leave our family. She would be so pitiful.¡± Liang Suisui sarcastically laughed, ¡°If you think the fake daughter is pitiful, then you marry Chu Yan. That¡¯s how they write it in novels anyway. The fake daughter gets abandoned by her fianc¨¦, and then her brother, feeling pity and ignoring his true sister¡¯s feelings, falls for the fake daughter and marries her. I can list you a dozen books like that right off the bat.¡± Liang Suisui added, ¡°Besides, you and Chu Yan are a perfect match of ¡®no brains meets green tea.''¡± Chu Lin clenched his teeth, ¡°Liang Suisui, Yanyan is my real sister, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± Liang Suisui picked up the cards, her tone dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Right, right, right, Yanyan is your real~sister~¡± Chu Lin picked up the sarcastic tone and was so annoyed he didn¡¯t even want to pick up the cards. Gu Hanchen urged, ¡°Come on, pick up the cards.¡± Chu Lin stood up to leave, and Liang Suisui taunted, ¡°What, scared of losing money before even playing?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Chu Lin, do me a favor and sit down to play, don¡¯t leave the impression with this young lady that you can¡¯t take a loss.¡± Annoyed, Chu Lin picked up the cards, staring at a terrible hand, he even suspected Gu Hanchen had dealt the cards on purpose. In this round, Liang Suisui was the landlord and won quite a bit. For several games in a row, whether the cards were good or bad, Liang Suisui kept winning. Liang Suisui glanced at the time, ¡°It¡¯s twelve already, oh no I¡¯m in big trouble, they¡¯ll break my legs when I get home.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, at twenty-six, your family still imposes a curfew?¡± ¡°Yep, my family curfew is at nine p.m. and I wasn¡¯t even watching the time,¡± said Liang Suisui as she got up, ¡°I need to leave.¡± Having lost all night, Chu Lin frowned, ¡°One last round, if you win, this watch is yours, if you lose, all the money you¡¯ve won tonight stays.¡± Liang Suisui looked at the watch Chu Lin had taken off, ¡°What use do I have for a second-hand broken watch you¡¯ve worn? I have my own watch.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at the blue balloon in Liang Suisui¡¯s hand, ¡°If he sells that watch second-hand, it will still pay for your thousand-dollar watch.¡± Liang Suisui was slightly surprised, ¡°Really? I bought this watch at an international airport duty-free and it nearly cost me forty thousand. His can cover a thousand-dollar watch for me?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, if you win his watch, I¡¯ll immediately transfer forty million to buy it from you.¡± Liang Suisui felt tempted, and since it was already past the access control time, she didn¡¯t mind playing another round. Chu Lin said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal the cards this time.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Making it seem like I would cheat. I¡¯ve lost quite a bit today too.¡± After Chu Lin had dealt the cards, he said to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Play well this round. If you win against her, I¡¯ll give you the watch for free. You won¡¯t need to spend forty million.¡± ¡°Sorry, Suisui.¡± Gu Hanchen happily looked at the watch in front of him. Liang Suisui asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to gamble with me?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Yes, I will certainly win against you this time.¡± Liang Suisui picked up the three landlord cards in front of her and asked again, ¡°You guys won¡¯t cheat, right? If I win, I won¡¯t be able to leave Jiangye, will I?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°I¡¯m the president of Mi Chen, he¡¯s the young boss of Chuneng Group, we are people of status, what are you afraid of?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°Then I¡¯m playing my cards.¡± As Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen looked at the cards in their hands, they were certain that all the money Liang Suisui was winning tonight was a sure bet. Just as they were about to play their cards, they saw Liang Suisui lay all her cards out on the table. Her cards astonishingly formed a sequence from three sevens, three eights, up to three jacks, along with her three landlord cards, making a perfect plane. She finished her hand in one go. Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t even get a chance to play. Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Lin, ¡°Damn, Chu Lin, how did you deal these cards?¡± Chu Lin was obviously stunned as well. Was all this woman¡¯s luck in her lifetime spent on this set of cards? Liang Suisui stood up and said, ¡°I might have spent all my luck in life here. Thank you, Mr. Gu, thank you, Mr. Chu. Mr. Gu, here¡¯s the watch, remember to transfer the money, this is my bank card number.¡± ¡­ Yuan Xi woke up early in the morning and saw that messages in her besties group kept popping up. She scrolled up and saw a bank transfer notification from Liang Suisui sent at half past midnight, filled with zeros like a Photoshopped image. Suisui (looking for a husband version): I¡¯ve achieved my wish to get rich instantly, now I just need a husband. Sisters, help me find someone! Shi Shishitou: What did you do? Earn forty million overnight? Did you rob a bank? I¡¯ve been working myself to death at the factory for a year and I haven¡¯t made even a tenth of what you made in one night. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I make five thousand a month, and I would need to work a thousand months, basically a lifetime. Seeing messages from Shi Lei and Chen Yuan breaking down, Yuan Xi thought about her own salary, she would also need to work dead tired for seven or eight years¡­ Suisui (looking for a husband version): Yesterday I played a card game with Gu Hanchen and Chu Lin, and just like that, I won so much. I still can¡¯t believe I have forty million now, I¡¯m so thrilled I didn¡¯t sleep all night. Suisui (looking for a husband version): @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, oh yeah, Mr. Chu asked me to do him a favor, to take him off the blacklist. Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: ¡­ Speechless as she was, Yuan Xi still did Liang Suisui the favor and removed Chu Lin from the list. ¡°Sister.¡± Yuan Xi walked to the door where Huo Shiyan had already gotten up early, and Xiao Shihuo was dressed and ready for kindergarten. Huo Shiyan told Yuan Xi, ¡°He has to get to the kindergarten half an hour earlier than you need to be at work.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get up earlier next time.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll have the driver take him, and then I¡¯ll take you to the office.¡± Yuan Xi replied with a light smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, getting up half an hour earlier isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± After a rushed breakfast, Yuan Xi was making up in the back of the car to catch up with Xiao Shihuo¡¯s school time when she received a WeChat message from Chu Lin. Chu Lin: Yuan Xi, Huo Shiyan is approaching you just to get back at Yanyan. You better be sensible and not foolishly dream of becoming Mrs. Huo. After reading the message, Yuan Xi put Chu Lin back into the blacklist. Inside the blacklist, only Chu Lin lay there alone. After giving it some thought, Yuan Xi accepted Chu Yan¡¯s friend request and then blocked him too. After all, sibling affection runs deep. Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Is Mi Chen Going to Have a CEOs Wife? Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Is Mi Chen Going to Have a CEO¡¯s Wife? Huo Shiyuan dropped off Yuan Xi at the entrance to Michen Building. Because Xiao Shihuo had to go to school, Yuan Xi arrived a good half an hour early, and the two receptionists in the lobby had just arrived. ¡°President Yuan, President Yuan!¡± Yuan Xi heard the receptionist¡¯s voice and approached, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± While watering the fortune tree on the desk, the receptionist said, ¡°President Yuan, Mr. Gu made it to the trending searches again. Paparazzi caught him leaving Jiangye last night with a girl. The girl was sitting in Mr. Gu¡¯s passenger seat, smiling so wide she couldn¡¯t close her mouth, looking very happy. Does that mean we¡¯re about to have a CEO¡¯s wife soon?¡± Yuan Xi leaned in to look at the trending searches on the receptionist¡¯s phone. Wasn¡¯t that Liang Suisui, who was smiling so wide even her back teeth were showing? The paparazzi had originally gone to get a shot of a top male celebrity¡¯s scandal, but instead caught Gu Hanchen and posted it online. As the CEO of Michen, Gu Hanchen was no stranger to online attention. Yuan Xi said, ¡°No, that¡¯s a friend of mine in the photo.¡± ¡°I thought we were about to have a CEO¡¯s wife.¡± Yuan Xi then went to the fifty-eighth floor. In the secretary¡¯s office, several had arrived early to work and were quizzing her about the gossip concerning Gu Hanchen. Sitting in the corner, Ren Tian was all ears. She was coming to work the next day, and if Gu Hanchen really had a girlfriend, wouldn¡¯t her effort to go to work early be in vain? Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze shifted toward Ren Tian, noting her shirt¡¯s top three buttons undone and frowned slightly, but said nothing after all, as Michen had always practiced a policy of freedom in attire. Yuan Xi returned to her own office where the gossip group was buzzing about Liang Suisui trending. Liang Suisui had stayed up all night and was now fast asleep. ¡°President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi looked up at the door to see Zhong Xiaoyi knocking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°President Yuan, I¡¯m having trouble understanding some of the data on these forms¡­ Could you give me some guidance?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°Come on over.¡± As Zhong Xiaoyi approached, Yuan Xi smelled a strong scent of alcohol on her. Already plagued by severe morning sickness, she threw up straight into the trash can and took a while to rinse her mouth before she felt better. ¡°Xiao Yi, the work at Michen is actually quite busy, especially now that you are Mr. Gu¡¯s secretary, and in many cases, you have to be available 24/7. This is the nature of your job. Even if it¡¯s not during your working hours, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t indulge in heavy drinking. If you must, having a few light drinks is alright, but after all, alcohol isn¡¯t something to mess with¡­¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said quietly, ¡°President Yuan, the smell of alcohol on me is from taking care of Mr. Gu early this morning, I should have taken a shower before coming to work, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yuan Xi remembered that Zhong Xiaoyi¡¯s mother was Gu Hanchen¡¯s housekeeper, and Zhong Xiaoyi lived with her mother at Gu Hanchen¡¯s place. It was inevitable that she would have to look after him when he got drunk. Yuan Xi had seen Zhong Xiaoyi helping her mother take care of Gu Hanchen when she was his secretary. ¡°Did he drink after sending Liang Suisui home last night?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi nodded, ¡°Yes, he drank at home with Junior President Chu, both of them got very drunk.¡± Yuan Xi thought no wonder Chu Lin had sent her that strange message in the morning, he was probably drunk. Today, Michen received numerous calls from the media, most of which were inquiring whether Gu Hanchen was nearing a happy event. It was not only the media. After ten, Mrs. Gu also came to Michen Building. The Gu Family didn¡¯t think much of the game company Gu Hanchen had created, and the elders from the Gu Family seldom visited Michen. Mrs. Gu asked, ¡°Yuan Xi, where¡¯s Gu Hanchen?¡± Yuan Xi responded with a light smile, ¡°Mrs. Gu, Mr. Gu usually arrives at work around eleven or twelve at noon. I heard he was drinking late last night. He might come to the office after one.¡± Mrs. Gu patted Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s really thanks to you that Michen has reached its current scale. Do you know where he lives now?¡± ¡°He lives over there at Jiangjing No.1, not far from here.¡± Mrs. Gu asked Yuan Xi, ¡°Is it convenient for you? If it is, can you take me there?¡± Yuan Xi nodded and led Mrs. Gu to Jiangjing No.1. When they arrived at Gu Hanchen¡¯s house, Yuan Xi skillfully entered the password. Once inside the house, Mrs. Zhong was cleaning up the living room, with wine bottles scattered all over the floor and the expensive leather sofa stained with red wine. ¡°Miss Yuan, Mrs. Gu.¡± Seeing the scattered wine bottles, Mrs. Gu got so angry she felt a throbbing pain in her temples. ¡°His Michen going public? It¡¯s really thanks to my annual temple visits to burn incense and pray.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± Mrs. Gu walked to the bedroom door, saw that it was unlocked, and opened it, only to be greeted by the stench of alcohol. She disdainfully pulled open the curtains and opened the windows. Yuan Xi held back her nausea as she looked towards Gu Hanchen¡¯s bed, and it was obvious there was someone in Gu Hanchen¡¯s bed. Mrs. Gu also saw and what was once disdain turned into a light laugh, ¡°Wow, this boy is something else, telling us he¡¯s too young and too busy with work, in no rush to find a girlfriend and get married, even claiming that having a girlfriend would only slow down his money-making, but here he is, sharing a bed with someone.¡± Yuan Xi felt it was not good to pry into others¡¯ privacy and was about to persuade Mrs. Gu to leave so as not to embarrass the girl, when she then saw the face of the person holding Gu Hanchen in sleep¡­ Mrs. Gu saw the handsome, attractive face too and felt a surge of emotion, so much that she felt dizzy and collapsed onto a small sofa nearby. ¡°Aiyo, aiyo! My head is spinning! Yang Ying is still in the hospital, what should I do now?¡± As she spoke, Mrs. Gu didn¡¯t forget to take out her phone to snap a photo, ¡°Aiyo, aiyo, I need to go to the hospital too.¡± Their commotion woke the two people in the bed. Chu Lin opened his eyes to see Yuan Xi before him, his brows slightly furrowed. Gu Hanchen noticed Yuan Xi and gently touched his temple, ¡°Nothing¡¯s gone wrong with Michen again, has it? You¡¯re here so early to get me.¡± Mrs. Gu sharply said, ¡°A big deal? What could be more important than you and Chu Lin being together? When did you two start? No wonder, a beauty like Yuan Xi has been around you for five years and you¡¯ve shown no interest, it turns out you fancy Chu Lin!¡± Mrs. Gu clutched her head, ¡°In this day and age, I can accept it if it¡¯s true love¡­ but can your father and Uncle Chu accept this kind of true love? Oh, my head feels so dizzy¡­¡± Eventually, Gu Hanchen noticed Chu Lin beside him and exclaimed, ¡°What the hell, how did you end up on my bed?¡± ¡°Chu Lin, I didn¡¯t expect you to be this kind of person!¡± Gu Hanchen moved away on the bed. Chu Lin explained, ¡°I was drunk last night, and I vaguely remember your maid helping me here. Aunt Gu, please don¡¯t misunderstand; Chu Lin and I are nothing but clean brothers.¡± Gu Hanchen also hurried to clarify, ¡°Yes, Mom, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. Don¡¯t overthink it; I like women.¡± Mrs. Gu took out her phone and opened the photo sent to her in a trending search. ¡°Gu Hanchen, what¡¯s going on with you and this girl? It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve been caught leaving Jiangye with another girl, her reputation could be affected by your actions, and if you really like women, then you should settle down and marry her.¡± Gu Hanchen responded, ¡°Mom, how does playing cards together threaten anyone¡¯s reputation? The girl in this picture is Yuan Xi¡¯s friend, Liang Suisui. She said last night that her family has only one daughter and only accepts sons-in-law, I surely can¡¯t go and be a son-in-law in her family, can I?¡± Mrs. Gu replied, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing, I¡¯m not some antique who insists on carrying on the Gu family name. The girl¡¯s surname is Liang, and I think it sounds quite nice to have a grandson with the last name Liang.¡± Gu Hanchen: ¡°¡­¡± Mrs. Gu turned to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Since she¡¯s your friend, I trust her character. Anyone who can be friends with you can¡¯t be bad. Can you help set this up?¡± Chu Lin frowned slightly upon hearing Mrs. Gu¡¯s words and for some reason felt a pang of discomfort, glancing at Yuan Xi with a look that suggested she should not agree. Yuan Xi saw Chu Lin¡¯s furrowed brow; he probably thought that a girl from a village like hers wouldn¡¯t be a match for Gu Hanchen. Out of courtesy, Yuan Xi replied to Mrs. Gu, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 57 I Wish You a Smooth Marriage to Bo Fan Chapter 57: Chapter 57 I Wish You a Smooth Marriage to Bo Fan Mrs. Gu laughed as she heard Yuan Xi agree and then left. After Chu Lin got up from bed, he said to Yuan Xi, ¡°The gap between your friend¡¯s family and Gu Hanchen¡¯s is more than just a little bit. If you really set them up, you¡¯ll only be harming your friend.¡± Yuan Xi furrowed her brows. Gu Hanchen yawned on the side and said, ¡°Chu Lin, what do you mean? I don¡¯t care about socioeconomic gaps. In the whole Jiang City, you won¡¯t find many daughters richer than me, Gu Hanchen.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Still, you can¡¯t choose someone with such a big difference. Haven¡¯t you heard Liang Suisui talking about wanting to find a live-in son-in-law? Marrying into a family with such feudal, rural ideas, aren¡¯t you worried that¡¯d be a burden?¡± Yuan Xi glared angrily at Chu Lin. Chu Lin found his phone and opened WeChat. He discovered the message he sent to Yuan Xi while drunk that morning had been successfully delivered. Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°The message from this morning, I sent it in a drunken stupor, but the reality is indeed such. Your friend is not worthy of Gu Hanchen. Once she really enters the circle of the Gu Family, she will realize the gap between her middle-class family background and the Gu Family¡¯s is like heaven and earth; she is doomed to be unhappiness. And you are the same. Even if Chu Yan was raised as the Chu Family¡¯s precious daughter since childhood, she can¡¯t possibly climb up to the Huo Family¡¯s level. Let alone you, you grew up by the lake in Ruohu, so different from the Huo Family¡¯s background. Huo Shiyuan getting close to you is only for the sake of getting revenge on Yanyan. Don¡¯t foolishly think that him giving you a three billion Diamond Ring means he¡¯s interested in you; that diamond was originally meant for Yanyan.¡± Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Am I still drunk? I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Yuan Xi gave a cold smile. She didn¡¯t want to argue with Chu Lin, ¡°Mr. Gu, it¡¯s time to go to the company.¡± Gu Hanchen yawned, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Gu Hanchen showered quickly, and Yuan Xi drove him to Mi Chen. As soon as Gu Hanchen arrived on the fifty-eighth floor, he summoned Zhong Xiaoyi to his office and scolded her harshly. ¡°Why did you put Chu Lin in my room when there are so many rooms in my house?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said in a soft voice, ¡°I thought you were brothers, sleeping together shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Gu Hanchen raised his voice, ¡°Sleeping together as two grown men, no problem?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi was speechless. Seeing Zhong Xiaoyi¡¯s tearful eyes, Yuan Xi said gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go out.¡± After Zhong Xiaoyi left, Yuan Xi told Gu Hanchen, ¡°Be nicer to the girl. She¡¯s just out of college with no social experience. Why are you so fierce?¡± Gu Hanchen snorted lightly. Ren Tian came over with a document, bending down so much her shirt collar touched Gu Hanchen¡¯s arm. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Are you hot? Leaving so many buttons undone? It¡¯s all showing. If you¡¯re hot, lower the air conditioning, but dress properly. Otherwise, people will think my Mi Chen¡¯s CEO¡¯s secretary office is a madhouse, where people don¡¯t even know how to wear clothes.¡± Ren Tian was puzzled. Yuan Xi looked at Ren Tian and said, ¡°He ate gunpowder today, don¡¯t mind him, give me the document.¡± Reluctantly, Ren Tian handed the document to Yuan Xi. After leaving, she sent a voice message to Fu Yi, ¡°Gu Hanchen is really an idiot! I quit. I hate work so much. I don¡¯t understand anything here. I better choose someone else.¡± Ren Tian didn¡¯t dare to think what if she really could hook Gu Hanchen and marry him. She¡¯d have to endure Gu Hanchen¡¯s abnormalities her whole life. Better to change to someone normal. ¡­ Inside the private room of Shiyi Hotel. Chu Yan looked at the man in front of her and said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Fu Yi opened the message from Ren Tian, which came with her voice scolding loudly. Chu Yan heard the unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice coming from the man¡¯s phone across from her, and looked at the man, ¡°Who is she?¡± Fu Yi said, ¡°A little sister.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, I know you hate me for having abandoned you before, but you can¡¯t use Yuan Xi to take revenge on me. Yuan Xi is already married with children¡­¡± Fu Yi played with his phone and said, ¡°I have no intention of taking revenge on you.¡± ¡°You have no intention of taking revenge on me? Then why would you give Yuan Xi a diamond ring worth three hundred million? And Bo Fan has been utterly respectful to you these past few days, hasn¡¯t he? Why have you been dragging your feet on investing in Fan Yan? Isn¡¯t it all because of me?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°I know I was wrong, please show some generosity and let me go. Bo Fan and I are about to get married¡­¡± ¡°Then I wish you a happy marriage.¡± Fu Yi raised his glass and looked at Chu Yan, ¡°Yanyan, I¡¯ve never hated you. I¡¯ve always hoped that you could be happy. I never thought about taking revenge on you. As for why I gave Yuan Xi a diamond ring worth three hundred million, it was because of Gu Hanchen. When I bid for the diamond ring, I didn¡¯t know she was the true heiress of the Chu family.¡± Hearing Fu Yi¡¯s words, Chu Yan felt a slight stir in her heart. She picked up her glass and took a delicate sip, ¡°You never thought of taking revenge on me?¡± Fu Yi looked at Chu Yan, ¡°Yes, during that year when I didn¡¯t think I could go on living, I got by just thinking about you. You¡¯ve always been the woman I loved the most; I couldn¡¯t bear to take revenge on you.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s heart raced as she looked into the eyes of the man in front of her and took another big gulp of wine. ¡°Huo Shiyuan¡­ you really won¡¯t get close to Yuan Xi to take revenge on me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± said Fu Yi. Chu Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was very afraid that Huo Shiyuan getting close to Yuan Xi would give Yuan Xi a better excuse to issue an ultimatum. Fu Yi stood up, walked over to Chu Yan, and gently kissed her on the cheek. ¡°I hope you can smoothly marry Bo Fan and become Mrs. Bo.¡± After Fu Yi left, Chu Yan touched her cheek, reminding herself that even if Huo Shiyuan no longer hated her, the gap between them was still vast. Marrying Bo Fan was her best option. She shouldn¡¯t harbor other thoughts. Fu Yi drove to the foot of Mi Chen¡¯s building and picked up Ren Tian. Ren Tian cursed Gu Hanchen from the passenger seat, ¡°He called me crazy, but he¡¯s the real lunatic. I showed him my great figure and he didn¡¯t even bat an eye.¡± Fu Yi looked at Ren Tian and said, ¡°Gu Hanchen is already pretty easy for you to seduce among the Jiang City elite. If you want to marry a young, wealthy man, Gu Hanchen is your best option. I advise you to just be patient.¡± Ren Tian looked out at the skyscrapers and said, ¡°Fu Yi, didn¡¯t Gu Hanchen say he would give you a million for pretending to be Huo Shiyuan, once the job was done? Let¡¯s take that one million back to my hometown to buy a house. House prices there are really cheap; you can buy a house in the county town for half that amount. Then with the other half a million, we can open a tattoo shop in town. That should be enough for us to live on, right?¡± Fu Yi looked at Ren Tian, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about finding a wealthy man anymore?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hard,¡± sighed Ren Tian. ¡°The older ones treat me like an object, and the younger ones have women who are prettier and smarter than me by their side. Why don¡¯t we take the money and go back to my hometown?¡± Fu Yi glanced at the message on his phone from an unnamed number and said to Ren Tian, ¡°Alright, when we get the million from Gu Hanchen, I¡¯ll go back to your hometown with you.¡± Ren Tian hugged Fu Yi¡¯s arm and tried to kiss him, but Fu Yi turned his face away, not letting Ren Tian touch his lips. Ren Tian knew only Chu Yan could touch Fu Yi¡¯s lips; even when they shared a cigarette and were that close, he never kissed her. His kisses were reserved only for Chu Yan. After Chu Yan left the Shiyi Private Room, she ran into Bo Fan. Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°I heard President Huo was in this private room. Did you arrange to meet with President Huo?¡± Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan and said, ¡°Bo Fan, I have to tell you the truth. I actually dated President Huo before¡­ Maybe you shouldn¡¯t ask him to invest anymore. He might keep stalling on investing in Fan Yan because of me.¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°No wonder he changes the subject whenever Fan Yan comes up these days.¡± Chu Yan looked up at Bo Fan, ¡°Will you mind that I¡¯ve dated Huo Shiyuan in the past?¡± Bo Fan touched Chu Yan¡¯s head with a light laugh, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, I won¡¯t mind. Just focus on preparing to be a bride.¡± Chu Yan hugged Bo Fan¡¯s arm, feeling like the happiest woman in the world. ¡°But Yanyan, Fan Yan really does need Huo Shiyuan¡¯s investment right now, so¡­ I hope you can persuade President Huo to invest¡­¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Bo Fan, is Fan Yan really having problems? If that¡¯s true, I can ask my parents and brother for help; we don¡¯t need to beg Huo Shiyuan.¡± ¡°Yanyan, you¡¯re no longer the biological daughter of the Chu family. If Fan Yan really had problems, telling your parents and brother wouldn¡¯t get any help, only their disdain, especially from Granny Chu¡­¡± Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Sister Yiren Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Sister Yiren Bo Fan said as he gently caressed Chu Yan¡¯s cheek, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you for the matter concerning Huo Shiyuan.¡± Chu Yan looked up at Bo Fan and threw herself into his arms. When she learned that she was not the biological daughter of the Chu Family, both Bo Fan and the Bo Family stuck by her side without changing their marriage arrangement. She had no reason not to help Bo Fan this time. ¡°Bo Fan, I love you!¡± Chu Yan¡¯s gaze lifted to Bo Fan¡¯s eyes. Bo Fan chuckled, ¡°I love you too.¡± Chu Yan glanced at the time on her phone, ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao has asked to meet with me this afternoon, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Bo Fan watched Chu Yan¡¯s retreating figure, the smile in his eyes momentarily faltering. He hadn¡¯t expected Huo Shiyuan to be Chu Yan¡¯s ex-boyfriend. Chu Yan rushed to a skincare salon, where Yu Xiaoxiao was lying face down, getting a massage on her back. Upon seeing Chu Yan, she said, ¡°You¡¯ll come with me to Huxi Village later. We¡¯ll have a proper meeting with Liang Suisui. I want her to fully understand that she has absolutely no right to compete with me over anything in Jiang City!¡± Chu Yan at Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s side, ¡°Liang Suisui? You mean the one who wore the same dress as me at the comeback banquet a while ago?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°That¡¯s her. She even made the hot search today, saying she¡¯s going to be Mrs. Mi Chen. Liang Suisui doesn¡¯t even look in the mirror. How could she possibly think she¡¯s fit to marry Gu Hanchen? Yuan Xi does have some skills, seeing no hope in getting married and becoming Mrs. Gu herself, she¡¯s now trying to hook up her friend with Gu Hanchen, the golden bachelor.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Why should you stoop down to find trouble with Liang Suisui? Dirtying our hands by dealing with her kind isn¡¯t worth it. And going to that village, aren¡¯t you afraid it¡¯s filthy, chaotic, and smelly? It might just taint us.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Exactly, I even dread the filthiness I might catch by going to that village. But we can¡¯t let Liang Suisui off too easily, right? Have you seen the photos taken by the paparazzi? She looks so happy by Gu Hanchen¡¯s side.¡± Chu Yan smiled, ¡°I remember Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday is this Saturday, right?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°Yes, Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter was born on Children¡¯s Day. The Gu Family always hosts a birthday party for her every year.¡± Chu Yan said to Yu Xiaoxiao, ¡°If you hysterically go after Liang Suisui and use power to pressure her, it won¡¯t be meaningful. It might even provoke Gu Hanchen¡¯s protective instincts towards a fragile little white lotus like Liang Suisui. Why don¡¯t you kindly invite Liang Suisui to Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party? Let Liang Suisui see with her own eyes the vast difference between her and the Gu Family.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°But will Liang Suisui even attend Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°If Gu Hanchen really has something with Liang Suisui, he will certainly invite her. And if Liang Suisui doesn¡¯t even attend Gu Nuan¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party, what¡¯s there for you to fear? It would just show that Gu Hanchen also knows that Liang Suisui is not presentable.¡± ¡­ Mi Chen. After a busy day, Yuan Xi got off work. As the night approached, it was still bright outside at seven in the evening, and the distant sunset was very beautiful. Yuan Xi opened the rear car door and sat next to Xiao Shihuo. Huo Shiyuan no longer used a driver since installing the child seat; he mostly drove himself now. ¡°Sister!¡± Xiao Shihuo, with his hands supporting his cheeks, said, ¡°Sister, you finished work so late. I already had a piano lesson and a programming class.¡± Yuan Xi turned to look at Huo Shiyuan in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°The interest classes you arranged for him?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°His kindergarten ends a while before you finish work, so I let him attend more interest classes. Can¡¯t let him idle away.¡± Yuan Xi patted Xiao Shihuo¡¯s head, ¡°How was your first day at kindergarten? Did you make any friends?¡± Xiao Shihuo nodded, ¡°I made a good friend! She even invited me to her birthday party.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°When is the birthday party? If I have time, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°On June 1st, on Children¡¯s Day. She said there will be KFC at her birthday party~¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°June 1st? That might be inconvenient. My boss¡¯s niece also has her birthday on June 1st. I¡¯ll have to accompany my boss to celebrate for his niece.¡± Gu Hanchen¡¯s biological elder sister, Gu Nuan, brought a child back from abroad five years ago, but no one knew who the father was. After Gu Hanchen founded Mi Chen, Gu Shipping was handed over to Gu Nuan to manage, and as Gu Nuan¡¯s child was fatherless, he was still considered a future successor of the Gu Family. For this reason, no one in Jiang City¡¯s circle of the wealthy dared to look down upon the child. Thus, his birthdays were always celebrated with great pomp and circumstance. Yuan Xi said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring Xiao Shihuo to his classmate¡¯s birthday party?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°What Xiao Huo was talking about is the birthday of Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece.¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°How coincidental.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t surprising to encounter Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece at Pudun, which is known to be the top kindergarten in Jiang City. Yuan Xi then said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Then make a trip to Hengfan to buy a birthday gift for Xiao Ying.¡± Huo Shiyuan added, ¡°And let him have a meal at KFC on the way, to keep him from thinking about it all the time.¡± ¡°Big brother is the best, the very best, the most awesome!¡± At these words, Xiao Shihuo danced around joyfully. Upon arriving at Hengfan, the trio first stopped at a KFC, where business was surprisingly good at the time. Xiao Shihuo wanted to try everything and almost ordered one of each item on the machine. Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t indulge him, ¡°You can¡¯t waste food. You should only order as much as you can eat; wasting food is shameful.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled beside them; the dishes Huo Shiyuan prepared for her were always quite generous, especially the ones delivered at noon. It was fortunate that Gu Hanchen would eat with her, otherwise a lot would have gone to waste. She had originally thought that with the Huo Family¡¯s financial status, they really wouldn¡¯t fret about food wastage. ¡°Psst¡­¡± Yuan Xi heard a familiar snicker and turned to see Bao Yan and Bo Fan, accompanied by several smartly dressed men she didn¡¯t recognize. Upon seeing Yuan Xi, Bo Fan approached and said, ¡°Ordering food? Let me treat you, don¡¯t disappoint the child.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. The child hasn¡¯t had it before and just wanted to try, neither my husband nor I will eat, so it would indeed be wasteful to order too much.¡± Bao Yan retorted, ¡°The salary Gu Hanchen gives you isn¡¯t low, right? Do you really need to be so tight-fisted and only feed the child? Or is it that the bold move of giving Aunt Yang that thirty million bracelet the other day has depleted all your savings? There¡¯s no need to pretend to be rich when you¡¯re not.¡± Bo Fan leaned in closer to take a look at the watch Huo Shiyuan was wearing to make the payment and couldn¡¯t help but show a mocking expression in his eyes. Xiao Shihuo paid no mind to the adults¡¯ convoluted exchanges, his eyes fixated on the food in front of him. ¡°Mr. Bo, President Qian from Fu An Group has arrived,¡± someone behind Bo Fan announced. Bo Fan stepped out and saw a young woman descend from a Rolls-Royce that had pulled up right at the entrance of the mall. She had slightly curly long hair, wore a blue dress, and seven-centimeter heels ¡ª her presence was formidable. Bo Fan¡¯s eyes quickly noticed the logo on her clothes, the same one on the garments worn by Yuan Xi¡¯s husband that he had just seen. ¡°Sister Yiren!¡± From inside the KFC, Xiao Shihuo spotted the young woman at the entrance and was excited to see a familiar face. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s Sister Yiren! Sister Yiren keeps asking when you¡¯ll come home.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Focus on eating your burger. You shouldn¡¯t talk while eating.¡± Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Yuan Xis Appearance Deeply Disappoints Her Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Yuan Xi¡¯s Appearance Deeply Disappoints Her Yuan Xi¡¯s gaze followed Little Shihuo¡¯s pointing finger and looked outside, only to see a young woman entering through the door, wearing a neatly tailored blue sleeveless dress, which made her look noble and capable. After sending a message, Huo Shiyuan took away the cola Little Shihuo had sipped twice. ¡°No more cola for you, drink orange juice instead.¡± ¡°But I want cola!¡± Little Shihuo tried to take back the cola that Huo Shiyuan had taken. With a gentle voice, Yuan Xi spoke to Little Shihuo, ¡°You can¡¯t drink any more, cola is full of sugar, and drinking too much will turn you into a little fatty.¡± Hearing ¡°little fatty,¡± Little Shihuo obediently picked up the orange juice on the side to drink, ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a little fatty like Brother.¡± Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t fat.¡± Huo Shiyuan must work out regularly, because he had a good physique, the type that appears slim in clothes but has muscles underneath. Little Shihuo looked at Yuan Xi, confused. ¡°Brother¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan interrupted Little Shihuo¡¯s words, ¡°The situation with the Bo Family might be worse than we know. Qian Yiren is the niece of the Fu Family¡¯s matriarch, and now she is also the Vice General Manager of the Fu An Group, in charge of some shopping mall acquisitions and operations. Her visit to Hengfan is to consider acquiring Hengfan.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Hengfan is the Bo Family¡¯s cash cow. If the Bo Family has to sell Hengfan, isn¡¯t that pretty much the same as being desperate?¡± Hengfan could be considered the Bo Family¡¯s foundation. Indeed, the crisis faced by the Bo Family was far more serious than what Qin Yue had described. It wasn¡¯t just about the loss of a mere 1.5 billion yuan. After finishing their meal at KFC, the three of them went to select a gift for Gu Hanchen¡¯s niece. Little Shihuo walked into a jewelry store specializing in diamonds and pointed at the Diamond Crown displayed in the showcase outside, ¡°I want to give this to Yingying.¡± Yuan Xi glanced at the string of zeros and was taken aback. But Huo Shiyuan nonchalantly handed over his card to the clerk, ¡°Just this little crown, wrap it up.¡± The clerk was stunned, not expecting the store¡¯s treasured item to be sold. Although Hengfan is one of the largest luxury malls in Jiang City, this crown was usually just for display. ¡°Please wait, I¡¯ll find a box.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Isn¡¯t giving this little crown to a child a bit too extravagant?¡± Huo Shiyuan responded, ¡°It¡¯s not too extravagant, little girls all like crowns like these.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°That¡¯s true, I also liked crowns full of shiny diamonds when I was a child. For my birthday, Brother Zhuangzhuang also gave me a little crown, which I wore playfully in the first and second grade of elementary school. By the third grade, though, I felt the diamonds on the crown were too big and gaudy, so I put it on the teddy bear that had grown up with me.¡± Huo Shiyuan asked, ¡°Is, is that crown still around?¡± That crown had been custom-made when his parents got married; even in that era, it had been rather valuable. Yuan Xi said with a light smile, ¡°It is. After I was driven out of the house, I only took the birthday presents my friends had given me.¡± Huo Shiyuan thought that if Yuan Xi just took a closer look at the diamonds on that little crown and saw the identification number on the diamond, she could have sold the crown and wouldn¡¯t have had to struggle so much in her four years of university. ¡°Brother, I need to pee!¡± Shihuo looked up at Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Go by yourself.¡± Yuan Xi protested, ¡°How can you let him go alone? He might get lost.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°There are bodyguards following.¡± Yuan Xi looked outside the store, indeed there were several tall and sturdy men in black shirts, all over 1.8 meters tall, who seemed to have followed them the entire way. ¡°The guy driving the Audi A6 we saw on the road these past few days is a bodyguard too? I was wondering why those A6¡¯s came and went at the same time as us.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°It¡¯s the bodyguard¡¯s car.¡± Little Shihuo, holding Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hand, ¡°I just want Brother to accompany me.¡± Yuan Xi waited in the store for the clerk to package the crown. Huo Shiyuan, with no other choice, took Little Shihuo to the restroom. While Huo Shiyuan waited outside the restroom for Little Shihuo, he saw Qian Yiren, who had come to use the facilities. Qian Yiren looked at Huo Shiyuan and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, I just saw you at the KFC at the entrance of the mall when I came in. I didn¡¯t come over to greet you because of your message. When did you return to the country?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a little over a year, staying in Jiang City all the while.¡± Qian Yiren was slightly stunned, ¡°For the Ruohu project?¡± Huo Shiyuan shook his head with a light smile, ¡°For Yuan Xi.¡± Qian Yiren pursed her lips lightly, ¡°I¡¯m really curious about what that Yuan Xi, whom you¡¯ve been obsessed with since childhood, is like. Is she breathtakingly beautiful?¡± ¡°Sister Yiren?¡± Little Shihuo came out of the restroom and hugged Qian Yiren¡¯s thigh, ¡°Sister Yiren.¡± Qian Yiren smiled softly as she picked up Little Shihuo, ¡°What brought you to Jiang City?¡± ¡°My mom and dad went to Switzerland to have fun and didn¡¯t take me with them, so they sent me to hang out with Brother and Sister.¡± Qian Yiren chuckled and kissed Little Shihuo on the cheek, ¡°Then you must be a good boy and listen to what Brother says.¡± Yuan Xi came to the restroom to find Huo Shiyuan and Little Shihuo after the crown was packaged. She saw a young woman holding and kissing Little Shihuo¡¯s cheek. Yuan Xi approached Huo Shiyuan and professionally smiled at Qian Yiren, ¡°Hello, President Qian.¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Little Shihuo lunged toward Yuan Xi, wanting to be held by her. Huo Shiyuan stepped forward and took Little Shihuo first, ¡°Your sister has a baby in her belly now, you can¡¯t let her hold you anymore.¡± Qian Yiren examined Yuan Xi, who was dressed in a shirt and A-line skirt. Her long hair was pinned up, giving off a gentle vibe, and her makeup was elegantly light, hardly different from the average office lady she had seen. Yuan Xi¡¯s appearance made Qian Yiren give a wry laugh. Yuan Xi could be considered beautiful, but such petite beauties were a dime a dozen in City A; there was nothing instantly eye-catching or stunning about her. Qian Yiren couldn¡¯t accept that the woman in front of her was the Yuan Xi that Huo Shiyuan had been fixated on since childhood, ¡°You¡¯re Yuan Xi?¡± Yuan Xi extended her hand, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you, President Qian.¡± Qian Yiren found it laughable; she had always imagined Yuan Xi to be an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She even feared to investigate just how beautiful Yuan Xi was, to imagine why Huo Shiyuan, even after many years abroad, would choose to marry her. Qian Yiren¡¯s current feeling was like looking at heavily filtered photos of beautiful scenic spots posted by travel bloggers before a trip, full of anticipation, only to be disappointed when the actual scenery turned out to be no different from her family¡¯s estate after a long flight. Over the years, Qian Yiren continuously fine-tuned her looks through cosmetic procedures, anxious about her beauty, always thinking she was less pretty than Yuan Xi¡­ But clearly, Yuan Xi¡¯s looks were a tremendous letdown to her. Qian Yiren was stunned for a good while before shaking hands with Yuan Xi, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± If Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t tell that Qian Yiren was interested in Huo Shiyuan, then she would have wasted her five years as Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary. She didn¡¯t engage in too much conversation with Qian Yiren. Huo Shiyuan said to Qian Yiren, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re busy with work, so we won¡¯t keep you any longer. We¡¯ll be heading off first.¡± Qian Yiren, ¡°Mmm, Shiyan, could you pick a time in the next few days for the two of us to have a meal together? It¡¯s been so long.¡± Huo Shiyuan declined, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the time; my schedule for the next few days is quite full.¡± Qian Yiren, ¡°You don¡¯t even have time for a lunch together?¡± Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Chu Yans Wealth Comes Later Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Chu Yan¡¯s Wealth Comes Later Huo Shiyuan: ¡°I need to deliver lunch to Yuan Xi at Mi Chen¡¯s at noon, so it¡¯s not convenient to have lunch together.¡± Qian Yiren looked at Yuan Xi and smiled faintly at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll catch up next time you are back in City A.¡± After agreeing, Huo Shiyuan let go of Xiao Shihuo and took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand to the elevator. Once they were in the elevator, Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°I noticed the logo on Qian Yiren¡¯s clothes is the same as yours, FQ. Is this Fu Qin¡¯s brand?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Yes, ever since Fu Qin went to university to study fashion design, I¡¯ve mostly worn clothes designed by Fu Qin, except on some important occasions. Fu Qin¡¯s designs were pretty good before. However, recently she started dating a male college student and her designs for summer outfits are getting more college student-like. If you have time, help me pick a few sets you like.¡± Yuan Xi listened to Huo Shiyuan¡¯s complaints and chuckled, ¡°I think they look good on you.¡± Huo Shiyuan: ¡°As long as you like them.¡± ¡­ June 1st. On Saturday, Yuan Xi slept in, a rare occurrence. Because she was going to the Gu Family¡¯s birthday party, Yuan Xi chose a dress from her wardrobe and headed downstairs. Huo Shiyuan and Xiao Shihuo were already waiting for her. Just as Yuan Xi sat down, she received a call from her cousin at the Liang Family, ¡°Hello, Xiao Hao, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Big sis, grandma and grandpa asked me to bring you some eggs from our own chickens. They insisted I bring them to you. I¡¯m outside your mansion now, but the bodyguards stopped me.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Xiao Hao brought over some eggs from our own chickens, but the bodyguards are stopping him¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan glanced at the butler nearby, ¡°Let him in.¡± Liang Hao came in carrying a bucket full of eggs and, seeing the decor inside, said somewhat shyly, ¡°Sis, I know your brother-in-law¡¯s family isn¡¯t lacking good eggs, but grandma and grandpa insisted those store-bought eggs aren¡¯t authentic. Don¡¯t look down on these.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°How could we? Have you had breakfast yet?¡± Liang Hao smiled, ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Yuan Xi noticed the FQ embroidery on Liang Hao¡¯s clothes and commented, ¡°That shirt looks nice.¡± ¡°My girlfriend made it for me, of course it¡¯s nice!¡± ¡°You are dating at such a young age?¡± Yuan Xi was a bit surprised. Liang Hao nodded, ¡°Sis, what era are we in now? Isn¡¯t it normal for high school students to have girlfriends?¡± Before Yuan Xi could react, Huo Shiyuan, noticing the familiar logo on Liang Hao¡¯s clothes, asked seriously, ¡°Does your girlfriend know you¡¯re a high school student?¡± Liang Hao guiltily said, ¡°I¡¯m about to take the college entrance exams. If you round it off, I¡¯m practically a university student.¡± Only then did Yuan Xi understand the implication of Huo Shiyuan¡¯s words, leaving her quite shocked, ¡°You¡­ do you know who your girlfriend is?¡± Liang Hao: ¡°How could I not know who my girlfriend is? Sis, I need to go now.¡± Yuan Xi was certain Liang Hao didn¡¯t know his girlfriend was the daughter of the Fu An Group. But considering the boy had the college entrance exam in a week, she didn¡¯t want to scare him and affect his mood, she refrained from saying more, ¡°Good luck with your exams.¡± Liang Hao smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis, at worst I¡¯ll still have my guaranteed spot at University A.¡± After delivering the eggs, Liang Hao rode off on his little electric scooter, leaving Yuan Xi speechless watching him go. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Xiao Hao is still young, and Fu Qin generally doesn¡¯t date anyone for more than three months. It¡¯s probably just a fling, no need to fuss over it.¡± Huo Shiyuan asked the maid to store the eggs in the fridge, and Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief. After breakfast, Xiao Shihuo urged Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan to go with him to his classmate¡¯s birthday party. When they arrived at the Gu Family¡¯s place, they were among the early ones. ¡°Huohuo!¡± ¡°Yingying!¡± Xiao Shihuo ran to Little Yingying, who was dressed in a princess dress, as soon as he got out of the car, ¡°Yingying, happy birthday.¡± Gu Nuan said beside Little Yingying, ¡°Yingying, so this is the Xiao Shihuo fellow you¡¯ve always been talking about? My daughter truly has great taste.¡± Xiao Shihuo then sweetly called out to Gu Nuan, ¡°Sister.¡± Being thirty-one, Gu Nuan heard a child of her daughter¡¯s age call her ¡®sister¡¯; she immediately burst into a joyful smile. ¡°What ¡®sister¡¯? Even ¡®aunt¡¯ makes her sound young!¡± Gu Hanchen walked over to Xiao Shihuo and picked him up, pinching his face. Xiao Shihuo swatted Gu Hanchen¡¯s hand away, ¡°I don¡¯t like you, why do you always pinch my face whenever you see me?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Because I can¡¯t pinch your brother¡¯s face.¡± Gu Nuan looked towards Gu Hanchen, ¡°You know this child?¡± ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s little brother-in-law,¡± Gu Hanchen introduced. Gu Nuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, Yuan Xi¡¯s in-laws really are unreliable, how could they just let their son-in-law, who married the daughter of a wealthy family, practically raise their younger son too?¡± Gu Hanchen asked, ¡°Sister, who¡¯s been spreading such nonsense?¡± Gu Nuan answered, ¡°That¡¯s the rumor going around everywhere, both are daughters of the Chu Family. Chu Yan is much luckier than Yuan Xi. I heard recently that Hengfan and the Fu An Group from A City are cooperating.¡± Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan came over with gifts, ¡°Miss Gu, Mr. Gu, Little Yingying.¡± Gu Nuan looked at Huo Shiyuan standing next to Yuan Xi and laughed, ¡°No wonder you¡¯d rather live in the countryside just to marry him, his looks are indeed worth it.¡± Yuan Xi just gave a slight smile, ¡°I just heard Miss Gu mentioning that Fu An Group and Hengfan are in cooperation?¡± Gu Nuan said, ¡°Yes, the Fu An Group¡¯s chairman¡¯s wife¡¯s niece, Qian Yiren, came to Hengfan for an investigation a few days ago. The news has spread far and wide. The Bo Family is going to climb even higher, and you don¡¯t know how arrogant Bao Yan is yet.¡± Gu Hanchen and Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Fu An never cooperates; it only acquires.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Then the Bo Family is quite bold to call it a cooperation. Could the news of Hengfan changing owners be hidden temporarily but for a lifetime?¡± Xiao Shihuo wriggled out from Gu Hanchen¡¯s hold and took a gift from Huo Shiyuan¡¯s hands, handing it to the little girl in front of him, ¡°Here¡¯s your birthday gift.¡± Little Yingying opened the box, saw the crown inside, and covered her small mouth in surprise, ¡°I love it so much.¡± Xiao Shihuo helped Little Yingying put on the crown. Yuan Xi looked at this scene and remembered a time Brother Zhuangzhuang had put a crown on her. She was older then, about seven or eight years old. Having put on the crown, Little Yingying started to spin around and show off. Gu Nuan gave another look to Huo Shiyuan; the crown looked very expensive. Using it as a birthday gift among children showed their family was wealthy, likely not as the rumors suggested. Gu Hanchen said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Liang Suisui hasn¡¯t replied to my messages for several days now. I invited her to a banquet at my house, and she also said she was too busy to come. What is she busy with?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She¡¯s busy going on blind dates. Isn¡¯t the demolition coming soon? Getting married before the demolition allows for an extra house compensation.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°She took forty million, does she still need the money?¡± Yuan Xi just smiled, ¡°She said, ¡®Why not take advantage if it¡¯s cheap?''¡± The Gu Family¡¯s guests were gradually arriving. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan sat in a corner watching Xiao Shihuo and Little Yingying play, while overhearing some heiress¡¯ conversations. ¡°How come Chu Yan is so lucky? Though revealed as a fake heiress, now with the Bo Family and Fu Family from A City cooperating, as the future Mrs. Bo, her wealth is yet to come!¡± ¡°Being a true heiress, is Yuan Xi really willing to watch Chu Yan be so fortunate?¡± ¡°How could she be willing? I heard Yuan Xi made the Chu Family choose between the two daughters, they could only have one.¡± In the midst of their conversation, they saw Chu Li, Chu Yan, and Yu Xiaoxiao approaching. The heiresses gathered around them quickly. Circling past them, Chu Li approached Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Yuan Xi, have you heard about the Fu An Group and Bo Family¡¯s Hengfan cooperation? You should look in the mirror and assess yourself; how could you dare to let Chu Yan leave the Chu Family?¡± Chu Li snorted, ¡°It¡¯s good our parents didn¡¯t spoil you and accept your unreasonable demands, otherwise we would have offended not just the Bo Family but the Fu An Group as well.¡± Chu Yan quickly said, ¡°Ah, Lily, don¡¯t talk about Sister like that. I believe Sister didn¡¯t mean any harm. We¡¯re all family. As long as Sister apologizes to me and stops making it hard for Mom and Dad to choose between us, Bo Fan and I won¡¯t mind.¡± Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren Are to Enter Into a Marriage Alliance Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren Are to Enter Into a Marriage Alliance Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t help laughing at Chu Yan¡¯s words, ¡°An apology? What gives you the right to demand an apology from me?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao stood to the side with her arms crossed, looking down at Yuan Xi, ¡°The Qian Yiren coming to discuss cooperation with Hengfan on behalf of Fu An Group, I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s going to marry Mi Chen¡¯s major shareholder Huo Shiyuan. She¡¯s undoubtedly the future Young Madam of the Huo Family. Now that the Bo Family is cooperating with Qian Yiren¡­¡± Yu Xiaoxiao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Chu Yan interrupted loudly, ¡°You¡¯re saying Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren are getting married?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao replied, ¡°Yes! Huo Shiyuan and Qian Yiren are childhood sweethearts.¡± Yuan Xi glanced sideways at Huo Shiyuan beside her. How many childhood sweethearts does he have, really? Fu Qin is one, Qian Yiren another, and then there¡¯s that little girl in the blue dress on the bedside table. Huo Shiyuan¡¯s childhood seemed rather lively, having so many people to play with. Huo Shiyuan explained softly to Yuan Xi, ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Yu Xiaoxiao, what brings you to my Gu Family?¡± Gu Hanchen saw the group of rich girls surrounding them and walked over just in time to hear Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s words. Seeing Gu Hanchen, Yu Xiaoxiao dropped her arrogant pose, ¡°Brother Hanchen!¡± Gu Hanchen felt goosebumps rise, ¡°Today, no one invited you over.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Grandma Gu invited me. Brother Hanchen, you¡¯re Yuan Xi¡¯s boss. Could you have Yuan Xi apologize to Chu Yan?¡± ¡°This time Yuan Xi did indeed go too far. It¡¯s unreasonable to make the Chu Family drive away Chu Yan now that she¡¯s back. With Fu An and Hengfan¡¯s cooperation, the Bo Family will surely rise to the next level.¡± ¡°Moreover, the person leading the cooperation with the Bo Family is Qian Yiren, the marriage partner of Mi Chen¡¯s major shareholder Huo Shiyuan. Don¡¯t let Yuan Xi leave an impression that Mi Chen¡¯s employees love to bully others. Brother Hanchen, please have Yuan Xi apologize to Chu Yan here, and let the matter of her bullying Chu Yan pass.¡± Yuan Xi stood up, looking down at Chu Yan who was a head shorter, ¡°Chu Yan, you say I¡¯m bullying you. Don¡¯t you find that ridiculous?¡± Chu Yan replied, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t you making me leave the Chu Family a form of bullying?¡± Chu Li chimed in from the side, ¡°Exactly, have you considered that the Bo Family¡¯s cooperation with Fu An this time could lead to connections and partnerships for the Chu Family? Do you realize how much loss you will cause our Chu Family by driving away Chu Yan?¡± The group of young socialites around them also started to express their indignation on behalf of Chu Yan. Chu Yan continued, ¡°Sister, just give me an apology. I¡¯m magnanimous and won¡¯t hold a grudge.¡± Yuan Xi, annoyed by the noise, turned to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Gu Hanchen, now it¡¯s your turn to make a choice. At today¡¯s birthday party, either Chu Yan stays, or I will leave. You decide.¡± Gu Hanchen looked at Chu Yan and then at Yuan Xi. Just then, Bo Fan arrived, and Chu Yan stepped in front of him to speak to Gu Hanchen, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯ve been good friends for many years, grown up together. For my sake, please don¡¯t hold a grudge against my sister or pay heed to her ultimatum.¡± Does Yuan Xi think too highly of herself? Even the Chu Family wouldn¡¯t make such a choice for her sake. Does she really believe her five years as Gu Hanchen¡¯s secretary could sway him to offend lifelong friends like Bo Fan and Chu Lin? Huo Shiyuan got up and called out to Xiao Shihuo playing nearby, ¡°Huohuo, it¡¯s time for us to go back.¡± Gu Hanchen turned to Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Get the security guards here to escort them out.¡± Chu Yan clung to Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°Bo Fan, please persuade Hanchen not to stoop to my sister¡¯s level. If my sister gets thrown out of this Gu Family banquet, how will she ever face anyone in Jiang City again!¡± Yu Xiaoxiao said to Chu Yan, ¡°Chu Yan, she asked for the ultimatum herself. If she gets thrown out, so be it. Why plead for her? Isn¡¯t this a consequence Yuan Xi brought upon herself?¡± Special Assistant Wang arrived with the security guards and approached Chu Yan, ¡°Miss Chu, please leave.¡± Chu Yan looked incredulously at Special Assistant Wang, ¡°Are you sure you understood Mr. Gu¡¯s intentions correctly? Hanchen, did Special Assistant Wang misunderstand you?¡± Gu Hanchen placed his hand on Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°No misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Chu Yan, who gave you the nerve to come to my territory and insult my people?¡± ¡°Did you think I, Gu Hanchen, am easy-going?¡± ¡°Even if Yuan Xi is nothing special, she¡¯s still my deputy general manager at Mi Chen. Even when you beat a dog, you have to look at its owner!¡± Huo Shiyuan stepped forward and removed Gu Hanchen¡¯s hand from Yuan Xi¡¯s shoulder, giving Gu Hanchen a dark glance: ¡°Who¡¯s the dog? Who¡¯s the owner?¡± Gu Hanchen touched his nose and said, ¡°Just an inappropriate analogy.¡± Gu Hanchen swept his gaze over Yu Xiaoxiao and Chu Yan, ¡°Not to mention that Qian Yiren is here to acquire Hengfan, even if it really were a Hengfan partnership, what so what? What right does Chu Yan have to use Qian Yiren¡¯s name to gold-plate her own face?¡± ¡°Do you think you can bully Yuan Xi just because she doesn¡¯t have anyone to protect her?¡± ¡°The Chu Family may not protect Yuan Xi, but I, Gu Hanchen, will!¡± ¡°Today I make it clear, anyone who bullies Yuan Xi in the future is disrespecting me, Gu Hanchen!¡± ¡°Chu Yan, Yu Xiaoxiao, you two can leave now!¡± Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan who was by her side. Bo Fan spoke up, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯re all friends. Why must it be like this? Today we¡¯re here to celebrate Xiao Ying¡¯s birthday, let¡¯s not talk about driving anyone away. Chu Yan is also like a sister you¡¯ve watched grow up.¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have such a sister!¡± ¡°Chu Yan, you¡¯d best leave on your own. It would be quite embarrassing to have my bodyguard escort you out.¡± Chu Yan took a deep breath, unable to believe Gu Hanchen would go this far for Yuan Xi. Chu Yan saw the looks on the faces of the other young ladies of wealth staring at her and felt a burning pain on her face. Bo Fan looked at Gu Hanchen and said, ¡°Are you really going to drive Chu Yan away for the sake of one Yuan Xi and risk offending the Bo Family, Chu Family, and Yu Family?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who first came to my place and bullied my people? Who¡¯s offending whom, let¡¯s get that straight!¡± Yu Xiaoxiao spoke up, ¡°I won¡¯t leave, Gu Hanchen. Grandma Gu is the one who invited me to the birthday party. If you drive me and Chu Yan away, how will you explain it to Grandma Gu?¡± Gu Nuan was entertaining her friends on the side. When she saw a crowd gathering and involving bodyguards from afar, she hurried over to take control of the situation. ¡°Gu Hanchen, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s this about driving people away?¡± ¡°Sister Gu Nuan.¡± Chu Yan looked at Gu Nuan, ¡°Today is Xiao Ying¡¯s birthday party. We came here happily to celebrate her birthday, but Yuan Xi insists on making Hanchen choose between us, saying the party can¡¯t have both her and me. Isn¡¯t that too presumptuous?¡± Chu Yan didn¡¯t believe that if Gu Hanchen was helping Yuan Xi, Gu Nuan would still take Yuan Xi¡¯s side. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Sister, it was Chu Yan and her group who disrespected me first, bullying my deputy general manager at my own Gu Family¡¯s place.¡± Chu Yan feigned a smile, ¡°Sister Gu Nuan, we are all friends. We won¡¯t hold this against Yuan Xi. Let¡¯s just all have a good time celebrating the kid¡¯s birthday.¡± Chu Yan then turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, let me apologize to you again, and we can let bygones be bygones.¡± ¡°You made it difficult for mom and dad by forcing them to choose, let¡¯s not make it difficult for the Gu Family now. After all, today is the birthday of their child. Don¡¯t make it hard for Hanchen anymore.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen with a light smile, ¡°Mr. Gu, is this difficult for you?¡± ¡°Not difficult at all.¡± Gu Hanchen raised a finger, ¡°Chu Yan, I¡¯m going to count to ten. If you don¡¯t leave on your own by then, you¡¯ll have to choose between being dragged out by my bodyguard and being taken away by the police.¡± ¡°1, 2, 3¡­¡± Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Time to Help Chu Yan Find Her Biological Parents Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Time to Help Chu Yan Find Her Biological Parents When Gu Hanchen shouted to five, he took out his phone and entered 11, just shy of pressing 0. Chu Yan looked pitifully at Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan.¡± If she really left the Gu family today, by tomorrow the whole of Jiang City would likely be abuzz with talk of Gu Hanchen driving her out of the Gu family for Yuan Xi. Chu Yan, always so proud, how could she afford to lose face like this? Bo Fan frowned and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Hanchen, we¡¯re all friends, why must you be so ruthless?¡± When Gu Hanchen counted to six, he heard Bo Fan¡¯s remark and scoffed, ¡°How many times has Chu Yan bullied Yuan Xi? The fact that Yuan Xi takes care of her brother-in-law for her parents-in-law has spread throughout the social circles, isn¡¯t it all because Chu Yan has been a gossip behind her back?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face turned ugly. Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Today, Chu Yan brought her bullying of Yuan Xi onto my turf, and I can¡¯t bear it anymore.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Chu Yan, you kept saying how important the child¡¯s birthday is and asked me not to make things difficult for Mr. Gu. What about now? Mr. Gu has already asked you to leave, yet you insist on staying. Who is really making things difficult for Mr. Gu?¡± Chu Yan¡¯s face turned an iron shade of green. Gu Hanchen stretched out his finger and began counting numbers. ¡°7, 8, 9, 10!¡± Gu Hanchen turned to the Gu Manor¡¯s bodyguards, ¡°Go ahead and drive Chu Yan out.¡± Naturally, Chu Yan wouldn¡¯t let the bodyguards touch her, she glared at the approaching bodyguards and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave on my own.¡± Her face turned from pale to green as she grasped Bo Fan¡¯s hand, ¡°Bo Fan, let¡¯s go!¡± Bo Fan hesitated for a moment. Today, with Chu Yan being driven away, it was clear that Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t regard him highly. Normally, Gu Hanchen not giving face to the Bo Family should warrant a stormy departure. But if Chu Yan leaves alone, it could be interpreted as Gu Hanchen making a statement with a subordinate vice president, not really a snub to the Bo Family. If Bo Fan left with Chu Yan and Gu Hanchen didn¡¯t ask him to stay, it would signify discord between the two families. Now, the Bo Family could not afford to make enemies within the top echelons of Jiang City¡¯s elite circles. After all, if the Bo Family and Gu Family became antagonistic, many elites in Jiang City might not side with the Bo Family when choosing sides. The Bo Family was in dire need of connections; making an enemy of the Gu Family would do them no favors. Thus, Bo Fan turned to Chu Yan and said, ¡°Yingying, Hanchen is right; why bully Yuan Xi unnecessarily at Little Yingying¡¯s birthday party today? You should go back and cool off.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, Hanchen, don¡¯t be too upset either.¡± Chu Yan, noticing Bo Fan had no intention of leaving with her and even accused her of bullying Yuan Xi, furrowed her brows and her face grew even darker. Gu Hanchen looking at Bo Fan in front of him, could only feel that the brother he had grown up with had become despicable. Tears filled Chu Yan¡¯s eyes, but she still held her head high and looked proudly at Gu Hanchen: ¡°Gu Hanchen, you will definitely regret driving me away.¡± Chu Yan walked out of the Gu Manor, looking at Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen chatting happily inside, she clenched her fists tight. Her face ashen with rage, Chu Yan felt the indignity of today, and she vowed to return it to Yuan Xi and Gu Hanchen! Hesitating, Chu Yan picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number, ¡°Huo Shiyuan.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± The voice on the other end of the phone was a woman¡¯s. Soon, Fu Yi¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Yingying, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chu Yan, her voice trembling with a crying tone, said, ¡°Huo Shiyuan, can you come and pick me up?¡± Fu Yi, hearing Chu Yan¡¯s trembling sobs, quickly asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± After Fu Yi received the address Chu Yan sent over, he looked at Ren Tian by the window and said, ¡°You should go back. This place is, after all, provided by Gu Hanchen for me to live in. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to stay here.¡± Ren Tian, looking down at the stunning view of Jiang City from the twenty-first floor¡¯s floor-to-ceiling window, said softly, ¡°It seems like the rainy season has arrived again. It¡¯s been really stuffy and hot lately. The landlord still hasn¡¯t fixed the air conditioning in the rental, and it seems he won¡¯t fix it at all. Can¡¯t I stay here? At least it¡¯s not hot.¡± Fu Yi said, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± Helplessly, Ren Tian left the building. She watched as Fu Yi drove away in the Aston Martin that Gu Hanchen had lent him. If Ren Tian didn¡¯t know that Fu Yi, like her, had been abandoned by their parents since childhood, she would truly believe that Fu Yi was a super-rich tycoon. ¡­ Inside Gu Manor. Without Chu Yan around, Yuan Xi¡¯s ears suddenly quieted down, and she started playing games with Xiao Shihuo and Little Yingying. Yuan Xi looked at the two children in front of her, eagerly anticipating the twins in her own belly. Huo Shiyuan explained to Yuan Xi, ¡°There¡¯s no prestigious family marriage between me and Qian Yiren. She¡¯s not my childhood sweetheart. I only have one childhood sweetheart.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s smile paused slightly. She tried hard to show a professionally restrained smile, ¡°Hmm.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°We need to help Chu Yan find her biological parents.¡± Yuan Xi, ¡°Hmm?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Chu Yan repeatedly humiliates you in public. I fear such instances won¡¯t decrease in the future. Gu Hanchen has driven her away, but it may not happen in every situation, and we can¡¯t let her be too idle. We need to get her into some trouble.¡± Yuan Xi gave a faint smile, ¡°That¡¯s true, but finding Chu Yan¡¯s biological parents might not be so easy, right?¡± Yuan Xi had searched for her parents for eight years, and the Chu Family had spent twenty-five years looking for her. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, but it¡¯s not that difficult either. Chu Yan was in an orphanage, which makes it somewhat easier to find her than investigating trafficking cases.¡± Yuan Xi thought of human traffickers, and remembered her own origins, ¡°I heard that the nanny who stole me and the trafficker were both sentenced to twenty-five years. By my calculations, they should be released from prison this year.¡± The nanny who had stolen her and the trafficker who had taken her from the nanny had only abducted her, which wasn¡¯t considered a severe case. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t have been sentenced to twenty-five years. It was because the Chu Family had hired the top lawyers in the country that they managed maximum penalties. Although she had spent a wonderful eighteen years with her foster parents, she thought if she had grown up with her biological parents and brother, their lives wouldn¡¯t be in such a mess today. Yuan Xi felt that the twenty-five-year sentence was still too lenient. Huo Shiyuan gently held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand. ¡°Most traffickers, after being caught, reveal where the children were sold to in hopes of reducing their sentences. But after that trafficker was caught, although knowing that twenty-five years was a harsh sentence, providing your whereabouts could reduce several years, yet they stubbornly claimed you were sold to the north, refusing to disclose your location to reduce their sentence. It¡¯s quite unusual.¡± Yuan Xi also felt suspicious, ¡°That trafficker is indeed strange.¡± Huo Shiyuan sent a message to Qin Lang, asking him to hire a private detective to investigate thoroughly. ¡­ On the tree-lined avenue outside Gu Manor. Chu Yan waited by the roadside for Huo Shiyuan to arrive. Once Huo Shiyuan arrived, she planned to show Gu Hanchen just how big a mistake he had made by helping Yuan Xi drive her out of the Gu Family earlier. Chu Yan couldn¡¯t wait to see if, after Huo Shiyuan brought her into Gu Manor, Gu Hanchen would dare to drive both her and Huo Shiyuan away. She was also eager to see Yuan Xi¡¯s surprised face when Yuan Xi saw her and Huo Shiyuan entering Gu Manor together. Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law Chapter 65: Chapter 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law Chu Lin looked towards Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Are they all from Nanxiang?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Nanxiang is a poor small county in Xiang Province with a low population. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence that the human trafficker and Chu Yan¡¯s biological father are from the same small county.¡± Chu Lin said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Do you mean the human trafficker and Yanyan¡¯s biological father knew each other? Did they conspire to abduct Yuan Xi and have Yanyan replace her? But Yuan Xi was stolen by the nanny, and then abducted by human traffickers; Yanyan was adopted by my parents a few months later from the orphanage. How could it be their scheme?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My adoptive parents bought me because the human trafficker intended to throw me into Ruohu Lake. Normally, human traffickers sell the children they abduct for money, not drown them in a lake. At that time, my adoptive parents thought I was the child of a young girl who had come to Jiang City to work and didn¡¯t dare tell her family that she was pregnant out of wedlock, intending to drown me; they never suspected that I was trafficked.¡± Huo Shiyuan continued, ¡°When the nanny stole Yuan Xi back then, her plan was to ask the Chu Family for a ransom of one million. How could she let the child be abducted again right under her nose? There are too many dubious points in this matter.¡± Upon hearing what Yuan Xi said about being thrown into the lake, a chill rose from the depths of Yang Ying¡¯s heart. Huo Shiyuan looked towards Yang Ying and Chu Qing and said, ¡°Although it is your freedom to decide who to give your property to, if Yuan Xi¡¯s abduction really has something to do with the Chu Family, then Chu Yan does not deserve the shares worth one billion.¡± Chu Lin looked at Huo Shiyuan and spoke to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s wait on allocating Yanyan¡¯s shares for now. I¡¯ll have someone investigate the connections between the nanny, the human trafficker, and Yanyan¡¯s biological father.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin, as he had seldomly shown such forethought. Nanny Zhang came in and said, ¡°Mr. Chu, Junior President Chu, Miss Zhou has arrived.¡± Yang Ying responded, ¡°Let her in.¡± Zhou Jiameng arrived with two boxes of bird¡¯s nest and fish maw, ¡°Aunt Chu, I heard you were discharged from the hospital, so I came to see how you are doing. Are you feeling better?¡± Yang Ying replied with a light laugh, ¡°The doctor said I just need plenty of rest.¡± Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°You have been working hard for Chu Neng all your life, you really should rest more.¡± Yang Ying smiled faintly, ¡°After Chu Lin gets married and has children, I plan to retire and help Xinxin and Lin¡¯er with their kids.¡± Zhou Jiameng looked at the woman sitting on the couch; she looked somewhat familiar and took a while before she remembered seeing her with Gu Hanchen, ¡°Aunt Chu, who is this¡­?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°She is Xinyan, Xinxin. She is Zhou Jiameng, the daughter of Mr. Zhou and Chu Neng, who have been good friends for many years.¡± Yuan Xi stood up and greeted Zhou Jiameng with a professionally polite smile, ¡°Hello.¡± Zhou Jiameng learned from Chu Yan that the woman who had thrown wine at Chu Lin was a friend of Yuan Xi, and now seeing Yuan Xi, she instinctively disliked her. Moreover, Zhou Jiameng was very clear that even if Yuan Xi was the Chu Family¡¯s biological daughter, with her marriage to a powerless, influence-less, and poor rural husband, it would only be Yuan Xi who would climb onto the Chu Family. Yuan Xi was sure to be a lifelong burden, seeking benefits from her maiden home, becoming a nuisance for her and Chu Lin, a bottomless pit they would constantly have to fill. Unlike Chu Yan, who was backed by the Bao Family and could add luster to the Chu Family. Zhou Jiameng just gave Yuan Xi a smile, then went to Chu Lin¡¯s side and said, ¡°Chu Lin, you left in a hurry yesterday. I still have some things to discuss with you regarding the Guanming Bay project.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Come with me to the study.¡± Seeing Chu Lin go upstairs with Zhou Jiameng, Yang Ying smiled lightly at Yuan Xi, ¡°You may soon have a sister-in-law. Jiameng is a very nice girl¡ªintelligent, sensible, generous, and appropriate. She will make an excellent future mistress for our Chu Family.¡± As Yang Ying praised Zhou Jiameng, Yuan Xi just smiled faintly on the side. She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Chu Lin as her real brother; whoever Chu Lin married was a stranger¡¯s issue to Yuan Xi. Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi with a light smile and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just sign the share transfer agreement now? We really owe you an apology.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the share transfer agreement in front of her, but she did not sign it. ¡°Dad, Mom, I don¡¯t need it.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°You should take it. We¡¯ve truly wronged you over the years, and we¡¯ve also bought you a fully-furnished villa in the new housing project Jiangyan Villa in Jiang City. Take a look and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t like the style of decoration, you can demolish and redesign it. There¡¯s no need to live by Ruohu anymore.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°The drive from Jiangyan Villa to the Michen Building takes almost half an hour, which is not much different from the drive from Ruohu. I find Ruohu more comfortable to live in. As for Chu Neng¡¯s shares, we can talk about that when the time comes.¡± If the Chu Family still intends to give those shares to Chu Yan in the end, then Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t accept them. Yang Ying said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it inconvenient for you to live in the village?¡± Yuan Xi laughed softly and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient.¡± Yang Ying let out a sigh and said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t find it inconvenient, that¡¯s fine.¡± At lunch, Yang Ying also invited Zhou Jiameng to join them. The table was loaded with dishes, and Yuan Xi eyed the plate of crabs with envy. The best time to eat crabs is in September and October, but Yuan Xi also liked the tender crab meat of the June yellow crabs that came out in June and July. However, now that she was pregnant, Yuan Xi dared not eat the lake crabs. Huo Shiyuan peeled a crab for Yuan Xi, ¡°Eating just one crab shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Yuan Xi watched as Huo Shiyuan skillfully removed the crab meat with the tool beside him. Yuan Xi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao Shihuo watched Huo Shiyuan eagerly and said, ¡°I want to eat crab too.¡± ¡°Peel it yourself!¡± Huo Shiyuan handed a crab to Xiao Shihuo. Xiao Shihuo pouted, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to peel it.¡± Yuan Xi laughed gently while showing Xiao Shihuo how to peel the crab. After eating the crab roe, Xiao Shihuo spat it out, ¡°It¡¯s bitter, not tasty. I don¡¯t want this crab; it¡¯s not good.¡± Yuan Xi laughed and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡± Zhou Jiameng interjected, ¡°Actually, the best time to eat crabs is in October. Crabs now have little meat, and the roe is bitter, which no one likes to eat. Yuan Xi, you probably haven¡¯t had the delicious hairy crabs in October, so you think the crabs now are good.¡± Watching Yuan Xi eat the lake crab as if it was a delicacy, Zhou Jiameng thought she truly was someone who hadn¡¯t eaten much good food. Yuan Xi heard Zhou Jiameng¡¯s insinuation that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything good and wasn¡¯t upset. Definitely, the Chu Family didn¡¯t know she liked the June yellow crabs, and since she was pregnant, the crabs weren¡¯t prepared for her. Zhou Jiameng¡¯s words were akin to saying that the Chu Family hadn¡¯t eaten good things either. Chu Lin picked up a crab and said, ¡°I just like eating the crabs from this season. The meat of the June yellow crabs is the freshest and most tender.¡± Yuan Xi, knowing Chu Lin also liked eating these seasonal crabs, looked at the crab meat in her bowl and suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat it anymore. Hearing Chu Lin¡¯s words, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°Then I will try it too. Chu Lin, could you peel one for me?¡± Chu Lin indeed took the crab tools and started peeling a crab for Zhou Jiameng. With a light laugh, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°By the way, Chu Lin, was the shirt that Yuan Xi¡¯s friend splashed with red wine yesterday cleaned? If it can¡¯t be cleaned, let¡¯s just forget it for Yuan Xi¡¯s sake. After all, I don¡¯t think her friend¡¯s family is very wealthy, and two hundred thousand is a lot for them.¡± ¡°Xinxin¡¯s friend spilled red wine on you?¡± Yang Ying asked from the side, ¡°Chu Lin, what is this about?¡± Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Chu Yans Biological Father is from Nanxiang Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Chu Yan¡¯s Biological Father is from Nanxiang Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan returned to Ruohu Mansion, Yuan Xi then checked the messages in her besties¡¯ chat group. Just as Yuan Xi opened the chat group to read the messages, she received a video call from Liang Suisui. Liang Suisui¡¯s nanny was at home, struggling with a shirt stained with red wine, ¡°Xiao Xi, could you ask your husband how they usually wash their super expensive shirts after they get stained with red wine?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Normally if they get dirty, they just throw them away; they don¡¯t particularly spend time and effort to clean them.¡± Liang Suisui exclaimed, ¡°Ah? If only I hadn¡¯t been so impulsive just now.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Liang Suisui replied, ¡°It was your brother¡¯s fault. I was already angry from meeting a disgusting blind date, and then he had to come and make me even more sick, so I couldn¡¯t help but splash red wine all over him, only to find out later that his shirt cost two hundred thousand.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s laughter suddenly stopped, ¡°Suisui, he¡¯s not my brother.¡± Liang Suisui sighed, ¡°Alas, the nanny has been trying to clean the shirt for a long time and it still isn¡¯t clean. We¡¯ve tried several dry cleaners, but none of them dared to take it. It looks like I really will have to compensate after all. I must never be so impulsive in the future.¡± After chatting with Liang Suisui for a while and listening to her rant for about half an hour about the ridiculous blind dates she had met over the past few days, Yuan Xi received a WeChat message from Chu Qing. It said that Yang Ying was being discharged from the hospital and that they would have lunch at the Chu Family¡¯s home the next day. As Yuan Xi was wondering whether to decline, Chu Qing added a sentence, ¡°Chu Yan won¡¯t be there tomorrow at noon.¡± Seeing the words ¡°Chu Yan won¡¯t be there,¡± Yuan Xi agreed to come, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Xi went to Huo Shiyuan¡¯s study and saw that he was in a video conference. She didn¡¯t disturb him and went downstairs to play games with Xiao Shihuo. When it was almost dinner time, Huo Shiyuan came downstairs, ¡°Did you need me for something earlier?¡± ¡°My mom is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. My parents want us to have lunch at the Chu Family¡¯s place tomorrow. Chu Yan won¡¯t be there.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°You agreed?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to agree?¡± Huo Shiyuan held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said solemnly, ¡°Every time you meet with the Chu Family, you come back unhappy.¡± Yuan Xi bit her lip lightly. In fact, she didn¡¯t need to actually visit the Chu Family to feel unhappy. Just the thought of going there tomorrow made her feel like she had a stone pressing on her chest. Yuan Xi said, ¡°My mom is discharged, so¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan gently touched Yuan Xi¡¯s head, ¡°If you want to go, then let¡¯s go. But let¡¯s not take Xiao Shihuo.¡± ¡°I want to go, I want to go!¡± Xiao Shihuo, who was playing beside them, came up to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Where are we going? I want to go.¡± Yuan Xi laughed lightly, ¡°We¡¯ll take Huohuo with us.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Xiao Shihuo and always felt like he was dealing with a little drag. Huo Shiyuan called his own parents, and to his disbelief, his unreliable parents had actually blocked his number, clearly to avoid having Xiao Huo returned to them. Yuan Xi, listening to the call tone on the side, looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Did uncle and auntie block you?¡± Huo Shiyuan took a deep breath, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. When our own child is born, we can just leave the baby with them and block their number.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Considering her in-laws¡¯ irresponsibility, evident from them leaving Xiao Huo, not even five years old, on the doorstep of Ruohu Mansion alone, Yuan Xi would never dare let them take care of her child. Yuan Xi gently caressed her tummy, ¡°I can raise two children by myself; there¡¯s no need to trouble uncle and auntie.¡± ¡­ Sunday. Due to the impending visit to the Chu Family, Yuan Xi barely slept the night before and woke up early. Yuan Xi woke up early in the morning and glanced at her work email. Monica had already handled many things for her. Monica was very capable at her job; in just a few days, she had gotten the hang of it. Huo Shiyuan noticed the movement beside him and opened his eyes to speak to Yuan Xi, ¡°You¡¯re up so early?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, so I just woke up.¡± Huo Shiyuan got up with Yuan Xi. He pressed a button on the bedside, and the electric curtains slowly moved aside. Yuan Xi looked out at the blue sky, white clouds, and the lake view of Ruohu. The scenery outside the window was like a painting, relaxing her mood quite a bit and diminishing her anxiety about going to the Chu Family. After breakfast. Yuan Xi departed for the Chu Family with Huo Shiyuan and Xiao Shihuo, arriving there just after nine o¡¯clock. Chu Qing and Yang Ying were already waiting at the door early on. Yuan Xi had just unbuckled Xiao Shihuo from his child safety seat when Xiao Shihuo couldn¡¯t wait to run out of the car. Following him out of the car, Huo Shiyuan said to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Xiao Shihuo looked up at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°They¡¯re not our parents, our parents don¡¯t look like this.¡± Yuan Xi walked over to Xiao Shihuo and patted his head, ¡°These are my parents, you should call them uncle and aunt.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Uncle, Aunt.¡± Chu Qing looked at Xiao Shihuo and softly smiled, ¡°What a good boy.¡± Chu Lin came out from the house, and upon seeing the child who looked so much like Huo Shiyuan, he frowned slightly, ¡°Yuan Xi, are you sure this is your little uncle, and not an illegitimate child?¡± Huo Shiyuan furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Chu Lin!¡± Xiao Shihuo said in a milky voice, ¡°I¡¯m not an illegitimate child, my name is Shihuo!¡± Yang Ying saw Yuan Xi¡¯s expression change suddenly and frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°Chu Lin, if you don¡¯t know how to speak, then speak less.¡± Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi and said, ¡°I heard that yesterday you had Gu Hanchen kick Chu Yan out of the Gu Family? Do you know that Qian Yiren and the Bo Family have collaborated, and now that the Bo Family is prospering, you¡¯re giving the Bo Family a hard time like this, and Gu Hanchen is also helping you create a mess, which is really¡­¡± Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi incredulously and asked, ¡°You kicked Yanyan out of the Gu Family?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°I did indeed kick Chu Yan out of the Gu Family. If you want to come at me for this, then I¡¯ll leave right now.¡± Yang Ying quickly took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°We don¡¯t mean to come at you, if you don¡¯t like Yanyan, that¡¯s fine, Mom won¡¯t blame you.¡± On the side, Chu Lin said, ¡°Mom, why do you spoil her? Doesn¡¯t she understand any sense of the bigger picture after five years at Mi Chen? Hengfan is now tied up with Fu An Group, and it¡¯s predictable that the Bo Family will rise even higher, yet she let Gu Hanchen publicly disgrace the Bo Family like this, which is really too willful, and I can¡¯t believe Gu Hanchen would also go along with her willfulness.¡± Huo Shiyuan spoke up, ¡°Hengfan has not tied up with Fu An Group, but has been acquired by the Fu An Group.¡± Chu Lin looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°How do you know?¡± Huo Shiyuan said indifferently, ¡°Fu An Group¡¯s department of commerce only acquires, never cooperates, for ease of management.¡± Chu Lin heard this and slightly knitted his brows. Yang Ying said to Yuan Xi, ¡°We called you over today because of the dowry matter I talked to you about last time. After this time in the hospital, I¡¯ve come to understand a lot. Your father and I have worked hard, all for the sake of you kids. Today we brought you here to sign the share transfer agreement. Your father and I are giving you three percent of the shares, which are worth about ten billion in today¡¯s market price.¡± Yang Ying let Yuan Xi inside, and on the coffee table in the hall, there were three share transfer agreements. Yuan Xi saw one with Chu Yan¡¯s name on it. Chu Qing said, ¡°Xinxin, you and your brother, as well as Yanyan, all three of you kids are now receiving three percent of the shares, the rest will be distributed later.¡± Huo Shiyuan¡¯s phone beeped with a notification. He glanced at the message sent by Qin Lang and said, ¡°I suggest you wait on giving Chu Yan her shares.¡± Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°How our Chu Family divides our shares is none of your business!¡± Huo Shiyuan sat on the sofa and said, ¡°Chu Yan has been in the welfare home twice. The first time she was in the welfare home, she was taken away by her biological father, so her biological father wouldn¡¯t need to exert much effort to find her, there are records in the welfare home. Her father is a Nanxiang person¡­¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°So what?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Interestingly enough, the child traffickers who abducted Yuan Xi were also Nanxiang people.¡± Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law Chapter 65: Chapter 65 You May Soon Have a Sister-in-Law Chu Lin looked towards Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Are they all from Nanxiang?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Nanxiang is a poor small county in Xiang Province with a low population. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence that the human trafficker and Chu Yan¡¯s biological father are from the same small county.¡± Chu Lin said to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Do you mean the human trafficker and Yanyan¡¯s biological father knew each other? Did they conspire to abduct Yuan Xi and have Yanyan replace her? But Yuan Xi was stolen by the nanny, and then abducted by human traffickers; Yanyan was adopted by my parents a few months later from the orphanage. How could it be their scheme?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My adoptive parents bought me because the human trafficker intended to throw me into Ruohu Lake. Normally, human traffickers sell the children they abduct for money, not drown them in a lake. At that time, my adoptive parents thought I was the child of a young girl who had come to Jiang City to work and didn¡¯t dare tell her family that she was pregnant out of wedlock, intending to drown me; they never suspected that I was trafficked.¡± Huo Shiyuan continued, ¡°When the nanny stole Yuan Xi back then, her plan was to ask the Chu Family for a ransom of one million. How could she let the child be abducted again right under her nose? There are too many dubious points in this matter.¡± Upon hearing what Yuan Xi said about being thrown into the lake, a chill rose from the depths of Yang Ying¡¯s heart. Huo Shiyuan looked towards Yang Ying and Chu Qing and said, ¡°Although it is your freedom to decide who to give your property to, if Yuan Xi¡¯s abduction really has something to do with the Chu Family, then Chu Yan does not deserve the shares worth one billion.¡± Chu Lin looked at Huo Shiyuan and spoke to Chu Qing and Yang Ying, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s wait on allocating Yanyan¡¯s shares for now. I¡¯ll have someone investigate the connections between the nanny, the human trafficker, and Yanyan¡¯s biological father.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Lin, as he had seldomly shown such forethought. Nanny Zhang came in and said, ¡°Mr. Chu, Junior President Chu, Miss Zhou has arrived.¡± Yang Ying responded, ¡°Let her in.¡± Zhou Jiameng arrived with two boxes of bird¡¯s nest and fish maw, ¡°Aunt Chu, I heard you were discharged from the hospital, so I came to see how you are doing. Are you feeling better?¡± Yang Ying replied with a light laugh, ¡°The doctor said I just need plenty of rest.¡± Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°You have been working hard for Chu Neng all your life, you really should rest more.¡± Yang Ying smiled faintly, ¡°After Chu Lin gets married and has children, I plan to retire and help Xinxin and Lin¡¯er with their kids.¡± Zhou Jiameng looked at the woman sitting on the couch; she looked somewhat familiar and took a while before she remembered seeing her with Gu Hanchen, ¡°Aunt Chu, who is this¡­?¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°She is Xinyan, Xinxin. She is Zhou Jiameng, the daughter of Mr. Zhou and Chu Neng, who have been good friends for many years.¡± Yuan Xi stood up and greeted Zhou Jiameng with a professionally polite smile, ¡°Hello.¡± Zhou Jiameng learned from Chu Yan that the woman who had thrown wine at Chu Lin was a friend of Yuan Xi, and now seeing Yuan Xi, she instinctively disliked her. Moreover, Zhou Jiameng was very clear that even if Yuan Xi was the Chu Family¡¯s biological daughter, with her marriage to a powerless, influence-less, and poor rural husband, it would only be Yuan Xi who would climb onto the Chu Family. Yuan Xi was sure to be a lifelong burden, seeking benefits from her maiden home, becoming a nuisance for her and Chu Lin, a bottomless pit they would constantly have to fill. Unlike Chu Yan, who was backed by the Bao Family and could add luster to the Chu Family. Zhou Jiameng just gave Yuan Xi a smile, then went to Chu Lin¡¯s side and said, ¡°Chu Lin, you left in a hurry yesterday. I still have some things to discuss with you regarding the Guanming Bay project.¡± Chu Lin said, ¡°Come with me to the study.¡± Seeing Chu Lin go upstairs with Zhou Jiameng, Yang Ying smiled lightly at Yuan Xi, ¡°You may soon have a sister-in-law. Jiameng is a very nice girl¡ªintelligent, sensible, generous, and appropriate. She will make an excellent future mistress for our Chu Family.¡± As Yang Ying praised Zhou Jiameng, Yuan Xi just smiled faintly on the side. She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Chu Lin as her real brother; whoever Chu Lin married was a stranger¡¯s issue to Yuan Xi. Yang Ying looked at Yuan Xi with a light smile and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just sign the share transfer agreement now? We really owe you an apology.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the share transfer agreement in front of her, but she did not sign it. ¡°Dad, Mom, I don¡¯t need it.¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°You should take it. We¡¯ve truly wronged you over the years, and we¡¯ve also bought you a fully-furnished villa in the new housing project Jiangyan Villa in Jiang City. Take a look and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t like the style of decoration, you can demolish and redesign it. There¡¯s no need to live by Ruohu anymore.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°The drive from Jiangyan Villa to the Michen Building takes almost half an hour, which is not much different from the drive from Ruohu. I find Ruohu more comfortable to live in. As for Chu Neng¡¯s shares, we can talk about that when the time comes.¡± If the Chu Family still intends to give those shares to Chu Yan in the end, then Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t accept them. Yang Ying said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it inconvenient for you to live in the village?¡± Yuan Xi laughed softly and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient.¡± Yang Ying let out a sigh and said, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t find it inconvenient, that¡¯s fine.¡± At lunch, Yang Ying also invited Zhou Jiameng to join them. The table was loaded with dishes, and Yuan Xi eyed the plate of crabs with envy. The best time to eat crabs is in September and October, but Yuan Xi also liked the tender crab meat of the June yellow crabs that came out in June and July. However, now that she was pregnant, Yuan Xi dared not eat the lake crabs. Huo Shiyuan peeled a crab for Yuan Xi, ¡°Eating just one crab shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Yuan Xi watched as Huo Shiyuan skillfully removed the crab meat with the tool beside him. Yuan Xi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao Shihuo watched Huo Shiyuan eagerly and said, ¡°I want to eat crab too.¡± ¡°Peel it yourself!¡± Huo Shiyuan handed a crab to Xiao Shihuo. Xiao Shihuo pouted, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to peel it.¡± Yuan Xi laughed gently while showing Xiao Shihuo how to peel the crab. After eating the crab roe, Xiao Shihuo spat it out, ¡°It¡¯s bitter, not tasty. I don¡¯t want this crab; it¡¯s not good.¡± Yuan Xi laughed and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡± Zhou Jiameng interjected, ¡°Actually, the best time to eat crabs is in October. Crabs now have little meat, and the roe is bitter, which no one likes to eat. Yuan Xi, you probably haven¡¯t had the delicious hairy crabs in October, so you think the crabs now are good.¡± Watching Yuan Xi eat the lake crab as if it was a delicacy, Zhou Jiameng thought she truly was someone who hadn¡¯t eaten much good food. Yuan Xi heard Zhou Jiameng¡¯s insinuation that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything good and wasn¡¯t upset. Definitely, the Chu Family didn¡¯t know she liked the June yellow crabs, and since she was pregnant, the crabs weren¡¯t prepared for her. Zhou Jiameng¡¯s words were akin to saying that the Chu Family hadn¡¯t eaten good things either. Chu Lin picked up a crab and said, ¡°I just like eating the crabs from this season. The meat of the June yellow crabs is the freshest and most tender.¡± Yuan Xi, knowing Chu Lin also liked eating these seasonal crabs, looked at the crab meat in her bowl and suddenly didn¡¯t want to eat it anymore. Hearing Chu Lin¡¯s words, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°Then I will try it too. Chu Lin, could you peel one for me?¡± Chu Lin indeed took the crab tools and started peeling a crab for Zhou Jiameng. With a light laugh, Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°By the way, Chu Lin, was the shirt that Yuan Xi¡¯s friend splashed with red wine yesterday cleaned? If it can¡¯t be cleaned, let¡¯s just forget it for Yuan Xi¡¯s sake. After all, I don¡¯t think her friend¡¯s family is very wealthy, and two hundred thousand is a lot for them.¡± ¡°Xinxin¡¯s friend spilled red wine on you?¡± Yang Ying asked from the side, ¡°Chu Lin, what is this about?¡± Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Seeking Justice for Yuan Xi Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Seeking Justice for Yuan Xi Chu Lin merely smiled and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s nothing, just playing around.¡± Yang Ying was surprised; Chu Lin was not someone to mess with. For him to pass off getting splashed with red wine as just playing around was indeed unusual. Zhou Jiameng felt a bit anxious when she heard the words playing around. Zhou Jiameng had been privately told by Chu Yan that both Yang Ying and Chu Qing had their hearts set on her becoming the future Mrs. Chu of the Chu Family. Over the past year, every time Zhou Jiameng invited Chu Lin out for meals, he had never turned her down, leading Zhou Jiameng to believe her position as Mrs. Chu was secure. But upon hearing Chu Lin¡¯s light laugh mentioning Liang Suisui, she began to feel a bit panicked. Yuan Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s not playing around, Mom. It was Chu Lin who first insulted my friend. He saw my friend in Jiangye and spread rumors that she wanted to snag Gu Hanchen as a wealthy husband. Yesterday, he insulted her again, which is why she got angry and splashed the red wine on him.¡± Chu Qing frowned and slammed the table, ¡°Chu Lin, how can you be so lacking in manners!¡± Chu Lin glared at Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi stood her ground unafraid. Yang Ying also looked at Chu Lin with annoyance, ¡°Chu Lin, what you did was really going too far. She¡¯s a decent girl, and you¡¯re saying she¡¯s angling for a wealthy husband like Gu Hanchen. Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging her reputation? You don¡¯t need to compensate for the clothes, just buy a gift and go apologize in person.¡± With furrowed brows, Chu Lin said, ¡°Alright, got it.¡± After dinner, Chu Lin approached Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You sure know how to tattle.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I¡¯m not tattling. You really did go too far. If you dislike me, just come at me. There¡¯s no need to make things difficult for my friend.¡± Chu Lin scoffed, ¡°Make things difficult? If I wanted to make things difficult for her, would I have lost a watch I¡¯d only worn for two days to her in a bet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t make things difficult for my friend,¡± Yuan Xi said. Chu Lin inquired, ¡°Where does her family live?¡± Yuan Xi frowned at Chu Lin, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Go to her house to apologize, as you said. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out myself.¡± Frowning, Yuan Xi still gave Chu Lin Liang Suisui¡¯s home address. Just like he said, even if she didn¡¯t tell him, Chu Lin would have been able to find out. Yuan Xi didn¡¯t believe that Chu Lin would continue to trouble Liang Suisui after both Chu Qing and Yang Ying had spoken. Zhou Jiameng approached Chu Lin and said, ¡°Chu Lin, shall I go with you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Chu Lin refused Zhou Jiameng and drove off in a new sports car. Huo Shiyan asked Yuan Xi, ¡°Go back to the mansion or shall we check on Liang Suisui at her place?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Chu Lin wouldn¡¯t be so lacking in decency as to trouble Liang Suisui at her home. Moreover, Liang Suisui¡¯s relatives live next to her, and the factory is nearby. If Chu Lin dares to trouble Liang Suisui at her place, he won¡¯t get any advantage. Let¡¯s just head back to the mansion.¡± Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t slept well last night, and she was already a bit sleepy, so on the drive back, she dozed off. In a daze, she dreamt of a church wedding. Most of the villagers living around Ruohu practiced Buddhism and Taoism, while a few were Christians. The church was built with contributions from several wealthy Christian businessmen from the nearby villages. Located by Ruohu, with its picturesque scenery, the church was a popular venue for couples to hold their weddings. As a child, after witnessing a church wedding, Yuan Xi and her friends entered the church and mimicked the adults, pretending to get married. ¡°Place your hand on the Bible, Xiao Xi. Do you take Brother Zhuangzhuang to be your husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang, do you take Xiao Xi to be your wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Brother, sister is sleeping so soundly¡­¡± The voices of children in Yuan Xi¡¯s dream merged with reality, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself back at the Ruohu Mansion. Yuan Xi thought to herself, she didn¡¯t practice Christianity, so the vows made inside the church shouldn¡¯t count. And she had no idea where that Brother Zhuangzhuang was now. Huo Shiyan saw that Yuan Xi had just woken up looking confused, ¡°Had a dream? Who did you dream about?¡± Yuan Xi had just woken up and without any thought said, ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang.¡± Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Brother Zhuangzhuang? I don¡¯t like Brother Zhuangzhuang; I like Xiao Mei, Shua Zi, and Grandpa Niu. I want to watch ¡®Big Ear Tutu¡¯; it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve watched cartoons!¡± Huo Shiyan ignored Xiao Shihuo, who was clamoring to watch cartoons, and asked Yuan Xi, ¡°What did you dream about?¡± Yuan Xi certainly couldn¡¯t tell Huo Shiyan that as a child, she had played house and married another little boy in the church, ¡°Just dreaming about playing in the church when I was little.¡± ¡°I also want to play in the church!¡± Xiao Shihuo said on the side, ¡°I want to play!¡± After Yuan Xi slept in the car, much of her drowsiness had dissipated, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you to play in the church.¡± It¡¯s always better to play in the church than to watch cartoons. A five-minute drive and they arrived at the church. Today is Sunday, and the Christians in the village were all gathered in the church for worship. ¡°You are Yuan Qing¡¯s child, right?¡± Yuan Xi heard someone speaking in regional dialect, turned around, and saw a former neighbor, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s me.¡± Aunt Meng looked Yuan Xi up and down and said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up so much, you¡¯ve finally come back. Your aunts and uncles really aren¡¯t good for anything. After such a big incident happened at your house back then, they drove you out of the house. Now that demolition is happening, they¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± ¡°Looking for me?¡± Yuan Xi asked. Aunt Meng said, ¡°Yes, the village said that the big boss in charge of the demolition saw the list and said that the house left behind by your parents has you as the primary heir, and you need to sign off on the demolition compensation. Now your grandfather¡¯s family is looking for you everywhere, wanting you to sign the papers to agree to the house demolition, otherwise, your house won¡¯t be torn down.¡± Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyan. Huo Shiyan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°That should rightfully be yours.¡± Aunt Meng looked at Huo Shiyan standing next to Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Oh my, this young man is so handsome. Is this your¡­¡± Yuan Xi said with a light smile, ¡°My husband.¡± Aunt Meng said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re married? Why didn¡¯t you invite us for the wedding banquet?¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had the banquet yet. We will invite Aunt Meng when we do.¡± Aunt Meng said with a laugh, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting to toast at your wedding!¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°We will definitely invite Aunt Meng when the time comes.¡± After Aunt Meng left, Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyan and said, ¡°How did you know she was Aunt Meng?¡± ¡°I heard you call her Aunt Meng just now.¡± Yuan Xi was a bit puzzled, ¡°Did I say it?¡± Huo Shiyan said, ¡°You did, don¡¯t believe me? Ask Huohuo.¡± It wasn¡¯t necessary for Yuan Xi to dwell on whether she¡¯d called her Aunt Meng, nor did she seek confirmation from Xiao Huo, ¡°Was it you who said that my family¡¯s demolition must have my signature?¡± Huo Shiyan nodded, ¡°Yes, because that was originally yours.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Forget it, let them have the house¡­ I have let go of it long ago; I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with them anymore.¡± Huo Shiyan asked Yuan Xi, ¡°When Mr. and Mrs. Yuan died, it was the most helpless time for you, yet they took all of the inheritance that should have been yours, leaving you nothing. You might let it go, but I can¡¯t. I need to fight for this justice for you.¡± Yuan Xi bit her lower lip; she would always remember how her adoptive parents still lay in the cold mortuary, while her grandparents and their family suddenly showed their true colors. Even the village head and the villagers had advised them not to overdo it, but they still drove her out of the house, not even allowing Yuan Xi to mourn. It was the village head, her uncle, and the parents of Liang Suisui who stepped forward to allow Yuan Xi to see her parents off one last time. Thinking back to eight years ago, Yuan Xi, who had just come of age, didn¡¯t know how she had managed to survive¡­ ¡°Shiyan, thank you.¡± Huo Shiyan, ¡°In our relationship, you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s phone rang; she took out her phone and saw it was a call from Liang Suisui, ¡°Suisui, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Where are you? Hurry over to my house and take your brother away!¡± Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 67: At the Very Least, Theres Still Chu Yans Dowry Chapter 67: Chapter 67: At the Very Least, There¡¯s Still Chu Yan¡¯s Dowry Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived at the entrance of the Liang Family¡¯s home and saw the Liang Family¡¯s iron gate closed tight, with a conspicuous convertible Bugatti parked outside. The supercar was too eye-catching, attracting many onlookers, some of whom were taking photos and videos. Chu Lin, sitting in the car, let the villagers take photos without hiding. Yuan Xi approached Chu Lin and said, ¡°You promised not to trouble Liang Suisui. She¡¯s not seeing you, why park your car at her doorstep and attract a crowd?¡± Chu Lin replied, ¡°I came to apologize, but if she won¡¯t open the door, I can only wait outside.¡± Yuan Xi frowned slightly, ¡°After you apologize to Liang Suisui, can you leave?¡± Chu Lin nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuan Xi called Liang Suisui, and then she finally came to open the door. Chu Lin looked over, Liang Suisui hadn¡¯t put on makeup and wore cotton pajamas, her long hair casually tied into a bun. She obviously just woke up not long ago, her face still slightly swollen¡­ Standing at the door, Liang Suisui looked at familiar faces in the village, and said to Chu Lin, ¡°Apologize and then leave quickly!¡± Chu Lin saw Liang Suisui¡¯s appearance, let out a light laugh, got out of the car, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Liang Suisui responded, ¡°I forgive you, now go quickly; your car is too conspicuous.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, you¡¯ve got the nerve to come back to the village!¡± Yuan Xi heard a familiar voice, turned around, and saw a young woman in a floral dress, her foster parents¡¯ elder cousin. Yuan Jiao: ¡°Yuan Xi, for the past few years on Qingming and winter solstice, you didn¡¯t come back to offer incense. Making money but not buying anything for grandparents, now that you know the house is going to be demolished, you¡¯re here to claim the compensation?¡± Hearing this, the neighbors interjected in support of Yuan Xi. ¡°Yuan Hong¡¯s daughter, you¡¯re wrong, the house was supposed to be Yuan Xi¡¯s.¡± ¡°Those two million in compensation given years ago you accepted, plus the sale of the workshop made another two million, and including your uncle and aunt¡¯s savings of at least two million, nearly six million in total you all took, now you even want to take the house?¡± Yuan Jiao, with a sharp tone: ¡°Yuan Xi, just an adopted stray from another place, the Yuan family raised her until she was eighteen, she has no part in this house. Yuan Xi, I advise you to just sign off. You¡¯re just a wild child someone abandoned¡­¡± Yuan Xi frowned, her cousin Yuan Jiao was actually about the same age as her, but had always disliked her since childhood. Back then, Yuan Xi didn¡¯t understand and had friends like Chen Yuan and Liang Suisui; she didn¡¯t grasp why her cousin looked down on her and didn¡¯t want to play with her, later she realized it was because her cousin resented her for being adopted. What Yuan Jiao said was in dialect; though Chu Lin was from Jiang City and rarely spoke dialect, he managed to understand it though with difficulty. It wasn¡¯t until he heard ¡°an unwanted wild child¡± that Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Yuan Xi is the legitimate heir to Chuneng Group, what unwanted wild child?¡± Yuan Jiao shouted in shock, ¡°Yuan Xi could be the real heir of Chuneng Group? She¡¯s just an outsider¡¯s bastard child!¡± Chu Lin frowned and said, ¡°Try spouting nonsense again? Chuneng Group¡¯s lawyers aren¡¯t for show!¡± ¡°Yuan Hong¡¯s daughter, you see his car, all carbon supercar! And look at the license plate.¡± Seeing the string of ¡®8¡¯s on the license plate, Yuan Jiao stopped the dispute and quickly ran back home. Liang Suisui said beside them, ¡°Mr. Chu¡¯s mind is cured, come into the yard.¡± Liang Suisui opened the yard gate, and Chu Lin drove the car inside. After parking the car, Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°Who was that woman just now?¡± Liang Suisui explained, ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s foster parents¡¯ cousin, she has always had a habit of taking Yuan Xi¡¯s things since they were kids. When Brother Zhuangzhuang came from the city as a child, bringing lots of tasty and fun things, her cousin always wanted to snatch them from her.¡± Chu Lin looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You just let her take them? How could you make a choice between Yanyan and her, yet be so indulgent with her?¡± Liang Suisui said, ¡°I somewhat regret letting you in, apparently your brain still hasn¡¯t recovered.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t let her take it away.¡± The nanny at Liang Suisui¡¯s home brought over some tea, ¡°Suisui, that shirt of yours, I boiled it with exploding salt I bought from a livestream, and the wine stains are gone now. It¡¯ll be fine after being sun-dried this afternoon.¡± Chu Lin turned to Liang Suisui and said, ¡°I asked you to wash it, how could you let someone else do it?¡± Liang Suisui replied, ¡°I, Liang Suisui, have lived for twenty-six years and have never washed clothes once. If you want me to wash your clothes, you¡¯ll have to be even more handsome.¡± ¡­ In a caf¨¦ in Jiang City, it was the weekend and the caf¨¦ was quite busy. Chu Yan looked at Zhou Jiameng in front of her and said, ¡°Did you say Yuan Xi was at my house this noon?¡± Zhou Jiameng nodded, ¡°Mhmm.¡± Chu Yan gripped her coffee cup tightly, they had invited Yuan Xi to a family meal and didn¡¯t invite her¡­ It was false to say that Chu Yan wasn¡¯t disappointed. Could twenty-five years of relationships be so fragile? Especially after she was kicked out of the Gu Family¡¯s house by Gu Hanchen yesterday, did the Chu Family really invite Yuan Xi over for lunch today? Zhou Jiameng said, ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t worry, Uncle Chu and Aunt Chu just invited Yuan Xi over for a meal, they definitely still care more about you. Everyone knows you¡¯re about to marry Bo Fan, who is leagues ahead of Yuan Xi¡¯s countryside husband.¡± Chu Yan looked at her own phone; since she was kicked out by Gu Hanchen yesterday until now, Bo Fan hadn¡¯t even called her once. Zhou Jiameng continued, ¡°But this Yuan Xi is somewhat capable. Maybe she¡¯s afraid she won¡¯t get much from her birth family later, so she¡¯s even trying to pair up her best friend with Chu Lin, wanting her friend to enter the Chu Family¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Chu Yan laughed lightly, ¡°Sister Jiameng, don¡¯t worry, my mom has told me she is very pleased with you as her daughter-in-law.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Jiameng let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Yanyan, if there¡¯s anything in your wedding that I can help with, just tell me.¡± Chu Yan looked at the messages from Bo Fan on her phone and smiled, ¡°Sure. Sister Jiameng, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve also considered you as my sister-in-law. No other vixen can become the CEO¡¯s wife of the Chuneng Group.¡± Zhou Jiameng gave a shy smile. Chu Yan and Bo Fan were exchanging messages, her face lit up with a smile. Inside the Bo Family home. Father Bo was furiously hitting Madam Bo with a belt, ¡°You gamble? You¡¯re gambling again, Hengfan is about up for sale, and you dare to gamble?¡± Madam Bo crawled to Bo Fan and pleaded, ¡°Fan Fan, Fan Fan, tell your dad to stop, to stop¡­¡± Father Bo said, ¡°The Bo Family is barely hanging on, and you and Bao Yan just leave to Myanmar and lose a billion yuan. Even if the Bo Family has a lot of property, it cannot afford such losses!¡± Bo Fan told his father, ¡°Dad, mom was just trying to turn the tables to save the Bo family¡¯s situation. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already contacted Huo Shiyuan. If worse comes to worst, we still have Chu Yan¡¯s dowry.¡± Father Bo was furious, cursing at Madam Bo, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you and Bao Yan gambling, someone as outstanding as Bo Fan wouldn¡¯t have to marry a fake rich girl!¡± ¡°The background of Chu Yan I¡¯ve investigated. Chu Yan¡¯s biological father is an idler who loiters around all day, nearly fifty now, always playing mahjong and never acting upright.¡± ¡°Let alone playing mahjong, Chu Yan¡¯s father even boasts about having great wealth and living in a mansion in the future. With such a birth father, Chu Yan really doesn¡¯t deserve to enter the Bo Family. Now for the sake of her dowry, it¡¯s truly humiliating for Bo Fan!¡± Bo Fan said, ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t hit mom and sister anymore, we will definitely get through this hardship.¡± Father Bo sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve warned you time and time again not to give money to your mom and sister, yet you still did? If this continues, even the discarded daughter of the Chu Family wouldn¡¯t want to marry you.¡± Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Demanding Alimony from the Chu Family Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Demanding Alimony from the Chu Family On Monday, a fine drizzle persisted, and although it wasn¡¯t yet the season of plum rains, such gloomy, unending rain made it hard to feel energized. Even the president¡¯s office at Mi Chen was lifeless. The lights were on bright in the Michen Building. Today, a new director was coming to present the plan for the IPO roadshow promotional film before Mi Chen¡¯s IPO. Yuan Xi met the director of the promotional film, who was a very young girl, looking not even twenty-five years old. ¡°Hello, President Yuan, my name is Zhang Ying.¡± ¡°Director Zhang, let¡¯s go inside to the meeting room.¡± Yuan Xi was satisfied with the filming plan Zhang Ying displayed on the PPT; initially, they planned to use Fan Yan¡¯s team for the promotional film, and the directors introduced by Bo Fan had not met Gu Hanchen¡¯s expectations, but Zhang Ying had caught Gu Hanchen¡¯s eye with her documentary filming. Gu Hanchen endorsed the idea of Zhang Ying¡¯s script plan. ¡°What do you think, Yuan Xi?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡± Gu Hanchen set his expectations with Zhang Ying, ¡°How long will the filming period take? Can you finish it in a month?¡± ¡°I can,¡± Zhang Ying replied. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Gu Hanchen said. Zhang Ying said, ¡°Mr. Gu, you need to narrate the entire promotional film in English, is that convenient for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s convenient,¡± Gu Hanchen replied. Over lunchtime, Yuan Xi received a sumptuous lunch delivered by the housekeeper from the mansion. Right after lunch, Yuan Xi received a call from Chen Yuan. ¡°Hey, Xiao Xi, oh my god, your grandparents there are just shameless. Yesterday, when Yuan Jiao found out you were Chu Family¡¯s daughter, she went straight to your uncles and aunts overnight. Now they¡¯re planning to band together and go to the Chu Family to demand your child support.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yuan Xi frowned. Chen Yuan said, ¡°Your neighbor Xiaomeng told me about it, they were discussing it in the courtyard last night, not avoiding anyone. They said you should have no part in the compensation housing, and they want to demand tens of millions for child support from the Chu Family. They said that the car Chu Lin drove to the village yesterday was worth over twenty million, and since they raised you, asking the Chu Family for thirty or fifty million is not excessive at all.¡± Yuan Xi frowned deeply, ¡°They didn¡¯t raise me.¡± Her parents did. They kicked her when she was down; what right did they now have to ask for money? Chen Yuan continued, ¡°The Yuan Family is just the epitome of shameless, but they feel entitled to a share of the Chu Family¡¯s vast wealth, just watch out for yourself, okay?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yuan Xi replied. Yuan Xi hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and returned to her office to review approvals on the OA system. Gu Hanchen had gone to shoot the promotional film, and Yuan Xi spent the afternoon attending three meetings in a row for Gu Hanchen. When she came out of the meeting room, it was already 8:30 p.m. As Yuan Xi left the Michen Building and walked to her car, Qin Lang opened the rear car door for her. Sitting in the backseat, Yuan Xi saw Huo Shiyan beside her, looking unwell. ¡°Shiyan, I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t expect that meeting to last three hours. I¡¯ve kept you waiting too long, Huohuo must have gone home already, right?¡± Huo Shiyan¡¯s face was stern, obviously angry. Yuan Xi had never seen Huo Shiyan this angry before. Huo Shiyan was usually much more emotionally stable than Gu Hanchen, who would often curse vehemently in a rage. Huo Shiyan¡¯s emotions were always very steady, rarely showing the fierce anger now visible in his eyes. Yuan Xi whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to come to pick me up anymore. I can drive myself, and if it¡¯s really too late, I can ask a driver, or just head home since my house is very close to the Michen Building. Sometimes it¡¯s hard to know how long I might have to overtime, and you don¡¯t need to get angry about waiting.¡± Huo Shiyan looked down at Yuan Xi¡¯s belly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m angry because I¡¯ve been waiting too long for you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Yuan Xi asked. Huo Shiyan sighed in exasperation, ¡°Yuan Xi, it¡¯s already 8:30 p.m., and it¡¯s been eight hours since you had lunch. You haven¡¯t eaten anything for such a long time, do you want to starve your stomach? You already suffer from severe morning sickness and need to eat more.¡± Huo Shiyan¡¯s annoyance settled as he spoke gently, ¡°I¡¯m not angry because I¡¯ve been waiting too long; I¡¯m angry because you¡¯re so careless with your health.¡± Yuan Xi hadn¡¯t known such care in ages and replied with a faint smile, ¡°I am pretty hungry. There¡¯s a seafood noodle shop nearby that I like, shall we go have some noodles there?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Sure.¡± Yuan Xi gave Assistant Qin the address, and it took less than three minutes to drive there. The seafood noodle shop Yuan Xi loved was always busy, and even at eight thirty in the evening, there were quite a few customers inside. ¡°I¡¯ll have the polong seafood noodles.¡± Yuan Xi agonized between the polong noodles and the yellow croaker noodles for a while before deciding on the polong noodles, ¡°Shiyan, what would you like to eat?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Pickled vegetable yellow croaker noodles.¡± Yuan Xi then asked the assistant standing behind Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Assistant Qin, what will you have?¡± Assistant Qin hadn¡¯t expected Yuan Xi to consider him, ¡°Thank you, Madam, no need. I¡¯m not quite accustomed to the seafood noodles from Jiang City.¡± After Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan sat down at a spot to the side, she finally realized she was indeed very hungry and felt somewhat guilty toward the child as she touched her abdomen. When Huo Shiyuan¡¯s yellow croaker noodles were served first, he passed them to Yuan Xi, ¡°You eat a bit first.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t refuse; it had been a long time since she last tasted yellow croaker noodles. Huo Shiyuan watched Yuan Xi eat the noodles and said, ¡°From now on, even if you¡¯re in a meeting, you must stop to eat. You can¡¯t neglect your body like this.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After finishing the noodles, Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan went back to the mansion. Little Shihuo at the mansion was quite upset to see the two of them. ¡°Brother, Sister, Mom said Brother would play with me, but now you¡¯re back so late. In the future, after the baby in Sister¡¯s tummy is born, will you come back late to play with Xiao Bao too?¡± Yuan Xi laughed lightly and tousled Little Shihuo¡¯s hair, ¡°Sister knows her mistake, I¡¯ll come back earlier from now on.¡± Xiao Shihuo gave Yuan Xi a smile, ¡°Then Sister should come play with Huohuo earlier in the future!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yuan Xi smiled gently. ¡­ Jiangjing No.1. Chu Yan nestled into Bo Fan¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Bo Fan.¡± Bo Fan wrapped his hand around Chu Yan¡¯s waist, looking at her pretty, delicate makeup, while Father Bo¡¯s words echoed in his ears. Chu Yan¡¯s biological father was a ne¡¯er-do-well rascal who only played mahjong, and her paternal ancestors up to five generations back were all poor farmers from the deep mountains. Chu Yan¡¯s blood was filled with poverty and laziness; Bo Fan¡¯s desires gradually subsided. Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan, ¡°Bo Fan?¡± Bo Fan lifted Chu Yan horizontally and placed her onto the bed, trying to speak as gently as possible, ¡°Chu Yan, Fan Yan still has some business matters to attend to. Chao Qing wants to terminate her contract now, so I need to find her and continue the contract signing. You should rest well first.¡± Chu Yan looked at Bo Fan with concern, ¡°Do you have to work so late? Bo Fan, can¡¯t you work on it tomorrow?¡± Bo Fan rubbed Chu Yan¡¯s forehead, ¡°You go to sleep first.¡± Chu Yan watched Bo Fan¡¯s retreating figure and sighed deeply. As soon as Chu Yan woke up early in the morning, she went back to the Chu Family¡¯s home, and upon entering, she saw Yang Ying and Chu Qing having breakfast. ¡°Yanyan.¡± Chu Yan went up and hugged Yang Ying¡¯s neck, ¡°Mom, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. Bo Fan is busy with official duties these days, and I plan to stay home until after the festival.¡± Yang Ying and Chu Qing exchanged glances, both showing difficulty in their expression. Seeing the look on her parents¡¯ faces, Chu Yan quickly said, ¡°Dad, Mom, never mind, I won¡¯t stay, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you in front of my sister¡­¡± Chu Qing looked at Chu Yan with tearful eyes; after all, she was the daughter they had raised for twenty-five years, and they were reluctant to let her go. ¡°Bo Fan is busy; it would be good for you to come home and stay. You¡¯re getting married soon, and you¡¯ll have fewer days to stay here in the future.¡± As soon as Chu Qing finished speaking, a loud commotion was heard at the entrance of the Chu Family home: ¡°I am your eldest Miss¡¯s biological uncle, how dare you stop us from coming in!¡± ¡°I am your eldest Miss¡¯s biological grandfather!¡± Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Going to Mi Chen to Ask Yuan Xi for Money Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Going to Mi Chen to Ask Yuan Xi for Money Chu Qing frowned and looked toward the entrance, ¡°Nanny Zhang, what¡¯s that noise outside?¡± Nanny Zhang said, ¡°A whole bunch of people have arrived, claiming to be the young mistress¡¯s relatives¡ªuncles, aunts, cousins, and whatnot. They¡¯re outside making a fuss, demanding to see the young mistress and all of you. Among them, there are two elders who look to be over eighty. They¡¯re insisting on forcing their way in while holding up their cellphones and recording video, saying if the bodyguards dare to touch the elders, they¡¯ll post on TikTok that Chu¡¯s bodyguards are beating up old people.¡± Hearing the ruckus outside, Chu Yan asked, ¡°The young mistress¡¯s relatives? My sister¡¯s relatives?¡± Yang Ying and Chu Qing both grimaced and walked toward the mansion¡¯s entrance. ¡°Is Yuan Xi here? Yuan Xi is only here because we raised her. If it weren¡¯t for our family saving her, she would have drowned a long time ago!¡± ¡°We raised Yuan Xi until now, and now that she¡¯s playing daughter to the big boss, giving us fifty or sixty million is just a drop in the bucket for Chuneng Group.¡± Chu Qing and Yang Ying could understand the dialect being yelled at the entrance and furrowed their brows tightly. The butler walked up to Chu Qing and said, ¡°Chairman Chu.¡± Hearing ¡®Chairman Chu,¡¯ Mr. Yuan started to shout loudly, ¡°Boss Chu, the fact that Yuan Xi is alive and back in your family is all thanks to us. We saved your daughter, so a sum of fifty or sixty million isn¡¯t too much to ask for!¡± ¡°Now that Yuan Xi has become the daughter of a rich family, we raised her until she was twenty-six. Fifty or sixty million isn¡¯t asking for too much.¡± Yang Ying glanced at the Yuan Family crowd in front of her, listening to their initial demands for fifty or sixty million and noticing the greed in their eyes, she frowned deeply. Chu Yan snorted lightly on the side. So, Yuan Xi grew up in this kind of family? This will be quite the show. Chu Qing pulled out his phone and called Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan had just left. Xiao Shihuo had changed into the new uniform that his school had issued, looking adorable in his short-sleeved shirt and tie. Yuan Xi patted Xiao Shihuo¡¯s head, feeling as if she was experiencing motherhood in advance; she was really looking forward to her future children being like Xiao Shihuo. Xiao Shihuo took Yuan Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister, come home from work early today, okay?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°Mm.¡± Right after Yuan Xi got into the car and sat in the passenger seat, she received a call from Chu Qing. Listening to Chu Qing¡¯s words on the other end of the phone, Yuan Xi spoke with furrowed brows, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t give them any money, don¡¯t bother with them.¡± Then Yang Ying¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Xinxin, can you come over here? They¡¯re blocking our cars, and we can¡¯t get out.¡± ¡°Mom, if they keep pestering at the entrance, just call the police.¡± After saying the four words ¡®just call the police,¡¯ Yuan Xi hung up the phone, looking out at the scenery flashing by the car window. Huo Shiyuan, who was driving, asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°My grandparents went to Chu¡¯s Mansion to ask for money.¡± Huo Shiyuan snorted, ¡°They really have the nerve to go? Aren¡¯t they afraid of losing face?¡± Yuan Xi closed her eyes and said, ¡°They won¡¯t think what they¡¯re doing is shameful.¡± Back then, when they seized the compensation and inheritance left by her adoptive parents, they were brazen about it and never felt they had done anything wrong. They even said that even if she were their biological daughter, as a girl, she had no right to inherit property from the family. Back then, many neighbors felt injustice on Yuan Xi¡¯s behalf, and Liang Suisui¡¯s parents spoke up for her, only to be berated by her grandmother. Huo Shiyuan glanced over at Yuan Xi at the red light, ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± Yuan Xi sighed, ¡°So much has happened this year, feels like there hasn¡¯t been a break from all the troubling matters.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°During Dragon Boat Festival, I¡¯ll take you out for some fun, to clear your mind.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°It depends on whether there¡¯s anything urgent at the company at that time.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare in advance. Do you want to go to the beach?¡± Xiao Shihuo nodded eagerly from behind, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I want to ride a jet ski! Go surfing!¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯m not bringing you along.¡± Xiao Shihuo¡¯s eyes immediately filled with tears, ¡°Mommy and Daddy don¡¯t want Huohuo, big brother doesn¡¯t want Huohuo either, wuu¡­¡± Yuan Xi quickly turned her head, ¡°No, we do want you, we will take Huohuo to have fun.¡± Xiao Shihuo¡¯s tears turned to laughter instantly, blowing Yuan Xi a kiss, ¡°Muah, sister is so nice.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Xiao Shihuo¡¯s expression and chuckled lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach then. Indeed, it¡¯s been a long time since I last went to the beach.¡± The last time she went to the beach was during the summer break after her college entrance exam, and she had not been to the beach since then. At the entrance to Chu¡¯s Mansion. Yang Ying frowned at the hung-up phone and turned to the group of people in front of her, ¡°Leave quickly, or I¡¯ll call the police.¡± ¡°Boss Chu, Ma¡¯am, with all your wealth, are you really not willing to give even fifty or sixty million for your eldest daughter? I heard that the dowry you gave to your adopted daughter is ten billion. We¡¯re only asking you for fifty or sixty million.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we checked the price of the car your son drove to our village yesterday. That car alone is worth over thirty million. Does your son¡¯s car matter more to you than your eldest daughter¡¯s life?¡± Chu Yan said to Yang Ying and Chu Qing, ¡°Dad, Mom, just give them the money. If you give them the money, sister will definitely be willing to come back.¡± Yang Ying, looking at the faces of the people in front of her, really didn¡¯t want to give them any money, ¡°I won¡¯t give it. They¡¯re using Xinxin to demand money, and I¡¯m not going to give in.¡± Yang Ying had the butler call the police. The police arrived very quickly, and when the Yuan family saw them, they asked the officers to make a judgment. ¡°Please, make a judgment. We raised their daughter for twenty-five years, and now they happily acknowledge her back. My poor son and daughter-in-law had an accident trying to earn tuition fees for Yuan Xi, asking for forty or fifty million from them is hardly too much!¡± The police looked at the Yuan family in front of them, ¡°If you want money, you should go through legal channels, not like this. Come on, disperse.¡± But the Yuan family refused to leave. Chu Yan saw Chu Qing and Yang Ying¡¯s car leaving the estate through the back gate. Chu Yan then approached Mr. Yuan, who was being pushed away by the police: ¡°Grandpa Yuan, Grandma Yuan, looking for my parents is useless. Just now, my parents called Yuan Xi, and it must be that Yuan Xi isn¡¯t willing to give you the money. You should go find Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi is now the Vice President of Mi Chen Game, with an annual salary of several million. She also owns shares in Mi Chen, which are worth about one billion according to current estimates, and may be even more after the IPO. If Yuan Xi doesn¡¯t allow my parents to give you the money, then there¡¯s no use looking for them here. You should go to Michen Company and find Yuan Xi, asking for her to provide for you.¡± Yuan Jiao approached Mr. Yuan and said, ¡°Grandpa, she¡¯s making sense. Let¡¯s make a scene at Yuan Xi¡¯s company. Mi Chen Game is a huge company, and Yuan Xi is a Vice President¡ªhow could she lack money? We should ask Yuan Xi for the money.¡± Chu Yan watched their departing figures with a sneering laughter. Yuan Xi, with these unrefined relatives, was only fit for marrying some villager. Otherwise, how could anyone from the wealthy circles of Jiang City tolerate a daughter-in-law with such a greedy bunch of relatives demanding money? Today¡¯s Michen sure was bustling with excitement. Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 70 In the End, They Are the Relatives Who Raised Her Chapter 70: Chapter 70 In the End, They Are the Relatives Who Raised Her Michen Building. Today, a promotional video was being shot, so the two receptionists came to work early and joined the cleaning lady in a thorough cleaning of the lobby. One receptionist was cleaning the leaves of the fortune tree beside the front desk with a soft, damp cloth until they shined. ¡°Good morning, President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi turned to them with a smile, ¡°Good morning. The leaves are already so clean, why do you keep wiping them one by one?¡± The receptionist said, ¡°Mr. Gu mentioned yesterday that this fortune tree represents the company¡¯s feng shui. If the leaves are lush and bright green, then the stock investors will feel that our company is thriving and will come to buy our stocks.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°¡­¡± Had Gu Hanchen forgotten that they were going to the United States for the IPO? Foreigners don¡¯t care whether a fortune tree is green or not, as long as the stock is ¡®green¡¯ ¨C that is, profitable. Yuan Xi took the elevator up and entered the office, only to see Zhong Xiaoyi already working in the secretary¡¯s office. Yuan Xi checked the time. It was early today, still fifty minutes before work hours, and Zhong Xiaoyi was the only person in the entire office. ¡°President Yuan,¡± Zhong Xiaoyi stood up and said. Yuan Xi replied with a light smile, ¡°How come you¡¯re here so early?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°I just started working and there are many things I don¡¯t understand, so I thought I¡¯d come and learn more.¡± Yuan Xi saw the translation work in front of Zhong Xiaoyi, which should be the work of the secretary¡¯s office Judy. Bullying of new employees by the old staff was something that couldn¡¯t be completely avoided in the workplace. Yuan Xi said to Zhong Xiaoyi, ¡°You can refuse work that isn¡¯t yours.¡± Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°Mr. Gu pays me a high salary, so it¡¯s okay for me to do a bit of extra work.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, finding it rare for an employee to feel their salary was high, ¡°How much does Mr. Gu pay you?¡± Zhong Xiaoyi laughed lightly and said, ¡°Eighty thousand.¡± ¡°That is quite good,¡± Yuan Xi said. ¡°It seems Mr. Gu isn¡¯t being a miser now.¡± Yuan Xi remembered that Gu Hanchen had also made a ridiculous request to Zhong Xiaoyi, forbidding her from dating or having children before the age of thirty, which was akin to the unreasonable demands of indenture contracts in ancient times. So, a salary of eighty thousand per month could be considered acceptable. Zhong Xiaoyi said, ¡°I also think the salary for my probation period is very high. Many of my classmates say that a new graduate intern¡¯s annual salary doesn¡¯t even reach sixty thousand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the annual salary?¡± asked Yuan Xi. Even the receptionists at Michen had annual salaries over one hundred and fifty thousand, and the lowest-paid cleaning staff made over eighty thousand. Was Zhong Xiaoyi, a 24-hour on-call personal secretary, talking about an annual salary of eighty thousand? Didn¡¯t Gu Hanchen feel any pangs of conscience? Zhong Xiaoyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the amount Mr. Gu allowed me to propose myself. I wonder if I asked for too much?¡± Yuan Xi smiled faintly, ¡°That¡¯s too low. The minimum annual salary for a Michen graduate intern is one hundred and twenty thousand. I¡¯ll discuss it with HR and get you a raise.¡± Zhong Xiaoyi smiled sweetly, ¡°Thank you, President Yuan.¡± After Yuan Xi handled half an hour of work, she received a call from the front desk. The receptionist spoke anxiously, ¡°President Yuan, there¡¯s a large group of people who say they¡¯re your relatives here looking for you. Should we let them up?¡± Yuan Xi clenched the phone and said, ¡°Get the building security to drive them out.¡± The receptionist said, ¡°They¡¯re making quite a scene, and there are two elderly people¡­ insisting on barging in, saying some rather unpleasant things¡­¡± From the pause of the receptionist, Yuan Xi could hear the voice coming through the phone, half in dialect and half in standard Mandarin. ¡°I¡¯m the grandfather of your Michen vice president, how dare you look down on us like dogs? Blocking us outside? Aren¡¯t you afraid Yuan Xi will fire you?¡± The young receptionist frowned and said, ¡°It was President Yuan who said not to see you.¡± Grandma Yuan suddenly sat on the ground and cried out, ¡°Yuan Xi, this ungrateful child, when she was small, I took care of her with my own hands, and now that she is wealthy and has become a vice president, the daughter of the richest man in Jiang City, she no longer needs us poor relatives who were kind to her.¡± Yuan Hong also said, ¡°She has been working until now and has never taken a single cent from home, and now that the family¡¯s property has been demolished, she still wants money from home. We raised the daughter of this rich family, and she doesn¡¯t even have a hint of gratitude.¡± Several middle-aged and elderly people were crying and making a scene, and the young receptionist, who had never seen such a sight, singled out the relatively young Yuan Jiao among the crowd: ¡°Hello, this is a company, an office place, and right now it¡¯s office hours. Whatever family matters you have, go home and talk about it, don¡¯t block the access to the elevators.¡± Another young receptionist stepped on the foot of the colleague who had just spoken. Upon hearing these words, Yuan Jiao exclaimed, ¡°Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle, let¡¯s block the turnstile! Make Yuan Xi come down!¡± It was rare for Gu Hanchen to arrive at the company earlier than his work hours because the corporate promo video needed to be shot featuring scenes of the staff arriving for work, which was being filmed starting from the time Gu Hanchen arrived at the office. Usually, Gu Hanchen would drive directly into the underground parking garage, but today he parked his car in front of the company¡¯s entrance. He had just entered with the intention of filming the ¡°spirited arrival¡± of the Mi Chen staff at work but instead captured a whole hall full of employees being blocked, many of whom were holding their phones and filming the excitement. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Gu Hanchen frowned and became angry, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going in during work hours? What are you all blocking the lobby for?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu!¡± Everyone saw Gu Hanchen, and they quickly made way for him. As Gu Hanchen walked in, he saw a group of middle-aged people. The Mi Chen employees were all quite young, so this group of middle-aged and elderly people were obviously not Mi Chen employees. ¡°So you¡¯re Yuan Xi¡¯s boss, right? Let Yuan Xi come down to see us, what does she mean by hiding?¡± ¡°Yuan Xi, this unfilial child, is truly the epitome of ungratefulness!¡± ¡°The daughter of Jiangcheng¡¯s richest man, fifty or sixty million is just a mere trifle slipping through her fingers, we raised her in the Yuan Family, she ought to repay us somewhat!¡± Gu Hanchen frowned deeply, hearing police sirens coming from outside. The police entered and said, ¡°We received a report that there was a disturbance here, right?¡± Gu Hanchen pointed at the people in front of him and said, ¡°Uncle police officer, it¡¯s them making the disturbance, please take them away.¡± The leading police officer, who was a few years older than Gu Hanchen, who had just called him ¡®uncle¡¯, went forward and grabbed the people from the Yuan Family. Grandma Yuan this time just lay on the ground, clutching her chest and shouting of heart pain, claiming she was unable to walk. The young police officers, seeing two old people from the Yuan Family over eighty years old thrashing about, didn¡¯t dare forcefully remove them for the moment. When Chu Yan arrived at Mi Chen, she just saw the commotion: ¡°Oh, Hanchen, just let your sister Yuan Xi come down. After all, these are the relatives who raised her. If the two elders have any trouble at Mi Chen, I¡¯m afraid Mi Chen¡¯s IPO will not happen.¡± Gu Hanchen frowned and looked at Chu Yan, then heard ambulance sirens from outside. The police officer, seeing the ambulance arrive, said to the lying and writhing Grandma Yuan on the ground, ¡°Aren¡¯t you having a heart attack? The ambulance is here, go to the hospital to get checked out, let¡¯s all leave quickly.¡± As the Yuan Family people were being taken away, they still did not forget to shout loudly, ¡°Yuan Xi¡¯s boss, you¡¯re so good-looking you must be a good person, you have to stand up for us!¡± ¡°After Yuan Xi¡¯s parents are gone, she should support us, the old couple, for them. But what about her? How can such an unfilial person be a vice president!¡± The noisy voices continued all the way, and Gu Hanchen frowned deeply as he got onto the elevator. Upon arriving at the office, Gu Hanchen went straight to Yuan Xi¡¯s office. ¡°Yuan Xi, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you know we were filming today? How much trouble did your relatives cause by coming here?¡± Yuan Xi looked out of the window at the scene below and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gu, I didn¡¯t know they would come here to Mi Chen to make trouble.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°You better deal with your ridiculous relatives quickly.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°They want money, and I don¡¯t want to give them any.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°It sounds like they only want fifty or sixty million, which to your husband is just a drop in the bucket. Isn¡¯t it better to buy some peace and quiet?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Gu Hanchen and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that spending the money will only lead to less peace. If they come to make trouble at the company again, we can just call the police.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Chu Yan was right just now, with your extremely difficult grandparents being so old, if they come to Mi Chen and make trouble and something happens to them, even dying at Mi Chen¡¯s doorstep, Mi Chen won¡¯t be able to go public this year and it will also bring bad luck coming and going from Mi Chen. You¡¯d better think of a solution to the problem quickly.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Chu Yan? No wonder these people were just at the Chu Family¡¯s place, and now they are here at Mi Chen.¡± Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Exposing Yuan Xis Disrespectfulness Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Exposing Yuan Xi¡¯s Disrespectfulness Gu Hanchen yawned, ¡°Such a waste to wake up this early for a promo shoot. I¡¯m going back to sleep for a bit.¡± Yuan Xi returned to her office and made a call to Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan answered quickly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yuan Xi spoke softly, ¡°You said Chu Yan is from Nanxiang people, do you have specific information about her biological father?¡± Yuan Xi had tolerated Chu Yan long enough. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Could you send it to my email? I want to contact Chu Yan¡¯s biological father and have him take Chu Yan back.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when you get back.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Okay.¡± After a busy day, as work was about to finish, Yuan Xi received a call from the reception desk. The Yuan Family, who had been chased away in the morning, had returned just before the end of the workday. This time they weren¡¯t causing a scene, but they split up and blocked several entrances and exits of Mi Chen, including the garage exit, obviously aiming to find Yuan Xi in person to demand money. The receptionist called Yuan Xi to tip her off: ¡°Those people aren¡¯t causing trouble, they¡¯re just standing at the company entrance, and we can¡¯t really chase them away. Be careful; I see them watching the exits to the underground garage and company surface parking lot.¡± Yuan Xi hung up the phone and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Right after hanging up the call, Yuan Xi received another call from Huo Shiyuan. ¡°Sister, we¡¯re at your company¡¯s building~¡± Listening to Xiao Shihuo¡¯s voice, Yuan Xi smiled slightly and said, ¡°Shiyan, I might not be able to leave work early today. The Yuan Family is blocking all the exits at Mi Chen. I don¡¯t want to call the police again, so I might have to wait until they leave until I can get off work.¡± The Yuan Family people had no class and used dirty language when cursing; Yuan Xi did not have such vocabulary to argue with them. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the bodyguards drive them away.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Once the bodyguards take action, they¡¯ll start recording with their mobile phones, claiming ¡®Mi Chen¡¯s vice president is assaulting people.¡¯ They¡¯ve used this trick before when causing trouble in the village and squatting on land. Even the village committee can¡¯t do anything about them.¡± Huo Shiyuan asked Yuan Xi, ¡°Does Mi Chen have a helipad on the rooftop?¡± ¡°There is one,¡± Yuan Xi said. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll send a helicopter to pick you up. Come to the rooftop in a bit.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Xi went to the rooftop and, looking out at Jiang City¡¯s CBD landscape, saw the helicopter approaching. As the helicopter door opened, Xiao Shihuo in the backseat shouted loudly at Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister!¡± Yuan Xi boarded the helicopter and took Xiao Shihuo into her lap, ¡°Huohuo.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi, ¡°We can¡¯t let them keep coming to Mi Chen to make trouble.¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ve already contacted a lawyer. When I was young, I couldn¡¯t find a good lawyer, so I didn¡¯t sue them. But now, since they¡¯re still not satisfied, I¡¯ll fight the inheritance lawsuit over the inheritance left by our parents.¡± ¡°If they agree to stop causing trouble completely, then I¡¯ll withdraw the lawsuit over the inheritance. If they insist on making a scene, then they should cough up everything they obtained before.¡± The helicopter, free from the annoyance of traffic jams, quickly arrived at the Ruohu Mansion. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan went to the study to look at the information Qin Lang had gathered about Chu Yan¡¯s biological father. Huo Shiyuan, ¡°His name is Yu Fu, fifty-six years old this year. Years after abandoning Chu Yan at the orphanage, he went back and married a woman with a previous marriage. They had a son, who is sixteen years old now, Chu Yan¡¯s blood brother.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Is there no information about Chu Yan¡¯s biological mother?¡± Huo Shiyuan, ¡°None. The orphanage¡¯s records say Yu Fu claimed that Chu Yan was born out of wedlock. Chu Yan¡¯s mother left her in front of the orphanage and then left Jiang City. Coincidentally, your parents once planned to adopt Chu Yan.¡± Yuan Xi was startled at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s words, ¡°Didn¡¯t my parents already adopt Chu Yan?¡± Huo Shiyuan, ¡°It was Mr. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan. They were about to finalize the adoption when Yu Fu appeared, claiming she was his daughter. According to the principle that a child should be raised by their biological parents, she had to be handed over to Yu Fu.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Then why did Chu Yan end up in the orphanage for the second time?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°That happened some time later, about three or four months after. Chu Yan was abandoned at the orphanage again. The workers recognized her by a birthmark and realized she had been there a few months earlier. They couldn¡¯t contact Yu Fu, so they had to keep Chu Yan at the orphanage temporarily. Eventually, as Yu Fu remained unreachable, and just as the Chu Qing couple came to the orphanage looking to adopt a child, Chu Yan was taken into the Chu Family.¡± Yuan Xi, looking at the information on the computer, ¡°Is there a way to contact Yu Fu? I want him to come to Jiang City.¡± He doesn¡¯t need to acknowledge Chu Yan, his mere appearance would suffice to keep her quiet for a while. Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Yu Fu¡¯s addicted to gambling; he¡¯s always playing mahjong. People around him say he boasts a lot, convinced he¡¯ll one day live in a big mansion in a big city. I¡¯ve had people set him up; Yu Fu¡¯s now nearly two hundred thousand in debt.¡± Yuan Xi turned to Huo Shiyuan, ¡°You set him up to lose money to see if he becomes desperate enough to come to Chu Yan for help?¡± Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ In Huxi Village. The Yuan Family returned home dejectedly at eleven o¡¯clock in the evening, only to receive a letter from a lawyer as soon as they arrived. Yuan Jiao, looking at the letter, cursed furiously, ¡°That bitch Yuan Xi! She actually has the nerve to claim the inheritance when she¡¯s not even part of the Yuan family!¡± Her mother Li Hui said, ¡°That bastard child born of an outsider, when I see her, I¡¯m going to slap her across the face, and tear that damned face of hers!¡± Yuan Jiao, ¡°Mom, I think the adopted girl from the Chu Family was quite good this morning. She even persuaded the Chu Family to give us money.¡± ¡°That shameless bitch Yuan Xi, even if she became the real lady of wealth and luxury, she can¡¯t compare to the generosity of the fake one.¡± ¡°I heard that the fake lady will be the young madam of Fanyan Entertainment in the future. A lady grown up in a wealthy house is naturally generous and open-handed! Yuan Xi won¡¯t match up in eight hundred years.¡± Li Hui said, ¡°Indeed, it seems she couldn¡¯t bear to watch Yuan Xi¡¯s behavior either. How about we ask her for help?¡± Yuan Jiao said, ¡°Fanyan surely has many PR accounts. Yuan Xi avoids meeting us, right? Let¡¯s expose online how unfilial Yuan Xi is. The fake lady seems nice; maybe she will help us use PR accounts to spread the word about that ungrateful wretch.¡± The next day, Yuan Jiao visited the Chu Family to find Chu Yan. On seeing Yuan Jiao, Chu Yan said, ¡°Sister is already married; she doesn¡¯t live here. You won¡¯t find her here.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi got married?¡± Yuan Jiao was shocked. ¡°Who did she marry?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°She married a guy from the village next to Ruohu. Didn¡¯t sister tell you she was married to the relatives who raised her? Her ingratitude is too much.¡± Yuan Jiao looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Yuan Xi is ungrateful. Miss Chu, you truly are a well-bred heiress, beautiful and kind, much better than Yuan Xi.¡± ¡°Miss Chu, I want to publicly expose her unfilial behavior online, but I don¡¯t have PR accounts to help me spread the message.¡± Chu Yan laughed lightly, flattered by Yuan Jiao¡¯s praise, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the PR accounts. Dad and Mom gave Yuan Xi ten billion in shares, and you at least raised her. It¡¯s outrageous how she treats you. Yuan Xi is so unfilial. Any PR account with a conscience will surely support you. Just go online and expose Yuan Xi, the unfilial vice president of Mi Chen; the netizens will curse her with you¡­¡± Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Bo Fan Cheats Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Bo Fan Cheats Yuan Xi was worried that the Yuan Family would cause trouble at the company again, so she didn¡¯t go to Mi Chen today and instead worked from home. Monica took over quickly, and it wasn¡¯t much of an inconvenience for her to work from home. Perhaps the mansion¡¯s environment was too comfortable, because even after a nap following lunch, Yuan Xi still felt terribly drowsy and went downstairs in search of the coffee machine. Aunt Li asked with a smile, ¡°Madam, what are you looking for?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the coffee machine. Do we have one at home?¡± Aunt Li said, ¡°We do have a coffee machine, but I¡¯ve never seen Mr. Huo use it; he doesn¡¯t drink coffee.¡± Yuan Xi followed Aunt Li to the coffee machine, which clearly served more as a decorative piece since there were no beans. Luckily, there were plenty of cafes by Ruohu, and Yuan Xi found one from which she could order delivery, so she ordered a cup of coffee. In the afternoon, while sipping coffee and admiring the sparkling lake view across from her, Yuan Xi finished a video conference. She glanced at her phone, and the notification alerts from Weibo were incessant, without a doubt, she had made it onto the hot search again. When Yuan Xi clicked on the hot search, sure enough, several of the trending topics were related to her. #Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man¡¯s True Daughter# #Mi Chen¡¯s Vice President Yuan Xi Disrespectful# #CEO¡¯s Wife Fan Yan Beautiful and Kindhearted# Yuan Xi clicked in and saw that Yuan Jiao had released a short video. The video¡¯s thumbnail was a photo of the Yuan grandparents working in the fields and another photo of Grandma Yuan lying in a hospital bed with tubes inserted. In the video, Yuan Jiao¡¯s voice was filled with indignation. ¡°I, Yuan Jiao, am officially accusing Chuneng Group¡¯s heiress and Mi Chen Game¡¯s Vice President Yuan Xi, of being disrespectful, ungrateful, and unjust; she despises the poor and loves the rich. My aunt and uncle found Yuan Xi by Ruohu¡¯s side 26 years ago when she had been abducted by traffickers and raised her after buying her from them. Sadly, my aunt and uncle died in an accident while raising Yuan Xi. After growing up, not only did Yuan Xi refuse to take care of our grandparents on behalf of my deceased aunt and uncle, but she also never contributed a penny to the household. Moreover, after she returned to the Chuneng Group as an heiress, she still fought with the grandma lying on the hospital bed over the company left by my aunt and uncle. Yuan Xi clearly owns nearly ten billion in shares of Chuneng, and even a tiny fraction of that, fifty to sixty million, would be enough to properly take care of our grandparents. Yet, this shameless, disrespectful person even took our grandparents to court.¡± The comments below Yuan Jiao¡¯s video were all: Support cousin, Yuan Xi is too ungrateful. Yuan Xi makes so much money and doesn¡¯t provide for the relatives who raised her; that¡¯s too much. Grandma is still sick, and with all that money, still fighting over the inheritance left by the village elders; how could Yuan Xi be so heartless? Yuan Xi read the comments and immediately realized that many of them were from internet trolls. Soon, numerous marketing accounts clipped the video and joined in condemning Yuan Xi¡¯s unfilial behavior. Yuan Xi opened the #CEO¡¯s Wife Fan Yan Beautiful and Kindhearted# tag and saw Fan Yan¡¯s Weibo had retweeted Yuan Jiao¡¯s complaint video. C&Y: ¡°I¡¯m sorry on behalf of my sister. I am willing to pay this money to properly take care of my sister¡¯s foster relatives.¡± An hour later, C&Y posted another video of her visiting Grandma Yuan in the hospital, and expressing her gratitude toward the Yuan Family, even including a photo of a check. When Yuan Xi saw the photo of the check that Chu Yan posted, she clenched her phone tightly. She opened the comments, all of which were praising how considerate and filial Chu Yan was. Yuan Xi tried to calm herself down, reminding herself not to be too angry; after all, her child was the priority. Yuan Xi opened her own Weibo account, wanting to explain the situation, but first she glanced at her suddenly flooded comment section. She had thought that netizens were all coming to criticize her, but upon opening it, she realized that wasn¡¯t the case. Shimmering Endearment: The novel doesn¡¯t lie, a real heiress comes home and meets a fake green tea heiress. Delete Comment Eats Shit: I commented several times under Yuan Jiao¡¯s video asking why you would pay the buyer, the likes were high but all were deleted, now my rebelliousness is kicking in. Mi Chen Really Embarrassing: Protect Secretary Yuan, only we can insult Mi Chen! Brothers and sisters, let¡¯s raid Yuan Jiao and Chu Yan¡¯s comment sections! Yuan Xi then looked at the comments under Yuan Jiao¡¯s Weibo, where all the top comments bitterly criticized Yuan Xi. But soon there would be new comments coming in. ¡°Seriously, you bought the true heiress of Jiangcheng¡¯s Richest Man, and you still have the gall to ask her for money? It¡¯s already generous that their family isn¡¯t pursuing you for child trafficking.¡± ¡°Asking for fifty or sixty million? Even a lion doesn¡¯t open its mouth that wide, right?¡± ¡°I was Yuan Xi¡¯s university classmate, when Yuan Xi was attending Jiang University, her grandparents had driven her out of the house. My fellow classmates from the same year should all remember Yuan Xi, she was the milk tea shop employee who made hand-squeezed lemon tea, always working during her free periods. The Yuan Family still has the face to ask her for money?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the same village as Yuan Xi, and also her elementary school classmate, come to my Weibo to see the full story. Yuan Xi¡¯s foster parents treated her really well, but this Yuan Jiao, when Yuan Xi¡¯s parents passed away, started cursing that she was born from a foreign wife, calling their whole family uneducated rogues.¡± Yuan Xi clicked into her fellow villager¡¯s Weibo, indeed it was her elementary school classmate, though they hadn¡¯t been in contact for a very long time. Yuan Xi scrolled through the comments, and most netizens were actually on her side, and soon the public opinion that was criticizing her began to slowly turn around. No amount of paid trolls and marketing accounts could stand against the real comments from true netizens. The comments under Chu Yan¡¯s Weibo soon were also dominated by mocking netizens: ¡°I¡¯m done with you, are all green tea tactics this low?¡± ¡°You took over someone¡¯s life for twenty-five years and still bought such a ¡®beautiful and kind-hearted¡¯ trending search, the green tea is too strong.¡± ¡°Do you think we netizens have brains made of paste?¡± ¡°The eyes of the internet judges are crystal clear.¡± After Chu Yan posted the Weibo photo of sending a check to Grandma Yuan, she was already reveling in the joy of Yuan Xi being cyber-bullied and receiving praises from netizens. Later, Chu Yan went with Yu Xiaoxiao to a medical aesthetic center for a facial massage. Chu Yan was chatting happily with Yu Xiaoxiao when they saw a few new young heiresses come in, looking at her with strange expressions. Chu Yan, noticing their expressions, said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing¡­¡± Chu Yan took out her phone, she wanted to see if Yuan Xi¡¯s trending search was still in first place from when the cyber-bullying began, but upon opening it, the first trending topic was shockingly #Fan Yan CEO Cheating with Chao Qing# #Chao Qing Mistress# #Chao Qing Forgets to Close the Curtains# Chu Yan felt her hands shaking, ¡°How could this happen? How could this?¡± Chu Yan trembled as she clicked into the trending search. In the video, inside a living room with the curtains not drawn, a handsome man and Chao Qing were seen entering, kissing passionately, getting intimate on the sofa¡­ The handsome man¡¯s face was clearly visible, Chu Yan recognized him from his profile¡ªit was Bo Fan. Angrily, Chu Yan threw her phone towards the nearby glass sliding door, the glass shattered instantly, breaking into tiny fragments. The driver approached Chu Yan and said, ¡°Miss, Chairman Chu and the CEO¡¯s wife have asked you to come back to the Chu Family immediately.¡± Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Wedding Date with Chu Yan Has Been Moved Up Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Wedding Date with Chu Yan Has Been Moved Up Chu Yan, sitting in the car, wanted to contact Bo Fan and ask for an explanation when she realized her phone had been smashed by her. Chu Yan sat in the back of the car, unable to feel any warmth in her hands. Upon entering Chu¡¯s Mansion, Chu Yan saw Bo Fan¡¯s parents and Bao Yan, but Bo Fan was not there. Seeing Chu Yan come inside, Madame Bo hurried forward, ¡°Yanyan, Bo Fan must have been set up by that cheap slut Chao Qing. There will only be one Mrs. Bo, and that is you. An actress like Chao Qing does not deserve to step through the gates of the Bo Family.¡± Yang Ying¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Mrs. Bo, let¡¯s call off this marriage!¡± Yang Ying turned to Chu Yan, ¡°Bo Fan has gone too far! Yanyan¡¯s wedding is only three months away, and Bo Fan¡¯s affair has become public knowledge. Our Chu Family will not marry our daughter to Bo Fan.¡± Hearing this, Chu Yan tightly gripped the hem of her dress. If she does not marry Bo Fan, whom can she marry? Huo Shiyuan? The Huo Family¡¯s threshold was something Chu Yan dared not even consider. Chairman Bo said, ¡°Bo Fan is just young and greedy. There aren¡¯t many men in this circle who haven¡¯t made such mistakes. Maybe Bo Fan has been under too much pressure these days. His feelings for Yanyan are genuine.¡± Mrs. Bo also followed up, ¡°Yes, this might be because Bo Fan got drunk and was set up by that actress. You can¡¯t cancel the engagement now.¡± Yang Ying only looked towards Chu Yan, ¡°Yanyan, you decide, do you want to cancel the engagement or continue to marry Bo Fan?¡± Chu Yan stood still, ¡°I, I, I don¡¯t know, mom, I need to go back to my room and calm down.¡± Yang Ying wanted to say something, but Chu Qing told her, ¡°After such a big incident, let her calm down.¡± Back in her room, Chu Yan took a tablet from the bedside table and clicked on the trending topics on Weibo. The keyword ¡°Chao Qing mistress¡± had exploded, and Fanyan Entertainment had no response. Chu Yan saw that the comments from paid trolls under her Weibo, praising her beauty and kindness, had dwindled. A string of comments now shaded her with images of green leaves. Scrolling down, comments that weren¡¯t green leaf emojis were willow branch emojis. In between were several top-liked comments calling her out for giving the Yuan Family money as a faux rich girl. Chu Yan couldn¡¯t believe it. The netizens weren¡¯t berating Yuan Xi for being unfilial; they were criticizing her for being a fake rich girl? Chu Yan clicked on Yuan Jiao¡¯s Weibo, wanting to see how harshly Yuan Jiao was being criticized in the comments. But upon checking, she found the comments under Yuan Jiao were all sympathizing with Yuan Xi, berating Yuan Jiao¡¯s family for their insatiable greed. While Chu Yan was browsing, she discovered Yuan Jiao had deactivated her account. She tried to click on the Weibo and Douyin accounts of Yuan Jiao¡¯s family, and they were all deactivated too. Clearly, they had been scared off by netizen backlash. Chu Yan had given the Yuan Family ten million, hoping to completely ruin Yuan Xi¡¯s reputation in the circle with that money and earn herself a good name. But who could have expected this turn of events? Were these netizens blind? Yuan Xi was so unfilial, yet the netizens turned to criticize the Yuan Family? Chu Yan clicked on Yuan Xi¡¯s Weibo. Yuan Xi had posted a new video of a green grassland, where a little boy was learning to ride a horse. Gu Hanchen¡¯s number one hater: Haha, what goes around comes around, this grassland is really green! Has Mi Chen gone bankrupt yet: That retribution came quickly, nice green grass. Did Chao Qing leave the circle today: The grass is indeed very green, way too green. Jiangcheng Eye Hospital: Everyone hurry over to Chu Yan¡¯s comment section, it¡¯s great for your eyes! Chu Yan was so angry she smashed the tablet in her hand! ¡­ On the grass next to Ruohu Mansion. Xiao Shihuo was riding a small horse, being taught by a coach. Yuan Xi did post on Weibo, indeed to indirectly mock Chu Yan. Although Chu Yan was also a victim in Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity, this retribution still gave Yuan Xi some inward delight. Huo Shiyuan approached Yuan Xi, ¡°Do you want to ride a horse?¡± Yuan Xi nodded, ¡°I haven¡¯t ridden a horse before, but now I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t ride one. Maybe another time.¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After Xiao Shihuo finished his riding lesson, he hurriedly complained of smelling and wanting to take a bath. Back in the house, Huo Shiyuan found an unfinished cup of coffee on the balcony that hadn¡¯t yet been cleared by the housekeeper, and he turned to Yuan Xi, ¡°Drinking coffee again?¡± Yuan Xi said helplessly, ¡°Quitting coffee is too hard, but I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t overdo it with caffeine.¡± Huo Shiyuan didn¡¯t say much, ¡°If you can quit, then quit it.¡± Yuan Xi: ¡°Yeah.¡± Yuan Xi received a live stream share from Chen Yuan on her phone, and when she clicked in, she saw the paparazzi who had snapped Bo Fan live streaming. ¡°Chao Qing and Bo Fan have been together for at least three years now. In these years, Fanyan has obviously been promoting Chao Qing.¡± ¡°Every time Chao Qing attends an event, she¡¯s in a haute couture gown, which, with her status, she isn¡¯t qualified to borrow. Bo Fan¡¯s pampering of her is clear.¡± ¡°Why would you expose it today? As paparazzi, we have a conscience too. We can¡¯t stand some pretending gold diggers bullying others. We¡¯re loyal players of ¡®Forest Pursuit¡¯. I wonder if Yuan Xi can gift us the full set of skins for ¡®Forest Pursuit¡¯?¡± Yuan Xi clearly knew that the paparazzi chose today to expose the news, definitely not out of a real desire to stand up for her. Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Did you do this?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°At lunch today with Si Chen, we saw the news about you trending; originally we wanted to expose the Bo Family¡¯s liquidity problems, but that wouldn¡¯t have a big impact.¡± ¡°Si Chen said he knows a paparazzo who had this huge story that was previously suppressed by Bo Fan with money. Si Chen paid ten times the price to buy this information and expose it.¡± Yuan Xi sighed, ¡°You never truly know someone¡¯s character. I used to think Bo Fan truly loved Chu Yan, and besides their arranged marriage, they also shared deep feelings.¡± When Yuan Xi accompanied Gu Hanchen to socialize with Bo Fan, every move Bo Fan made seemed to show his care for Chu Yan. Bo Fan used to smoke, but he quit because of Chu Yan. Gu Hanchen even teased Bo Fan about being so henpecked as the son-in-law of the Chu Family that he couldn¡¯t even smoke. Bo Fan told Gu Hanchen that being henpecked was a privilege he accepted without argument, assuming the perfect loving husband persona. Back then, Yuan Xi really thought Bo Fan was whipped. Huo Shiyuan scoffed with sarcasm, ¡°Where does true love come in a marriage for business?¡± On reflection, Yuan Xi agreed, someone like Bo Fan with his status would, of course, have his eyes on other prospects while enjoying what¡¯s in his bowl. In the circles of Jiang City, there were plenty of similar marriages of convenience where each had their own side relationships¡ªit¡¯s just that Bo Fan had previously played the part of a man in true love, which was indeed lamentable. But on further thought, she had no right to lament over it. Wasn¡¯t she also just someone else¡¯s substitute? Yuan Xi looked up at Huo Shiyuan, ¡°Shiyan, if one day you want to have someone else, just tell me and divorce me first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like Chu Yan, finding out you¡¯ve been unfaithful only when netizens start leaving comments about putting green hats on me¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan looked down at Yuan Xi, ¡°I would never cheat.¡± Yuan Xi just smiled lightly, ¡°The world is unpredictable, are you so sure?¡± Huo Shiyuan tightly held Yuan Xi¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m sure, in this lifetime, I will have only you.¡± He had been sure of this from a very young age. Yuan Xi: ¡°A lifetime is very long, aren¡¯t you afraid of being proven wrong?¡± Huo Shiyuan laughed softly, ¡°I won¡¯t slap my own face.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t care too much, after all, their marriage was one of convenience to legitimate a child, without any real emotion. If Huo Shiyuan did have another woman, she would be able to choose divorce without any regret. ¡­ The Bo Family. Father Bo returned home and saw Bo Fan in the living room. In a fit of anger, he slapped Bo Fan¡¯s face. ¡°Today, the stock price of Fanyan plummeted like a waterfall. You¡¯d better go and coax Chu Yan.¡± After Bo Fan¡¯s affair was exposed, Chao Qing was undoubtedly cast in a bad light, and her acting career was ruined. With Fanyan¡¯s most promising actress ruined, the stock price tumbled down, adding insult to the Bo Family¡¯s injury! Bo Fan replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Father Bo angrily said, ¡°Your wedding with Chu Yan is also going to be moved up. Advancing the wedding date can minimize the impact of your affair and we can also swiftly get Chu Yan¡¯s dowry!¡± Bo Fan agreed; today¡¯s incident had only worsened the already gaping holes in the Bo Family¡¯s finances. Indeed, they could only rely on Chu Yan¡¯s dowry to fill the gap. Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 74 I Have No Reason to Slander Chu Yan Chapter 74: Chapter 74 I Have No Reason to Slander Chu Yan Friday was particularly restless at the office as everyone was eyeing the clock for the end of the workday, eager to start the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Just before leaving work, Yuan Xi received a call from Yang Ying, asking her to come home for the Dragon Boat Festival. Yuan Xi responded with a light chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, John and I have already planned to take Little Huohuo to the beach for the Dragon Boat Festival, so I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to spend it at home.¡± Yang Ying on the other end of the line said, ¡°This will be our first Dragon Boat Festival together as a family since you came back, Xinxin. Traveling can be done anytime, but this is the first Dragon Boat Festival we¡¯d have together since we found you.¡± Yuan Xi gripped her phone tighter. ¡°Will Chu Yan be there during the Dragon Boat Festival?¡± Yuan Xi was somewhat persuaded; she missed the Dragon Boat Festivals she used to celebrate with her parents when they were alive ¡ª lively and festive. Early on, they would hang calamus on the door and make local snacks unique to the Dragon Boat Festival, then go to Ruohu to watch the dragon boat races. Indeed, compared to escaping to the beach, Yuan Xi would much prefer to spend the Dragon Boat Festival with her family. After all, her last five Dragon Boat Festivals had been spent with various financial reports. Yang Ying said, ¡°Xinxin, you know that Bo Fan cheated. Yanyan has locked herself at home these past few days, not eating or drinking. Yanyan is going through the hardest time, and during the Dragon Boat Festival, we can¡¯t let Yanyan¡­¡± Maybe Yang Ying felt guilty or perhaps conflicted because her voice faded into a mumble that Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t hear. Yuan Xi scoffed at herself; after twenty-five years, she really shouldn¡¯t have expected anything. Yuan Xi coldly added, ¡°It is sad that Chu Yan was cheated on, but do you know what she did the day Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity was exposed?¡± ¡°That day, Chu Yan manipulated Fan Yan¡¯s marketing accounts to attack me, spoke up for my grandparents, and instructed those accounts to lead an online assault against me, including paid trolls to harass me online.¡± ¡°She even gave my biological parents ten million to tarnish her reputation, and I have evidence that she bought the trending search for the words ¡®Chu Yan, beautiful and kind-hearted.''¡± ¡°Mom, so I repeat, if Chu Yan is at the Chu Family¡¯s house, I definitely won¡¯t go back!¡± Yang Ying¡¯s voice came through the speaker, ¡°Xinxin, if what you say is true, I absolutely won¡¯t tolerate Chu Yan, but she probably wouldn¡¯t do that¡­¡± Maintaining her politeness, Yuan Xi did not hang up directly. ¡°Whether it is true or not, you can find out by investigating. I have no need to slander Chu Yan, nor can I do such a thing. I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± After hanging up, Yuan Xi picked up her office coffee and took a big sip. The cold, bitter coffee slid down her throat, blocking the rising sour retching sensation. The Dragon Boat Festival had arrived, and the traffic was horrendous on Friday. Fortunately, after passing through the downtown area, the highway was clear. In the car, Yuan Xi turned to the driver, Huo Shiyan, and asked, ¡°Which beach are we going to? To see the sea from Jiang City, we would have to go to a faraway island, wouldn¡¯t we? Is there enough time to go to Hai City Island in three days?¡± Huo Shiyan replied, ¡°We¡¯re going to Star Island.¡± ¡°Star Island?¡± Yuan Xi inquired, ¡°Where is that? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± Xiao Shihuo raised his hand and said, ¡°Star Island is an island Daddy gave to Mommy.¡± Huo Shiyan added, ¡°Star Island is a private island in the Philippines. There¡¯s a small airport there, and my mom goes there for vacations in the summer.¡± Xiao Shihuo chimed in, ¡°Sis, Star Island is really fun!¡± Yuan Xi gave a faint smile; she had thought they were going to a nearby island or maybe to Hai City for fun, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be a private island. Yuan Xi went back to the mansion to pack her luggage. The plane took off at nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Huo Shiyan told Yuan Xi, ¡°The flight will take about seven hours, so try to get some sleep first.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan¡¯s airplane, unlike Gu Hanchen¡¯s which had only sofa seats, his had a bed. Little Huohuo climbed onto the bed and hugged Yuan Xi, ¡°Today, I finally get to sleep with sister! I like the fragrant sister.¡± Huo Shiyuan furrowed his brows, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, there should be distinctions between men and women, you are a boy and can¡¯t sleep with your sister.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°He¡¯s only four years old.¡± Little Huohuo nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m only four years old, I can sleep with sister.¡± Yuan Xi gently hugged Little Huohuo to sleep, and Little Huohuo soon fell asleep. Seeing that Little Huohuo was asleep, Huo Shiyuan then carried him to a sofa outside, letting him sleep there. ¡°Won¡¯t he fall off?¡± Yuan Xi asked with concern. Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°No worries, he can¡¯t sleep with you anyway.¡± ¡°Only four years old, why can¡¯t he sleep together?¡± Huo Shiyuan hugged Yuan Xi tighter, ¡°I¡¯m worried about his sleeping behavior, he might kick our child.¡± Yuan Xi gently stroked her abdomen and also gradually fell asleep in Huo Shiyuan¡¯s arms. When awakened by the gentle voice of a flight attendant, Yuan Xi got up, and it was just past four in the morning according to her phone. Looking out of the airplane window, the sky was gradually brightening, but the sun had not yet fully risen. After taking a photo out the window, Yuan Xi went to soothe Little Huohuo who was getting cranky after being woken by the flight attendant. Huo Shiyuan walked up to Little Huohuo and said, ¡°No throwing tantrums.¡± Little Huohuo cried even louder, ¡°Brother is mean, brother is fierce.¡± Yuan Xi softly comforted Little Huohuo, ¡°Hang in there, we¡¯re almost there, and you can continue to sleep after we arrive.¡± After the plane landed at the island airport, a private car was already prepared. As Little Huohuo fell asleep again in the private car, Huo Shiyuan had the nanny follow Little Huohuo, while he took Yuan Xi on another convertible car, ¡°Just in time to catch the sunrise, why don¡¯t we watch it before heading back for more sleep?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°No need for more sleep, let¡¯s go watch the sunrise.¡± Huo Shiyuan drove to a beach, the sound of waves crashing in the morning and occasionally, seabirds flying by. In the distance, the rising sun became more apparent, growing higher and higher above the sea level. Yuan Xi took out her phone and snapped a photo of the sunrise. While taking the photo, she checked her messages, ¡°It seems there¡¯s no signal.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°This area only has satellite signals, and internet is only near the villa by the sea. Having no internet might actually be a good chance to truly rest.¡± Yuan Xi, gazing at the distant sea, put her phone down and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the sunrise and the waves. ¡­ Yang Ying hadn¡¯t slept well through the night and received the evidence her assistant had found early in the morning. Yang Ying swiped through the photos on her phone, one by one in disbelief that Chu Yan had actually plotted the cyberbullying against Yuan Family by Yuan Xi. Yang Ying grabbed the medicine from the bedside table, swallowed it, and called her assistant, ¡°Are you saying that the account used last time to fake Yuan Xi¡¯s blue diamond was also Chu Yan¡¯s?¡± Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 75: No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family Chapter 75: Chapter 75: No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family ¡°Yes, Mr. Yang, the IP address and the real-name authentication information of the Weibo post belong to Chu Yan.¡± Yang Ying frowned deeply, she had truly believed that Chu Yan had accidentally liked the post. She could hardly believe that the child they had raised for twenty-five years could be so malicious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chu Qing came out of the bathroom and noticed that Yang Ying¡¯s expression was very troubled. Yang Ying showed the evidence on her phone to Chu Qing. Chu Qing was also in disbelief, ¡°Ever since Xinxin came back, we have treated the two sisters equally; why would Chu Yan instigate cyberbullying against Xinxin!¡± Yang Ying placed her hands on her face, pondered for a while, and said, ¡°I¡¯m truly ashamed of how we¡¯ve treated Xinxin.¡± Yang Ying took back her phone and dialed Yuan Xi, but only received an automated voice stating the number was out of service. Yang Ying went downstairs and saw the haggard Chu Yan, feeling none of the usual pity. ¡°Madam, Miss, Sir, outside Madam Bo and Miss Bo, along with Bo Fan, have arrived.¡± Yang Ying frowned and said, ¡°Tell them that it¡¯s inconvenient to meet today, and as for the marriage arrangements between our two families, let¡¯s call it off.¡± Chu Yan was frantic, ¡°Mom! I don¡¯t want to cancel the engagement.¡± Yang Ying looked at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Bo Fan¡¯s affair is public knowledge; how can you marry him and let our Chu Family lose face?¡± Chu Yan looked up at Yang Ying and said, ¡°Mom, Bo Fan told me that he was just drunk that day, which is why that despicable Chao Qing took advantage of him.¡± ¡°Moreover, the exposure of Bo Fan¡¯s affair by the paparazzi was all my sister¡¯s scheme.¡± ¡°Bo Fan got in touch with a paparazzi who admitted that someone paid him five million to expose Bo Fan¡¯s affair. The paparazzi also kept saying during the live broadcast that exposing Bo Fan was meant to harm Yuan Xi and called me a fake heiress and a green tea woman¡­¡± Tears welled up in Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as she cried, ¡°Ever since my sister came back, I have been warm to her. She cannot also ruin my engagement just because others mock her for marrying a villager.¡± ¡°Mom, I really don¡¯t want to cancel the engagement with Bo Fan¡­¡± Yang Ying looked at Chu Yan with disappointment. Chu Qing was even more annoyed, ¡°Your so-called warmth, was it buying trending searches and hiring marketing accounts to initiate cyberbullying against your sister?¡± Chu Yan paused, her earlier sobs ceasing as she heard Chu Qing¡¯s words, ¡°Dad, what are you saying? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Yang Ying looked at Chu Yan with immense disappointment, ¡°How could you not understand? Yanyan, for twenty-five years, your father and I have treated you as our own child.¡± ¡°Even after Xinxin came back, we were careful not to make you feel less important and treated you both equally.¡± ¡°Even when you broke the bracelet Xinxin gave me, I worried you would feel hurt, still believing that you sincerely didn¡¯t want me to wear a fake bracelet that might harm my health. But this time, you really went too far.¡± Yang Ying shook her head, filled with disappointment. Chu Yan¡¯s hands trembled slightly as she cried out, ¡°Dad, Mom, I know I was wrong. I instigated cyberbullying against sister just to vent the frustration of her pushing me out of the Gu Family.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for the cyberbullying to last long¡ªonly until my sister agreed to support the Yuan Family elders, then it would stop.¡± Hearing Chu Yan admit everything, Yang Ying grew even angrier, ¡°Chu Yan, you have truly disappointed us.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom¡­¡± Chu Yan frantically reached for Yang Ying¡¯s hand. However, Yang Ying pulled away her hand sharply and said with a stern face, ¡°Chu Yan, ever since you were young, whenever you did something wrong, you would immediately apologize, but you never really felt you were in the wrong.¡± ¡°Ever since Xinxin came back, the things you have done to her have become increasingly unacceptable. No wonder she forced us to choose between you two. From now on, don¡¯t even think about returning to live here.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Chu Yan truly panicked this time, tears falling as she said, ¡°Is it because I¡¯m not your biological daughter? But you adopted me from the orphanage, and you promised you¡¯d be my parents for life.¡± Yang Ying angrily said, ¡°Haven¡¯t I always treated you as my own daughter?¡± Chu Yan, crying, said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I know I was wrong. Please don¡¯t send me away. I don¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯ll go to my sister, kneel down, and sincerely apologize to her¡­¡± Eventually, Yang Ying¡¯s compassion prevailed, ¡°If you truly realize your mistake, that¡¯s good, but let¡¯s cancel the marriage with the Bo Family.¡± Chu Yan stood frozen, shaking her head. The Chu Family might not be her lifelong support. In this circle, for girls like her without inheritance rights, what ultimately compete are the husband¡¯s family¡¯s power and wealth. Chu Yan was well aware she was not the Chu Family¡¯s biological child. Just like today, she could be discarded anytime in a choice between two. Now, Chu Yan could only cling tightly to Bo Fan. As long as she was to be the future Young Madam of the Bo Family, her mom and dad would still treat her courteously. Chu Yan, shaking her head, said, ¡°No, Mom, I can¡¯t cancel the engagement with Bo Fan. I want to marry Bo Fan!¡± ¡°Yanyan!¡± Yang Ying said in frustration, ¡°Everyone knows Bo Fan is unfaithful. Do you still want to marry him?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t favor Yuan Xi just because she married a countryman and don¡¯t want me to marry someone better than Bo Fan!¡± Chu Yan felt disappointed too, as her twenty-six years of affection could not match the urgency of blood relations. Yang Ying said, ¡°Am I favoring her? Chu Yan, we¡¯ve done all we could for you. You¡¯re already twenty-six, well past the age needing our support.¡± ¡°If you insist on marrying Bo Fan and continuing with the marriage arrangement, then don¡¯t bother coming back home.¡± ¡°The car, the property, luxury items we previously bought for you will still be yours. Additionally, we¡¯ll give you twenty million as dowry, considering it a settlement between mother and daughter.¡± In desperation, Chu Yan looked toward Chu Qing, ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°Chu Yan, your mother is right.¡± Chu Yan clenched her fists and stood up, ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m sorry, but I still want to marry Bo Fan.¡± She didn¡¯t care if she had to be expelled from the Chu Family, as long as she could marry Bo Fan. She would still be the Young Madam of the Bo Family, and the Chu Family surely wouldn¡¯t abandon her as their daughter. Bo Fan was the best option currently, and Chu Yan didn¡¯t want to end up like Yuan Xi, with a husband who was utterly insignificant in Jiang City. Yang Ying was absolutely furious, ¡°Go then! From now on, you, Chu Yan, are no longer a daughter of the Chu Family!¡± Chu Yan left the Chu mansion without any attachments, determined that once she married Bo Fan, she would make the Chu Family regret favoring Yuan Xi. With Bo Fan and Hengfan¡¯s enterprises thriving, Chu Yan was not afraid of being unable to return to the Chu Family. As the Young Madam of the Bo Family, her status in Jiang City still allowed her to hold her head high. And Yuan Xi¡¯s husband, even if he worked for eight hundred years, would never match up to Bo Fan. Yang Ying watched Chu Yan¡¯s retreating figure and deeply sighed to Chu Qing, ¡°How did Yanyan become like this? Perhaps it¡¯s our fault for being too busy and not raising her properly.¡± Chu Qing comforted Yang Ying by patting her shoulder, ¡°We¡¯ve been good enough to Yanyan, don¡¯t blame yourself. We¡¯ve fulfilled our duty in raising her. From now on, Chu Yan has nothing to do with us.¡± Yang Ying then made a video call to Yuan Xi, which to their surprise went through. However, it was Xiao Shihuo who answered, ¡°Hello.¡± Yuan Xi walked up and took the phone from Xiao Shihuo¡¯s hands, ¡°Mom, I really can¡¯t come back for the Dragon Boat Festival.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°I called to say I¡¯m sorry. Sorry, ever since you came back, we¡¯ve been shielding Yanyan, causing you distress. Chu Yan has left the Chu Family and is no longer a daughter of the Chu Family. When you come back, stay with us for a while.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk then.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuan Xi was very curious about how Chu Yan could be so willing to leave the Chu Family so readily. Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Bo Fan Does Not Deserve You Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Bo Fan Does Not Deserve You Based on Yuan Xi¡¯s understanding of Yang Ying and Chu Qing, unless Chu Yan had willingly left, a bit more crying and humility from her might have just made them sympathize all over again. There¡¯s no way they would ruthlessly sever ties with Chu Yan and kick her out of the house just because she had instigated the online abuse directed at herself. Yuan Xi¡¯s phone notification chimed, and when she opened the besties¡¯ group chat, it was a screenshot sent by Chen Yuan. The Fan Yan Company¡¯s Weibo account announced that Bo Fan and Chu Yan¡¯s wedding would take place on June 18. Yuan Xi chuckled to herself, no wonder Chu Yan left the Chu Family so easily; it turned out that her wedding with Bo Fan had been moved up. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: How can Chu Yan tolerate wearing such a green hat? She even posted a picture on Instagram holding hands with Bo Fan, insinuating that Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity was a setup by Chao Qing while he was drunk, and it was exposed by a ¡°gossipy woman.¡± Suisui (Sealed Love): I¡¯ve watched that passionate infidelity video several times, if Bo Fan¡¯s condition was due to being drunk, I¡¯d take off my head and use it as a soccer ball. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: What kind of drunken shenanigans, if a man is really drunk, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to perform! Suisui (Sealed Love): Now everyone on Weibo is scolding Chao Qing, congratulating Bo Fan on marrying the young Miss Chu. The affair was clearly both of their faults, but Chao Qing ended up with nothing while Bo Fan happily marries his delicate bride, it¡¯s infuriating me. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: Chao Qing just had to meddle in others¡¯ affairs, it¡¯s her own fault she ended up like this, but it really is letting Bo Fan off too easy. Shi Shishitou: That¡¯s not right, how could they be getting married on June 18? Where in Jiang City do people marry in May or June on the lunar calendar? It¡¯s a custom in Jiang City and the surrounding regions to avoid weddings or moving houses during the fifth or sixth lunar months. Especially for business families, marrying during these two months is particularly taboo. Yuan Xi also found it quite odd¡ªif it was simply to address the public relations crisis caused by Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity. Then reaffirming the original wedding date would work, there was no need to rush and choose a notoriously inauspicious day for the wedding. ¡°Big sister, stop playing with your phone, let¡¯s find some shells, find conches.¡± Xiao Shihuo tugged at the hem of Yuan Xi¡¯s long-sleeved shirt, and after putting down her phone, Yuan Xi joined Xiao Shihuo in searching for shells on the beach. Children probably have a natural love for the beach; Xiao Shihuo was enthusiastically playing with a sand shovel. Sitting on the sand, Yuan Xi accompanied Xiao Shihuo, enjoying their sandy play and the tranquility of the beach. Huo Shiyan walked over to Yuan Xi and asked softly, ¡°Do you want to go swimming?¡± After checking if pregnant women could swim in the sea and getting a positive response, Yuan Xi dared to follow Huo Shiyan into the waves, which seemed to wash away all her worries with their rhythmic ebb and flow. ¡°I wish every day could be a holiday.¡± Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°You could quit your job and take a holiday every day, I can support you.¡± Yuan Xi shook her head repeatedly; she didn¡¯t dare quit her job. Earning her own money always felt more reassuring. Even after discovering she was the true heir to the Chu Family, she never contemplated not working. Relying on oneself is better than relying on anyone else. Even though Huo Shiyan might earn in a minute what she made in a day, Yuan Xi wouldn¡¯t risk it. Once she really quit working to become a full-time housewife, Yuan Xi feared she might end up like Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao, becoming paranoid about her partner¡¯s female colleagues who were simply professional acquaintances. Yuan Xi thought about Chu Yan and found it ridiculous, how Chu Yan previously sought her help on behalf of Yu Xiaoxiao and yet failed to notice Chao Qing¡¯s three-year relationship with Bo Fan? Yunhai Court. One of Jiang City¡¯s old reputable residences. Chu Yan, accompanied by a few rich followers from her past, stormed into Yunhai Court. After commanding the locksmith to unlock the door, Chu Yan charged inside. Fuming with anger, Chu Yan approached Chao Qing and landed a harsh slap across her face. Chao Qing glared at Chu Yan after taking a slap to the face, ¡°Miss Chu, do you realize you are trespassing on private property? I could call the police and accuse you of breaking and entering.¡± Chu Yan gestured with her eyes to the rich young lady behind her to take control of Chao Qing and raised her hand to land another slap on the other side of Chao Qing¡¯s face: ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. Don¡¯t you know who my uncle is in Jiang City? I¡¯d like to see, with my uncle around, whether the police dare to touch me or not.¡± Chu Yan spat on Chao Qing¡¯s face, ¡°You dare to steal my man? How could you, an actress, have the audacity?¡± Chao Qing forced a bitter smile, ¡°I had no intention of taking your man. I¡¯ve been with Bo Fan for three years now, and back then, you weren¡¯t even engaged to Bo Fan, let alone together with him.¡± Chao Qing looked at Chu Yan, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve turned down many agents from outside companies who wanted me, rejected many great opportunities, all for Bo Fan¡¯s words that he truly loved me, and that marrying you was only because the Young Madam of the Bo Family couldn¡¯t be an actress. So, I¡¯ve stuck with him for three years.¡± ¡°Now he flips the script, pushing all the blame onto me. He¡¯s truly a coward.¡± ¡°Miss Chu, I advise you to find another marital alliance.¡± ¡°Bo Fan, he¡¯s not worthy of you.¡± Chu Yan grabbed Chao Qing¡¯s hair furiously, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to! You say this just to make me give up Bo Fan, so you can take the role of Young Madam of the Bo Family yourself, but let me tell you, you¡¯re dreaming!¡± ¡°Stay away from Bo Fan and don¡¯t let me see you in Jiang City again!¡± Chao Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ve indeed been planning to leave the country. Miss Chu, I genuinely advise you not to marry Bo Fan.¡± ¡°Bo Fan has lost nearly two billion in gambling in Myanmar. I¡¯ve paid off three hundred million for him, with one hundred million of that borrowed money.¡± ¡°Every time Bo Fan goes to Myanmar, he says it¡¯s to buy jade, but in reality, he goes to gamble. He¡¯s addicted now and can¡¯t quit.¡± ¡°I used to believe in him because I loved him, and helped him pay off his debts¡­¡± Chu Yan¡¯s little entourage all looked at her. Chu Yan scolded Chao Qing, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Just because you failed to seduce Bo Fan, you want to ruin him?¡± Chao Qing: ¡°Miss Chu, you¡¯re also a poor victim. I just don¡¯t want to see you fall into a pit of fire. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t help it. I will leave the country and Jiang City tomorrow.¡± Chu Yan, hearing Chao Qing was willing to leave Jiang City, let go of her hair, ¡°You better leave Jiang City as soon as possible!¡± The little entourage followed Chu Yan out the door, ¡°Yanyan, is Bo Fan really gambling¡­¡± Chu Yan responded, ¡°Chao Qing is just trying to destroy what she can¡¯t have. Bo Fan can¡¯t possibly be that kind of person. Maybe Chao Qing is even instigated by Yuan Xi.¡± ¡°Yuan Xi didn¡¯t marry a good man herself, and she¡¯s trying to make my marriage difficult, not wanting me to marry into the Bo Family and surpass her, ha!¡± Chu Yan now had no way out; she had to believe in Bo Fan. Chu Yan returned to Jiangjing No.1 and saw Bo Fan and Bao Yan in the house. Bao Yan came to Chu Yan with a box, ¡°Yanyan, Bo Fan really knows he was wrong this time and specially bought you a brand-new wedding ring.¡± ¡°This pink diamond is the Pink Aurora, which was auctioned off for 362 million two years ago, even more precious than Yuan Xi¡¯s Charlotte blue diamond!¡± Chu Yan, looking at the diamond ring in the box, happily walked over to Bo Fan and hugged him, ¡°Thank you, I really like it.¡± After putting on the diamond ring, Chu Yan couldn¡¯t wait to wear it and took a photo to post on social media, not forgetting to @YuanXi and @Chao Qing using some smaller accounts. Chu Yan also didn¡¯t forget to comment with a smaller account: ¡°Compared to this pink diamond, Yuan Xi¡¯s Charlotte blue diamond seems to pale in comparison.¡± ¡°A 362 million diamond ring, I can¡¯t believe I get to see it, what an eye-opener, what an eye-opener.¡± Nanxiang County. Inside a smoky mahjong parlor. An old TV broadcasted entertainment news about the marriage of President Bo Fan of Fan Yan Company and the young heiress of the Chu Family. ¡°Comparing people can really kill you, a tiny stone for these rich folks¡¯ wedding is so expensive, we work for ten lifetimes and can¡¯t afford such a small stone.¡± ¡°We just watch the news about the rich for fun; there¡¯s no need to take it seriously.¡± In the corner of the mahjong parlor, a gaunt middle-aged man¡¯s eyes shone with a sharp gleam. Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 77 The First Meeting with the Mother-in-Law Chapter 77: Chapter 77 The First Meeting with the Mother-in-Law Yu Fu stared intently at the pink diamond displayed on the television when his shoulder was suddenly patted by a young man with blelonde hair. ¡°Uncle Yu Fu, when do you plan to repay the 200,000 you owe me?¡± Yu Fu replied, ¡°Soon, soon, what¡¯s the hurry? After I make a trip to Jiang City and come back, not to mention 200,000, I could even come up with 20 million!¡± A woman around fifty stormed over, fuming, ¡°Yu Fu, quit your bullshit! It¡¯s time to pay our son¡¯s high school fees again, and that private school has said we must pay next semester¡¯s fees by the end of this term. Where are we going to find the 10,000 for this term¡¯s fees?¡± Yu Fu said, ¡°After my trip to Jiang City, when I return, what¡¯s 10,000 in school fees? At that point, our son might even go abroad for his studies. Isn¡¯t that something to consider with a wealthy brother-in-law like that?¡± ¡­ Star Island¡¯s night sky was stunning, the crescent moon surrounded by stars and the endless sea reflecting each other¡¯s brilliance. Yuan Xi, lying on the balcony¡¯s couch, took in the beautiful scene outside, free from all the hustle and bustle. No Mi Chen¡¯s data, no Gu Hanchen¡¯s irritable temper, no need to worry about how many unanswered emails there were today, she could fully relax¡­ Huo Shiyuan approached Yuan Xi and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yuan Xi replied with a light smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a starry sky in a long time, not since I was very, very young.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked up, ¡°Indeed, such star-filled nights are rare in the city.¡± Huo Shiyuan¡¯s phone rang; he frowned as he answered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Huo Ting said, ¡°Shiyan, your mom is mad at me; she just flew off, and I have no idea where she went. I asked her bodyguards, and none of them would tell me. I¡¯m really worried about her.¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned, ¡°How often is she not upset?¡± ¡°This time she¡¯s genuinely angry. A few years back on our wedding anniversary, I had won a bid for a pink diamond. Coincidentally, Lawrence also mentioned how much his late wife loved pink diamonds and wanted to have that diamond accompany her in burial. A gentleman would not envy what others adore, especially the deceased. Their love moved me, so I sold the pink diamond I had bid for to Lawrence.¡± ¡°Who would have known that today your mom saw a video on some marketing account where that diamond was used by some entertainment company¡¯s CEO as an engagement ring. She insisted that I was too stingy to spend money on her, conjuring up this story of Mrs. Laurence¡¯s pink diamond burial to insult the diamond, and alleging I don¡¯t love her anymore¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really wronged here. If I had known Lawrence wasn¡¯t using it for his wife¡¯s burial, I would never have sold it to him.¡± ¡°Now she¡¯s convinced I¡¯m lying, that I don¡¯t love her anymore, and won¡¯t spend money on her¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan was genuinely helpless with his parents¡¯ love and quarrels; they were nearly a hundred years in total age. Two forty-seven-year-olds were still playing tricks that young couples would, more immature than middle school sweethearts. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°My mom probably hasn¡¯t blocked me yet, you should go and coax her yourself.¡± Huo Ting sighed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t counting on you to coax her, just help me find out where she is, will you?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± He then hung up the phone. Yuan Xi noticed Huo Shiyuan frowning and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°My parents had a fight.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Yuan Xi was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try to mediate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not close with them; no need to mediate, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Listening to Huo Shiyuan, Yuan Xi felt he seemed to have a somewhat distant relationship with his parents. Indeed, if they were close, how could he only find out that he had a younger brother who was almost five years old? ¡°When did you go abroad for school?¡± she asked. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°During junior high.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± Yuan Xi inquired. Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Yes, I originally wanted to go with a childhood friend, but her parents wouldn¡¯t agree to let her go abroad.¡± Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyuan with sympathy, ¡°I have a friend who also went to study in the United States in junior high. When he left, he was crying, clinging to the old tree at the entrance of the village, insisting not to go to the United States. If he had to go, he wanted me to accompany him. It would have been good if you two knew each other; you¡¯d have had company.¡± Huo Shiyan: ¡°¡­¡± At that time, I didn¡¯t weigh 200 pounds, at most just 160 pounds. And there definitely wasn¡¯t any scenario of me sobbing and clinging to a tree, refusing to leave. Huo Shiyan: ¡°If your friend wanted you to study abroad with him, then why didn¡¯t you go to the United States with him?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled: ¡°I like the river delicacies from Ruohu, the bayberries from the hills around Ruohu. These are things you can¡¯t find in the United States.¡± Truthfully, the food was a secondary issue; it would have been quite difficult to apply to those Ivy League schools in the United States. Although my family was financially okay, they couldn¡¯t afford the expenses of my studying in the United States from middle school onwards. Huo Shiyan: ¡°In your eyes, is he less important than river delicacies and bayberries?¡± Yuan Xi curiously looked at Huo Shiyan, even though Huo Shiyan treated her as a replacement, after all, they were a legally married couple now. It would be improper to say that another man was more important. ¡°Yep, less important than food.¡± Huo Shiyan spoke softly: ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Yuan Xi fell into a deep sleep to the sound of the waves at the beach, vaguely feeling Huo Shiyan kissing her. She was too tired to even open her eyes. ¡­ In the early morning, when sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Yuan Xi woke up, having forgotten to pull the curtains last night. Feeling a bit hungry, she went downstairs looking for something to eat, only to see a fuming woman sitting at the dining table. The woman looked to be around thirty, with long, wavy hair, exquisite makeup, fiery red lips, and a commanding presence. The previously warm and smiling Filipino maid didn¡¯t dare to take a deep breath in front of her. ¡°Mummy, mummy, my dearest mummy!¡± Xiao Shihuo rushed down the stairs and threw himself into Shi Zhen¡¯s arms. ¡°Mummy! You¡¯re back?! I¡¯m so happy!¡± Hearing Xiao Shihuo¡¯s cries, Yuan Xi stood frozen in place. An ugly daughter-in-law will eventually meet her mother-in-law, but Yuan Xi had never expected it to happen like this. Still in her pajamas, having only brushed her teeth in the morning, she hadn¡¯t even properly washed her face, nor combed her hair¡­ Now, she couldn¡¯t just leave to get ready without saying hello, so she had to tough it out and make pleasantries. ¡°Mom.¡± Yuan Xi tried to control her nervousness, maintaining the flawless smile she used in the workplace as she greeted. Shi Zhen glanced at Yuan Xi, ¡°Good morning. Little Huohuo hasn¡¯t been troubling you these past days, has he?¡± Yuan Xi quickly shook her head: ¡°Not at all, I really like Huohuo, he¡¯s just like Shiyan when he was young.¡± Shi Zhen curiously looked at Yuan Xi, fondly kissing Xiao Shihuo¡¯s face: ¡°Huohuo is different from Shiyan as a child. Obviously, my Huohuo is much cuter than Shiyan was.¡± Huo Shiyan came down from the staircase, speaking up: ¡°Ms. Shi, you¡¯re about to become a grandmother, it¡¯s about time to stop this drama with dad, getting angry and having cold wars at the drop of a hat.¡± Shi Zhen scoffed, ¡°You only know you¡¯re a Huo, your heart is with those who share the Huo surname!¡± ¡°Let Yuan Xi be the judge, should I be angry or not? I have liked the Pink Aurora Diamond for a long time, if your dad hadn¡¯t bid on it, then fine. But he did, and then said it was for Mrs. Laurence¡¯s burial with her dead husband. That couple had deep love, and it was their dying wish, so giving it away is okay. But now, what happened? The Pink Aurora is being used by that adulterous CEO Fan Yan for a wedding ring. An adulterer using the Pink Aurora is an insult to the diamond, don¡¯t you think I have a right to be angry?¡± Yuan Xi heard the words ¡®Pink Aurora¡¯ and remembered the tweet someone had @¡¯ed her in yesterday under Chu Yan¡¯s post. The pink diamond Chu Yan flaunted was the Pink Aurora¡­ Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Cultured Diamond Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Cultured Diamond Shi Zhen seethed with anger, ¡°Yuan Xi, let¡¯s be fair, do you think I should be angry?¡± Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard on Yuan Xi. Have you asked Lawrence? What if the diamond from Fanyan Entertainment in the news is fake?¡± ¡°Is there a need to ask?¡± Shi Zhen said, ¡°How could it be fake? I think Fanyan Entertainment is not a small company, and that person, his fianc¨¦e, is the daughter of the richest man in Jiang City, how could such a family use a fake diamond?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°Even if that diamond is real, initially, it was because Lawrence wanted it as a burial item that dad sold it to Lawrence. You can¡¯t blame dad for this, why get angry over it?¡± Shi Zhen retorted, ¡°How can I not blame him? He didn¡¯t properly choose a master for the diamond. Now, giving it to someone who cheats as a wedding ring is a total insult to the Pink Aurora! It¡¯s infuriating.¡± Huo Shiyuan made a phone call to Lawrence. Lawrence was of Chinese-German descent, and Shiyi Group had collaborated with him on many projects in Europe, so it was actually difficult for Huo Ting to refuse when Lawrence asked for the diamond ring. At that time, it was around midnight in Germany when Huo Shiyuan called, and it took nearly a minute before the call was answered. Yuan Xi listened as Huo Shiyuan spoke fluent German for a while before hanging up. ¡°The Pink Aurora is still in Lawrence¡¯s wife¡¯s grave.¡± Yuan Xi was surprised, ¡°Really? Bo Fan is bold enough to do this? To give Chu Yan a fake diamond? Isn¡¯t he afraid of being exposed and ridiculed?¡± Huo Shiyuan shook his head, ¡°Because Lawrence won¡¯t expose it.¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Yuan Xi was puzzled, ¡°Hmm?¡± Huo Shiyuan explained, ¡°Ms. Shi tirelessly promoted how Lawrence¡¯s love for his wife moved heaven and earth, and how a diamond ring worth 300 million was used as a burial item, attracting the attention of international thief organizations.¡± ¡°The security of the graveyard is difficult, Lawrence fears actual tomb robbery, so he had his assistant commission a domestic cultured diamond company to custom-make a diamond identical to the Pink Aurora. He also wanted the cultured diamond company to find a reputable and tight-lipped jewelry company to promote that they possessed the Pink Aurora. The jewelry company chosen by the cultured diamond company happened to have business dealings with the Bo family. I suppose it was because the Bo family heard that the true owner of the Pink Aurora did not want to expose their possession of the diamond, allowing them to daringly present a cultured diamond as an engagement ring to Chu Yan.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Shi Zhen and said, ¡°Ms. Shi, have you been promoting that Lawrence buried the Pink Aurora?¡± Shi Zhen said, ¡°Not really, I only told Mosica, Jenny, Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Fu¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± Huo Shiyuan continued, ¡°Now you can rest assured, that Pink Aurora is fake.¡± Shi Zhen frowned, ¡°Why is Lawrence going through all this trouble? Finding a jewelry company, I could just admit I am the owner of Pink Aurora, couldn¡¯t I?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°The Pink Aurora hasn¡¯t been seen, those thieves won¡¯t easily believe it, so that¡¯s why he sought a discreet cultured diamond company to allow the ¡®Pink Aurora¡¯ to make an appearance.¡± Shi Zhen conceded, ¡°Alright, I wronged your dad. I¡¯ll fly back to Switzerland immediately to apologize to him.¡± ¡°Take this little troublemaker away!¡± Huo Shiyuan pointed at Xiao Shihuo in Shi Zhen¡¯s arms. Shi Zhen frowned, ¡°What troublemaker? He is your own little brother!¡± ¡°And besides, you¡¯re going to be a father soon, and you have no experience being a dad. I¡¯m giving you my son to practice with, you should be thanking me.¡± Shi Zhen patted Xiao Shihuo on the head, ¡°Be good and listen to your brother and sister, okay?¡± Xiao Shihuo nodded his head. Shi Zhen looked at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Please take care of Little Huohuo.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Shi Zhen spoke again, ¡°From now on, you shouldn¡¯t call me Mom.¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s hand trembled slightly, her expression didn¡¯t seem to suggest that she disliked Shi Zhen¡­ Shi Zhen said, ¡°Calling me ¡®Mom¡¯ makes me feel old. Although I¡¯m almost fifty, I don¡¯t act my age. You can follow Shiyan and call me Ms. Shi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Shi.¡± After setting Little Huohuo down, Shi Zhen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you were on Star Island, and I don¡¯t have an introductory gift for you. So, I¡¯ll give you this island, and from now on, you¡¯ll be the Island Master of Star Island.¡± Yuan Xi responded with a faint smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Zhen said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Little Huohuo, kiss Mommy goodbye!¡± Little Huohuo kissed Shi Zhen on her cheek, ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± Shi Zhen came in a whirlwind and left just as quickly. Yuan Xi, chuckling softly to Huo Shiyuan, said, ¡°Your mom is quite adorable.¡± While Shi Zhen was almost fifty, she gave Yuan Xi the impression of an eighteen-year-old girl, naive about the world, as if she had been sheltered in a beautiful ivory tower, getting annoyed over a diamond because it was soiled by infidelity. Huo Shiyuan remarked, ¡°I find you cuter.¡± Yuan Xi was stunned; no one had ever described her as cute. Huo Shiyuan was the first. After playing on the beach all day, even with sunscreen, Little Huohuo was sunburned, his skin visibly darker by evening, and exhausted, he fell asleep immediately at bedtime. Yuan Xi felt it was still early for her to sleep while Huo Shiyuan was busy with a videoconference. With nothing else to do, she checked Weibo and saw that the Pink Aurora diamond ring was trending at the top of the entertainment hot search list. Yuan Xi opened the notification, and many people were mentioning her. It turned out Chu Yan had just posted a new tweet: ¡°As long as you¡¯re strong enough to crush all those who scheme against you. [pink diamond.jpg]¡± The comment section was bustling. Miss Chu, did you make me a nanny today: Wow, an exquisite nine-grid diamond ring, who¡¯s scheming against you? Was Mr. Bo¡¯s affair a setup? Chu Yan replied below: Yes, it was plotted by someone. Some people marry poorly and can only live in self-built rural houses, unhappy with their own lives and begrudge others their happiness¡­ Many onlookers in the comments were tagging Yuan Xi. gift: Is the CEO¡¯s wife talking about @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi? Fake Jiangcheng Socialite: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, is it true? Did you scheme Bo Fan¡¯s affair? Cure for Envy: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, you marry a country man, why be jealous of Chu Yan¡¯s successful marriage to the wealthy? Sure you¡¯re more envious now seeing the beautiful pink diamond, huh? Runaway Princess: @Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi, don¡¯t be salty that Chu Yan married into a wealthy family in Jiang City. After all, the saying ¡®well-matched in social and economic status¡¯ holds true. You grew up in a village, so how can you compete with Chu Yan, who was raised in wealth? Bao Yan replied to Runaway Princess: Indeed, the Young Madam of the Bo Family definitely needs to be well-educated, not just any village girl can assume that role. A three-billion diamond ring only truly suits my Yanyan. Some people, even if they had a three-billion diamond, it was never meant for them. Chu Yan replied to Bao Yan: Thank you, sister. Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Chu Yans Wedding Invitation Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Chu Yan¡¯s Wedding Invitation Yuan Xi looked at Bao Yan and Chu Yan¡¯s replies and couldn¡¯t understand how Bao Yan could respond so confidently to this comment? Did Bao Yan really think that Lawrence would not come out and say that the diamond was fake, and thus she felt justified in treating it as real? In the close friends chat group, Chen Yuan cursed furiously. Yuanyuan Yuanyuan: I can¡¯t take it anymore, Chu Yan is too despicable, accusing Xiao Xi of scheming to make Bo Fan cheat. Is it Xiao Xi who held a gun to Bo Fan¡¯s head and made him take off his pants? Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, such blatant mockery of the village girl and rural people will soon backfire¡­¡± Yuan Xi¡¯s guess was spot on. Before she went to sleep, she scrolled through her feed and saw several political bloggers she followed had posted screenshots of Chu Yan and Bao Yan¡¯s comments. ¡°Chuneng Group has floated away, haven¡¯t they? Forgotten that over half of their laborers are from the countryside?¡± ¡°The CEO¡¯s wife and daughter of Fanyan Entertainment look down on rural people so much? Calling them village girls, saying marrying into the countryside is bad? As a rural person, I will never watch any TV show or movie from Fanyan ever again!¡± ¡°Which artists are under Fanyan Entertainment? If they don¡¯t terminate their contracts, I¡¯ll curse them all!¡± ¡°Boycott Fanyan!¡± Yuan Xi turned off her phone and peacefully went to sleep. When she woke up, Chu Yan and Bao Yan¡¯s blogs had disappeared. Fanyan Entertainment released a statement stamped with an official seal, roughly saying that Chu Yan and Bao Yan¡¯s blogs had been hacked the day before and the content was not posted by them. Go to ????????????????????.co Chu Yan also released a video on a short video platform, heavily made up and apologizing: ¡°Sorry everyone, my blog was hacked yesterday, and the content was not posted by me. I have never looked down on rural people.¡± Yuan Xi opened the comment section, which had nearly a hundred thousand comments, and smiled at the top comments. User with ten kilos of water in their brain: Can a hacker also take nine photos of a pink diamond? Users may have ten kilos of water in their brains, but they aren¡¯t brainless. Internet Judge: Although netizens aren¡¯t clever, they aren¡¯t stupid either. The noble Miss Chu, don¡¯t think of the farmers as too foolish. Huo Shiyuan stood up and asked Yuan Xi, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Yuan Xi shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. When are we going back?¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°After breakfast.¡± After boarding the plane, Yuan Xi asked Huo Shiyuan, ¡°If I expose that Chu Yan¡¯s diamond is fake, what impact would it have on Lawrence?¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t think Chu Yan would quiet down after being ridiculed online. Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It won¡¯t have much impact, at worst the security at the cemetery will be increased. Then we will find an opportunity to auction the ¡®Pink Aurora¡¯ later.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°Alright.¡± The moment the plane landed at Jiangcheng Airport was in the evening. Looking out the car window, the sunset was pink, and after Yuan Xi returned to the mansion, she received 1.5 million from the lawyer, which was part of her parents¡¯ inheritance. Yuan Xi transferred this 1.5 million to her aunt¡¯s account, as she didn¡¯t lack the money left by her foster parents, but the Liang Family did. This was also meant for her grandparents. Initially, when her father started his business, it was all with the help of her grandparents. ¡­ On the Dragon Boat Festival, Chu Yan was so scared of being cursed online that she didn¡¯t dare go out during the day. Only in the evening did she dare to enter the Jiangye VIP room. When the rich ladies of Jiang City saw Chu Yan arrive, they continuously complimented her, ¡°It¡¯s a big festival, Yanyan, don¡¯t be upset!¡± ¡°Those netizens are just lowly people, there¡¯s no need to take offense.¡± ¡°Exactly, they are just rural people. They broke down only after you touched a nerve.¡± ¡°The quality of rural people really is something else.¡± Chu Yan sipped her drink, utterly confused as to why she was being scolded, ¡°Nowadays, netizens have a real grudge against the wealthy.¡± Xu Chen, the heiress of Hengjie Paper Industry, walked up to Chu Yan and noticed that the pink diamond in Chu Yan¡¯s hand emitted some blue fluorescence under the dim lighting¡­ ¡°Yanyan, is your diamond ring fake?¡± Chu Yan frowned, ¡°How could it be fake?¡± ¡°Something seems off about the fire in your diamond ring,¡± Xu Chen said, ¡°and it also looks kind of like a cultured diamond. Cultured diamonds emit a blue fluorescence at night.¡± Chu Yan clutched her glass tightly and said to Xu Chen, ¡°Did Yuan Xi send you? The diamond on my hand couldn¡¯t possibly be a cultured diamond.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Xu Chen, you¡¯ve barely made it into our circle; if you want to side with that country girl, then don¡¯t come around here.¡± Xu Chen looked around at all the top heiresses of Jiang City, not daring to offend anyone. She silently compared the fire and fluorescence of the cultured diamond on her own hand to that of Chu Yan¡¯s, which looked identical. She stopped speaking and watched as the other heiresses complimented Chu Yan. ¡°Yanyan, have you decided on your bridesmaids yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so looking forward to your wedding; it¡¯s going to be the wedding of the century!¡± Listening to the compliments from the heiresses nearby, Chu Yan smiled lightly; her wedding would undoubtedly be remembered for many years to come. ¡­ The first day after the Dragon Boat Festival. Yuan Xi had arrived at the Mi Chen office, having seemingly regained her usual spirit, perhaps thanks to the healing powers of the ocean. Hanchen arrived just before noon, precisely when Huo Shiyan was delivering lunch to her. Huo Shiyan watched as Gu Hanchen kept eating Yuan Xi¡¯s favorite sweet and sour pork ribs and frowned. ¡°Gu Hanchen, from now on, you¡¯re not allowed to eat sweet and sour pork ribs.¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°Seriously, as the CEO of Shixi, are you lacking a few ribs for me to eat? Have you considered lending me your cook?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t considered it,¡± Huo Shiyan refused. Gu Hanchen then asked Huo Shiyan, ¡°Are you sure about the financial troubles at Fanyan Entertainment? That Pink Aurora isn¡¯t cheap.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cultured; you can get it for twenty thousand yuan if you want,¡± Huo Shiyan replied. Gu Hanchen was utterly shocked, ¡°Twenty thousand yuan? How is that possible?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, Mr. Bo and Miss Chu have arrived.¡± Gu Hanchen allowed Bo Fan and Chu Yan into the lounge. Upon seeing Bo Fan and Chu Yan enter, he said, ¡°Have you guys eaten lunch yet? Would you like to join¡­¡± Huo Shiyan glared at Gu Hanchen. Gu Hanchen touched his nose, feeling something was off, ¡°This is the lunch specially delivered by Huo¡­ Dazhuang for Yuan Xi, and you guys weren¡¯t supposed to share it!¡± Bo Fan chuckled lightly, ¡°We¡¯ve had our lunch. Today, Yanyan and I came here to personally deliver your wedding invitations.¡± Chu Yan said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, I¡¯ve left the invitation here for you, you must come.¡± Yuan Xi looked up at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Wishing you happiness in your marriage, but I won¡¯t be attending the wedding day.¡± Gu Hanchen said to Yuan Xi, ¡°Why not go? I need a female companion to accompany me to the wedding, come with me.¡± Gu Hanchen had a feeling that Bo Fan and Chu Yan¡¯s wedding would be extremely eventful. Missing this event, he worried Yuan Xi might regret it for the rest of her life. Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Announcing Chu Yan is No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Announcing Chu Yan is No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family Huo Shiyuan watched as Yuan Xi covered her mouth with the back of her hand and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuan Xi replied softly, ¡°I feel a bit nauseous.¡± Huo Shiyuan took off his watch and projected a surveillance video onto the white wall. On the pristine wall, a video appeared showing Chu Yan and her entourage barging into Chao Qing¡¯s house and slapping her. Soon, Chao Qing¡¯s voice came from the watch. ¡°Miss Chu, do you realize you¡¯re trespassing into someone¡¯s house? I could call the police and accuse you of robbery.¡± A smack was heard again quickly, followed by Chu Yan¡¯s arrogant voice. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? Don¡¯t you know who my uncle is in Jiang City? I¡¯d like to see to it, with my uncle here, if the police would dare to interfere!¡± Huo Shiyuan paused the video and said to Yang Ying, ¡°This is the video Chao Qing sent to Si Chen before going abroad, hoping to use Si Chen to expose it. Si Chen chose not to make the video public but paid Chao Qing two million to buy the rights to this surveillance footage. If this video were to leak, it would greatly impact my uncle¡­¡± Chu Lin looked at the pitiful Chu Yan kneeling on the ground and the Chu Yan in the projection ¨C they seemed like two different people. Chu Lin, utterly disappointed, said to Chu Yan, ¡°Yanyan, how could you dare?¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Yang Ying was nearly exploding with anger. If the Si Family were to expose this video, her brother¡¯s future would be severely affected, and her retired father would also be stained with disgrace. Yang Ying glared at Chu Yan and demanded, ¡°Get out, Chu Qing, you need to immediately let the company release a statement disowning Chu Yan from the Chu Family, declaring that from now on, Chu Yan is no longer a daughter of the Chu Family! Her actions have nothing to do with the Chu and Yang families.¡± Chu Yan was stunned, feeling an icy numbness all over her body. Chu Yan pleaded in extreme panic, ¡°No, Dad, Mom, please don¡¯t¡­¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone release the disownment statement right away.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I think we shouldn¡¯t release the disownment announcement today. Let¡¯s wait until after the wedding tomorrow. Chu Yan has been so eager to marry Bo Fan; just let her marry him.¡± If they released the disownment statement today, the Bo Family would surely cancel tomorrow¡¯s wedding¡­ Gu Hanchen had been looking forward to the lively wedding for days, and Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t let him wait so long only to miss out on the excitement. Besides, Yuan Xi was quite keen to see the liveliness herself. Moreover, Bo Fan and Chu Yan were such a good match; it would be a pity if they didn¡¯t marry. Chu Qing and Yang Ying didn¡¯t understand why Yuan Xi would suggest this, but since it was a rare request from her, they agreed to it. Yang Ying pointed towards the door and said to Chu Yan, ¡°Get out; you are never to step foot in the Chu Family¡¯s house again.¡± Chu Yan, heartbroken and resentful, stood up. Her eyes filled with resentment, ¡°It¡¯s true when they say adopted isn¡¯t the same as biological¡­¡± Chu Qing, even more angered, said, ¡°Chu Yan, this has nothing to do with being biological or not. If today it was Xinxin or Chu Lin misusing the Yang Family¡¯s fame to show off, we would still sever ties with them!¡± Chu Yan sneered and responded, ¡°You just say it nicely. One day, I will make you realize how big a mistake you made by kicking me out today!¡± After Chu Yan stormed off angrily, Chu Lin furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°How could she turn out this way?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She¡¯s always been this way; it¡¯s you who¡¯ve been blind.¡± Yang Ying looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°John, did you say that Si Chen bought this video?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Yes, Si Chen gave me the video. If this video were to be released, Chu Yan would probably not be able to stay in the country anymore, and both Chuneng Group and the Yang Family would face disasters.¡± Yang Ying asked, ¡°Why would Si Chen give you this video for free? Did he ask for anything in return?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Si Chen wished to give me this video for free, mainly because of Yuan Xi. Without Yuan Xi, Si Chen could easily use the content behind this surveillance video to kick the Bo Family out of the top four families in Jiang City.¡± Huo Shiyuan continued playing the video where Chao Qing earnestly persuaded Chu Yan not to marry Bo Fan, describing his heavy gambling losses. Yet, Chu Yan didn¡¯t trust a word. Yang Ying sighed deeply, her eyes filled with guilt as she looked at Yuan Xi and said tearfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xinxin.¡± Yuan Xi maintained her professional, calm smile and shook her head, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Chu Lin also belatedly realized the seriousness of the surveillance footage. If this matter were to be exposed online, it would be far more serious than Chu Yan and Bao Yan insulting rural people previously. His judgment had indeed been very poor before. ¡°Bo Fan¡¯s gambling¡­¡± Chu Lin asked, ¡°It can¡¯t be true, can it?¡± Chu Lin, Gu Hanchen, and Bo Fan had been good friends since childhood. Usually, when Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen played cards in Jiangye, Bo Fan would not participate. Gu Hanchen was bad at playing cards but loved playing, and Bo Fan would mock Gu Hanchen as a scatterbrain, always saying that gambling harms people. Would he really have lost billions? Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Chu Lin scrutinized Huo Shiyuan, perhaps preconditioned by Chu Yan¡¯s words, always regarding him as a countryside gold-digger entirely dependent on Yuan Xi. But now, carefully assessing Huo Shiyuan, Chu Lin realized that apart from being better looking than those top male celebrities, there was also an indescribable air of dignity about Yuan Xi¡¯s husband. Yuan Xi stood up and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s getting late, we should head home.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°It¡¯s so late already, just stay over.¡± Yuan Xi shook her head and replied, ¡°No, thank you.¡± After leaving the Chu Family, Yuan Xi got into the car and glanced at Huo Shiyuan from the passenger side, ¡°When did you get this surveillance footage?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°A few days ago.¡± Yuan Xi gave a light, gentle laugh, ¡°Thank you, Shiyan.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi sideways, ¡°Just a verbal thank you?¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°What kind of thank-you gift would you like?¡± Huo Shiyuan did not respond. Yuan Xi thought to herself that Shiyan probably lacked nothing; she also didn¡¯t know what kind of thank-you gift to give him. So she decided not to dwell on it any longer. ¡­ June 18th, early in the morning. All major social media accounts of Fanyan Entertainment began live streaming. By the time Yuan Xi arrived at Mi Chen Hall, the receptionist, who had come to work early, was watching the live stream of Bo Fan and Chu Yan¡¯s wedding of the century on her phone. Seeing Yuan Xi, the receptionist swiftly tucked her phone away. ¡°Good morning, President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t mind that the receptionist was watching the live stream during work hours. Mi Chen wasn¡¯t very strict about employees slacking off as long as their work was error-free. Once in her office, Yuan Xi also opened her phone and watched the live stream from Fanyan Entertainment. In the live stream, Chu Yan was dressed in a red gown. ¡°Bo Fan, even Heaven favors us, after so many days of rain, today is finally sunny! The registry office is about to open, we can go and get our marriage certificate.¡± Inside the live stream, as Bo Fan, dressed in a tailored suit, appeared onscreen, the screen was flooded with comments. ¡°So handsome, so handsome, if the CEO of Fanyan Entertainment debuts, other male stars won¡¯t stand a chance in the entertainment industry.¡± ¡°They match so well, fairy tales don¡¯t lie; in the end, it¡¯s always the prince and princess who end up together.¡± ¡°Farmers boycott Fanyan, boycott Chu Yan, boycott Bao Yan.¡± ¡°Fanyan is too stingy, aren¡¯t they? The CEO and CEO¡¯s wife are getting married today, and they¡¯re not doing a giveaway to share their happiness? The guy next door selling tissues gives away a phone every three minutes!¡± Seeing this comment, Chu Yan said, ¡°This netizen is right. To celebrate our marriage, we¡¯ll do a phone giveaway every three minutes in the live stream today.¡± Bo Fan subtly furrowed his brows undetectably. In the next instant, Bo Fan affectionately teased Chu Yan¡¯s nose, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as the CEO¡¯s wife wishes and give away phones to share the joy.¡± Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Who Will Give Her Hand to Bo Fan? Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Who Will Give Her Hand to Bo Fan? Chu Yan tensed up upon hearing Madam Bo¡¯s words, she reluctantly said, ¡°Mom, my uncle and grandfather hardly attend weddings because of their status.¡± Madam Bo frowned and said, ¡°They can¡¯t even attend their granddaughter¡¯s and niece¡¯s weddings?¡± Chu Yan was really troubled, ¡°Mom, after all, my uncle has a special status¡­¡± Madam Bo said, ¡°Then why do your parents show no concern for your wedding at all? The wedding is almost here, and the Chu Family is acting as if nothing is happening.¡± Chu Yan said softly, ¡°My parents are neglecting my wedding because they are still angry about Bo Fan¡¯s affair.¡± ¡°Actually, I was willing to marry Bo Fan early to lessen the impact on Fanyan Entertainment, and that made my parents quite angry, so they don¡¯t pay much attention to my wedding either.¡± Madam Bo, hearing about Bo Fan¡¯s affair and feeling it was strange, didn¡¯t dare to ask further, afraid that Chu Yan might not want to marry. After all, the dowry from Chu Yan could support Bo Fan for a while. ¡­ Mi Chen had been very busy these past few days, and the promo shot by Zhang Ying had been completed. The initial edit of the footage was a success, and the senior management of Mi Chen had all approved it. So, after Chu Yan¡¯s wedding, Gu Hanchen could go to the United States for the IPO roadshow. Special Assistant Wang¡¯s grandmother happened to be admitted to the ICU at this time, so Gu Hanchen could only have Yuan Xi accompany him on the business trip. Go to ????????????????????.co Yuan Xi was somewhat reluctant; she had to adjust to the time difference in the United States, and she had never been there before. She didn¡¯t know if she could withstand the climate and dietary changes now that she was pregnant. But obviously, of the team going to the United States for the roadshow, she was the most suitable person to be by Gu Hanchen¡¯s side. Ruohu Mansion. The night was very quiet; it had been raining for the past few days, and it was oppressively hot outside. The mansion maintained a constant temperature all year, making the room¡¯s climate very comfortable. Yuan Xi saw Huo Shiyuan enter the room and said, ¡°After Chu Yan¡¯s wedding, I might have to travel to the United States for half a month to accompany Gu Hanchen for the IPO roadshow meetings.¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned slightly, ¡°You certainly can¡¯t handle the fatigue of the roadshow in the early stages of pregnancy. Basically, it¡¯s an important city every two days, and it¡¯s all kinds of critical meetings all day long¡­¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Initially, Special Assistant Wang was supposed to go, but his grandmother fell ill¡­¡± Huo Shiyuan gently stroked Yuan Xi¡¯s head and said, ¡°Flying to a city every two days is exhausting and the pressure involved is not ordinary. You shouldn¡¯t go; let Monica accompany Gu Hanchen.¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°Can Monica handle it?¡± Huo Shiyuan chuckled lightly, ¡°Monica has plenty of connections in American investment banking; it¡¯ll be fine for her to accompany Gu Hanchen.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°That¡¯s good, but I might be very busy those days, especially since both Gu Hanchen and Monica won¡¯t be at Mi Chen.¡± Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°No matter how busy, remember to eat well; after all, you are eating for three now.¡± Yuan Xi touched her abdomen and smiled lightly, ¡°Yeah.¡± Her child was already over two months old. As the Mi Chen roadshow approached, Yuan Xi had to help Gu Hanchen prepare answers to all potential questions to ensure nothing went wrong; she didn¡¯t even rest over the weekend. The continuous rain and muggy weather were the most unbearable seasons in Jiang City. But, despite being so busy, Gu Hanchen still took a day off just to be a best man at Bo Fan¡¯s wedding, eager to join in the festivities. The day before the wedding required a rehearsal, and Gu Hanchen only had to leave work at three in the afternoon, with Yuan Xi bringing documents for him to sign. Yuan Xi watched Gu Hanchen being fitted in a well-tailored tailcoat, repeatedly asking Zhong Xiaoyi to adjust his bow tie, and felt quite helpless. Yuan Xi said, ¡°Mr. Gu, aren¡¯t you afraid that Yu Xiaoxiao will be Chu Yan¡¯s bridesmaid?¡± Gu Hanchen replied, ¡°Just to enjoy the spectacle, I can tolerate Yu Xiaoxiao being a bridesmaid. If I happened to miss the great scene of Chu Yan recognizing her biological father, that would truly be a regretful oversight.¡± Yuan Xi was speechless. Inside the Jiangcheng Exhibition Center, Chu Yan was feeling extremely irritable. The continuous rainy weather had dashed her long-awaited hopes for a lawn wedding. Today¡¯s wedding rehearsal was also full of frustrations for Chu Yan. Due to the exhaustion from preparing for the wedding, she had developed two pimples on her face that even expensive skincare products could not diminish. Chu Yan planned to have the bridesmaids¡¯ makeup done poorly, so even if she had to wear heavy makeup to cover her blemishes, it would be complemented and look attractive. Chu Yan also forbade the bridesmaids from wearing high heels, as her own height was just under one hundred and fifty-five centimeters. Usually wearing ten-centimeter heels, no one had realized how short Chu Yan was. But Yu Xiaoxiao, who stood at one hundred and sixty-three centimeters, insisted on wearing ten-centimeter heels and complained that the bridesmaid dresses Chu Yan had prepared for them were too ugly. Yu Xiaoxiao spent her own money on a dress from a renowned designer and hired a famous makeup artist to do her makeup. Chu Yan looked at Yu Xiaoxiao¡¯s exquisite makeup and furrowed her brows, directly expressing her displeasure, ¡°Xiao Xiao, this is my wedding, and with your makeup so exquisite, anyone who doesn¡¯t know might think it¡¯s you getting married.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao responded, ¡°You¡¯re getting married, but I¡¯m not yet. Gu Hanchen will be here as Bo Fan¡¯s best man, and I must put on delicate makeup to showcase my beauty in front of him.¡± Chu Yan had four other bridesmaids, who basically shared the same thought as Yu Xiaoxiao. For this wedding of the century, not only was Chu Yan the center of attention, but these bridesmaids from high society in Jiang City would also be well-known. With Yu Xiaoxiao there, they dared not covet Gu Hanchen, but the other five best men accompanying Bo Fan were all prominent figures in Jiang City. Bao Yan approached Chu Yan and asked, ¡°Yanyan, the wedding rehearsal is about to start. Hasn¡¯t Uncle Chu come yet? And how come one of your bridesmaids hasn¡¯t shown up?¡± At a wedding, having the father lead the bride to the groom is a very important moment. It is the highlight of the wedding ritual. Chu Yan said, ¡°Chuneng Group has several new projects lately, and my dad is really busy. Showing up tomorrow at the wedding will suffice; it¡¯s not necessary to bother him with today¡¯s rehearsal.¡± Bao Yan frowned tightly and said, ¡°Even if Uncle Chu is angry, does he need to be angry for so long? Tomorrow is your and Bo Fan¡¯s wedding day, shouldn¡¯t he make time no matter how busy he is today?¡± Chu Yan firmly believed that as long as the wedding with Bo Fan proceeded smoothly, her parents would surely attend because of their relationship with the Bo Family and still treat her as a beloved daughter¡­ The Chu Family couldn¡¯t possibly sever ties with the Bo Family and disregard years of camaraderie. As long as she wholeheartedly wanted to marry Bo Fan, her parents would definitely show up tomorrow. Chu Yan helplessly said, ¡°My parents are really busy, Chuneng¡¯s recent projects are all quite significant.¡± Bao Yan continued, ¡°What about your other bridesmaid? Tomorrow¡¯s guests will fill more than a hundred tables, and the executives at Fanyan Entertainment have unanimously decided to live stream your wedding with Bo Fan. They want to use the popularity of the wedding to overshadow the negative press Fanyan has been getting lately. Today, the bridesmaids also need to rehearse well.¡± Chu Yan placed a call to Zhou Jiameng, ¡°Sister Jiameng, the wedding rehearsal is starting, why haven¡¯t you come over?¡± Zhou Jiameng whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yanyan, Chairman Chu spoke to the executives of Chuneng Group today. No one from Chuneng Group is allowed to attend your wedding with Bo Fan, and I can¡¯t be your bridesmaid either¡­¡± Chu Yan¡¯s heart raced with anxiety. How could the Chu Family truly disregard their relationship and face with the Bo Family? Wouldn¡¯t the Chu Family really not attend her wedding tomorrow? If Chu Qing didn¡¯t come, then who would hand her over to Bo Fan? Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Yuan Xi, Let Me Have Mom and Dad for Another Day Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Yuan Xi, Let Me Have Mom and Dad for Another Day Bao Yan looked at Chu Yan¡¯s expression and sensed something was amiss. She asked, ¡°What about the other bridesmaid?¡± Chu Yan suppressed the panic in her heart. ¡°Something came up with her family, how about we just go with five bridesmaids?¡± Bao Yan was dejected. ¡°We¡¯ve already settled on six groomsmen; how can we change to five bridesmaids now?¡± Chu Yan quickly sent a message to one of her own follower¡¯s daughters, then told Bao Yan, ¡°I¡¯ll find someone right away to be the bridesmaid.¡± Chu Yan, being well-known among the young ladies in social circles of Jiang City, had no shortage of little followers. Many young heiresses were flattered at the chance to be Chu Yan¡¯s bridesmaid, so naturally, it didn¡¯t take long to find a new one. The rehearsal proceeded amidst bustling activity. After the rehearsal, Chu Yan remembered Zhou Jiameng mentioning that Chairman Chu forbade Chuneng Group employees from attending her wedding, so she drove to Chu¡¯s Mansion. It had grown dark, and the iron gate of Chu¡¯s Mansion was shut tight. Chu Yan honked the car horn, but no one came to open the gate. Chu Yan got out of the car and walked up to the entrance, shouting as she looked inside, ¡°Nanny Zhang, it¡¯s me, I¡¯m back. Won¡¯t you open the door for me?¡± Nanny Zhang sighed helplessly. ¡°Miss, Chairman Chu and the lady have ordered that you cannot enter the Chu Family.¡± Chu Yan, in the rain, clasping the iron gate with both hands, pleaded, ¡°Nanny Zhang, please, let me see my father and mother.¡± Nanny Zhang looked at Chu Yan getting drenched in the rain and felt a pang of sorrow. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Inside Chu¡¯s Mansion. Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan were having a meal at the Chu Family¡¯s home today. Long ago, when they were on Star Island, Yuan Xi had received an invitation from Yang Ying to stay at the Chu Family¡¯s for a few days, but those days were so busy without a free moment. Today, it was only because Gu Hanchen had a rehearsal for the groomsmen that Yuan Xi managed to finish work early. By coincidence, Yang Ying called again to invite her home, so Yuan Xi, together with Huo Shiyuan and Xiao Shihuo, came over to the Chu Family¡¯s home for dinner. At the dinner table, without Chu Yan and Chu Lin, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. Chu Qing watched as, over several meals, Huo Shiyuan had served dishes to Yuan Xi, peeled crabs, and shrimps for her and began to feel slightly more satisfied with this son-in-law. Whether a man liked a woman or not, his eyes would not lie. Chu Qing could see that Huo Shiyuan truly liked and cared for Yuan Xi. Xiao Shihuo served a shrimp to Huo Shiyuan, who effortlessly peeled it and gave it to Yuan Xi. Xiao Shihuo widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Brother, I wanted you to peel the shrimp for me! I want to eat the shrimp!¡± Huo Shiyuan frowned tightly. ¡°Peel it yourself, you¡¯re big enough.¡± Xiao Shihuo pointed at Yuan Xi. ¡°But sister is much older than me, and all the shrimp she eats are peeled by you. I¡¯m too small and don¡¯t know how to peel them.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled and handed the shrimp Huo Shiyuan had peeled for her to Xiao Shihuo. ¡°Eat it.¡± Yang Ying, seeing Xiao Shihuo smiling as he received the shrimp, laughed softly along. Yang Ying never understood why Mrs. Gu, despite being young, had always been so eager to have grandchildren. Now seeing Xiao Shihuo¡¯s adorable little face, she was greatly looking forward to having grandchildren early, especially since Yuan Xi was already pregnant. The bond they had missed with Yuan Xi, they could not afford to miss again with the beloved little grandchild. Nanny Zhang came in at this moment and saw the warmth filling the dining room, pausing before she spoke, ¡°Chairman Chu, madam, Yanyan is outside the large iron gate getting soaked in the rain, wanting to come in.¡± Yuan Xi slightly knitted her brows and put down the chopsticks in her hand. Yang Ying said, ¡°She insists on marrying Bo Fan, so it¡¯s impossible for me to let her enter Chu Family¡¯s door again.¡± As soon as Yang Ying finished speaking, the door was opened, and Chu Lin rushed in, travel-worn. Chu Lin said, ¡°Dad, Mom, if it weren¡¯t for the news, I wouldn¡¯t have known that Yanyan is getting married tomorrow. How could such a big matter not be discussed with me?¡± Yuan Xi saw the suitcase carried by Chu Lin¡¯s assistant and it was clear that Chu Lin had been away on a business trip for some time. Yuan Xi finally understood why Chu Lin, the famous ¡°sister-doting fanatic¡± of Jiang City, didn¡¯t speak out for Chu Yan after the Chu Family kicked her out. Chu Yan followed behind Chu Lin and entered, her figure pitiful and drenched in the rain, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Dad, you once said that on my wedding day, you would hold my hand and entrust me to my other half. I¡¯m getting married tomorrow, and I hope Dad can come hold my hand, personally hand me over to Bo Fan¡­¡± Yang Ying said firmly, ¡°Impossible, Chu Yan, we have already told you, if you insist on marrying Bo Fan, then you are no longer a member of the Chu Family!¡± Chu Yan sobbed, ¡°Mommy.¡± Chu Qing also said, ¡°The wedding is not until tomorrow, Chu Yan, you still have a chance to change your mind.¡± Chu Yan looked at Huo Shiyuan, sitting next to Yuan Xi, pointed at him and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, you chose Yuan Xi over me in a decision. I don¡¯t blame you because after all, Yuan Xi is your biological daughter. But I have also called you mom and dad for twenty-five years, you can¡¯t just because your biological daughter didn¡¯t marry to your liking, begrudge me for marrying Bo Fan, begrudge that my wedding is better than Yuan Xi¡¯s.¡± Chu Qing was extremely irritated and said, ¡°Chu Yan! What¡¯s so good about Bo Fan? His infidelity is public knowledge. When our Chu Family chooses spouses for our children, the most important thing is not wealth but character. When I married your mother, her father¡¯s family didn¡¯t despise me for just being the owner of a small private gas station, and that¡¯s how Chuneng Group stands today. This John may not be as well-born as Bo Fan, but what counts is that he is wholeheartedly devoted to Yuan Xi, unlike Bo Fan, who made his indiscretions known to everyone.¡± Yang Ying also said, ¡°Chu Yan, if you still stubbornly insist on marrying Bo Fan, our relationship will be completely cut off. Tomorrow, no one from Chuneng Group will attend your wedding.¡± Chu Yan cried with reddened eyes, ¡°Mom, for the sake of Yuan Xi, are you going to disregard our Chu Family¡¯s many years of friendship and face with the Bo Family?¡± ¡°Mom, you know about the collaboration between President Fu An and the Bo Family. The Bo Family¡¯s position in Jiang City will only grow stronger in the future. If the Chu Family does not attend the wedding tomorrow, it would be tantamount to severing ties with the Bo Family!¡± Chu Lin, who usually doted on his sister, also did not speak for Chu Yan this time. Chu Lin said, ¡°Yanyan, what do you mean by us severing ties with the Bo Family? Was it not Bo Fan who cheated first? If the Bo Family valued us, they wouldn¡¯t have done such a disgusting thing.¡± Chu Yan tearfully knelt and kowtowed, ¡°Dad, Mom, even if you no longer wish to adopt me, tomorrow is the most important day of my life. Would you please come to my wedding? I beg you.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s tearful and ceaseless kowtowing was pitiful to see. Nanny Zhang watched from the side, finding it heartrending. Yang Ying looked at Chu Yan in such a sorry state, her expression softening slightly. Chu Yan then knelt and kowtowed towards Yuan Xi, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have instigated cyberbullying against you. I realize my mistake, Yuan Xi. I kowtow to you, please persuade Mom and Dad to come to my wedding! Yuan Xi, just for one day tomorrow, can you let me have Mom and Dad? After that, I will never compete with you for them again, and I will willingly leave the Chu Family.¡± Yuan Xi found Chu Yan kneeling and kowtowing quite disgusting, thinking she had a nerve to do it. Chu Lin said, ¡°Dad, Mom, Yanyan is now set on marrying Bo Fan, and no amount of persuasion will sway her. Tomorrow, Dad, you should still go to the wedding and give Yanyan¡¯s hand to Bo Fan.¡± Yuan Xi looked at the kowtowing Chu Yan, and a surge of morning sickness rose from the pit of her throat. Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Announcing Chu Yan is No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Announcing Chu Yan is No Longer the Daughter of the Chu Family Huo Shiyuan watched as Yuan Xi covered her mouth with the back of her hand and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuan Xi replied softly, ¡°I feel a bit nauseous.¡± Huo Shiyuan took off his watch and projected a surveillance video onto the white wall. On the pristine wall, a video appeared showing Chu Yan and her entourage barging into Chao Qing¡¯s house and slapping her. Soon, Chao Qing¡¯s voice came from the watch. ¡°Miss Chu, do you realize you¡¯re trespassing into someone¡¯s house? I could call the police and accuse you of robbery.¡± A smack was heard again quickly, followed by Chu Yan¡¯s arrogant voice. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? Don¡¯t you know who my uncle is in Jiang City? I¡¯d like to see to it, with my uncle here, if the police would dare to interfere!¡± Huo Shiyuan paused the video and said to Yang Ying, ¡°This is the video Chao Qing sent to Si Chen before going abroad, hoping to use Si Chen to expose it. Si Chen chose not to make the video public but paid Chao Qing two million to buy the rights to this surveillance footage. If this video were to leak, it would greatly impact my uncle¡­¡± Chu Lin looked at the pitiful Chu Yan kneeling on the ground and the Chu Yan in the projection ¨C they seemed like two different people. Chu Lin, utterly disappointed, said to Chu Yan, ¡°Yanyan, how could you dare?¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Yang Ying was nearly exploding with anger. If the Si Family were to expose this video, her brother¡¯s future would be severely affected, and her retired father would also be stained with disgrace. Yang Ying glared at Chu Yan and demanded, ¡°Get out, Chu Qing, you need to immediately let the company release a statement disowning Chu Yan from the Chu Family, declaring that from now on, Chu Yan is no longer a daughter of the Chu Family! Her actions have nothing to do with the Chu and Yang families.¡± Chu Yan was stunned, feeling an icy numbness all over her body. Chu Yan pleaded in extreme panic, ¡°No, Dad, Mom, please don¡¯t¡­¡± Chu Qing said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone release the disownment statement right away.¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I think we shouldn¡¯t release the disownment announcement today. Let¡¯s wait until after the wedding tomorrow. Chu Yan has been so eager to marry Bo Fan; just let her marry him.¡± If they released the disownment statement today, the Bo Family would surely cancel tomorrow¡¯s wedding¡­ Gu Hanchen had been looking forward to the lively wedding for days, and Yuan Xi couldn¡¯t let him wait so long only to miss out on the excitement. Besides, Yuan Xi was quite keen to see the liveliness herself. Moreover, Bo Fan and Chu Yan were such a good match; it would be a pity if they didn¡¯t marry. Chu Qing and Yang Ying didn¡¯t understand why Yuan Xi would suggest this, but since it was a rare request from her, they agreed to it. Yang Ying pointed towards the door and said to Chu Yan, ¡°Get out; you are never to step foot in the Chu Family¡¯s house again.¡± Chu Yan, heartbroken and resentful, stood up. Her eyes filled with resentment, ¡°It¡¯s true when they say adopted isn¡¯t the same as biological¡­¡± Chu Qing, even more angered, said, ¡°Chu Yan, this has nothing to do with being biological or not. If today it was Xinxin or Chu Lin misusing the Yang Family¡¯s fame to show off, we would still sever ties with them!¡± Chu Yan sneered and responded, ¡°You just say it nicely. One day, I will make you realize how big a mistake you made by kicking me out today!¡± After Chu Yan stormed off angrily, Chu Lin furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°How could she turn out this way?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°She¡¯s always been this way; it¡¯s you who¡¯ve been blind.¡± Yang Ying looked at Huo Shiyuan and asked, ¡°John, did you say that Si Chen bought this video?¡± Huo Shiyuan nodded, ¡°Yes, Si Chen gave me the video. If this video were to be released, Chu Yan would probably not be able to stay in the country anymore, and both Chuneng Group and the Yang Family would face disasters.¡± Yang Ying asked, ¡°Why would Si Chen give you this video for free? Did he ask for anything in return?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°Si Chen wished to give me this video for free, mainly because of Yuan Xi. Without Yuan Xi, Si Chen could easily use the content behind this surveillance video to kick the Bo Family out of the top four families in Jiang City.¡± Huo Shiyuan continued playing the video where Chao Qing earnestly persuaded Chu Yan not to marry Bo Fan, describing his heavy gambling losses. Yet, Chu Yan didn¡¯t trust a word. Yang Ying sighed deeply, her eyes filled with guilt as she looked at Yuan Xi and said tearfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xinxin.¡± Yuan Xi maintained her professional, calm smile and shook her head, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Chu Lin also belatedly realized the seriousness of the surveillance footage. If this matter were to be exposed online, it would be far more serious than Chu Yan and Bao Yan insulting rural people previously. His judgment had indeed been very poor before. ¡°Bo Fan¡¯s gambling¡­¡± Chu Lin asked, ¡°It can¡¯t be true, can it?¡± Chu Lin, Gu Hanchen, and Bo Fan had been good friends since childhood. Usually, when Chu Lin and Gu Hanchen played cards in Jiangye, Bo Fan would not participate. Gu Hanchen was bad at playing cards but loved playing, and Bo Fan would mock Gu Hanchen as a scatterbrain, always saying that gambling harms people. Would he really have lost billions? Huo Shiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Chu Lin scrutinized Huo Shiyuan, perhaps preconditioned by Chu Yan¡¯s words, always regarding him as a countryside gold-digger entirely dependent on Yuan Xi. But now, carefully assessing Huo Shiyuan, Chu Lin realized that apart from being better looking than those top male celebrities, there was also an indescribable air of dignity about Yuan Xi¡¯s husband. Yuan Xi stood up and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s getting late, we should head home.¡± Yang Ying said, ¡°It¡¯s so late already, just stay over.¡± Yuan Xi shook her head and replied, ¡°No, thank you.¡± After leaving the Chu Family, Yuan Xi got into the car and glanced at Huo Shiyuan from the passenger side, ¡°When did you get this surveillance footage?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°A few days ago.¡± Yuan Xi gave a light, gentle laugh, ¡°Thank you, Shiyan.¡± Huo Shiyuan looked at Yuan Xi sideways, ¡°Just a verbal thank you?¡± Yuan Xi asked, ¡°What kind of thank-you gift would you like?¡± Huo Shiyuan did not respond. Yuan Xi thought to herself that Shiyan probably lacked nothing; she also didn¡¯t know what kind of thank-you gift to give him. So she decided not to dwell on it any longer. ¡­ June 18th, early in the morning. All major social media accounts of Fanyan Entertainment began live streaming. By the time Yuan Xi arrived at Mi Chen Hall, the receptionist, who had come to work early, was watching the live stream of Bo Fan and Chu Yan¡¯s wedding of the century on her phone. Seeing Yuan Xi, the receptionist swiftly tucked her phone away. ¡°Good morning, President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi didn¡¯t mind that the receptionist was watching the live stream during work hours. Mi Chen wasn¡¯t very strict about employees slacking off as long as their work was error-free. Once in her office, Yuan Xi also opened her phone and watched the live stream from Fanyan Entertainment. In the live stream, Chu Yan was dressed in a red gown. ¡°Bo Fan, even Heaven favors us, after so many days of rain, today is finally sunny! The registry office is about to open, we can go and get our marriage certificate.¡± Inside the live stream, as Bo Fan, dressed in a tailored suit, appeared onscreen, the screen was flooded with comments. ¡°So handsome, so handsome, if the CEO of Fanyan Entertainment debuts, other male stars won¡¯t stand a chance in the entertainment industry.¡± ¡°They match so well, fairy tales don¡¯t lie; in the end, it¡¯s always the prince and princess who end up together.¡± ¡°Farmers boycott Fanyan, boycott Chu Yan, boycott Bao Yan.¡± ¡°Fanyan is too stingy, aren¡¯t they? The CEO and CEO¡¯s wife are getting married today, and they¡¯re not doing a giveaway to share their happiness? The guy next door selling tissues gives away a phone every three minutes!¡± Seeing this comment, Chu Yan said, ¡°This netizen is right. To celebrate our marriage, we¡¯ll do a phone giveaway every three minutes in the live stream today.¡± Bo Fan subtly furrowed his brows undetectably. In the next instant, Bo Fan affectionately teased Chu Yan¡¯s nose, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as the CEO¡¯s wife wishes and give away phones to share the joy.¡± Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Why She Did Not Marry From the Chu Family Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Why She Did Not Marry From the Chu Family Yuan Xi watched as the viewer count in Fan Yan¡¯s live broadcast soared straight upward, already exceeding two hundred thousand viewers online. The number of viewers in the live broadcast room was obviously still increasing. ¡°This is too suave, huh? Mr. Bo tenderly calling her ¡®CEO¡¯s wife,¡¯ wow, that¡¯s just suavely explosive!¡± ¡°I too wish someone would call me ¡®CEO¡¯s wife!''¡± ¡°Who understands the power behind ¡®CEO¡¯s wife¡¯? Chu Yan¡¯s life is really too good!¡± ¡°Just the title ¡®CEO¡¯s wife¡¯ makes you forget that Chu Yan looks down on rural people?¡± ¡°Hey, she already explained that her account was hacked, right? Do you still have to cling to it and be this hostile towards the wealthy?¡± ¡°Chu Yan is really fortunate! People jealous of wealth should go find their sense of presence elsewhere.¡± When it was time for work, Yuan Xi stopped watching the broadcast. Before closing the live stream, Yuan Xi noticed that the number of viewers was still rising, the temptation of a mobile phone giveaway every three minutes was quite significant. At noon, the public relations manager Fang Qin knocked on the door of Yuan Xi¡¯s office. ¡°President Yuan, today is the birthday of Mr. Xu from the finance department. Chen Shu and I have prepared a birthday surprise for her at the Shiyi Hotel. We¡¯ve booked a table; do you have time to join?¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Today is Xu Zhou¡¯s birthday? I¡¯ve been too busy lately, she deserves a proper celebration, I¡¯ll come.¡± Go to ????????????????????.co When Yuan Xi arrived, she saw two tables of people sitting in the small private room, colleagues from the finance department were also there. Yuan Xi and Xu Zhou had been colleagues for five years. From the beginning, Xu Zhou served as the head of finance for the small-scale Mi Chen Game, and now as Mi Chen is about to go public, her contributions were indispensable. Yuan Xi toasted Xu Zhou with a drink, ¡°Sister Zhou, happy birthday.¡± Xu Zhou smiled lightly and also drank a beverage, ¡°Isn¡¯t today the day your sister Chu Yan and Bo Fan get married? Why didn¡¯t you take the day off? Mr. Gu took the day off; I just saw him in the live stream. Normally at the company, you wouldn¡¯t see Mr. Gu until noon, but today he was already his groomsman by nine o¡¯clock.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°Chu Yan is not my sister.¡± On hearing Yuan Xi say this, Xu Zhou quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry.¡± Yuan Xi smiled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Fang Qin said, ¡°Today, Chu Yan really dominated the trending searches, the hashtag #CEOsWifeExplosivelyCharming also made it to the hot search.¡± The head of the administrative department, Huang Hui said, ¡°I just glanced at the hot search, and everyone was praising how fortunate Chu Yan is. I kept thinking it seems like I¡¯m the only one who stumbled upon Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity, a cheating man getting so many praises for his devotion?¡± At the finance department¡¯s table, several recent graduates who were interns spoke up: ¡°Mr. Huang, which man in this world doesn¡¯t cheat? At least Bo Fan is rich, handsome, and young. In their circle, it¡¯s basically impossible not to have some affairs outside.¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly, no man nowadays is good. Those domineering CEOs who are devoted to their wives only exist in novels, there aren¡¯t any devoted CEOs in reality.¡± ¡°If I were at Bo Fan¡¯s level, I¡¯d change a male star every day.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled softly. ¡°Oh my God, Chu Yan¡¯s wedding dress is like ten, hundred, thousand¡­ it¡¯s actually twenty million!¡± ¡°Compared to Chu Yan¡¯s diamond ring worth over three hundred million, the twenty million wedding dress is nothing. But their wedding today can indeed be considered a wedding of the century.¡± Yuan Xi opened her phone and took a glance at the live stream. After getting registered, both Chu Yan and Bo Fan seemed very happy, as if they were sighing in relief. After leaving the registry office, Chu Yan went to Jiangjing No.1 to change into her wedding dress and get her makeup done, waiting for Bo Fan and the groomsmen to pick her up. Xu Zhou, who was also watching the live stream, felt puzzled, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Chu Yan getting married from Chu¡¯s Mansion?¡± Yuan Xi smiled, ¡°She¡¯s not my sister, so naturally, she isn¡¯t Chu Family¡¯s daughter anymore.¡± The high-level executives at the table from Mi Chen all caught the scent of juicy gossip, all eagerly looking at Yuan Xi, anticipating her to spill more details. But Yuan Xi didn¡¯t continue, so everyone surrounded her, asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Chu Family¡¯s daughter anymore? Then why is today¡¯s widespread promotion still calling her the daughter of Chuneng Group?¡± ¡°Ah, Xixi, do tell us what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Xixi, hurry and spill the beans.¡± Yuan Xi joked, ¡°It seems that Mi Chen really set a precedent.¡± To join the fun during the busiest time, Gu Hanchen took a day off to be the best man, and the high spirits of Mi Chen¡¯s executives seemed to have followed Gu Hanchen. Yuan Xi said with a light laugh, ¡°After the wedding ceremony, Chuneng Group will issue a statement to sever ties.¡± ¡°Really? Chu Yan is marrying into the Bo Family. Can the Chu Family afford to fall out with the Bo Family?¡± Xu Zhou said, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day I could enjoy the drama firsthand. Today, our department can leave early to enjoy the show at home, no overtime.¡± The colleagues from the finance department who had been working overtime for several months were quite happy. Unlike getting married from within the Chu Family, Chu Yan was getting married from Jiangjing No.1, and those who came from the Bo Family with Bo Fan were full of questions. Yu Xiaoxiao, wearing makeup even more refined than Chu Yan¡¯s, asked, ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t leaving from the Chu¡¯s today, shouldn¡¯t Uncle Chu and Aunt Yang come to see you off? The auspicious hour for your departure is almost upon us, aren¡¯t Uncle Chu and Aunt Yang coming?¡± Chu Yan looked at the bright red marriage certificate beside her, and the weight in her heart lifted. ¡°My parents are busy with work.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao was full of doubt, ¡°Can they be so busy that they miss their daughter¡¯s wedding?¡± Chu Yan frowned and said, ¡°They just had some reservations about Bo Fan¡¯s infidelity, don¡¯t say any more.¡± Seeing that Chu Yan was upset, Yu Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡­ Outside the convention center, the media reporters could practically be said to have swarmed the area. Various cameras and video cameras pointed at the red carpet like artillery, ready to capture the excitement of today¡¯s grand wedding in Jiang City. Cameras flashed continuously as Chu Yan got out of the wedding car. After getting out of the car, Chu Yan smiled and waved at the media before she and Bo Fan entered the convention center together. Following the wedding car were various luxury vehicles brought by guests attending the wedding. Today, stars from Fanyan Entertainment and various influential figures from Jiang City would be attending, and the media was eager to capture more photos. By the time Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan arrived at the convention center, there were already many guests familiar to Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi went forward to greet them. Gu Hanchen came up to Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyuan, complaining, ¡°I¡¯ve been here all day; where¡¯s the excitement? You can¡¯t let me be a best man for nothing. Where¡¯s Chu Yan¡¯s biological father? Didn¡¯t the Bo Family pay him off to stay away?¡± Huo Shiyuan replied, ¡°No.¡± Inside the bride¡¯s resting room at the convention center. Bo Fan pulled Chu Yan aside, away from the live cameras, ¡°Chu Yan, why aren¡¯t you getting married from the Chu¡¯s today?¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°Ah, the wedding is about to start soon, let¡¯s go through the ceremony procedure one more time! Let¡¯s cancel the speech segment by my parents!¡± Bo Fan said, furrowing his brows, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Chu Lin here either on your wedding day?¡± Chu Yan stammered, ¡°Something big happened with Chuneng, he might come over when the ceremony starts.¡± Bo Fan¡¯s brow furrowed even more. Suddenly, a bodyguard rushed in, ¡°Mr. Bo, madam, someone outside claims to be Miss Chu¡¯s father and insists on coming in. There are too many reporters outside, we didn¡¯t dare to forcibly remove him¡­¡± Hearing the bodyguard say this, Chu Yan knew it couldn¡¯t be Chu Qing. If it were Chu Qing, the bodyguard wouldn¡¯t have stopped him. Chu Yan frowned, ¡°My father? It must be some crazy person, just get rid of him!¡± Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Yu Fu is Chu Yans biological father Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Yu Fu is Chu Yan¡¯s biological father Bo Fan also furrowed his brows, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and check.¡± Chu Yan followed Bo Fan to the entrance of the convention center and saw a short, thin, dark-skinned old man revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. ¡°I am the biological father of your CEO¡¯s wife, Fan Yan. Today is my daughter¡¯s wedding, why won¡¯t you let me in?¡± At the entrance of the convention center, not only the media but also many newly arrived guests stopped to watch upon hearing the old man¡¯s words. Gu Hanchen spoke to Yuan Xi and Huo Shiyan, ¡°Is this really Chu Yan¡¯s father? Well, he does bear some resemblance!¡± Chu Yan, hearing what Gu Hanchen had said, suddenly froze in place. Bo Fan furrowed his brows even deeper and looked at Gu Hanchen, ¡°Gu Hanchen, what did you say?¡± Gu Hanchen remembered the last time Bo Fan had used marketing accounts to accuse him of slandering a woman, especially harmful during Mi Chen¡¯s IPO¡­ Gu Hanchen coughed once, deliberately speaking loudly so the media could hear, ¡°I said! This here is Chu Yan¡¯s biological father, Yu Fu, your father-in-law! I specially found Chu Yan¡¯s biological father as a wedding gift for you! Are you moved?¡± Yu Xiaoxiao stood beside Chu Yan, disdainfully looking at Yu Fu in front of her who reeked of strong tobacco and sweat, ¡°Brother Hanchen, are you sure this is Chu Yan¡¯s biological father?¡± Gu Hanchen smiled and said, ¡°Absolutely, definitely, and certainly! This is indeed Chu Yan¡¯s biological dad.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Uncle Chu too busy with work today to come and hold Yanyan¡¯s hand, handing her off to Bo Fan?¡± ¡°I and Bo Fan are such good brothers, growing up together, how could I allow Bo Fan to marry without a father-in-law present? So I found Chu Yan¡¯s biological father for her.¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Chu Yan felt her whole body go stiff and cold; she couldn¡¯t believe that this man, reeking of tobacco, hunched over, and with a head of messy hair, could be her biological father. Yu Fu spoke to Chu Yan, ¡°Girl, I am indeed your dad. I didn¡¯t mean to abandon you at the orphanage back then; it was just that I couldn¡¯t even survive on my own at that time.¡± Chu Yan, dressed in her wedding gown, cried out hysterically, ¡°You are not my father! How could you possibly be my father?¡± Gu Hanchen said, ¡°You two look very much alike. How could he not be your father? All your information is there at the orphanage. If you don¡¯t believe me, just call and ask the director of the orphanage now.¡± Chu Yan grabbed Bo Fan¡¯s arm, ¡°No, Bo Fan, he is not my father!¡± Bo Fan¡¯s brow furrowed deeper; Chu Yan¡¯s biological father had already been investigated by the Bo Family, and Bo Fan knew for certain that the man in front of them was indeed Chu Yan¡¯s biological father. Bo Fan heard the soft mocking and gossiping from around them, especially seeing Yuan Xi¡¯s husband¡¯s meaningful gaze, making his face burn with pain. Bo Fan really wanted to call off the wedding, but he couldn¡¯t; Fan Yan desperately needed Chu Yan¡¯s substantial dowry of ten billion! ¡°Yanyan,¡± Bo Fan took Chu Yan¡¯s hand, ¡°He is probably your biological father, but he abandoned you before. You don¡¯t have to care about him now; your father will only be Chu Qing!¡± Upon hearing this, Yu Fu became infuriated: ¡°I am her biological father, what do you mean she doesn¡¯t have to care about me? I brought her into this world, and it¡¯s all thanks to me that she can now be Young Madam Bo! She¡¯s getting married now, she can¡¯t just ignore her old man, nor her biological brother.¡± Yu Fu looked at the pink diamond on Chu Yan¡¯s hand, ¡°Today she¡¯s giving away a phone every three minutes and wearing a rock worth over three hundred million; she should at least give her old man a few tens of millions!¡± Tears welled up in Chu Yan¡¯s eyes as she retorted, ¡°You! Don¡¯t even think about it! You are not my dad, you¡¯re not!¡± Yuan Xi looked at Yu Fu, finding him eerily familiar, similar to the same people from the Yuan Family she had seen on the surveillance footage coming to Mi Chen asking her for money days ago. She felt not a shred of sympathy for Chu Yan. Especially because of what Yu Fu said, that Chu Yan could only be Young Madam Bo thanks to him. Madam Bo and Bao Yan, who were hosting the guests, hurried over to witness the scene. Father Bo, trying to smooth things over, put his arm around Yu Fu¡¯s back and led him aside, ¡°How much money will it take for you to leave?¡± Yu Fu said, ¡°Give me ten million first.¡± Father Bo furrowed his brows tightly, wrote a check for one million, ¡°Take this one million and leave first; I¡¯ll give you the rest later.¡± Yu Fu took the check, flicked it, and left while the going was good; his daughter had become the Young Madam Bo, and there would be many more opportunities to get money in the future. Chu Yan returned to the dressing room, smashed a row of cosmetics in front of her, and sobbed loudly. She couldn¡¯t accept that her biological father was such a person! ¡°Stop crying, Yanyan.¡± ¡°Yanyan¡­ Your wedding is about to start, don¡¯t ruin your makeup with tears!¡± Although several wealthy girls snickered secretly at the usually arrogant Chu Yan having such an embarrassing biological father, they still complimented her face-to-face. After all, even if Chu Yan was no longer Miss Chu after today, she would still be Madam Bo. Only Yu Xiaoxiao truly pitied Chu Yan. She thought to herself that luckily, she resembled her father, and she would never dislike her resemblance to him again; not being a real heiress was indeed pitiable. ¡°Oh, Brother Hanchen really is¡­ Although I like him, I also think he was wrong this time¡­¡± Chu Yan stopped crying. She looked at herself in the mirror: ¡°Yuan Xi! It must be that bitch Yuan Xi. As soon as she came back, she forced my parents to choose between us, and now she¡¯s arranged this drama to disgust me on my wedding day!¡± Chu Yan went outside the resting room to check the comments on the live-stream on a staff member¡¯s phone. Luckily, many netizens were sympathetic towards her, although a few unkind comments scrolled by. Chu Yan took the phone livestreaming and approached Yuan Xi, raising her hand to slap Yuan Xi¡¯s face. Before her slap landed, Yuan Xi grabbed her wrist. Yuan Xi stared at Chu Yan and said, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Chu Yan spoke to the phone: ¡°Yuan Xi, did you get Yu Fu here to mock me? I was also adopted by my parents. What right do you have to hate me so much? It¡¯s true you¡¯re the real heiress, but I was legally adopted.¡± Yuan Xi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue about who is wrong or right. Even if I arranged for Yu Fu to come here, why would you think it¡¯s to mock you? He¡¯s your biological father, what right do you have to despise him?¡± Chu Yan spoke angrily: ¡°Yuan Xi, you just married a construction worker from the countryside, so you can¡¯t stand to see me faring well. You¡¯re jealous that I snatched the elite husband that should have been yours! You¡¯re bullying me because of that! Do you really think it¡¯s amusing? I¡¯m also an adopted daughter of the Chu family, and my engagement to Bo Fan wasn¡¯t really stealing him from you. Why are you making it into a female competition?¡± Yuan Xi spoke coldly: ¡°Chu Yan, I¡¯m the vice president of Mi Chen. I can become Jiang City¡¯s new elite household with my own abilities. I don¡¯t need to marry anyone to achieve that. I have work, skills, and shares. Why would I desire a man like Bo Fan who is unfaithful?¡± Yuan Xi looked at Chu Yan: ¡°And hearing you talk about ¡®female competition¡¯ is laughable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chu Yan, extremely irritated: ¡°Yuan Xi, I know you¡¯re jealous of me, even if you own the multimillion-dollar Charlotte Blue Diamond because of me! But this Pink Aurora Diamond is truly a symbol of Bo Fan¡¯s love for me. Even if you scheme a hundred times, you will never possess a Pink Aurora Diamond! Stop trying your tricks on me; you can never obtain the Pink Aurora.¡± Several comments flashed in the live stream. ¡°The CEO¡¯s wife is powerful. Real heiress fighting over the fake heiress¡¯s fianc¨¦ is so annoying!¡± ¡°Novels never lie, the real heiress always comes back to claim the fake heiress¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°A cultured diamond, I¡¯m hardly envious.¡± Chu Yan scoffed, ¡°What cultured diamond? This is a Pink Aurora Diamond¡­¡± ¡°Auntie, is this the Pink Aurora you mentioned?¡± A childlike voice came; Yuan Xi looked down to see Xiao Shihuo approaching with a small backpack. Xiao Shihuo opened his little hand, revealing a pink diamond, sparkling brilliantly. ¡°Auntie, is this the Pink Aurora Diamond? I have a whole backpack of them.¡± Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Drive Yuan Xi Out Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Drive Yuan Xi Out Xiao Shihuo handed the diamond ring to Yuan Xi, ¡°Sister, let me put this on you.¡± Huo Shiyan, standing nearby, saw Xiao Shihuo holding the ring, about to slip it onto Yuan Xi¡¯s ring finger, and frowned as he stepped forward to stop it, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Xiao Shihuo then took another pink diamond ring and offered it to Gu Nuan standing behind him, ¡°Sister Nuannuan, let me put this on you.¡± After Gu Nuan had put on the ring, she didn¡¯t forget to compare it to Chu Yan¡¯s diamond ring, ¡°Weird, these two diamonds really look exactly the same, even the fire color is almost identical!¡± Chu Yan¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knit as she said, ¡°How can they be exactly the same? Mine is worth three hundred million¡­¡± Xiao Shihuo opened his backpack, and with both hands, he presented a bunch of pink diamonds, ¡°See, they are exactly the same! I have so many of these identical rings!¡± Xiao Shihuo sweetly gave away pink diamonds to the bystanders who were enjoying the show. ¡°Sister, this one is for you.¡± ¡°Sister, although it¡¯s not a natural diamond, it looks very pretty~¡± ¡°Sister, your nails are so pretty. Wearing a pink diamond will complement them nicely.¡± Gu Hanchen spread his hands out to Xiao Shihuo and said, ¡°Give me one too.¡± Xiao Shihuo thought for a moment and said, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Gu Hanchen shook his head. Go to ????????????????????.co Xiao Shihuo said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t give you one, I only give them to pretty sisters.¡± Yu Xiaoxiao, upon hearing the words ¡°pretty sister,¡± patted Xiao Shihuo¡¯s head, ¡°You¡¯re much more likable than your sister-in-law.¡± Xu Chen, holding a pink diamond, turned to look at Chu Yan, whose face had turned sour, ¡°Yanyan¡­¡± Chu Yan tried to turn off the livestream, but couldn¡¯t manage to do it. She placed her phone aside, stepped forward, and threw Xiao Shihuo¡¯s backpack onto the ground, scattering pink diamonds all over. Xiao Shihuo, frightened, hugged Yuan Xi¡¯s thigh, ¡°Wuwu, sister, that auntie is so fierce!¡± Yuan Xi stroked Xiao Shihuo¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Chu Yan¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears, full of fury as she stared at Yuan Xi, ¡°Yuan Xi, is this fun for you? Even if you hated me for taking your place and enjoying twenty-five years of life that should¡¯ve been yours, you shouldn¡¯t cause trouble over and over again at my wedding!¡± ¡°First, you find some disgusting man to pretend to be my father. Now you have this child giving away pink cultured diamonds that look exactly like the Pink Aurora to disgust me?¡± Chu Yan adopted a pitiful damsel-in-distress demeanor, instructing her assistant nearby to pick up the phone that was live streaming. Kneeling down in front of the live stream camera, Chu Yan addressed Yuan Xi: ¡°Yuan Xi, it¡¯s a fact that I¡¯ve lived your life for twenty-five years. I don¡¯t know how to make it up to you, but I never wanted to take your place either. It was my parents who adopted me. You can¡¯t blame me for what happened¡­¡± With tears continuously falling, Chu Yan said, ¡°Why do you want to ruin my wedding? Why did you send a kid over to give away a cultured diamond that mimics my Pink Aurora?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re upset that I took your top-tier high-society fianc¨¦, I¡¯m sorry, I really can¡¯t give him back to you. I love Bo Fan; I truly love Bo Fan¡­¡± Chu Yan, dressed in a spotless wedding gown, knelt on the ground, a sight that garnered boundless sympathy from the netizens. ¡°Why must the real and fake heiresses fight to the death?¡± ¡°On such a joyous day, all grievances shouldn¡¯t ruin someone¡¯s wedding!¡± ¡°Yuan Xi has gone too far!¡± Inside the venue, busy entertaining guests, Madam Bo and Bao Yan hurried over. Upon seeing the scene, Bao Yan quickly went to help Chu Yan up, ¡°Someone, throw Yuan Xi and her husband out!¡± Chu Yan, still sobbing as Bao Yan helped her up, felt jubilant inside. Didn¡¯t Yuan Xi have Gu Hanchen throw her out of the Gu Family last time? Today, she wanted Yuan Xi to taste what it was like to be thrown out. ¡°You chose to marry a country bumpkin yourself, so why do you have to do this to Yanyan on her wedding day?¡± Bao Yan looked at Yuan Xi with eyes full of mockery and disdain, ¡°And you dare say that Yanyan¡¯s diamond is a cultured one? You¡¯re just slandering because you can¡¯t have it, claiming that Yanyan¡¯s Pink Aurora is a fake!¡± Yuan Xi chuckled lightly, ¡°A cultured pink diamond indeed isn¡¯t a fake, but if you say that the one Chu Yan is wearing is the Pink Aurora, then that¡¯s a counterfeit.¡± Bao Yan angrily said, ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense without any proof. What evidence do you have to show that the diamond on Chu Yan¡¯s hand isn¡¯t the Pink Aurora? Do you think Bo Fan would give a fake diamond like your country husband?¡± Yuan Xi said, ¡°Your Bo Family is also in the jewelry business. Today, all the leading figures in the domestic jewelry industry are here. It¡¯s clear whether the Pink Aurora on Chu Yan¡¯s hand is real or not, just by having any random diamond appraisal organization check it.¡± Bao Yan said, ¡°Why should we have it appraised? How could the Bo Family possibly be so shameless as to use fake diamonds?¡± Yuan Xi chuckled, ¡°To prove whether it¡¯s real or fake, any diamond appraisal organization can do it, and the whole process can be live-streamed to see whether it¡¯s a cultured diamond or a natural one. If it¡¯s confirmed to be a natural diamond, I will give you one billion¡­ Do you dare to take this bet?¡± Bao Yan, furious and embarrassed, pointed at Yuan Xi and said, ¡°Get lost, just get far away from here!¡± ¡°Someone, the security, throw this trouble-making crazy woman Yuan Xi out!¡± Chu Yan watched the approaching security guards, looking down at Yuan Xi triumphantly. Today it was finally Yuan Xi¡¯s turn to be thrown out. ¡°The ones who need to be thrown out are probably you guys.¡± The person in charge of the convention center approached Yuan Xi and said, ¡°President Yuan.¡± Yuan Xi did recognize President Chen from the convention center; Mi Chen had held several exhibitions here as well, and Jiang City Comic Con had also invited Mi Chen to this convention center several times. President Chen looked at Bao Yan and said, ¡°I can return three times the rental fee to you, but if you want to throw out President Yuan, it¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡± Yuan Xi looked towards Huo Shiyuan, who whispered in her ear, ¡°This convention center belongs to Shiyi Group.¡± Yuan Xi understood at once. No wonder. Bao Yan had already spoken, pointing at the mobile phone live streaming and said, ¡°President Chen, it¡¯s still live broadcasting right now. Since we¡¯ve rented this place, the ownership is ours now!¡± President Chen said, ¡°You¡¯re just renting it. The contract states that the party A retains the right to reclaim the use of the venue under special circumstances and will compensate party B with three times the rental fee. Since you want to drive President Yuan away, sorry, we can¡¯t continue to rent this place for your wedding. Please leave!¡± The wedding wasn¡¯t over yet, and Bao Yan had no choice but to swallow this grievance. Bao Yan¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she glared at Yuan Xi, not knowing what dirty tricks she had used to make President Chen protect her like this. Chu Yan¡¯s expression was very ugly. The long-awaited wedding couldn¡¯t be ruined: ¡°Sister Yan, the wedding is about to start¡­¡± Bao Yan didn¡¯t care about driving away Yuan Xi anymore. They couldn¡¯t fail to hold the wedding now. She took Chu Yan to the resting room. When Bo Fan saw Chu Yan come over, he asked, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Dad appeared yet? The Chu Family¡¯s table is completely empty.¡± Chu Yan said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Because of your affair, Mom and Dad refused to come¡­¡± Bo Fan, who knew he was in the wrong, was slightly impatient, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s talk about it later¡­ Let¡¯s proceed with the wedding first.¡± Chu Yan took a deep breath, touched up her makeup, and went outside. Today¡¯s wedding was already luxurious and grand, and the earlier episode was insignificant. At the banquet table. Yuan Xi had to search for a while before she finally saw her name at the last table. After sitting down with Huo Shiyuan, both of them looked towards the stage of the wedding ceremony. The wedding hall meticulously prepared by Chu Yan was actually quite dreamy; calling it a wedding of the century wasn¡¯t an exaggeration at all. Setting aside the previous interruption, Chu Yan changed into a long trailing white wedding dress and appeared, the lights casting a beautiful glow on her. Chu Yan, holding her bouquet, went up on stage and, under the host¡¯s questioning, professed her deep love for Bo Fan. ¡°Bo Fan, do you take Chu Yan as your wife?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Chu Yan heard Bo Fan¡¯s voice, moved forward, and hugged him, kissing him by the ear. At the main table, Fu Yi saw this scene and clenched his wine glass with tension, suddenly noticing gossip-filled looks on the faces of the surrounding guests. The murmurs around began to grow. ¡°The Chuneng Group¡¯s official accounts have released a statement on all platforms; Chu Yan is no longer a daughter of the Chu Family. Any words spoken by Chu Yan outside have nothing to do with the Chu Family or the Yang Family!¡± ¡°My goodness, no wonder none of the Chu Family showed up for the wedding!¡± On the stage, it was still warm and tender; below the stage, many guests who had come to establish a relationship with Chuneng Group began to leave their seats. Although the Bo Family was an old and distinguished family of Jiang City, their current strength was no match for Chuneng Group. The fact that all Chuneng Group¡¯s accounts issued a statement to sever relations with them showed that they had made an enemy of the Bo Family. Nearly half the guests affiliated with Chuneng Group had already left. Finally, on stage, Bo Fan was informed something was amiss. The secretary came up to whisper in Bo Fan¡¯s ear. Bo Fan listened, filled with anger, and walked over to Chu Yan to ask sharply, ¡°Chu Yan, did you know that the Chu Family was going to disown you in advance?¡±