137: Chapter 137: Stop Pretending 137: Chapter 137: Stop Pretending After analyzing the situation, Su He realized the man in front of her hadn’t reacted at all.
After a while, she narrowed her eyes slightly: “Did you already know about this?”
The man slightly coughed with his uninjured hand and gave a noncommittal “hmm.”
Su He: “…”
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“I just haven’t had the chance to tell you yet.”
“When did you find out?”
“Just a bit before you did, around the time you went out this afternoon.”
“…”
Then, Su He asked another question: “But one thing I don’t understand is why he chose to strike at this time.
Bai Yang said most of the Lou Family’s liquid funds were injected into a charity organization.
You knew this, right?”
Jiang Yan didn’t conceal it from her: “Yes, maybe he made his move early because of this.”
It was just that he misjudged the timing of Lou Ziang’s move.
It was precisely this oversight that almost dragged the little fellow into trouble.
“That charity is just a front.
Most of their funds have been poured into an experimental project.
The exact nature of the project is still unclear; we only know it’s a costly one.
Uncle and Lou Ziang had signed a private cooperation agreement, and uncle planned to invest here.
However, due to Lou Guohui’s affair, their partnership was affected,” the man explained succinctly.
Su He nodded, continuing: “So Lou Ziang chose to make a move now to prevent uncle from pulling out of the project.
If that happened, uncle might as well take control over the Jiang Family.
Once the Jiang Group falls into his hands, uncle would also choose to cooperate with him.
It’s killing two birds with one stone.”
“It’s undeniable; Lou Ziang does think highly of you to be willing to pay a hefty sum to have Xuanqing Organization to take your life.
Ten million, you’re not cheap.”
Su He joked with him for a rare moment.
Jiang Yan: “…”
At this moment, Su Baobao interjected: “Mommy, what about baby?
Dad and I should split it, only worth five million each, that’s too cheap!”
Su He looked at her mischievous son and smiled helplessly.
The family of three seemed quite warm and harmonious here.
However, back home, those uninformed were not having such a warm and harmonious time.
It had been five days since the news reported Jiang Yan’s “death” from severe injuries abroad.
But there had been no response from the Jiang Family.
This left the public in speculation about the credibility of the news.
Indeed, many people were reluctant to believe this news.
After all, Jiang Yan was an elite in the Z country business world; he was like a god above the clouds.
His sudden fall was hard for many to accept all at once.
“Mom, so many days have passed, why hasn’t there been any response from the Jiang Family?” An Xueyin said to Lin Yue beside her: “Plus, that wretched girl Su He hasn’t been to the hospital these past few days, as if she’s vanished without a trace.
Even the hospital staff don’t know where she went.”
An Xueyin was pleased at the thought that if this was true, Su He would be utterly without support.
Lin Yue also found it strange – the Jiang Family hadn’t issued any disproof or confirmation, what exactly were they hiding?
Moreover, she had inquired about the internal situation of the Jiang Group.
Now it was Jiang Yan’s uncle Jiang Zhongzhen who was in charge if nothing had happened to Jiang Yan, he wouldn’t be absent for such an extended period without showing up.
Considering no one had seen him for so many days, it was almost certain that something had happened.
“Mom, if Su He has indeed become a widow, Grandma won’t be considering bringing her back to the An Family, right?” An Xueyin asked.
Previously, because of the An Xiao incident, Chen Shurong was so agitated that she spent some time in the hospital again.
Once, she overheard the Old Madam talking to An Chengyuan at the door of the sickroom.
She had requested An Chengyuan find a way to bring Su He back to the An Family, claiming that the eldest daughter of the An Family would always be Su He.
Of course, she knew what the Old Madam was thinking – namely, coveting Su He’s background as Young Madam Jiang.
Now that Su He had become a widow, without even leaving a child for Fifth Young Master Jiang, she would definitely be driven out by the Jiang Family.
Lin Yue said with a sharp tongue: “Whether she becomes a widow or not, the doors of the An Family will forever be closed to her.”
Upstairs, An Mi was about to come down and fetch a glass of water when she overheard the conversation between the two downstairs.
She certainly knew what Su He was up to.
If they had not been so careless, the child would not have disappeared, her sister and brother-in-law would not have gone looking, and perhaps no accident would have happened.
Luckily, Su He told her that they were fine, just temporarily unable to return.
Holding a glass of water, she descended the stairs.
Standing at the staircase entrance, she looked toward the two people on the sofa with a calm gaze, and said indifferently, “Mom, my sister might not even care to step into the An Family’s door.
You needn’t be so guarded against her.”
An Mi’s words startled both mother and daughter.
An Xueyin assumed the posture of an older sister and scolded, “An Mi, how can you talk to our mother like that over an outsider?”
An Mi couldn’t be bothered to engage her and turned her gaze to Lin Yue, whose face was sullen.
In a soft voice, she said, “Mom, after my sister left this family, she never returned, nor has she ever fought over anything belonging to the An Family with you, or with An Rui and me.
There’s no need for you to view her with hostility at all times.
She doesn’t need to return to the An Family, nor rely on it.
She can live just fine by herself.
Can’t you put aside your childish thoughts and actions?
Don’t always suspect others with a petty mindset.”
Lin Yue’s brows furrowed tightly, “An Mi, you…”
“Mom,” An Mi directly interrupted her, “I know what you want to say, but no matter what, I still think I’m right.
Also, there’s one more thing I want to tell you, I won’t be living at home anymore.
I’m going to stay in a dormitory.”
After speaking, she didn’t wait to see their reactions and turned to go to the kitchen for water, then went back upstairs to her room.
An Mi’s college was not far from home, and initially, Lin Yue was worried about her staying at the school, wanting her to live at home.
But now, An Mi would rather stay in a dormitory than stay at home.
Lin Yue was so angry that her chest heaved up and down.
An Xueyin stretched out her hand and patted her back, “Mom, don’t be angry.
She’s young and has been momentarily blinded by Su He.
After all, we are the closest people to An Rui and An Mi.
Give her some time, and she’ll come around.”
While talking, a fierce and malicious light flickered in the depths of An Xueyin’s eyes.
For some crazy reason, the siblings An Mi and An Rui suddenly became so close to Su He.
She had lived under the same roof with them for over a decade and had never been that close.
Elsewhere, at the An Group.
“Mr.
An, we’ve been looking for several days without finding anything,” the assistant reported, head bowed, standing in front of the desk.
An Chengyuan sat in the executive chair, his expression grave, “Not a single piece of news?”
The assistant looked up and shook his head.
After a moment, An Chengyuan spoke solemnly, “Keep searching.
We just need to confirm that girl is safe.”
The assistant nodded, “Alright, Mr.
An.”
After the assistant left, he pulled open a drawer next to him.
Inside was a photo, a family of three.
In An Chengyuan’s dark pupils was filled with regret and guilt.
…
In the past few days, Jiang You had been at the Jiang Family Mansion, keeping the Old Madam company.
Today, as she happened to be free, Gu Qianqian called her out.
She decided to go and also planned to buy some mousse cake for Grandma, her favorite, on her way back.
The two met up at noon and after eating hot pot, they began shopping, buying various things.
Inside a clothing store.
While the two were diligently picking out clothes, someone called out to Jiang You.
She instinctively looked up and saw Lou Ruozhi and Tang Sirou standing not far away.
Her red lips puckered, and she muttered, “What ill luck!”
The rare time she gets to go shopping and she runs into these two.
Clearly, she hadn’t checked the almanac before leaving the house today!
Hearing her, Gu Qianqian became curious about who could make Jiang You so repulsed.
She also looked up and saw.
Indeed, it was quite inauspicious.
She was aware of the affairs of the Jiang Family.
Having grown up following her uncle, she had heard quite a bit, and she also got along well with Jiang You.
Clearly, Jiang You did not want to encounter these two, her own face looking none too pleased.
“How about we go to another store?” Gu Qianqian suggested, blinking at her.
But before they could leave, Lou Ruozhi came over.
“Xiao You, why are you here?”
Lou Ruozhi clearly lost a lot of weight and looked somewhat more weather-beaten.
However, none of that was her concern.
Jiang You glanced at her disdainfully and said, “Why can’t I be here?
This isn’t your territory, what’s it to you?
Besides, I’m not bothering you, why can’t I show up here?”
Jiang You’s words were laced with sarcasm, causing Lou Ruozhi’s expression to freeze, visibly embarrassed.
But still, she kept a motherly smile on her face: “No, Xiao You, you misunderstood me.”
Jiang You only had one word for that: Fake!
Two words: Really fake!
It was enough to make her feel sick.
Jiang You said with distaste, “Mrs.
Lou, just call me Jiang You, please.
I’m really not close to you at all, and it’s revolting when you call me that; I get goosebumps all over.”
As she spoke, she lifted her arm and rubbed it.
“And another thing, how many times do I have to say it?
You don’t deserve to be my mom, and I’ve been without a mother since I was a child!” Jiang You said mercilessly.
Lou Ruozhi’s face turned pale, her fingers clenched tightly around her bag until the knuckles turned white and her veins bulged.
Gu Qianqian gave her a thumbs-up in silence.
To dare to confront your own mother like that, she was truly her best friend.
But, Mrs.
Lou genuinely didn’t deserve to be a mother, especially not Jiang You’s mother.
Tang Sirou maintained an air of a senior lecturing a younger: “Xiao You, how can you talk to your aunt like that?
You are hurting her feelings too much.”
Jiang You just rolled her eyes at her: “Say something new for once, will you?
Didn’t you pay attention in your Chinese classes?
Running out of words?”
Tang Sirou: “Xiao You, your aunt is worried about you, your brother he…”
“Shut up, you have no right to mention my brother!” Jiang You cut her off abruptly, and then launched into a tirade.
“Am I wrong?” she retorted.
Gu Qianqian responded softly: “You are right.”
Jiang You continued: “Exactly, I’m right.
To spell it out, Ms.
Lou, you did give me and my brother life, there would be no us without you.
But it’s not all your credit, without my dad, you could not have given birth to us either.
Moreover, have you ever taken care of or raised me since I was born?
No, you haven’t.
The moment you decided to abandon my brother and me, you lost any right to be recognized by us!
You were the one who discarded us first, why should I acknowledge you as my mom?
In today’s society, family isn’t just about blood relations.
Some people, even with blood ties, can never be family!”
Jiang You’s mouth was moving rapidly, like a machine gun firing away.
She showed no consideration to save Lou Ruozhi’s face in front of the crowd.
If she had the courage to do what she did, it meant she was not afraid of losing face.
And if her opponent was not afraid, then she had even less reason to feel embarrassed.
Lou Ruozhi’s heart ached and her facial expression became increasingly stiff.
Yet she still bit her lip and asked: “Xiao You, I just want to know, is it true that something happened to your brother?”
Jiang You looked at her coldly without a hint of concern.
She scoffed: “Yes, you’re right, my brother really had an accident.
Are you happy now?
There’s no need to pretend to care about him in front of me.
Remember how you treated him when he cried and begged you not to leave us behind?
You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
These were the things she learned from the servants after she became sensible.
At first, she had expectations of her mother, but after hearing what the servants and the housekeeper said, any such hope vanished instantly.
If it hadn’t been for this woman, her brother’s childhood would not have been so tragic.
And in her memory, it was always her brother who was there for her.
No one, not even her own biological mother, had the right to hurt her brother.
Lou Ruozhi was at a loss for words after Jiang You’s confrontation.
Jiang You, ready to leave with Gu Qianqian, gave Tang Sirou another glare: “And you, since you’re someone else’s fiancée now, keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself and stop thinking about my brother!”
Tang Sirou turned deathly pale: “Xiao You, don’t talk nonsense, I didn’t.”
Jiang You said disdainfully, “You know very well whether or not you miss him.
My brother is gone now, and I don’t want him to be on your mind even after ‘death.’ It’s bad luck and could affect his reincarnation in the next life!”
“…”
“Qianqian, let’s go, this place is full of bad vibes!”
She quickly pulled Gu Qianqian away from the store as if some germ was chasing after them.
“Xiao You, are you really okay?” Gu Qianqian asked anxiously, staring at her face.
Jiang You sighed deeply, “I’m fine, you know I have no familial affection for her.”
Gu Qianqian said, “I’m not talking about that, it’s about Mr.
Yan’s situation.
I haven’t been able to contact Su He these days either.”
She had always been afraid to bring it up to her, and only today, seeing that she had some time, did she want to invite her out to take her mind off things.
But just now…
Jiang You looked at her, blinked, and remembered that, right, she hadn’t told Gu Qianqian about her brother’s situation.
She coughed lightly and stealthily looked around to make sure no one was listening before whispering in her ear.
From worried to confused about why she was looking around, Gu Qianqian’s expression turned to utter shock.
Her mouth slightly opened, and her pupils dilated instantly.
After Jiang You finished speaking, she straightened up.
“Really?” Gu Qianqian asked, still in shock, blinking her eyes.
Jiang You nodded, “Yeah, really.”
Gu Qianqian patted her chest in assurance, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep this a secret.”
Jiang You was about to suggest they continue shopping when she saw a familiar silhouette across the street.
Gu Qianqian asked, “So, where shall we go next?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Jiang You was staring intently across the street.
Then she heard her say anxiously, “Qianqian, I have something important to deal with, you go back first, I’ll treat you another day.”
With that, she ran off.
Before Gu Qianqian could even respond, she stood dumbfounded.
She followed Jiang You’s gaze but saw nothing.
Why was she so agitated?
Who did she see?
By the time Jiang You got there, Xing Siyang had already vanished.
She frowned and continued walking.
After looking around, she saw him enter a men’s clothing store.
Without a second thought, she ran over.
Xing Siyang was pretending to pick out clothes, but his gaze kept falling on a man around ten o’clock.
He discreetly touched his ear and whispered, “Remember, be careful not to harm any passersby when we make our move.”
Seeing Xing Siyang’s face cleared the gloom in her heart caused by Tang Sirou and Lou Ruozhi in an instant.
Just as Jiang You was about to walk in, she unexpectedly came across Lou Ruozhi and Tang Sirou again.
They had only parted less than twenty minutes ago.
Today was truly her unlucky day!
She had thought that after her talk, the two of them would’ve lost interest in shopping, but to her surprise, they were still in the mood to browse a men’s clothing store.
The moment the two looked up, they met Jiang You’s cold eyes.
“Like a bad penny!”