Chapter 76.1

Cousin?

She couldn’t believe she had a cousin.

Ruan Mingfu wanted to ask more, but Mrs. Ruan, preoccupied with her own thoughts, didn’t seem inclined to speak. Unable to press further, she fell silent.

“Xie Yanzhao, this is surprising; I actually have a cousin.”

To figure this out, Ruan Mingfu mentally searched for clues about this so-called cousin but found none. If it weren’t for her fragmented memories, she would have doubted Mrs. Ruan’s words.

“When we meet her, we’ll see what the situation is.”

Ruan Mingfu lay on her bed and responded, then suddenly raised her head, grabbing Xie Yanzhao’s shirt.

“You say, my mother is not here for that cousin, right?”

“You’re already this old,” Xie Yanzhao stroked Ruan Mingfu’s long, satin-like hair and said with a smile, “Why are you still jealous?”

“Hmph!”

Ruan Mingfu scoffed, swatting his hand away.

“You’re still talking about me. Who is the one who shaved the dog’s fur for no reason?”

She hadn’t bitten him, yet he was so annoying.

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

He cleared his throat and lay down to sleep.

“It’s getting late, go to sleep.”

Who did this dog man learn this from?

Whenever it came to serious matters, he would start to evade the topic.

He wanted to sleep, but Ruan Mingfu wouldn’t let him!

“Speak quickly,” she said, practically lying on him, glaring fiercely, “If you don’t tell me, I won’t let you sleep.”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Although her expression was fierce, in Xie Yanzhao’s eyes, she did not look intimidating at all.

He reached out to protect her. “Do you really want to know?”

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

“Hurry up and tell me!”

“When I was younger, I didn’t understand things. I saw that little dogs had fur all year round,” Xie Yanzhao said with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, “It happened to be winter and just snowed, and my grandma worried I would be cold, so she dressed me in several layers…”

“So, you thought the dog was hot because you were hot and shaved its fur?”

Xie Yanzhao looked slightly embarrassed. “…Something like that.”

Ruan Mingfu’s beautiful eyes sparkled with laughter.

“You were so mischievous as a child.”

She was just as cheeky.

“That was when I was four or five…”

At that time, Bai Qingzhu was still alive, and Commander Xie pretended to be a good husband and father in front of everyone. Thinking back, those childhood days were probably his happiest moments.

A hint of nostalgia crossed his face.

Ruan Mingfu patted his arm and said, “Uncle said you are a troublemaker, why can’t I feel it?”

She couldn’t help but picture Xie Yanzhao’s rebellious image in her mind…

After a long moment, she still had no clues.

Xie Yanzhao cleared his throat. “Let’s talk about this later.”

“No!” Ruan Mingfu propped herself up slightly, “I want to hear, hurry up and tell me.”

Her expression was earnest.

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

He was too shrewd to reveal his shortcomings to his lover. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Take our meeting for example. Xie Yanzhao, before the age of twenty-five, would throw you and your blanket out.”

Ruan Mingfu swallowed hard.

That… was pretty fierce?

Seeing the wide-eyed Ruan Mingfu, a flicker of amusement passed through Xie Yanzhao’s eyes.

“Don’t think about it. Go to sleep.”

He pulled the blanket over her, wrapping her in his arms.

It wasn’t until her vision faded to black that Ruan Mingfu snapped back to reality.

Actually, it makes sense if you think about it carefully.

Everyone goes through impulsive phases during adolescence, but they settle down as they grow older. Now that the dog man was nearing thirty, being more passionate seemed unrealistic.

Having thought it through, Ruan Mingfu turned over and found a comfortable position in Xie Yanzhao’s embrace, falling asleep.

The next morning, Ruan Mingfu saw more than ten bodyguards standing in her yard.

She was startled.

“Mom, are we rescuing someone or kidnapping someone?”

With this kind of setup, anyone would believe they were going to fight.

“If we can’t rescue them, we’ll kidnap them!”

As for domineering, it turns out that you still have to look at her mother.

“Mom, what exactly is going on?”

Mrs. Ruan’s expression was grim, indicating that the situation was serious.

Seeing this, Ruan Mingfu obediently stopped asking questions.

As they left, she sat in Xie Yanzhao’s car, with Mrs. Ruan and Father Ruan in the back. Qi Yangyan drove his own car with the bodyguards, and seven or eight vehicles formed a long line toward their destination.

“Mom, what’s really going on?”

Mrs. Ruan glanced at Xie Yanzhao, who was driving the car, weighing her words carefully.

“We are to blame for this child’s misfortune,” said Mrs. Ruan with a sigh.

The original owner of the body had only one brother, but he was in poor health and had only one daughter after getting married. His wife, worried that he couldn’t produce a son and that they would have no one to rely on in the future, divorced him. After that, he never remarried and lived with his daughter.

Due to his weak health, he couldn’t do heavy labor, but he had a skill. Mrs. Ruan occasionally helped him and his daughter, allowing them to get by steadily.

However, after Mrs. Ruan was sent away, her brother, upon hearing the news, was so shocked that he couldn’t breathe and passed away.

No wonder Ruan Mingfu had no memory of him. Because Uncle Luan was too weak to travel, he had remained in Jiangcheng. Mrs. Ruan was busier, and the last time the siblings met was five years ago.

After Uncle Luan’s death, Luan Rong, having lost her relatives in Jiangcheng, had no choice but to seek refuge with her mother’s family in Wancheng.

With this explanation, Ruan Mingfu finally recalled her cousin.

“So that’s what happened,” Ruan Mingfu sighed. “Mom, did my cousin have a hard time at Wancheng?”

Mrs. Ruan’s serious expression made Ruan Mingfu feel anxious.

“Her grandmother sold her,” Mrs. Ruan replied.

“What?!” Ruan Mingfu was shocked, and even the driver, Xie Yanzhao, showed surprise.

“Mom, how did that happen?” Ruan Mingfu asked.

Mrs. Ruan didn’t know how to explain. After being sent down, they lost contact. After being rehabilitated, she tried to reach out, but only learned about these events afterward. Apart from seeing Ruan Mingfu, she intended to look for Luan Rong in Wancheng.

She had taken over someone else’s body and couldn’t neglect the original owner’s only remaining relative.

The car gradually slowed down as someone was waving from the side of the road.

“Sister Luan!”

Mrs. Ruan looked over and waved to the person outside. “Sister Ye, come on up!”

She nudged Father Ruan beside her, urging him. “Go sit with your son.”

Father Ruan: “…”

OK~

Ye Qiu eagerly approached, but Li Xiuxiu tugged at her sleeve, looking a bit troubled.

“Mom, how about… we just not go?”

“Why are you so timid? I’m not asking you to go on a blind date,” Ye Qiu rolled her eyes at her. “With your attitude, I’m afraid people won’t like you.”

“Mom!” Li Xiuxiu frowned. “I told you, I don’t want to get married right now.”

When would her mother stop her obsession with finding her a man?

Li Xiuxiu was reaching her limit.

Ye Qiu shot her another glance. “What are you dreaming about?”

“If Mrs. Ruan’s son is a swan, then you’re the toad, and I’d be embarrassed to mention you in front of her.”

“Let go! We have important matters today.”

Li Xiuxiu: “…”

Although Ye Qiu didn’t plan to set her up with a guy, Li Xiuxiu felt even more frustrated.

She wasn’t as bad as her mother claimed!

“Let go, if you don’t want to go, go home,” Ye Qiu slapped her hand that was grabbing her clothes, turned around and smiled again, “Sister, I’m here.”

Li Xiuxiu: “…”

There was no way she could go home.

Her dad had told her to keep an eye on her mom today.

Li Xiuxiu suspected her parents were working together, but she had no proof.

“Come on, get in,” Mrs. Ruan quietly shifted aside. “Xiuxiu is here too, let’s all sit together. There’s plenty of space in the back for everyone.”

When getting into the car, Ye Qiu looked back.

Seeing the vehicle behind them filled her with vanity.

“Sister, you really went all out here.”

Having a car was impressive enough in this era. Not many had such luxury. Even her father-in-law’s commanding officer wouldn’t have such a grand setup.

Ye Qiu was full of envy, and she was even more determined to cling to Mrs. Ruan’s thighs.

“This is nothing,” Mrs. Ruan shook her head. “I just hope that child can be safe. I don’t want it to be in vain…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Ye Qiu understood her meaning.

The smile on her face also fell, “Sister, you have to be mentally prepared… From what I heard, that child is having a very hard time.”

Ye Qiu could hardly bring herself to say it.

“Finding her is already a good thing,” Mrs. Ruan said heavily, her mind racing with strategies. “I need to thank you. It’s all thanks to you that we were able to find her.”

Having lived in Wancheng for over ten years, what news couldn’t Ye Qiu uncover?

Not only was she interested in Luan Rong’s grandmother’s side, but Mrs. Ruan also thought of her.

“It’s nothing, just something I can easily do.”

Despite saying that, Ye Qiu’s smile grew deeper at Mrs. Ruan’s words.

Perhaps because of this cousin, everyone’s spirits were low, and the car fell into silence. As time passed, the road became more and more rugged. Ruan Mingfu felt like she was being tossed around in the passenger seat.

The road gradually narrowed, and after a while, the car came to a stop.

Ruan Mingfu quickly opened the door to get some fresh air.

Her face was pale, and her stomach felt unsettled.

“Are you okay?”

Xie Yanzhao patted her back worriedly, his brows furrowed tightly.

He should have driven more slowly.

“Here,” Li Xiuxiu’s face was also a little pale, “It should feel much better if you smell it.”

She holds an orange in her hand.

Its greenish skin looked very sour, but surprisingly, the nausea in Ruan Mingfu’s stomach subsided. The sharp scent of the orange was surprisingly fragrant.

She felt much better, and some color returned to her face.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Li Xiuxiu felt a bit awkward in response to Ruan Mingfu’s gratitude.

“For you!”