Chapter 30

Qiao Yuqi knew he had no position to take. To he honest, if he were to think from Jiang Muti’s perspective, he’d probably realize that it wasn’t just a simple matter of being singled out and kicked back.

Both of them were petty and held grudges. In some ways, he was even more ruthless than Jiang Muti, so it was hard for him to argue about it.

However, since the event had already happened, digging into the details of the process wouldn’t help. He could only find a solution elsewhere.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Muti knew he still had his usual sharp sense.

But according to this “^[1]“Black-hearted” is an expression used to describe someone who is cruel, ruthless, or malicious, often with the implication that they have a hidden, evil side. It suggests a person who is … Continue readingblack-hearted” logic, even childhood friends were expected to help, and she, Jiang Muti, couldn’t make him do anything. In the end, it was clear who would suffer.

Jiang Muti didn’t feel much sympathy. After all, don’t people have to take responsibility for their own actions? Being reckless wasn’t an excuse after offending someone.

Whether to pick something up high or set it down gently, it all depended on one’s mood.

Sure enough, a few days later, the atmosphere at school shifted. The mockery and targeting of Li Xi decreased significantly, and the mainstream narrative had shifted toward her friends, who were accused of stirring up trouble and passing on the blame to her under the guise of “^[2]“Stepping up for her” means to take action or assume responsibility on her behalf, especially in a situation where she might need support or help. It implies showing leadership, defending … Continue readingstepping up for her.”

After all, Li Xi didn’t have much interaction with Qiao Yuqi at school, so she had already done enough to avoid suspicion. With a little guidance and subtle hints from Qiao Yuqi, it was easy for the extra attention to be diverted away from her.

However, her friend was out of luck. Jiang Muti didn’t pay attention to these things, but it was said they had already cut ties.

School affairs were just part of daily life, and once Jiang Muti got home, she didn’t think about it anymore.

That day, she and her brother were in the study, sipping tea and discussing matters.

“So, you’re saying that unless he makes a major decision mistake, the shareholders might join together to remove him from his position? Isn’t it possible to just win over the support with persuasive words?” Jiang Muti asked.

Jiang Yunjuan shook his head. “Firstly, his shareholding is the highest. Although I inherited my biological parents’ shares, over the years, mine have been diluted significantly.”

“And while his authoritarianism is one thing, the company has been developing healthily under his management for so many years. The shareholders have no reason to side with me under these circumstances, especially since the board of directors won’t agree. A company’s stability is most important. Internal strife is a major obstacle to healthy development, so power transitions usually occur in times of turmoil.”

Jiang Muti nodded. Of course, her brother’s judgment on this matter was far more authoritative than hers. Her previous role was just that of a regular shareholder benefiting from dividends.

She had a professional manager handling the growth of her wealth, she wasn’t an expert in the field herself.

However, she thought about the phone call she overheard at Ji Feishi’s place last time, and something from the original story came to mind.

She said, “Bro, did our family and the Zhou family start a project together when we decided on the engagement? If so, maybe that’s an opportunity. I’m not sure if the source is reliable, though.”

“Anyway, the Zhou family’s plan looks quite risky in the eyes of some people.”

Jiang Yunjuan’s expression changed. “Where did you hear this from?”

Before she could answer, he guessed, “Ji Feishi?”

He then pinched his chin, falling into deep thought.

Jiang Muti didn’t disturb him. To be honest, her brother’s influence in the family was second only to their father’s.

Even though their father valued profit and power, he still had to delegate authority for the future of the family. Otherwise, when he could no longer manage, the successor wouldn’t have had enough experience, and the prosperous legacy he’d worked hard for his entire life would have no one to carry it on.

She had to admit that his deeply rooted, old-fashioned family ideals had benefited Jiang Yunjuan greatly.

As for Jiang Yunjuan in relation to their father, the only thing lacking was the accumulation of time.

Now, for any major decision in the company, even if Jiang Yunjuan isn’t the project leader, it would be impossible to bypass him.

So, regarding the information Jiang Muti had, what she might have seen was simply the result of her reading between the lines through the novel.

However, Jiang Yunjuan quickly pieced all the details together.

After a moment of contemplation, he lightly chuckled and said, “As for the Zhou family’s plan, though it’s bold, it has taken all factors into account. Moreover, this isn’t the first time they’ve done a similar project, so their experience is fairly rich.”

“Seems like, in the end, people can’t outsmart fate. Ha! It’s destiny.”

A flicker of interest appeared in Jiang Muti’s eyes as she asked, “Which destiny?”

Jiang Yunjuan noticed that his sister understood and affectionately patted her head, offering an encouraging smile. “After you graduate, come work at the company to help me. But before that, I’ll make sure you won’t have to care about anyone’s opinion.”

How could he not seize this opportunity given to them?

Jiang Muti was startled, quickly waving her hand. “No, no. Don’t expect me to work.”

Then she leaned in and whispered, “Are you sure about the snippet of conversation you overheard in Ji Feishi’s phone call?”

Jiang Yunjuan smiled helplessly. “Of course, it’s not definite. But as long as there’s a hint, we know which direction to investigate. Moreover, the Ji family—they aren’t playing around with their business in the capital. News from above has never been an exception to reach them.”

“Prepare for both options. We’ll see how the Ji family handles things.”

Jiang Muti nodded. If the turmoil surrounding the Zhou family in the novel would still unfold, then this matter was almost certainly settled.

Considering their father’s major losses and her brother’s efforts to turn the situation around, this was no longer a signal—it was a clear indication that the company was at the point of transitioning power, embracing the new while leaving the old behind.

“By the way, what about Mom?” Jiang Muti suddenly thought of something. “Doesn’t she have too little leverage to help him turn things around?”

Jiang Yunjuan looked at her with a half-smile. “You think the relationship between Dad and Mom is that good?”

Jiang Muti opened her mouth in surprise. “Huh?”

This… she hadn’t thought about it. Not only had she been around for such a short time, but in total, she’d spent less than ten days with both her father and mother.

Even the original owner had limited understanding of her parents.

They both seemed like people who didn’t care much about emotions. They always went in and out together, but without talking about their marital feelings, it seemed like they were merely business partners, right?

Jiang Yunjuan seemed to know what she was thinking. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. “In certain matters, they are indeed aligned. But aside from that…”

Over the years, the couple had practically reached the point where they were only united in appearance, not in spirit. From the information he had gathered, a more unsavory conclusion could even be reasonably inferred.

Whenever they agreed to go home together, it was just to maintain the appearance of family harmony and decorum. After all, returning home was often accompanied by important social events.

Once they left, they went their separate ways, as if they were strangers.

Jiang Yunjuan wasn’t worried that his mother would become an obstacle for him. In fact, some of her plans might even need Father Jiang’s downfall before she could act on them.

However, since they were his biological parents, it was more appropriate not to share these deeper thoughts with his sister.

So he vaguely said, “Mom doesn’t hold much stock in the company. Over the years, she’s been running her own business, and her influence on the company is minimal. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Muti couldn’t help but gasp. Fortunately, she wasn’t the original owner, otherwise, if she knew that the seemingly respectful family she saw might not be as optimistic as she thought, she’d probably be stunned—

Wait, no, hold on! Earlier, she had been complaining about the original owner giving up her life over a trivial matter and letting someone else live in her place, which benefited her.

She hadn’t really thought about it before, but could things really be more complicated than she thought?

However, Jiang Yunjuan didn’t want her to know right now, so she had no choice but to wait patiently. Eventually, everything would come to light.

The two siblings talked about the topic of usurpation and power struggles, and by the time they finished, they had almost finished the pot of tea.

When Jiang Muti saw that her brother was about to get back to work, she stood up, poured him a cup of water, and placed it next to him. “What do you want for lunch? How about dumplings?”

Jiang Yunjuan smiled. “Are you going to make them yourself? If my sister makes them, I’ll support you, but if not, it’s whatever.”

Jiang Muti grumbled, “You really think of me as your personal chef? I was planning to go back to my room to try on the new autumn-winter collection I got earlier.”

Thinking about how those high-end autumn-winter pieces were bought by the person in front of her, she said, “Alright! I’ll call Yun Duo over to help, and ask Yun Cheng to join as well—he can eat a lot, so there won’t be any leftovers.”

Jiang Yunjuan was pleased and, by now, had become very skilled at coaxing his sister.

At this time, neither of them should be at the dorms, so Jiang Muti found Yun Duo at the gym and Yun Cheng by the doghouse.

Well, it’s said that a caring older brother not only plays around with his younger siblings but also pays special attention to their living environment.

He often helped clean the doghouse, taking on the role of caretaker. He even remembered to clean the dog toys, and whenever the sleeping mats got a bit damp, he made sure to change them.

As he was tidying up, the two younger brothers were there, quietly sticking their tongues out and circling him, not causing any trouble. The three brothers were truly harmonious.

Yun Duo saw this and couldn’t contain her anger. She kicked her brother with all her might.

“Why do I have such a brother? When I asked you to clean my room, you weren’t this diligent. Last time, when you ate chips in my bed and stained my sheets, you made me take them to the laundry room myself. All these years, I’ve cooked meals only for the dogs. I swear I’ll kick you to death!”

“Hey, hey! Sis, let’s talk—” Just as he was trying to calm her down, the two dog brothers, seeing their older brother in trouble, couldn’t fight back the crazy woman. They grabbed his clothes and desperately tried to pull him into the doghouse.

“Dammit, let go—no, stop biting, you two idiots! What am I supposed to do in the doghouse? Am I not embarrassed? My clothes—don’t chew them up!”

Jiang Muti and Yun Duo looked at him and couldn’t stay angry. Instead, they both pulled out their phones and began snapping pictures of him in this ridiculous state.

“Hey—come save me! Are you two devils?”

But the devils had already walked away.

The meat filling for the dumplings was chopped by hand, much tastier than the machine-chopped version. This is the magic of food, no matter how advanced the technology, it can’t replicate the flavor of handmade food.

Jiang Muti couldn’t do it, as her hands started to go numb after a few chops. However, Yun Duo was strong and took the knives, chopping away vigorously.

Jiang Muti then diced the other ingredients into small cubes to balance out the flavor, ensuring the meat filling wouldn’t be too greasy.

She couldn’t roll out the dumpling wrappers, but the family’s chef could make all kinds of dishes, both Chinese and Western, so that wasn’t a problem.

She had the dough master roll out over a hundred wrappers, all evenly sized and with a nice texture.

It didn’t take long for Jiang Muti and Yun Duo to finish making the dumplings, and after boiling them, they had several large plates ready to serve.

Someone sent a plate to Butler Old Yun’s office for lunch, and the rest was served on the table. As expected, there wasn’t a single dumpling left by the end.

After lunch, Jiang Muti dragged Yun Duo back to their room to try on clothes, but then she heard something from Yun Duo.

“I overheard my dad on the phone. He still plans to meet that woman. I don’t understand what my dad is thinking.”

Yun Duo said sullenly, “I told him not to worry about her and just let her be, but that woman and her family are like vampires. My dad still insisted on doing what he wanted without telling me exactly what he was thinking.”

Jiang Muti responded, “He’s probably worried that if he doesn’t meet her, she’ll cause trouble at your school and affect your studies, not to mention getting laughed at by your classmates.”

“That family is already in dire straits. They’re like barefoot people who aren’t afraid of wearing shoes. Never underestimate the bottom line of shameless people.”

Yun Duo said angrily, “Every time she shows up, I’ll kick her out. What’s this nonsense about enjoying the show? Does she think we owe her something?”

Jiang Muti shook her head. “It’s more than that. This is just the lightest possibility. When people are desperate, they might act recklessly. Your dad probably doesn’t want to risk that small chance.”

She wasn’t trying to scare Yun Duo. Although she sometimes had mild paranoid thoughts and tended to offend people, she generally thought ahead about matters related to her safety.

The saying “^[3]“A gentleman doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall” is a Chinese proverb that conveys the idea of avoiding dangerous situations or potential risks. It suggests that a wise or prudent … Continue readingA gentleman doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall” was something Jiang Muti understood well from experience. Her past had shown that her words weren’t baseless.

In her previous life, after a fierce family feud, she ended up taking the money and severing ties with all her relatives, but that didn’t mean she never faced any difficulties afterward.

She had an uncle who appeared to be a gentle, respectable man. Of course, this “gentle and respectable” image vanished when her grandparents, who were supposed to be protecting the assets of their orphaned granddaughter, stayed silent about the family’s past conduct and happily watched her parents take the frontlines while they benefited.

Anyway, not long after she cut ties, her uncle’s business failed and left him in heavy debt.

Her grandparents came to her, asking her to pay off her uncle’s debt. Frankly, the amount was nothing for her.

But she refused. Her uncle’s family was able-bodied, and the loan was from a legitimate source. As long as they worked hard and lived frugally, they could pay it back themselves.

Instead of taking responsibility and making an effort to improve their situation, their first instinct was to ask her for money. It was far easier to take money from a niece than to lower their living standards.

Since she refused, her grandparents exhausted every method they could to manipulate her, eventually cursing her for trying to drive her uncle’s family to death.

Jiang Muti was sitting on the sofa, showing no mercy as her grandparents collapsed in front of her.

She sneered, “It’s as if I’m the one who caused them to owe money. It was their greed and stupidity. They believed in such a risky investment—I wouldn’t have fallen for it, let alone a child. Did they think they could get rich from it?”

“When my dad was around, he’d give advice on everything, and whenever he could, he’d help out. Everyone in the family had a house and car thanks to him. Don’t forget that when my dad came out from our hometown, he had less than a hundred bucks and a whole family cramped into a shabby house.”

Her hometown was a poor rural area, with many young people leaving to make their fortunes, but few succeeded in bringing their whole family along to prosperity. Her father was one of the very few who managed it.

A young man from a poor mountain village, working hard, quick-witted, and a fast learner—such a person was bound to succeed.

At first, he did all kinds of dirty and hard work—moving steel bars, disposing of waste water, even working in a morgue—to save a few hundred bucks on rent.

When things were tough, a bun would last him the whole day, but he never shared those hardships with his daughter.

Her dad liked to maintain an image of an omnipotent father in front of her, though her mother occasionally told her embarrassing stories about him. Sometimes, when they couldn’t stand his boasting, mother and daughter would gossip about his embarrassing moments.

Her mom came from a well-off city family, and they met by chance, falling in love freely. At first, her maternal grandparents were adamantly opposed to their daughter marrying a poor man from the mountains.

But her dad truly had the skills. He didn’t resort to deceit, tricks, or pregnancy traps to win her mother over. He worked hard, and after a year or two, he managed to gather enough resources to persuade her grandparents.

If most marriages between mismatched families end with regret, her parents were indeed a rare exception, living a lifetime of love and closeness, giving her a home where she never needed to dream of anything else.

But they passed away too early, and no one could have foreseen that the relatives who had always relied on their support and guidance would turn into wolves after their death, ready to devour their daughter’s flesh.

Jiang Muti finally said, “If I really wanted to force them to death, that wouldn’t be wrong, after all, when you tried to force me to death back then, you didn’t hesitate.”

Then, ignoring her grandparents trying to shift the blame onto her and their wishful thinking of getting rid of her uncle’s family, she directly had the family’s maid throw them out.

They were waiting to suck the blood that had been drained from the granddaughter, their hands were clean, but their hearts were filthy.

Of course, her uncle’s family wasn’t satisfied and came to her school to cause a scene, spreading rumors that she was cold-hearted and enjoyed watching her family die, which wasn’t the first time.

However, they were quick to act, and since they had nothing better to do every day, Jiang Muti decided to give them something to do so they wouldn’t be so idle.

Later, when her uncle was desperate, he even tried to conspire with others to kidnap her.

Since Jiang Muti was willing to tear her face with them, she wouldn’t foolishly overestimate their limits. After they had finished planning and bought the tools but hadn’t yet acted, she presented the evidence she had gathered.

With a little help from her connections, she had her uncle sent to prison to sing his sorrow in an iron cage.

He didn’t get out before he died, but Jiang Muti had already set her will early on, learning from her dad to always be prepared.

After her death, all her assets would be donated to charity, and her relatives would get nothing.

She guessed no one would mourn her death, but thinking of those people who were happy one second, thinking they could inherit the wealth thanks to their blood relations, only to find out the next second that they got nothing again, Jiang Muti found it amusing.

So, never count on luck, cherish your life, and avoid whatever you can.

Yun Duo, hearing her implication, was dumbfounded. “No, it can’t be, right?”

Great! Another person who views the world as so beautiful.

She patted Yun Duo’s head. “Even if there’s a 99% chance it’s impossible, would you still dare to take the 1% chance?”

“Right now, ^[4]“they’re hanging by a thread, while you two have such bright and brilliant lives” means that the people being referred to are in a very precarious or difficult situation, almost on … Continue readingthey’re hanging by a thread, while you two have such bright and brilliant lives. If there’s an accident, who would suffer?”

“Be good, it’s good to be kind, but you need to be more cautious.”

Yun Duo shifted uneasily. “If you say it like that, I’m even more worried about my dad. Shouldn’t someone be monitoring her movements? You said you wouldn’t let her off before, now it’s time, tell me, tell me.”

Jiang Muti changed into a white coat, made of pure white cashmere, softer than cream. The belt was casually tied, and the classic cut and style made this simple coat look exceptionally beautiful.

She twirled around. “Do you think it looks good?”

Yun Duo threw her a hat. “It would look even better with a knitted hat. Elegant and cute, it makes people want to squish it.”

Then she urged her, “I’m asking you something, hurry up and tell me.”

Jiang Muti didn’t expect much patience from her, so she said, “We’re meeting tomorrow, it’s the weekend, right? Then we’ll go visit the next person.”

“Let’s not let them think they’re the only ones who can find us. We can be just as enthusiastic.”

Yun Duo didn’t know what scheme she was up to, but she knew this person never meant well, which was exactly what she wanted.

However, her brother and she had limited imagination, thinking only about tying people up in sacks, but that plan had never been carried out.

It was nearly evening when Jiang Muti and Yun Duo came downstairs. It was already November, and the weather had turned cooler.

Jiang Muti came down wearing the outfit she had tried on last. She had thought Yun Duo’s earlier comment was a joke, but she hadn’t expected that it wasn’t just her who thought it looked oddly out of place.

As soon as they entered the dining room, her brother pulled her over, carefully examined her face with the fluffy hat on, and then a pair of large hands started rubbing her head.

He not only rubbed the hat and her head but almost distorted her little face with all the rubbing.

After much struggling, he finally let go of her. Jiang Yunjuan, satisfied, said, “I’ll have someone bring more yarn and fur fabric over.”

Jiang Muti was so angry, she slammed her fists onto her brother’s back. “Bring it, bring it! You bring it and then let you mess with the fur? Go mess with your dog instead!”

She had forgotten that most people who kept cats and dogs were fanatics for fluff.

Hmm? Thinking about it, this seemed to apply to Yun Cheng, who got along so well with the dogs.

Just as she was thinking that, Yun Cheng walked in. He had been at the gym all afternoon and had come over to call his sister to go home with him.

As soon as he entered, his eyes lit up. He rushed over, grabbed Jiang Muti, spun her around a few times, and started rubbing her again, even pulling the pom-pom on her hat.

Yun Duo watched coldly and said calmly, “I told you, it makes people want to rub it.”

It was clear that Yun Duo had experienced the painful reality of her own brother’s obsession with fluffy clothes.

Jiang Muti quickly yanked her hand away and hit Yun Cheng. “Pah! Pah! Get lost! You haven’t even washed off the sweat, and you’re sticking to me? Get away! Come at me again, I dare you—”

Fortunately, her brother was enjoying himself rubbing her, but when it came to other people messing with his sister, he couldn’t stand it. With a sharp glance, he forced Yun Cheng to back off.

Jiang Muti didn’t care about convenience and immediately went upstairs to change her clothes. She also thought to herself that next time she wore something like this, she’d need to bring a stun gun to keep the fluff lovers at bay.

What? Not wear it? Impossible. There were so many beautiful clothes, how could she let two fluff lovers stop her from wearing them?

The next day, as expected, Old Yun unusually took a leave, using the excuse of business to leave the mansion.

Not long after he left, the three of them exchanged a glance and went out the door.

In that glance, there was a conspiracy full of dark intentions growing.