Chapter 7: Withdrawing the Cooperation with the Guan Family

Jiang Huai’s voice forcefully pulled Bai Shuqin’s fragile sanity back from the brink. The feverish impulse in her mind was like being doused with a bucket of cold water—every movement froze instantly.

At the same time, the commotion here finally drew the attention of others inside the villa. Jiang Yucheng walked out.

“What’s going on?”

As the current head of Jianghai Group, Jiang Yucheng was someone who frequently appeared in the media and financial reports. Bai Shuqin recognized him almost at first glance. Immediately abandoning her entanglement with Guan Xuxu, her expression shifted, and she hurried forward with a bright smile.

“President Jiang, I’m the wife of Guan Baosheng, President of Guan Construction Materials. I didn’t expect you to be home—it’s truly wonderful.”

Jiang Yucheng’s gaze swept over Bai Shuqin, Guan Xuxu, Jiang Huai, and the others. His expression remained unchanged as he asked evenly:

“Madam Guan, hello. Did you come here to convey something on behalf of someone?”

With Jiang Yucheng’s position, he had no need to be so polite. He was never one for empty formalities. Yet knowing that the people before him were those who had raised Xuxu, he showed a touch more patience and consideration, assuming she must be here to communicate matters about Xuxu’s daily habits or lifestyle.

Bai Shuqin, unaware of his thoughts, only heard his modest question about whether she had something to convey. Instantly, her vanity swelled.

This was the head of Jianghai Group, actually letting her speak on his behalf!

It showed just how important her own family must be in the eyes of the Jianghai Group’s president.

The irritation she had felt from Jiang Huai earlier finally smoothed away. She even unconsciously straightened her back. “There are indeed some matters to convey.”

With smug satisfaction, Bai Shuqin cast a sidelong glance at Guan Xuxu before quickly pulling Guan Ruirui over. “President Jiang, this is my daughter, Guan Ruirui.”

Guan Ruirui quickly and sweetly greeted, “Hello, Uncle Jiang.”

“It’s like this,” Bai Shuqin said, “I know that with the landmark project in Hai City being launched, the government intends to select eight students from the four major universities to serve as the city’s image representatives in a promotional film. The final list will also be communicated through Jianghai Group.”

She continued, “Because of certain reasons, the spot that should have belonged to my daughter was taken by someone else. So I came here hoping Jianghai Group could help switch that spot back to her. It’s just a small effort on your part.”

Jiang Yucheng’s brows furrowed slightly.

He was aware of this matter, but it was the responsibility of his third brother, and he had not involved himself in it.

By temperament, he disliked such acts of abusing public office for personal gain.

But standing before him were members of the Guan family, the ones who had raised Xuxu. Inevitably, Jiang Yucheng felt a trace of consideration in his heart.

Very well. He would treat this as repayment for their years of raising Xuxu.

With that thought, Jiang Yucheng relented and said, “I’ll look into this matter. Who was the one who replaced your daughter’s spot? I’ll have my secretary investigate.”

“Guan Xuxu.” Bai Shuqin almost blurted out without hesitation.

Jiang Yucheng froze mid-motion as he reached for his phone. Lifting his head, he looked at Bai Shuqin, clearly taken aback. “Who did you say?”

“Guan Xuxu,” Bai Shuqin repeated, thinking he hadn’t heard her clearly. To make it absolutely plain, she simply pointed at Guan Xuxu beside her.

“It’s her. This child was actually taken in by our family earlier. But she’s nothing but an ingrate. Not only is her temper terrible, she also likes to lie. I truly didn’t expect her biological parents to have merely been workers in the Jiang household. It’s not that I wish to speak ill of a child, but a person’s character is fixed by birth. No matter how painstakingly I tried to teach and raise her, those who can’t be taught will never learn…”

Bai Shuqin went on and on, relentlessly finding fault with Guan Xuxu.

Beside her, Jiang Huai’s expression had darkened completely. Now he finally understood what Xuxu had meant earlier when she said “wearing small shoes” (deliberately making things hard for someone).

The butler and Maid standing nearby were utterly stunned.

This… to think she would dare to disparage the young miss like this, right in front of President Jiang!

Was this woman’s brain broken?

Guan Xuxu had long grown accustomed to Bai Shuqin’s slander. Even when Bai Shuqin had just been lecturing the butler about her, she hadn’t cared in the least.

But right now—before Jiang Huai, and before her biological Father whom she had only just met—hearing Bai Shuqin’s words stirred a sudden, inexplicable anger inside her.

These were the family who had only just acknowledged her. She had only just begun to feel the faintest glimmer of expectation toward the idea of family. So why? Why was it that this woman simply could not bear to see her doing well?

Did Bai Shuqin not understand? Did she not know what others would think of Xuxu upon hearing such words?

Of course she knew.

But she didn’t care. She simply wanted the entire world to dislike Guan Xuxu.

When Xuxu was little, whenever a teacher showed affection toward her or even praised her, Bai Shuqin would use every means to slander her before that teacher, until they believed she was a bad child.

The teachers probably never imagined that a mother would deliberately defame her own child. They almost always believed Bai Shuqin’s words and truly thought Xuxu was a troublesome student.

Because the more Xuxu was disliked, the easier it was for Guan Ruirui to outshine and suppress her.

As time went on, Bai Shuqin’s dislike and defamation of her became routine—just as it was now.

At her side, Xuxu’s hand curled into a tight fist. Listening to Bai Shuqin’s endless denigration ringing in her ears, she finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Enough!”

“Enough!”

Two voices spoke in unison.

Startled, Guan Xuxu instinctively turned her head toward the source of that other voice.

At that moment, it was Jiang Yucheng, his face like frost.

He already had the kind of presence that was cold and unyielding, and now, with his expression darkened, his aura became even more formidable.

Bai Shuqin was instantly frightened into silence.

Jiang Yucheng’s voice was low and severe as he fixed her with a sharp gaze full of pressure. “The daughter of the Jiang family is not for an outsider like you to criticize. Butler, see them out!”

Stunned by his sudden change of face, Bai Shuqin failed to register the words “the daughter of the Jiang family.” Just as she was about to pester further, the butler had already stepped forward with brisk efficiency to usher her and Guan Ruirui out.

Jiang Yucheng’s eyes remained icy as he watched the two mother and daughter being firmly removed. Then he turned to Guan Xuxu and asked, “The Guan family treated you like this in the past as well?”

No sooner had he spoken than he pressed his lips together, realizing at once what a foolish question it was.

If they dared to defame her so brazenly in front of him, how much worse must they have treated his daughter back in the Guan household?

He had once thought that since his daughter had been taken in by the Guan family, at the very least she had lived without want for food or clothing. But now—now it was clear. The Guan family turned out to be this kind of people!

The more Jiang Yucheng thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned coldly to Jiang Huai and ordered,

“Call your Third Uncle. Tell him to withdraw the cooperation with the Guan Corporation immediately!”

That cooperation project had originally been arranged as a special gesture of gratitude for the Guan family’s care of Xuxu. The terms had been highly favorable, offering them not just over a hundred million in profits, but also intended to help elevate the Guan family to a higher level. But now, learning how they had secretly treated Xuxu, there was no way he would allow the Guan family to continue benefiting.

They didn’t deserve it!

Only then did Jiang Huai recover his earlier easygoing smile. With crisp decisiveness, he pulled out his phone. “Got it.”

Meanwhile, Guan Xuxu stood stunned, watching Jiang Yucheng’s anger flare on her behalf. As her gaze lowered slightly, the corners of her lips lifted into a faint curve—one so subtle she herself didn’t even notice.

Her new Big Brother and new Father… seemed to be nothing like the Guan family.

…How wonderful.

At the main gate.

Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui were unceremoniously escorted out of the Jiang household.

Both mother and daughter were bewildered. How had things turned out like this? Why had President Jiang Suddenly lost his temper? And what exactly had he meant just now?

The daughter of the Jiang family? Who?

The butler, watching the two still failing to grasp the situation, could only sigh inwardly. How could the Guan family be so utterly foolish?

They had raised the young miss all these years. Based on that bond alone, the benefits from the Jiang family would never have been few. Yet clearly, the Guan family still didn’t realize that the so-called “ingrate” foster daughter they had been mocking was, in fact, the biological child of the Jiang family.

As a butler, he prided himself on his professional conduct. He would never stoop to outbursts or mocking sarcasm.

Instead, he chose to remind them politely.

“Our President Jiang lost a daughter eighteen years ago. Today is the day our young miss returns home. Naturally, President Jiang cannot tolerate anyone speaking ill of her. Forgive us, but we won’t be hosting you any further. Please leave.”

With that, he turned and instructed the staff to shut the villa gates.

Leaving only Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui standing outside in a daze.

Holding her daughter’s arm for support, Bai Shuqin asked blankly, “Rui… Ruirui, what did he just say… young miss? Who?”

Guan Ruirui, too, could hardly believe what she had heard—or rather, she simply refused to believe it.

“Impossible… we must have misheard.”

The Jiang family’s daughter they spoke of—it couldn’t be Guan Xuxu.
It must not be her!

Bai Shuqin slowly turned her head to look at her own daughter. After a long, stunned silence, her legs suddenly gave way, and her whole body nearly collapsed to the ground.

“It’s over! We’re finished!”