Chapter 21 – Ruan Xi’s Stepmother’s Little Scheme

Sang Feiyu quickly walked toward a crowded area, and the person following her sped up too. Suddenly, a large, strong hand landed on her shoulder—she nearly screamed in shock. When she turned and saw who it was, she froze.

“Ning… Zhi?”

Ning Zhiyuan saw the fear in her eyes and felt a sharp pang in his heart.

“Someone was following you. I’ll escort you back.”

Sang Feiyu was stunned—so her instincts were right. Someone was following her!

“Do you know who it was?”

Ning Zhiyuan shook his head. “I didn’t get a clear look at his face.”

“But the moment he saw me, he turned and ran.”

Sang Feiyu was still on edge. What if they had discovered the stash?

No—she had to warn Ruan Xi!

“Will you come with me to find someone?”

“Mm-hmm.”

They arrived at the residential compound near the textile factory. Ruan Xi was temporarily staying with a former colleague.

As soon as she heard someone was looking for her, Ruan Xi hurried out.

“Feiyu?”

Sang Feiyu pulled her aside and quickly explained that she’d been followed.

Ruan Xi immediately grew worried. In the end, it was Ning Zhiyuan who offered to go inspect the hiding place for them.

He was agile and trained in counter-surveillance—hard for anyone to tail undetected.

He soon found the original stash. And if he could find it so easily, others could too.

So, without hesitation, he moved it to a safer spot.

From a distance, Sang Feiyu spotted him returning and rushed over. “How did it go?”

“It’s fine. I moved the stash,” he said.

He leaned in and quietly told Ruan Xi the new location.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully.

After a pause, Ning Zhiyuan added, “I think that person was targeting you specifically, Sang Zhishi.”

He suddenly recalled the man he saw at the state-run restaurant the day before—but he hadn’t gotten a good look at his face.

Sang Feiyu nodded. “There are probably plenty of people watching me.”

As long as her late mother’s inheritance remained undiscovered, those who coveted it would never stop watching her.

She turned to Ruan Xi. “You’re in a situation similar to mine. Be extra careful when you go out alone.”

Ruan Xi nodded. “My former colleague told me everyone at the textile factory knows that Ruan Wenrou stole my job.”

“I’m sure it won’t be long before they also hear about my family being raided. I’m afraid I’ll be ostracized.”

Sang Feiyu frowned. “Based on what you’re saying, staying in Yangcheng to work might not be such a good idea.”

Ruan Xi agreed. “I might have to live in the dorms. Once they find out about my family, it’s going to be a mess.”

“And as an ordinary female worker, I definitely won’t be given a room of my own…”

Sang Feiyu gently patted her shoulder in comfort. “Brother Dashou has a wide network. Later on, ask him for help—maybe he can find out if someone is willing to trade jobs with you.”

“Best if it’s somewhere far from Yangcheng, where nobody knows you.”

Ning Zhiyuan suddenly chimed in, “That’s actually a good idea.”

Ruan Xi couldn’t think of a better solution, so she agreed to follow Sang Feiyu’s suggestion.

Though she wasn’t as clever as Sang Feiyu, she knew enough to trust a smart person’s judgment.

Sang Feiyu glanced at Ning Zhiyuan’s watch. “The newspaper office should be done by now.”

Ruan Xi had paid extra to expedite the printing of her public disownment notice.

“Let’s go to the press office to pick up the newspaper, and then head to the Ruan house to watch the show.”

“Watching a scene like this is only satisfying when you witness it in person.”

Ruan Xi was also eager to see those malicious family members get what they deserved. So the three of them hurried to the press office.

Sang Feiyu and Ning Zhiyuan waited at the entrance, and soon saw Ruan Xi happily walking out with a newspaper in hand.

“They were so fast! It took them less than an hour to get it done.”

“The paper’s still warm.”

Sang Feiyu instinctively touched the newspaper—sure enough, it was still warm.

“Then keep it safe. Let’s head to the Ruan household!”

…

At the Ruan House

Lin Kangjiao kept glancing toward the front door, growing increasingly uneasy. Ruan Wenrou usually came home for lunch every day. She should’ve been off work by now—why hadn’t she shown up?

Her daughter’s job was very easy. If anything, she got off early, never worked overtime. That’s why Lin Kangjiao couldn’t help but worry.

Ruan Jianguo frowned. “Kangjiao, why are you pacing like that?”

“You’re making me dizzy.”

Lin Kangjiao thought, Of course you’re not worried—she’s not your biological daughter. But I’m her mother! I have every reason to be concerned!

Things were so chaotic outside lately—what if something happened to her daughter on her way home?

Anxious, her tone grew a bit sharp. “Wenrou’s not back yet for lunch—what’s going on? Even if she wasn’t coming back, she should’ve asked someone to tell me!”

Ruan Jianguo brushed it off. “She’s twenty years old already!”

“Why are you treating her like a kid?”

“If you ask me, she should just quit that job already. We’re heading to Hong Kong soon anyway—what’s the point of working?”

The real reason Lin Kangjiao let Ruan Wenrou keep her job was because she had other plans for it.

She had a few nephews on her side of the family. Her plan was to transfer the job to her eldest nephew. As for the others, she’d leave them some money and let them find jobs on their own.

But under no circumstances would she let that dead girl get Wenrou’s job.

Back then, if that girl’s mother hadn’t married Ruan Jianguo first and refused to divorce him, she—Lin Kangjiao—wouldn’t have been forced to marry a random man by her own mother!

Every time she thought about it, a deep-seated resentment surged inside her.

Now that Ruan Xi’s mother was dead, she couldn’t help but direct all that hatred onto Ruan Xi.

Ruan Jianguo, seeing that Lin Kangjiao wasn’t saying anything, continued, “Tomorrow, have Wenrou transfer the job to Ruan Xi.”

“If we’re not taking her to Hong Kong, we can’t just leave her with nothing.”

Lin Kangjiao pressed her lips together, practically panicking!

Her family lived far from Yangcheng—it would take days by train to get her nephew here. If not for that, he would’ve taken over the job already!

For now, she could only find a way to stall for a few more days.

“Okay, I’ll tell Wenrou once I see her,” she replied casually, not wanting Ruan Jianguo to suspect anything.

Just as Ruan Jianguo was about to say something else, loud banging echoed from the courtyard gate—

BANG! BANG!

“Open up!”

“Hurry up and open this damn door!”

Lin Kangjiao turned pale with fright and instinctively looked at Ruan Jianguo. His face had also gone ghost-white.

In broad daylight, who else could be this brazen?

After a moment, Ruan Jianguo snapped back to his senses. “Most of the stuff is already hidden. Don’t panic.”

“No matter what they ask you, just say you don’t know.”

“Let me handle the rest.”

The pounding on the door didn’t stop. Ruan Jianguo knew that if they didn’t open it soon, those people would tear down the entire gate.

He had no choice but to steel himself and go open the door—