Chapter 43

【It really is Jin Cheng, the mayor of City A. He looks quite handsome, huh? He must have been quite handsome when he was young, even now he still has this kind of appearance.】

【It’s a shame, though, his eyesight isn’t very good. He helped raise his butler’s son for twenty years. What a big grudge!】

【Jin Keyang doesn’t look anything like Jin Cheng. How did he not recognize him? He even wears glasses and still mistakes his own son.】

【His son actually looks a lot like the butler. Why didn’t the butler come today? I wanted to see what the person who dared to make the mayor a cuckold looked like.】

【Too bad, the person didn’t come, so we can’t see them.】

Jin Cheng: “?”

What’s that sound? Who is it? Who dares speak ill of him right to his face?

His expression instantly darkened, and his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, but he didn’t see anyone speaking. So who made that sound?

The bodyguards behind Jin Cheng scattered, searching for the person who spoke.

The officials standing next to him all widened their eyes in shock, clearly having heard the sound just now.

They exchanged glances, all showing sympathetic expressions toward Jin Cheng. If this were true, that would be quite a big grudge indeed.

Ximen Saijun also showed an expression of astonishment. Who said that just now? Was it true?

She eagerly searched for the person who had spoken, but the orphanage was crowded, and she couldn’t find the speaker. It was puzzling. The sound was so loud that they all heard it, but how could they not find the person?

Her gaze turned again to Jin Cheng and Jin Keyang. Both their expressions were very telling, especially Jin Keyang, whose face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he was staring intently at a certain spot.

She followed his gaze and saw a row of volunteer students wearing red vests.

Could the sound have come from one of the volunteer students?

Jin Keyang was about to explode. Why was that Qiao Chuchu here too? And she was speaking nonsense in front of his father. Was she trying to die?

“Dad, the director is here. Let’s go in first.”

He spoke up to break Jin Cheng’s silence. Jin Cheng glanced at him, and that look made him feel inexplicably afraid.

But Jin Cheng didn’t say anything. He stepped forward and shook hands with the director who was there to greet him.

“Welcome, Mr. Jin. I’m the director, Mama Zhang of Hope Orphanage. The children have been waiting for your arrival. Would you like to say hello to them?”

Jin Cheng nodded. “Sure.”

He had come to visit the children here, as well as the seriously ill ones, to offer whatever help he could.

He introduced, “This is my son, Jin Keyang. He specifically came with me today to visit the children. We hope they can overcome their illnesses and start a new life.”

Director Mama Zhang praised, “Thank you, Xiao Jin. You and your son will be rewarded for your kindness.”

Then, the strange sound came again.

【Tsk, it’s clear that Jin Cheng treats Jin Keyang really well, but it’s a pity, he’s not even his own son. No matter how good he is to him, he’s still raising someone else’s child.】

【And Jin Keyang isn’t a good person. Even if you give him everything, he won’t appreciate it. Instead, he’ll complain that it’s not enough.】

Jin Cheng paused for a moment and couldn’t help but look in the direction the voice came from. It was full of volunteer students wearing red vests. They didn’t speak, so how did the sound come from them?

Jin Keyang, who had been smiling broadly, suddenly froze, his mind filled with anger. Again!

At this crucial moment, he couldn’t cause trouble for Qiao Chuchu in front of his father, so he could only pretend he didn’t hear it.

But Ximen Saijun wouldn’t let him off the hook. She asked suspiciously, “I just heard a strange voice, and it said…”

“What strange voice? Someone’s just playing a prank!” Jin Keyang’s attitude was unusually hostile. “Could it be your surprise for us?”

“Impossible!” Ximen Saijun quickly replied. “How could I do such a prank? Yangyang, don’t joke around!”

She was furious, almost being tricked by Jin Keyang.

Being the mayor, Jin Cheng was no ordinary person. He was smart, decisive, and also very suspicious.

Even the most casual words could make him overthink.

She had finally gained some trust from him, and she couldn’t let Jin Keyang ruin it.

Jin Keyang sneered, “Hmph, then why are you so anxious to explain?”

He wanted to shift the blame onto Ximen Saijun so his father wouldn’t investigate further.

Ximen Saijun said, “I didn’t do it. Of course, I have to explain.”

She looked at Jin Cheng. “Ah Cheng, it wasn’t me, but I could hear the strange voice…”

“Alright, enough arguing.” Jin Cheng furrowed his brows. “Let’s not forget why we’re here today.”

The strange sound came again.

【Oh dear, Ximen Saijun’s sister, Ximen Saijun, is quite beautiful. Jin Cheng didn’t give her any face at all. He chose to support his fake son in front of his wife and fake son, treating her so coldly. It’s clear—if she’s not the original wife, she’s not treasured.】

【Tsk, this man is really speechless.】

Jin Cheng’s face darkened even further, his gaze sharp enough to kill.

He couldn’t find the speaker, so he turned to look at Ximen Saijun.

Ximen Saijun wanted to explain, but she held herself back. Sometimes, the more you explain, the worse it gets. She stepped aside, her fingers digging into her palms, showing just how angry she was.

Jin Keyang, on the other hand, was breathing a sigh of relief, his face filled with a smile. “Hello, Director, I’m Jin Keyang. I’ve brought many gifts for the children today, and I hope they’ll like them.”

“Xiao Jin, you’re too generous. The children are already happy to see you, and they’ll be even happier with the gifts,” the director waved her hand and called, “Children, come here.”

The children, who had been standing nearby, heard the director’s call and obediently lined up, walking over to Jin Cheng. They stopped in front of him and greeted him in unison.

“Hello, Uncle Jin Cheng. Hope Orphanage welcomes you! We’re so happy that you’ve come to see us!”

The childish voices echoed through the courtyard.

“Hmm.” Jin Cheng waved at one of the little girls. “Come here, little girl.”

The little girl hesitantly walked over. “Uncle.”

Jin Cheng squatted down and asked her in a friendly manner, “What did you eat today? What classes did you have? What do you do every day?”

As he asked about the child’s daily life, the reporters who had followed them were snapping pictures and recording the scene.

Jin Keyang was also involved, eager to get on the headlines with a positive image, hoping his performance would attract more fans.

—

After welcoming the mayor, Qiao Chuchu and the others weren’t idle. They were called to help transport supplies to the orphanage.

Three large carts full of daily necessities, including food, clothes, and other essentials, clearly showed that Jin Cheng was doing a good job with his public relations efforts.

Luckily, there were many volunteers today, and they worked efficiently, except for a few individuals.

These people were arranged by Qiao Bo to take out their phones and were looking for an opportunity to make their move.

One of them recognized Qiao Chuchu and used their phone to inform Qiao Bo of the situation.

Qiao Bo stood up. “Chuchu is here too?”

After receiving a confirmation, he paused for a moment before saying, “Send two people to secretly protect Chuchu, and the others should continue with the original plan.”

The man nodded in agreement.

Qiao Cen, noticing something was off, asked, “What’s wrong? Is my sister here too?”

“Yes.” Qiao Bo replied, “Don’t worry, I’ve arranged for someone to protect her.”

“Okay.” Qiao Cen felt a warmth in his heart and almost wanted to cry. His sister was so good to him.

Suddenly, when he saw Qiao Bo getting ready to leave with some clothes, he stood up and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Handling something. Stay at home and don’t go anywhere,” Qiao Bo said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

—

Outside the orphanage.

Shen Yinyin whispered, “Chuchu, Jin Keyang has been with his dad the whole time. How are we going to act?”

“Let’s wait for a bit.” Qiao Chuchu said, “They’ll personally distribute the supplies to the children. We can take the chance to grab the phones.”

“Got it.” Shen Yinyin rolled up her sleeves, “I’ve never done something like this before. I’m so excited.”

Qiao Chuchu smiled, “Don’t get too excited. Be careful not to get caught by him.”

“No way.” Shen Yinyin remembered the shocking gossip she had just heard. “By the way, Jin Keyang doesn’t look like his dad at all. Is that person next to him his sister? She looks quite young.”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “It really doesn’t look like it.”

【Of course, father and son don’t look alike. It’d be strange if they did.】

Shen Yinyin: This is explosive! It seems like I’ve heard something incredible! But what should I do? I love hearing this kind of gossip! More, please!

However, Qiao Chuchu didn’t have time to think about it. The supplies were being rushed, and just as they arrived, someone said to them, “Come with me and bring the items.”

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin exchanged glances and followed him into the house.

Inside, there were many people: officials who came along, the orphanage children, volunteers, media reporters, and others.

Jin Keyang and Jin Cheng were sitting together, looking like a loving father and son as they visited a child lying in a hospital bed. The child had leukemia and was actively undergoing treatment.

Jin Cheng planned to send the child to a better hospital for treatment, hoping there might still be a chance for recovery.

While they were doing all this, the reporters were taking pictures like crazy, recording everything to make it onto the news.

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin carried a box of dolls and handed them over.

Jin Keyang reached to take them, and when he saw it was Qiao Chuchu, he was honestly shocked.

He even dropped the doll in his hand. Qiao Chuchu bent down to pick it up. “The doll fell.”

“I know. Get out of here!” Jin Keyang was afraid she would start causing trouble and ruin his relationship with his dad.

Qiao Chuchu smiled, “These haven’t been distributed yet.”

“You don’t need to worry about it!” Jin Keyang glared at her. “Put the stuff down and leave!”

“Okay.” Qiao Chuchu nodded and placed the items beside him.

【What’s with this idiot Jin Keyang, shouting for no reason? I brought you stuff and you don’t even say thank you? No manners at all. If it weren’t for Jin Cheng being blind and treating you like his precious son, someone like you would probably be begging for food somewhere.】

“Pfft—”

Shen Yinyin couldn’t hold it in and giggled. When she saw Jin Keyang glaring at her, she quickly suppressed her laughter.

Jin Keyang was fuming. “You—”

He dared not repeat her thoughts, and of course, he couldn’t say anything about what she was thinking.

Jin Cheng and Ximen Saju were nearby and naturally heard Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts. They also noticed the scene.

So the words just now came from this young lady? But she didn’t speak aloud. Why could they hear her voice?

The couple both looked at her.

Qiao Chuchu also glanced at them and nodded, but in her mind, she was thinking.

【What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a beautiful female volunteer? The one you should be looking at is Jin Keyang. Open your eyes and take a good look at whether he’s really your precious son. How long do you think he can keep wearing that green hat?】

“!” Jin Keyang’s face turned green with anger. “Put the stuff down and leave. Don’t get in our way while we’re working!”

“Yangyang, you should speak more gently to girls. That’s how you’ll make them like you.” Ximen Saju interjected, looking at Qiao Chuchu. “Young lady, Yangyang didn’t mean it. Please don’t be angry.”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “It’s fine.”

【Ximen Saju is quite beautiful, but her methods are too inexperienced. She can’t even outsmart Jin Keyang. But it’s not entirely her fault, Jin Cheng favors his precious son, so she’s always been at a disadvantage.】

Ximen Saju’s expression changed slightly as she scrutinized Qiao Chuchu. That voice really did come from her! She seemed to know a lot of things!

Ximen Saju’s gaze turned a little dangerous, and Shen Yinyin, who was in the know, quickly pulled her aside. “Chuchu, let’s go outside for a moment!”

Qiao Chuchu didn’t move, she still hadn’t gotten the phone.

Shen Yinyin wanted to shout: If they stayed any longer, she feared they’d eat Qiao Chuchu alive.

—

In the corner of the yard.

Qiao Chuchu said, “Why are you rushing to leave? Haven’t we splashed any water yet?”

Their plan was to pretend to trip and spill water on Jin Keyang. That way, he would have to change his clothes, and while he was changing, they could grab the phone.

“There are too many people inside. It’s not ideal to carry out the plan yet. We’ll have plenty of chances.” Shen Yinyin said, “They’ll stay for dumplings at noon. I don’t believe Jin Keyang won’t go to the bathroom then.”

Indeed, at noon, Jin Keyang went to the bathroom. While squatting in the pit, someone threw a basin of cold water right over him, and he was completely drenched.

He became a drenched chicken, rushing out and shouting, “Who the hell did that? Who did it? Come out! If I catch you, you’re done for!”

“Ahhhh!”

He vented all his frustration, but unfortunately, no bodyguards came to check on him despite his loud shouts. Only volunteers went to see him.

Before long, the news about Jin Keyang being splashed with water spread. He was determined to find out who did it, as it was the only way to ease his anger.

But the person clearly had a plan. During the time he was in the bathroom, the surveillance footage was tampered with, so no one could figure out what had happened, making it an unjust case.

Jin Keyang was nearly driven to madness.

Director Zhang Mama was very distressed. “Could it have been an accident?”

“An accident? Someone threw water in front of me, and you call that an accident? Why is the management of your orphanage so poor?!” Jin Keyang was furious, pointing at a group of bodyguards. “What were you doing earlier? Didn’t you notice I was nearly killed?”

The bodyguards all looked at each other in silence, lowering their heads. They were people too, and they needed to eat.

Jin Cheng frowned. “Enough, it’s not like anything serious happened. Why are you making such a fuss? Have you forgotten what I told you earlier?”

“No.” Jin Keyang gritted his teeth. “I understand.”

His wet clothes had just been changed, and he was now wearing a clean set of volunteer clothes, but he didn’t like this outfit and thought it looked cheap. If it weren’t for his dad telling him to change, he would rather have gone back wearing the wet clothes.

He got in the car and instinctively reached for his phone, only to realize that the phone in his pocket wasn’t his.

What the hell! Where’s my phone?!