Chapter 28

Qin Yan couldn’t openly admit that he was worried about Jiang Ruan’s childhood engagement. Even if Jiang Ruan agreed, Shen Tianming, the devoted suitor of Han Qingqing, would oppose it. Under pressure from both families, a forced engagement and marriage would not bring happiness to Jiang Ruan.

Glancing at the young nanny, who was so pure and innocent when it came to emotions, Qin Yan turned his head away, thinking about many things. Would she think he was meddling?

After listening for a while longer, Qin Yan heard Han Qingqing and Mu Xuehui leave. He said, “If Han Qingqing gets adopted by your uncle, you wouldn’t be happy about it, would you?”

“Actually, I don’t really like the Han family,” Jiang Ruan replied. “I only went back to live there so that Han Qingqing wouldn’t get what she wanted so easily.”

“So, how long do you plan to stay there?” Qin Yan asked.

“Until they can’t keep up the act any longer,” Jiang Ruan said.

Qin Yan went to school for his exams, and Jiang Ruan waited for him at the school gate. When the bell rang, signaling the end of classes, she saw Han’s mother and Han Yunqing standing outside the fence, waiting for the rushing Han Qingqing.

Before Han Qingqing even reached them, her sobbing voice could be heard, “Mom, Second Brother.”

Seeing the daughter she had raised for over ten years looking so frail and as if she had lost several pounds in just one night, Han’s mother was heartbroken. “Qingqing, are you doing okay at the Jiang family?”

Han Qingqing only cried without saying anything, and Han Yunqing murmured, “Mom, think of a way to bring Qingqing back.”

After Han’s mother left, Mu Xuehui came to see Han Qingqing and asked, “So, did you talk to your mom about the adoption?”

Han Qingqing couldn’t help but smile, “My mom said I could come back tonight, so I didn’t mention the adoption.”

Adoption would have been a more permanent solution, but Han Qingqing was still too naive. Mu Xuehui didn’t know how else to put it.

…

Jiang Ruan squatted under a big tree, watching the affectionate scene between mother and daughter for a while. When Qin Yan arrived, she opened the insulated lunch box she had brought from home, revealing stir-fried pork, green pepper with eggs, and a radish and pork rib soup. She had already eaten at home and wasn’t hungry.

“Brother Qin Yan, how did your exams go this morning?”

“Not bad,” he replied. There weren’t any questions he couldn’t answer, and his memory, which had been good before, was now almost photographic.

“It’s quite possible that they’ll bring Han Qingqing back tonight,” Qin Yan said. “If that happens, will you continue to tolerate it, or will you move out of the Han family?”

“Brother Qin Yan, can you advance me a month’s salary?” Jiang Ruan asked.

“Sure, may I ask what you need the money for?”

“Nothing specific, just to have some money in hand for peace of mind.”

After work in the evening, Jiang Ruan collected the advanced second-month salary from Qin Yan, adding it to the money she had saved from selling eggs, rice, and old newspapers, giving her some financial security.

The Han family had already finished dinner. The room she had not asked to be cleaned last night was now tidied up, and Han Qingqing stood awkwardly at the doorway while Han’s mother pulled Jiang Ruan aside, gently explaining the family’s intentions.

“Ruan Ruan, you’re my biological daughter, and of course, you’re the one I love most. You and Qingqing are both seventeen now. After the college entrance exams, Qingqing will go to university, then get married and have children in a few years. I just thought it would be less complicated if she continued living here.”

“Her room will be yours, and I promise she won’t take anything from you. Would that be okay?”

Of course, it wasn’t okay. How could they expect her to share a space with Han Qingqing? Han Qingqing had already enjoyed seventeen years of a privileged life that didn’t rightfully belong to her—wasn’t that enough? Jiang Ruan had said before that she didn’t want to stay with the Han family; she just didn’t want to let Han Qingqing have her way.

Now that she was ready to leave, she wasn’t going to make it easy for her, either.

Jiang Ruan said, “Even breathing the same air under the same roof with her feels unfair to me. You used to have only one daughter, and you still have only one. So, make your choice. If you choose me, I’ll be a filial daughter in the future. If you choose her, I won’t call you ‘Mom’ again.”

Han’s mother clutched her chest. She felt guilty toward Jiang Ruan, but her love for Han Qingqing was something she couldn’t let go of. She couldn’t make a decision.

Han Yunqing couldn’t understand, “Jiang Ruan, why are you like this? Why can’t you have it both ways?”

“It was never possible to have it both ways,” Jiang Ruan said. “Even if you were raising two dogs, they would still fight for territory. Mom, Second Brother, let me ask one more time: Is she leaving, or am I?”

“I’ll leave, okay? I’ll leave!” Han Qingqing shouted, running out in humiliation.

“Qingqing, why are you running off at night?” Han Yunqing chased after her.

Jiang Ruan packed her things, ready to leave as well. Han’s mother, too weary to coax her, said, “She’s already gone. Why are you still making a fuss about running away?”

Jiang Ruan corrected her, “You started this by bringing her back without even telling me. I saw you bring her lunch this afternoon, and I heard you say you loved her. Honestly, I envied her for a moment. She has both a biological mother and an adoptive mother who adore her and would do anything for her. But I only envied her for a little while. Once I walk out of this house, I won’t envy her anymore. Goodbye, Aunt Qian.”

Jiang Ruan returned to the courtyard apartment, but Han Qingqing had arrived a few minutes earlier, and word of the incident had already spread.

Grandma Huang sighed, “Child, you’re too foolish. Why did you come back?”

Jiang Ruan put down her bag and asked, “Grandma Huang, can I continue to rent the room from you?”

Just as Grandma Huang was about to nod, Jiang Jianchun, who was staying with her parents due to a divorce, rushed over. “Jiang Ruan, I’m the one who wronged you. Why are you targeting Qingqing?”

“Now that Qingqing is back, do you think things will be any better for you? In your biological mother’s eyes, you’re just a thorn. Every time she sees you, she’ll remember that you drove away the daughter she loved for seventeen years. Jiang Ruan, I advise you to accept reality and get along with Qingqing.”

Jiang Ruan slapped Jiang Jianchun hard, knocking her to the ground and splashing her spit onto her face. She then went to the sink to wash her face.

Afterward, she said, “As long as I don’t go back to the Han family, Han Qingqing will always be a thorn in their hearts. Every time they see her, they’ll remember that she was the one who forced their biological daughter to leave. I need to make money, and I need to be happy. The better I do, the more guilt the Han family will feel. The more they feel guilty, the less they’ll be able to treat Han Qingqing well.”

Her words left everyone stunned.

Realizing she could no longer stay at the courtyard, Jiang Ruan apologized to Grandma Huang and secretly gave her ten yuan. “Grandma Huang, from now on, you’re like my real grandmother. Don’t sell the house. I’ll take care of you in your old age.”

…

Qin Yan hadn’t slept, thinking about how Jiang Ruan would handle the Han family bringing Han Qingqing back tonight.

The Han family loved Han Qingqing too much. After raising her for over a decade, finding out she wasn’t their biological daughter would be difficult for anyone to accept. But what about Jiang Ruan? How many people had considered her feelings?

Just because she was resilient like a wildflower didn’t mean she should be trampled on.

If it were up to Qin Yan, he would have told Jiang Ruan not to return to either the Han family or the Jiang family. In his previous life, he hadn’t been a good person—whether it was business rivals or those who had bullied his mother, he had ruined them all. There was a reason his reputation was so bad.

As long as Jiang Ruan stayed away from the Han family, Qin Yan could expose Han Qingqing’s hypocrisy with ease.

Han Qingqing hadn’t yet shown her true colors because she hadn’t needed to, but Qin Yan knew better. She wasn’t as innocent as she seemed. The fact that she managed to find Jiang Jianchun and remain at the Han household spoke volumes about her tenacity.

There was a light tap on the window. It was the second floor, and the only one who could easily climb up and tap on it was Jiang Ruan, who was well-practiced.

Qin Yan looked up to see the young nanny smiling at him outside the window. She had come quietly, without alerting his parents downstairs.

He opened the window, and Jiang Ruan hopped inside, closing it softly and drawing the curtains.

“Brother Qin Yan, can I stay here tonight?” she asked.

“Why didn’t you stay at Grandma Huang’s place?”

“The courtyard is too noisy tonight. I don’t want to see Jiang Jianchun and Han Qingqing; it would disturb my sleep,” Jiang Ruan said.

Qin Yan couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright, then you can stay here.”

Jiang Ruan eagerly helped Qin Yan onto the bed, then laid out a blanket on the floor for herself. With him on the bed and her on the floor, she was finally in a position where he could look down at her.

Jiang Ruan smiled happily, “The air in your house is so nice.”

“You mean the atmosphere is nice.”

“Brother Qin Yan, you haven’t asked me to do anything for a few days. Is there really nothing that needs to be done?”

“You’re too stubborn and always act on your own. How could I still dare to ask you to do anything?”

There was plenty to be done. Mu Xuehui wouldn’t give up trying to find herself a stepmother, and now there was the issue with Jiang Ruan’s family. Jiang Jianchun had her parents as a safety net, so she still had room to cause trouble. That needed to change.

Jiang Ruan could carry out his tasks well, but Qin Yan needed her to promise that she wouldn’t go off-script and put herself in danger. Otherwise, he would rather find someone else to handle these matters.

Jiang Ruan promised repeatedly, “Alright, before I meddle in anything next time, I’ll definitely let you know.”

Qin Yan pulled the cord to turn off the bedside lamp, and the room went dark. He smiled, “There’s a lot to be done. See if there’s anything in my house you can take and sell as your payment.”

…

Jiao Wenbin had an elderly mother who fell ill upon hearing that her son had been arrested. Jiang Ruan went to see her early in the morning. Neighbors said the old woman hadn’t eaten for three days and was on the verge of death.

Jiang Ruan bought some porridge and used her abilities to heal the old woman. Then she went to the detention center to visit Jiao Wenbin.

Normally, she wouldn’t be allowed to visit, but since she had saved several passengers and rescued abducted women and children, the police made an exception.

Jiang Ruan informed Jiao Wenbin about his mother’s condition. “Liao Chunxing promised to take care of your mother, but whether she recovers or not depends on fate. Your mom doesn’t want to live because of your situation. It took me a long time to convince her to eat, and she asked me to tell you to redeem yourself by doing good and earn a lighter sentence. She wants you to be released and reunite with her.”

“Of course, I won’t help you for free. If you have any other information about Liao Chunxing’s criminal activities, we can trade. If not, then I have no obligation to look after or counsel your mother in the future.”

Jiao Wenbin did indeed have dirt on Liao Chunxing. He had initially planned to use it to blackmail Liao Chunxing into taking care of his mother, but since Liao couldn’t be trusted, there was no reason to keep his secret.

“I’ll confess,” Jiao Wenbin said.

After listening to Jiao Wenbin’s confession, Jiang Ruan eagerly shared the information with Qin Yan.

Qin Yan hadn’t expected Liao Chunxing’s malicious behavior to be so vile. If it was true, Jiang Jianchun wouldn’t be able to stay with her parents anymore. It was an unexpected gain, and perhaps even a good deed.

Qin Yan said, “Let the police verify it. In the meantime, let’s take care of another matter.”

“Two tasks in one day, two rewards,” Jiang Ruan said excitedly. “Brother Qin Yan, I wish your tasks would never end.”