In the dining room of the villa…
“Hey, Sister, can you put that giant teddy bear aside during breakfast? You hugged it all night—haven’t you had enough?”
Jiang Zhao held a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee as he looked helplessly at Qin Lingxue beside him, who was still half-asleep. Her messy hair draped over her shoulders, and her eyes were hazy with drowsiness.
Hearing him, Qin Lingxue shook her head and hugged the bear even tighter, her feet swinging lazily. It was clear she really liked this plush toy.
Maybe it wasn’t the toy she liked, but the person who gave it to her.
“I’m heading to the Jiang family later. Want to come with me?” Jiang Zhao asked.
Without hesitation, Qin Lingxue nodded, took another spoonful of congee brought to her lips, and said plainly, “Wherever you go, I go.”
Alright then, that question was unnecessary.
Soon, she finished her bowl, went upstairs to freshen up, and came back down in a white knee-length dress. Her fair legs were exposed, paired with white shoes and white socks. She looked like a pure and innocent beauty straight out of a youth romance film.
Jiang Zhao, meanwhile, had already texted that so-called father of his, letting him know he’d be there for lunch.
It was time to settle the score with the Jiang family.
…
Meanwhile, at the Jiang family villa.
In the living room, Jiang Chennan had been racking his brain trying to resolve his son’s crisis. Seeing Jiang Zhao’s message, he immediately lit up with joy.
“Jiang Zhao is coming for lunch.”
Hearing that, Li Murong’s expression brightened too.
If Jiang Zhao showed up, with his abilities, he could surely turn the situation around.
But then she hesitated and said doubtfully, “We worked so hard to drive him out. Now we’re letting him back in… isn’t that a bit much?”
Truth was, she simply didn’t want to see Jiang Zhao return. After all, if we’re being honest—she was the actual mistress in this story.
Jiang Chennan narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of smugness flashing across his face. He chuckled softly, “So what? Once he resolves Chenfeng’s problems, we can kick him out again. It’s not that easy to get back into the Jiang family.”
In his mind, Jiang Zhao coming to lunch meant he was compromising. That he still couldn’t let go of the Jiang family.
Hmph. As long as you can elevate the family business, maybe we’ll let you come back.
At noon, the scorching sun bathed the entire city in golden light, as if the whole place were cast in gold.
A Maybach slowly pulled up at the gates of the Jiang family.
A maid, who had been waiting for a while, respectfully walked up to Jiang Zhao as he stepped out and said softly, “Young Master Jiang Zhao, welcome home.”
Jiang Zhao glanced at her, then at the wide-open doors, and said nothing. He walked into the villa with Qin Lingxue.
As they reached the entrance, Jiang Chennan stepped out, the serious expression on his face softened with a smile. “Xiao Zhao, you’re back. Come in, your mom made your favorite sweet and sour ribs today.”
Then he noticed Qin Lingxue by Jiang Zhao’s side and welcomed them both warmly, all while thinking, This kid really did get together with the Qin family’s heiress… not bad. Once he fixes the company mess, I’ll have Chenfeng spend more time with her.
Clearly, Jiang Chennan had already started harboring dirty thoughts about Qin Lingxue.
Walking ahead, Qin Lingxue instantly sensed his predatory gaze. Her brows furrowed slightly as she whispered, “I don’t like the way that guy looks at me.”
Jiang Zhao had already more or less guessed what this so-called “father” was thinking. He’d been burned by him once before. With a faint smirk, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he treats me like a god before we’re done.”
Jiang Chenfeng wasn’t home today. Only Jiang Chennan and Li Murong were present. After all, they had wronged Jiang Zhao and now needed his help—naturally, they didn’t want Chenfeng showing up and causing trouble.
Li Murong came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, holding a steaming bowl of sweet and sour ribs. The rich aroma filled the living room. Seeing Jiang Zhao and Qin Lingxue, she smiled for once instead of being harsh, saying, “Xiao Zhao, you’re back. I made all your favorite dishes for lunch. You’ve lost weight since you left. Eat more.”
Hearing that, Qin Lingxue frowned even more.
Lost weight? Was that a roundabout way of saying she’d been starving this man? This old hag was asking for trouble.
Jiang Zhao sat down at the table and smiled meaningfully. “You really went out of your way. After all these years in the Jiang family, this is the first time you’ve made food I like.”
The smile on Li Murong’s face became a little stiff. She couldn’t think of a retort.
Thinking back, this truly was her first time cooking for Jiang Zhao. All the meals she ever made catered to Jiang Chenfeng’s taste. She had never considered what Jiang Zhao liked.
As the room fell into awkward silence, Jiang Chennan quickly stepped in to smooth things over and sat at the table. “Alright, let’s not talk. Time to eat.”
“Yes, yes, let’s eat,” Li Murong added quickly.
On the table were delicately prepared dishes: sweet and sour ribs, spicy shredded potatoes, fried fish fillets, beef meatball soup…
In the past, Jiang Zhao would’ve been overjoyed. But now, looking at the feast before him, he felt nothing.
Maybe a little, because it was something he had once longed for.
But unfortunately, this was a meal with conditions. It didn’t taste like family—it only tarnished the very idea of what family should be.
Beside him, Qin Lingxue quietly memorized the ten dishes on the table. She planned to try making them at home later.
Jiang Zhao didn’t pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he spoke flatly, “I came here today to see you one last time. We probably won’t meet again.”
“…What do you mean?”
Jiang Chennan, about to pick up some food, froze mid-air, chopsticks suspended, confused.
Before he could think more, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Jiang Chenfeng.
“Dad, didn’t you say Jiang Zhao agreed to help me? Then why did he report me for tax evasion? The police are—”
Before he could finish, a loud “BANG!” sounded through the phone. Two police officers had burst into his office, showing their badges.
“Jiang Chenfeng, you are under suspicion of tax evasion and distributing a large quantity of defective products into the market. Please come with us.”
A burst of noise erupted on the other end, and the call was cut off.
Back at the Jiang family table, both Jiang Chennan and Li Murong stood up abruptly, their expressions completely changed.
“What’s going on?!”
Both of them turned to Jiang Zhao. He remained calm as he said, “You thought taking over the group meant you could control everything. But don’t forget, I built it from nothing. That company is like my child—I know every flaw in it.”
Hearing that her son had been arrested, Li Murong went completely hysterical. “Chenfeng is your brother! How could you do this to him?! Don’t you have a conscience?! How could you turn on your own family?!”
Jiang Chennan was just about to speak, but then he saw the cold look in Jiang Zhao’s eyes and didn’t dare say a word.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the villa. Moments later, a dozen tattooed men barged in.
The man in the lead pulled out a loan document and said coldly, “Mr. Jiang, your son borrowed over 30 million from our company. Now it’s time to repay the loan. There’s also over 20 million in interest. How do you plan to pay that?”
“What?!” Jiang Chennan froze in place, staring in disbelief at the loan document—sure enough, it had his son’s signature.
He suddenly recalled how, not long ago, Jiang Chenfeng had mysteriously paid off a huge supply debt.
His face turned pale.
That bastard actually took out a high-interest loan!