The Jiang family estate occupied an entire hilltop. The convoy left the city and headed toward the suburbs.
The drive took a full two hours. Jiang Shanhuan sat there drowsy, leaning carelessly against Jiang Zhaoting's shoulder, fast asleep.
This body had suffered severe trauma and had just woken up—it simply didn't have the energy to last two hours in a car.
"Get up." Jiang Zhaoting's voice drifted down from above.
Feeling the vibration of his shoulder, Jiang Shanhuan scrunched up her face and opened her eyes, then immediately snapped awake.
Good heavens, she really was a bold little rascal—she had actually fallen asleep leaning against Jiang Zhaoting.
She lowered her head and instinctively touched the corner of her mouth. The dry sensation reassured her considerably.
At the same time, boundless gratitude welled up in her heart, and she once again marveled—Jiang Zhaoting really was a good person.
"Brother, you're so good."
Jiang Zhaoting's lips twitched imperceptibly. "Hmph."
Jiang Shanhuan: "Don't think I didn't catch the sarcasm in your tone."
The smile at the corner of Jiang Zhaoting's mouth grew more pronounced. "I'm glad you caught it."
"I…" Jiang Shanhuan was at a loss for words. "Big brother, you have no heart. I was complimenting you—can't you feel my sincerity?"
"Your sincerity?" Jiang Zhaoting countered.
At that, Jiang Shanhuan shut up completely. She really had gotten carried away after sleeping on her big brother's shoulder—how did she have the nerve to say he had no heart?
"Haha… anyway, let's not talk about that, no more." Jiang Shanhuan awkwardly changed the subject.
Just then, the car stopped in front of the estate. Looking at the grand and luxurious manor before her, Jiang Shanhuan's eyes lit up.
"Wow~ Big brother, where is this?"
Jiang Zhaoting, who had already gotten out of the car, turned back. "You've forgotten your own home too?"
Home?
Jiang Shanhuan's heart jolted. She suddenly realized—the Jiang family really was a top-tier wealthy clan.
No wonder, with the Jiang family protecting her, even Ethan had to tread carefully.
"Haha… well, otherwise why would it be called amnesia?" Jiang Shanhuan muttered in a small voice, defending herself.
Jiang Zhaoting said nothing and walked inside on his own.
Jiang Shanhuan was rather curious about her new home. She looked around as she walked, even warmly greeting the servants along the way.
Just then, a woman's voice came from not far away. "Oh my, Mama's Huanhuan, you're finally back."
Jiang Shanhuan looked closely—it was a middle-aged woman wearing a plain-colored qipao, her long hair pinned up, her brows and eyes revealing a gentle, graceful air.
The voice drew closer, and in a flash the woman had run up to Jiang Shanhuan.
Jiang Shanhuan instinctively raised her hand to strike, but forcibly stopped herself.
Because she could tell the woman bore her no ill intent—her tone and expression were filled with nothing but care and tender affection.
"Ma… Mama." Jiang Shanhuan said softly.
In that instant, the woman's tears came at once, and she pulled Jiang Shanhuan tightly into her embrace.
Jiang Shanhuan was very unaccustomed to such intimate gestures, but she couldn't bear to push her away.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Mama Jiang said as she took Jiang Shanhuan's hand and led her into the house. "Huanhuan, don't blame Mama for not going to pick you up. Mama really wanted to go, but your father insisted I shouldn't."
Just as Mama Jiang finished speaking, a deep voice came from in front of them. "What do you mean I insisted? You've been unwell these past few days—you can't even sleep soundly at night. How could you sit in a car for that long?"
"Don't you go driving a wedge between me and little Huan."
Jiang Shanhuan looked up. It was a middle-aged man who bore a five-tenths resemblance to Jiang Zhaoting.
In the memories the original body had left her, she knew this man. He was the previous head of the Jiang family, the original owner's adoptive father, Jiang Enhua.
The Jiangshi Group was built by him and his wife, Tong Wanqiu, together. Now they had stepped back from the front lines and were enjoying their retirement.
He had always believed that the Jiang family was harmonious, without the scheming and infighting that plagued other wealthy households.
If not for the stunt the original owner had pulled at the signing ceremony, he probably would have lived his entire life inside his own imagination.
She wondered how Jiang Enhua viewed her now, after everything that had happened.
Jiang Shanhuan really felt a knot in her chest.
She hesitated over how to start the conversation, whether she should apologize—after all, the Jiangshi Group was the life's work of the couple.
"Dad, Mom… I'm sorry." She decided to apologize first.
Even though the original owner hadn't been a good person, she had taken over her body, so it was only right to offer an apology on her behalf.
The couple was taken aback. Jiang Enhua spoke first. "Huanhuan, what are you apologizing for? It's Mom and Dad who should be apologizing."
Huh? What was this about?
"Mom and Dad failed to protect you, which is why you got into that car accident. It's our fault."
"Huh?" Jiang Shanhuan's eyes went wide. "But I ruined the group's signing ceremony and caused the company to—"
"Oh, that." Tong Wanqiu chuckled and pinched Jiang Shanhuan's nose. "Your big brother explained everything to us. They disrespected you first. You were right to fight back."
"Besides, our family wasn't all that keen on working with them anyway. That Gordon Group has too complicated a background, too much risk. It's just as well we're not cooperating."
"Our Jiang family doesn't need this one deal."
The couple spoke one after the other, completely absolving Jiang Shanhuan of any blame—even dressing her up as the victim.
But Jiang Shanhuan knew that if the Jiang family truly hadn't wanted to cooperate with the Gordon Group, they would have refused from the very start. It would never have gotten as far as the signing stage.
Since it had reached that point, it meant the cooperation was more beneficial than harmful to the Jiang family.
Yet the original owner had destroyed that opportunity.
Dear heavens, what kind of divine family was this?
And the original owner, that ungrateful wretch, had actually gotten to have them.
No wait—they were all hers now.
Was this her reward for having parents who never loved her in her past life?
God, you really know how to arrange things.
Jiang Shanhuan was carefully escorted home by the couple, and she caught a glimpse of Jiang Zhaoting's back just as it disappeared around the corner of the second-floor staircase.
Suppressing her unfamiliarity, she sat down on the sofa. Tong Wanqiu sat beside her, fussing over her, personally feeding her nourishing supplements while tears streamed down her face.
She doted on Jiang Shanhuan endlessly.
Jiang Enhua personally poured her water, then instructed the family nutritionist to carefully regulate Jiang Shanhuan's health, attending to every detail.
Drowning in the tide of familial affection, Jiang Shanhuan couldn't help but feel her nose sting.
She had seen life and death countless times. Even at the moment of her own death in her past life, she hadn't shed a tear.
But today, for some reason, her nose kept tingling and her throat felt tight.
"Thank you, Mom." Jiang Shanhuan took a deep breath and turned her face away awkwardly.
Tong Wanqiu lowered her head to wipe her tears, but her other hand gripped Jiang Shanhuan's tightly, as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
At a loss in the face of Tong Wanqiu's tears, Jiang Shanhuan didn't know how to interact with elders. She could only clumsily wipe Tong Wanqiu's tears away.
"Mom, don't cry. I'm perfectly fine. The doctor said I'm full of vitality and in great shape."
"Even better than before the accident."
Tong Wanqiu: "How can that be the same? That was a car accident."
The more she spoke, the more Jiang's mother couldn't hold back her tears. Watching this, Jiang Enhua felt heartache for both Jiang Shanhuan and his own wife.
"Dear, stop crying. Let Huanhuan rest for now. The doctor said she needs peace and quiet to recover. How can she rest well with you like this?"
As soon as Jiang Enhua said this, Tong Wanqiu immediately nodded. Holding Jiang Shanhuan's hand, she stood up and said, "Come on, Mom will walk you back to your room."
Jiang Shanhuan's room was on the third floor, and she was the only one living on that floor.
As the elevator went up and passed the second floor, she suddenly said, "Mom, I want to say a few words to Big Brother. Why don't you go keep Dad company watching TV? I'll head back to my room to rest on my own later."
Tong Wanqiu thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but don't talk too long. Your health comes first."
"I know, Mom."
Jiang Shanhuan got off the elevator, watched Tong Wanqiu go downstairs, and then walked to the door of her eldest brother's room.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Jiang Zhaoting opened the door. "Something on your mind?"
Jiang Zhaoting had changed out of his suit and into loungewear, with his collar slightly open. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. He leaned sideways against the doorframe, looking at Jiang Shanhuan indifferently.
The sight of him like this gave Jiang Shanhuan quite a start, and she nearly forgot why she had knocked on his door in the first place.
Seeing her staring blankly, Jiang Zhaoting spoke impatiently, "Cat got your tongue?"
Jiang Shanhuan snapped back to her senses with a jolt and said, word by word, "Big Brother, you—are—lying."