“What are you worrying about? Is that little brat worth such anxiety? The Meng Corporation is currently a broken ship; one shake and it’ll fall apart.” Meng Qiang’s mindset was exceptionally stable. He added nonchalantly, “Besides, even if the person is gone, the company can still exist.”
Qin Qingsheng froze. Then he had an epiphany. He smiled, clapping his hands in eagerness. “Right, right! I was overthinking it. Brother Meng always has a way. When do we strike? I’ll arrange it now?”
Yes, if the person is gone, the company can still exist.
Meng Qiang felt like prying open Qin Qingsheng’s skull to see if there was a brain inside or if it was just filled with water. If anything happened to Meng Lingyao at a time like this, wouldn’t it be blindingly obvious that they were behind it?
Cursing him inwardly, Meng Qiang maintained a calm demeanor. “Don’t be in such a rush. It won’t be too late to wait until this spotlight passes.”
“Right, I’ll follow your lead, Brother Meng.” Qin Qingsheng chimed in repeatedly, looking like he was ready to follow Meng Qiang to the ends of the earth.
…
On the other side, because the company was becoming increasingly stable, Lin Qingwan had learned a lot of news from Secretary Qian. She had relaxed, and her spirits were high.
In the morning, she watched the caregivers change her eldest son’s clothes, massage him, and provide nursing care. The sun was shining perfectly today, so before it got too hot, she had them wheel him out to soak up some sun; staying in the room all the time was too stifling.
“Xiao Sheng, the weather is nice today. Mom is taking you out for a stroll.” Straightening the corners of her eldest son’s clothes, she sat down beside him to bask in the sun. The warm sunlight felt comfortable on her skin, and the scent of flowers brought a sense of peace.
She was a lady with a taste for life; the garden was filled with a vast sea of various flowers. It was currently the blooming season for many vibrant blossoms, looking exceptionally beautiful and smelling fragrant.
Gazing at the brilliant flowers made one’s mood improve instantly.
The medical team, having the discernment to give them space, retreated to a distance to wait for instructions.
“Jiaobao is doing a great job. You have no idea how well he’s managing the Meng Corporation right now,” Lin Qingwan said to her eldest son with a tone full of praise and pride.
“It’s just, Xiao Sheng… your brother isn’t suited for management. Mom knows he’s just barely holding on. Mom is happy he’s becoming more capable, but at the same time, my heart aches for him. Wake up soon and help your brother. Mom knows you care about him the most; you wouldn’t want to see him this tired forever, right?”
Every day, Lin Qingwan would chatter away to Meng Lingsheng. The doctors said this could stimulate him—perhaps one day he would wake up.
But everyone knew that the longer a person was in a vegetative state, the harder it was to wake up.
They simply clung to that sliver of hope, persevering in the expectation of the day their loved one would regain consciousness.
“However, fortunately, that boy from the Qi family is helping your brother. To be honest, Mom really didn’t expect it. Back then, those two boys made such a mess of things, but when the Meng Corporation was in trouble, he was the one who helped us. ‘True feelings are seen in times of trouble’—that saying is indeed true,” Lin Qingwan said with a smile.
She even took out her phone, filmed a short video, and sent it to her busy younger son.
“Jiaobao, the weather is great today. I brought your brother out for some sun. Come on, Xiao Sheng, say hi to your brother!” Lin Qingwan said with a beaming smile as she lifted Meng Lingsheng’s hand and waved it toward the camera.
…
Seeing his mother and brother soaking up the sun comfortably, Meng Lingyao couldn’t help but crack a smile and give it a “like.”
Meng Lingyao: [Get Brother a bit of a tan. It’s best if he turns into charcoal! He’s been lying at home every day and now he’s even paler than me! Devilish Smile.jpg]
Lin Qingwan: [You little rascal, keep being mischievous! When your brother wakes up, I’ll tell him all the bad things you’ve done.]
Meng Lingyao: [Blehhh, I’m not afraid! Brother loves me the most; he won’t hold it against me!]
While Lin Qingwan was enjoying leisure time with her eldest son, the family’s housekeeper came running over. “Madam, the gatekeeper says that Madam Qin is here to visit.”
Madam Qin? For a moment, Lin Qingwan didn’t realize who it was. “Who?”
“It’s the Master’s younger sister,” the housekeeper summarized carefully, watching the Madam’s expression.
As expected, Lin Qingwan, who had been gently smiling, turned cold. Her eyes were filled with disgust and suppressed fury. Being well-bred, she didn’t curse despite her harsh tone; she simply gave an order of expulsion: “I won’t see her. Tell her to leave.”
“Yes, Madam.” The housekeeper ran back to relay the message.
Lin Qingwan looked at her eldest son. Her hatred and anger toward her sister-in-law’s family remained, only suppressed because her son was present.
What was she doing here? It was sickening. Just hearing that name made Lin Qingwan feel nauseous with loathing.
She was an only child from a scholarly family, a pampered young lady with an innocent and romantic personality.
But her husband had siblings. After the accident, the second brother’s family and his sister had initially been extremely caring and helpful, guiding them out of the gloom of a dead husband and an injured son. Looking back, it was just “a weasel giving New Year’s greetings to a chicken”—no good intentions, just a ploy to deceive them.
Disregarding the bond of blood, they had ruthlessly struck at their own kin, wishing they could swallow the Meng family whole. Lin Qingwan still remembered those filthy faces clearly.
She remembered how her precious “Jiaobao” son had bowed his head to beg them, and the detestable faces of those two families as they laughed arrogantly, looking as if they wanted nothing more than to see them dead.
Now, they were not relatives; they were enemies.
She was a delicate flower protected by her husband, but she was no fool, nor was she a “Holy Mother.” She could not forgive what these families had done.
The housekeeper came trotting back again with a troubled look. “Madam, they won’t leave. She says she wants to see the Eldest Young Master.”
“Heh.” Even the habitually gentle Lin Qingwan turned cold. “If she wants to stand there, let her. Ignore her.”
Who are you putting on an act for?
How unlucky.
In the past, Lin Qingwan might have worried about the social impact, but she had personally witnessed how hard Meng Lingyao had struggled to maintain the stability of the Meng Corporation. That toil had exhausted his heart and soul; she would never do anything to destabilize the home front.
A noblewoman’s good temper and grace were for friends, not for mortal enemies.
“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry,” Lin Qingwan patted her chest and looked at her unconscious son, comforting herself. “Mom won’t get angry. If I get sick from anger, no one can take my place.”
…
Meng Jiuyin, whose eyes were perpetually filled with tears and a resentful gaze, sat in her car staring at the tightly closed gates of the Meng residence. This used to be her home, too. Now, she couldn’t even step through the door.
To say she wasn’t sad would be impossible. With a face full of sorrow, she stared fixedly at those closed gates.
Why couldn’t her sister-in-law forgive her? She had her own difficulties; she felt extremely wronged in her heart as well.
“Madam, they refused your visit.” The driver returned, shaking his head, and informed her of the rejection once again.
Meng Jiuyin clutched her skirt and lowered her head in sorrow.
Fine. It was her and her second brother’s fault in the first place.
Ultimately, they had offended her sister-in-law’s family.
Now, she had nowhere to go even for a visit to her maiden home.
Why is my life so bitter?
“Let’s go back,” Meng Jiuyin said listlessly, looking as if she had suffered a fatal blow.
“Yes.” The driver got in, started the car, and drove away.
Meng Jiuyin glanced back, a single tear seemingly tracing a line down her cheek.
“Madam, if you ask me, why do you even bother seeing that bankrupt household? The Meng Corporation will go under sooner or later. You give them face and they don’t even appreciate it. It’s simply absurd,” the driver said while driving, expressing his indignation at the Meng family’s refusal to see them.
Meng Jiuyin sank into an ocean of pain. “Stop it, stop it. It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”
How could outsiders know what her brother and husband had done?
Meng Jiuyin clutched her chest, looking like a tragic heroine.
Oh, outsiders didn’t know that Meng Qiang and Qin Qingsheng had taken advantage of the old President Meng’s death in a car accident and the heir’s coma to strike ruthlessly at Meng Lingyao—the only sprout left to manage the company—disregarding all blood ties.
They only thought Meng Lingyao was a spendthrift playboy who couldn’t handle the company, causing it to nearly go bankrupt.
Because the Meng Corporation had almost been pushed into bankruptcy, the upper class had their private judgments, but the general public only knew the Meng family seemed to have split—otherwise, why was there a “Little Meng” President?
Due to Meng Lingyao’s prior reputation, most people believed he had squandered the fortune.
The key details had been deliberately hidden and downplayed by Meng Qiang. But an intimate confidant like the Qin family driver couldn’t be ignorant of the truth; that didn’t stop him from siding with the Qin family in his criticism.
“Madam, how could it be your fault? It’s clearly the Meng family’s fault. They were given respect and threw it back. You are too kind,” the driver said, twisting the facts.
It was unclear if Meng Jiuyin was listening. Her face was full of exhaustion. “Just take me home.”
After returning home, she was all alone. Meng Jiuyin went to her room to rest. Lying on the bed, she felt drowsy, her mind filled with childhood memories.
The guilt in her heart accumulated day by day, pressing down until she could hardly breathe.
“You went to the Meng house? What did you go there for?” In her daze, she seemed to hear someone questioning her.
“I went to see… to see how Xiao Sheng’s condition is…” she murmured, not yet fully awake.
Qin Qingsheng had learned about Meng Jiuyin’s visit to the Meng house from the driver. To be honest, he was a bit angry at first. Meng Jiuyin’s vacillating attitude and her “half-dead” dramatics made him very unhappy.
“Did you see him? Do you really think Lin Qingwan would let you see that half-dead vegetable now?” Qin Qingsheng spoke with extreme cruelty, showing zero regard for his wife’s currently fragile emotions. Knowing she hadn’t seen him, he chose to twist the knife in her heart.
“No.” Meng Jiuyin opened her eyes, and a tear fell, soaking into the pillowcase.
Her husband’s words were undoubtedly another stab to her chest. She no longer had a maiden home.
“Fine, then who are you putting on that act for? Stop thinking about some deep sibling bond. Right now, Lin Qingwan hates you to death. You’re just embarrassing yourself. If you really want to act out some sibling affection, spend more time with your second sister-in-law. The Qin family and your second brother are your real relatives now.” Qin Qingsheng was tired of seeing Meng Jiuyin’s miserable state; he waved his hand and turned to leave.
Meng Jiuyin closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time. Only the tears overflowing from the corners of her eyes flowed silently.
“You know perfectly well I don’t get along with my second sister-in-law…”
Why does no one care about me?