‘Wait, what? If I’m already this rich, why the hell would I keep being a simp?’
‘I absolutely have to buy the huge villa I’ve always dreamed of.’
‘Then I’ll find 10 lolis, 10 mature beauties, and 10 cute girls.’
‘I’ll have a good time… Ahem, I mean, lie low for a while!’
Meanwhile, the driver, who was watching a video of people “playing poker” while driving, glanced at Jiang Chen with a strange look.
For the sake of the extra 5,000, he silently changed the destination on the navigation system.
[Navigation set for Jinxia Psychiatric Hospital in the southern suburbs…]
‘There’s definitely something wrong with this kid’s head.’
The corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth twitched.
‘Come on, man. Could you at least pretend to hide it?’
Jiang Chen glanced at the screen and clicked his tongue. “You sure know how to enjoy yourself, sir. You’re even watching a TV show while driving?”
The driver turned to look at him and replied, “This isn’t a TV show. It’s the security camera footage from my house…”
Jiang Chen immediately shut his mouth and silently moved into the back seat.
Meanwhile, back at the Jiang Family villa, Jiang Qingli was sitting behind the desk in her second-floor office, handling the aftermath of the recent events involving the Jiang Family.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Chen’s moving truck leave the Jiang residence. For some inexplicable reason, irritation suddenly welled up inside her.
‘Damn it. It’s just a basic project. How can so many people in the company still fail to handle it?!’
Jiang Qingli frowned and instinctively reached for the cup that should have been sitting by her right hand, only to grab empty air.
The cup was gone.
So was the hot water with goji berries that should have been there.
Jiang Qingli immediately frowned in displeasure.
She had told them several times that whenever she worked, there must always be a cup of hot water with goji berries beside her right hand!
Jiang Chen had never forgotten something like this.
“Jiang Chen?”
Jiang Qingli instinctively called his name.
However, the instant the words left her mouth, she remembered something.
She had personally told Jiang Chen to leave the Jiang Family just a short while ago…
‘But… just because I told him to leave, he actually left?’
“Eldest Young Miss, did you need Young Master Jiang for something?” Butler Li hurried inside when he heard her voice and handed her a cup of hot water.
Jiang Qingli took a sip, only to frown again.
It was actually just plain water?
Because of work, she was often so busy that she forgot to eat. That was why she had always drunk hot goji berry tea.
Butler Li and the others followed her around every day, yet they did not even know about this tiny detail that Jiang Chen had always treated as part of his daily routine?
Jiang Qingli grew increasingly irritated. At the same time, a cramping pain suddenly twisted through her lower abdomen.
She had been so busy these past couple of days that she had actually forgotten her period was starting today.
Jiang Qingli instinctively opened the drawer, intending to take out the painkillers and heating patches inside.
Jiang Chen had always kept them stocked for her.
They had never once run out.
This time, however, her hand found nothing.
The drawer was completely empty.
All that remained was a heart-shaped sticky note Jiang Chen had stuck inside the drawer last time.
Its edges had already begun to curl with age.
Written on it in Jiang Chen’s handwriting were the words, “Remember to replace the patch every six hours. Jiang Chen, silently watching over you [Heart]!”
As Jiang Qingli stared at the old sticky note with its curled edges, a belated ache and strange sense of emptiness spread through her chest.
Her irritation only deepened.
“Where is Jiang Chen now?” Jiang Qingli asked irritably, setting down the hot water without taking another sip.
She simply did not believe that Jiang Chen would truly leave the Jiang Family.
After all, every other time something like this happened, hadn’t Jiang Chen cried and begged, even clinging shamelessly to her leg just so he could remain in the Jiang Family and stay by her side?
He had even shamelessly called her “Mom” before just so he could stay.
Although she did not particularly hate it when he did that.
Still, after all this time, shouldn’t he be finished with his tantrum by now?
Besides, she really was a little angry this time.
No matter how much trouble Jiang Chen had caused in the past, he had never delayed anything concerning her.
Yet he still had not returned?
It had already been exactly 5 hours, 34 minutes, and 5 seconds.
She instinctively opened her phone, intending to see whether Jiang Chen had once again sent her a flood of messages saying things like “I was wrong.”
However, there was nothing.
“?”
A cold, incredulous smile appeared on Jiang Qingli’s beautiful face. “Fine. Fine! If he has the guts, then he’d better never come back!”
“Butler Li, give him my private island in Bali. Give him another 10 million as well. Tell him that from now on, he is no longer my brother.”
“From this day forward, I, Jiang Qingli, am cutting all ties with him. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
‘Hmph. I refuse to believe he can keep pretending once he hears that he’s truly being driven out of the Jiang Family and has to leave me.’
Moreover, she knew Jiang Chen’s personality. He had always regarded money as worthless and hated it most when others tried to put a monetary value on his feelings.
No amount of money would make a difference.
“Yes!”
Butler Li could not help feeling sorry for Jiang Chen.
‘Ah, Young Master Jiang loves the Eldest Young Miss so much. What use could all that money possibly be to him?’
‘It isn’t what he wants at all.’
Only then did Jiang Qingli look back at her chat with Jiang Chen.
At that moment, she still had no idea that he had already blocked her.
Her finger hovered over the chat interface. Just as she was about to move it, Mother Jiang’s cheerful voice came from behind her.
“Oh, Qingli! Hurry and look who’s back!”
“Hao’er, slow down!”
Hearing her voice, Jiang Qingli turned around and saw Mother Jiang supporting a young man as he came upstairs.
He was around Jiang Chen’s age, in his early twenties, and his features somewhat resembled Mother Jiang’s.
He was none other than the true young master of the Jiang Family, Mother Jiang’s biological son, Jiang Haotian.
“Sister!”
Jiang Haotian was still dressed in a hospital gown, with casts covering his arm and leg. The instant he saw Jiang Qingli, his eyes reddened, and he tried to throw himself into her arms.
However, Jiang Qingli quietly stepped aside.
She frowned and asked, “Mom, why did you bring Haotian here? Wasn’t he supposed to be recovering in the hospital?”
This did not make sense.
“Oh, your brother just came back, didn’t he? I’m planning to hold a welcome banquet for him tomorrow,” Mother Jiang replied matter-of-factly.
“Besides, what does the hospital have that we don’t have at home?”
Jiang Haotian’s expression darkened, but he quickly concealed the gloom in his eyes and asked, “Sister, aren’t you happy that I came back?”
“I know my relationship with you can’t compare to the bond Brother Chen has with you and the other sisters.”
“I grew up in the slums, constantly enduring contempt and neglect. I never had the luxurious life Brother Chen enjoyed, but all I want is to stay by Mom and Dad’s side.”
“If Brother Chen is unhappy, I can move out.”
“Sister, I’m only asking you for one thing. Please don’t make me leave Mom and Dad, okay?”
Tears glistened in Jiang Haotian’s eyes.
His words made it sound as though he had suffered an unbearable injustice, yet he was acting so sensible that anyone would feel sorry for him.
Mother Jiang’s heart immediately ached for him, and she hurried forward to comfort him. “Hao’er! What are you talking about? You’re my real son!”
“That Jiang Chen was nothing more than a dog we raised because we were bored. How could he ever compare to you?!”
‘A dog?’
Hearing those words, Jiang Qingli frowned.
She had not even said anything yet, but Jiang Haotian had already said so much, as though he had already decided that Jiang Chen was some vicious, malicious person.
For some reason, his words left her feeling uncomfortable.
‘Could I be overthinking it?’
Jiang Qingli’s expression cooled slightly, but she still said, “Haotian, don’t think too much. Jiang Chen isn’t that kind of person.”
“He didn’t cause a scene. He already left. From now on, he’s no longer a member of the Jiang Family.”
“He left?!”
Jiang Haotian raised his head in astonishment.
‘He left? Just like that?’
‘Hadn’t he always refused to leave no matter what happened? Or is he planning to wait until tomorrow and ruin my welcome banquet?’
‘No. I need to investigate this later.’
However, Jiang Haotian quickly noticed the displeasure in Jiang Qingli’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Sister. I’m just a little frightened because of what happened before.”
Jiang Haotian immediately softened his attitude and looked down at his bandaged arm and leg.
Only then did Jiang Qingli’s expression ease.
‘Maybe I really am overthinking it.’
Even so, despite what she had said, she also suspected that Jiang Chen might show up at tomorrow’s welcome banquet.
If he did, she would probably have to stop him from causing trouble.
“Go get some rest. I’ll arrange tomorrow’s welcome banquet,” Jiang Qingli said with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen’s Huolala moving truck had already stopped outside Jinxia Psychiatric Hospital in the southern suburbs.
With an extravagant wave of his hand, he pulled out a thick stack of cash.
He bought a new phone and rented a nearby two-bedroom apartment with a living room.
Then he carefully locked everything Jiang Qingli had given him inside one of the rooms as though they were priceless treasures. After listing each item for sale on Xianyu according to its current market value, he finally walked away completely satisfied.
Carrying the bank card containing 100 million, he unlocked a shared bicycle.
‘Heh, I made another fortune! I couldn’t spend all this money even in my next life!’
Jiang Chen desperately suppressed the urge to burst out laughing.
He was just about to set the navigation to a nightclub when several messages suddenly popped up on his phone.
[Ding! Authorization for the private island in Bali has been approved. Ownership is currently being transferred to your name. To accept, please open the mobile app and sign the contract online.]
[Ding! 10 million has been deposited into the bank account ending in 0621…]
“Young Master Jiang, this is Butler Li. The Eldest Young Miss asked me to tell you to prepare yourself mentally and not to be too heartbroken.”
“The Eldest Young Miss said that this island and the 10 million are a small compensation for everything that has happened over the years. From now on, she has nothing more to do with you. She said… she will no longer acknowledge you as her brother.”
“Young Master, please don’t be too heartbroken. You have to stay strong!”
“You may have lost love, but you still have money…”