Ruan Xiuming wore a serious expression as he mused, “
“Xiao Zhi, after all, this is a family matter, so let’s leave it to the Ruan family to resolve internally. Don’t worry—Uncle won’t take sides with anyone.”
Ruan Jiajia immediately relaxed.
Ruan Zhi lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Ruan Xiuming instructed the butler to summon all the servants, and about twenty of them gathered in a circle in the living room.
He shot a sharp glance around the room and asked in a deep voice if anyone had seen the second young lady entering or leaving the first young lady’s room in the past few days.
In the end, someone actually came forward and said:
“I… have. A couple of days ago, Aunt Liu and I were cleaning the eldest young lady’s room when the second young lady came in and told us to leave…”
If it were just her, it wouldn’t be enough to convince anyone, but Aunt Liu had been working for the Ruan family for over thirty years; she was known for being honest and hardworking, and had always been fiercely loyal to the Ruan family—even Old Master Ruan had praised her.
She nodded, looking troubled:
“After the second young lady entered the eldest young lady’s room, we waited quite a while before going in to clean. While the eldest young lady was away these past few days, the second young lady was the only one who had been in there.”
The atmosphere was tense. Ruan Xiuming waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.
“What were you doing in Xiaozhi’s room? Did you take the things she lost?”
Facing Ruan Xiuming’s piercing gaze, Ruan Jiajia forgot her guilt and, feeling deeply wronged, stuck out her chin and shouted:
“So what if I took it? What’s so special about that piece of junk? I threw it in the trash—it’s probably already at the recycling center by now. Tell her to go fish it out.”
Ruan Zhi’s blood ran cold; all the color drained from her face, and she stared at her with bloodshot eyes: “When did you throw it away? Where did you throw it?”
“Just toss it aside—who’s going to remember it anyway?”
Ruan Jiajia tilted her chin and curled her lips. “With an attitude like that, even if I do remember, I’m not going to tell you. Beg me—maybe when I’m in a better mood, I’ll remember.”
Ruan Zhi’s fingertips dug deeply into the flesh, her icy gaze brimming with hatred.
“Ruan Jiajia!”
Ruan Xiuming let out a furious shout, his face turning ashen with rage. “Go find those things for Xiaozhi!”
“No way! If you’re so capable, let her go find it herself.”
Ruan Jiajia is spoiled and stubborn; she’s adopted a “what’s the point” attitude—if it comes to it, she’ll just go abroad. It’ll be the perfect chance to lie low for a while.
“You… you’re trying to drive me crazy.”
Ruan Xiuming was so angry that he clutched his chest and gasped for breath,
“I thought you were just young and immature, a little spoiled and headstrong, but you keep picking on Xiaozhi. I haven’t even settled the score with you yet for having someone drug her, and now you’ve stolen her things and thrown them away. Is there anything you won’t do? You’ve really let me down!”
“I’m sorry, Uncle, but I have to call the police about this.”
There was no point in continuing this conversation with Ruan Jiajia. Ruan Zhi took a deep breath, finished speaking, and turned to go upstairs to make a call—her cell phone was still in her room.
Before Ruan Xiuming could stop her, Ruan Jiajia shrieked:
“Go ahead and call the police if you dare—but don’t even think about getting your stuff back.”
Ruan Zhi froze in her tracks, spun around suddenly, suppressed the emotions churning in her heart, and asked calmly:
“Under what conditions would you be willing to give it back to me?”
As long as the items haven’t been thrown away.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Ruan Jiajia’s eyes darted about; she crossed her arms and tilted her chin up smugly:
“We’ll see how you behave first. For now, you’ll be staying at the Ruan family’s house. I’ll give it back to you once I’m in a better mood. I don’t care about those worthless things your parents left behind.”
Just look at that deadpan expression of hers—you can tell right away.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand her well enough to know that she only reacts whenever her dead parents are mentioned.
Haha, I really didn’t expect that, by sheer accident, I’d ended up holding her by the throat.
If she doesn’t let off some steam this time, she’s no Ruan.
The two locked eyes, and sparks flew.
Ruan Jiajia smiled happily, while Ruan Zhi lowered her eyes to hide her resentment and agreed.
She returned to her room with a blank expression on her face, and Ruan Xiuming followed her in.
“Xiao Zhi, Uncle is truly ashamed that I didn’t raise Jiajia properly and caused you such distress.”
As she looked at the refined, middle-aged man in the wheelchair, whose face was etched with self-reproach, a hint of cool detachment unconsciously shone in Ruan Zhi’s eyes:
“It’s okay. As long as Ruan Jiajia returns my things exactly as they were, I can put up with any injustice, no matter how great.”
Ruan Xiuming was momentarily taken aback; he hadn’t expected her to speak so bluntly, and a fleeting look of scrutiny flashed across his eyes.
“Are you mad at Uncle?”
He gave a wry smile,
“Jiajia has been spoiled rotten by Grandpa and your aunt since she was a little girl—she’s completely out of control. Now that she’s grown up, she won’t even listen to me anymore. All these years, I’ve been the sole pillar holding up the Ruan family—especially after your grandfather fell ill. With my paralysis on one side, I could manage the company but not the household. Your aunt always takes Jiajia’s side, and you’ve had to put up with Jiajia’s abuse time and again—I know all of this.”
“But what can I do? Can I divorce her? The Ruan and Lin families have been allied through marriage for so many years; their ties are so deeply intertwined that a single move would set off a chain reaction—I just can’t bring myself to do it…”
He let out a bitter sigh. “I’m not as capable as my older brother. If he were still here, he certainly wouldn’t have let the Ruan family get into this stalemate, at the mercy of others.”
“God is unfair. I, the cripple, should have died in my older brother’s place back then…”
As he spoke, his voice caught in his throat, and he lowered his head and covered his face.
Hearing him mention her father, a wave of sadness washed over Ruan Zhixin, and her thick eyelashes trembled slightly:
“Uncle, I understand everything you’re saying. I’ll cut Jiajia some slack—as long as she gives me my things back, I won’t hold it against her.”
After a brief pause, her slightly hoarse voice sounded exceptionally firm,
“Uncle, you know, the things Mom and Dad left me are my whole life—they’re the last remaining memories of them in this world. I want to be buried with them when I pass away.”
Her biggest regret was that she had underestimated how low Ruan Jiajia would stoop, and that she hadn’t taken her belongings with her when she left.
Ruan Xiuming wiped his face; his eyes were moist as he looked at her intently, his fingers twitching slightly.
That face bore such a striking resemblance to her mother’s—delicate and beautiful. When she wore a cold expression, she resembled a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains: pure and flawless, seemingly out of reach, and so beautiful it made one feel ashamed of one’s own inadequacy.
Yet it also stirs up greed in people, making them want to claim it for themselves.
“You’re a good kid. Jiajia is just upset right now. Once she calms down in a few days, your uncle will do everything he can to make sure she gives the things back to you.”
……
Late at night, in a dimly lit study, Ruan Xiuming took a large pink metal box out of the safe; the lock on the box showed clear signs of having been pried open.
Inside the box were, to my surprise, a collection of odds and ends and two thick photo albums.
He opened one of the albums, and the first thing he saw was a family portrait of the Zhangs—a family of three.
A young couple held their one-month-old baby girl, smiling radiantly and happily—a sight that was almost blinding.
His gaze lingered on the woman’s face, gradually growing mesmerized; his hand trembled as he reached out to touch her face, gently caressing it……
A moment later, a sharp pair of scissors sliced across the young man’s handsome face.
He bears a slight resemblance to him.
The man stood tall and straight, with his arm around the woman, his face beaming with happiness.
But he could only huddle in his wheelchair, hiding in a dark corner and peering out.
A surge of rage welled up inside him, and, as if he had gone mad, he pulled out all the photos of the man and slashed the face on each one viciously.
Gritting his teeth:
“Big brother, you’re the one who deserves to die! But if you’re going to die, that’s fine—why did you have to take Jingwen with you? Huh? She’s mine—she’s mine!!!”