“Don’t you know? Didn’t she tell you?”
“She’s such a proud person; it’s actually pretty unlikely she’d say something like that to you.”
“Asking you if you’d get back together—that was already the best she could do.”
…
Shi Zhuojing had bribed one of Qiao Xunan’s friends to say this to him. It wouldn’t have been good for Shi Zhuojing to say it herself—that would have made her seem submissive. She couldn’t speak to Qiao Xunan that way; she had to let him know she had her own pride.
She, Shi Zhuojing, hadn’t been completely crushed by reality!
When Qiao Xunan heard these words, he became extremely anxious. He jumped to his feet, ready to go find Shi Zhuojing.
Seeing Qiao Xunan rush off like that, his other friends didn’t chase after him.
Some of them knew deep down that this might not be true. But Qiao Xunan cared so much about Shi Zhuojing that nothing anyone else said would make a difference.
Shi Zhuojing had only been back in the country for a few days, and she was already leading Qiao Xunan around by the nose. If anyone spoke up now, it would only make Qiao Xunan care about her even more.
After Qiao Xunan left, someone asked the person who had spoken about Shi Zhuojing, “Were you paid off?”
“Don’t put it that way. Xunan cares so much about Shi Zhuojing—they’ll end up together sooner or later,” the person replied. “Shi Zhuojing is destined to be the future matriarch of the Qiao family.”
That person felt he had done Shi Zhuojing a favor; once she married into the Qiao family and became the matriarch, he would reap the benefits. He hadn’t accepted anything from Shi Zhuojing yet, which meant she was in his debt.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. If Xunan doesn’t end up with Shi Zhuojing, how will the Shi family resolve those troubles? Those people will still have to turn to someone else.” The man said, “Wouldn’t it be better for Xunan to decide sooner whether he wants Shi Zhuojing or not? His previous lover had neither a degree nor any real ability—what could she possibly offer Xunan? Only someone like Shi Zhuojing is suited to be the matriarch of the Qiao family.”
“The Qiao family could arrange a marriage alliance for Qiao Xunan with someone else.” Others aren’t that naive. It’s been so many years since Qiao Xunan and Shi Zhuojing were together. Don’t be fooled by how passionate Qiao Xunan is toward Shi Zhuojing right now—that might not last.
Qiao Xunan went to find Shi Zhuojing, showing up at her house late at night without any warning. When he arrived at the Shi family’s doorstep, he didn’t knock but stayed seated in his car, gazing up at the lights on the upper floors of the house.
On the way there, Qiao Xunan had been determined not to let Shi Zhuojing marry anyone else, but now that he was actually standing at her doorstep, he hesitated. Qiao Xunan knew the root of the problem was still how to resolve the Shi family company’s funding shortfall. He had already invested all the funds he could spare into the Shi family business, yet they were still not satisfied.
Qiao Xunan couldn’t tap into Qiao Group’s funds; he feared that Qiao Group might actually run into trouble. If Qiao Group ran into trouble, it would truly be impossible for Shi Zhuojing to be with him.
Upstairs, Shi Zhuojing looked down at the ground floor. She knew Qiao Xunan had arrived, but she didn’t go downstairs; she had to pretend she knew nothing. If Shi Zhuojing ran downstairs to find Qiao Xunan herself, it would make her seem too desperate—after all, she was still the daughter of a wealthy family.
At the Murong residence, the elderly Mr. Murong and the others were anxious upon learning that Mrs. Murong had gone missing. They wondered where she could have gone. Before they could even go looking for her, Mrs. Murong returned to the Murong residence on her own.
“Are you unhappy to see me?”
“This is my home—am I not allowed to come back?”
“Cheer up, everyone. Cheer up.”
……
Mrs. Murong had come back specifically this time. Realizing her son and daughter hadn’t married yet, she thought to herself: as their biological mother, shouldn’t she step in and make some arrangements?
“You came back without even letting us know,” said the Elder Mrs. Murong.
The Elder Mrs. Murong was worried that Ms. Murong might do something reckless, as her mental state was unstable.
Even when Ms. Murong’s husband and his mistress died in a car accident, she was still constantly thinking about her husband and paid little attention to her two children. Ms. Murong even went so far as to say that her two children weren’t good enough; if they had known how to make their father a little happier, he wouldn’t have gone to his mistress.
“I’m a perfectly capable adult. I can come back whenever I want—I don’t have to give anyone advance notice, do I?” Ms. Murong said. “It’s just that I realized the two kids are getting on in years; they need to find partners. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come back at all.”
“Yuchen is engaged,” said the Elder Mrs. Murong.
“Engaged?” Ms. Murong exclaimed in surprise. “Why didn’t any of you tell me? Mom, are you trying to arrange a marriage for him? That won’t do. A person should spend their life with someone they love—if they’re not with the person they love, what’s the point?”
“He loves his fiancée,” said the Elder Mrs. Murong.
“I don’t believe it. You didn’t tell me—it must be because you’re forcing him into an arranged marriage,” Ms. Murong insisted.
“Don’t you know what your son is like?” Murong Ya said with a cold laugh upon seeing her biological mother. “Mom, my brother didn’t tell you because he was worried you’d interfere and prevent him from being with the person he loves.”
Murong Ya knew exactly what her biological mother was like; by phrasing it differently, Mrs. Murong would be more receptive.
“If he truly loved her, would I make things difficult for his fiancée?” Mrs. Murong said. “I’d even help him figure out if there’s something wrong with her, if she’s just after his money, and if he…”
“It’s our dad who’s after your money,” Murong Ya retorted. “You’ve already put my brother through so much—isn’t that enough? You’ve just come back on a whim, and now you’re determined to ruin his happiness? Back then, you claimed that Grandpa and Grandma ruined your happiness with Dad, saying they made things difficult for him, which is why he betrayed you. Are you going to go and torment my future sister-in-law too? In the future, if she betrays my brother, it’ll all be because of you!”
Murong Ya couldn’t bring herself to say a single kind word to her own mother—not even the slightest bit. Murong Ya was a little older than Murong Yuchen, and seeing her brother reduced to that state, she knew her own mother played a major role in it.
Is a man really that important? Mrs. Murong had been betrayed by a man; given her circumstances, she could have easily dumped him, yet she just couldn’t bring herself to let him go.
Mrs. Murong hadn’t allowed her late husband to be buried alongside his mistress. They’d been seeing each other behind her back while they were alive, so she couldn’t let them stay together even in death.
“Your brother has a girlfriend now. What about you?” Mrs. Murong asked.
“That’s none of your business,” said Murong Ya. “You’d better go back where you came from and only come back when my brother has his wedding banquet.”
“Now that I’m back, I’m not leaving anytime soon,” Ms. Murong said, showing no intention of leaving. “I can make it up to you both.”
“The best way you can make it up to us is to stay abroad and recover,” Murong Ya said, pointing toward the front door.
“I’m not leaving,” Ms. Murong said once more. “If you won’t let me stay here, I’ll move into a hotel and find Yuchen’s fiancée myself.”
“You…” Murong Ya didn’t want Ms. Murong to go looking for Qiao Yitong.
Ms. Murong stayed at the Murong residence; only by keeping her under everyone’s watchful eye could they feel even a little at ease.
When Murong Yuchen returned from working overtime, he learned that Ms. Murong had come back to Hong Kong and furrowed his brow. The reason Murong Yuchen had worked overtime today was so he could finish his work early and go find Qiao Yitong.
“Be a little more careful; we’ll keep an eye on her too,” Murong Ya said to Murong Yuchen, speaking gently to her younger brother. “There’s no need to rush. Mom is the kind of person who sees nothing but love—as if life without love were impossible to live well. I told her you love your fiancée, but she wouldn’t believe me.”
Murong Ya found Mrs. Murong to be a particularly ridiculous person. “In her eyes, perhaps only people from humble backgrounds count—she thinks true love only exists when a wealthy person is with someone like that. Wasn’t that exactly what Mom did back then? She found someone from a completely different social class and called it love.”
“She can’t control me!” Murong Yuchen would never let his mother ruin his relationship.
People in Hong Kong rarely saw Ms. Murong. Those of her generation used to see her more often, but ever since she went abroad for medical treatment, they’ve hardly seen her at all.
Ms. Murong was someone who put love above all else, yet at times she also believed that a match of equal social standing was ideal. This contradiction wasn’t reflected in her own life, but rather in how she treated her children.
In the past, whenever she spoke with her children, she would swing back and forth between insisting on love and insisting on a match of equal social standing, going back and forth constantly.
Someone like this easily upset others, yet she didn’t see it as her own problem—she tended to blame others instead.
Qiao Xunan didn’t stay by the Shi family’s front gate; eventually, he returned to the Qiao residence. Shi Zhuojing watched Qiao Xunan’s car drive away as she leaned against the wall in her room. How wonderful it would be if Qiao Xunan could make Old Master Qiao and Uncle Qiao back down for her sake.
Shi Zhuojing couldn’t let her guard down. If Qiao Xunan couldn’t resolve the issues with the Shi family, then even if she married him, she might not have much standing within the Qiao family.
The next morning, Murong Yuchen and the others didn’t see Madam Murong—she had slipped out.
When Murong Yuchen learned that Madam Murong wasn’t home, he grew anxious. Without even stopping for breakfast, he rushed out. Murong Yuchen hadn’t told Madam Murong who his fiancée was, but he knew she wanted to know—and she would find out eventually.
It wouldn’t be good if she went looking for Qiao Yitong.
Qiao Yitong didn’t like it when people treated her badly, and she had quite a temper. If Qiao Yitong became upset, Murong Yuchen feared she might not want to be with him anymore.
Ms. Murong did indeed go to the Qiao family’s home. After making a few inquiries, she learned that it was only after Qiao Xudong had gotten into trouble that Murong Yuchen had become engaged to Qiao Yitong.
What does trouble at the Qiao family’s have to do with the Murong family?
Would Murong Yuchen really get engaged to a friend’s sister just to help that so-called friend?
No, that would absolutely never happen!
Ms. Murong felt that Murong Yuchen would never stake his lifelong happiness on such a thankless endeavor. That could only mean one thing: Murong Yuchen intended to take what he wanted by force.
Back when Ms. Murong’s husband hadn’t yet married her, she would deliberately create work-related difficulties for him, making him realize that only she could help him.
Ms. Murong wanted to demonstrate her capabilities, making it impossible for that man to leave her and ensuring he knew just how valuable she was.
So Ms. Murong bought quite a few things and went to the Qiao family home to see Qiao Yitong. Qiao Yitong hadn’t expected Ms. Murong to show up at that moment. After all, in the original novel, Ms. Murong didn’t visit the Qiao family this quickly.
What kind of person was Ms. Murong in the original novel, anyway?
Qiao Yitong suddenly slapped her forehead—she really couldn’t remember. In her past life, Qiao Yitong had written so many novels; how could she possibly remember all that detail? Heaven had made it easy for Qiao Yitong to recall the stories of other characters, but it was difficult for her to recall the details of her own novel.
Perhaps Heaven felt that if Qiao Yitong remembered everything, she wouldn’t act as naturally.
“Xiaotong, it’s been so many years since we last saw each other.” Upon seeing Qiao Yitong arrive, Ms. Murong smiled as she took her hand, trying hard to recall the past. “When you were very little, I even held you in my arms. You wanted to play with Yuchen, but he wouldn’t play with you, and you even said, ‘Don’t let him fall into my hands.’”
“……” Qiao Yitong tilted her head; she didn’t remember. “Should I break up with him?”
Qiao Yitong pondered what Ms. Murong meant—was she trying to break them up?
Ms. Murong didn’t see any signs of Qiao Yitong’s affection for Murong Yuchen in her eyes. Yes, that was exactly it. Qiao Yitong didn’t like Murong Yuchen that much; it was Murong Yuchen who liked Qiao Yitong.
“That was all just childhood stuff,” Ms. Murong said with a smile. “Aren’t you two engaged? Go get your revenge—stomp on him a few times, or even kick him a couple of times.”
As Qiao’s mother watched Mrs. Murong like this, she recalled the rumors she’d heard in the past—that Mrs. Murong’s mental state wasn’t very stable. After her husband passed away, Mrs. Murong had quickly left the country.
When Murong Yuchen rushed over, he saw Mrs. Murong handing Qiao Yitong a savings book.
“What are you doing?!” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality emerged, his eyes turning red.
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality rushed straight toward Qiao Yitong, shielding her behind him—he couldn’t tolerate Mrs. Murong harming the woman he loved.
Mrs. Murong looked at Murong Yuchen; her son’s eyes were bloodshot.
“I love her. No one can force me to marry someone I don’t love. You can’t lay a finger on her!” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego despised Mrs. Murong; his split personality was caused by his parents.
“What’s wrong with me touching her?” Mrs. Murong said.
Qiao’s mother watched the mother and son like this, wondering what on earth they were doing. Why did it all seem so strange?
The next moment, Qiao Yitong slipped out from under Murong Yuchen’s arm and reached out to grab the passbook from Ms. Murong’s hand.
“Can I take this now?” Qiao Yitong asked.
Ms. Murong paused for a moment, then said, “Sure.”
Just as Qiao Yitong was about to take the passbook, Murong Yuchen grabbed her hand.
“I have more money. If you’re with me, you’ll have even more,” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said.
“There’s no conflict here. What my future mother-in-law gave me was a welcome gift; what you’re giving me now is a present, and after we’re married, it’ll be considered marital property.” Qiao Yitong stared at Murong Yuchen with wide eyes. “You don’t actually think this is a breakup settlement, do you?”
“……” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality did, in fact, think exactly that.
“Have you been watching too many soap operas?” Qiao Yitong said. “For someone of my standing, would it even be appropriate for your mom to give me a breakup settlement?”
Qiao Yitong thought to herself that, after all, she was the heiress of the Qiao family, and Mrs. Murong wasn’t stupid enough to offer her a breakup settlement. Would a family like the Qiaos really stoop to offering a breakup payment?
“No, I haven’t. I hardly ever watch them,” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said, sounding a bit aggrieved. He hadn’t watched them, and neither had his primary personality—who was too busy with business matters to even properly pursue a secret crush, leaving it up to him, the alter ego, to step in.
“Can’t I accept a welcome gift from my future mother-in-law?” Qiao Yitong poked Murong Yuchen with her finger. “If you say I shouldn’t take it, I won’t.”
“Take it!” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality hurriedly interjected. A welcome gift from a future mother-in-law had to be accepted—but if it were a breakup settlement, that was out of the question.
Murong Yuchen’s alter ego snatched the passbook right out of Ms. Murong’s hands and shoved it into Qiao Yitong’s palm. “You can accept it if it’s from your future mother-in-law,” Murong Yuchen said. Anything not from her, though, was off-limits.
“Take it, take it, take it,” Ms. Murong said.
Mrs. Murong had just caught a glimpse of Murong Yuchen’s icy gaze, and it startled her. She knew about his split personality. Because of this, she had avoided interacting with him in the past. She didn’t believe she was the one who had turned him into this person; she blamed her late husband’s mistress, not herself.
Old Master Murong and his wife had once taken Murong Yuchen abroad for medical treatment, but it was to no avail. Murong Yuchen’s condition still hadn’t improved, so the Murong family could only hope that it wouldn’t get any worse.
Back then, when Ms. Murong’s husband and his mistress had just passed away, Ms. Murong was emotionally unstable. She treated her children poorly, and her son got into trouble. In her distress, she even told her children, “If you’re so capable, go down to the underworld and keep an eye on your own father.” At that time, she had even contemplated taking her own life, but failed to do so.
This was also why Mr. Murong and the others remained wary of her. Even though her condition had improved significantly since then, they still feared she might do something foolish and harm her children again.
“I’m not your grandparents; I won’t be the one to tear a couple apart,” Mrs. Murong insisted, still harboring resentment toward Old Master Murong and his wife.
She felt her parents had been too hard on her husband back then; people should be more gentle, not act too harshly, and shouldn’t be overly demanding. Ms. Murong didn’t look for the cause within herself; she blamed her parents and her husband’s mistress instead.
“It’s good that you’re engaged—very good,” Ms. Murong said. “Now that Yuchen is engaged, I can rest much easier. When I go to the afterlife, I’ll be able to give his father a clear account.”
“……” Qiao Yitong was speechless upon hearing this.
Mrs. Qiao was also at a loss for words upon hearing this; she knew a little about what had happened back then. Mrs. Qiao couldn’t understand Ms. Murong at all. Ms. Murong was so wealthy—if it were Mrs. Qiao, she wouldn’t have bothered with her husband at all; she could have even left him. She could have had multiple lovers and switched boyfriends as often as she pleased.
It was just that Ms. Murong was stubborn and insisted on sticking to one man.
Mrs. Qiao relied on Mr. Qiao; she knew how to play the game of “clinging to a powerful figure” properly, so she never went looking for other men. Even if others tried to seduce her, she would never have considered another man.
“I don’t owe him any explanations, and my other half doesn’t owe him any either.” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego deeply despised his “daddy,” and his primary personality felt the same way.
Murong Yuchen continued to protect Qiao Yitong. He stood in front of her, blocking Mrs. Murong, not wanting Qiao Yitong to have much contact with her.
“What Tongtong and I have is between us,” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality said.
For a moment, Mrs. Murong wanted to ask, “Do both of your personalities agree?”
Mrs. Murong didn’t dare ask in front of the Qiao family, fearing that if they learned of Murong Yuchen’s condition, Qiao Yitong would break up with him. But Qiao Yitong would find out about Murong Yuchen’s situation sooner or later. If Murong Yuchen didn’t tell her now, what if she refused to be with him once she found out?
Someone had to be the bad guy, didn’t they?
Mrs. Murong decided to ask Murong Yuchen later when he planned to tell Qiao Yitong.
“Tongtong, I’ll take her home first,” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said. “I’ll come find you later.”
“Okay,” Qiao Yitong nodded.
“Would you two like to stay for lunch?” Qiao’s mother asked.
“Mom, Auntie just got back not long ago. She must be tired,” Qiao Yitong said. “Let them go home.”
Qiao Yitong was familiar with some details from the original story; she knew there was tension between Murong Yuchen and Ms. Murong, though she wasn’t sure if Qiao’s mother was aware of it. In any case, it was best to let the mother and son go home for now. Qiao Yitong glanced at the passbook in her hand—as long as she had the passbook and the PIN, that was all that mattered.
“Let’s go,” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said, casting a cold glance at Ms. Murong.
“Go on, go on,” Ms. Murong said to Qiao Yitong with a smile. “Come visit us sometime.”
“Sure,” Qiao Yitong replied.
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality didn’t hold Ms. Murong back; he simply stared at her as she walked ahead of him. Murong Yuchen’s secondary persona glanced back at Qiao Yitong, who was looking down at the passbook.
Murong Yuchen’s secondary persona placed his hand over the passbook, blinking at Qiao Yitong with a slightly aggrieved expression.
Seeing this, Qiao Yitong understood everything. She stood on tiptoe and quickly kissed Murong Yuchen’s cheek, then waved her hand. “All right, let’s go home.”
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality didn’t leave right away. He kissed Qiao Yitong on the forehead before finally agreeing to go. Whatever the primary personality had, the secondary personality had to have as well.
Qiao Yitong touched her forehead, then watched Murong Yuchen walk away. She decided to look at the passbook in her hand instead.
Murong Yichen’s mother witnessed this scene and felt that Qiao Yitong cared more about that passbook than she did about Murong Yuchen.
“Xiaotong,” Qiao’s mother said, tapping Qiao Yitong’s arm. “Don’t just stare at that passbook—shouldn’t you see them off?”
“Didn’t we already have a goodbye kiss?” Qiao Yitong replied. “That’s enough.”
“……” Mrs. Qiao had indeed just witnessed Qiao Yitong and Murong Yuchen’s interaction. Glancing at the direction Murong Yuchen had left in, she couldn’t figure out what Murong Yuchen saw in Qiao Yitong. Could it really be that he was just attracted to her pretty face?
As for whether Murong Yuchen had become engaged to Qiao Yitong solely to prop up the Qiao family, Mrs. Qiao didn’t think so.
The Qiao Group wasn’t in such dire straits yet. If it really were, Mr. Qiao wouldn’t have been completely oblivious to it, and he certainly wouldn’t have failed to mention it to Mrs. Qiao.
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll be upset?” Mrs. Qiao asked.
“What’s there for him to be upset about? I’m already with him—we’re engaged. He should be thanking his lucky stars and thanking me,” Qiao Yitong said. “I never really liked him that much to begin with. There’s no need to pretend—if I act so insincere, I wouldn’t be myself, and then he wouldn’t like me either.”
“That… seems right,” Mrs. Qiao thought to herself. Qiao Yitong had often spoken ill of Murong Yuchen in the past; she clearly didn’t like him. Yet Murong Yuchen still liked Qiao Yitong, which showed that he was simply drawn to her.
“Anyone who chases after you isn’t worth much, Mom.” Qiao Yitong glanced at her savings book, then back at her mother. “Some of these wealthy people just like to be different. If you slap one cheek, they’ll turn the other one toward you, saying it makes it symmetrical, and then ask if your hand hurts.”
“Huh?” Qiao’s mother was stunned. She certainly knew some people had unusual tastes, but her daughter—well, her daughter knew quite a bit, too.
“Whoever falls in love first loses,” Qiao Yitong said. “Of course, between Murong Yuchen and me, it’s not just that. I treat it as a business marriage; he treats it as love. He’s the head of the Murong family, and I’m just a freeloader—so I’ll at least give him the appearance of love. If someone has to be the fawning one, it certainly won’t be me. If I’m the one fawning, he’ll just find it boring.”
“……” Mrs. Qiao thought back to her relationship with Mr. Qiao; she did, in fact, treat him a little better. Mr. Qiao hadn’t been fooling around outside either—not because of her, but because he was afraid Grandpa Qiao would be upset.
Mrs. Qiao looked at her daughter again. Was this really her daughter? Her daughter seemed to understand so much more than she did; she was far more capable than she was.
“Aren’t you afraid of going too far?” Mrs. Qiao asked.
“Murong Yuchen is serious—this isn’t just a game,” Qiao Yitong said. “Mom, he wants love. Do you even know what love is?”
“I… I’m no better than your dad,” Mrs. Qiao said. As for love or whatever—she and Mr. Qiao were more like two of a kind.
Both Mrs. Qiao and Mr. Qiao were single-mindedly focused on climbing the social ladder to secure a better life for themselves. Back then, Mrs. Qiao had been a bit more proactive with Mr. Qiao; there were plenty of women who wanted to be with him, but he chose her precisely because she knew how to play the game—and she fully understood the art of climbing the social ladder. After they got together, the two of them even discussed how best to climb the social ladder and how to secure more benefits from the rest of the Qiao family.
“I suppose that’s a kind of love, too,” Qiao Yitong said. “You might think of yourselves as an old married couple now, but your intentions were different at the start. Still, you’re living a good life—it’s very warm and cozy.”
Qiao Yitong thought her parents’ arrangement was fine—it didn’t have to be all lovey-dovey like other couples; everyone’s love was different.
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality got into a car with Ms. Murong. Ms. Murong looked at Murong Yuchen while the driver was behind the wheel, but in the end, she didn’t say much.
Once they returned to the Murong residence, Mrs. Murong asked Murong Yuchen, “Does Qiao Yitong know about your situation yet?”
“That’s none of your business,” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego replied coldly.
“I’m your mom—how is it none of my business?” Mrs. Murong said. “If you haven’t told her, you’re deceiving her into marriage. When she finds out later, she’ll be upset. Back then, your dad said I used to make things difficult for him, forcing him to beg me—he…”
“I’m not you,” Mu Rong Yuchen’s alter ego said. “Tongtong isn’t like your husband.”
“They’re both people!” Mrs. Murong said. “If you two really get into a fight, every little thing will be dragged up, and then it’ll all be your fault—everything will be blamed on you.”
She considered herself a woman who’d been through it all, believing she knew far more than Murong Yuchen.
“I’m only doing this for your own good, so you don’t go down the same path I did,” she insisted. “Between two people, you really need to be honest with each other.”
Ms. Murong reflected on her family—and on herself. She wondered if her husband would have never taken a mistress had she not done those things.
“Hah,” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality found it laughable. “Don’t compare you people to us.”
“People need to be honest with each other; they need to…”
“If I’m not honest, are you going to tell Tongtong? Do you want her to break up with me?” Murong Yuchen’s alternate personality said, “Would you be happy if I stayed single for the rest of my life?”
“Why are you being so sharp?” Mrs. Murong said, “Use a different personality to talk to me!”
Murong Yuchen’s alternate personality just found it amusing. Did Ms. Murong think he could switch personalities whenever he wanted? At a time like this, would that coward of a primary personality even be willing to show up?
“You’re the one who forced me into this,” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality said. “Remember this: this side of me only exists because of the persecution you’ve inflicted on me!”
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality wasn’t the primary one; the primary personality would still tolerate Ms. Murong to some extent, but the secondary personality was different. After all, the emergence of this personality was precisely the result of the primary personality being suppressed. The primary personality had to show respect to his own mother, but the secondary personality wasn’t willing to do so—nor did he want to put on a show.
“Go ahead, say it,” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality said, pointing toward the front gate. “Go ahead and say it! Do you really think they’ll believe you?”
“You…”
“Who’s been undergoing treatment abroad for all these years?” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said. “You’re the one who’s really sick—you’re the sickest of all. Of the whole family, the child is the least ill.”
Mother Murong’s lips trembled; she wanted to speak but couldn’t find her voice. She looked at Murong Yuchen, sensing that he was threatening her. Was he planning to send her to a mental hospital?
“In the face of your love, Grandpa and Grandma are worthless. But in the face of my love, are you any more valuable?” Murong Yuchen’s alter ego said. “You’re not the only one who can fight back!”
She stared at Murong Yuchen standing before her, and she thought of herself many years ago.
Back then, in order to be with the person she loved, she had caused her parents no end of trouble. When her parents refused, she would throw tantrums and make a scene until they finally gave in.
She suddenly felt a chill run through her, unsure whether it was because of her own past or her son’s present situation.
Falling in love with someone seems like a simple thing, but getting the person you love to love you back is an incredibly difficult task.
She often wondered whether her late husband had ever truly loved her. Did he? Didn’t he? Did he? Didn’t he…
“What if she doesn’t love you?” Ms. Murong asked.
“She loves money. She loves me because I’m the head of the Murong family,” said Murong Yuchen’s alter ego.
“Your daddy loved money too, but he…”
“He was a man. He was more focused on seizing control of the Murong family,” said Murong Yuchen’s alter ego.
Both Murong Yuchen’s primary and secondary personalities knew that their father only wanted the Murong family; he never wanted Ms. Murong in the first place. It was just that before he could get his hands on the Murong family’s fortune, someone discovered he was seeing another woman.
“Aren’t you just using the Murong family to string him along?” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality said. “If you can’t run the company, you should let him run it.”
Murong Yuchen was different; he could run the company himself and hadn’t handed that power over to anyone else. Murong Yuchen knew that once he no longer possessed those assets, regardless of whether Qiao Yitong would leave him, others would come after him, and Qiao Yitong’s life would become difficult as well.
To love someone, you have to be strong enough yourself—only then can you protect that person.
It wasn’t that Murong Yuchen thought Qiao Yitong was incapable; it was simply the way the world worked. In the animal kingdom, when males court females, they must possess a certain level of ability to win them over.
“Did you come back just to provoke Yuchen?” Murong Ya walked over.
Murong Ya looked thoroughly displeased; the fact that she and her brother had ended up in this situation was all thanks to their mother. Yet this woman actually had the nerve to stir up trouble at a time like this. Murong Ya didn’t know what her mother had done at the Qiao family’s house, but she knew for certain that she wasn’t a good mother.
“Do you think so too?” Mother Murong’s mood soured.
“What else could it be?” Murong Ya asked. “All these years, when have you ever considered our feelings? The only times you remember us are when our father’s memorial day is approaching, or when you make us go see how the child that woman left behind is living.”
Murong Ya had no interest in her half-siblings; she couldn’t bring herself to be kind to them, nor did she harbor any desire to take revenge on those people.
“Besides that, what else do you have to say?” Murong Ya said. “Yuchen finally managed to get engaged to the girl he loves—what kind of trouble are you trying to stir up now?”
“I’m not stirring up trouble. I’m just asking him if he’s told his fiancée about his situation,” Mrs. Murong said. “Hiding the truth—that’s marriage fraud.”
“That’s none of your business. Yuchen can decide for himself. He’ll tell his fiancée whenever he wants to,” said Murong Ya.
“It’d be best before the wedding…”
“Whether it’s before or after the wedding has nothing to do with you,” Murong Ya scoffed. “Are you trying to act all selfless? Are you a good mother-in-law?”
“No,” Mrs. Murong said. “I’m doing this for your brother’s own good…”
“You’re just trying to make your presence known,” Murong Ya said. “You’re our mom, so you have to put on a show. That way, when you’re down there someday, you’ll have something to report to Daddy.”
Murong Ya knew her mother all too well. Old Master Murong and his wife were not far away, but neither of them had come over.
Old Lady Murong was supporting Old Master Murong as she walked; she let out a sigh. Their daughter was still the same as ever—what mattered most to her was still that dead husband who had betrayed her.
Even after his death, Ms. Murong still couldn’t help but romanticize her late husband.
Old Lady Murong thought that they, as parents, were also at fault. They had spoiled Ms. Murong too much back then, and besides, Ms. Murong placed far too much importance on love.
Qiao Yitong put the passbook away. She’d transfer the money from it to her own account another day when she had time. She didn’t trust Ms. Murong—what if Ms. Murong suddenly decided to report the account lost?
Qiao Yitong didn’t just distrust Ms. Murong—she felt the same way about everyone else. This money had to stay in her own account.
“Your future mother-in-law… seems to have a few issues,” Qiao’s mother said as she entered Qiao Yitong’s room. “I didn’t have much contact with her before, but everyone says she’s rather spoiled.”
“Spoiled? So what if she’s spoiled?” Qiao Yitong said. “Could she possibly be more spoiled than me? She’s an old baby, while I’m in the prime of my life.”
“You’re so silly. Your future mother-in-law and the people from the Murong family are the ones with blood ties,” Qiao’s mother said, gently tapping Qiao Yitong on the head.
“Once you have a wife, you forget your mother, right?” Qiao Yitong joked, rubbing her head. “Mom, I’m not a kid anymore—please don’t tap my head.”
“I’m serious—you really need to be careful,” Mrs. Qiao said. “No matter how I look at it, something doesn’t feel right. Your future mother-in-law just arrived, and your fiancé can’t wait to come over. Who would believe there’s no problem with that? Your future mother-in-law has been recuperating abroad for so many years—we don’t even know how she’s doing now. She seems fine, but…”
Mrs. Qiao was worried; she feared that Mrs. Murong and Qiao Yitong might clash.
“She used to be abroad for medical treatment, and she can stay abroad for medical treatment in the future too,” Qiao Yitong said, linking her arm through her mother’s. “Mommy, you don’t need to worry that she’ll give me a hard time. If she really does, do you think I’m someone to be pushed around? Would I just stand there and let her push me around? Yes, she has the Murong family behind her, but I’m not without support either.”
“But your dad isn’t as influential as hers,” Mrs. Qiao sighed.
“The people in the Murong family might not necessarily side with Murong Yuchen’s mother,” Qiao Yitong said. “If they really doted on her, would they have let her recuperate abroad all these years by herself? They say the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is especially strong—maybe Grandpa Murong and the others care more about Murong Yuchen?”
“……” Mrs. Qiao listened to her daughter’s words; she thought her daughter really had a way with reasoning, though it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“You really shouldn’t dwell on these things,” Qiao Yitong said.
“I wonder when your eldest brother will wake up. I hope he doesn’t end up never waking up.” Mrs. Qiao sighed; she still preferred Qiao Xudong over Qiao Xunan.
Qiao Xunan was thinking about others investing in the family business. He looked down on his father, Qiao, for being a coward. Qiao Xunan had asked Qiao Xubei, but not his father—he knew his father would just beat around the bush, and it wouldn’t be easy to pry the money out of him.
Just then, Shi Zhuojing went out to dinner with someone—an arrangement she’d made with the Shi family. Shi Zhuojing also had someone let Qiao Xunan know about it, so that he’d have to watch her sitting down to eat with another man right before his eyes.
But before Qiao Xunan could even reach Shi Zhuojing, he ran into Jiang Wan’er—his stand-in lover.
“Oh, I was wondering who it was—isn’t this the little canary by Young Master Nan’s side?”
“Not playing the mistress anymore? Come to work as a cleaner now?”
“I can tell you haven’t given up your schemes—you’re just here to reel in a big fish. Even without Young Master Nan, there are plenty of other rich young men. People like you just love getting something for nothing and being someone’s mistress. You really have no shame at all.”
……
One of them even shoved Jiang Wan’er hard, sending her tumbling into Qiao Xunan’s arms.