Ch. 371..380
Chapter 371: Wife, Do You Want to Take a Bath? Ye Chuyi didn’t catch on right away, “Didn’t I already go back to the bedroom?”
“I mean, go back to our bedroom.”
As Sheng Tingyuan spoke, he scooped her up horizontally and took big strides out of the secondary bedroom and into the master bedroom.
He placed Ye Chuyi on the bed, “You wouldn’t still want to sleep in separate rooms from me, would you?”
Ye Chuyi was speechless; it seemed they no longer needed to sleep in separate rooms indeed.
Sheng Tingyuan also got onto the bed, embracing Ye Chuyi and bringing their bodies close together, both feeling the other’s warmth.
Sheng Tingyuan kissed her tenderly, pressing her towards himself.
Ye Chuyi felt his difference, his somewhat eager kisses, her cheeks burning with heat.
But she did not push him away, nor did she want to push him away again.noveldrama
She had told Ye Shuangyin the truth; she would not divorce Sheng Tingyuan. She wanted to continue this way, to start a brand new life with him.
For the first time, she took the initiative to kiss him back, and with that kiss, there was no turning back.
Her pyjamas were stripped away; he loomed over her, making the air around them scorchingly hot.
Outside, the rain poured, but inside, it was like a raging firestorm.
Ye Chuyi had no experience with such things. Although she was well-educated in theory, actual practice turned out to be quite different.
And soon, she realized that Sheng Tingyuan likely didn’t have practical experience either.
She laughed softly, hugging him and tenderly kissing his chin, shy yet curious as they explored these new sensations together.
The rainy night was long, yet the young couple, like newlyweds, felt time flying by swiftly.
Ye Chuyi’s initial feelings weren’t too good, but Sheng Tingyuan focused all his attention on her, kissing her restrainedly, soothing her until she adapted to him.
Then came an intensity she could hardly have imagined.
Outside, the raindrops drummed densely, yet they could not mask their sounds.
Ye Chuyi’s toes curled in embarrassment.
After an indeterminate span of time, Sheng Tingyuan finally stopped.
Ye Chuyi leaned against him, her breathing very uneven.
Sheng Tingyuan was the same; he pulled Ye Chuyi into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her tenderly, “Wife, want to take a shower?”
Ye Chuyi’s heart fluttered, and she hugged him, responding softly, “I want to.”
Sheng Tingyuan then got off the bed, picked her up horizontally, and took her into the bathroom.
Both of them had used this bathroom before, but this was their first time using it together.
Sheng Tingyuan reached to turn on the light, but Ye Chuyi quickly pressed down his hand, not letting him.
Knowing she was shy, Sheng Tingyuan turned on the shower in the dark, waiting until the water temperature was right, then started bathing with Ye Chuyi.
But midway through the shower, Sheng Tingyuan wrapped Ye Chuyi in a bath towel and carried her back to the bed, “Let’s wash later, let’s do it again.”
Ye Chuyi exclaimed, and a new tempest overwhelmed them.
—
Qi Family Estate.
Qi Yunfan had just driven back from the bar when he saw two people standing at the gate.
He initially thought they were thieves but upon getting closer, realized the two people were actually Wen Nianyou and Lin Yueqin.
Wen Nianyou had waited outside his estate for most of the day, completely drenched, and upon seeing him finally return, hurried forward, “Brother Yunfan, can you take me in for the night?”
Qi Yunfan wore a Burberry plaid shirt, his hair impeccably styled. Resting his hand on a Maserati-logoed steering wheel, he tapped his fingers leisurely, the epitome of a rich young master, forming a stark contrast with the drenched Wen Nianyou.
He cast a casual glance at Wen Nianyou, his tone distant, “Why should I take you in for the night?”
Wen Nianyou had been attracted to his gentle and refined demeanor, which was why she did everything to snatch him from Ye Chuyi.
And now, Qi Yunfan seemed to remain that same gentleman, yet she had fallen from a phoenix to a pheasant, without even a car to her name.
She put on a pleasing smile, “Brother Yunfan, I really didn’t have any other choice but to come to you for help. My parents kicked me out; I have nowhere to go. You always treated me the best before, and I think, Brother Yunfan, you won’t ignore me. After all, you’re so kind.”
Chapter 372: Such People Should Go to Jail Qi Yunfan sneered, “Don’t try to butter me up. Kind or not, I wouldn’t let you stay overnight in my house anyway. Who knows? By morning, you might have cleaned the place out!”
Wen Nianyou looked shocked. “Brother Yunfan, what do you mean? Why would I empty your house? Have I ever stolen anything from your house before?”
“You haven’t stolen from my house, but you have stolen from someone else.”
“I haven’t!”
Qi Yunfan glanced at Lin Yueqin, who was following behind her, and mocked, “Stop pretending; I know everything. You are not really the daughter of the Wen Family, not a real lady. You are the daughter of a maid and a murderer! You stole Chuyi’s life and are enjoying everything that should have belonged to her in the Wen Family!”
Wen Nianyou’s face changed dramatically. “How did you know? Who told you? Was it Lin Chuyi? Her words are not trustworthy; she is a liar!”
Qi Yunfan replied coolly, “She never said anything. The person who told me this was Lady Wen. Moreover, she didn’t just tell me; she sent the same message to everyone who knows you and Chuyi, explaining that Chuyi is her daughter. And she made it clear to everyone that Chuyi will now take her last name, Ye, no longer Lin, and you are no longer her daughter.”
He paused, then stared at Lin Yueqin and continued, “Lady Wen also said that her maid, Lin Yueqin, swapped her daughter, and she cautioned everyone to beware of her.”
“How shameless this person is, harboring such malicious intent, to steal her employer’s daughter and have her own raised by them. Any household with such a maid is truly cursed.”
“This person should be in prison; yet she roams free. Lady Wen is just too kind and too merciful.”
Lin Yueqin turned pale; she had not expected Ye Jinyu to send a message to everyone who knew Ye Chuyi and Wen Nianyou, revealing their true identities!
Wen Nianyou was also surprised to learn that it was Ye Jinyu who had told Qi Yunfan, filled with rage inside. So, not being her real mother really showed. That fool Ye Jinyu, after she had spent 26 years being her daughter, calling her ‘mom’ for so many years, yet was Chuyi actually more valuable than her?
She had been so filial to her, only to have Ye Jinyu stab her in the back and reveal her true identity!
How was she supposed to face her friends now? Who would want to associate with her after this? This was practically driving her to her grave!
Wen Nianyou trembled with anger. No wonder Qi Yunfan’s attitude towards her had changed so suddenly; he had already discovered her true identity.
She forced a few tears to fall. “Brother Yunfan, I too am a victim; I didn’t know anything about this. As for Lin Yueqin…”
She looked toward Lin Yueqin, signaling her to start crying too.noveldrama
Lin Yueqin immediately burst into loud crying, “Young Master Qi, I didn’t steal Madam’s daughter. How could I do such a thing? It was all my former husband’s doing. He did it behind my back, secretly swapping my daughter. I only just found out that Youyou is my daughter. I had always thought Xiaoyi was my biological child, so I gave all my love to Xiaoyi!”
Qi Yunfan looked at her, then back at Wen Nianyou, and suddenly laughed sarcastically, “I always said, how could someone as gentle and kind as Lady Wen give birth to a daughter so full of lies as you? It turns out you take after your mother, Lin Yueqin. And looking closely, the two of you do resemble each other a bit.”
Lin Yueqin hurriedly said, “Young Master Qi, I’m not lying, and neither is Youyou. How could she deceive anyone? She was raised by Lady Wen and is even kinder than Lady Wen!”
“Of course she’s not kind, and of course, you are lying. Did I not know how you treated Chuyi? I always felt your behavior was not at all like a mother’s should be, always hitting or scolding her, never treating her like a person. Now I know the reason; you knew long ago she was not your biological child, so you mistreated her like that.”
Qi Yunfan then turned to Wen Nianyou, “And you, you’ve known all along that Chuyi was the true daughter of the Wen family, right? That’s why you undermined her in every way, even trying to steal her boyfriend. I was blind to leave Chuyi, the real heiress, for you, an imposter! This is the biggest mistake I have made in my life!”
Chapter 373: She is Ye Chongzun’s Granddaughter Wen Nianyou’s voice uncontrollably sharpened, “What kind of true lady is she? The Wen Family is out of money, bankrupt, even the villa is about to be taken away by the debt collectors! She is not even as good as I am. At least I’ve had over twenty years of noble education. Even if I am not a true lady, I am better than one!”
Qi Yunfan rarely swore, “You’re nothing close to a true lady, do you even know your own character? That innate pettiness in your bones cannot be concealed no matter how hard you try. It’s in your genetics. You were never meant to be a lady.”
“I’ve always felt a sense of dissonance about you, and now I finally understand where it comes from. You’re the living proof of the saying, ‘Even dressed in a dragon robe, one does not resemble the emperor!'”
“Oh, and one more thing, it looks like you don’t know yet, but the Wen Family may be bankrupt and without money, but the Ye Family has money!”
Wen Nianyou was stunned, “The Ye Family? Which Ye Family? What are you talking about?”
A mix of annoyance and mockery surfaced on Qi Yunfan’s face, “Lady Wen is the daughter of the Ye Family, and Chuyi is the personal granddaughter of Ye Chongzun, the chairman of Ye Group. Chuyi has been acknowledged by the Ye Family. I heard that Ye Chongzun is very fond of her, and he directly gave her fifty billion in corporate shares! The shares she holds now surpass those of all the other younger members of the Ye Family combined!”
A thunderbolt struck, and Wen Nianyou stood frozen in place, as if she had been struck by lightning, “Impossible, this can’t be possible! How could she be the daughter of the Ye Family? How could she be Ye Chongzun’s granddaughter!”noveldrama
Qi Yunfan knew the two “she” she was referring to were not the same; he thought Wen Nianyou was truly foolish, “You’ve been Lady Wen’s daughter for so many years yet you didn’t know she is a member of the Ye Family. It seems like you’re no daughter to her at all; you never had her heart.”
He hated Wen Nianyou now more than ever. If she hadn’t meddled, he wouldn’t have broken up with Ye Chuyi.
If they hadn’t broken up, he could have climbed his way into the Ye Family by now—the real wealthy families with fortunes rivaling that of nations and connections beyond the ordinary imagination.
Joining the Ye Family, the Qi Family’s rise to prominence was just a matter of time!
Unfortunately, he missed the opportunity.
Now, seeing Wen Nianyou only brought him bad luck, “Hurry up and leave my villa, don’t stand around here like a beggar, you’re an eyesore!”
After speaking, he got out of the car, opened the door, then returned to the car and drove in with a press of the accelerator.
He drove too fast, splattering the mixture of rain and mud all over Wen Nianyou’s face and body.
Wen Nianyou, as if in a trance, stood there repeating, “Impossible, how could it be that Ye Family, impossible!”
Lin Yueqin pulled at her arm, “Youyou, let’s go, we need to find a place to take shelter from the rain. You still have injuries on your head, and I am also injured, if we continue to get drenched, both of us might die.”
Wen Nianyou violently pushed her away, screaming shrilly, “It’s all your fault! You ruined everything for me! I should have been Ye Chongzun’s granddaughter, those fifty billion should have been mine!”
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the entire night sky.
With a clap of thunder, Lin Yueqin fell to the ground and saw her daughter’s face at that moment—fierce, twisted, ghastly, like a ghost eager to devour humans.
Is this really her daughter? She felt terrified and estranged.
She struggled to her feet, but to her shock, Wen Nianyou ruthlessly kicked her, sending her tumbling back into the muddy water.
Chapter 374: You’re poor, and so is your thinking! Yueqin clutched her painfully aching stomach, looking at Wen Nianyou in disbelief. “Youyou, how could you do this to me? I’m your mother!”
“Just because you are my mother, I have to do this to you! Who else is to blame for you failing to make me Ye Jinyu’s daughter?!”
Wen Nianyou, furious, exclaimed, “When I was little, I once went back to the Ye Family with Ye Jinyu. I can’t clearly remember Ye Chongzun’s face, but I distinctly remember that he didn’t like me! Because I bit into every single pastry, because they were too hot I carelessly threw them on the floor, because I disliked the look of the plate, I directly smashed it!”
“And these habits were all cultivated by you! You told me that as the young Lady of the Wen Family, I could be as wilful as I wanted, that wasting things didn’t matter!”
Yueqin began to cry out loud, “Did I say something wrong? If a pastry is thrown away, so be it, doesn’t the Wen Family have an abundance? What are the Ye Family, a bunch of paupers? So concerned about a thrown pastry!”
“Every time pastries were made, weren’t you the one who insisted on tasting each one? After all, they were made for you, and you could eat them however you wanted.”
“I swapped you to the Wen Family so you could enjoy the good life; if even eating pastries requires so much thought, what’s the point of being the young lady? Of course, you should do whatever you wish, smash plates or bowls, it should be your whim, and no one can say anything to you—not even Lady Wen!”
Listening to all this, Nianyou almost collapsed to the ground in anger.
Pointing at Yueqin, she extended her arm, “You! You’re indeed just a maid with no sense of decency! You have no idea what a true young lady should be like. You’re poor, and so is your thinking! You’ve made me like some vulgar upstart, turned me into a laughingstock for others!”
After being scolded for so long, Yueqin finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She shouted, “Without me, you wouldn’t even have become the young lady of the Wen Family, nor would you have enjoyed such a wealthy life! You ought to thank me, not scream at me! I’ve sacrificed everything for you; you should be showing me filial piety!”
“You don’t deserve my filial piety, you’ve almost ruined me!”
With that, Nianyou turned and walked away.
She approached the parked cars by the roadside, pressing her face against the glass and looking inside with effort, from one vehicle to the next, until she finally spotted some loose cash inside one of the cars.
She turned to Yueqin, following behind, and commanded, “Find a stone and smash the window!”
Hesitating for a moment, Yueqin nonetheless followed her command, picked up a stone, and shattered the car window.
That’s when Nianyou realized that the keys had not been removed from the car.
Overjoyed, she immediately opened the door and got into the car.
Fearful of being left behind, Yueqin hurriedly got into the car as well. “Are we going to sleep in the car tonight? My stomach hurts a lot, I want to go to the hospital.”
“What hospital? Just bear the pain! I haven’t cried out for a hospital, so why are you?”
Nianyou started the car and drove off into the distance.
Unable to hold back, Yueqin asked her, “Where are we going?”
“Where else but to the Wen Family? My clothes and bags, along with so many luxury jewels, are all there; I have to take them back. All those are mine, I won’t let Ye Chuyi get them for nothing!”
“Can we even get in? Didn’t they change the locks the day before yesterday when we tried to go back?”
“We have to get in, even if we can’t!”
Nianyou stepped on the accelerator, speeding all the way and quickly arriving at the Wen Family Villa.
Inside, the villa was shrouded in darkness, the door securely locked. The once warm home now had an eerie feeling.
The door was unbreakable. Nianyou, with great effort and standing on Yueqin’s back, finally climbed over it.
Once inside, Nianyou unlocked the door to let Yueqin in.
The two of them sneaked into the villa and after searching around, their faces turned sour.
“Everything’s gone; it’s all been taken!”
Nianyou was nearly spitting blood. “Ye Chuyi, you even dared to take my things; I will not let you off!”
Yueqin was also irritated. “How could they have cleared the house so thoroughly? Are they not living here anymore, or has the villa already been sold?”noveldrama
Chapter 375: Imperial Green Onyx Pendant “It’s impossible to sell it this fast, and besides, this villa has been mortgaged by me and Wen Xingye. It couldn’t be sold even if we wanted to!”
Wen Nianyou stared at the empty villa, wanted to turn on the lights, but realized the electricity had been cut off, wanted to drink water, but turning the tap revealed no water either.
She angrily smashed the wall, then suddenly remembered something, “Right, I hid some stuff inside a wall in the house. Ye Chuyi and Ye Jinyu definitely don’t know this secret. My things should still be there!”
She hastily ran into the storeroom on the first floor, with Lin Yueqin following.
The two of them moved a cabinet, revealing a wooden board.
Upon removing the board, there was a large hole behind it.
Wen Nianyou reached in, pulling out several items one by one: a few children’s clothes, a pendant, a diamond ring, and some other jewelry.
Lin Yueqin recognized these items instantly, “Aren’t these Ye Chuyi and Lady Wen’s belongings? How come they’re all with you?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I took— grabbed them!”
Wen Nianyou wiped the dust off the pendant and hung it around her neck, “This pendant belonged to Ye Chuyi; she must have stolen it. She claimed back then that someone had given it to her, but with such good quality and excellent carving, not to mention its weight, the Imperial Green Onyx must be worth at least a few hundred thousand dollars. Who would gift such an expensive item to her?”noveldrama
Lin Yueqin had indeed seen Lin Chuyi wearing this jade pendant but always thought it was just a piece of green glass. Hearing Wen Nianyou calling it an ‘Imperial Green Onyx,’ she was shocked, “This thing is worth that much money? Are you sure? It looks almost like glass to me!”
“No insight.”
Wen Nianyou disdainfully glanced at her, “Does glass give off such luster and animatedness? This jade pendant is watery inside, obviously the highest grade. I haven’t seen such good quality even in years working at the jewelry store.”
“Can this piece of jade really sell for hundreds of thousands?”
“If auctioned, it’s definitely worth more than a million, but I need money urgently, so I can only take it to the jeweler. It should still fetch around seven to eight hundred thousand.”
Smiling at last, Lin Yueqin said, “Youyou, you really had the foresight to hide all these valuable things here! Let’s hurry and sell them, then buy an apartment. We need a place to live, right?”
Wen Nianyou ignored her, continuing to pick up other pieces of jewelry and putting them on herself, and then covered them with her clothes.
Finally, she picked up the diamond ring.
With a gentle wipe, the diamond reflected a dazzling light under the flashlight of the mobile phone.
Wen Nianyou then slid the diamond ring onto her finger and asked Lin Yueqin, “You remember this, right?”
Lin Yueqin nodded, “I remember, it is Lady Wen’s diamond ring. Mr. Wen gave it to her during their wedding, saying he spent all his savings on it, very valuable. She always wore it, but then you said it was stolen by Ye Chuyi. I even severely beat her for it, breaking two sticks in the process.”
Wen Nianyou laughed triumphantly, “Actually, I was the one who took it! I just wanted to see my mom distressed. Later, when she was about to call the police, I framed Ye Chuyi, and my mom believed it, then she didn’t call the police. Humph, I knew she would protect Ye Chuyi!”
On one hand, Lin Yueqin felt her daughter had done brilliantly, being so cunning at such a young age, but on the other hand, hearing her still calling Lady Wen ‘Mom’ made her very uncomfortable.
Wen Nianyou stood up, “Come on, now that I have all these things, I can exchange them for money. I want to stay in the best hotel and eat the most expensive supper!”
Lin Yueqin wanted to advise her to be more frugal, but the words reached her lips and she dared not say them, fearing it might anger Wen Nianyou again.
She turned to look at the clothes and books on the floor, asking, “Aren’t you taking these?”
“Why would I want that trash? Those were Ye Chuyi’s clothes from when she was young. Some she stole, and some my mom secretly gave to her. I couldn’t stand it, so I took them all.”
Lin Yueqin simply nodded and said nothing further, following her daughter as she walked away.
Chapter 376: The Diamond is Fake At that time, the jewelry store was naturally already closed, but Wen Nianyou knew the owner of the jewelry store and called him directly, waking him up.
“Miss Wen, it’s quite impolite to call me in the middle of the night, isn’t it? I even declined your call, and you kept calling?”
“Mr. Tang, don’t be angry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I have some treasures here, I’ll sell them to you at a low price… Really, really, they are treasures, they’re Imperial Green! Top quality, I guarantee you’ll make money!”
Wen Nianyou tried hard to persuade Mr. Tang to take her items.
She asked for Mr. Tang’s home address and drove to his villa.
Mr. Tang, with a sleepy face, didn’t show any intention of letting her in. Upon seeing her, he frowned and asked, “Where are the items?”
Wen Nianyou immediately handed the jade pendant to him, “Mr. Tang, take a look at this jade pendant, I didn’t lie to you, right? It’s really Imperial Green, and it’s the top grade of Imperial Green. I can guarantee, you won’t find a second one like this in the whole city. If you auction this, it’ll definitely fetch a high price!”
Upon seeing the item in his hand, Mr. Tang’s expression slightly changed, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.
He looked at Wen Nianyou intently, “Where did you get this from?”noveldrama
“Well…”
“Miss Wen, if it’s illicitly obtained, I dare not accept it. I, Tang Chen, do honest business and don’t engage in illegal activities.”
Wen Nianyou quickly said, “How could I bring you something illicitly obtained? It’s legitimately acquired, a gift from my friend. I’ve treasured it for many years. If it weren’t for urgently needing money, I wouldn’t sell it at all.”
Tang Chen gripped the jade pendant tightly, “Fine, as long as it’s legitimately acquired, how much do you want for it?”
“Eight hundred thousand!”
Tang Chen’s face showed a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “Miss Wen, a jade pendant isn’t worth that much. Are you trying to cheat me?”
Wen Nianyou became anxious, “How can it not be worth that much? Look at the quality of the jade, and look at the size, such a large piece of jade, eight hundred thousand is too little! This is a rare, top-grade Imperial Green, you can’t buy it even if you have the money!”
Tang Chen shook his head, “Seeing as you came here in the middle of the night, you must really need the money urgently. I won’t bargain much, one price, four hundred thousand!”
Wen Nianyou’s eyes widened, “Isn’t that a huge cut? You’re slashing it in half!”
“The highest I can go is this price. In this whole city, only I can offer this much. Others wouldn’t even give you two hundred thousand. If you don’t believe it, you can go and ask others.”
Tang Chen spoke these words with some tension in his heart. He was gambling that Wen Nianyou urgently needed money and so would sell the jade at a low price.
No one knew the value of the jade better than he did, but he had to press down the price, otherwise, if Wen Nianyou knew the true value of the jade, she would definitely ask for a sky-high price.
However, Wen Nianyou didn’t dwell on the price of the jade anymore. She took out a few more items and handed them to him: “Mr. Tang, take a look at these items too. If you give me a suitable price, I will sell them all to you, letting you make a fortune all at once. However, you also need to give me cash tonight, I don’t want a transfer. Do you — have cash?”
“Rest assured, Miss Wen, my jewelry store and auction house are so large, I always keep sufficient cash.”
Tang Chen said, looking down at the items in his hand.
After looking over everything, he handed back the diamond ring: “I won’t take this.”
Wen Nianyou was stunned, “Why? I know that second-hand diamonds depreciate a lot, but this one is as big as a pigeon’s egg, it must be worth some money, right?”
Tang Chen looked up: “It’s not about depreciation, but rather, your ring, only the ring setting is real. The diamonds on it are all fake, both the main diamond and the decorative diamonds are fake.”
Chapter 377: Cousin, the Jade Pendant You Sent Out Has Returned “What? That’s impossible!”
Wen Nianyou clutched the diamond ring with shock hardly light. The wedding ring that Wen Xingye gave to Ye Jinyu turned out to be a fake? But Ye Jinyu had worn it for at least seven or eight years, hadn’t she noticed?
“Mr. Tang, this is my mother’s wedding ring. Please take another good look. Is it because the light is too dim from the rain, and you didn’t see it clearly? Look how brilliant and bright the fire color is! How could it possibly be fake?”
“It’s fake because it’s too brilliant, overdone in fact. Don’t you think the fire of this diamond is too colorful? The fire of a real diamond isn’t like that; it has cold light and blue light. Only fake diamonds are multicolored.”
Wen Nianyou found herself speechless. She knew nothing about diamonds, but she felt there was no reason for Tang Chen to lie to her.
That meant Wen Xingye had deceived Ye Jinyu with a fake diamond!
She clenched the ring tightly, cursing in her heart: this scumbag had indeed been a bastard, she just hadn’t realized he had been one from a long time ago.
“Miss Wen, the rest of these jewels are very outdated. Only the rubies and sapphires are of some value. I’ll give you 100,000 for them, making it a total of 500,000. What do you think?”
“That little?”
Wen Nianyou was not too satisfied. Before coming, she had thought these items could sell for two million, but now the diamond was fake, the jewelry outdated. The only valuable thing turned out to be the jade pendant she had stolen from Ye Chuyi.
She gritted her teeth and said, “600,000! I want cash!”
“500,000. That’s all it’s worth. I can give you the cash right now.”
Wen Nianyou hesitated for a while. She was cold and hungry, and her head ached like being stabbed by needles after getting rained on. She couldn’t take it much longer: “Fine, 500,000 it is.”
She was used to spending freely; honestly, she didn’t care much about 100,000 yuan.
Tang Chen nodded, went into the villa, and then came back out with a bag: “500,000. You can count it.”
“No need. I trust Mr. Tang wouldn’t cheat me out of this money.”
It would take her until dawn to count the 500,000 yuan, and she certainly didn’t have the time to spare. Right now, she needed to find a hotel to stay in and have a good meal first.
After saying that, Wen Nianyou got into her car with the bag and drove off without stopping.
Seeing her car drive away, Tang Chen was wide awake already.noveldrama
He opened his palm, looking at the jade pendant in his hand.
No, this was not just a jade pendant. It was a jade ornament, of the finest Imperial Green as the base, intricately designed and carved by the master craftsman Sima Jingfeng. The dragon and phoenix were auspiciously presented, lifelike, and it took a full six months to complete.
This had once been one of the Tang Family’s treasured heirlooms. Completed alongside this jade ornament was a piece of top-quality Imperial Green jade bracelet, with the pendant as the bracelet’s centerpiece.
When his aunt got married, the grandparents gave them to her as a dowry.
Later, when the aunt had a son, she wore the jade bracelet and gave the jade ornament to her son.
But the jade ornament was lost when the aunt’s son was a child. Only when he grew up did he reveal the truth; he had given it to a girl, and he had been searching for that girl ever since.
Tang Chen felt that Wen Nianyou couldn’t be that girl.
Because Sheng Tingyuan had said that the girl lived a hard life, she couldn’t even afford to go to school, while Wen Nianyou was the young lady of the Wen Family, living a comfortable life.
The rain poured torrentially down. Tang Chen held an umbrella, but his trousers were completely soaked, and he seemed not to notice as he took out his phone and called Sheng Tingyuan.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered on the other end: “Tang Chen, what is it?”
“Cousin, the jade pendant you gave away back in the days, it’s back. Come get it when you’re free.”
The voice on the other end of the phone paused noticeably before asking, “How did it come back? When? Who brought it back?”
“Just now, a girl brought it in. But I think she’s not the person you’re looking for, so I pressed the price down, only gave her 400,000, and took the jade ornament.”
“It’s too late today. I’ll come to you tomorrow, and we’ll talk in detail then. Keep the jade ornament safe. I’ll take it off your hands tomorrow; name your price.”
Tang Chen started to smile, sensing he might make a fortune. Opportunities to firmly knock his cousin down a peg weren’t common.
Chapter 378: Shi Youjin Escapes from Prison
After hanging up the phone, Tang Chen belatedly felt something was strange.
He had thought that upon hearing the news of the Jade Pendant, Sheng Tingyuan would immediately come to find him, as he had always rushed over to verify any news about that girl no matter what time it was or how busy he was.
But today he didn’t.
Today, Sheng Tingyuan actually said it was too late? Wasn’t he often awake half the night? Could it be because he was now married?
Bay Villa District.
Sheng Tingyuan hung up the phone and silently returned to the bedroom.
On the bed, Ye Chuyi was sound asleep and had not noticed that he had gone out to take a call.
He got into bed and pulled her back into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her forehead.
In the past, he would have indeed gone to Tang Chen immediately upon receiving news of the Jade Pendant, but now he had ties, he had someone he deeply loved. He did not want to leave her on such a rainy night, even if she would not know that he had gone out.
After all, the Jade Pendant was already in Tang Chen’s hands, and he also said the person who sold the Jade Pendant was not the one he was looking for, so waiting until daybreak to retrieve the Jade Pendant was not too late.
The night quickly passed.
The alarm on the cell phone rang, and Ye Chuyi groggily reached for the phone, but someone had already turned off the alarm for her.
She opened her eyes and saw Sheng Tingyuan holding her, recalling last night’s passion, her cheeks heated up, "Did I wake you up again?"
"No."
Sheng Tingyuan held her, kissing her smooth shoulder, "I also planned to get up at this time, from now on we will rely on your alarm."
But Ye Chuyi knew he was accommodating her. She snuggled into his arms and affectionately hugged his waist, "Thank you."
"Wife, you don’t need to be so formal with me."
Hearing him call her wife again, Ye Chuyi suddenly felt enveloped by happiness.
This feeling lasted even as she went to work.
When she stepped into her office, her lips still bore a hint of a smile.
It wasn’t until she, as usual, turned on her computer and began to read the news that her smile faded.
Today’s headline read: Murderer Shi Youjin escapes from prison, police force in full pursuit.
Since he was a ferocious death-row convict, the police issued an A-grade warrant, on which they released Shi Youjin’s basic information and photo.
Ye Chuyi’s face slightly changed. Shi Youjin had escaped!
What was he planning to do?
Previously convicted, he had always stayed in prison obediently, even if he was beaten or bullied by other prisoners, he never tried to escape.
Could it be because this time it was a death sentence? Did he not want to die, so he ran?
Her heart felt heavy, sensing that something bad was about to happen.
She first called Ye Jinyu, instructing her not to go out lately and to always stay in her grandfather’s villa.
Ye Jinyu agreed.
Then, Ye Chuyi called Ivy, "Shi Youjin has escaped. Try to see if you can find his whereabouts."
Ivy said, "Boss, I started searching for him the moment I heard the news of his escape, but I haven’t found him. He knows how to avoid surveillance, and he is probably also skilled at disguising himself, otherwise, I wouldn’t have zero clues."
"The police said he escaped late last night, and it’s already been over eight hours. The entire city’s police force is on a manhunt, yet they haven’t found him." noveldrama
"Boss, you once said his killings were related to your background. Now the complete truth about your background is out, everyone knows it, why would he still escape? Is he really going to kill everyone who knows?"
Ye Chuyi was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Killing everyone who knows might no longer be practical, but killing me is."
Ivy was alarmed, "Boss, are you saying he escaped specifically for you?"
"I’m not sure, but from what I know about his family, it’s quite possible. Anyone who hindered Wen Nianyou had to die. Her missy status and lavish lifestyle are gone, all of which his family desperately pursued. And the person who caused all this, is me."
"Then boss, you must be very careful. Don’t go out these next few days!"
Chapter 379: Xiaoyi, You Won’t Call the Police, Right?
Ye Chuyi chuckled softly at his words; she had just given the same reminder to Ye Jinyu, not expecting to be reminded so soon by someone else herself.
"I work at the hospital, I’m about to enter the operating room, he won’t be able to get in there."
"But you have to come out at some point!"
"Then, how about sending a few bodyguards over? Chen Xi was good last time, let him come!"
"Okay, I will send him over right away."
Hearing his anxious voice, Ye Chuyi laughed again, "Don’t worry, he may not necessarily be coming for me. Maybe he’s just scared of dying, so he ran away."
"Let’s hope that’s the case. Still, it’s best to be prepared, putting protective measures in place in advance is never a mistake."
"Mhm."
After hanging up the phone, Ye Chuyi looked again at the news about Shi Youjin’s prison break, with many people discussing the murderer, yet nobody could provide any valuable leads.
While she was watching, her phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number.
She pressed to answer, Shi Youjin’s voice came through: "Xiaoyi, it’s me, your dad."
"Shi Youjin, you are not my dad, haven’t you known that for a long time? Where are you? The news says you’ve escaped from prison. Do you think you can get away?"
"I know I can’t escape. That’s why before I die, I want to see you one last time. Even though I’m not your biological father, I truly loved you like my own daughter. Youyou doesn’t acknowledge me, a murderer father, but only you are willing to acknowledge me, to run around trying to clear my name and help me get out of prison."
"Stop talking!"
Ye Chuyi’s eyes reddened with anger as she remembered her foolish actions: "I should never have helped you get out of prison! You’ve always been deceiving me. You said you didn’t kill anyone!"
"I was forced to kill, I didn’t want to! Xiaoyi, where are you? Dad is begging you, let me see you one last time. After seeing you, I will turn myself in."
Ye Chuyi’s voice was faint, "Alright, then let’s meet. I’m at Dome Hospital. You come."
"Okay, wait for me. I’ll be there shortly." noveldrama
"Mhm, I’ll wait for you."
"Xiaoyi, you won’t call the police after hanging up, will you?"
"Of course not. No matter what, you are still my dad. It’s just one last meeting, I won’t call the police."
"That’s good. I knew it, you’re still my good, obedient child."
The phone was quickly hung up by Shi Youjin; she didn’t know if he was afraid of being tracked.
As soon as Ye Chuyi hung up the phone, she didn’t hesitate and dialed the police immediately, informing them of Shi Youjin’s contact with her and that he could possibly come to the hospital. The police immediately arranged for officers to rush over.
How could she not call the police!
Did Shi Youjin really think she was the naive little girl who would fall for his sweet talk?
He wasn’t her father; he was Wen Nianyou’s father!
Everything he did was for Wen Nianyou, even this phone call he made was very likely also for Wen Nianyou.
The assistant entered the room: "Doctor Anxin, it’s time for surgery. The operating room is ready."
"Okay, let’s go!"
Ye Chuyi stood up and left the office with her assistant.
But as soon as she stepped out, she received a heavy blow to the back of her head.
Pain surged through her, and Ye Chuyi uncontrollably fell down.
She heard the assistant’s scream, but it was cut off abruptly as she too received a blow and passed out immediately.
Before losing consciousness, Ye Chuyi saw Shi Youjin in disguise.
He was pushing a garbage cart, wearing a Dome janitorial uniform with a wig on his head, disguised as a cleaning lady.
Heh, the security at their hospital was like a sieve, totally unreliable, unable to stop anyone; the janitors were also unreliable, anyone could easily blend in by disguising themselves.
At this rate, she’d sooner or later die in this hospital.
With that last thought, Ye Chuyi was engulfed by darkness.
Shi Youjin picked her up, placed her into the garbage cart, covered her with a garbage bag, and then briskly pushed the cart away.
Soon after, others in the hospital found the assistant, unconscious with a blood-covered face, and in chaos and panic, they rushed to save her, completely ignoring a janitor pushing a garbage cart.
Shi Youjin managed to leave the hospital smoothly, then loaded Ye Chuyi into the car and drove away.
Chapter 380: Turns Out The Girl He’s Been Looking For Is Her
Sheng Tingyuan left home early that morning and didn’t head for the corporation; instead, he drove directly to Tang Chen’s villa.
After entering, Tang Chen handed him a box.
When he opened it, there lay the jade pendant he had once given away, its serenity resting upon the black velvet fabric. noveldrama
The jade pendant had obviously been meticulously cleaned by Tang Chen and was now exuding a lustrous glow, just as it had when he used to wear it.
Sheng Tingyuan stroked the jade pendant and asked faintly, "Tell me in detail about the identity of the person who sold the jade pendant."
"She is a VIP customer of my jewelry store, and for the past few years, she has been buying jewelry every year from my store. She doesn’t buy much, but she spends generously."
As Tang Chen spoke, he passed over a piece of paper, "Here is the identity information she registered with our jewelry store."
Sheng Tingyuan took it, but only needed to read the first line for his pupils to suddenly narrow: "Wen Nianyou?!"
Tang Chen was surprised, "Cousin, you know Wen Nianyou?"
Sheng Tingyuan clenched the jade pendant tightly, "I’ve met her but am not familiar. Did she say where the jade pendant came from?"
"She claimed it was a gift from a friend. What’s wrong, cousin? You better not tell me she’s the girl you’ve been looking for!"
Seeing his unusual expression, Tang Chen said in confusion, "She may be the right age, but her background doesn’t match. She’s the Wen Family’s young miss, spending money like water, which is nothing like the financially struggling girl you described, unable to afford medication or schooling."
Sheng Tingyuan’s eyes began to redden, "It’s not her."
"Why are you so agitated if it’s not her?"
"Because the person I’m looking for is very likely to be the daughter of her family’s maid."
"Her family’s maid’s daughter? Who is that?"
Sheng Tingyuan did not answer.
His mind drifted back to long ago when the little girl had spoken to him, always mentioning the "Madam" and the "young miss." She had said, "The young miss has many Hermès clothes," which is how she came to know about the Hermès brand.
She had once told him she was a maid’s daughter and that her mother thought education was useless, so she wasn’t allowed to go to school. More so, her mother had told her she couldn’t be smarter than the young miss because that would upset the Madam.
Sheng Tingyuan’s voice grew hoarse, even trembling slightly in a way others might not notice, "Does Wen Nianyou have a particular fondness for Hermès?"
Tang Chen was even more astounded, "How did you know? She does indeed love Hermès. Many of her clothes and shoes are from Hermès, and she almost exclusively carries Hermès bags, shunning others. It’s said she’s worn Hermès since she was young, so she has a special affection for the brand. Cousin, what’s the matter? Is there a problem?"
Sheng Tingyuan looked at him, his eyes red: "This time, I might have really found her, but I didn’t expect that in reality, she has been right by my side."
Tang Chen was shocked, "She’s by your side? Who? There are no girls by your side!"
"There is one, your cousin-in-law, Ye Chuyi."
"What?!"
Tang Chen was so astonished he could barely speak!
Ye Chuyi? The young miss the Ye Family had just reclaimed?
As a close relative, Sheng Tingyuan remembered that Tang Chen had attended the church on his wedding day. He had seen Ye Chuyi, but only that once.
At the time, he thought Ye Chuyi was Ye Zhengrong’s daughter until just yesterday, when he learned she was not Ye Zhengrong’s daughter but the daughter of Ye Zhengrong’s own sister.
After the shock, Tang Chen was somewhat confused, "Cousin, I don’t understand. One moment you’re talking about the maid’s daughter, the next about your cousin-in-law. Isn’t your cousin-in-law the Ye Family’s young miss? What does she have to do with the maid’s daughter?"
But Sheng Tingyuan didn’t waste any more time explaining. He gripped the jade pendant tightly, walking out while dialing Ye Chuyi’s number.
But after several attempts, there was no answer.
He guessed she might have entered the operating room, so he hung up and got in his car, heading to Dome Hospital.
As he drove, he called his men: "Check all the maids employed by the Wen Family over the years; I want a list of all their children!"
Although he felt that the little girl he was looking for was very likely Ye Chuyi, just to be sure, he still wanted to check all the children.
He arrived at the Dome to find the hospital surrounded by police cars, with the entrance cordoned off and entry denied.
Sheng Tingyuan got out of his car and approached an investigator, "What happened inside? My wife works there, I need to find her."
The investigator recognized him at a glance: "Sheng Tingyuan?"
"Yes, that’s me."
The investigator immediately reported through his walkie-talkie: "Captain Zheng, Sheng Tingyuan is here!"
A deep voice transmitted from the walkie-talkie, "Let him in!"
The investigator lifted the police tape, "You can go in now."
A bad premonition suddenly gripped Sheng Tingyuan’s heart; there was no reason for the police to let just him in.
He walked to the front of the office building, where a person approached him: "Mr. Sheng, I’m Captain Zheng Yan of the police squad. Your wife, Ye Chuyi, was knocked out and taken away by escaped convict Shi Youjin. We..."
Sheng Tingyuan’s expression changed abruptly: "What did you say?!"
"Don’t get agitated, we are in pursuit. Do you have any way to locate your wife? Or, where do you think Shi Youjin might take her?"