To get rich, you have to seize the right opportunity. Zhuang Yan not only wanted to make money for himself, but also wanted to take this opportunity to swindle the Xia family.

"The Xia family also has such channels." People are never satisfied; with a mountain of gold right in front of him, he didn't believe Xia Qingshan wouldn't be tempted.

Lu Yan immediately understood that Zhuang Yan was trying to set a trap for Xia Qingshan.

Speculating in real estate can make you rich overnight, but it can also bankrupt you. If Xia Qingshan really gets involved, even if he doesn't go bankrupt, it will make his future difficult. It's not just losing a layer of skin, but cutting off flesh and bones.

Lu Yan, who was originally uninterested in real estate speculation, has now become interested.

So next, Zhuang Yan spoke, and Lu Yan listened attentively. When the topic turned to the real estate industry, Zhuang Yan thought of something.

He overheard Lu Yan mention "Xicheng" during the meeting.

In my past life, this piece of land in Xicheng was a huge loss, directly causing a group to go bankrupt and losing billions.

"Don't touch that piece of land in Xicheng, it's substandard and not worth the money."

Lu Yan discovered that Zhuang Yan was increasingly able to surprise her; how did he know everything, as if everything was under his control?

"I won't touch it; I sold it to the Xia family for a high price."

"That's great, I support it."

Just then, the phone rang. Zhuang Yan was clearly stunned when he saw that the contact was Xia Qingshan. It was like he'd just said something to that effect. He'd blocked so many people but forgot to block him.

Lu Yan glanced down and raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw it was Xia Qingshan.

Zhuang Yan answered the phone, his attitude distant and indifferent: "Mr. Xia, what is it? Tell me."

After a moment of silence, the other party was clearly stunned: "Zhuang Yan, did Xia Wan mention withdrawing the lawsuit to you?"

The other party came with a purpose; you could tell from their tone that they had ill intentions.

"I told you, I won't agree."

"You're not very old, but you're quite arrogant. Zhuang Yan, let me remind you, being too greedy can lead to bad luck. You're still young, why do you want to kill yourself? I'm only trying to have a proper talk with you because of your father."

“I’ve already severed ties with the bookmakers, so you don’t need to talk to me for anyone’s sake.”

Zhuang Yan was unyielding and maintained a very firm attitude.

Xia Qingshan's voice instantly turned cold: "No matter which path you take in life, gratitude is essential. Filial piety is the most important virtue. A person who doesn't even acknowledge their parents is destined not to go far. Businessmen are all about profit. Don't think that just because Yi'an Group helped you once, you can cling to their coattails. A good-for-nothing young man like you can be easily helped and then easily discarded. I'm willing to have a proper talk with you, but don't be so ungrateful."

Zhuang Yan ignored his threat: "Mr. Xia, how long has it been since you looked in the mirror? Your face is so stinky and dark, like a wrongful conviction. Who would want you?"

"Zhuang Yan!" Xia Qingshan was furious at his tactlessness and decided to unleash his ultimate weapon: "You killed your own sister when you were five years old. If I expose this, what do you think will happen to you? Will you be condemned by thousands, or will you face legal punishment?"

Zhuang Yan, who had been feeling rather listless, perked up immediately upon hearing this and asked, feigning relentlessness, "What do you want to do?"

"First, withdraw the lawsuit, admit that you wronged my daughter first, and publicly apologize to the Xia family. Second, introduce me to the boss of Yi'an Group. He's been helping you so much, I don't believe you don't know him."

Zhuang Yan couldn't help but applaud him for distorting the truth so blatantly.

"Then go ahead and expose it. I'm waiting for you to expose it."

After saying that, Zhuang Yan hung up the phone. Meeting Lu Yan's worried gaze, he said with a relaxed expression, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I have evidence, they can't threaten me."

Lu Yan wasn't worried about things Zhuang Yan hadn't done; she just felt sorry for him when she thought about his past.

"What I'm curious about now is where Xia Qingshan heard this news from."

Lu Yan asked, "Could it be that Zhuang Zhongming told him?"

"He wouldn't dare."

He had already made it clear to Zhuang Zhongming, and he couldn't possibly say it out loud because he felt guilty.

This matter could only have come from Tang Jing, but everyone in the villa had signed a confidentiality agreement. Even if Tang Jing was crazy, she couldn't possibly call Xia Qingshan to tell him who was the only person who would spread the word.

Zhuang Yan immediately had a clue—Gu Qian.

It seems that Tang Jing's mental illness has worsened recently, and she is becoming increasingly unable to distinguish who killed whom.

If Xia Qingshan had calmed down and thought about it properly, he would have realized that if he were truly able to withstand the threat of this matter, Zhuang Zhongming would have used it long ago. Why would he have waited for him to come?

"Xia Qingshan said I killed my own sister. Do you believe him?" Zhuang Yan asked this question with some trepidation.

I don't believe it.

Do you want to know about my past?

"I'll listen if you want to talk, and you don't have to if you don't want to." Lu Yan respected Zhuang Yan's decision. To be honest, she wasn't curious about his past; she only cared about him now.

No amount of gossip could diminish his place in her heart.

Zhuang Yan still told Lu Yan the story, his expression calm, as if he were telling someone else's story.

“They said I killed my sister out of jealousy, that I threw her off the second-floor balcony. They hated me, so they beat me, insulted me, and cursed me to a fate worse than death. She wanted me to pay with my life, but wouldn’t let me die. She said that a murderer like me didn’t deserve to be loved.”

Lu Yan seemed to see that young Zhuang Yan was huddled in the corner, looking lost and helpless. He tried to make himself less noticeable and hide himself, but he was still dragged out.

He was stripped naked and exposed to the sun, enduring hunger and cold.

At five years old, he was too young to understand why his parents suddenly stopped loving him.

At nineteen, he was taken back to the farmhouse, but instead of the warmth of family, he was met with a prison cell—no, something even colder than a prison cell.

He was like a death row inmate being led to the execution platform, surrounded by gunshot wounds.

His life was so hopeless.

Lu Yan's heart ached even more. She suddenly stood up and hugged Zhuang Yan, patting his back and rubbing his head, trying to embrace five-year-old Zhuang Yan through him.

Zhuang Yan's body gradually adjusted from stiffness, and as he listened to Lu Yan's heartbeat, he felt a sense of calm he had never experienced before.

Lu Yan's voice came from above: "Zhuang Yan, if I had been there when the tragedy happened, I would have hugged you like this right away, covered your eyes and ears, and quickly taken you away from that bloody place. I would have made sure you lived well, and loved you even more. I would have erased the things that scared and frightened you so that you could grow up happily and healthily. Ayan... This is what people who truly love you would do for you. So they don't deserve to be your parents. They are the ones who really deserve to die! They are the real murderers who killed your sister."

A parent who truly cares about their child would never treat them like this. Lu Yan was smart and quickly realized that something was wrong.

A five-year-old child should be looked after by an adult. In the event of an accident, the person primarily responsible is the one who is looking after the child, namely Tang Jing.

Therefore, it wasn't the older brother who killed the younger sister; it was the mother who killed her daughter.