Bai Jingye rubbed his eyes and quickly took two more steps forward. Yes, that's right!

That woman is indeed from the Yuan family, so the girl beside her must be Bai Yan!

A slow smile crept onto his lips. Yes, it was Bai Yan, the future young mistress of the Zhong family, the stepping stone for Bai Jingye to climb up the social ladder in Xicheng!

...

Bai Yan and Yuan Shi returned to their dormitory. Yuan Shi complained that the previous curtains did not block out light well enough, so the mother and daughter took them apart and replaced them with new ones.

Madam Yuan rubbed her shoulders, then turned to Bai Yan and said, "The new pot needs to be boiled before it's fully cooked, so we'll have to eat a little later today. Yan'er, what would you like to eat?"

"How about some Zhajiangmian, Mom? I love your Zhajiangmian the most." Bai Yan smiled and walked to Yuan Shi's side: "No need to rush to cook. I see your shoulder hurts, let me massage it for you first."

Yuan Shi was pressed down into a chair by Bai Yan, who smiled and stroked her daughter's hand: "No wonder they say a daughter is a mother's warm cotton-padded jacket."

The mother and daughter were chatting and laughing when someone knocked on the door. Bai Yan looked up and said, "Please come in."

"Dr. Bai, Mrs. Yuan." The person who came was sent by the school to take care of Bai Yan and Mrs. Yuan's daily life.

“Oh, it’s Xiao Ji. What’s wrong?” Madam Yuan stood up.

Xiao Ji said, "When you two were going back to school just now, a rickshaw kept following you. We thought you were going the same way, but then the man went up to the school gatekeeper and asked Dr. Bai and Mrs. Yuan about their identities, where they came from and why they were staying here."

"They also said they were relatives from your hometown of Fancheng and wanted to meet you."

Bai Yan looked up at him: "So what did you say?"

“I didn’t think he was a good person, so I didn’t dare to reveal Dr. Bai’s identity,” Xiao Ji said. “I just said that Mrs. Yuan was the cook that Dean Fang brought from Fengyi, so she is currently living in the school dormitory.”

That's not exactly a lie.

Yuan was a skilled cook, and during those six months, the hospital staff got used to her cooking and didn't want to eat in the cafeteria anymore. Plus, Yuan herself enjoyed this line of work, so she started a restaurant business near the hospital.

Now that she's come to Xicheng, she intends to return to her old profession.

"Yan'er, could it be Bai Jingye?" Madam Yuan frowned slightly, then said with certainty, "It can only be him."

Having experienced the ravages of war in Fengyi and now running a restaurant near the hospital, she is no longer as weak and timid as before. "How dare he come looking for us? What does he want?"

In the past, when she was alone and helpless, Yuan could only endure it even though she knew that the Bai clan was bullying her and her daughter. But now there is no need for that.

The daughter has a status and is respected, and she also has a skill to make a living.

"In the past, I was after the money my father left me; now I'm afraid it's the Zhong family's power."

"Now the whole city knows about my marriage to Zhong Yunsheng. I am now the wife of the young marshal."

Bai Yan sneered and said, "Mom, I want to see him. I roughly know what he wants to do, and maybe he can help me."

"No way!" Madam Yuan disagreed. "Everything else is negotiable. This Bai Jingye is just as greedy and shameless as his brother. He's following us with ill intentions. How can we let a young girl like you go alone?"

She was furious when she remembered how Bai Jiye and his wife wanted to sell her to a pleasure boat. "If you insist on going, I'll go with you. If you cause trouble, I'll have Xiao Xu kill him!"

Bai Yan had no choice but to agree.

The two went outside the school together, where Bai Jingye waited under a pine tree not far away.

He was dressed in a suit and looked quite well-dressed.

She then looked Bai Yan and Yuan Shi up and down, noticing that they were both wearing loose-fitting cheongsams in the old style and embroidered cloth shoes. Although they did not look destitute, they were not well-off either.

"Ha, she took so many silver dollars from the Bai family, but when she went outside, she still had to rely on other families to be a cook. How shameful." Bai Jingye chuckled and shook his head: "Forget it, this is not the place to talk. There is a Western restaurant up ahead, let's go there."

Madam Yuan's face showed slight anger, but before she could lash out, she heard her daughter nod in agreement: "Alright."

Upon arriving at the Western restaurant, Bai Jingye acted as if he knew the place well. He ordered a private room, ordered all the food, and forbade the staff from disturbing him at any time before speaking: "Yuan Qiu Niang, Bai Yan, I really didn't expect that you two, mother and daughter, killed my brother and sister-in-law and still dare to come to Xicheng?"

Bai Jingye revealed a sinister smile: "Aren't you afraid I'll call the police and have you two arrested!"

"What?" Yuan was startled.

Bai Yan looked at Bai Jingye and said, "But you didn't call the police to arrest us. Tell me, what are you trying to blackmail us for?"

Bai Jingye, however, looked at Bai Yan with newfound respect: "You are indeed clever, and cleverness is a good thing."

"You traveled from Fengyi to Xicheng, I reckon you must have seen the wedding announcement the Zhong family posted in the newspaper, right?" Bai Jingye said, "Don't think that once you two are in the Zhong family, you can rest easy!"

"The young master of the Zhong family is currently having a passionate affair with a girl who studied abroad. Once news of your murder gets out, he will definitely call off the engagement!"

Yuan was still in shock, and Bai Yan remained silent, so Bai Jingye felt that he had the two of them figured out.

He chuckled, "We're in the same boat. I want both you and your daughter to listen to me!"

"If I become rich and powerful, I guarantee you will become rich and powerful too. If you don't listen to me, I will expose this whole affair. When the Zhong family kicks you out, how can your clansmen let you off the hook?"

Bai Yan pretended to be manipulated by Bai Jingye's threats and agreed to cooperate with him, and promised to let him take her and her daughter to seek refuge with the Zhong family.

...

Once back in the dormitory, Yuan finally spoke, her voice filled with shock and uncertainty: "Yan, Yan'er, you killed someone?!"

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!