On the way back to the Jiang family home, Jiang Lixuan would occasionally glance back at Nan Yuanman, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Nan Yuanman tightly clutched the dessert that Feng Yuli had packed for her from the restaurant in her chubby little hands. She turned her head to look out the window, giving him no response and clearly indicating her refusal to communicate.
Although she was young and didn't understand many things, she had just understood what Jiang Lixuan and Jiang Hengzhi were saying during their argument.
She knew that Jiang Lixuan had found out something and cleared her mother's name.
Nan Yuanman had absolutely no desire to talk to the person who had hurt and misunderstood her mother for so many years.
Jiang Lixuan looked dazed and bitter. He knew that the girl had understood what he had just said to Jiang Hengzhi and disliked him even more.
He didn't provoke Nan Yuanman any further, and quietly drove back to the Jiang family villa.
The Jiang family villa was in complete chaos.
Jiang Juncheng was soaking wet, with food stuck to his clothes. He stood in front of the messy dining table, raised his hand to rub his aching brow, but in doing so, he pulled a black bean off his forehead.
Jiang Yueyao, Jiang Xinxin, and Ge Peiyao were sitting at the dining table, still not reacting. They had just been eating when the table leg on the side where Jiang Juncheng was sitting suddenly broke.
All the food on the table was poured over Jiang Juncheng, soaking him in soup and liquid.
"Oh my god!" Ge Peiyao exclaimed as she came to her senses, and quickly asked, "Boss, are you alright? Did you get burned?"
Jiang Xinxin asked with concern, "Uncle, are you alright?"
Jiang Yueyao pursed her lips, took out her phone, and dialed her family doctor's number: "Big brother, I'll call the doctor to come and take a look at you."
"I'm fine, I wasn't burned," Jiang Juncheng reassured him. He reacted quickly and dodged when the two plates came crashing down, avoiding being burned by the freshly served soup.
But we can't eat this meal now.
He took a deep breath, called the maid to clean up, and said to Ge Peiyao, "Mom, please rearrange the dishes. I'm going upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes."
Ge Peiyao waved her hand: "Alright, alright, go quickly, go quickly."
Jiang Juncheng shook the peppercorns off the back of his hand, carefully turned to leave, but suddenly stepped on a potato slice and fell hard.
Jiang Juncheng heard a clear click in his ear, and his face turned pale instantly.
Ge Peiyao suddenly stood up and ran towards him, screaming, "Oh my god! Boss, you—ah!!"
She forgot there were food scraps on the ground, slipped, and fell hard onto Jiang Juncheng, the two of them rolling around in a heap.
A sharp pain shot through Jiang Juncheng's leg, causing him to scream in agony.
Ge Peiyao also cried out in pain.
The chaotic scene terrified Jiang Xinxin, who cried out, "Uncle, Grandma, are you alright?"
Jiang Yueyao was also startled. She comforted Jiang Xinxin for a few moments and got up to help them both up, but Jiang Juncheng quickly stopped her, enduring the pain: "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer! Call 120 for a doctor!"
"Okay, okay!" Jiang Yueyao quickly took out her phone and dialed 120.
Ten minutes later, the ambulance entered the Taikoo Villa area and carried away Jiang Juncheng and Ge Peiyao.
Jiang Yueyao was afraid that Jiang Xinxin would be frightened at the hospital, so she didn't accompany her. Just as she was about to call Jiang Lixuan and Jiang Hengzhi to ask them to go to the hospital to take care of her, she heard the sound of a car engine outside.
Jiang Xinxin, who was nestled in Jiang Yueyao's arms and whimpering, brightened up slightly and looked up at the door: "Is it Second Uncle who's back?"
She jumped down from Jiang Yueyao's arms and ran towards the door, calling out, "Second Uncle, First Uncle..."
Before Jiang Xinxin could finish speaking, she saw Jiang Lixuan walk in with Nan Yuanman, followed by Jiang Hengzhi with a sour face.
She pouted unhappily when she saw Nan Yuanman, but when she saw the wounds on Jiang Lixuan and Jiang Hengzhi's faces, she exclaimed, "Second Uncle, Little Uncle, how did you get hurt?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yueyao quickly came over. Seeing the disheveled appearance of Jiang Lixuan and Jiang Hengzhi, she frowned and asked, "Second Brother, Little Brother, what happened to you? Did you get into a fight?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Hengzhi squatted down and hugged Jiang Xinxin. "It was just a little friction with your brother, nothing serious."
Jiang Lixuan remained silent with a cold expression. He took out Nan Yuanman's slippers and helped her change into them. He gently pushed her back and said softly, "Yuanman, why don't you go upstairs to take a shower and rest?"
Nan Yuanman nodded, not looking at Jiang Yueyao and Jiang Xinxin, and ran inside with her short legs.
As they passed the messy dining room, Nan Yuanman met Qiu Shi's gaze, who looked excited.
Qiu Shi's eyes lit up, and she called her softly, "Miss Nan!"
Nan Yuanman blinked and walked towards her: "Sister Qiu Shi, you've been discharged from the hospital?"
"Mmm." Qiu Shi squatted down in front of Nan Yuanman and said with great gratitude, "Miss, thank you for saving me that day."
If Nanmanyuan hadn't happened to pass by, if she hadn't helped her, then she...
The thought of the serious consequences sent chills down Qiu Shi's spine. She felt deeply grateful to Nan Yuanman, but also ashamed. If only she had listened to Nan Yuanman's advice and chosen not to go to the party, or not to drink that glass of wine...
Qiu Shi told Nan Yuanman that Liu Wei, Yu Meimei, and the two brothers were suspected of human trafficking and had been detained and imprisoned. They would not appear in front of her for the next three years.
"Miss Nan, I've been wanting to thank you in person for a long time, but I've been busy with that matter these past two days, which is why it's been so long. Thank you so much," Qiu Shi said sincerely.
Nan Yuanman's previously downcast mood lifted again. Her beautiful eyes curved into crescents as she handed the dessert to Qiu Shi: "You're welcome. That's your luck too. After you get through this safely, your days will be as sweet as this cake!"
Qiu Shi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, her eyes instantly filled with warmth, and her heart felt warm: "Miss Nan..."
"Okay, here you go, I'm going to take a shower." Nan Yuanman stuffed the dessert into her hand and skipped upstairs.
Qiu Shi carefully held the dessert, and when she looked up, she met the gazes of Jiang Lixuan and Jiang Hengzhi.
Qiu Shi: "..."
She smiled politely, picked up the dessert and the broken plates to be disposed of, and left the hall.
Jiang Hengzhi chuckled and couldn't help but mock, "As expected of Bai Wenying's child, Guan Ai uses small favors to win people over."
Jiang Lixuan touched the candy in his pocket, turned around and kicked Jiang Heng: "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."
Jiang Hengzhi completely exploded: "Jiang Lixuan! Are you out of your mind tonight?!"
"You're seriously ill too, always targeting a five-year-old. You're supposed to be almost thirty! You've only grown taller but not smarter, haven't you?" Jiang Lixuan sneered and retorted.
Jiang Xinxin looked at her two uncles, who had suddenly started arguing, with a blank and panicked expression. She instinctively looked to Jiang Yueyao for help: "Mom... Uncles..."
Jiang Yueyao frowned slightly: "Second brother, little brother, what's wrong with you two? Why are you arguing all of a sudden?"
Upon hearing her voice, Jiang Lixuan abruptly turned to look at her, his eyes bloodshot, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.
Looking at the face he had spent so many years with, no matter how angry or upset Jiang Lixuan was, he couldn't bring himself to say a harsh word to her.
Upon meeting Jiang Xinxin's frightened gaze, Jiang Lixuan closed his eyes, let out a heavy breath, and angrily turned around to stride upstairs.
As Jiang Yueyao watched his retreating figure, a bad feeling inexplicably welled up in her heart. She asked worriedly, "Second Brother, what's wrong with Little Brother?"
"Who knows? Just ignore him, let him go crazy. We'll have Dad come back in a couple of days and teach him a lesson," Jiang Hengzhi said irritably, patting the footprints left by Jiang Lixuan's kicks on his body.
Jiang Lixuan's unusual attitude made Jiang Yueyao feel somewhat uneasy. After thinking for a moment, she decisively sent a message to the person in her phone whose contact was saved as "Dad"...
-
When Jiang Lixuan returned upstairs, Nan Yuanman was just about to take his clothes in to shower. Seeing him come up so quickly, she showed a hint of disappointment on her face.
Looks like they didn't really start arguing.
Jiang Lixuan awkwardly shifted his gaze, his smile strained: "What's wrong? Do you need your uncle's help?"
"No," Nan Yuanman replied coldly, then took her clothes and went to take a shower.
Jiang Lixuan sat at the table, took out two USB drives from his pocket and placed them on the table. He stared at them for a few seconds, then raised his hand and slapped himself.
He gripped his hair tightly, muttering, "One last time, give her one last chance. As long as she admits her mistake to me and apologizes to Bai Wenying, I won't tell Mom and Dad."
After making this decision, Jiang Lixuan felt even more guilty towards Bai Wenying and Nan Yuanman. When Nan Yuanman came out of the shower, he personally dried her hair.
Nan Yuanman did not resist his care. She was too small to hold the hair dryer properly, so why not let someone help her?
Grandpa always says to enjoy the present moment!
Then she can enjoy herself first.
Unfortunately, Jiang Lixuan couldn't sleep with the sweet and soft little baby tonight. Jiang Hengzhi knocked on the door to tell him that Jiang Juncheng and Ge Peiyao had broken their bones and were hospitalized, so he needed to accompany them. He asked Jiang Lixuan to come with him to visit them.
Jiang Lixuan told Nan Yuanman to go to sleep first, while he and Jiang Hengzhi went out again.
After he left, Nan Yuanman, who was lying on the bed, quietly rummaged through the small handbag on the table and pulled out Zhuangzhuang, whom she had just picked up from the messy dining table. She tapped his head and asked in a low voice, "Did you break that jerk's bone?"
Zhuangzhuang nodded and answered in a low voice, "He bullied you."
Nan Yuanman was pleased: "Well done."
Hmph, who told him to insult his mother? Heaven didn't punish him, but she will!
Nan Yuanman happily covered herself with the blanket and went to sleep. As she fell into a deep sleep, several golden points of light slowly gathered at her spiritual center.
After the golden light entered her mind, it spread to her limbs and bones, silently strengthening her body.
The tiny specks that spilled out during the strengthening process landed on Little Red and Little Grass in the satchel.
Xiao Hong's already bright red color deepened even further.
She couldn't resist opening the coffin lid and pulling the sleeping old man out of it.
Old Master Nan lay on the carpet, golden light gently falling on him, slightly fading the purple hue on his face...
Nan Yuanman slept exceptionally well. When she woke up, she sat on the bed with her small blanket in her arms, her hair disheveled, and a look of confusion on her face.
She vaguely sensed some changes happening within herself, but she couldn't pinpoint where those changes were.
The little brat was carefree, so she didn't take it to heart.
As he groggily climbed out of bed to go to the bathroom, he accidentally stepped on Old Master Nan, who was lying on the carpet.
Grandpa Nan was jolted awake by her stepping on him and sat up with a yelp.
"Grandpa?" Nan Yuanman stared at him blankly. Huh? Wasn't Grandpa still inside Xiao Hong's body when she was sleeping yesterday? When did he come out?
After she realized what was happening, she hurriedly tried to push him back into the coffin: "Grandpa, you can't come out now, go back quickly, go back quickly."
Old Master Nan reluctantly clung to her sleeve with his sharp fingernails, wanting to linger a little longer.
With a "rip," the fingernails tore the little boy's clothes to shreds.
Old Master Nan: "!!!"
He looked at Nan Yuanman in a panic, stammering, "Manman, Manman, Yi..."
"It's okay, we can just replace it if it breaks. Grandpa, you go back first. I'll let you out for some fresh air at night from now on, okay?" Nan Yuanman said gently.
Grandpa Nan dared not renege on his promise and obediently nodded, allowing her to put him back into the small coffin.
Nan Yuanman breathed a sigh of relief and carefully stuffed the small coffin into her handbag. While packing her things, she inadvertently brought the two USB drives that Jiang Lixuan hadn't packed away the night before into her handbag.
Nan Yuanman slung her small shoulder bag over her shoulder, washed up, and hummed a song as she went downstairs for breakfast.
A new dining table had been set up in the downstairs dining room. When Nan Yuanman came down, she noticed that Jiang Xinxin was sitting at the table with an adult she had never seen before.
Nan Yuanman paused slightly, raising her eyes to meet the gaze of the man sitting at the head of the dining table.
The man was handsome, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes betrayed his age.
Jiang Xinxin was quietly eating her porridge when she noticed Nan Yuanman coming down, and a gloating smile appeared in her eyes.
Jiang Tianzong scrutinized Nan Yuanman from head to toe, and when he saw her face, which resembled his youngest daughter remarkably, he paused slightly: "What name did your mother give you?"
Nan Yuanman didn't answer him, but tilted her head and stared at him, asking, "Who are you?"
“I am Bai Wenying, your mother’s father, and also your maternal grandfather.”
Jiang Tianzong smiled kindly and waved to her, "Are you hungry? Come on, have some breakfast."
Jiang Tianzong's attitude differed from that of the rest of the Jiang family. He appeared very kind to Nan Yuanman, but...
As Nan Yuanman calmly observed the ghost following behind him, roaring and baring its fangs at the back of his head, she suddenly became alert, her round, chubby face turning wary, like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Seeing Nan Yuanman's wary look, Jiang Tianzong raised an eyebrow and found it amusing, but he didn't force her to come over: "Your eldest uncle and maternal grandmother are in the hospital, and your youngest and second uncles have gone to take care of them. If you want to find your uncles, you'll have to wait a while."
"It's Grandpa's fault. You've been back for so many days, and I haven't thought of introducing you to people outside. How about this, I'll hold a family reunion banquet for you in three days, okay?"
Nan Yuanman hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
"Good child, I'm done eating. What would you like? Let the kitchen bring it up. Grandpa is going to rest now." Jiang Tianzong said with a smile, got up and walked upstairs. As he passed Nan Yuanman, he reached out and gently patted her head.
He sighed softly, "You and your mother really look alike."
The moment his hand touched her, Nan Yuanman felt as if she were being touched by a cold, sticky snake; her whole body resisted, yet she dared not shake off his hand.
Jiang Tianzong patted her shoulder one last time before stepping upstairs.
Nan Yuanman didn't move. She stood there, looking up as Jiang Tianzong entered the study. Her small mouth was tightly pursed, her animal-like intuition telling her what was going on.
This man is dangerous.
Nan Yuanman decisively picked up her small bag, turned around and ran out of the villa.
Second-floor study.
Jiang Tianzong stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching Nan Yuanman's short and stocky figure go by, a smile on his face.
His smile vanished instantly as he turned around, and he raised his hand expressionlessly to slap Jiang Lixuan.
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