My high heels aren't made of mud.
"Hengheng! Hengheng, don't be afraid, Mommy will protect you!"
When Jiang Chengjing shouted these words, he was walking towards the Lin family mother and daughter who were taking their child downstairs to play.
Lin Zhen'er, who was so busy that she couldn't even stand still, couldn't understand why she would squeeze out all her free time to accompany and take care of a little boy who was not related to her by blood and whose mother disliked her so much, just to prevent that foreign, wicked mother-in-law who had just given birth to her grandson from coming to take him away and to prevent him from suffering the pain of being ostracized by his stepmother.
Her husband said the child looked like the deceased Chengxu, which made her feel a lot of affection for the child.
As Miss Jiang, who had taken off her high heels and rushed in, shouted these words, she and her mother had just discovered that her father, a biology student who had previously been rebuffed at the Jin family's house, had somehow found his way here. While complaining about the strict security and how difficult it was to sneak in, he grinned sheepishly and tried to ingratiate himself with the family.
He never expected that the socialite who had once paid him to expose her dirty secrets would now stand against him, disheveled and rushing ahead of the security guards, smashing his forehead with her shoe heel and protecting the three figures behind her.
"You drink like this every day, aren't you afraid that Hengheng won't recognize you when he comes back?"
Watching the man who had once haunted her like a nightmare being driven out, handing the child to a woman who had put on her shoes, she wanted to turn around and go upstairs. This Ms. Jiang, who valued love above all else, bought a house with a yard in the same city as that Mr. Ma.
She said she was taking her son to a seaside city with a pleasant climate for a few days' vacation. Considering that he was Jiang Chengjing's own son, and that the family's nanny was also with them, she didn't say much. There had been many news reports recently about mothers and sons having disagreements outside the home.
For years, Miss Jiang, with her impeccable makeup and perfectly styled hair, and the little boy beside her with his pouty lips and furrowed brows, have been the subject of countless discussions on social media. Every post points out that this young mistress has relied on a nanny to raise her child for many years, spending little time with her son, which is why he is not close to her and is quite rebellious as he grows up.
It's obvious who's behind all this content. The Jiang family, usually adept at public relations, has remained unusually silent this time, adopting a hands-off approach to the clamor of comments.
Only Jin Yanzhi, after seeing the news, ordered the public relations department to remove all posts that didn't blur the child's face, and then went to the school to pick him up and drop him off for several days. During those weekends, the family dog would always be toddling around, chasing after Hengheng, its laughter drowning out the background noise from the TV.
The man who often stared blankly at the sun totem in his study also found a new focus. Later, even the mother who had previously looked down on the Jiang family changed her attitude, often steaming fish and cooking shrimp to visit the little boy at home. Now, they frequently bring the little guy home for meals and playtime.
In such a short time, the adults and children have developed a bond, and it's a little hard to see them leave today.
"Don't worry, I'm still his mother, I won't mistreat him."
This word of advice, coupled with the other person's fierce manner of throwing a shoe at someone just now, eased Lin Zhen'er's worries somewhat. She pulled her frightened mother upstairs, sincerely hoping that the mother and son could have a pleasant holiday.
But their hard-won period of relaxation was soon shattered. The couple received the children's smartwatch while in a meeting, and the sight of their tearful little face on the screen was enough to send them into a panic.
However, before they could get any information, the call cut off. When they called back, only the stammering nanny answered. The meeting ended abruptly, and without even having time to pack their luggage, they boarded a plane heading to the seaside.
It's unclear how Ms. Ma, who had been ignoring them the whole time, came up with the idea of replying to her husband's message. In any case, the best news they had along the way was that they landed, got the address of a seaside resort villa, and found Jiang Chengjing, whose lips were swollen and red.
The middle-aged man, looking old and greasy, sat on the sofa, seemingly helplessly shrugged, pointed to the sobbing woman not far away, and began to complain first:
"You know, we both have kids now, how can we possibly stay together until we're old? Let's just enjoy each day as it comes."
She actually peeked at my phone, caused a scene in my downstairs meeting room, smashed the wine, overturned the table, and made a scene that was impossible to control. I also lost my temper for a moment, but then again, I don't need to say more about the decline of the Jiang family in recent years, right?
You should also change your temper.
Handing the child and the nanny over to her, Jin Yanzhi's face was more grim than ever before. The last sounds Lin Zhen'er could hear as she led them downstairs were the crisp cracking of a cup on the floor and her husband's suppressed warning:
"Even if the Jiang family is finished, the Jin family is still going strong. They even imprisoned and beat his mother in front of a child who was only a few years old."
You've lived most of your life, have your conscience and moral principles all gone, swept away by that dirty money?
The woman in the nanny van, applying an ice pack to her face, seemed unable to face her disheveled state, constantly turning her head to look out the window, avoiding eye contact. Hengheng, fast asleep in the nanny's arms, didn't utter a sound, seemingly exhausted from the fright of the past few days.
"I'll keep my word. That company can transfer the contract to you anytime, and you can decide the percentage."
We're all getting on in years; it's better for our health to avoid unnecessary stress.
Work messages kept popping up on her phone. The person, deliberately not looking up, started typing furiously after finishing speaking. She didn't know how to face this former heiress who used to cause so much trouble at home. Her current predicament wasn't comforting; instead, it left her feeling somewhat lost.
By the time the main force returned to Pingyang, it was already late at night. Xiao Xie, who should have been focused on driving, felt an unprecedented sense of panic today, constantly glancing at the Jiang family's car behind them in the rearview mirror. The woman, exhausted from a long day, looked strangely at her husband's longtime brother, reassuring herself that she was overthinking things, seeing his evasive gaze.
In the days that followed, General Manager Lin, who was focused on helping Jiang Chengjing get the project going, felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. This time, Miss Jiang seemed to have truly learned her lesson, throwing herself wholeheartedly into her work, and everyone in the company looked at her with new respect.
But Xiao Xie was acting very strangely. He frequently appeared at the company, never mentioning anything about his relationship with his best friend. Every now and then, he would deliberately or casually stroll past the office door carrying the desserts and braised food that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family liked.
"Have you and Xiao Xie made any progress?"
"What's the future? He's giving me the silent treatment, so goodbye, the next one will be even better."
Her best friend across from her clearly didn't realize what had happened and replied casually.
Something's not right, everything's not right. That woman who seems so focused on her child and the company doesn't seem very interested in the Jin family's handsome driver.
But if I'm overthinking it, then the man who's been by my husband's side for years and never goes into the office building on his own initiative has been making these unusually frequent little gestures lately.
"I think your good brother seems to have fallen in love with Jiang Chengjing."
A woman, who should have been immersed in lovemaking, was suddenly distracted by the burning lips lingering on her back.
Ouch! The man bit her shoulder lightly, as if as punishment. Forced to snap back to reality, she bit her finger to suppress the scream brought on by her husband's surging passion. The sweat dripping onto her body and his deep, tiger-like eyes seemed to condemn her earlier inattentiveness. Oh well, she'd deal with it tomorrow.
Are you pursuing Miss Jiang?
The next morning, Lin Zhen'er, who was dozing in the car, was startled awake by Jin Yanzhi's question. He bluntly asked the question that had been bothering him, his sharp eyes pressing on his friend who was gripping the steering wheel, giving him no chance to dodge.
"I've sent you a screenshot of her opinion on this matter. Take a look for yourself."
Before getting out of the car, Jin Yanzhi coldly uttered a sentence and walked straight into the elevator. The gossipy woman was about to ask when she saw Jiang Chengjing's profile picture lit up on the phone screen her husband handed her: "I'm not interested in this kind of handsome young man. Tell him to save his energy."
The husband's tone carried a barely perceptible hint of guilt:
"Take Xu Bing on a vacation, honey, I'm sorry..."
The man's apology was probably directed at his best friend, who wanted to date Xiao Xie.
The person, whose eyes darted around, turned their head with a grin amidst the expectant gazes of those around them:
"It's not your fault. No one would feel good if their brother was such a womanizer."
After all, not everyone is as upright as me, not even my friends are so honest. Right, Mr. Jin?
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