Shi Youxi suddenly turned around, lowered her head, and stared wide-eyed, "Sister..."
Mu Yiran let out a breath.
He mentally slapped himself.
What's with all this dawdling?!
He ignored Helian Xin and the gazes from those around him.
Go ahead and watch!
This is the Cheng family's territory. Even if they see it and take pictures, Mu Yiran can shut them all up!
She curled her five fingers and reached out, and the furry head immediately came down.
She scratched the boy's bangs a few times, rubbed his head, and brushed her fingertips against his eyelashes, but Shi Youxi didn't even blink, staring straight at her.
“I… am going to Li Cheng Hotel to see my second brother, and I also have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I want to make up for the late-night snack I owe you today. Is there anything you want to eat? I'll go buy it.”
Although I don't know what Shi Youxi really wants...
But didn't he want me to have nothing to hide from him?
She might not be able to figure out the big problems, but she can still solve the small ones, right?
If he wants to know, then just tell him! Tell him everything!
Otherwise, I'll suffocate in Shi Youxi's watching sooner or later!
Shi Youxi grabbed her hand as she tried to pull it back, gently rubbing it. Not satisfied, he rubbed it again, his fingertips constantly caressing the back of her hand, before chuckling softly, "Sister can even buy groceries?"
"..."
Mu Yiran retaliated by slapping his hand away: "You can't even imagine how many skills I have!"
What's so special about just buying groceries?
She can cook!
However, the skill of cooking has not yet been developed, but it's not a big problem.
But she couldn't go too far. After ruffling the boy's hair a few times, Mu Yiran's anger, which had been building up for days, finally subsided, and she left feeling refreshed.
Shi Youxi watched the woman's departing figure until it became a dot.
"Shi Youxi!"
Helian Xin gritted her teeth in anger.
What are these two people doing right in front of her?!
"What are you whispering to Aunt Cheng about?!"
The young man slowly turned around, watching her impotent rage while still maintaining a facade of a smile. He glanced at the surrounding staff; the quiet studio had become noisy again, everyone doing their own thing.
Shi Youxi chuckled and walked past Helian Xin.
"Can't you tell? She's calling me home for dinner,"
"So Miss Helian, please go have lunch by yourself."
Helian Xin: "..."
Damn it!
What's so great about just going home for a meal?
If she doesn't want to eat with me, then she doesn't want to. But to say that in front of so many people, doesn't she have any self-respect?
In the office on the second floor of the photography studio, Li Ziqi raised an eyebrow as she watched this scene.
"Cheng Ran is really quite capable, she's got Shi Yan and his son completely wrapped around her little finger."
Cheng Li sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, drinking some tonic.
These past few days, in order to attract investment, I've been indulging in lavish meals and drinks, practically begging and pleading for that measly sum of money.
"Without the Shi family, what kind of trouble can she possibly cause?"
Seeing her husband's exhausted appearance, Li Ziqi felt a pang of sympathy and went over to massage his shoulders.
"It's all your older brother's fault. If he hadn't refused to sell those properties and shares, you wouldn't have had to beg him like this!"
"He won't even help his own younger brother! What kind of older brother is he!"
Cheng Li felt a surge of frustration upon hearing this. "He said he would help me find other investors, and if all else fails, I would have to sell those shares."
"What do you mean by 'absolutely necessary'? It's clearly just an excuse!"
"Alright, stop talking. My brother and Mr. Shi have already helped me to smooth things over with the government officials in Haishi."
Cheng Li stared at the 3D model of the film and television base on his desk, full of ambition. "So what if we get the land acquisition permit? Let Cheng Ran gloat for a few more days, and this project will definitely be mine."
Remembering something, Cheng Li's face darkened, and he asked his wife sternly, "Have you dealt with those people?"
Li Ziqi pursed her lips, glanced around at the empty office, and then whispered, "Don't worry, everything's taken care of. No one will know."
…
2023.
Chen Yili (manager of Dijing Qinheyu) looked at the address on his phone, glanced at the new and technologically advanced building in front of him, and hesitated whether to go in.
"Buzz!"
It was a video call. Chen Yili tightened his tie, straightened his collar, and started the call.
It catches the eye.
Mu Yiran's nostrils filled his entire phone screen.
"Young boss?!"
Mu Yiran adjusted the angle of her phone, and a human figure appeared.
"Hmm, have you arrived?"
Chen Yili nodded, then realized that the phone camera wasn't on him, so he reached out in front of the camera and pointed to the building in front of him.
"This is it, young boss."
Mu Yiran had just returned to 2023. She glanced at the living room from the stairs. Rebecca hadn't arrived yet. She had promised to bring herself an extra pill, so she guessed she was on her way.
"But boss, this building isn't called Cheng's Group."
Mu Yiran was checking the security camera footage at the villa's gate when she suddenly froze.
"What do you mean it's not called the Cheng Group? Did you go to the address I gave you?"
"Yes, that's what the navigation says. I asked the security guard at the entrance, and that's the correct address, but..."
The camera pans upwards, and Mu Yiran sees the sign that has been erected on the building: S·G.
Mu Yiran's eyes were practically glued to the screen. She couldn't deny that this wasn't the Cheng Group she'd seen in 2016; even the office building was different.
Did the Cheng family go bankrupt 16 years later?
That shouldn't be the case. With such a wise leader like her, and having secured such a big project, how could they go bankrupt!
Something that had gone unnoticed and been overlooked had quietly sprouted from the ground. Mu Yiran said urgently, "Quickly, find someone to ask!"
Chen Yili didn't know why the woman suddenly got anxious. He quickly went into the office building and met the person he had arranged to meet in the lobby on the first floor.
She was Chen Yili's classmate, the kind of relationship where they only met on social media.
A few years ago, when he was still pursuing his master's degree, he happened to see the news that his classmate had joined the Imperial City Public Security Bureau.
For population information and such, just ask the police!
He put on his Bluetooth headset, walked over, and exchanged a few polite words with the man.
"The Cheng Group?"
"Is it the Cheng family from Mr. Cheng Mo?"
Chen Yili: "Cheng Mo's Cheng family?"
Mu Yiran was completely bewildered on the other end of the video call. What did this have to do with Cheng Mo?!
Mu Yiran: "It's not Cheng Mo, it's Cheng Haochen's Cheng Group."
Cheng Haochen was the former CEO Cheng Ran, who died suddenly from a serious illness.
Chen Yili repeated it.
The other person's expression turned strange upon hearing this, and he chuckled, "Isn't that the same? Cheng Mo is the head of the Cheng family in the capital, while Cheng Haochen is just a branch, but they are both from the Cheng family."
Mu Yiran, who was eavesdropping, was dumbfounded!
This is incredible news! How come she didn't know?!
And why has Shi Yan never mentioned this matter before!
Finding his rival's cousin to be his fake wife! Has Shi Yan gone mad?!
Mu Yiran: "Ask Cheng Ran! Ask him where Cheng Ran went!"
Chen Yili had also remembered this person, and quickly asked, "Isn't there another Miss Cheng Ran?"
His classmates looked at Chen Yili with increasingly strange expressions. "Why are you looking for this person?"
"This third young lady of the Cheng family has been dead for many years."
"..."
The loud crash of shattering glass came through the earphones. Chen Yili's brow furrowed. He was about to ask Mu Yiran what had happened when he heard the woman tremble as she said:
"When did you die?"
Chen Yili was also infected by her tense emotions and felt a chill run down his spine. He had actually found a dead woman's bag!
It just vanished into thin air!
What kind of urban horror legend is this?!
Chen Yili: "When did she pass away?"
Student: "I need to check, because I only came here two years ago."
He clicked into the police's internal program and searched for Cheng Ran.
The message popped up, and he glanced at it. "Oh, March 2016... Huh?" He blinked and noticed that the number after the time of death had changed.
He refreshed the information page uncertainly; under Cheng Ran's personal information, there were still case records from that time.
The classmate pointed it out to Chen Yili, and the voice clearly reached Mu Yiran's ears on the other end of the earphone:
"Cheng Ran passed away on August 23, 2016, at the Imperial Capital Guanyi Hospital due to brain death."
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