Chapter 4
The car was extremely quiet; no one was talking.
Jiang Chen let go of her hand that had been holding hers and sat down alone on one side.
Hu Zhenzhen glanced at him, suddenly feeling a little curious.
[Xiao Jin, how much affection do I have with Jiang Chen now?]
The little golden egg made a pitiful expression, as if to say, "[There's only a little bit.]"
Hu Zhenzhen almost doubted that she had heard correctly.
How much? Just a little?
So all those gentle words she used—patting his head, holding his hand, and speaking so tenderly—didn't move this guy at all.
Hu Zhenzhen's gaze towards Jiang Chen became complicated.
No wonder she's a child actor; she's had acting talent since she was little. She thought Jiang Chen had started to rely on her, but the family bond slapped her in the face.
Jiang Chen noticed Hu Zhenzhen's gaze and glanced at her timidly.
Hu Zhenzhen laughed immediately.
Okay, even if he's a great actor, he's still just a kid and has to watch his stepmother's every whim.
"What's wrong, Xiao Chen? Are you carsick?"
Jiang Chen shook his head and looked back out the window.
He was observing the road outside.
Jiang Chen had seen it in TV dramas before; those experienced police officers could remember the roads, and even if they were kidnapped, they could find their way back after escaping.
Jiang Chen did the same thing subconsciously.
Once they arrived at the villa and got out of the car, his little mind finally understood why he had done it.
He wanted to leave.
The house in front of him was bigger than all the houses he had ever lived in combined, but Jiang Chen did not show any happiness as he walked in.
The wealthier Hu Zhenzhen became, the harder it was for him to repay her kindness in raising him.
Jiang Chen secretly kept track of the debts. He already owed his stepmother 50,000 yuan. Living in such a big villa, he owed his stepmother a lot of money every day.
If he continues to owe money like this, he'll be heavily in debt before he even reaches adulthood.
Jiang Chen gasped.
No, he can't stay in this villa for even a day.
As for the stepmother's mental illness, well... she doesn't seem that serious. Let's find her a doctor when he's older and more capable.
Hu Zhenzhen heard him gasp and subconsciously assumed he was amazed, so she puffed out her chest and made a small boast.
"What do you think? Isn't Mom's villa nice?"
"Not bad, not bad," Jiang Chen said absentmindedly.
Hu Zhenzhen was oblivious to his slight mood, engrossed in touring the villa.
This is the most luxurious villa area in S City. It was just built two years ago, and only the wealthy and powerful can afford to live here.
Even if a nouveau riche with money wants to buy a house here, they won't find a way to do so.
As Hu Zhenzhen walked, the little golden egg in her mind explained the situation to her.
[So the host is really lucky, drawing the best villa in one go!]
Hu Zhenzhen smiled, her eyes crinkling, and asked curiously, "Little Jin, you said that you need to be both rich and powerful to buy a house here, so how did I manage to buy this one?"
The little golden egg patted its shell. [The system has everything arranged for you. Your current identity is the sole heir of the Hu family, who recently moved here from the south. In people's subconscious, the Hu family is very powerful, so you naturally have the qualifications to make a purchase.]
"I see," Hu Zhenzhen realized, "it seems that the system's money also needs to follow the rules of the world."
Is there really a Hu family in the South?
Xiao Jin scratched his head. "I don't know about that."
Even the system doesn't know, so the local tycoons in S City certainly wouldn't know either. Hu Zhenzhen felt she had grasped the blind spot.
However, for her at the moment, this intimidating identity is of no use.
"Come on, Xiao Chen, Mom will take you to choose a room."
The villa has four floors in total, with a garage in the basement and 400 square meters on each floor above ground. The owner's rooms are mainly located on the second and third floors, accessible by stairs or elevator.
Hu Zhenzhen walked up the stairs with an attitude of watching.
The master bedroom on the third floor had already been arranged before she moved in. Hu Zhenzhen couldn't experience the joy of choosing a room, so Jiang Chen had to experience it instead.
However, Jiang Chen, who was holding her hand, had completely different thoughts in his mind.
He was surveying the terrain, looking for rooms from which escape routes would be easy.
This is really too difficult for an 8-year-old child.
Jiang Chen had not received any systematic training or read any relevant books, so he could only rely on his intuition to make judgments.
So he chose a room with an exceptionally large window.
"This one..."
Jiang Chen only said these three words, and the steward understood his meaning.
"If the young master wants to choose this room, let me show you around."
"The light in this room is concealed, and the switch will be placed by your bedside for easy switching before you go to sleep..."
Hu Zhenzhen rested her hands on the windowsill and looked out at the scenery.
Here you can see the lake in the villa area and the small park along the lake for walking; the scenery is quite nice.
Beautiful natural scenery can heal the soul. Hu Zhenzhen unconsciously smiled and looked down at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was only up to her waist. He gripped the glass with both hands, leaving two shallow handprints.
He seems to really like this room.
Reassured, Hu Zhenzhen handed Jiang Chen over to the housekeeper for the time being and went to another room.
After she left, Jiang Chen turned his face. His small face showed no longing or aspiration, but rather a worry that shouldn't belong to a child.
Chen Kai noticed it, his smile unchanged, and noted down this unusual behavior.
"Let me take the young master to the recreation room to play."
*
By evening, the nanny had prepared dinner.
After finishing his meal, Jiang Chen suddenly revealed his playful, childlike side.
"Mom, can I go ride my bike in the yard?"
This was the first time Jiang Chen had ever called her "Mom" on his own initiative.
His father, Jiang Hua, was a womanizing playboy. His birth mother is unknown, but she was probably a beautiful woman. Although Jiang Chen was thin and small, he had his parents' genes and was good-looking from the start.
His deliberately obedient smile at this moment is even more deceptive.
Hu Zhenzhen quickly adjusted her child-rearing plan.
[I guess I really need to be gentle. Jiang Chen is smiling so happily now. We need to let him experience the warmth of spring and completely open his heart to me, his stepmother.]
Little Golden Egg nodded in agreement. "You're right, Jiang Chen must be extremely happy right now."
"Of course you can. Mommy will ask Uncle Chen to help you buy a toy car, okay?"
The moment Jiang Chen spoke, the butler standing nearby was already prepared, nodding to Hu Zhenzhen the instant she looked up.
Little Golden Egg had been watching Jiang Chen closely, and when it noticed him smile, it immediately spoke up excitedly.
[Host, host, Jiang Chen smiled again! He's even happier!]
He's definitely very close to you right now; your affection level might be about to increase!
Hu Zhenzhen waited expectantly for a while.
How's it going? Has your family affinity increased?
Little Golden Egg wiped imaginary cold sweat from his brow. "We might need to give the young protagonist a little more time."
Jiang Chen's smile just now was genuine happiness.
But that smile quickly disappeared.
He caught a glimpse of Hu Zhenzhen's expectant eyes out of the corner of his eye, and a heavy feeling settled over him.
His stepmother seems to like him too much. If he leaves, won't her mental state get even worse?
Jiang Chen was reluctant to part with her, but he forced himself to recall the slap his stepmother had given him, and only then did he manage to suppress his reluctance.
Wherever he is, he'll only be a burden, so why burden his stepmother?
Jiang Chen recalled what he had overheard in the kitchen that afternoon.
The two nannies didn't lower their voices when they talked, so Jiang Chen could hear them clearly from outside.
"Why did Miss Hu suddenly bring a child back?"
"You don't know? That child is her husband's illegitimate child."
"An illegitimate child? Miss Hu hasn't even had her wedding yet."
Speaking of Hu Zhenzhen, the nanny lowered her voice and said, "Sigh, the man died right after we got our marriage certificate. It's no different from not getting married at all. The child was conceived because the man was unfaithful. Miss Hu is kind-hearted, so she brought him back to raise him."
"Oh, isn't this like picking up a little burden?"
"That's why people say the boss is rich; how could ordinary families like ours afford to support such a burden?"
"I noticed that illegitimate child is thin and small, and his complexion is not good. Could he be sick?"
"Yes, he looks sick no matter how you look at it. If you ask me, we don't even need to wash the vegetables when we cook for him. It's no big deal if he eats some pesticides. We'll help him get rid of his pain as soon as possible."
"The water still needs to be rinsed. Don't let it die after only two years. Otherwise, Miss Hu will not only be known as a jinx to her husbands, but also as a jinx to her family."
"It's all Miss Hu's fault for insisting on raising this little jinx."
At this point, the two nannies' tone became lighter, with a hint of a smile.
They seem to be happy to gain something by giving wealthy female bosses this kind of reputation.
Jiang Chen was still young and didn't understand why they were laughing, but he keenly sensed the malice in their laughter.
He was the one who provoked this malice.
If he weren't there, the stepmother wouldn't have to be laughed at by those two, so he could be considered to have done her a favor...
Upon recalling this, Jiang Chen's lips tightened instantly.
The service in the upscale neighborhood was fast; a small bicycle specially designed for children was delivered in less than half an hour.
These strollers come with two small training wheels at the back, which help children maintain their balance and prevent them from falling over.
"I'm going to play!"
Jiang Chen, with a stern face, pushed the handlebars and said goodbye to Hu Zhenzhen.
An adult making this expression might seem serious, but when an 8-year-old child does it, Hu Zhenzhen just finds him adorable.
"Be careful when you play, don't fall."
Hu Zhenzhen patted his head and gave him a word of advice.
Jiang Chen's eyes welled up with tears. He pursed his lips and gave a loud "Mmm," then pushed his newly bought bicycle and left without looking back.
Hu Zhenzhen sensed that something was wrong with his emotions.
After all, her future wealth and status were tied to Jiang Chen, so she naturally cared a lot about him.
"Chen Kai, do you think it's a bad idea for adults to accompany children when they go out to play?"
The butler immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "The child is in a new environment and is not familiar with the surroundings. It is too dangerous to let him go out to play alone."
“You’re right,” Hu Zhenzhen quickly agreed with him. “Are there any other cars in the garage?”
The butler stepped back to the door and opened it. "The driver is ready to go. You can leave at any time."
Communicating with him was so smooth; he could tell what Hu Zhenzhen wanted almost without her saying much.
This was the first time Hu Zhenzhen had received such top-notch butler service, and she secretly marveled at it.
She had already stepped out the door when she suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"By the way, you don't need to come with me here for now. You stay home and investigate another matter."
Hu Zhenzhen's face turned cold.
"Xiao Chen was clearly happy when she wanted to come home with me, there's no reason why she looks like she's about to cry in such a short time."
She has fox-like eyes, and she always looks at people with a passionate gaze.
At this moment, her eyelids were half-closed, the other half revealing the predator's sharpness.
Chen Kai took a half step back. "I understand, boss."
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