“Master!”
With that cry of "Master," a scalding tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.
Si Moyan reached out with his other hand to brush away the tear. Suddenly, his heart seized with a suffocating pain.
It was a completely foreign sensation.
Her cry and that single tear seemed to have struck a hidden nerve deep within his soul.
He gazed at her pale face, his dark eyes swirling with a storm of emotions. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Don't be afraid. I’m here.”
As if his comfort had worked, she finally pulled away from the nightmare. Her frantic, ragged breathing gradually became steady and even.
Si Moyan sat by the bedside, staring at her for a long time.
...
The He Family.
Madam He had summoned the elders and relatives of the He family. She proposed to formally dissolve her mother-son relationship with He Xiuyuan.
The ones with the strongest reaction were Second Uncle He and Second Aunt He.
“Sister-in-law, back when you couldn’t produce a son, we gave Xiuyuan to you for adoption so you could avoid the gossip and secure your position as the eldest daughter-in-law. Now, Xiuyuan has simply been blinded by the wrong person and made a small mistake, and you want to cut ties with him? You are being far too cold and heartless!”
“I’m cold and heartless?” Tears welled up in Madam He’s eyes. “When I married into this family, the He family was on the verge of bankruptcy. If I hadn't spent all my energy on the business and neglected my own biological son, how could he have been kidnapped by human traffickers?”
“All these years, I have treated Xiuyuan like my own flesh and blood. I poured my heart into him, hoping he would become a success. But in the end, what did I get?”
He Xiuyuan knelt before Madam He. “Mom, I really know I was wrong. I beg you, please give your son another chance!”
Seeing He Xiuyuan kneel, Second Aunt He felt a sharp pang of distress.
“Sister-in-law, you want to dissolve the relationship with Xiuyuan—have you found your biological son?”
Madam He pursed her lips tightly, her throat feeling dry and raw. “No.”
“Since you haven't, the He family inheritance can only go to Xiuyuan!”
Madam He closed her eyes. “I will donate all the shares and assets under my name to families of abducted children who need help.”
The members of the He family were shocked by her decision.
One had to understand that Madam He’s shares and assets made up the lion's share of the He family's wealth. How could she just give it all away?
“Big Brother, are you actually agreeing to such a huge thing? You might dote on your wife, but you can’t let her act so lawlessly!” Second Uncle He looked toward He Qingyuan.
He Qingyuan knew his wife’s temperament well. Their son had been missing for over twenty years; the chances of finding him were slim to none. Her health had been declining all these years, and just last night, she had coughed up blood due to her intense longing for her child.
Once the assets were settled, He Qingyuan planned to take her away from the city's noise to find a quiet place to live out their retirement.
“I respect my wife’s decision...”
Before He Qingyuan could finish, the door was suddenly pushed open by Old Madame He.
Old Madame He walked into the living room leaning on her cane. She immediately began a dramatic scene of weeping and threats of self-harm, refusing to allow Madam He to dissolve the relationship with He Xiuyuan or donate the family assets to outsiders.
“Qingyuan, are you going to listen to your wife or your mother? Make a decision right now! If it weren't for Xiuyuan being adopted by you two, I would have made you divorce her long ago. What use is a hen that can’t lay eggs to our He family?”
He Qingyuan’s brow furrowed. “Mom, don't be unreasonable...”
Before he could finish, Old Madame He lunged toward the wall with all her might.
Her head struck the wall, and she collapsed on the spot, bleeding and unconscious.
“Mom! Mom!”
“Grandmother!”
The He family descended into chaos.
After Old Madame He woke up, she issued two demands: either Madam He find her biological son, or she sign an agreement transferring her assets to He Xiuyuan. Otherwise, the old woman would take her own life!
Influenced by Second Uncle He and Second Aunt He, the old lady was determined to protect the family fortune at any cost.
He Qingyuan was caught in a desperate dilemma.
Madam He, pressured on all sides, fell bedridden from illness.
Under Old Madame He’s threats, He Qingyuan eventually agreed to sign a property transfer agreement.
After Madam He fell ill, He Xiuyuan visited her every day, appearing deeply repentant.
Madam He remained silent throughout.
He Qingyuan eventually waved He Xiuyuan away. Once the couple was alone in the room, he sighed and said, “Ting'an can't be found. Xiuyuan is still of He family blood, and among the younger generation, he is the only one who can hold things together.”
Madam He closed her eyes, tears sliding from the corners.
Ting'an, her son He Ting'an.
Their bond as mother and son had only lasted four short years.
Her poor, ill-fated son!
***
Once he was certain he would inherit the He family assets, He Xiuyuan breathed a long sigh of relief.
He immediately drove to find Wanyu.
He spotted her downstairs at her apartment building. Wanyu wasn't alone; she was crouching in the residential garden with a man who looked as elegant as a fine tree, feeding stray cats together.
He Xiuyuan hated stray cats and dogs. In the past, whenever Wanyu wanted to adopt one, he had scolded her for it.
Wanyu’s gentle, beautiful face was lit with a smile, her eyes sparkling, and a soft glow seemed to surround her.
He Xiuyuan hadn't seen Wanyu smile like that in a long time.
The woman whose heart and soul once belonged entirely to him was now smiling at another man.
“Yuyu!” He Xiuyuan shouted, clutching a bouquet of flowers as he strode toward her.
The moment she saw He Xiuyuan, the smile on Wanyu’s face vanished.
Unwilling to say a single word to him, Wanyu stood up and headed toward the entrance of her building.
He Xiuyuan tried to chase after her, but in the next second, his arm was caught by a slender, strong hand.
He Xiuyuan turned to look at the refined man. His gaze was sharp. “Who are you? Wanyu is my woman. She just had a miscarriage for me not long ago, and she’s loved me for over ten years. What kind of thing do you think you are?”
In contrast to He Xiuyuan’s agitated state, Qi Hong remained perfectly calm. “To Wanyu, you are nothing more than an ex-husband she no longer has a relationship with. Given her personality, if she still had feelings for you, she wouldn't have divorced you.”
The veins on He Xiuyuan’s forehead pulsed. “I will win her back. I’m warning you, don't even think about interfering in our relationship!”
He was about to become the head of the He Group. Once he held absolute power, he would drive this man who dared to compete for Wanyu out of Kyoto!
He Xiuyuan had never seen this man in high society; he was likely just an ordinary office worker. Moreover, Wanyu had been his wife in every sense of the word—no man would want a "second-hand" woman!
...
On the day of the He Group's shareholders' meeting.
Madam He, supporting her weak body that had not yet recovered from illness, arrived at the company.
The He family, the shareholders, and the high-level executives had all gathered in the conference room.
He Xiuyuan was dressed in a three-piece suit. The thought that he was about to inherit the He Group made him feel refreshed and radiant.
The Wan family's company had recently run into a crisis. Once he took control, he could immediately inject capital into their business. By then, Wanyu would surely return to his side.
Equally excited and happy were Second Uncle He and Second Aunt He.
Although Xiuyuan had been adopted into the eldest branch, he was still their biological son. Once he held power, he would surely favor his birth parents.
From now on, the He family would effectively belong to the second branch.
What does it matter if Madam He is skilled in business? She has no heir, and in the end, she still has to rely on their son, doesn't she?
The lawyer from the He family's legal department handed the property transfer agreement to Madam He and He Xiuyuan.
He Xiuyuan couldn't wait to sign his name.
Madam He stared at the agreement, her eyes involuntally welling up with a red tinge.
Everything she had worked so hard to build was originally meant for her own son.
But now—
"Mom, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of you and Dad in the future, and I will never disobey you again."
Madam He now saw He Xiuyuan's true character clearly.
Once he truly held power, he would no longer regard her with any respect.
But after all these years of struggle, she was tired.
From now on, she would stay away from the center of power struggles and live a quiet life.
As Madam He lowered her head and was about to sign her name, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open.
Everyone instinctively looked towards the entrance.
Wan Yu and Wen Yan walked in, followed by a lawyer carrying a briefcase.
He Xiuyuan frowned, "Yuyu, what are you doing bringing this woman here?"
He Xiuyuan disliked Wen Yan, always feeling that nothing good happened when she was around.
He didn't want Wan Yu to be friends with Wen Yan.
Wan Yu ignored He Xiuyuan. She led Wen Yan to stand before Madam He, "Auntie, my friend has a few words she'd like to say to you."
Although Madam He had only met Wen Yan once before, she rather liked her.
Last time, if it weren't for Wen Yan, she would have been stabbed by Su Yu'er.
"Wan Yu, you are no longer Xiuyuan's wife. Who gave you permission to bring an outsider barging into the He Corporation's conference room?" Second Uncle He said with an angry expression.
If they hadn't barged in just now, Madam He would have already signed the property transfer agreement!
Madam He raised a hand, "Miss Wen is my savior. If she has something to say to me, we can spare this bit of time."
After speaking, Madam He looked at Wen Yan, her stern expression softening into a smile, "Miss Wen, shall we go to my office to talk?"
Wen Yan looked at Madam He, who had grown even more haggard and thinner in the few short days since she last saw her. Without further ado, she directly had the lawyer hand a document to Madam He. "Madam He, please take a look at this first."
Madam He, somewhat puzzled, took the document.
Seeing the paternity test report, Madam He's body trembled violently.
"Miss Wen, this is..."
Wen Yan nodded to Madam He, "Look at the final result."
Madam He's fingers trembled as she flipped to the last page.
Seeing the words "Direct Biological Blood Relationship," Madam He's mind buzzed and went blank for an instant.
He Qingyuan, seeing Madam He's shocked, excited, and incredulous expression, quickly walked over and glanced at the document in her hand.
After reading it, his chest heaved with emotion, "Whose DNA paternity test is this?"
Wen Yan gave a slight smile, "Madam He and her son's."
Boom!
Madam He and He Qingyuan both trembled violently.
"Impossible! Eldest Sister-in-law's son was kidnapped long ago. It's been over twenty years. Our He family spent vast amounts of money and effort but couldn't find him. How could you, an outsider, possibly help her find him?" Second Uncle He spoke, his emotions unclear.
Madam He paid no attention to Second Uncle He. She tightly grasped Wen Yan's hand, so excited her teeth were chattering, "M-Miss Wen, has my son really been found? Wh-where is he?"
"I had Wan Yu call him over. He's right outside the conference room door now!"
Wan Yu, receiving Wen Yan's look, immediately went out and called the person waiting outside to come in.
Seeing the man who entered, everyone was stunned—
