"What's going on?!" Hong's Father exclaimed in disbelief. "Manager Zheng was about to agree to the collaboration. Why did you leave without a word? How could this happen?"
Hong Xia glared at Yu Qingbai. "Your cousin is disgusting! Flaunting herself in public to seduce Manager Zheng and ruin the collaboration between our Hong family and Ji Group. How shameless can she be? You Yu family members are all the same—utterly disgraceful!"
"Shut your mouth!" Yu Qingbai clenched his fists. "Xiao Yu's father is the CEO of Rong Group. Now that she’s returned to the Rong family, it’s only natural she knows Manager Zheng. Don’t taint her reputation with your filthy thoughts!"
"She’s the heiress of Rong Group? H-how is that possible?" Hong Xia’s eyes widened. "Rong Group is a well-known corporation in Haicheng. Why didn’t you tell me sooner that she’s from a wealthy family?"
Hong's Father trembled with anger. "If you had mentioned it earlier, our Hong family wouldn’t have offended the Rong family’s young miss. You’re nothing but a useless burden!"
"Call your cousin right now!" Hong's Mother urged. "Tell her to bring Manager Zheng back for the banquet. As long as the deal goes through, our Hong family won’t treat her poorly."
Yu Qingbai stared at the three of them.
Their behavior disgusted him beyond words.
He pressed his lips together. "Let’s get a divorce."
At the entrance, Manager Zheng was still chatting with Rong Yu. "…The afternoon tea, snacks, and fruits arranged for the program—were they satisfactory? Does Miss Rong have any feedback? Our procurement department can make adjustments…"
Rong Yu smiled. "Everything was fine."
Knowing she still had lunch plans, Manager Zheng didn’t linger. After a few polite words, he left.
Next to the hotel was a high-end restaurant under Ji Group. Rong Yu led Wan Jing and Yu Shun there. "Today, I’m treating Uncle and Aunt to lunch."
"No, no," Wan Jing waved her hands. "You must’ve saved up your allowance with difficulty. Save it for your future—college expenses will add up…"
"I have money. This isn’t a problem." Rong Yu ordered a few dishes and exchanged small talk with her uncle and aunt.
Deep down, she wanted to advise her cousin to divorce.
But years of life experience had taught her not to meddle in others’ family affairs.
Instead, she hinted, "Ji Group is short on staff right now. Cousin could try submitting his resume again. Working there has promising prospects."
She wouldn’t interfere with the hiring process.
Nor would she pull strings through Secretary Jiang.
She trusted that Ji Group’s past hires were never subpar.
Yu Shun finally opened up. "Back then, Ji Group offered your cousin a monthly salary of 12,000 yuan—a fresh graduate earning that much! It just shows how outstanding he was. But after the Hongs forced him to work odd jobs at their supermarket, they claimed paying family members was ‘too formal.’ They gave him nothing, then had the audacity to call him a freeloader in public. Infuriating!"
After lunch, Rong Yu went to pay the bill.
The server glanced at Yu Shun. "This gentleman has already settled it."
Yu Shun spoke up. "Your uncle may not be rich, but I won’t let a high school student foot the bill. Save your money—don’t spend it recklessly."
Wan Jing nodded in agreement. "Your father has other children to care for too. Life isn’t easy for you. Focus on your studies…"
Rong Yu sighed.
A meal at Ji Group’s restaurant wasn’t cheap. A few dishes easily cost three or four thousand yuan.
She couldn’t imagine how much it must’ve pained Yu Shun to pay.
Yet he did so without a word.
"Uncle, lend me your phone for a second," she said.
Yu Shun handed it over without hesitation, unlocking the screen.
Rong Yu transferred 50,000 yuan, confirmed the receipt, then returned the phone. "Uncle, Aunt, I’ll head back now."
On their way home, Yu Shun stopped to buy something. When he opened his wallet to pay, he froze. "Quick, look—how much is this?"
"F-fifty thousand?!" Wan Jing smacked the back of his head. "Since when did you save up this much secret stash?"
"My wallet never holds more than 200 yuan—you know that. Wait…" He paused. "Xiao Yu used my phone earlier. Let me check… Ah, she transferred me 50,000. This child… Why didn’t she keep it for herself?"
His eyes reddened, tears nearly spilling over.
Xiao Yu… She truly hadn’t been raised in vain.
Saving 50,000 yuan from her allowance under the Rong family’s watch must’ve been hard.
"Don’t return it," Wan Jing said. "Save it for her. When she needs it for a house, car, or something big in the future, we’ll give it back."
When Rong Yu returned home, Ji Zhiyuan had just woken up from a hangover. Perhaps drowning in alcohol had cleared his mind—he no longer seemed trapped in past emotions.
Duoduo was playing with puzzles on the floor alone.
He watched for a while, then crouched down and sat beside her, joining in.
Duoduo was overjoyed.
This was the first time Dad had ever played with her willingly.
Truly, breaking up with Aunt Lan was the best thing that could’ve happened. Now, he finally saw her.
Rong Yu lay on the sofa, taking a bite of an apple. "Ah Yuan, I recall Ji Group was planning to develop Shanxi Village. Is that still happening?"
Ji Zhiyuan immediately shifted into work mode. "Shanxi Village, about 40 kilometers outside Haicheng. The clans there are tightly knit, and the villagers are united in demanding exorbitant prices. Negotiations have been deadlocked for over half a year. Does Great-Grandmother have any thoughts?"
Rong Yu had reviewed the project.
The villagers’ sky-high demands exceeded the budget, so the plan was shelved.
If that was the case, why not choose another location?
"Shanli Village is slightly more remote than Shanxi, but the scenery is better. It even has a vast pear orchard—perfect for a resort." Rong Yu made the decision. "Send someone to negotiate relocation terms with Shanli Village."
Ji Zhiyuan was taken aback.
During the initial project discussions, both villages had been compared, and the executives had voted for Shanxi.
Truthfully, the two were quite similar.
But Great-Grandmother had never visited either. How could she be so certain?
Then again, why compare himself to her?
Great-Grandmother had a photographic memory and a genius mind. Trying to match her was just asking for humiliation.
"Understood, Great-Grandmother. I’ll arrange it immediately," he said.
Rong Yu nodded.
Shanli Village was where the Yu family lived—where the original owner of this body had grown up.
Helping the Yu family within her means was her way of repaying their decade of care.
