◎President Jiang's Logic◎
Jiang Suizhi barely slept all night. After he sent Le Qing some pictures, she simply replied with a "thank you" and didn’t respond further—almost as if she had no intention of reciprocating his gesture.
Tossing and turning, he even opened a photo-editing app before bed, hesitating for over half an hour about whether to photoshop himself a "gift bundle" promotion—something like "spend 100, get 20 off," with free local shipping.
But in the end, President Jiang reluctantly gave up. He was afraid Le Qing might find it too expensive.
Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to settle for a cheap plastic bracelet either.
For the first time in his life, receiving a gift had him so restless and conflicted.
The next morning, the moment he opened his door, his eyes instinctively darted to the floor and the doorknob. Only after confirming there were no suspicious plastic bags in sight did he let out a sigh of relief.
Good. At least he wasn’t that cheap.
And she wasn’t that heartless.
With a click, the door across from his opened, and two little heads peeked out one after the other. "Uncle’s awake! Uncle, come have breakfast with us!"
Huh?
So the breakfast invitation wasn’t just a one-time thing.
Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Jiang Suizhi naturally walked over as he prepared to head downstairs.
After all, it was the kids who invited him. Breakfast was breakfast, no matter where he ate it.
But once inside, he realized it wasn’t Le Qing preparing the meal today—it was Sister Wang.
Sister Wang had previously worked as a nanny for wealthy families, so her breakfasts were not only nutritious and delicious but also elegantly presented. In comparison, Le Qing’s cooking was more like ordinary homemade food. Yet, as Jiang Suizhi sat down, he found himself missing the warmth of yesterday’s meal.
Truly, humans were creatures of habit—always yearning for what they couldn’t have.
Meanwhile, Le Qing emerged from her room holding a small box. "Sister Wang, I think you have a sewing kit somewhere…"
Spotting the tall man standing in the living room, she only paused for a second before resuming her usual composure. "Good morning."
"Morning." Jiang Suizhi’s gaze fell on the box in her hands. "Is that from yesterday?"
Le Qing smiled sheepishly. "I was just seeing if I could find a way to fix it."
"You could take it to the brand’s service center," Jiang Suizhi suggested. "Give it to me. I’ll have someone repair it for you."
"The service center?"
It dawned on Le Qing—why hadn’t she thought of that?
After all, this was a brand-new bracelet worth several thousand yuan, not some cheap accessory she’d bought for fun. Of course it came with after-sales service.
"Even if it’s damaged by accident?" she asked.
"Probably."
Closing the box, Le Qing remembered she still needed to pick out a gift herself. "Then I’ll take it there myself."
Seeing her determination, Jiang Suizhi didn’t press further.
But after sitting down, something struck him as odd.
Logically, Le Qing had bought plenty of luxury items before. She should be more familiar with these unspoken rules than he was—so why didn’t she know about this?
And given how long she’d been with Jiang Yan, surely she must have given him gifts before. Had she always done it this way?
Then it hit him—Jiang Yan’s notorious fondness for bargain-bin trinkets.
Ah. That explained it.
So if he really ended up receiving something small and inexpensive, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
President Jiang felt his reasoning was flawless. If Jiang Yan could accept such gifts, why couldn’t he? As long as she didn’t give him any bizarre clothing, he’d manage.
After putting the bracelet away, Le Qing sat across from Jiang Suizhi. "There’s something I think we should discuss."
"Hm?"
"Most children their age would’ve already attended kindergarten for half a year by now," Le Qing said. "The twins are bright, but you’re busy with work, and I might not always be home to look after them either. Relying solely on Sister Wang for their education isn’t ideal, and they aren’t getting much interaction with kids their age. So, I was wondering if you’d consider enrolling them in kindergarten for the next half-year?"
That way, by the second half of the year, they might seamlessly integrate with other children’s progress.
With the spring semester about to start, getting into a public kindergarten through the lottery system mid-term would be tricky, but a private one shouldn’t be an issue.
Before Jiang Suizhi could respond, the two little ones shook their heads vigorously. "No!"
"Why not?" Le Qing was surprised. "Don’t you love learning?"
"Auntie said if we go out to study, we can’t come home until New Year," Little Le Jia recited her aunt’s words perfectly. "I want to come home every day. And I don’t want to be away from Auntie."
Little Sister Treasure pouted. "Brother and I study at home. We have the learning pen."
"It’s not the same," Le Qing explained patiently. "Even if you go to school, you’ll still come home every day."
As for which home they’d return to in the future—well, that was another matter.
"Auntie will go to work, and you’ll go to school," Jiang Suizhi said coolly. "Everyone has their own responsibilities—even children. No exceptions."
With the father figure laying down the law, Le Qing quietly retreated, focusing on her meal.
Little Le Jia dared to argue with her easygoing aunt but wouldn’t defy this stern "Uncle Xie."
"We’re not being unreasonable," Little Sister Treasure insisted, blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation. "An'an is making sense."
After listening for a while without detecting any logic, Jiang Suizhi asked, "What sense?"
"Kid logic," Little Sister Treasure declared matter-of-factly.
Her brother promptly stuffed a large steamed bun into her mouth, whispering behind his hand, "Stop talking. He hits really hard."
If this uncle could kick a bathroom door down, he was scarier than kindergarten. Way scarier.
Little Sister Treasure’s eyes widened. "Even if it’s not Auntie… can he still hit kids?"
"Cough cough cough—!!" Le Qing nearly choked.
She’d worked so hard to salvage her image—she couldn’t let the kids spill everything now.
Jiang Suizhi slid a glass of juice toward her, completely unfazed by the comment. Instead, he looked at the children and said, "I only hit kids who throw tantrums for no reason."
"Uncle, how did you hear that?!" The kids gasped.
Jiang Suizhi didn’t humor them. "Did you really think you were whispering?"
The revelation that their "secret" conversation had been overheard shattered the twins’ world. They sat frozen in stunned silence.
Le Qing couldn’t help but cover her face.
At this rate, she was starting to think Jiang Suizhi’s parenting methods might… backfire.
So she gently reminded him, "Children’s thought processes are different from adults’. Sometimes you can’t be too blunt with them."
Jiang Suizhi raised an eyebrow. "If I’m not blunt, won’t they understand even less?"
"……"
Well, he had a point.
"I’ll arrange the kindergarten enrollment," Jiang Suizhi said, proving his reliability when it came to serious matters. "I’ll let you know once it’s settled."
"Okay."
After a pause, he added, "Tomorrow, don’t send the kids to look for me. I won’t be staying here for the next few days. But I’ll still send you the breakfast pictures on time."
Le Qing’s brows lifted slightly.
For all his stern demeanor, he was surprisingly indulgent toward the children. Wasn’t this photo-sharing routine already crossing into "unreasonable demands" territory?
The kids might forget about it in a day or two, yet he remembered it faithfully.
"In four days, I’ll send someone to pick you up."
Ah. His brother’s funeral.
Because of last night’s misunderstanding, Le Qing now felt a pang of guilt. She forced a bright smile. "Got it. I’ll be ready."
Seeing her sudden cheerfulness, Jiang Suizhi quickly averted his gaze.
Sigh.
After breakfast, Jiang Suizhi watched the children play on the rocking cars for a while before standing up. "I'll be going now."
"Alright."
As Jiang Suizhi reached the door, he turned back as if remembering something. "Even though I won’t be back, if anything comes up, you can call me. If there’s something to deliver, send someone—don’t come to me personally."
This was for her safety, considering the Jiang family wouldn’t be peaceful these days.
Le Qing couldn’t think of any reason she’d need to personally seek him out, so she just nodded blankly.
Sister Wang, watching from the side, found the whole scene rather odd.
It felt like the steps a husband would take before leaving home—repeating instructions over and over.
But heavens knew Jiang Suizhi’s intention was simply to prevent Le Qing from going out of her way to deliver a gift.
In reality, he was overthinking it. Though Le Qing planned to give him a gift, she wasn’t in any hurry. She hadn’t even bought it yet, and even if she had, she could just bring it when they met—no need for a special trip.
Since Jiang Suizhi wouldn’t be back for a few days, she could take her time choosing something with good value for money.
She was perfectly relaxed, but Jiang Suizhi was growing increasingly restless.
A whole day passed without a single message on his phone—not even on his private account.
Was she not planning to buy it here?
Who else could offer a better wholesale price than him?!
CEO Jiang was utterly baffled. In the end, he picked out a gift he personally liked, edited it with a photo app to highlight it in bright red, and posted it in the center of a nine-grid collage before jumping off the metaphorical cliff (i.e., posting it online).
Soon, likes appeared on his social media. When he spotted that familiar profile picture, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
But he waited and waited—still no private message from Le Qing.
CEO Jiang: ???
Given her personality, this shouldn’t be happening.
Was she really going to give it to him for free?
Wait, did he really mean nothing to her?
In a sour mood, CEO Jiang turned off his phone. At this point, he decided even a plastic bracelet would be fine!
It was just a gift, after all. He didn’t even care that much.
By the time work ended, he headed straight to the Jiang family’s ancestral home. His claim about not returning for days was true—usually, he only came back on the anniversary of Jiang Yan’s death, but this year, he had other arrangements. Since he’d invited Le Qing and her family of three, he needed to prepare in advance to ensure their safety.
The weather had been pleasant lately. As his car pulled in, he spotted a few people standing by the pond ahead.
Jiang Yu was pushing Old Master Jiang as they fed the fish.
Every year, from New Year’s until the death anniversary, Old Master Jiang’s children would stay at the ancestral home, only leaving after the memorial day passed—supposedly to keep the old man company in his grief.
Old Master Jiang noticed his car and stood up in delight. "Suizhi, you’re back?"
Normally, Jiang Suizhi would just greet them and leave, but these past few days, he’d been acting out of character. This time, he stepped out of the car and walked over.
"Grandfather."
Old Master Jiang brightened considerably. "We were just talking about you with your aunt. Your father—he just washes his hands of everything, dumping all the responsibilities on you at such a young age. You’re so busy you barely come home. I heard you’re not even staying at your brother’s place anymore—just living at the company headquarters?"
"They cleared out a floor and renovated it," Jiang Suizhi said, picking up some fish food and sprinkling it into the pond. "It’s convenient for work."
"No matter how convenient, you still need to take care of yourself," Old Master Jiang chided. "Work is secondary. Your family misses you too. You barely spent any time with us growing up. And I heard you went to see a doctor recently?"
Jiang Suizhi smiled. "How did you know?"
Jiang Yu chimed in for the old man. "Your second uncle happened to be there for a checkup and saw you. He didn’t get a chance to say hello, though. Are you under a lot of pressure? Why were you at the neurology department?"
"Is Second Uncle under a lot of pressure too?" Jiang Suizhi countered. "The hospital’s huge—what are the odds of running into each other in the psychiatry wing?"
Jiang Yu sighed. "He’s just got a bunch of old-age ailments—mostly psychosomatic."
"Hmph." Old Master Jiang sat back down and tapped his cane on the ground. "In my opinion, he’s just too ambitious, always scheming about things beyond his reach. Now he’s made himself sick."
Jiang Suizhi raised an eyebrow. "Then he really should get checked. So, did they find anything?"
"Nothing serious. Just told him to rest more," Jiang Yu said.
"I see." Jiang Suizhi sat beside them, his tone casual. "Second Uncle really should know better. Grandfather’s getting on in years—why trouble him with trivial matters?"
"Is he worrying me? He’s just—" Old Master Jiang cut himself off mid-sentence, glancing at his grandson before exhaling heavily.
Jiang Yu hesitated, then said softly, "Suizhi, don’t take your aunt’s words to heart. Your second uncle probably just wanted to help because you’re young. But we all know you’re capable, so your grandfather already spoke to him. After all, we’re family."
From the sound of it, Jiang Heling hadn’t come to Old Master Jiang to complain—he’d come to tattle.
By claiming Jiang Suizhi was buckling under stress and needed assistance, he could angle for more opportunities.
"It’s fine." Jiang Suizhi scattered fish food absently, watching the bloated fish gulp it down. "I don’t mind."
Jiang Yu relaxed. "That’s good—"
Before she could finish, her nephew lifted his gaze, smirking. "After all, he’s all bark and no bite. What’s there for me to mind?"
Jiang Yu froze.
"But the company has been busy," he added offhandedly. "After the New Year, I plan to expand into the Tibetan market. If Second Uncle’s interested, I’ll discuss it with him then."
This declaration stunned the other two.
Historically, the Jiang Group’s authority had been solely in Jiang Hechang’s hands, with others getting little more than dividends.
No one expected Jiang Suizhi to offer his uncle a chance to join the company.
Old Master Jiang was equally surprised by his grandson’s magnanimity. "Suizhi, are you serious?"
"Yes." Jiang Suizhi nodded. "Once my brother’s memorial passes, the timing will align. Second Uncle may be hot-tempered, but his experience and insight surpass mine. My father has no interest in business now, so if Second Uncle’s willing, I’d appreciate his help. We are family, after all."
This was precisely the outcome Old Master Jiang had hoped for.
After dividing his assets among his children, only Jiang Hechang had built an empire.
But as the company grew, so did the rift between his sons—the eldest ambitious and capable, the second struggling with his own stagnant business, desperate to learn from his brother but denied any opportunity. The youngest daughter, focused on leisure, distanced herself from both to avoid conflict. How could an old man’s heart not ache?
Now, though his grandson wasn’t offering shares, this gesture was a genuine step toward reconciliation.
"Good, good." Old Master Jiang chuckled heartily, his smile stretching ear to ear. "You truly have foresight. Harmony in the family brings prosperity to all."
Jiang Yu, who had remained silent until now, finally seemed to snap out of her thoughts. She took a seat beside Jiang Suizhi. "If your father and brother had thought this way back then, our family might not be in the state it is today."
Jiang Suizhi continued feeding the fish without pause, smiling as he asked, "What do you mean by that, Aunt?"
Hearing him address her as "Aunt" was rare, and Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile. "Just as your grandfather said—harmony brings prosperity."
Jiang Suizhi set down the fish food and replied calmly, "My father and brother weren’t wrong in their choices. We simply took different paths. Besides..." He furrowed his brow slightly. "Is there discord in the family?"
"What discord?" Old Master Jiang’s expression darkened. "We gather every New Year, laughing and chatting. No matter how much we bicker, we’re still family."
Jiang Suizhi nodded in agreement. "Grandfather is right."
Hearing this, Jiang Yu glanced between the old man and Jiang Suizhi, visibly conflicted.
"Aunt, if you have something to say, speak freely."
Jiang Yu lowered her voice. "About your brother... I’ve heard his death wasn’t an accident."
"Nonsense." Jiang Suizhi’s face hardened. "It’s been nearly three years. Don’t listen to baseless rumors, Aunt."
With that, he stood abruptly, apologized to Old Master Jiang, and strode out of the garden without another word.
"What were you two talking about?" Old Master Jiang frowned. "He was fine just moments ago, and now he’s stormed off again."
Jiang Yu sighed. "I merely mentioned Jiang Yan. It must have upset him. I’ll go check on him."
Meanwhile, Jiang Suizhi pulled out his phone as soon as he left the garden and made a call.
"Well, well. You’re calling me?" Jiang Heling’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Jiang Suizhi tilted his head slightly. "Where are you, Second Uncle? Your voice is so faint." He switched the call to speakerphone. "There, that’s better."
"What did you say?" Jiang Heling was convinced the kid had lost his mind—since when did he call him "Second Uncle"? They barely saw each other once or twice a year, and he never reached out unprompted. Something was off. "What do you want?"
"I just spoke with Grandfather," Jiang Suizhi said, raising his voice slightly. "I suggested that you should come help oversee the new market in the northwest."
Silence stretched for a full ten seconds before Jiang Heling finally cursed. "Have you lost your damn mind?"
"I’m serious." Jiang Suizhi smirked. "Grandfather and Aunt heard it too. So if you’re free, come back. We’ll discuss it in detail. After my brother’s memorial in a couple of days, we won’t have time. Once the Lantern Festival passes, it’ll be too late."
"Damn it."
A loud clatter came from the other end, as if Jiang Heling had shoved something aside. "I’m coming back right now. If you’re messing with me, I’m telling your father and grandfather!"
Jiang Suizhi chuckled. "Fine."
He hung up and turned toward the elevator, only to hear footsteps behind him. Jiang Yu had followed, her brow furrowed. "Suizhi, you can’t act so impulsively."
"Impulsive?" Jiang Suizhi leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow. "I’ve been considering this for a long time—ever since I took over the company. It’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Second Uncle may have a sharp tongue, but he’s not malicious."
"He..." Jiang Yu hesitated.
"Speak plainly, Aunt."
After glancing around to ensure no one else was nearby, Jiang Yu lowered her voice. "He once told me something about your brother."
"What about him?"
"Your brother had a girlfriend back then. Because she wasn’t from a suitable family, your father paid to send her abroad."
Jiang Suizhi nodded. "I’ve heard that from my father."
"But did you know she was pregnant at the time?"
"I had an idea."
"Later, somehow, your brother found out she’d given birth overseas. He rushed off to find them immediately." Jiang Yu paused. "And that’s when the accident happened."
"I know." Jiang Suizhi touched his watch, his expression tightening. "It was an accident."
"But do you know who told him about the woman and the child being abroad?"
Jiang Suizhi’s gaze snapped up, but he didn’t answer.
Jiang Yu enunciated each word slowly. "Your Second Uncle."
"How would your Second Uncle know something even your father couldn’t uncover?" Jiang Yu pressed. "Does he have that kind of influence? And what a coincidence that your brother had an accident right when he went looking for them?"
"Aunt." Jiang Suizhi straightened, cutting her off. "Grandfather just spoke of family harmony. He wouldn’t be pleased to hear this."
His tone turned icy. "Even if it’s true, you’ll need proof. This isn’t an era where words alone can blind people. And why wait three years to say this? Why now?"
"I only started piecing it together later. Three years ago, your father and grandfather were devastated by your brother’s death. Would they have been able to handle this revelation then?"
"That’s enough, Aunt." Jiang Suizhi’s eyes darkened. "I have business with my father. I don’t want to hear this again. Without evidence, don’t spread baseless claims that could hurt him or Grandfather."
Without giving her a chance to respond, he turned and walked away swiftly, bypassing the elevator entirely.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Yu’s frown deepened. After a long moment, she sent him a message: "I’ll give you proof."
Five minutes later, Jiang Suizhi tossed his phone onto the desk.
Jiang Hechang stood beside him, glancing at the message on the screen. His expression soured. "She’s been hiding this for three years?"
"If not for today, she’d have taken it to her grave," Jiang Suizhi said, gazing out the window.
True to form, Jiang Heling was in a hurry. His car had already been intercepted halfway.
Spotting the two figures outside, Jiang Suizhi allowed himself a faint smirk.
Jiang Hechang asked, "You never suspected your Second Uncle?"
"If he really did it, there are only two possibilities," Jiang Suizhi said. "First, he’s an irredeemable fool. But if that were the case, you would’ve uncovered it."
"Second, he’s cunning enough to deceive everyone. But if he had that kind of shrewdness, he wouldn’t have let you live this long—not when you both started from the same place."
For some reason, Jiang Hechang felt insulted.
"Then how did you suspect Jiang Yu?"
The three siblings had received equal shares from Old Master Jiang back then. Yet Jiang Yu alone hadn’t invested in business. Instead, she’d funneled her money into her brothers’ ventures, living off dividends while traveling the world—only returning for holidays to visit the old man.
If she truly cared about family, why make that choice?
"Was Grandfather’s initial sum greater, or have your dividends over the years been more substantial?" Jiang Suizhi asked.
The answer was obvious.
The Jiang family’s wealth now dwarfed what it had been in those early days.
"How vast is this world that she could spend years traveling without ever growing tired of it?" Jiang Suizhi mused. "Do you really think she was just sightseeing?"
With that, he pulled out a document: "This is a company she registered overseas under someone else's identity. Overseas is different from here—there are plenty of methods and means to hide things."
Jiang Hechang flipped through a few pages, his breathing heavy. "How did you uncover this?"
"I started investigating her the moment I first saw her," Jiang Suizhi replied coldly.
When he returned to the Jiang family, both Jiang Heling and Jiang Yu rushed over. It was clear they were shocked by the sudden addition of a new family member.
But Jiang Yu's joy overshadowed her surprise. Over the years, no one had shown Jiang Suizhi as much care as she had—not even Jiang Hechang could compare.
However, Jiang Suizhi was different from others. He disliked being touched by anyone and couldn’t stand strangers showering him with excessive kindness. On top of that, he had been deeply affected by Jiang Yan’s death, seeing everyone as an enemy. That’s why he paid extra attention to Jiang Yu.
He didn’t know anyone’s background, so he analyzed everyone’s behavior through the lens of suspicion.
Jiang Yu was the strangest of them all.
She was the most normal and warm-hearted person in the Jiang family, yet she was also the one who cried harder than even Jiang Yan’s own father at his funeral. During that time, she stayed by Jiang Hechang’s side, insisting on helping him investigate the cause of the car accident, down to the smallest details—which was precisely why Jiang Hechang found nothing.
Would someone who only saw Jiang Yan once a year grieve more than his own grandfather and father?
If Jiang Suizhi hadn’t spent time with Jiang Yan, he might have believed it.
But though Jiang Yan seemed a bit unreliable on the surface, he was sharper than anyone. During the time Jiang Suizhi had interacted with him, Jiang Yan had mentioned Jiang Heling once or twice, but he rarely spoke of this aunt.
Jiang Yan had cared so much about a younger brother who wasn’t even officially part of the family yet—if he’d had a good relationship with his aunt, why would he feel like he had no real family in the Jiang household?
That’s why, from the very beginning, Jiang Suizhi suspected Jiang Yu more than Jiang Heling.
He had started investigating when he had nothing, and it took years to uncover even the faintest clues.
After New Year’s Day, he had returned once and overheard Old Master Jiang mention how Jiang Yu had brought up Jiang Yan’s past girlfriend. That was when everything clicked.
But he needed Jiang Yu to expose herself, which was why he had that conversation with her today.
Jiang Yu must have grown restless—otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought it up to Old Master Jiang. And the reason for her impatience was simple: she had also discovered news about Le Qing and the children.
Now that the Jiang family’s position in the domestic market was secure, even gaining international recognition, she had already exploited everything she could. Originally, eliminating Jiang Yan would leave only Jiang Hechang—an easy task.
Once Jiang Hechang’s line was completely wiped out, even if the inheritance fell to Old Master Jiang, his advanced age meant it would eventually be divided between the other two children. But Jiang Heling wasn’t particularly clever and wouldn’t pose any threat.
What Jiang Yu hadn’t anticipated was Jiang Hechang bringing another son home—nor had she expected the two children to reappear in the country.
Jiang Suizhi could make sense of everything except one thing.
If Jiang Yu had connections overseas and could track Le Qing and the children’s movements, why would she let them go untouched for three years after feeding information to Jiang Yan?
Given her meticulous nature, that shouldn’t have been possible.
So the most likely explanation was that she had also lost track of Le Qing and the children—until recently, when she finally found a lead and couldn’t wait any longer.
Le Qing had no connections or background abroad—how had she managed to slip away from Jiang Yu’s watch and return to the country?
Perhaps that was also one of the reasons she had given up her identity as their mother and let the children call her "aunt" instead.
Jiang Suizhi pieced together the rest of the logic in his mind.
