◎How Did You Return to the Country? (Part 2)◎
"What will they say?" After hearing the whole story, Jiang Hechang wasn’t in a hurry. "They can’t possibly tell your second uncle not to side with you."
"Pretty much." Jiang Suizhi sat down, his tone calm. "By now, you’ve probably been torn to shreds in their eyes."
Jiang Hechang: "Are you gloating?"
Jiang Suizhi: "Yes."
Once again, he was being mocked. This son of his was utterly unmanageable, yet Jiang Hechang found himself at a loss for words. After all, in the eyes of his younger siblings, he had never been the kind and gentle elder brother.
Truthfully, Jiang Hechang’s thinking was simple—even the closest of relatives should never be entangled in matters of profit, especially as the conglomerate grew larger.
One day, these disputes over interests would tear the family apart. But now he realized it wasn’t about profit—it was about people. Even without financial conflicts, some would still scheme as they pleased.
"Since childhood, she’s always been the most pampered daughter in the family," he sighed. "I never expected this."
Jiang Suizhi scoffed: "You’d have seen it coming if you weren’t so full of yourself."
"Do you really resent me that much?" Jiang Hechang was provoked into defensiveness.
"What do you think?" Jiang Suizhi shot back. "You’re guilty of indirect negligence."
Even if Jiang Yan’s death wasn’t his fault, had Jiang Hechang shown even a little care beyond academic expectations, Jiang Yan might have lived a happier life.
Jiang Hechang had no rebuttal.
"Did you find Le Qing and the child?"
"Yes."
Jiang Hechang sneered: "You kept that well hidden."
After a pause, he lowered his voice slightly: "When will you bring them back for a visit?"
Jiang Suizhi let out a derisive laugh: "Wishful thinking."
"..."
This brat couldn’t say a decent word if his life depended on it. Over twenty years old and still rebellious!
Suddenly, Jiang Suizhi’s smile vanished: "Jiang Yu."
Jiang Hechang stiffened.
"I won’t let her off," Jiang Suizhi said.
As Jiang Suizhi had predicted, Jiang Heling arrived in high spirits but left hesitantly, suggesting they discuss the Northwest market deal later.
"Fine," Jiang Suizhi replied indifferently. "But time is limited. After this, I’ll consider other candidates."
After the meal, as Jiang Suizhi prepared to leave, Jiang Yu intercepted him at his car door: "You saw the evidence, yet you still talked to him?"
"I need to verify its authenticity first," Jiang Suizhi said, his expression unreadable. "After all, we’re family. Making too big a scene won’t sit well with Old Master Jiang."
With that, Jiang Yu had no choice but to let him go.
"Well?" When she returned to the estate, Jiang Heling, who had been anxiously waiting, pressed her: "Did you notice anything?"
"What else is there?" Jiang Yu glared at him. "Don’t you know his temper? He’s never been civil to your elder brother, let alone an uncle who popped up out of nowhere. Now that he knows it was your leaked information that led to Jiang Yan’s accident, do you think he’ll let you off easy? For all we know, this Northwest deal might be a trap."
"Jiang Corporation’s domestic market is already saturated. Why would a Northwest market suddenly emerge? They have their own regional managers—you know that. And even if it’s a new project, what makes you, a man nearing fifty, think you can keep up?"
It had to be said—Jiang Heling had been verbally trampled by his elder brother and younger sister since childhood, so he didn’t detect anything amiss now.
Compared to a nephew he’d only met a handful of times, Jiang Yu’s words carried far more weight.
Even if he hadn’t intended for Jiang Yan’s accident, his indirect role meant Jiang Suizhi might not hold back.
"What can I do? I didn’t break any laws!"
Back then, he’d only wanted to help Jiang Yan, who seemed like a walking corpse. When he coincidentally got information from a friend abroad, he thought he was doing a good deed.
Besides, if Jiang Yan had a wife and child, he might owe Jiang Heling a favor—maybe even secure him a position in the company.
Who knew it would end in tragedy?
Later, he’d considered confessing to his elder brother. But when Jiang Yu mentioned a possible murder plot with no leads, he realized stepping forward would make him the prime suspect. So he kept quiet.
Three years later, and here they were, dredging up the past.
Jiang Suizhi—he really had a way with traps.
"Do you remember the child?" Jiang Yu asked.
"The child?" Jiang Heling frowned. "How would I know? There was no news afterward. If there had been, my elder brother would’ve brought them back long ago."
"Well, now there is," Jiang Yu lowered her voice. "Twins. They’re back in the country."
"And?"
"Find them," Jiang Yu sighed. "Lately, Suizhi’s been disappearing often—probably working on this. If you locate them before he does, you can make up for your mistake. Treat them well, and they’ll become leverage for you."
"Easier said than done," Jiang Heling snapped. "Where am I supposed to look?"
Jiang Yu pulled out her phone and sent him two photos: "Here. A friend sent these."
The moment Jiang Heling saw the images, his eyes widened.
The two children looked strikingly like Jiang Yan.
The second photo was of an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Jiang Yu said: "This woman—her name is also Le Qing."
"What do you mean, ‘also’?"
Jiang Yu: "Jiang Yan’s ex-girlfriend was named Le Qing. Didn’t you know?"
"Of course not. I never even met her," Jiang Heling grumbled. "Fine, I’ll look into it."
After Jiang Heling left, Jiang Yu studied Le Qing’s photo carefully.
Back when Jiang Hechang began investigating Jiang Yan’s girlfriend, she’d done the same. Le Qing was an orphan, later adopted by a couple who died young, leaving her with no relatives.
Le Qing had struck some deal with Jiang Hechang and quickly left the country with money. Knowing her elder brother, Jiang Yu was certain he valued family as much as business—he wouldn’t stoop to something so low.
The only explanation was that he’d sensed trouble within the corporation and acted to protect Le Qing and the child.
Le Qing was clever too—she hadn’t even given birth in a hospital abroad, ensuring the children’s safety. It took Jiang Yu days to track them down and arrange an accident.
But while Le Qing had died—her ashes scattered at sea by Jiang Yu’s own hand—the twins had vanished without a trace. That was why she’d kept a close watch on Jiang Suizhi and her elder brother all these years.
She couldn’t risk those children reappearing unexpectedly.
Jiang Yu had an eye for luxury brands. If not for stumbling upon Le Qing’s magazine cover yesterday, she’d have had no leads.
She’d seen many photos of Le Qing from her subordinates. The woman now looked different, but upon closer inspection, traces of resemblance remained.
Something felt off to Jiang Yu, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.
But this time it was happening domestically, so she couldn’t draw too much attention. Once Jiang Heling found the two children, everything would be settled.
This would finally allow them to cut the weeds and dig up the roots—eliminate the problem completely.
Jiang Suizhi had said he had business to attend to and wouldn’t return, and true to his word, he never came back. On the day they had agreed upon, Le Qing woke up early and dressed the two children in black clothes.
The little ones loved bright, colorful outfits and weren’t fond of these gloomy black ones. They blinked in confusion and asked, "Auntie, where are we going?"
"To meet an uncle," Le Qing said softly. "He’s Uncle Xie’s older brother—someone very important to him. But that uncle has passed away, so we need to be quiet, okay?"
Though they didn’t fully understand, the children knew that passing away was something very sad, so they nodded solemnly.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Le Qing went to answer it and found a strange man standing there, flanked by several bodyguard-like figures.
"I’m Suizhi’s second uncle," Jiang Heling said. Seeing his nephew’s wife in person, he was genuinely struck by her beauty. Then his gaze fell on the two children beside her, who bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Yan. He froze for several seconds before finally saying, "I’m here to take you there."
Le Qing replied, "Thank you for your trouble."
She turned to the children and helped them put on their little backpacks. "Go with Second Grandpa."
Little Sister Treasure found this utterly fascinating. "A real grandpa!"
The only family they’d ever known was their aunt, and their understanding of relatives came mostly from a rocking horse ride at the fair. They had no idea what other family members looked like. Now, they even had a second grandpa!
Excited, they chirped, "Hello, Second Grandpa~"
Jiang Heling’s face darkened.
What kind of greeting was "a real grandpa"?
What kind of nonsense had his nephew’s wife been teaching them?
Little Le Jia tilted his head up and asked, "Are you the nice relative?"
Jiang Heling, who was used to either quarreling with or being glared at by his family, suddenly felt his ears grow warm. He shifted uncomfortably. "What nice relative?"
"Auntie said we’d have other relatives someday," Little Le Jia explained, pulling out a milk tablet from his backpack—a gift he’d prepared in case he made new friends.
Standing on his tiptoes, he handed it to Jiang Heling. "She also said relatives would be nice."
So Second Grandpa must be the nice relative Auntie had mentioned!
Jiang Heling shot a guilty glance at Le Qing, feeling awkward.
"I’m not that nice," he muttered.
[But I will be in the future.]
Out of guilt, he resolved to treat this family better from now on.
As for the milk tablet… he’d take it later.
A lifelong bachelor, Jiang Heling had zero experience with children. In the entire Jiang family, only Jiang Hechang had two kids. But Jiang Yan had been raised mostly by nannies, and back then, Jiang Heling had been young and constantly at odds with Jiang Hechang—hardly the type to play babysitter.
By the time things might have changed, there was no need for him anymore. So now, faced with these two tiny children, he didn’t dare even touch them.
Stiffly, he turned away. "Let’s go."
Suddenly, something was pressed into his palm. He looked down to find a milk tablet secretly slipped to him by the little girl with pigtails.
Her eyes were timid, as if she were shy around strangers.
But the way she’d shoved the milk tablet at him was decisive—clearly a premeditated move.
Le Qing watched this unfold from behind but didn’t intervene. After saying a quick word to Sister Wang, she gathered their bags and left the house with the children.
Several cars were parked in the garage.
But Le Qing loaded all their belongings into the trunk of her own car and said gently, "I’ll just drive behind you."
Jiang Heling glanced back at her.
"I’ll ride with you," he said. "I can help with the kids."
Le Qing didn’t refuse.
Once in the car, Jiang Heling took the passenger seat. "Wait ten minutes before we leave."
Meanwhile, Jiang Yan’s grave, the largest and most private plot in the cemetery, was a half-hour walk from the entrance. The Jiang family had spared no expense.
A line of black cars slowly made their way toward the burial site.
But as they descended a slope, the lead car suddenly veered out of control, crashing straight into a stone wall. The front was smashed, the body overturned. By the time the following cars stopped and people rushed over, the vehicle was already engulfed in flames—completely inaccessible.
Cemetery staff, alerted to the accident, immediately called 120 and 119 before hurrying to the scene.
This was a disaster. This was the Jiang family’s convoy! If anything happened, how could they possibly explain it?
A car crash on the anniversary of a death?!
The nearest fire brigade would take time to arrive. Everyone stood by helplessly, but with no sign of the Jiang family’s decision-makers, the cemetery staff urged the drivers to notify the family at once.
They’d come to pay respects—what if the people in charge had all been in that first car?
Minutes later, another car pulled up from behind. An elderly man with graying hair, supported by a middle-aged woman, hurried forward. "What happened?"
"Old Master Jiang!" The staff recognized him—the Jiang family had already reserved a burial plot for him here. They quickly explained, "We heard the Jiang family was coming today, but no one’s arrived yet. This…"
The implication was clear: What if they were all in that burning car?
"Eldest Brother is still at home. Suizhi went to the company. But Second Brother’s been missing since morning—why would he come today when it’s not even Little Yan’s death anniversary?" Jiang Yu fretted, staring at the wreckage. "Have the police been called?"
"Yes, but they’re not here yet," the staff said. "We’re trying to use car fire extinguishers to see if we can save anyone inside."
"You have to save them!" Jiang Yu cut in. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she covered her mouth. "Dad, yesterday Second Brother mentioned bringing some children to see Little Yan today. Could they be…?"
Old Master Jiang said nothing, his gaze fixed on the blazing car. The extinguishers and flames now engulfed the entire vehicle.
"How could Second Brother be so reckless?" Jiang Yu took a few steps forward. "It was the same with Little Yan last time, and now this!"
Old Master Jiang struck the ground with his cane. "What about him?"
Jiang Yu turned back, her eyes red. "He was the one who told Little Yan he’d found the mother and her two children. That’s why Little Yan rushed to prepare for an overseas trip—and then the accident happened. I thought it was just a coincidence, but recently I learned he’s been investigating that family all along. He said…"
"Finish."
"He said one Suizhi was enough—there couldn’t be any more." Jiang Yu burst into tears. "He’s always been like this. I thought he was just talking like before, but I never imagined it would go this far."
"I even found out that three years ago, the day before Little Yan’s accident, he was the one who used Little Yan’s car…"
Old Master Jiang pointed his cane at her, furious. "You knew, and you didn’t say anything?!"
"We’re family!" Jiang Yu sobbed.
Suddenly, a car door slammed shut behind her, followed by a mocking male voice.
"Quite the performance."
Jiang Yu stiffened, whirling around with tears still streaking her face.
Jiang Suizhi stood before her with his hands in his pockets, a faint smirk playing on his lips before he leaned down to show her his phone—still on an active call.
On the other end of the line was none other than Jiang Heling’s name.
“Jiang Yu!” Jiang Heling’s furious voice erupted from the speaker. “Have you lost your damn mind?! You must be insane! Do you even realize what you’ve done? How could you pull something like this?!”
Jiang Yu’s bloodshot eyes widened in horror as she immediately turned to look at the car that was nearly engulfed in flames.
A cemetery worker shouted, “There’s no one inside!”
No one…
Jiang Yu’s legs gave out beneath her, her body trembling uncontrollably. “How could there be no one?”
“Why would there be?” Jiang Suizhi asked with a laugh. “Care to guess why Jiang Heling told you he’d bring the child to the cemetery today instead of returning to the Jiang family as you suggested?”
Finally piecing it together, Jiang Yu glared at the phone, teeth clenched. “Jiang Heling!”
On the other end, Jiang Heling seemed too exhausted for anger, his voice dripping with cold disdain. “Jiang Yu, all these years you’ve been abroad—what kind of person did you take me for?”
After hearing Jiang Yu’s earlier words, he had been genuinely worried. But the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.
How did she know every detail so clearly? And how could she devise a countermeasure so quickly when she’d been overseas all this time?
Then it hit him—the person who had first tipped him off about Le Qing and her child’s whereabouts was also abroad.
He couldn’t make sense of it, so he went to the one person who could.
Jiang Suizhi.
He knew this man was more ruthless than anyone, yet he had to admit Jiang Suizhi was undeniably shrewd. There was a reason Jiang Hechang had entrusted the company to him.
And in all this, Jiang Suizhi was the only true outsider.
Then Jiang Suizhi showed him a file—records of Jiang Yu’s activities abroad, along with documents about the informant who had tipped him off: a large sum of money transferred, followed by an untimely death.
After seeing all this, how could Jiang Heling not understand?
He knew he wasn’t some business prodigy, nor was he particularly sharp. At best, he had enough experience to serve as a decent assistant. But that didn’t mean he was irredeemably stupid. After watching his eldest brother for so many years, he’d picked up a thing or two.
So when he went to pick up Le Qing and the child today, he’d brought extra cars.
He’d switched them mid-journey.
The decoy car was meant to crash—empty.
That car hadn’t malfunctioned because of sabotage. It had crashed because no one was driving it.
As for Le Qing and her family, they were still in her own car—the safest of them all, as Jiang Suizhi had forewarned.
Jiang Yu, who had orchestrated this scheme for so long, instantly grasped the trick. She wiped away her tears and stared up at the towering Jiang Suizhi. “You set me up?”
Jiang Suizhi replied calmly, “This is called poetic justice.”
Old Master Jiang, who had been told the truth before arriving and had waited for this moment, trembled as he spoke. “Why?”
Jiang Yu lowered her head. “Because he always looked down on me.”
She scoffed. “Jiang Hechang never respected me. And neither did you, right? You all thought he was the smartest, the most capable. I just wanted to show him—who’s looking down on whom now?”
She could build her own empire, and she could strip Jiang Hechang of every last asset in his name.
She wanted to stare down at him with the same disdainful gaze he’d once given her.
“When did he ever look down on you?!” Old Master Jiang’s hands trembled with rage. “An elder brother is like a father! He wanted harmony among siblings more than anyone—that’s why he kept you out of his company! He treated Jiang Yan the same as he treated all of you!”
“Oh.” Jiang Suizhi interjected dryly. “Then that’s his fault. He treated everyone equally—arrogant and oblivious.”
Thinking he could shoulder every responsibility, only to make a mess of it all.
Jiang Yu: “…”
She’d never seen a son like this!
Jiang Suizhi’s smile faded as he removed his glasses, fixing her with a cold stare. “But no matter the reason, you don’t touch Jiang Yan.”
At this point, what else could Jiang Yu say? She stayed silent.
Until Jiang Suizhi tossed a car key at her feet. “Turn yourself in.”
As he spoke, he leaned in slightly. “Care to guess which car is the one you tampered with?”
Jiang Yu’s eyes widened in shock.
She couldn’t believe Jiang Suizhi had the audacity to force her into that car right in front of everyone.
But Jiang Suizhi straightened up just as quickly, watching her with an amused smirk. “Auntie, this is your last chance. The police won’t wait forever.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll just drive away?” Jiang Yu challenged.
Jiang Suizhi let out a soft laugh. “Why don’t you try and see?”
In that moment, Jiang Yu truly understood. She knew every member of the Jiang family well enough to manipulate them into losing control.
But Jiang Suizhi was different.
He had appeared out of nowhere, defying all expectations. No one knew his past.
And when he removed his glasses, Jiang Yu realized—these past three years had all been an act.
The man behind the glasses was the real Jiang Suizhi.
His eyes held a cruelty and indifference she had never seen before.
“Go.” Old Master Jiang turned away, unwilling to look at her any longer.
Jiang Yu clenched the key in her fist. She knew if she got into that car, she’d never make it to the police station alive. Jiang Suizhi wouldn’t give her the chance.
But if she stayed here, even if the police took her in, Jiang Suizhi had ways to ensure she met a grim fate.
Better to end it cleanly.
So she picked up the key, pressed the unlock button, and staggered toward the car that beeped in response.
Behind her, Jiang Suizhi acted as if nothing had happened, walking to the car Old Master Jiang had arrived in. He opened the door. “Grandfather, Father is waiting for you at home.”
Old Master Jiang stood frozen for a few seconds, only moving when he heard the other car’s engine roar to life. He stepped forward without looking back.
Yet Jiang Suizhi remained outside.
“Aren’t you coming?” Old Master Jiang asked.
“No.” Jiang Suizhi glanced behind him. “I promised someone else my time today.”
“That woman and the two children…”
“I doubt they want to see Father right now,” Jiang Suizhi cut in, anticipating the question. “We’ll talk another time.”
Old Master Jiang had only just learned of his eldest son’s past mistakes. He had no right to speak on the matter—not when he’d been kept in the dark for so long, oblivious even to his own daughter’s sins.
“Next time your father isn’t around, take me to see them,” he said.
Jiang Suizhi paused. “We’ll see.”
The convoy turned and drove off, leaving only Jiang Yu’s car behind.
As she passed Jiang Suizhi, she suddenly slammed on the brakes. “You’ve met Le Qing before, haven’t you?”
Jiang Suizhi leisurely put his glasses back on but didn’t answer.
Jiang Yu murmured, “I’d love to know how she made it back to the country.”
If not for that, she was certain she wouldn’t have lost.
She wanted answers.
But Jiang Suizhi wouldn’t give her any.
He simply turned and walked away.
Oh, he wanted to know too.
As Le Qing drove to the cemetery, she passed a car accident on the way. A crowd of police officers and firefighters surrounded the scene, and a body covered with a white sheet was carried out.
The two little ones covered their eyes and exclaimed, "Auntie, drive carefully!"
But Le Qing recognized it as one of the cars from when Jiang Suizhi’s second uncle had come to pick them up earlier. Instinctively, she glanced at the passenger seat.
When this second uncle had stepped out to take a call earlier, she hadn’t eavesdropped out of politeness, but through the window, she could tell he had been furious—then helpless—and now, he seemed to have seen through the illusions of life.
The man in the passenger seat acted as if he hadn’t noticed, his gaze fixed calmly ahead. "Let’s go. He’s been waiting for a long time."
A little further down the road, there was another accident scene, and Le Qing began to piece things together.
Jiang Suizhi had said he would resolve everything today.
Now that he’d asked her to come, it must mean he’d already finished.
But his method of "resolving" things… Could it be the person who’d just been carried out?
Le Qing sucked in a sharp breath.
It was as if she could see the original host’s fate.
Thankfully, she’d built up enough goodwill—otherwise, she might have been next.
When they arrived at the cemetery, the second uncle didn’t get out of the car. Le Qing respected his choice—the Jiang family would likely come together for the memorial tomorrow.
She took two small bouquets from the trunk for the children and carried one herself. Following Jiang Suizhi’s directions, she walked toward the grave and saw him standing there alone.
A light drizzle fell from the sky, and he held a black umbrella.
The solemn atmosphere seemed to affect the children too—they stayed quiet, careful not to make a sound.
As they approached, Jiang Suizhi turned his head. "You’re here?"
"Mm." Le Qing motioned for the children to place their flowers in front of the grave, then set hers down as well. "Brother and Sister, give…"
When she looked up, her gaze landed on the photo—and her pupils dilated slightly.
This person… looked even more like the two children than Jiang Suizhi did!
Especially Little Sister Treasure. If someone told her this was the girl’s biological father, she’d believe it!
How could this be?!
Jiang Suizhi asked, "What do you think?"
Le Qing’s eyes were still glued to the photo. "Huh?"
"The person responsible for his car accident has already paid the price." Jiang Suizhi glanced at the children. "From now on, you won’t be in any danger. So you can call him whatever you want."
Finally, Le Qing realized something was off. "Call him… what?"
Jiang Suizhi frowned slightly.
Mindful of the children’s feelings, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Up to you. ‘Father,’ or… if you’re worried about how they’ll take it, you can wait until later to tell them."
???
!!!
Wait a minute.
The children’s father wasn’t Jiang Suizhi?!
Le Qing whipped her head back toward the photo, her eyes darting to the name engraved below—Jiang Yan.
The novel hadn’t mentioned this at all!
Wasn’t it supposed to be Jiang Suizhi as their father, who’d even found them a stepmother?
Why was it his older brother?!
Everything suddenly made sense—why Jiang Suizhi had inexplicably asked if she was willing to let the children return to the Jiang family, if she’d ever brought them to visit his brother.
So she’d misunderstood the whole time!
"Little Sister," Little Le Jia had noticed something strange. "This uncle looks really similar."
Little Sister Treasure stared curiously at the photo. She looked at herself in the mirror every day and could see the resemblance. "Yeah, why?"
Le Qing quickly placed her hands on their shoulders. "Be good, bow."
Bow to your real father!
Wait—if Jiang Suizhi wasn’t their biological father, then he had no right to take them away, right?!
After all, she was their legal guardian now.
The sheer amount of information overwhelmed Le Qing, and her brows furrowed tightly.
Jiang Suizhi could understand her turmoil. To keep her from spiraling further, he changed the subject. "There’s one more thing I need to ask you."
"What?"
"How did you and the children escape Jiang Yu and return to the country?"
"Jiang Yu?"
"My aunt." His voice turned icy. "The mastermind behind everything."
So she was the one who’d killed the children’s father?
"On the way here, I saw a car by the roadside. The medics were carrying someone out." Le Qing studied him. "Was it her?"
Jiang Suizhi’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Earlier than I expected."
"So… you gave her a taste of her own medicine?"
He raised a brow. "Do you really think I’m that kind of person?"
To be honest… yes.
Reading her expression, Jiang Suizhi felt an inexplicable irritation and scoffed. "No. There was nothing wrong with that car."
The driver had simply succumbed to their own psychological demons.
He’d just… given fate a little nudge.
But there was no need to say that part out loud.
Jiang Suizhi pressed, "You still haven’t answered me. How did you get back?"
Now it was Le Qing’s turn to fall silent.
She had no idea the original host had been abroad—how could she possibly know how they’d returned?!
And given that she’d transmigrated into this body, she had no clue where the original Le Qing had gone.
