Volume One, Chapter 13: The Youth of Jiang Zifei

The elevator doors opened at that moment. Su Qiuyu quickly replied with a few brief messages and followed the elderly man inside.

Once inside the elevator, Shao Shanshan stopped talking on the phone. However, it was clear from her demeanor that she was still very upset. She kept her head down, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.

The elevator indicator lit up floor by floor, but Shao Shanshan never once looked up. Su Qiuyu withdrew her gaze from her.

From what Shao Shanshan had said, it seemed that Xiaotao had been hurt by someone. Recalling the red mark on Xiaotao’s cheekbone, could it really have been Lv Xiaoqian?

When they reached the fifth floor, Shao Shanshan swiftly pushed past the others in the elevator and was the first to step out.

After the elderly man and Su Qiuyu followed, they saw which hospital room Shao Shanshan headed toward. The old man said, “Could it be that she’s going to see Ms. Lv as well?”

Su Qiuyu replied, “Let’s go and take a look.”

As they walked, she quietly dictated a voice-to-text message, informing Zhu Lizhen about what had happened to Xiaotao.

Zhu Lizhen responded with a flurry of exclamation and question marks, followed by two words: “Oh my god!”

Inside the hospital room, Lv Xiaoqian sat dazedly by the bedside, her gaze fixed on the cup in her hands.

Nearby, Nurse Chen was busy responding to messages, making calls, and answering the phone.

Suddenly, the crisp sound of high heels echoed through the room. Nurse Chen looked up to see a fashionable, dazzling young woman striding in briskly, clutching her handbag.

With the hand holding her phone, the woman snatched off her sunglasses. “You’re Lv Xiaoqian, right?!”

Lv Xiaoqian sized her up and asked, “Who are you?”

Shao Shanshan stepped forward. “I’m your granddaughter’s aunt by marriage, a member of her family! Lv Xiaoqian, you’re no spring chicken. Xiaotao is only four years old. Do you have any shame, attacking a little girl? If you have grievances with the Gu family, direct your anger at them! You old hag are disgusting! Unable to face your own battles, you only know how to be cruel to a child who’s trying to be kind to you!”

Lv Xiaoqian glanced at her coldly, a sneer curling her lips, then averted her eyes.

Shao Shanshan’s eyes sharpened as she pointed at her. “Don’t think I don’t know your story. You miserable old creature, all your friends and family have died because of you! The only person who still cares about you is Xiaotao. She’s willing to be close to you out of kindness—you should feel lucky, but you dare to lay a hand on her! From now on, no one will look after you anymore. You might as well roll up your mat and die in misery!”

Lv Xiaoqian suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, wild and unhinged. She looked up at Shao Shanshan. “You think gilding your coffin will make your ashes smell sweet? You’re spraying so much perfume now, but it can’t cover your bad breath!”

Shao Shanshan flew into a rage. “Lv Xiaoqian, what nonsense are you spouting? You’re the one who stinks!”

“The whole ward reeks of my stench. Why do you rush in to smell it? Do you like eating my filth?”

Shao Shanshan stared at her in disbelief, then nodded slowly. “So mean and ill-mannered—no wonder you hang out with the Su family. Birds of a feather flock together. Fortunately, Xiaotao is with the Gu family; otherwise, who knows what kind of person she’d grow up to be. You old hag, this one cup has shattered your future fortune and glory! From now on, don’t expect to see Xiaotao again! I wonder if you’ll regret it when you’re old and miserable. Oh, wait, you’re already living a miserable old age!”

Lv Xiaoqian sneered indifferently. “Get out of here, and don’t let her appear before me again, or I’ll smash her too! And you, you little tramp, don’t come back—next time, I won’t be so polite!”

“Just wait for the police to come find you!”

With those words left hanging, Shao Shanshan turned and walked away.

Her heels clicked angrily as she strode out, passing by an elderly man and a middle-aged man standing at the door. She cast them a hateful glance, but after a few steps, she noticed they had gone into Lv Xiaoqian’s room.

Shao Shanshan’s steps faltered.

Did Lv Xiaoqian have other relatives?

She turned back.

But the hospital room door slammed shut with a bang, and the curtain was drawn.

Frowning, Shao Shanshan raised her hand and knocked sharply.

Nurse Chen stood at the door, looking toward Lv Xiaoqian.

Lv Xiaoqian said, “You stay outside and guard the door. If that stinky woman asks you anything, answer however you like. She already knows my secrets. Say whatever you want—even if it curses me to death, I don’t care!”

Nurse Chen sighed in relief, as if granted a pardon. “I’ll go out and take a look. I won’t say anything improper.”

The door was closed by Nurse Chen, and Lv Xiaoqian immediately looked toward Su Qiuyu. “Xiaoyu?!”

When she entered earlier, the elderly man introduced her as Xiangqin’s daughter.

Jiang Xiangqin was the current name of Jiang Zifei.

Su Qiuyu removed her mask and sat beside the bed. “Aunt Lv, my mother was taken—she’s been missing for four days.”

Lv Xiaoqian was shocked, hurriedly asking, “Who did it? Could it be those who killed your father...?”

“No. Uncle Liu helped me investigate; it’s not them. Aunt Lv, do you remember the note you gave me four years ago? That phone number is no longer in service.”

Lv Xiaoqian murmured, “Jiang Hongfang?”

“Yes.”

“Jiang Hongfang...” Lv Xiaoqian’s expression turned astonished. “It really could be her. She’s gone mad. Could it really be her?”

“Aunt Lv, who exactly is Jiang Hongfang?”

Lv Xiaoqian’s face grew uneasy. After a moment, she looked toward the elderly man standing near the door.

The old man’s eyes gleamed with curiosity and sharpness.

Su Qiuyu said, “It’s inconvenient to say, isn’t it?”

“Can he be trusted?”

In fact, he should be trustworthy—

“Give this to him,” Lv Xiaoqian said, pulling out a Bluetooth headset. “I’m playing music here. Let him listen!”

Su Qiuyu smiled wryly.

Once the elderly man’s ears were drowned in heavy metal music, Lv Xiaoqian took Su Qiuyu’s hand and sighed, “These past events are not something your mother would be proud of. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but—”

Su Qiuyu interrupted, “No matter what my mother did, I won’t be surprised.”

Lv Xiaoqian nodded, looking at her with pity. “Xiaoyu, you’ve been through so much all these years.”

She glanced at the elderly man again, then took out her phone and flipped through some old photos from the earliest dates in the album.

In the pictures, a stylish, chic mixed-race young woman wore an exquisitely tailored gown and gazed at the camera with a fierce, disdainful expression.

The background was a bright, elegant hall. She stood on a vintage luxurious staircase, behind her were two large oil paintings, and the walls were adorned with intricate floral patterns inlaid with jade and gold.

The young woman’s features and expression—wasn’t that her mother, Jiang Zifei?

Su Qiuyu was somewhat surprised and looked at Lv Xiaoqian.

“Your grandfather was very wealthy, with a fortune that could last for generations. His second wife was an Englishwoman, a marchioness. She had two children: your mother, Jiang Zifei, and the other, Jiang Hongfang.”