Chapter 26

Chapter 26

After a few days of studying law books, Cheng Nanyi welcomed Saturday.

During breakfast, Cheng Shaolin suggested that he, Shu Zhilan, Yuan Ting, and Cheng Nanyi should all go to the amusement park together.

"No, thanks." Yuan Ting shook his head. "My brother and I have something to do today."

Upon hearing this, Shu Zhilan immediately looked up. What could he and Cheng Nanyi possibly need to do together? She hoped they weren't getting into trouble again; she really had enough of it.

"We're going to a bookstore to buy books," Cheng Nanyi said.

"The bookstore isn't as fun as the amusement park. We're free today anyway, so let's go to the park first and then the bookstore," Cheng Shaolin suggested.

"No need," Cheng Nanyi shook his head. "Uncle, you and Auntie should go on a date. I'll take care of Yuan Ting."

Shu Zhilan hurriedly said, "He can be quite a handful. It's better not to trouble you with it."

"It's no trouble," Cheng Nanyi said coolly.

Before Shu Zhilan could respond, the grandfather interrupted, "Let the kids go together. Don't worry, Nanyi will take good care of Ting."

With the grandfather speaking up, Shu Zhilan reluctantly agreed, "Then, I'll have to trouble you, Nanyi."

Before leaving, Shu Zhilan cautioned Yuan Ting repeatedly, "Don't make your brother angry, no mischief, no stirring up trouble, or else..."

"I know, or else you'll send me back to grandma's, right? I get it. So, mom, can you give me five hundred yuan? I want to buy something."

"What do you need five hundred yuan for?" Shu Zhilan handed Yuan Ting one hundred yuan.

Yuan Ting: "..." A lady of such a grand household only giving a hundred yuan, not even as generous as Mo Yikai.

But even a fly's leg is meat; as long as it's money, he won't despise it.

Yuan Ting arrived at the car with his bulging backpack, Cheng Nanyi already waiting. Seeing the backpack, he frowned, "What have you got in there, a plank of wood?"

"Of course not," Yuan Ting said mysteriously, "It's something good, rest assured, it'll come in handy."

He and Cheng Nanyi had already made a plan: to confront Aunt Zhu today, choosing her clothing store as the location.

"Let's go," Yuan Ting gestured grandly, like a warrior setting off to battle.

Xiao Zhang started the car and drove off. Throughout the journey, Cheng Nanyi remained silent, appearing to be in a somber mood.

Cheng Nanyi's face rarely betrayed his emotions, but Yuan Ting, having lived with him in his previous life, understood him too well. Moreover, the current Cheng Nanyi was only ten, not quite adept at managing his emotions yet.

After some thought, Yuan Ting asked softly, "Brother, what if Brother Yikai gets angry with you over this?"

Mo Yikai, also just a teenager, could very well misdirect his anger towards Cheng Nanyi due to the upheaval in his family.

Yuan Ting understood this feeling all too well. 'I do not kill Boren, but Boren died because of me.' In his past life, there was something similar between him and Cheng Nanyi.

"The likelihood of him getting angry with me is as high as seventy percent," Cheng Nanyi said.

As expected, Cheng Nanyi had already considered this.

"Knowing that, you still want to do it?" Yuan Ting asked quietly.

"Of course," Cheng Nanyi replied without hesitation.

Sigh…

Looking at the still youthful boy in front of him, Yuan Ting couldn't help but feel moved, thinking that those who follow him in the future are bound to be utterly devoted.

If it were him, he too would find it hard not to be swayed by such a charismatic personality.

Unfortunately, in this life, he and Cheng Nanyi were destined not to walk side by side, as Grandfather had hoped.

While Yuan Ting was lost in these thoughts, he heard Cheng Nanyi continue, "If Mo Yikai really breaks off our friendship over this, that's fine too. After all, 'Those who do not share the same values cannot work together.'"

Yuan Ting: "..."

Never attempt to fully comprehend the mindset of a 'pervert'.

The car stopped at the intersection of the commercial street, and Yuan Ting and Cheng Nanyi got out. Cheng Nanyi took Yuan Ting's hand, saying, "It's crowded here, stay close to me and don’t get lost."

This street mainly sold clothes and shoes. Cheng Nanyi had already had Xiao Zhang find out that Aunt Zhu's shop was on this street, a two-story building with the shop on the first floor and living quarters on the second.

Aunt Zhu was currently single, without a boyfriend, wholly devoted to her business, living at the shop, with Grandma Zhu occasionally helping out.

The shop was easy to locate, named Yue Qiang Women's Clothing.

Cheng Nanyi, holding Yuan Ting's hand, entered the store, where Aunt Zhu was attending to customers, looking somewhat surprised to see them.

"Hello, pretty sister," Yuan Ting greeted her proactively.

"Ah, little curly hair, what are you doing here?" Aunt Zhu, seeing only Cheng Nanyi and Yuan Ting, asked, “Where’s your daredevil brother? Isn’t he with you?"

Yuan Ting's expression cracked a bit, 'Auntie, that's your own nephew, please be a bit more respectful.'

"Yikai didn’t come. I brought my little brother out today. Can we rest here for a while, Auntie?" asked Cheng Nanyi.

"Of course, you can. Feel free to rest."

Aunt Zhu arranged for them to sit on a small sofa in the corner, bringing them juice, cut fruit, and a lot of snacks before returning to her busy work.

Aunt Zhu seemed quite busy at the moment, with the shop appearing full of regular customers, chatting amicably with her. There was another staff member in the store, both seemingly overwhelmed with work.

Taking advantage of Aunt Zhu's busyness, Yuan Ting ran over, tugging at her sleeve and shaking it: “Sister, can I use your phone to make a call, please?”

Aunt Zhu handed over her phone to Yuan Ting without hesitation.

With the phone in hand, Yuan Ting ran to a corner and dialed Aunt Zhu's number.

Cheng Nanyi had copied Aunt Zhu's phone number from the butler. Upon entering it, the name displayed on Aunt Zhu's phone was: 'Tigress!'

Yuan Ting: "..." Clearly, the two were like fire and water.

Yuan Ting dialed the number, and the call was quickly answered, but Aunt Zhu's tone was not pleasant: "What is it?"

"Auntie, it's Yuan Ting."

"Yuan Ting?" Aunt Zhu sounded very surprised, "Why are you calling?"

"My brother and I were out shopping and just happened to be in the beautiful sister's store. She accidentally fell off a shelf. You should come quickly."

"Fell off?" Aunt Zhu's voice immediately became anxious, "Is it serious? Did you call an ambulance?"

"It's not serious, not serious..." Yuan Ting hurriedly replied, "The beautiful sister said not to tell Grandma... You should come and see for yourself."

"Okay, you guys wait there, don’t panic, I’m coming right away."

After hanging up, Yuan Ting breathed a sigh of relief.

Twenty minutes later, Aunt Zhu hurried into Aunt Zhu's clothing store, causing Aunt Zhu to freeze in surprise upon seeing her.

She had been running the store for five or six years, and Aunt Zhu had never set foot in it before.

The usually quick-witted Aunt Zhu found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

"Weren’t you the one who fell?" Aunt Zhu scrutinized her, her brows deeply furrowed.

"Who fell?" Aunt Zhu was also confused, "Are you cursing me?"

Aunt Zhu: "..."

"Me." A small arm raised beside them, "I made the call, saying the beautiful sister had fallen."

Both Aunt Zhu and Aunt Zhu turned to look.

Cheng Nanyi, standing next to Yuan Ting, looked at Aunt Zhu: "Auntie, I have something to say to you. Sorry for arranging this meeting in such a manner."

Aunt Zhu, confused, handed over the shop to an employee and led the group upstairs.

Yuan Ting gestured to Xiao Zhang outside to come up too, fearing that Aunt Zhu alone might not be able to handle the situation. People prone to suicidal tendencies can become extremely emotional, so it was better to be doubly sure.

The second floor had a separate reception room. The group settled inside, with Xiao Zhang standing guard at the door.

Aunt Zhu's questions were almost visibly emanating from her. She couldn't fathom what Cheng Nanyi and Yuan Ting could want by tricking her into coming. With any other child, she would have taken it as a joke, but Cheng Nanyi was different. Though only ten, he was as composed as an adult, and she couldn't treat him as just a regular child.

"Nanyi, what do you need to talk to me about? Did Yikai get into trouble?" That was the only thing Aunt Zhu could think of. "Is he in an early relationship?"

"It's not about Yikai." Cheng Nanyi looked at Aunt Zhu, who had rushed out without even time for makeup, pondering how to broach the topic, how to be considerate of her feelings, and how to soften the blow of his words.

After half a minute of contemplation, Cheng Nanyi gave up. Sorry, he really wasn't good at this.

Might as well be direct, save time and effort.

So, Cheng Nanyi pulled out a stack of photos from his backpack and placed them in front of Aunt Zhu.

Aunt Zhu picked them up, puzzled, while Aunt Zhu also curiously took a few to look at.

The photos were very clear. The man and woman Aunt Zhu recognized: one was her husband, and the other a clerk from the jewelry store she often visited. Their intimate posture in the same photo spoke volumes without words.

Aunt Zhu's pace of flipping through the photos increased, her face growing increasingly grim, until her hands were trembling.

"This woman's name is Fang Lu. She has no husband but two children, twins, three years old this year."

Cheng Nanyi spoke slowly: "Yuan Ting saw Uncle Mo and this Fang Lu being intimate in your house last time, so…"

"I thought I should tell you. Please forgive me if this offends you."

Having said his piece, Cheng Nanyi fell silent.

With a loud "smack," Aunt Zhu slammed the photos down and rose from her seat in fury: "Damn him, I'll kill him! These two kids are obviously Mo Zhaohua's illegitimate children. He dares to do such a thing, as if he wants to die."

Aunt Zhu was steaming with anger, speaking incoherently, her head spinning: "Where’s my knife? Right, in the kitchen. I’m going to chop that bastard to pieces."

As Aunt Zhu moved to storm out, Aunt Zhu finally spoke up: "What does this have to do with you?"

Aunt Zhu stopped in her tracks, incredulously turning to Aunt Zhu: "What did you say?"

Aunt Zhu was eerily calm, her hands which trembled while viewing the photos now emotionless.

Not only did she gather all the photos into her bag, but she also thanked Cheng Nanyi: "Nanyi, thank you, but I hope you can keep this matter confidential for me for now."

"Confidential?" Aunt Zhu took a deep breath, "Zhuyan Hong, you're not planning to protect that dead man after being betrayed like this, are you?"

"Mind your own business. Don’t meddle in my affairs," Aunt Zhu retorted irritably.

"Me, meddle?" Aunt Zhu was so angry she could barely breathe, pointing to her nose, "Me, me, me... Fine, I won’t argue with you. We can’t communicate anyway. Think whatever you want, do whatever you like, but I will kill that man today, and it has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it."

"Zhuyan Hong!" Aunt Zhu was exasperated, glaring at her, "What does this have to do with you?"

"I've told you I changed my name. I'm not Zhuyan Yan anymore, I'm Zhu Yueqiang. Don't call me Yan Yan; it sounds terrible." Aunt Zhu, ignoring her, headed for the door. "Today it's him or me. No one should interfere. If anyone tries, I'll cut them down. They think they can cross me and live? I'll show them what it means to court death."

Aunt Zhu became frantic, getting up to chase after her: "Zhuyan Yan, come back here!"

Cheng Nanyi was stunned. This wasn't going as he had planned. He had so much more to say, like about the company issues, division of assets, transfer of property, custody of the children, and how to reclaim the shared property given to the mistress...

But what was happening now?

Cheng Nanyi: "Aunts... ah?"

Aunt Zhu, stumbling inexplicably, fell right onto Aunt Zhu. They both tumbled against the wall, with Aunt Zhu letting out a cry of pain.

Only then did Cheng Nanyi notice that someone had tied a rope around Aunt Zhu's ankle, the other end fastened to a table leg.

Yuan Ting, who had been silent as if he had vanished into thin air, crawled out from under the table and yelled: "Brother Xiao Zhang…"

Xiao Zhang, who had been on standby outside, rushed in.

"Brother Xiao Zhang, quick, tie them up?" The situation had exceeded his expectations.

Xiao Zhang: "???" What, what did he just hear?

Tie them up?

Is this turning into a kidnapping?

Yuan Ting threw two bundles of rope from his backpack: "Quick, quick, quick, tie them up first, we'll talk later."

Xiao Zhang looked at Cheng Nanyi, who, unsure how to react, could only silently nod.

Xiao Zhang rolled up his sleeves, thinking, well, let's tie them up.

Aunt Zhu herself was stunned, not knowing when her ankle had been tied with rope, nor understanding why Yuan Ting would do such a thing. However, assuming no harm would come from the children and overwhelmed with distress by her lover's betrayal and her sister's antics, she resignedly allowed Yuan Ting and Cheng Nanyi to wrap the rope around her and tie her to a chair.

Meanwhile, Aunt Zhu, now Zhu Yueqiang, fiercely resisted Xiao Zhang, who exerted considerable effort to finally secure her. Panting heavily after the ordeal, Xiao Zhang reflected on how being a driver these days was not an easy task.

Yuan Ting, hands on hips and panting, glared at Zhu Yueqiang.

Yueqiang, the more she struggled, the stronger she seemed! Truly formidable!

Yuan Ting couldn't believe it. He had planned everything, even the preemptive move of hiding under the table to tie up Aunt Zhu, fearing she might escape and cause uncontrollable chaos. But he never anticipated the real "troublemaker" would be Zhu Yueqiang, with her unpredictable emotions...

Where could he even begin to reason this out?

Finally, calming down, Yuan Ting said wearily, "Aunts, can we please calm down for a moment?" Comrade Zhu Yueqiang, I urge you not to lose my trust.

Aunt Zhu spoke tiredly, "Nanyi, Ting, don’t worry, I’m calm. I know you’re doing this for my best."

Zhu Yueqiang, teeth clenched and eyes red with fury, retorted: "Calm down, my foot! Who could stay calm in this situation? Certainly not me. Let me go, I'll kill him."

“……”

Yuan Ting felt like he was choking on his frustration. What a mess!

Author's Note:

Special thanks to the angels who voted for me with Overlord votes or nourished me with nutrient solutions between 2023-07-26 15:24:06 and 2023-07-27 14:33:39~

Thanks to the angels who nourished with nutrient solutions: Chenwu Jingmian, Origin of the Universe 10 bottles; Bai Mu Sheng 8 bottles; 67967640 3 bottles; Chen Jin Ru Juan 2 bottles; Joes, Chalupian Ansheng, Wakaka, Wo Boluoxiue, Xiao Man, Song Ci 1 bottle each;

I’m truly grateful for everyone’s support and will continue to work hard!