Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jiang Yiyan had thought her life was already terrible. Living in a first-tier metropolis with little money and no great skills to speak of.

Her parents, ordinary workers laid off from their jobs, had run a breakfast stall for years. They woke up early every day and worked late into the night, only earning enough to get by. Now in their fifties, they were still working, far more laborious than their peers.

She worked hard precisely so that her parents wouldn't have to suffer in their old age. But with just an ordinary bachelor's degree, she was nothing special in a world where "throwing a brick could hit eight out of ten university graduates." Her education was as common as it could be.

So, she wasn't destined for great success.

She worked as a planner in a mall, spinning like a top every day, barely making it to a minor leadership position in her department. Yet, her monthly salary was still meager.

It was far from her dream of achieving financial freedom and providing her parents with a comfortable retirement...

But even so, her previous situation was much better than this one.

Even if she never had a significant opportunity or struck it rich, with the three of them working diligently, they should be able to afford a new home in a few years.

They might not become wealthy, but with effort, they could reach a comfortable middle-class standard.

Better than the current predicament...

According to the book, her ultimate fate was suffocatingly bleak.

She wanted to go home, no longer finding her mother's nagging annoying, nor complaining about her boss's inhumanity. Sniffle.

But Jiang Yiyan, naturally optimistic, wallowed in self-pity for a moment before suddenly bouncing back.

Although the Jiang Yiyan in the book had a bad ending, she wasn't that person.

The reason the book's Jiang Yiyan had such a fate was because she did many immoral things. And those immoral deeds were something she, raised under the red flag and upright, could never do.

Everything had cause and effect. If she didn't sow that seed, how could there be a bitter fruit?

With this realization, Jiang Yiyan regained her fighting spirit.

She couldn't be discouraged; she needed to think positively. Who knows, maybe another nap would send her back?

If she couldn't return right away, she would live well in this world.

After giving herself this pep talk, Jiang Yiyan decided to make the best of the situation.

She opened the original body's wardrobe, chose the most ordinary outfit, and went downstairs.

Having figured out her circumstances, Jiang Yiyan felt less anxious.

The villa had three floors, and her bedroom was on the second. As she stepped out, she saw "her daughter" Meimei lingering at the bottom of the stairs, looking up expectantly.

Jiang Yiyan saw her, and clearly, Meimei saw her too.

However, the little girl didn't approach but ran away instinctively.

Jiang Yiyan suddenly remembered her harsh words to her mother before sleeping... It seemed words shouldn't be spoken lightly. Now, her words had come true.

Though not a stepmother, she was certainly not the biological mother either.

But borrowing the body of the real mother and seeing how adorable and sensible she was, Jiang Yiyan would still treat her well.

Having read the novel "Beloved," Jiang Yiyan knew that after the death of the character's mother, the only ones who treated Jiang Yiyan well were Feng Ma and her daughter, Meimei.

Perhaps the true Jiang Yiyan's consciousness hadn't completely faded, so she felt an innate sense of familiarity with Feng Ma and Meimei.

With her husband currently absent, Jiang Yiyan could breathe a temporary sigh of relief.

In the book, Wen Mochuan and Shu Yao were childhood sweethearts and each other's first loves. Ultimately, although Wen Mochuan didn't win the beauty's heart, he was a deeply devoted supporting character with a significant role.

His character design was no less impressive than the actual male lead's.

Such a wise and reserved individual, Jiang Yiyan feared she might reveal her true nature in front of him, allowing him to detect something amiss.

Adhering to the principle of "less is more," Jiang Yiyan hoped to coexist peacefully with him under the same roof.

Thus, his absence gave her time to adapt to her current life without appearing flustered and revealing her flaws, which might arouse his suspicion.

Without Wen Mochuan around, Jiang Yiyan felt lighter.

Sitting on the sofa in the living room on the first floor, Jiang Yiyan noticed her daughter still seemed hesitant to approach. She greeted her warmly, "Didn't you say you needed something?"

Feng Ma, observing the situation, pushed the young lady toward her, seeing that Madam seemed genuinely in a good mood today.

Wen Meimei became even more obedient, leaning against her mother, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"It's the last parent-child meeting before the holiday, and Meimei wants Mommy to come," the little girl said with a smile, a hint of ingratiating in front of her mother, leaving Jiang Yiyan feeling uneasy.

Jiang Yiyan didn't say anything, only instinctively reaching out to gently rub her daughter's head as a sign of affection.

Jiang Yiyan's role in the book was limited, appearing only to advance the plot. Whenever she appeared, the protagonist, Shu Yao, was also present.

Therefore, the details of her daily life, her interactions with her daughter, and her relationship with her husband, Wen Mochuan, were only briefly mentioned when necessary.

So now, Jiang Yiyan knew nothing about her "daughter's" kindergarten or the timeline. She didn't know how far the story had progressed or what harm the original body had done to the protagonist, Shu Yao.

Whether everything could still be salvaged.

With these thoughts in mind, her conversation with her daughter took on a purposeful tone.

Fortunately, children are simple; Mei Mei answered her questions directly without suspicion. Feng Ma had also gone into the kitchen to prepare dinner, leaving them alone. Thus, Jiang Yiyan managed to gather quite a bit of information from her daughter.

For instance, Mei Mei was now five years old in nominal age and would be moving up to the middle class at kindergarten in the second half of the year.

Considering Mei Mei’s age, it meant Shu Yao had not returned from studying abroad yet. If Shu Yao hadn’t come back, then Jiang Yiyan’s actions as the malicious supporting character had not occurred.

At most, there was the grudge formed between them during their youth.

But those instances of bullying and mocking Shu Yao were insufficient to justify her tragic fate.

Thinking this, Jiang Yiyan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was still time to change things, and everything could still be saved.

As long as she stayed out of the protagonist’s affairs and lived her own life, she should have a decent outcome.

Optimistically speaking, the cards she held were actually quite good. She came from a wealthy family, a classic rich heiress, and although she had grown distant from her family due to certain events, they were still bound by blood.

Even if their relationship couldn’t return to what it once was, she would still receive some portion of the family wealth.

Even just the crumbs from the Jiang family would be enough for her to live comfortably for several lifetimes.

The Wen family was a top-tier tycoon in Shenzhen, holding significant influence. Although Wen Mochuan wasn’t the designated successor of the Wen family, he was capable and not a wastrel. He ran his own business and earned a high annual salary. Additionally, he held shares in Wen's Group, which provided him with substantial dividends each year.

All income earned during the marriage would be shared.

Even if they divorced in the future, as long as it was amicable, she would still receive a considerable amount of property from Wen Mochuan.

The more she thought about it, the more Jiang Yiyan believed that she could make this life work.

Today was June 19th, the same timeline as her previous world. The parent-child event at Mei Mei’s kindergarten was scheduled for the afternoon of the 20th, tomorrow.

It was already evening, leaving less than a day.

That was enough time. With the internet being so advanced, she could find much information online. This was her first time attending a parent-child event, but she assumed it would mainly involve accompanying the child in eating and playing. It shouldn’t be too difficult.

Apart from Feng Ma, there was also a young maid named Fang Fang in the house.

While Jiang Yiyan spoke with her daughter, Feng Ma and Fang Fang were busy in the kitchen.

Dinner was ready around six o’clock.

Since Wen Mochuan wasn’t home, and it was just the two of them, there were fewer dishes than usual.

However, even so, the dinner was considered lavish for Jiang Yiyan.

Feng Ma and Fang Fang did not dine with them. Instead, they stood by to serve and assist during the meal.

Jiang Yiyan felt like Lin Daiyu entering the Rongguo Mansion, carefully observing and not daring to speak out of turn.

But since Wen Mochuan wasn’t present, Feng Ma and the others didn’t notice anything unusual about her behavior.

.

In the bustling international metropolis of Jiangcheng, a five-star conference hotel.

Special Assistant Xu waited by the car and immediately opened the rear door when he spotted President Wen in the crowd.

The industry exchange meeting had lasted for seven or eight hours, leaving Wen Mochuan somewhat fatigued and with a less-than-ideal expression.

Special Assistant Xu noticed this but said nothing. After silently closing the car door, he went around to sit in the passenger seat.

"President Wen, shall we head to the airport now?" Although the return flight had been booked, and the original plan was to go straight to the airport after the meeting,

Special Assistant Xu, who had worked with Wen Mochuan for several years, could tell from his expression that the exchange meeting had not gone smoothly. There might be a change in plans.

Sure enough, the man in the backseat said, "Cancel the return flight. Let’s go back to the hotel first."

Special Assistant Xu wasn’t surprised and promptly replied, "Yes." Then, he discreetly observed the man in the backseat through the rearview mirror.

Wen Mochuan wore a custom-made smoky gray suit, with his gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose as usual. Due to work, his usually loose bangs were combed back, giving him a slicked-back hairstyle.

He maintained his gentle and refined demeanor, though it was now tinged with a touch of sharpness.

Turning his attention away, Special Assistant Xu decided to update him on the situation in Shenzhen.

"There hasn’t been any movement from Madam, but there’s a parent-child event at Miss Mei Mei’s kindergarten tomorrow afternoon." Special Assistant Xu left it at that.

Jiang Yiyan’s lack of activity was unusual and caught Wen Mochuan off guard.

However, he didn’t dwell on it too much. His thoughts were currently focused on his daughter, Mei Mei.

According to the original plan, he would have been able to attend the parent-child event at her kindergarten, but now...