Chapter 83: Cousin

Chapter 83: Cousin

The clamor around her suddenly vanished, and Ming Can’s mind seemed to fall into a vacuum, as if she didn’t recognize the word “grandmother,” struggling stiffly to understand its meaning.

Grandmother is mother's mother. If the biological grandmother is no longer alive, it can only be the wife that mother's father married later.

So, in that future timeline, the thing Ming Can least wanted to see had happened.

Her father remarried, and she had a stepmother.

And this stepmother was closely related to Duan Hanyan, who would be part of her future in-laws.

"Ming Can? Ming Can?"

It wasn’t until several calls reached her ears that Ming Can snapped out of her shock and daze.

Her face was as pale as paper, but the moment she met the gaze of the man beside her, she immediately regained her composure.

Chi Xiao’s expression was also grim, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with concern as they rested on her face. "Listen to me..."

"No need to explain," Ming Can said calmly. "I know it’s not your fault."

Her clear eyes stared straight at him, her pupils as dark as ink, filled with trust.

But also coldness.

Miaomiao looked up at his parents, like a lost little animal.

Ming Can squatted down, pinched Miaomiao’s cheek, and forced a smile. She didn’t ask much, only saying softly, "Your friends are waiting for you. Go play."

Miaomiao nodded, picked up Xiaoxiao, and left.

Halfway there, he turned back to look at Ming Can and Chi Xiao.

For a moment, he saw the way his mother looked at his father, and it felt like he was back in the original timeline. There, his mother always faced his father with a calm, emotionless demeanor, unlike the vibrant and unrestrained version in this timeline.

This glance made Ming Can feel, once again, that Miaomiao could see through her.

She smiled and waved at Miaomiao.

Today was his birthday, and Ming Can didn’t want to ruin the happy and joyful atmosphere, even though she desperately wanted to figure out what was going on. But clearly, now wasn’t the time to ask Miaomiao.

Only when Miaomiao returned to the group of children, his face beaming with carefree joy, did Ming Can slowly turn around, her back to the lively party scene, and walk to a quiet spot.

In the distance, the sun was setting, and the afterglow spread like a tide from the sky, the ground, and even the air, fiercely occupying every inch of space.

Chi Xiao’s eyes were bathed in gold. He lowered his head, carefully holding Ming Can’s hand, and said, "Don’t worry, I’ll go home and find out who that woman is."

Ming Can nodded, forcing a smile with difficulty. "Actually, I’ve been mentally prepared. If my father really wants to remarry, no one can stop him, including me, because I don’t have a strong enough reason to bind him with guilt for life in a family like ours. Knowing this news in advance might be a good thing."

Just didn’t expect.

It would involve the Chi family.

Was this the reason why her future self hated Chi Xiao?

It was indeed possible.

Ming Can very much did not want her father to remarry, not just because she missed her mother and didn’t want anyone to take her place, but also because, as a daughter, her position in the Ming family was already marginal. Whatever she wanted to do in the future would depend on her father’s support. Now, she assumed her father valued her greatly and treated her as his only treasure, but if he remarried and had other children, would this unique favor continue? Would the resources and assets originally belonging to her not be taken away by others?

As for the Chi family, Ming Can couldn’t quite understand.

Chairman Chi’s recent actions all indicated that he had already approved of this marriage. Now, introducing a match for his future father-in-law, what was he trying to achieve?

Even if it was just Duan Hanyan’s personal decision, what benefit could she gain from it?

Ming Can really couldn’t figure it out.

Regardless of what benefits others might get, the only thing certain in this event was that Ming Can would be the victim.

Whoever harmed her interests was her enemy.

After Miaomiao’s birthday party, the three of them went home together.

Miaomiao had a great time today, using his superpowers on various small animals, exhausting himself. On the way back, he fell into a deep sleep.

Ming Can and Chi Xiao took care of him while bathing, during which neither of them spoke a word.

While drying Miaomiao’s hair, the silk bow tied behind Ming Can’s left ear slipped off and fell to the floor. The half-braid Chi Xiao had made for her in the morning also came loose, blending with her straight hair. Ming Can didn’t notice any of this, just dried Miaomiao’s hair and carried him to bed.

Chi Xiao bent down to pick up the bow, put it in his pocket, and said nothing.

He truly didn’t know what to say. This was sudden for him too, and there was no basis for an explanation. And she didn’t seem in the mood to listen.

Miaomiao settled comfortably into bed, and the two of them parted ways, returning to their respective rooms.

Chi Xiao sat by the window, playing with the light pink silk bow, letting it twine around his fingers, just like her long hair had this morning.

His mind replayed her words—she believed him, knew he had nothing to do with it.

Fifteen days of love, earning a single word of trust, was something to be grateful for.

But then what?

For some reason, Chi Xiao suddenly remembered something his mother had said during an argument with his father when he was a child—

"If I had known your family would treat me like this, I shouldn’t have given birth to him..."

"I almost aborted him..."

He knew his father had wronged his mother, and his mother also knew that these matters had nothing to do with him, their child.

But in the end, she still came to detest her own flesh and blood, even wishing he would vanish from this world.

From that moment on, Chi Xiao came to understand many things.

For example.

Never take yourself too seriously.

Never use something as insignificant as emotions to challenge others' interests.

-

The weekend passed quickly.

One evening during the week.

Chi Yanpeng rarely returned home before dinner, his secretary trailing behind to report work. The two stepped through the iron gates of the villa, and Chi Yanpeng paused, as if he had seen something unusual.

As twilight descended, under the gradually darkening sky, a tall young man in a loose blue sweater was feeding snacks to a puppy. Two little kids were chattering around him, telling him about all the mischief the puppy had caused over the past few days.

The young man’s brows were lowered, and unlike his usual cold and impatient demeanor when dealing with his noisy younger siblings, he occasionally responded to them.

Chi Yanpeng waved the secretary away and walked toward the garden alone.

“It’s not the weekend; how did you find time to come home?” he asked Chi Xiao.

“I came back to get some things,” Chi Xiao straightened up, his gaze now a few centimeters higher than his father’s.

After a pause, he asked casually, “Is Aunt Duan abroad?”

“Yes,” Chi Yanpeng said, “She went to visit her cousin.”

“What happened to her cousin?” Chi Xiao asked, “I saw her posts on social media; she’s been abroad for several days. Did she leave Ah Heng and A Yue behind without any care?”

Chi Yanpeng looked at him curiously.

Although he knew Chi Xiao disliked Duan Hanyan, the boy had always been quiet and kept his feelings to himself, never gossiping behind anyone's back. This was the first time he had ever done so.

Despite his curiosity, Chi Yanpeng didn’t think much of it and explained, “Her cousin’s husband passed away a year ago, and yesterday was the anniversary. She went abroad to keep her cousin company and also to travel and relax.”

Chi Xiao: “They’re close?”

“Yes,” Chi Yanpeng said, “They grew up together as children and played together.”

Noticing his father’s increasingly suspicious gaze, Chi Xiao didn’t ask any more questions.

He felt somewhat relieved. From the current situation, it seemed that Duan Hanyan’s cousin had always lived abroad and had no connection to Ming Can’s father. Chi Yanpeng also appeared completely unaware of any potential ties between Duan Hanyan’s cousin and his in-laws.

Everything should still be in time.

…

In a seaside garden house in Scotland, England.

Jiang Yichu lazily leaned back in her chair, listening to her cousin Duan Hanyan complain about her family troubles, looking more worried than someone who had lost her husband.

She usually didn’t like hearing Duan Hanyan talk about the Chi family. How could such a simple-minded person, married to one of the top three tycoons in North City, have anything to complain about?

It gave the impression that she was creating problems where there were none.

Duan Hanyan and her cousin had grown up together. Her cousin was beautiful and intelligent, while Duan Hanyan only had a pretty face and poor grades. Before adulthood, she had always followed her cousin, doing whatever she said. Even though their relationship was tinged with competition, envy, and jealousy, over the years, Duan Hanyan still considered her cousin her closest friend and confided in her about everything.

Seeing her cousin’s lack of interest in her troubles, Duan Hanyan suddenly remembered some old stories and smiled, saying, “Do you know who the father of my future daughter-in-law is?”

Jiang Yichu hadn’t been paying attention and couldn’t even remember the name of her future daughter-in-law: “Who?”

“Ming Zheng, the famous third son of the Ming family, the most handsome man in North City.” Duan Hanyan said, “Sis, didn’t you used to like him a lot?”

Jiang Yichu was taken aback by this.

It had been so many years, and she couldn’t remember clearly.

Ming Zheng was several years older than her and had captured the hearts of countless young women in high society with his god-like good looks.

Jiang Yichu had harbored a secret crush on Ming Zheng for a few years when she was young. She heard he was quite the playboy, with numerous girlfriends, and thought she might have a chance. Unfortunately, he found her too young and paid her no attention. Later, as she grew up, Ming Zheng married a well-matched, gentle, and wealthy woman, and he gradually settled down, at least on the surface.

Jiang Yichu remained silent for a long time. When she spoke again, it was as if she had just woken from a dream, and she asked Duan Hanyan, “You said Chi Xiao is going to marry Ming Zheng’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“The gap between the two families seems quite large. Ming Zheng is the youngest son of his father and has never been favored. I’ve heard the Ming family isn’t doing well these days. Why would your husband choose his daughter?”

“The Ming family, no matter how bad, is still the Ming family. Their factories in North City alone are worth billions.” Duan Hanyan sighed, “Now that they are going to form an alliance with our family, if my husband is willing to support them, with improved cash flow, they could achieve greatness again.”

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it would have been better to choose the Chu family. The entire Ming family combined was far more formidable than the Chu family.

“True,” Jiang Yichu nodded and then asked, “Is Ming Zheng still single?”

Duan Hanyan replied casually, “Yes, he’s been single for many years.”

After speaking, seeing her cousin fall silent again with a thoughtful look in her eyes, Duan Hanyan suddenly found her question a bit strange and frowned, “Sis, what are you thinking?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Yichu smiled, her words filled with deep meaning, “I’m just a bit homesick and want to go back to China. It’s been years since I last visited.”

Duan Hanyan, upon hearing this, couldn’t miss the deeper meaning in her cousin’s words.

Although she had never been very smart, after being married for so many years, she had long shed the innocence of her youth. She certainly didn’t believe her cousin wanted to return to China to pursue a love she couldn’t have in her youth. If that were the case, she would have returned immediately after her husband’s death last year, rather than waiting until now, after hearing about the impending alliance between the Ming and Chi families, to have such thoughts.

Ming Zheng was indeed very handsome, but his family’s status wasn’t enough to move her cousin’s heart until today.

But now, with the engagement to the Chi family, everything is different.

Duan Hanyan suddenly stood up, glaring at Jiang Yichu and said, "Sister, once Chi Xiao marries Ming Zheng's daughter, the entire Ming family will be enemies of Ah Heng and A Yue. Do you really want to remain fond of Ming Zheng and stand against me?"

Jiang Yichu looked at her in surprise.

Over the years, her younger sister had grown more astute, capable of analyzing the intricate relationships between families.

After a moment, Jiang Yichu smiled, but her words were cold and harsh. "Do you really think Ah Heng and A Yue can compete with Chi Xiao?"

"Don't delude yourself," Jiang Yichu said. "Your children will never be able to compete with Jiang Liyuan's children. The only thing you should do is tend to your own affairs and not cause trouble."

"As for Ming Zheng, you know the Ming family's principles. If he is to rise in status, he will inevitably take another wife in the future." Jiang Yichu spoke frankly, "It won't be me, but it will be someone else. At least I can still support you, understand?"