Chapter 536 You Must Not Lose

Chapter 536 You Must Not Lose

The meal was unappetizing, and Wei Xiuru had no appetite. Her mood mirrored Jiao Zongyao's—she was impatient.

She was itching to see Jiang Yu and He Tingyue get their comeuppance!

After leaving Dongkelai Restaurant, she headed straight to Jiao Zongyao's home.

Wu Fengxi answered the door.

Wei Xiuru knew it wasn’t appropriate to visit Jiao Zongyao like this, but she’d never made an effort to steer clear of Wu Fengxi.

Put bluntly, she outright despised her.

"I’m here to see Jiao Zongyao."

Wu Fengxi wordlessly let her in.

She felt nothing as she watched her waltz in like she owned the place.

Over the years, she knew full well how many women Jiao Zongyao had on the side.

But she remained his only wife.

Wei Xiuru’s eyes swept the room before landing on Wu Yue.

"Does Wu Yue not have a job?"

"No."

Wei Xiuru frowned. "If she’s not working, she should find a man and marry soon. What kind of future is it to just loaf around at home?"

"My daughter isn’t a burden to you. Whether she marries or not is none of your business. Who do you think you are? You’re not even his mistress, yet you dare boss me around in my own home?"

Wu Fengxi’s face was blank, her voice steady.

You’d never guess she was tearing into someone.

Wei Xiuru almost thought she’d misheard. She let out a bitter laugh, as if she didn’t recognize the woman before her.

"I never knew you were so sharp-tongued. So you’ve been playing meek all along?"

Wei Xiuru was gearing up to lash out when Jiao Zongyao emerged from the study.

"It’s late. What brings you here?"

Wei Xiuru looked displeased. "Obviously, it’s important."

Jiao Zongyao turned back toward the study. "Come in."

Wei Xiuru scoffed and sashayed in behind him.

"So when are you making your move?"

Jiao Zongyao frowned. "He Tingyue’s got his eye on me. I can’t get my hands on my stash."

His plan was to pin that haul of treasures on Director Qian.

He’d done this plenty of times before—storming homes and skimming off the loot.

This method was brutally simple, has a bad rep, yet the quickest and most effective.

However, he still didn’t know how many people He Tingyue had secretly stationed to watch him, so he couldn’t afford to make a move.

Any suspicious move, if noticed by He Tingyue and Jiang Yu, might speed up their own plans.

Jiao Zongyao was trapped and humiliated, utterly frustrated.

“So what do you plan to do now?” Wei Xiuru demanded impatiently.

Jiao Zongyao put on a smile and took her hand.

“Xiuru, you’ve still got some, right?”

Wei Xiuru snatched her hand back. “No!”

She had barely any savings—it had taken her years in the He family to accumulate what she had.

Just remembering those gold bars she’d given Wei Nan still pained her.

“It’s just for show. I’ve done this sort of thing many times before—you know my track record’s flawless. These things will eventually return to your hands.”

Wei Xiuru knew exactly how Jiao Zongyao had climbed to his current position—she was well aware.

“Jiao Zongyao, things aren’t like they used to be. It’s not like before.”

The times were changing, and the situation shifted every moment.

In the past, the He family had been riding high, basking in glory.

But after the old master stepped down, He Jingyi and He Jundao were weak successors, and now many no longer respected the He family.

Wei Xiuru, being part of the He family, saw the writing on the wall.

Jiao Zongyao said, “Just this once. Once I rise to power and no longer get pushed around, I won’t take such risks again! I’ve been cautious all these years—I’m going all in this once. Don’t you trust me?”

If Wei Xiuru refused, he could only wait.

But how long? He wasn’t sure himself.

It would come down to who had more patience—him or He Tingyue.

Wei Xiuru was too impatient to wait.

She steeled herself and decided to roll the dice with him.

She gripped Jiao Zongyao’s hand tightly. “Don’t you dare lose!”

“Don’t worry. Qian Wei is wrapped around your brother’s finger. With his help, we will win this battle.”

…

Since discovering Jiang Yu’s pregnancy, He Tingyue had been pulling out all the stops to get her good food.

He kept slipping her treats—He Feiyan couldn’t miss it.

She found it strange—she’d never seen Jiang Yu such a glutton before.

Even the pheasant he’d promised Xu Lihua was withheld, every last bite saved for Jiang Yu.

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

If He Feiyan still couldn't figure it out, she'd be completely oblivious.

"Sis, you're not..."

Her gaze dropped to Jiang Yu's belly.

Jiang Yu gave a knowing smile. "You're not that slow after all."

He Feiyan let out a shocked gasp. "Really?"

He Tingyue was her only real brother—only his child could call her "aunt."

No wonder she was thrilled!

Jiang Yu clapped a hand over her mouth and stage-whispered, "Wait until three months before telling anyone. Keep it a secret for now."

He Feiyan blinked and nodded cautiously.

"But you went hunting in the mountains before—was that okay?"

Jiang Yu chuckled. "Don't believe that superstitious nonsense. Light activity is good for both the baby and me. I'm pregnant, not disabled."

He Feiyan murmured "Oh," agreeing in words but still couldn't help being extra careful.

The next day, the long-absent Xiong Laosan showed up again.

He'd been feeling guilty about wrongly accusing Jiang Hao and wanted to make it up to Jiang Yu.

Now his chance came.

His sudden appearance surprised Jiang Yu.

"You're saying Jiao Zongyao bribed Zhong Yue to frame Director Qian? How do you know?"

Xiong Laosan said gravely, "My sister... took up with Zhong Yue again."

He looked helpless about Xiong Shuihua, too embarrassed to explain.

But she was his own sister, hell-bent on being with Zhong Yue despite their objections.

So they played along, pretending to support the relationship.

The naive Xiong Shuihua thought her brothers had truly come around and sometimes shared details about their life together.

Last night she'd blurted out Zhong Yue's secret.

"When?"

"The night after tomorrow. Qian Wei's family will be working out the wedding details with Wei Nan at Zhengyang Restaurant. While they're away, Zhong Yue will strike."

Jiang Yu laughed lightly. "All that stuff—hard to believe Jiao's actually giving all that up."

Xiong Laosan said, "We know exactly the sort of man Deputy Director Jiao is. He'll get it all back somehow."

Jiao Zongyao dared to use this method because he knew he was untouchable.

Jiang Yu gave a derisive snort. Such a perfect opportunity—no way we're passing this up.

"Comrade Xiong Laosan, we're square."

Xiong Laosan nodded, "Square. I hope this information can help you."

"Perfect timing, thanks." Jiang Yu held out her hand.

Xiong Laosan glanced at her and cautiously shook it.

"Department Head Jiang, I should get going."

Jiang Yu suddenly spoke up, "About Xiong Shuihua's problem, I can give you some advice."

Xiong Laosan paused, "What advice does Department Head Jiang have?"

"At her age, she's got love on the brain because her brothers always bail her out. She's never had to struggle—time she learned the price of groceries."

If she loves Zhong Yue so much, let her move in with him.

See how long they can stand each other under the same roof.

Xiong Laosan's mouth twisted, "I get it."