Chapter 373: Gathering Information

Chapter 373 – Checking the News

After finishing their hotpot, Ye Xiaoxiao and Duan Hong stayed there for the night.

The room was nice and warm, so Ye Xiaoxiao slept well.

The next morning was bright and sunny, but snow had fallen all night long, leaving the ground covered in thick snow.

When she got up, Duan Hong and the others had already gone to clear the snow in the courtyard.

The alleyways had been cleared too, so there was no danger of getting their shoes wet when stepping outside.

TV and radio were reporting on the heavy snowfall.

Many areas north of the capital had been hit by blizzards.

Ye Xiaoxiao was worried about Baishi Village back home. She called her eldest brother’s house to check on things, but no one answered.

They probably lost power.

They’d mostly cleared the courtyard’s snow, piling the rest into the flowerbeds and onto the backyard soil.

When she came back, Ye Xiaoxiao used the snow in the yard to make a snowman at the entrance.

Duan Hong called out from inside, “You’re not cold? Be careful with your hands.”

Ye Xiaoxiao suddenly thought of something—today would be the perfect day to launch their company’s winter cream. There couldn’t be a better time.

She called the office and found that Song Xiaoguang already had everything ready.

“You and the marketing team had the same idea. After seeing the weather forecast, we decided to launch the new product today.

The first batch of winter cream is already on sale, and sales are looking great.”

Ye Xiaoxiao admitted, embarrassed, “That’s your department—you guys know best. I was too busy thinking about hotpot last night and only remembered now.”

Song Xiaoguang laughed. “You’re already handling branding. Just keep making good products.”

“Then I won’t bother you. Drop by when you’re done.”

He responded with a simple “Mm-hmm” before hanging up.

...

While Ye Xiaoxiao was focused on her career, Hao Yanyan was receiving TCM treatment.

“Mom, does this medicine even work? It’s so bitter.”

Hao Yanyan had been drinking this stuff for days. The taste was awful—more than most people could handle.

He Qiaoxiang insisted, “Of course it works. I had Mr. Song specially prepare this formula.”

Hao Yanyan had no choice but to plug her nose and down the whole cup.

Xu Jianwen was coming home soon, and she still didn’t know how to break the news to him.

She also didn’t know whether her mother-in-law had told Xu Jianwen about her miscarriage.

Hao Chengbing was sitting on the couch—he’d just gotten back home recently.

That’s when he found out about Hao Yanyan’s miscarriage—and that the culprit was He Wenqiang’s wife.

When it came to these relatives, Hao Chengbing had initially felt grateful, but now that goodwill had completely dried up.

Naturally, he felt heartbroken for his daughter, and he couldn’t help feeling resentful.

“What was Auntie’s problem? If she had any issues, she should’ve talked to us adults. Why take it out on the kid and end up causing Yanyan to miscarry?”

He Qiaoxiang replied, “What else could it be? She’s still pissed we didn’t lift a finger when Jinghong went to prison last time.”

Even now, He Qiaoxiang kept her real motives to herself.

Hao Chengbing felt somewhat suspicious but couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

“There’s no family ties left between our two households. You wouldn’t hesitate to cut your brother’s family off, would you?”

“I won’t even let them in,” He Qiaoxiang said. “She harmed my daughter. We’re done.”

Hearing his wife’s words, Hao Chengbing was somewhat satisfied, and he turned to comfort his daughter.

“Yanyan, just focus on getting better. Something like this definitely won’t happen again.”

Hao Yanyan gave a distracted nod.

She wasn’t even sure if she could get pregnant again—so who cares about those deadbeat relatives?

In the end, it was all Han Zhiyin’s fault. The fact that she hadn’t been punished left Hao Yanyan fuming.

Hao Yanyan had been in the capital for a few years now.

Relying on her parents’ and in-laws’ connections, she had made a handful of friends.

Though not particularly close, they were close enough to swap gossip with.

Right now, Hao Yanyan wanted to know about He Jingxuan’s current situation.

According to her mother, He Jingxuan seemed to have a well-connected boyfriend, which was how she managed to get Han Zhiyin out.

She wasn’t about to let Han Zhiyin get away with it—it was best to start with He Jingxuan.

After finishing her medicine, Hao Yanyan returned to her room to make a phone call, then got ready to leave.

He Qiaoxiang, seeing her dressed in a coat, asked, “It’s so cold outside. Shouldn’t you be resting at home? Where are you going?”

Hao Yanyan explained, “A friend invited me to a gathering. Moping around at home won’t help—I’d rather go out for a bit.”

Hearing this, He Qiaoxiang didn’t stop her.

“Go ahead. If you need cash, take it from me. Don’t be cheap when you’re out with people—don’t make us seem like tightwads.” He Qiaoxiang had always encouraged the family to make friends, even if they were just fair-weather friends.

Back when Ye Xiaoxiao was part of the Hao family, she used to take Xiao Xiao out to socialize from a young age.

But after Hao Yanyan came back, she thought her daughter was too provincial and embarrassing, rarely taking her out.

Now that Hao Yanyan had reinvented herself and was making her own connections, He Qiaoxiang couldn’t very well say no.

“Mom, I’ve got cash. Don’t worry.”

Hao Yanyan had the driver drop her off.

The streets outside were already cleared, so getting around isn’t a problem.

And the place Hao Yanyan was heading to wasn’t some remote area—the car pulled right up to the entrance.

The spot she had arranged to meet her friend was a café, a good spot to talk.

Once Hao Yanyan arrived, she sent the driver away, saying she wasn’t sure how long she’d be and would call him when she needed a ride.

After entering the café, she didn’t have to wait long before a flashily dressed society woman walked in.

"Yan Yan, weren’t you pregnant? You don’t… seem to be now."

Zhang Dandan was a friend Hao Yanyan had made after marrying Xu Jianwen.

She was well-connected in the social circles and great at digging up dirt.

Earlier, Hao Yanyan had called her to ask for help investigating He Jingxuan and Song Yushu.

Hao Yanyan lifted her tired eyes slightly. "Just a little hiccup. So, what’d you find out?"

Zhang Dandan sat down across from Hao Yanyan.

"That He Jingxuan is your uncle’s kid, right? Aside from that, there’s not much worth investigating about her."

To the elite circles in the capital, the He family was still too low-status—the kind nobody bothers with.

"But… she used to have a boyfriend, Song Yushu. You’ve gotta know his father—the mayor of the capital city. He’s always all over the news."

"His dad’s got clout. He’ll probably get re-elected next term, so the Song family is pretty powerful in the capital."

Hao Yanyan zeroed in on the important part. "You said *former* boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Zhang Dandan: "Yeah, they just broke up.

Ugh, men are all trash.

He Jingxuan followed Song Yushu abroad for years, and as soon as they got back, he ditched her. Probably got tired of her."

Hao Yanyan was practically grinning at this point.

"So they broke up… No chance of getting back together?"

Zhang Dandan: "Song Yushu is about to marry someone else. Zero chance they’re getting back together."