Shen Mufan also noticed Xie Jinghong’s hesitation and sensed something was off. He squeezed Xie Jinghong’s hand in return and said, “Ah Jing, whatever it is, just say it. I can handle it. After all, I’ve grown up now.”
Perhaps in his youth, when his mind wasn’t fully mature, he didn’t have much resilience against certain shocks and blows. But now, he had grown up. Even as a homebody, he had seen more, experienced more, and his ability to endure was naturally far different from before.
Moreover, he now had Xie Jinghong by his side! With Xie Jinghong as his support, how could he not muster the courage to move forward? He wanted to become a man who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Xie Jinghong, not someone who could only cling to him and rely on his protection.
Protecting each other was part of the fun in a relationship, but if he could only depend on the other’s protection, what would happen if one day Xie Jinghong grew tired? Would their relationship just end like that? Impossible!
So, Shen Mufan felt that sooner or later, he had to stand up and grow.
Seeing the determination in Shen Mufan’s eyes, Xie Jinghong hesitated slightly but ultimately chose to respect his decision. “Although… there are still many things we don’t fully understand, He Maozhe and He Ming are father and son, and He Maozhe’s mother is Jiang Meng.”
Hearing the familiar name “He Ming,” Shen Mufan had to admit that even though he had mentally prepared himself, he was still quite shocked.
But the current him was no longer the same as before. Despite the shock, with Xie Jinghong’s comfort, Shen Mufan quickly adjusted his emotions and asked curiously, “Then why does He Maozhe hate and target me?” Shen Mufan acknowledged that he had old grievances with He Ming, but he and He Maozhe were practically strangers.
Besides, Shen Mufan was confident he hadn’t actually done anything to He Ming. It was He Ming who had targeted his parents and even tried to harm him. He had simply repaid like for like, letting He Ming suffer the consequences of his own actions. So where did He Maozhe’s hatred and resentment come from?
Xie Jinghong shrugged. “Some people’s thoughts are just incomprehensible. Sometimes, just because you glanced at them, they can hate you to the bone.”
This kind of inexplicable hatred was something Xie Jinghong had seen plenty of. As a rational person, it was best not to try to understand the thoughts of those with twisted minds, because you’d never grasp their logic—and you might even end up dragged into their madness, causing your own intelligence to plummet.
Though Shen Mufan still didn’t fully understand He Maozhe’s mindset, since Xie Jinghong had said so, he decided not to dwell on it. Overthinking wouldn’t help anyway, so why waste the time and energy?
Now that they had found a lead, with Xie Jinghong’s abilities, they would eventually uncover everything about He Maozhe. There was no need to rush. Meanwhile, Liu Di’er was preparing to lend a hand to Rong Jiang.
Though Rong Jiang’s pretty-boy looks didn’t quite match Liu Di’er’s aesthetic preferences, his personality was right up her alley. Especially when he cursed He Maozhe, Rong Haisheng, Rong Guohai, and Jiang Meng—his sharp, spicy attitude was particularly appealing.
Hmm… Liu Di’er—self-proclaimed queen, tomboy, domineering older sister, and all-around eccentric—had to admit she was somewhat intrigued by Rong Jiang. After chatting for a while, she felt their personalities meshed well. To win over a pretty boy, she first had to showcase her abilities and max out her “boyfriend energy.” Liu Di’er stroked her chin, confident that her “boyfriend energy” was absolutely off the charts—no problem there.
Additionally, Liu Di’er had no fondness for Rong Guohai, that scumbag, and felt pity for Jiang Yinglu, that outstanding woman who had passed away too soon. Since it wasn’t a big deal, she might as well lend a hand. Besides, the Rong family was wealthy and powerful—splitting some of their assets wouldn’t hurt anyone.
The first step was to win over Rong Guohai’s wife and his legitimate son.
Due to Rong Guohai’s favoritism and neglect, coupled with his mother’s upbringing, the legitimate son had an extremely weak bond with his father. Because of Rong Guohai’s dislike, he couldn’t even enter the family company, merely holding the empty title of heir with no real power.
To make matters worse, his mother’s relationship with her own family wasn’t great either, leaving the mother and son isolated. Fortunately, the legitimate son was ambitious. After graduating from university, he started his own business.
Though he had no real power, as a wealthy young master, he wasn’t short on funds. His business, while not massive, was thriving, giving the mother and son some hope for the future.
However, if Jiang Meng were to rise in status, the mother and son would become her biggest obstacles. Given Jiang Meng’s ruthlessness and Rong Guohai’s indifference, their fate would likely be grim. As the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” To take down Rong Guohai, it made sense to ally with the mother and son.
Coincidentally, under Jiang Meng’s constant pillow talk, Rong Guohai had already begun favoring Rong Haisheng, who had always put on a good act in front of him. One was the beloved son born from his true love, while the other was the wife he had reluctantly married out of obligation and the son he disliked. The arrogant Rong Guohai’s choice was obvious.
But Rong Haisheng was a complete fool. If the Rong family truly fell into his hands, the real power behind the scenes would likely be the scheming He Maozhe.
Rong Guohai’s wife might tolerate his philandering and misdeeds, but if Jiang Meng dared to target her precious son… No matter how patient she was, she wouldn’t take that lying down. After all, for her, her son was her emotional pillar and future hope. That would be the perfect time to propose cooperation.
While these individuals plotted to carve up the Rong family’s wealth, Xie Jinghong and Shen Mufan were busy investigating He Maozhe’s background. And what they uncovered was truly astonishing.
He Maozhe and Jiang Meng had always been careful to hide their dark pasts to prevent them from being used against them. After getting involved with Rong Guohai, they effortlessly used his influence to further bury their secrets. And since Rong Guohai was easily swayed by sweet words, nothing had ever come to light—until now.
Xie Jinghong’s investigation unearthed plenty of “interesting” details.
For example, back then, He Ming had abandoned the Shen family for his “true love,” marrying her and eloping, even having a child together. Jiang Meng was the wife he had legally married, and He Maozhe was their child.
But Jiang Meng was shrewd. Once she realized He Ming was useless and broke, she immediately divorced him, dumped their child on him, and left to find her next meal ticket.
He Ming, lacking any paternal instincts, promptly abandoned He Maozhe at an orphanage, not caring whether he lived or died. He then returned to the Shen family, continuing his parasitic existence until years later, when he orchestrated the deaths of Shen Mufan’s parents and the subsequent crises that followed.
Shen Mufan nestled in Xie Jinghong’s arms and sighed. “If it weren’t for He Ming, I probably would’ve gone to college like a normal person, graduated, and taken over the family business. I might not have become a homebody. Who knows if we would’ve even met and fallen in love?”
From that perspective, Shen Mufan felt somewhat conflicted about He Ming—after all, he had indirectly brought them together.
But Xie Jinghong disagreed. “My Fanfan is so amazing—you would’ve shined no matter what. I would’ve fallen for you at first sight, pursued you, and made you mine. But honestly, I’d rather you had a happy, carefree life instead of the closed-off, lonely person you were when we first met.”
Though Xie Jinghong adored that Shen Mufan had only opened his heart to him, he much preferred the warm, sunny, slightly spoiled version of Shen Mufan from the past.
Back then, Xie Jinghong would’ve done everything in his power to whisk the adorable Shen Mufan away from his family, spoil him rotten, and make sure he never wanted to leave.
Xie Jinghong kissed Shen Mufan’s cheek. “Fanfan, I really do prefer you happy and carefree!”
Shen Mufan’s face, ears, and neck turned red as he burrowed deeper into Xie Jinghong’s arms like a shy little hamster. Watching Shen Mufan gradually regain his brightness filled Xie Jinghong with indescribable satisfaction.
As the two grew even closer, their investigation into He Maozhe and Jiang Meng also bore fruit. The findings were truly eye-opening—Jiang Meng was no ordinary woman! Had she channeled her cunning into legitimate endeavors, her achievements would’ve been remarkable. What a waste. What a shame!
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