Volume One, Chapter Six: He Yanchen... Please, Help Me!

Li Fengying wore a cold expression, her face etched with resentment as she said, “Does Huai Jin's company not have a secretary? How can a housewife like you be the one to negotiate business for him? You need to recognize your place and take care of this household properly. Spend more time thinking about how to get pregnant, and less about matters that don’t concern you.”

At the mention of pregnancy, her complexion darkened, and a wave of bitterness welled up within her.

“Well, then you should keep a closer eye on Xie Huaijin. If he just goes to work and comes straight home without socializing, how could you fail to conceive?”

If Xie Huaijin hadn’t used social engagements as an excuse to dally with his mistress, or if he hadn’t shamelessly brought this mistress into the company as a secretary, would his attention have drifted elsewhere? Would he have neglected her for the sake of some other woman? This was what made her a laughingstock in the family—a hen that couldn’t lay eggs.

Li Fengying had always known that Ji Yao had a gentle temper. No matter how harshly she spoke to her before, Ji Yao never retorted. But today, when Ji Yao dared to snap back, it only fueled the fire in her heart.

“How dare you blame Huaijin? Ask yourself honestly—if my son hadn’t worked so hard, fighting tooth and nail outside to earn money, would you have this life of plenty, with no worries about food or clothing, living in luxury?”

Before she could vent all her pent-up frustration, Li Fengying flung a broom toward Ji Yao. “One must have a conscience. Look at everything you eat and wear—none of it comes without my son’s hard work. If you want him to come home and put all his focus on this family, do you think you’d be enjoying these fine things? Besides, since you’re living off him and using what he provides, what’s wrong with helping clean the house once in a while? He married a wife, not a goddess!”

Ji Yao stared at the broom, her eyes swollen and reddened, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Seeing Ji Yao’s reddened eyes only brought Li Fengying a perverse sense of satisfaction. As a mother-in-law, she could never be oppressed by her daughter-in-law, especially one so weak and useless. When Ji Yao fell silent, Li Fengying turned and left.

Ji Yao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she picked up the broom. Just as she was about to start sweeping, her phone rang. It was the lawyer. As soon as she answered, a torrent of precise and weighty words poured out.

The lawyer explained that after thorough investigation over the past few days, it was confirmed that Xie Huaijin had not only transferred assets but had also secretly established an education fund. This fund was meant for his illegitimate son—a three-and-a-half-year-old child born to him and Qin Zhenzhen. The lawyer even sent several photos along.

Ji Yao could hardly believe her eyes when the photos appeared on her WeChat.

They showed her mother-in-law, Li Fengying, caring for Qin Zhenzhen at the postpartum care center.

So Li Fengying had known about Xie Huaijin’s affair from the very beginning but chose to conceal it for her son’s sake! The asset transfers were not Xie Huaijin’s doing alone—it was a conspiracy among him, Qin Zhenzhen, and Li Fengying!

Everything was stacked against her now. Even if Xie Huaijin died, she would not inherit his wealth—it would go to his illegitimate son and Li Fengying.

After hanging up, Ji Yao could no longer hold back her tears. Large droplets fell relentlessly.

Calculating the timeline, the child had been conceived before their marriage; Qin Zhenzhen’s son was already born the year they married. That was why Xie Huaijin never cared about having children with her.

Each blow felt like a knife twisting in her heart and lungs. She bit her lip until it nearly bled, stifling her sobs. She couldn’t let Li Fengying hear her cry—doing so would alert her enemy and seal her defeat.

Her phone rang again, but this time it was her father.

“Yao Yao, can you come home today? Yan Chen is here to see us. Why don’t you come home and have dinner with us tonight?”

She bit her lip, her heart tightening sharply. “Okay.”

Without this family, she still had her parents. That was her true home.

She tossed aside the broom, wiped her tears, and headed to the living room—only to be stopped once more by Li Fengying’s sharp gaze, as piercing as icy needles.

“Where do you think you’re going again? Did you not hear a word I said just now?”

If Li Fengying had been ignorant, she might have shown some basic respect. But now that she knew the truth, there was no need.

“I have things to attend to at my parents’ house. I won’t be home for dinner. If you can’t clean the house yourself, wait for Huaijin to come home and help. He can’t be so busy earning money that he neglects you.”

Ji Yao ignored Li Fengying’s hateful expression and left the villa. Li Fengying glared after her, chasing her down the path.

“Come back here! Stop right there!”

At over sixty years old, she couldn’t outrun a woman in her twenties. Soon she stopped, took out her phone, and called Xie Huaijin.

“Huaijin’s in trouble! Your wife’s getting bold—she won’t clean the house and insists on going back to her parents. I’ve seen through her; she’s an ungrateful wretch!”

...

In Beijing, in a shabby old building.

Ji Yao’s parents lived in a very old house in the city center. Though the building was dilapidated, the location was prime. What once cost 300,000 yuan was now worth a hundred million.

Since Ji Yao married Xie Huaijin, he always found reasons to prevent her from visiting her parents. It had been nearly a year since her last visit at Lunar New Year. This time, she brought milk and fruit for her parents, appearing somewhat polite.

“Dad, Mom...”

Seeing her parents again stirred indescribable emotions. She couldn’t hold back and hugged her mother tightly. Her mother, who hadn’t seen her in a long time, hugged her just as tightly, reluctant to let go. Ji Yao’s father cleared his throat discreetly, maintaining the atmosphere.

“Yao Yao, why don’t you go sit with Yan Chen? You haven’t seen each other in a long time; you must have lots to talk about. He came back this time with sincerity—he bought a house for us, over two hundred square meters!”

“A house?” Ji Yao was stunned, glancing toward the figure sitting on the sofa beneath the shimmering chandelier light. He wore freshly pressed dress pants, and even seated, his posture was tall and commanding. His features were like cold jade—one look could captivate completely.

At that moment, He Yanchen was on the phone. Ji Yao sat quietly nearby, waiting until he finished the call before he turned and met her clear, doe-like almond-shaped eyes.

“He Yanchen, please help me...”