Chapter Forty-Eight: Embraced in His Arms

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by the remarks, Yuan Yaor knew Yuan Xiangdie would not show her any kindness, so she feigned a deeply sorrowful cry and retreated into her room. Even during their departure, only Zhang Xi changed into a plain outfit, forcing herself to appear composed as she stepped outside.

“Mr. Jin, I entrust my daughter to you. Though I am not her biological mother, I still hope this girl will be well. Her birth mother passed early, and her father too…” She spoke as if unintentionally, mentioning it briefly, then waved her hand as if to dismiss the matter. A hint of regret flashed across her face, her magic blaming herself for uttering things best left unsaid, causing unnecessary trouble.

“Heh, thank you so much, Auntie. I will get to the bottom of everything that happened before. Our grievances are not yet settled.” Yuan Xiangdie was unwilling to let matters end so hastily; perhaps her child’s situation truly warranted a proper conversation with Jin Yuan. Though she needed his help, she would decide what would be done.

Troubled along the way, Jin Yuan could likely guess at the cause. When Zhang Xi stood at the door, watching them leave, her gaze was anything but friendly—Yuan Xiangdie must have said something to the old witch, otherwise things would not be like this.

Both of them sat in the backseat today, not needing to drive themselves. Steward Hu lowered the partition in the car, proving he knew his boundaries well.

Qi Mei and the Jin family patriarch had heard the news early that morning; their son had rushed out to pick someone up, and they’d only been apart for a little over four hours.

“I knew this boy must be interested in the girl. They haven’t been separated long—barely four hours—and he’s already at her door, bringing so many reporters. If he’s not serious, I won’t believe it.” Jin Yuan had always been measured since childhood, knowing exactly what he wanted. His mother never meddled much, which resulted in a rather distant relationship between them.

The old man sat silently to the side. The boy’s behavior was unusual—bringing the young lady home could be done at any time; why so early? Surely he wasn’t genuinely enamored with her?

“All right, stop worrying. What trouble could he cause? At most, an early engagement or marriage, so I can show off my grandson.” Little Wei sat obediently nearby, knowing full well that the grandson Grandma spoke of was not himself. Although Qi Mei had read the paternity report, she still considered Little Wei’s status uncertain, his name and place never quite justified.

No matter how much care and love she had shown him over the years, there was always some degree of rejection in her heart.

“The child is here. Why speak so loudly?” The old man’s love was genuine, fearing to hurt his little grandson. He put down his newspaper and paid little heed to Qi Mei’s mutters.

He picked up the child and headed for the garden. “Your grandmother isn’t truly unkind. It’s just her nature.”

Little Wei never liked his grandmother, partly because of this. Children are acutely sensitive to adults’ affection and dislike—such feelings cannot be faked.

His tiny hand tugged at Grandpa Jin’s mustache, not hard, but looking particularly mischievous.

“I’m not angry. Grandma is right. Yuan Xiangdie has become my new mother, and she and Daddy will have little brothers and sisters.”

When he said this, his gaze grew dim.

“It’s all right. Even if you get new siblings, you’ll always be Grandpa’s one and only treasure. No one can replace you.”

With these words, the child was comforted. He couldn’t remain trapped in such thoughts forever; the boy had been silent since birth, spending his first hundred days in intensive care, only improving enough to go outside in the past two years.

Perhaps it was the heart-to-heart connection, but Yuan Xiangdie felt a sudden unease, as if something was about to happen, though not a disaster. Instinctively, she pressed her hand to her chest. Jin Yuan had been watching her closely all day, having cleared his schedule, leaving his assistants exhausted.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Startled, Yuan Xiangdie turned toward him, then quickly looked away, waving her hand as she leaned against the opposite window to cool off.

“Maybe I’m just too nervous. I was worrying about how to break off the An family engagement. Now that it’s ended, I’ve somehow bound myself to someone new.”

She pointedly glanced at him, knowing Jin Yuan was far more troublesome than that father and son duo. He could not be dismissed by simply teaming up with others, and besides, she had long since received word on the matter.

An Jingxiao’s desperate attempts to harass her were all because of the powerful man beside her, suggesting his interest was not fleeting.

“Where are we going now?”

To ease the awkward tension between them, Yuan Xiangdie forced herself to find a topic. Jin Yuan shifted his hands from his lap to the sides of his seat. Yuan Xiangdie’s heart fluttered; she dared only glance at the two black patterns on his sleeve.

They looked rather striking and ancient.

“The Mi family.”

“Oh, so we’re going to the Mi family! I wondered where we were headed. I’m an old acquaintance there—if you need help, just ask me.”

No sooner had she spoken than the man beside her burst into laughter, Jin Yuan unable to hold it back. This woman was hopelessly slow, still not realizing what was happening.

With her foolish expression, Yuan Xiangdie scratched her head so hard she nearly made herself bald. Only when the car stopped at the Mi family’s gate did she realize what it meant.

“You mean we’re visiting Uncle and Aunt Mi? Julie is too lively—not the sort to meet you.”

Jin Yuan had already investigated. Julie, according to the data, could be described as a hopeless romantic. Yet in this circle, how many ordinary romantics could truly stand out?

“Silly woman, you’re only just catching on, and it’s too late. We’re already at the door. I’ve notified them, so hurry inside. No need to prepare anything, the steward has everything. Just follow me!”

One had to admit, this man was thorough. Yuan Xiangdie even wondered if Jin Yuan was secretly a warm-hearted person, nothing like his usual cold demeanor.

Leaving the old residence, Yuan Yaor was still wearing the same formal gown, though it had lost its appeal—her defeat today was all the dress’s fault.

“I told you already, there’s no need for such formality. Ordinary clothes would suffice. Now you’ve embarrassed yourself and sold out the channel. Who’ll dare collaborate with Xunfang in the future?”

Yuan Yaor no longer knew who she was facing, cursing aloud. Her words made Zhang Xi, standing behind her, blush with shame, unsure what to say.

At times, she would even step away, only to pull back when she saw her daughter stumbling about, knowing there was no need for comfort.

That’s right—venting her temper was all she needed. The rest of the time, they should consider how to minimize the damage and salvage the situation.

“My good girl, don’t dwell on it. Now’s the time to focus on restoring the brand.”

Standing afar, not daring to approach, Zhang Xi knew she was at fault for encouraging her daughter.

“Mom, Jin Yuan should be mine. His love should belong to me. It’s all that wretched woman’s fault—since Yuan Xiangdie appeared, nothing has gone right for me.”

Blaming others for her failures was a skill Yuan Yaor had mastered.

“This perfect man was meant to stand by my side, holding my hand, protecting me. That woman who spent five years in prison and bore a child isn’t worthy of such treatment. Where did things go wrong? I must find out who’s sabotaging me.”

Yuan Yaor never understood that wrongdoing leads to self-destruction.

Yuan Xiangdie stood at the door, gazing at the familiar curtain and the blinking doorbell.

Why had she been so impulsive, pressing the bell? She nearly resisted Jin Yuan’s provocations, but now…

Jin Yuan had just mentioned his work was immature, needing more refinement before Xunfang could use it. He claimed he’d only won a little, cautioning her not to be complacent.

Yuan Xiangdie knew this was her weakness, but when spoken by him, it sounded so mocking that she angrily rang the bell.

“Coming!”

The booming voice was unmistakable. Hearing those heavy footsteps, Yuan Xiangdie’s heart pounded.

Julie, couldn’t you come out a bit later? Usually when I look for you, you’re never this quick.

The door swung open, revealing an unadorned, youthful face.

Julie, seeing her best friend, rushed forward. Had Mi’s father not stopped her, she would have toppled over. Jin Yuan was still there—today was a special day for the two of them.

“Cough, cough, you silly girl, let go! If you keep this up, I’ll suffocate!”