"You shouldn't be prejudiced against her. Xiaoxi's situation was orchestrated by someone. You can't blame everything on her."
Jin Ye's voice held a hint of anger. "The night Xiaoxi had the accident, she stayed here all night without sleep!"
"That's just her pretending to be good! You have no idea what lengths women will go to for power these days!"
Jin Ye could no longer tolerate it. "If she was truly responsible, why would she have stayed by Xiaoxi's side all night? If she really is the kind of woman you describe, her priority would be to protect her unborn child!"
This statement completely stunned Zhao Qin, who was still raging.
"Pregnant?"
Zhao Qin asked incredulously, "She's pregnant?"
Jin Ye said angrily, "Yes! I intended to tell you once the pregnancy stabilized, hoping you would shed your prejudice against her. But now I have no choice!"
He took a breath, suppressed his anger, and said sternly, "How could you drive a pregnant woman, who had stayed up all night, out of the hospital?"
"I... I didn't know?"
Zhao Qin was utterly dumbfounded. Su Ding was carrying the flesh and blood of her Jin family?
No wonder Su Ding's clothes looked a bit strange today, too loose. So that's why...
Just then, Father Jin pushed open the door, his face stern.
"Aqin, let's go home."
His tone was one of irrefutable authority, which slightly intimidated Zhao Qin.
She glanced at her son, but ultimately said nothing further.
Father Jin took his wife's hand and said gravely, "Xiaoye, have Su Ding come over. Tell her not to overexert herself and to take good care of herself."
Jin Ye nodded. "Yes, Father."
Soon, Father Jin left with Zhao Qin, and the ward returned to silence.
Jin Ye sat on the hospital bed, rubbing his sore temples.
His mother was dealt with.
He entered the ward and saw Xiaoxi with his eyes closed, like a little angel, though he couldn't help but feel pained seeing him covered in tubes.
Who wanted to harm his son?
Who indeed!
According to the doctor, it was highly likely that the Gu worm was ingested through daily meals. The Gu worm started out very small, mixed in the food, making it extremely difficult to detect.
The servants in the old house were responsible for taking care of Xiaoxi's daily needs.
However, they had no reason to harm Xiaoxi, and very few outsiders visited the old house. Furthermore, it was essentially related to the food.
It seemed he would have to review the surveillance footage from the past few months more carefully...
When Su Ding woke up, she saw the message from Jin Ye on her phone.
Jin Ye's mother had been dealt with, and she would no longer obstruct her from seeing Xiaoxi. This relieved her greatly.
As long as she could see Xiaoxi, she felt at ease.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Su Xiaorui timidly walked in, "Mommy, how is my brother?"
Su Ding beckoned Su Xiaorui over and hugged her.
"Brother still needs to be treated in the hospital. Be good at home, and brother will recover soon."
"Mm-hmm, Mommy, I'll be good."
Su Xiaorui buried herself in Su Ding's embrace, feeling her mother's warmth.
Su Ding sighed softly in her heart, wishing Xiaoxi could also get better.
At that moment, the butler's voice came from outside the door, "Madam, Miss needs to go to class."
Some time ago, Xiaorui had returned to school.
However, for safety reasons, a butler personally picked her up at noon, and Jin Ye's people kept a constant watch at the school.
Su Ding thought for a moment, then got up. "Mommy will take you today."
"Okay!" Su Xiaorui's face lit up with joy.
After the mother and daughter got ready, they got into the car and arrived at the school entrance about twenty minutes later.
Su Ding watched Su Xiaorui enter the campus, then instructed the bodyguard to drive to the hospital.
Su Xiaorui entered the classroom, tidied her textbooks, and prepared for class.
The handicrafts teacher opened the classroom door and said, "Children, the Chinese teacher is taking leave today, so we will have handicrafts instead."
"Wow!"
Cheers erupted from the children in the classroom.
Handicrafts class was held in a large classroom, where they played with clay or folded paper. Su Xiaorui loved this subject the most.
Today, two classes were combined, so there were more children.
"Hello, my name is Wang Siwei." A little boy next to her greeted Su Xiaorui proactively.
"My name is Su Xiaorui."
Su Xiaorui smiled sweetly, looking at the boy from the neighboring class who was grouped with her.
Young Wang Siwei was mesmerized. What a beautiful little sister!
His father had told him to actively make friends with the classmate named Su Xiaorui from the neighboring class, but he had been unwilling. As the young master of the Wang family, why should he make friends with a little brat!
His father had begged him for a long time and even gave him ten thousand yuan in pocket money before he agreed.
But he never expected this little sister to be so beautiful!
She was like a little princess who had stepped out of a fairy tale!
"Xiaorui, look at what I've made..."
Young Wang Siwei was very proactive, showing her the little figures he had sculpted and enthusiastically teaching her how to sculpt them.
Within the two class periods, they became good friends.
In the following days, Wang Siwei would often find Su Xiaorui after class, giving her candy and dolls. The children in the class would tease him, but he paid them no mind.
...
Time flew by, and it was Friday evening, the H.O fashion show.
This show was primarily an exhibition of a brand's new jewelry designs, which were the most popular among socialites and celebrities.
Many celebrities and socialites were invited.
To ensure order and security at the venue, the brand had deployed numerous security guards who patrolled from the outer area to the main hall.
This also prevented any crazy fans from breaking in.
Su Ding, wearing a rather loose dress that accentuated her waist, slowly sat down.
She surveyed her surroundings, observing the situation.
"Do you think Shao Lin will appear?" Su Ding asked, touching her earlobe and lowering her voice.
"Hard to say," Jin Ye replied.
He was currently in a top-floor room across from the venue, watching the live feed from a pinhole camera on the large screen before him.
Su Ding sighed. That was true.
Shao Lin wasn't foolish. She likely knew that her appearance could put her at risk of arrest, so she probably wouldn't show up easily.
She looked at the socialites coming and going around her, feeling a bit restless. She opened her phone and sent a message to Shao Lin: I've arrived, where are you?
There was no reply.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, are you Su Ding?"
From behind her, a pleasant male voice called out, startling Su Ding, who was in a tense state.
She spun around abruptly, her eyes wide as she stared at the man before her.
The man wore a white suit, had handsome features, and a polite demeanor. He was appraising her from head to toe.
"Su Ding...?" A flicker of pleasant surprise flashed in the man's eyes.
Su Ding frowned, looking at the man before her, feeling somewhat confused. After a few seconds, she remembered that this was Jonny, a producer she had met abroad before.
"I'm Jonny, don't you remember me?" the man asked, looking disappointed.
"Hello, I remember now. Sorry,"
Su Ding smiled apologetically at him.
Jonny didn't dwell on it and smiled gently, "Miss Su, are you here alone?"
"Mm," Su Ding replied simply.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time, and you're still as beautiful as ever," Jonny said, gazing at her intently, offering unreserved praise.
"Thank you," Su Ding replied with a polite smile.
"A friend invited me to accompany him, but I can't find him now. Sigh," Jonny said, sitting down in front of Su Ding.
"Have you tried calling?" Su Ding prompted.
"His phone is busy. Perhaps he's hiding somewhere, busy with something," Jonny said with a helpless shrug.
Su Ding chatted with him, casually glancing at her phone.
Still no reply.
The show had already begun. Models with perfect figures were parading on stage, wearing the latest showcased necklaces.
If anyone in the audience liked a piece, they could pre-order it directly.
The quota was limited, first come, first served.
Su Ding listlessly watched the models walk the runway, then heard Jonny beside her ask, "Do you like anything?"
"Uh, it's okay," Su Ding replied, a little taken aback.
"It's alright. There will be a charity auction later with many private collections from collectors. They are said to be very precious," Jonny explained.
Su Ding nodded and said nothing further.
Jonny didn't disturb her again and focused on watching the show.
From the top floor opposite, Jin Ye stared at Jonny on the screen with a dark expression.
The subordinate beside him couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for him.
Daring to flirt with the chairman's beloved wife right under his nose was indeed quite bold.
Fortunately, he didn't say anything inappropriate afterward.
"If you like something, bid for it."
Just as Su Ding took a sip of orange juice, she heard her husband's domineering and generous words through her earpiece, almost choking her.
She instinctively glanced around and softly responded with an "Mm."
So he had been watching her all along.
Su Ding couldn't help but curve her lips, recalling the man's jealous expression.
However, speaking of which, what exactly was Shao Lin up to?
She couldn't help but send another message: I'm already at the venue, where are you?
No reply.
The auction of the second piece of jewelry had already begun.
The host introduced on stage, "This is a set of cosmetic boxes treasured by Mr. Ouyang. It has a very ancient charm and is said to have been passed down from the Tang Dynasty. Please look at this..."
Su Ding glanced at it casually, and her expression suddenly changed!
The patterns on this cosmetic box!
They were exactly the same as the texture on the wooden box her mother had left her!
At that time, she had searched the internet extensively for this pattern but found nothing similar. Some people on forums even said it was a family crest or totem.
And now, it appeared on the cosmetic box.
If she could find out the origin of this pattern, she might be able to find the whereabouts of her grandfather and uncle.
Just as the host called out "Starting bid at three million!", she immediately raised her hand!
"Four million," someone shouted.
"Four point five million." A socialite seemed to like it very much.
"Five million!" A plump boss shouted, then glanced at the beautiful woman beside him.
"Five point one million," the socialite gritted her teeth and shouted.
"Six million," a well-known actress in the circle shouted, then smiled faintly and took a sip of red wine.
This price immediately made those who were interested hesitate, as it was, after all, just a cosmetic box.
Six million wasn't unaffordable for those present, but who knew if there would be anything better later?
Moreover, this was already double the initial price.
The actress glanced around, her eyes determined to win.
Unexpectedly, a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, "Seven million."
After Su Ding shouted, many eyes turned to her.
The actress's expression turned a bit unpleasant. She recognized Su Ding but had never interacted with her. She knew Su Ding was backed by the Jin family.
She didn't bid anymore.
The host smiled and asked, "Seven million, will anyone bid higher?"
The entire venue fell silent.
Finally, Su Ding won the bid for the cosmetic box at a price of seven million.
After the auction, there was a dance.
Soft and elegant music played, and men and women danced in each other's arms. Su Ding, however, kept staring at her phone, waiting for a message from Shao Lin.
Still no reply.
She even tried calling, but no one answered.
What exactly was going on?