CHAPTER 269: CHAPTER 269 THE TRUTH BEHIND XIAOMEI’S DISAPPEARANCE

Xiaomei discerned the implications in his words.

"I’ve been schemed against like a fool, haven’t I?"

Wu Yue cleared his throat lightly. "You can’t put it so harshly. Blood ties are just what they are. Since they don’t have deep feelings for you, the value you possess shines brighter. Naturally, in their eyes, it became more necessary to acknowledge you."

Xiaomei squeezed next to Wu Yue, who was pushed to the corner of the sofa, daring not to move.

Xiaomei took Wu Yue’s laptop. "Are you going to open it yourself, or shall I search through the files one by one?"

Wu Yue, rendered speechless by the adorable little miss, obediently clicked open a folder.

"Everything about you is in here; the password is your birthday."

Xiaomei whispered, "I don’t have a birthday."

"It’s the day Ice Sister saved you."

Xiaomei uttered an "oh" and opened the folder.

The cold, objective text illuminated memories she had once forgotten in the depths of her mind.

When the He Family matriarch was pregnant, He Yun and He Liu, along with their wives, tried to persuade her to abort the child. The matriarch was unwilling. Consequently, He Yun, He Liu, and He Shen threatened to sever their mother-child relationship with her.

In the end, the matriarch won.

She was given a chance to survive.

Being a girl, she made the He Family matriarch very happy and also caused the He Family to lower their guard a little.

After she turned three, her intelligence, surpassing that of other children, made the three sons of the He Family wary once again.

They and their wives and children took advantage of the absence of the old matriarch and patriarch to bully her.

They even took her out and deliberately left her behind.

Alone and forlorn, she would stand in the crowd, searching for a security guard or someone in uniform, and then successfully find her way home.

These people never intended to accept her.

The time they succeeded was when they had the teacher keep her after school, leaving her alone in the empty campus, which scared her.

When she realized something was wrong, she ran frantically for the exit.

No matter how fast she ran, she could not outpace a long-planned conspiracy.

She was struck on the head and lost her memory.

After those people confirmed she had not only become foolish but also lost her memory, they carelessly discarded her. Her long wandering began.

The He Family patriarch and matriarch searched for her for half a year. Once they were certain she could not be found, they gave up.

Wu Yue cautiously observed Xiaomei’s expression. "Don’t cry. They’re not worth your tears."

"I won’t cry. Knowing my place in their hearts, I actually feel relieved."

Xiaomei returned the computer to him.

Her only family was her sister! Only her sister truly cared for her from the bottom of her heart! In her sister’s eyes, she was always the most special. Even when she deeply loved Qin Jinhai, her sister had never neglected her. Only her sister made her forever believe that she was loved!

Even so, Xiaomei still asked, "The man who kidnapped me in the video had such a clear face. Was he caught in the end?"

"He was caught. He said he’d taken a liking to you and wanted to kidnap you."

Wu Yue added softly, "He had ruined several little girls before you. You were the last one."

"And then?"

"He Yun, together with the families of other victims, filed a joint lawsuit against him, which caused a huge social impact. In the end, he was sentenced to a severe punishment and executed by firing squad."

"Your disappearance was completely overshadowed by that man’s execution."

Xiaomei laughed softly. "These people see that I have new value and are fawning over me again. Shameless!"

"Want revenge? I can help you!"

"I do." Xiaomei looked coolly at He Yun, He Liu, and He Shen. "Since they care so much about their family wealth, let’s destroy what they cherish the most."

"No problem. I can take care of it for you."

Xiaomei looked at him warily. "Offering help without a cause means you’re either a schemer or a thief. What are you up to?"

Wu Yue rolled his eyes dramatically. "I’ve been so bored lately, I’m practically growing mushrooms."

"It’s not because you like me, that’s for sure. Let me tell you, I only like my sister!"

Wu Yue dismissively waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Sister Complex!"

"Now scoot over and sit there with your milk tea; I’ve got things to do."

Xiaomei, hearing about the milk tea, felt considerably better.

She sat down on the small sofa by the window and found not only her milk tea but also the salt and pepper duck heads and roasted sausages that she loved.

Xiaomei kicked off her slippers, crossed her legs, and dived in with gusto, happily eating away.

Seeing her happy again, Wu Yue’s anxiety settled.

He liked her to be cheerful every day; everything else, they could take care of. Others would be overjoyed to find their families, yet this girl and Ice Sister showed not a hint of happiness at having found theirs. Even without concrete memories of the past, they subconsciously remembered they were deliberately abandoned by those who were supposed to want them. Home, for them, wasn’t those people related by blood.

Wu Yue’s fingers rapidly typed on the keyboard, arranging something.

After gobbling down two deliciously spicy duck heads and taking a large, satisfying sip of milk tea, Xiaomei felt much better.

Wu Yue kept peeking at her with sidelong glances. Relieved to see her looking much happier, he asked, "Ice Sister gave you all her money. Why haven’t I seen you buy houses or manage your finances?"

"My sister didn’t care about money, which is why she was willing to give it to me. I can’t disregard what she might want. Besides, I have a home to live in, so I can’t spend recklessly."

"You’ve got over thirty billion in cash across all your cards. You couldn’t spend it all even if you bought things every day."

"Still, I can’t waste it," Xiaomei insisted. "What if one day my sister needs money? I can’t hold her back."

"Has Ice Sister ever inquired about the money you have?"

"No, but I report to her every month."

"Has she ever commented on it?"

"No. Why?"

"It’s nothing. I think Ice Sister deliberately left the money for you. You see her as your only family, and she must feel the same. I believe you should occasionally spend some money. Own real estate or properties. By trading these assets, you’ll gain experience and broaden your horizons. This will allow you to stay by Ice Sister’s side longer."

"Furthermore, the more assets you hold, the more leverage you’ll have when discussing marriage in the future. Ice Sister must have intended this as well, which is why she left all her money to you."

"Those sly people definitely don’t just value you because Ice Sister seems to treat you well on the surface. They will only clearly understand how important you are to Ice Sister when they see she has left all her money to you."

As Wu Yue spoke, he sat down on the small sofa opposite her.

He had bought two cups of milk tea.

He inserted the straw and took a sip. EMMM. It wasn’t as tasty as he had expected. He swallowed it with difficulty.

"Money should be used to make more money. That’s when it has real value. Whether you invest, buy art, or travel, these are all ways to increase your knowledge and experience. Do you want to see Ice Sister imprisoned again, feeling powerless to help her?"

Xiaomei shook her head instinctively. "I don’t want that."

"Then you have to learn to spend money, to make money. Your original idea of not spending might not be the best way to help Ice Sister."

Xiaomei understood, but as the numbers in her account grew larger, she became afraid, hesitant to touch that money.