CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 73: THE FAMILY’S FILTHINESS (PART 2)

Expectation? What expectation, to become the Stock God of Z Nation? That’s already a done deal, just a matter of time, and Su Ziceng hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"I will work hard. I need to put romantic entanglements aside for now," Qiu Zhi continued to speak with fervor, misinterpreting Su Ziceng’s meaning with an error that only a nineteen-year-old could make.

"Mhm mhm," Su Ziceng hastily chimed in, "First, tell me about Wen Zimu."

Without regard for Wen Maixue’s feelings, Qiu Zhi spoke more recklessly, "Do you know that Wen Maixue is actually an illegitimate daughter, whereas Wen Zimu is the legitimate heiress of the Wen family."

There were many unsavory things in high society, and Su Ziceng was vaguely aware of some. It was a surprise that Wen Maixue, always enveloped by the halo of being the heiress of the Wen family, had such a background.

"Before the age of ten, she was fostered outside, never appearing at any of the Wen family’s formal occasions. It wasn’t until she turned fourteen that she began to attend various events, and that was when I met her." Qiu Zhi’s admiration for Wen Maixue started then, and every prominent family had its circle, where the boundary between insiders and outsiders was crystal clear.

Su Ziceng was well aware that if it weren’t for an accident that befell Wen Zimu, Wen Maixue would never have stepped onto the stage of the Wen family or even Mo City. Wen Zimu was like a blazing sun; even if she were to deviate from the norm, she remained the sun—the only sun in the Wen family’s sky.

"At first, Grandma and the others had quite a bit to say about Mai Mai’s birth, but as her social engagements increased, as well as her display of networking skills beyond those of her peers, people soon forgot her background," Through Qiu Zhi’s description, Su Ziceng envisioned Wen Maixue as a layer of oil painting. Originally just a fragile sheet of drawing paper, she had thickened and beautified herself and the Wen family under countless layers of heavy paint.

"No wonder she reacted so strongly today," Su Ziceng recollected the question about Wen Zimu that provoked Wen Maixue’s fierce response earlier that day.

"What happened to Wen Zimu back then?" Su Ziceng wanted to confirm again if Sister Mu was indeed the same Wen Zimu who once dazzled countless eyes.

"Seems like there was a car accident. The Wen family went through a lot at that time. First, Mai Mai’s father passed away, then the family’s only hope, Wen Zimu, also had an accident, and Mai Mai was... kidnapped." Qiu Zhi lowered his voice; for this lordling who had never experienced much, kidnapping was nothing short of a nightmare.

"Kidnapped?" Su Ziceng’s voice sounded as if she was sleepwalking, for her too, kidnapping was a kind of abduction.

"Yet another kidnapping that even the police were not alerted to," Su Ziceng put down her glass of lemon water, having drunk only half. Her teeth felt somewhat sour, and she started to shiver.

"How do you know? I didn’t even find out about this until much later," Qiu Zhi’s mouth had become nimble after talking so much that he even started to feel hungry.

How should she respond? Could she possibly say that she too had experienced such a kidnapping? Su Ziceng forced a dry laugh, looking at the plates of yellow curry. In fact, she didn’t need Yu Hua’s God Stick to tell her; she knew that the kidnapping she experienced at twenty-five was her great catastrophe, the year she came closest to death.

"Mai Mai had it tough. Old Master Wen was so affected by the incident with Wen Zimu that he nearly suffered a stroke; none of the Wen relatives were willing to give up their money to save her, for over a month. No one knows what Mai Mai endured during that month of kidnapping," Qiu Zhi’s appetite was better than most, still enjoying the cold curry with gusto.

He practically devoured the dishes on the table in a whirlwind fashion. "Cold earth, starvation, clothes torn into strips, surrounded by darkness—that was what Wen Maixue had to endure during that month," Su Ziceng spoke as if in a dream, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she remembered those days.

"You’ve been watching too many movies, haven’t you? Are all kidnappings alike?" Qiu Zhi couldn’t believe it; women always blindly believed in such illusory things.

"Then you should also try being kidnapped once; I bet you’d be skinned alive of that lard you wear," Su Ziceng couldn’t help but put Qiu Zhi down. She could only distract herself from her pain by making fun of Qiu Zhi. She really shouldn’t need to anymore, everything had already changed; as long as she was more careful, she shouldn’t make the same mistakes. Everything had changed, "Don’t get sidetracked, how did Wen Maixue come back in the end?"

"It seems that her mother raised the money for ransom, but after taking the money, the kidnappers still didn’t release Mai Mai. Just when everyone thought Mai Mai would be killed, she was sent back home," Qiu Zhi narrated the danger of that time, with his cheeks trembling and a gulp in his throat, he swallowed several spoonfuls of curry beef.

"Returned on her own? Safe and sound, how could such good things happen?" Su Ziceng remembered that after the kidnappers took the money, they stuffed her into a sack and threw her in the wilderness. It took over ten hours before her family found her.

"They say she was also injured, but the Mai Mai who returned after the incident was like a phoenix reborn from ashes, completely transformed. Additionally, with Wen Zimu’s incident, the Wen family urgently needed someone to take charge. The moment Old Master Wen woke up, he saw Mai Mai, who had survived the ordeal, attending to him by his bedside. After that, you also know what happened," Qiu Zhi caught his breath towards the end; his belly also started to show.

"What about Wen Zimu? You haven’t gotten to the key issue," Su Ziceng asked again. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)