CHAPTER 299: CHAPTER 296: CINDERELLA’S COMEBACK 41

Anning returned to her room and immediately sent Xiao Yuan a WeChat message.

"Have you come back?"

Xiao Yuan saw Anning’s message as he entered the elevator, and hurriedly replied, "I’ll be right back."

"I’m going to run tomorrow morning, are you joining?"

"Sure, what time?"

"Five o’clock."

"Okay, wait for me."

"Alright, see you tomorrow morning."

Anning sent a smiley face, then put her phone aside and started to work seriously on her problems.

Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, stared at his phone for a long time.

After Anning finished her homework and worked on some Olympiad problems for a while, she sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate.

By midnight, she slept peacefully.

At five o’clock in the morning, Anning woke up on time, changed her clothes, and went downstairs to run.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Xiao Yuan dressed in sportswear waiting at the door.

The two entered the elevator together.

At that moment, An Xin popped out, "Ningning, Ningning, there’s a situation."

"What’s going on?"

Anning chatted with An Xin using her spiritual power, not noticing the expression on Xiao Yuan’s face as he seemed to have something to say but held back.

Xiao Yuan saw Anning in a daze, wanting to speak to her, yet afraid of disturbing her.

It wasn’t until the elevator reached the first floor that Xiao Yuan took Anning by the hand and led her out.

"Something happened at the Ren Family again."

An Xin reported to Anning, "Remember when you exposed the sanitary concerns at the Ren Family factory? After that, an investigation team inspected many food processing plants of the Wei Family, and the business and tax departments also looked into the Ren Family for tax evasion. And during this investigation, they really uncovered something."

"What did they find?"

Anning hurriedly asked.

She really didn’t know what else could be wrong with the Ren Family.

"The Ren Family also produces dairy products. Their milk powder is substandard. Some children have developed problems after drinking it for a while; some have even died, others have renal failure, and still others..."

An Xin became more infuriated as he spoke, "The Ren Family really has no conscience, how could they harm the young ones like this."

Anning was also quite angry.

She and An Xin have always been particularly fond of children and paid special attention to the protection of women and children. If the Ren Family produces infant formula, they must strictly control the quality, which is their responsibility to the society.

But the Ren Family, in order to make money, would do anything, even causing loss of life. Such unscrupulous merchants should really be executed by firing squad.

"Nevermind their tax evasion, just the milk powder issue alone is enough to bring disaster upon the Ren Family."

Anning pursed her lips, "Do you think it will be reported?"

"It’s bound to be reported, definitely," An Xin said fiercely, "If it’s not, who knows how many more children will suffer."

Anning nodded, "Okay, I got it."

"Ningning, Ningning."

After finishing her conversation with An Xin, Anning heard Xiao Yuan calling her.

She quickly turned to him with a smile, "What’s up?"

"What were you thinking about just now, you seemed so lost in thought?"

Interlocking her fingers with Xiao Yuan’s, Anning swayed his arm slightly, "I was thinking about the solution to a problem. I came across a tough physics problem last night while doing exercises, and just now I had some ideas."

"What problem? Let me help you with it."

As a bicycle whizzed past Anning, Xiao Yuan immediately pulled her close to him.

"Sure, I’ll show you later."

Anning responded with a smile.

Then the two began to run.

Just as An Xin had said, by the time Anning was out of school at noon, the Ren Family’s issues had already been reported.

During lunch break, the students resting in the classroom saw the news on their phones.

Many students saw it, and everyone was discussing it in the classroom.

Anning listened with one ear, and most of them were cursing the Ren Family. Some said it was a good thing their younger brothers and sisters didn’t consume their baby formula, or who knows what would have happened.

Other students were particularly worried because their relatives’ children had been drinking milk powder produced by the Ren Family.

By the time school let out in the afternoon, the matter had fermented to the point of common knowledge.

Many parents ran to the factory of the Ren Family causing a commotion, demanding compensation and such.

Ren Family

Ren Jiayao had been crying all along.

She never imagined her father would do such a thing, to produce baby formula with no regard for quality, capable of doing anything for money.

She also knew their family was finished, her privileged life was gone forever.

Thinking about how she would fall to the bottom of society from now on, worrying about tuition fees later, and working hard for a mere few thousand yuan a month after graduating from college, she felt life was truly hopeless.

Mrs. Ren was also crying.

Mr. Ren sat at home, sighing mournfully.

With a look of deep concern, he sat on the sofa, head down, not speaking.

Mrs. Ren, tears coursing down her face, said, "What are we going to do now? Hurry and think of something, what should we do?"

Mr. Ren looked up angrily: "What can I think of? There’s no way out. We’re finished this time, it’s not just bankruptcy, we’ll probably end up in jail."

"Who is so despicable to report our family, there are plenty of companies with quality issues, why single out our family?"

Mrs. Ren started cursing.

Mr. Ren wiped his face: "Pack up the valuables at home and find a new place as soon as possible. Also, don’t leave yours and Yaoyao’s jewelry at home. Find a safe place for them. If possible, you and Yaoyao should go abroad, don’t stay in the country."

Ren Jiayao whispered softly, "Now, we might not be able to leave."

She got up and ran upstairs to her bedroom, stuffed all the jewelry she had bought from childhood into a bag, and ran downstairs with it.

Mrs. Ren also snapped out of it and hurried back to pack up.

However, they had just finished packing when people arrived to check on the Ren Family’s assets.

Ren Jiayao was cautious.

When she saw people coming, she took her bag back to the bedroom and threw it out of the window.

There were some flowers and bushes planted below her window, so when the bag was thrown down, it wouldn’t be very noticeable in the thicket.

Afterward, Ren Jiayao went downstairs and, while those people were checking her father’s study, she quietly slipped out of the door, picked up the bag from behind the house and ran away.

An Xin saw all this happen.

She told Anning.

Anning smiled, took out a Confusion Talisman, and left with it.

Ren Jiayao actually wanted to find Zhao Haichao.

She intended to entrust these valuables to Zhao Haichao for safekeeping.

After she left the house and wanted to hail a taxi, but it was difficult to catch one since the Ren Family lived in a somewhat secluded area.

Ren Jiayao had to walk a distance to a busy area before catching a taxi.

However, it was on this short stretch of road where the trouble occurred.

She walked, trying to appear nonchalant with her bag in hand.

It was a cold day, the wind whistling sharply, enough to make one’s face ache.

Ren Jiayao, too anxious to feel the cold, was eager to meet Zhao Haichao as soon as possible.

At this point, Ren Jiayao subconsciously distrusted Qin Minghao and instead put her faith in Zhao Haichao who had always loved her.

In the cold wind, Ren Jiayao walked alone, her heart filled with desolation, her eyes sore and tears about to fall uncontrollably.

Yet it was precisely at this moment that a middle-aged man in black clothes and a hat passed her without her noticing.

As he brushed past, the man snatched Ren Jiayao’s bag and ran.

"I..."

Ren Jiayao stared in shock and then quickly chased after the middle-aged man: "My bag, give it back, thief, help, catch the thief..."

She ran fast, shouting as she did, the wind pouring into her mouth, bringing tears to her eyes.

But even with such a pursuit, the man turned a corner and vanished.

Ren Jiayao stood at the intersection, looking around helplessly but could no longer see the man.

She crouched on the ground and wept bitterly.