Chapter 8: Each One More Wretched Than the Last

A girl wearing a floral dress walked in, her cheeks round and healthy, with big eyes like grapes. Seeing an unfamiliar woman in the house, curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

“Miaomiao, you’re back. This is Mingyue, the daughter of your Aunt Wenzhen.”

Aunt Wenzhen’s daughter?

Zhang Miaomiao often heard her mother mention Aunt Wenzhen, her tone tinged with regret—she had passed away young, losing her best friend.

“Hello, Miaomiao.”

Lu Mingyue extended her hand in greeting.

Zhang Miaomiao noticed the friendly smile and shook her hand in return, smiling, “Hello, Mingyue.”

[Zhang Miaomiao is quite pretty, looks fortunate, but her taste in men is a bit poor.]

Miaomiao’s eyes suddenly widened. What was going on?

She glanced quietly around the room; only the three of them stood there. She was facing Lu Mingyue, who hadn’t spoken, yet she heard her voice!

What kind of horror story was this?

And what did that last sentence mean? Poor taste in men?

Surprised, Miaomiao frowned, a hint of displeasure on her face. Who was this person?

Her mother had said Aunt Wenzhen was well-mannered and cultured. How come her daughter spoke so rudely?

As Miaomiao pondered, Lu Mingyue’s inner voice spoke again.

[According to the story, Miaomiao gets deceived and heartbroken by a scoundrel, and because of this man, her family is reported, affecting her godfather’s position in the military.]

[Sigh, what a mess, that man is really no good.]

The system nodded, [Indeed, that man has a hidden bomb.]

[What bomb?]

Ren Huifang and Zhang Miaomiao both pricked up their ears.

System: [That man has been divorced three times, has two sons waiting for him in the countryside to support, and is having an affair with the village widow!]

Lu Mingyue’s eyes widened, [That’s explosive! Does Miaomiao not know?]

With such a big secret, there’s no way no one has leaked it.

The system chuckled, [Of course not. That man is good at disguising himself, renting a house in the county to lure wealthy women. Unexpectedly, he really did meet one.]

Lu Mingyue: [So, Miaomiao is that wealthy girl, huh?]

[Yes, the host is so clever.]

Miaomiao’s father had served in the military for years, and the family’s assets had accumulated significantly. Coupled with inheritances from both sides, the Zhang family’s wealth was considerable. It wasn’t surprising that someone was targeting Miaomiao.

With a clatter, the shovel Ren Huifang held dropped to the floor.

“Godmother, are you alright?”

Lu Mingyue stepped forward to pick it up, noticing Ren’s pale face. “Are you tired? Please sit down and rest.”

Ren Huifang was still stunned. Was what Mingyue said true?

Her mind raced; her gaze passed over her daughter, who stood frozen.

Could it be...

“Mom, I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Zhang Miaomiao hurriedly left, Lu Mingyue’s voice echoing in her ears.

How could she know about her relationship?

Miaomiao had been seeing Fang Dashan for over a month but wasn’t ready to tell her family yet. Where did Lu Mingyue get this information?

She was filled with doubt. Aside from Lu Mingyue, another voice knew everything about her situation, which was baffling.

Ren Huifang finished her water, the tightness in her chest finally easing as she exhaled deeply.

She wanted to ask Mingyue where she had heard the news and whether she was trustworthy.

She also needed to understand why her daughter had hidden the relationship.

Before Ren could speak, two people entered.

It was Zhang’s father and the eldest son returning.

Ren Huifang collected her thoughts, deciding to ask her daughter after dinner.

[So these are the poor Zhang father and son.]

Zhang Chengliang and Zhang Songwu frowned. Who was speaking?

[Yes, in the novel, they’re just cannon fodder with only three minutes of screen time, about the same as the host.]

Lu Mingyue sneered coldly, pretending to flatter, [So what if they’re cannon fodder? You have the system.]

The system was quite pleased with the compliment.

The family looked at each other, with Zhang Chengliang the first to react.

Being a soldier, he quickly fixed his gaze on Lu Mingyue. She was the only voice in the room he hadn’t heard before.

“Chengliang, Songwu, you’re back.”

Ren Huifang broke the silence and introduced Lu Mingyue to the father and son.

“So it’s Mingyue. They say girls change a lot when they grow up; the little girl has really grown up.”

Zhang Chengliang regained composure and greeted Lu Mingyue with a smile.

Zhang Songwu, more lively, said, “Hello, sister Mingyue. If you ever need anything, come to your brother. I’ll protect you.”

They were curious and assessing Lu Mingyue’s presence but mostly accepting.

They had often heard their wife and mother speak fondly of Lu Wenzhen and were friendly toward her daughter.

“Hello, godfather. Hello, brother Songwu.”

“All right, all right, if we keep chatting, the food will get cold. Let’s eat first. Mingyue helped prepare today’s dishes; you’re in for a treat.”

Zhang Miaomiao said, “No wonder I smelled something delicious when I came in. It didn’t smell like mom’s cooking. I thought I’d come to the wrong place. Turns out it’s Mingyue’s cooking.”

Ren Huifang teased, “What, is my cooking not to your taste?”

“Of course not.”

Miaomiao pleaded, tugging her mother’s arm, acting coquettishly, “Mom, your cooking is the best in the world. I was just curious about the other delicious smell.”

Ren Huifang tapped her forehead gently, “You say whatever you like.”

Lu Mingyue suddenly remembered she had brought gifts for everyone and took the opportunity to present them.

As Lu Mingyue’s voice faded from sight, Miaomiao couldn’t hold back and spoke first.

“Mom, Dad, big brother, did you hear that strange voice just now?”

She didn’t directly say the voice came from Lu Mingyue. Such things were too shocking to believe.

Ren Huifang said firmly, “It was Mingyue’s voice.”

The Zhang father and son nodded, indicating they heard the same thing.

“Don’t tell anyone about this. What if something happens to Mingyue...”

Ren’s voice choked with emotion. If anything happened, how could she face her best friend?

Lu Mingyue soon came out with the gifts. The family set aside their doubts and pretended nothing had happened.

They all liked the presents Mingyue brought.

Eating at home was less formal; they chatted while eating.

Some dishes on the table were unfamiliar, and the three men reached for them simultaneously.

Tasting them, their eyes lit up with delight. When they put down their chopsticks, they were completely full.

Zhang Chengliang and Zhang Songwu subtly loosened their belts, tight to the point of almost not being able to stand.

Zhang Miaomiao loved good food, and her favorite dishes at the table were all made by Lu Mingyue.

Her heart’s scales unconsciously tipped toward Mingyue, and a thought even crossed her mind—perhaps what she said was true.

But thinking of Fang Dashan’s genuine care, she felt torn.

“The ladies cook; I’ll wash the dishes.”

Zhang Songwu rolled up his sleeves, showing strong tendons.

Lu Mingyue sighed deeply.

[Such a good person, but sadly, he was harmed and now spends the rest of his life in a wheelchair. What a pity...]

Zhang Songwu stumbled slightly.

Zhang Chengliang reacted quickly, grabbing his son’s arm. “I’ll help you clean up.”

He shook his head slightly.

Zhang Songwu’s eyes trembled. His father had also heard it.

[System, is there any way to help them?]

Godmother’s whole family were good people. Watching them suffer helplessly, Lu Mingyue felt guilty.

The system shrugged, [There’s no way. This is everyone’s fate. Unless they awaken themselves, no one else can help.]

[Zhang Songwu thought Fang Dashan was his savior because of his injury. These siblings are both unlucky.]

Zhang Miaomiao swallowed hard, her voice choked with emotion.

“Mom, Dad, big brother, I have something to tell you.”

Ren Huifang looked up, “Miaomiao?”

“I have a boyfriend.”

Rather than keeping it bottled up, she decided to tell them. Her family knew more people and were better judges of character.

Growing up loved by her family, she believed they wouldn’t harm her and that Lu Mingyue’s words were not baseless.

Instead of letting her imagination run wild, she would take the initiative to investigate. She didn’t want her family to be implicated because of her.