Chapter 70: The Hidden Heir

This scatterbrained fool—was there anything that couldn’t be said over the phone? Why insist on coming to his house, and precisely when his parents were there?

Back when Qu Wu Yan schemed to drive his second and third brothers out, his parents had always held a grudge. To keep them from getting angry, he’d been lying all along, claiming the company had no members of the Qu family. Now, everything was exposed.

“I don’t know her,” Qu Wu Yan still insisted stubbornly.

Ma Shou Juan refused to let it go. “Fan Chi, I saw her cousin just now. He’s obviously clueless, nowhere near as smart as your youngest brother. Why let someone like him work in our company? If he can work there, your little brother should too! Oh, and your second and third brothers must return to work here as well!”

“Mom, that’s not fair. Who says my cousin can’t do anything?” Qu Wu Yan crossed her arms, looking fiercely defiant. “Fine, since you put it that way, let me make it clear: if you want your three idiot sons to join, dream on! Each of them barely finished middle school, can’t even speak proper Mandarin, and you think they can work at Yunyan? Do you think Yunyan is some small, amateur workshop?”

Fan Da Xiang barked, “Qu Wu Yan! Is that any way to speak to your mother?”

Ma Shou Juan sat on the sofa, clutching her chest and crying out, “Oh, my heart… Fan Chi, help your mother call an ambulance, I’m about to be angered to death by your wife!”

Whether Ma Shou Juan’s heart truly hurt or not, Lian You You watched and found the scene oddly familiar.

The Ma Shou Juan she remembered was even more dramatic—she’d roll on the floor, feign death, employ every trick in the book to play the victim.

As Lian You You was thinking this, Ma Shou Juan suddenly rolled her eyes and collapsed, playing dead.

“Mom! Mom! What’s wrong?” Fan Chi shook her vigorously, making all the fat on Ma Shou Juan’s body wobble. Fan Da Xiang pressed hard on her philtrum.

Fan Xiao Yun, apparently witnessing her grandmother’s theatrics for the first time, looked anxious and trembled as she asked Qu Wu Yan, “Mom… what do we do? Grandma isn’t… dead, is she?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Quick, call the ambulance!”

Qu Wu Yan, now rattled, pushed Fan Xiao Yun toward the phone, forgetting she already held her mobile.

Fan Xiao Yun had barely picked up the receiver when Fan Da Xiang shouted, “Don’t bother, your grandmother’s awake!”

Ma Shou Juan pointed at Qu Wu Yan, her voice weak and breathless. “You… wicked woman… I’m going to be angered to death by you…”

Fan Chi strode toward Qu Wu Yan, his breath ragged, fury blazing from him as if ready to explode.

“Look what you’ve done!”

As Fan Chi’s roar ended, his hand landed hard across Qu Wu Yan’s face.

Qu Wu Yan was struck so fiercely that she fell to the floor, a deep, dark handprint blooming on her cheek, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.

The force had been brutal—her head spun, her left eye clouded white and unable to see, and it took her a long while to sit up again.

“Fan Chi, you’re shameless!” Qu Wu Yan sobbed, clutching her face. “When Yunyan was in trouble, it was my family who gave you money to pull through! Without them, Yunyan would’ve been gone. What’s wrong with them working at Yunyan? They earned it! Why should your family reap all the benefits?”

Fan Chi’s laugh was chilling. “Why? Because you married into the Fan family! Because your surname is Fan now, not Qu. You’re Fan Qu, and even when you die, you’ll be entered into the Fan family genealogy, not Qu’s.”

Qu Wu Yan protested, “I’m not Fan! I’m Qu!”

Those words—she’d heard them somewhere before.

Once you marry into the Fan clan, you live as a Fan and die as a Fan. Your name isn’t Lian Meng anymore; from now on, you’re Fan Lian. The Fan family is your home, the Lian family is just your old family, outsiders now. So the money you earn belongs only to the Fan family; the Lian family gets nothing…

The Fan family’s bandit policies, unchanged in over twenty years.

Fan Da Xiang backed Fan Chi up. “Xiao Yan, it’s not that Fan Chi is being harsh; it’s that your words are wrong. Remember, from now on: the Fan family is your home, the Qu family is just your maiden family, outsiders.”

“Mom, don’t be angry anymore,” Fan Chi restrained his fury, speaking to Ma Shou Juan. “Rest assured, I’ll make sure Xiao Di gets a position at Yunyan. He can choose whichever post he wants. If he finds office work boring, I can even let him be an artist at Yunyan, like Xiao Yun.”

“Let my little uncle become an artist?” Fan Xiao Yun wondered if she’d misheard.

Her little uncle, with that look, as an artist?

She had plenty she wanted to say, but after seeing her father’s rage just now, she swallowed her words.

…

Lian You You packed up all her calligraphy and paintings, loaded them into one of Fan Chi’s cars, and returned to her parents’ home, escorted by Fan Chi’s driver.

Once in the car, she took out her phone and sent Richard a ‘thank you’ sticker.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, the Lian family returned home. Lian You You watched the Spring Festival Gala with her parents, then retired to her own room once they fell asleep.

The city banned fireworks, but in the countryside, the noise was deafening, making it impossible for Lian You You to sleep peacefully.

Yet that night, Lu Ming didn’t call or message her.

Lian You You wanted to call him, but worried he might be busy, so she held back.

Or perhaps Lu Ming wanted to surprise her tomorrow?

The thought cheered her up.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, after the customary greetings and halfway through dumplings, Lu Ming arrived as promised.

He had already eaten, and sat quietly aside, waiting for Lian You You.

As visitors came to pay their respects, all praised Lu Ming effusively.

Before getting into Lu Ming’s car, Shi Xue Zhen and Lian Chang Sheng loaded the trunk with gifts and local produce for him.

“Lu, you really make my grandparents proud,” Lian You You laughed from the passenger seat. “You might not realize, but in the eyes of elders, the best jobs are civil servants, police officers, doctors, and teachers. And you have high academic credentials—my grandparents are especially pleased with you…”

She tilted her head, watching Lu Ming silently drive.

He seemed not to hear her words.

Lu Ming appeared troubled today.

He didn’t wish to talk, so Lian You You didn’t ask.

The car stopped in the garage of a suburban mansion, grand as a palace.

Seeing the impressive house, Lian You You finally understood why Lu Ming, as a teacher, could live in a luxury downtown apartment and drive cars like Maseratis and Ferraris.

Lu Ming was a hidden heir.

Clearly, Lu Zhi Jun’s business had flourished—owning such a vast residence made him more than just a typical wealthy man.

As Lian You You was about to walk forward, Lu Ming grabbed her hand.

“You You, I want to ask you something.” His expression was obscured, burdened with secrets.

“What is it?” she asked.

“If… no, forget it. Let’s go, my parents are waiting.”

His hesitation made Lian You You curious.

The doormen opened the doors for them; a row of maids bowed, “Welcome home, young master!”

Led by the butler, Lu Ming took Lian You You’s hand and brought her to the living room.

Lu Ming’s parents sat on a grand European-style sofa, waiting for the couple.

Lu Zhi Jun had always looked older than his years, so now, his appearance hadn’t changed much. Tian Ai Yu, however, seemed different—still not old, but her youthful charm had faded, replaced by the calm and weathered air of a middle-aged woman.

Lu Ming introduced them, “Dad, Mom, this is my girlfriend, Lian You You.”

“Uncle, Aunt, happy New Year!” Lian You You’s eyes sparkled, her smile dazzling as stars.

Lu Zhi Jun pressed his fist to his lips, frowning, “You You… that name sounds familiar.”

Tian Ai Yu studied Lian You You’s features, puzzled. “Young lady, have we met before? You look so familiar…”

Lian You You smiled softly, “Uncle, Aunt, my surname is Lian, I’m called Lian You You. My mother knows you—her name is…”

“Lian Meng!” Lu Zhi Jun exclaimed, clapping his hands in delight. “Ah, no wonder you look familiar—you’re Lian Meng’s daughter! What a coincidence! Your aunt and I are both good friends of your mother!”

Unlike Lu Zhi Jun’s joy, Tian Ai Yu’s smile froze. Within seconds, her gaze shifted from confusion to astonishment, then quickly to avoidance.

Lian You You chatted with Lu Zhi Jun, unaware of Tian Ai Yu’s change in expression. But Lu Ming noticed his mother’s demeanor keenly.

This was his worry.

Mother must still feel guilty about that matter…

Tian Ai Yu stood, pretending calm, and smiled politely at Lian You You. “Young lady, I have something to do upstairs. You chat with your uncle and Ming Ming.”

“Alright, goodbye, Aunt,” Lian You You replied.

“You You, you really look so much like your mother,” Lu Zhi Jun smiled, his gaze lingering on her face. “You know, after a few looks, I almost feel like your mother is here again, sitting beside me. Just like our university days—scholars and friends everywhere, never a dull moment. Ah, those times were so wonderful, always lingering in dreams.”