Chapter Five: The Drugging Incident

After hanging up the phone, Lei Jun seemed lost in memories, his gaze deep and distant. He recalled every detail of Nuo’s childhood: every time he came home, Nuo would pucker up his little bottom and take slippers from the shoe cabinet for him to wear, softly chanting, “Daddy, change shoes, daddy, change shoes...” Nuo would climb onto his belly, poking his eyes with chubby little fingers and then bursting into giggles.

Time flew by; these memories had already become so distant.

Lei Jun’s nose tingled with emotion, his eyes moist. Unconsciously, his child had grown up and was about to leave to live independently. He felt a pang of sadness—sad for his child’s growth, sad for the passage of time.

He reached to the bottom drawer and pulled out a color photograph. The woman in the photo had bright eyes and a radiant smile, thick black hair cascading over her shoulders, and when she smiled, two adorable little tiger teeth showed.

Lei Jun gently caressed the woman in the photo, overwhelmed with emotion. “Nian Yun, Nuo has really grown up. She’s as beautiful as you. If you could see her, would you be happy?”

He wiped his face; the moisture on his hand was his tears.

He didn’t even notice when Juan entered. When he saw her staring coldly at him, he was startled.

“When did you come in?”

“Just now,” Juan said, looking at his tear-streaked face with utter disdain. “Living life uncomfortably again, and now you’re missing your little lover from before?”

Lei Jun put the photo back and locked it in the drawer. Hearing Juan’s sarcastic tone, he snapped, “Stop picking fights for no reason.”

“Am I the one picking fights for no reason?” Juan pointed at the locked drawer. “You cry over that old photo all day long. Don’t think I don’t know. One day, I’ll smash your drawer to pieces.”

“You dare!”

“Just watch if I don’t.”

From the time their child was very young, Juan knew Lei Jun had a woman on the side. She tried everything to uncover her but failed—Lei Jun hid her well. One day, after coming home from the company, Lei Jun locked himself in his study and forbade anyone to approach. After much inquiry, she learned that the woman had died in a car accident. Juan was overjoyed; no one would threaten her marriage anymore.

But Lei Jun never recovered; he was heartbroken for a long time. Every day when he came home, he locked himself in the study, not allowing Juan to step inside. This naturally aroused Juan’s suspicion—what was he hiding in there? One day, she peeked through the window crack and saw Lei Jun holding a photo and crying. Over the years, she never saw the woman’s face in the photo but wanted to know what kind of woman could make him so attached.

The servants, hearing the argument from the study, all kept their distance, afraid of getting involved. Only Zhang Ma and Xin Yan rushed in, each pulling one of them apart with great effort.

Juan leaned on Xin Yan’s shoulder, crying inconsolably. On this silent night, her sobs rose and fell like a tragic performance.

...

A desk lamp glowed softly in the room, casting a warm, dim light that softened Yan Ze’s sharp features. He leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed, his mind filled with the image of Nuo he had seen in the hospital earlier that day.

Her face was like a delicate powder puff, her figure curvy and enchanting...

He was truly mad to be thinking about her—she was just an insignificant person.

At that moment, Assistant Li knocked and entered. He handed Yan Ze some documents—an investigation report on the drugged drink incident from two nights ago that Yan Ze had asked him to look into.

“President Yan, after our investigation, the spiked drink you had at the Yi family banquet was poisoned by Lu Xiaoxiao, the eldest daughter of the Lu family. She intended to take photos of you with a woman to sell to the media, to ruin your reputation and cause turmoil in the company’s stock.”

“Absurd!” Yan Ze slammed the documents on the coffee table, furious. “How dare she target me? What’s her motive?”

Assistant Li replied calmly, “We found out she has a crush on the eldest young master, Yan Yu. I suspect her plan was to help Yan Yu seize power. Only if you fall will Yan Yu have a chance. But unexpectedly, the woman she brought that night went to the wrong room, causing a big mix-up.”

“Yan Yu?” Yan Ze scoffed. “He’s got no real ability and no courage to compete with me fairly. He just uses women and underhanded tricks. If he dares plot against me, I won’t let it go.”

Yan Yu was Yan Ze’s half-brother. Their mother died when Yan Ze was five, and shortly after, their father remarried and had Yan Ze.

Since then, their father gave all his favoritism to the younger son, grooming him as the heir to the Yan Group, while Yan Yu, the elder, never received his father’s love, barred from managing the company and left to pursue his own interests.

This favoritism bred hatred between the brothers, who had been fighting openly and secretly for years.

Yan Ze picked up the documents again and asked, “What about the Yi family’s adopted daughter?”

Assistant Li answered, “The Yi family has been trying to acquire a target company from Fengtou Capital. Everyone in the company was on board except Jiang Xiaotian. They tried to send their adopted daughter to seduce Jiang, but that night she ran out of his room by accident and ended up in your guest room...”

He wisely fell silent after that, glancing at Yan Ze on the sofa.

Yan Ze was not surprised by the news about the Yi family’s adopted daughter—it matched what he had heard that night. But he never expected the Yi family to be so ruthless as to exploit even their adopted daughter.

“Does the adopted daughter know about this?”

Assistant Li thought for a moment. “Not yet, as far as we know. But we found she rented a small place near her school and just moved in today. Whether it’s a coincidence or she suspects something, we don’t know.”

Yan Ze said nothing more. He leaned back, lit a cigarette, and smoked slowly with an intoxicating elegance. The smoke rings drifted from his lips, swirling in the air as his eyes turned cold, frost glinting in his gaze.

...

The next morning, upon waking, Nuo saw a notification on her phone—a bank deposit from Lei Jun for her allowance. The amount was surprisingly large; she thought it must be a mistake until she saw Lei Jun’s message on WeChat explaining he sent extra money because he worried she was scrimping and struggling outside.

Over the years, she had saved every penny Lei Jun sent. Before, living at home, her expenses were minimal, but now, determined to sever ties with the Yi family, she wouldn’t touch that money.

She could earn her own living. It would stay with her for now. Once she had saved enough, she would return it all.

Since she had resolved to be independent, she needed an income immediately. Without parental support, only hard work could carry her forward.

Without hesitation, she took out her phone and called her friend Su Yuqin.