Han Qishan remained unconscious, so naturally, Han Shen stayed behind at the hospital to watch over him.
Meanwhile, Shi Qingzhi and Qin Yuancheng returned together to the Jiang family villa.
Little Brother Jiang stared with wide, blinking eyes at the two elderly strangers who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, full of curiosity.
“Chenxing?” Shi Qingzhi smiled and waved at him.
Little Brother Jiang instinctively looked over at Jiang Fuyue, and only after she nodded did he run over with a pitter-patter of footsteps.
Shi Qingzhi raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes drifting thoughtfully toward Jiang Fuyue.
“How old are you now, Chenxing?” she asked kindly.
“Thirteen.”
“What grade are you in?”
“Seventh grade.”
“I heard you’ve tried a lot of delicious food?”
Little Brother Jiang grinned, his eyes crinkling. “My dad made them all.”
Shi Qingzhi reached her hand out to Qin Yuancheng, who placed a delicate square box in her palm. She bent down and offered it to the boy.
“Do you like sweets?”
“Mhm!” His eyes sparkled.
“Here you go.”
Little Brother Jiang looked to Han Yunru for permission. Seeing her nod, he accepted it. “Thank you, Grandma.”
“No, that’s not right. You should call me Laolao.”
Little Brother Jiang: “?”
Han Yunru stroked her son’s head and gently explained, “This is your maternal grandmother. In the north, we call that Laolao.”
“So Laolao is Mommy’s mommy?”
“Mm.”
Little Brother Jiang promptly corrected himself: “Thank you, Laolao!”
“Good boy.”
After Jiang Da returned, he went to prepare the guest rooms. When he finished, he brought out a plate of sliced fruit to the living room.
“Mom, Uncle Qin, the rooms are ready. If you’d like to rest, feel free to lie down for a bit.”
Shi Qingzhi: “Thank you, that’s very thoughtful.”
“Not at all. It’s no trouble.”
The elderly woman, already advanced in age, started to feel drowsy after a bit of conversation with Han Yunru.
Qin Yuancheng encouraged her, “Why don’t you go rest for a while?”
Shi Qingzhi grew a bit anxious, clutching Han Yunru’s hand tightly, as if afraid that once she slept, she might not see her daughter again upon waking.
“Mom, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Only then did the older woman relax and go to rest.
That evening, Han Shen arrived.
Jiang Da opened the door and greeted him politely. “Is the old man doing okay?”
“He’s stable, but he’ll need to stay hospitalized a few more days. Where’s Mom?”
“She’s resting.”
Han Shen changed his shoes and stepped into the living room, where Han Yunru was going through financial records with a calculator.
The coffee table was piled with various ledgers. She looked up when she heard footsteps. “Brother.”
Han Shen felt a warmth in his chest. “Busy?”
“Not really. Just catching up on the books from both stores while I have time.”
“Want to chat on the balcony for a bit?”
Han Yunru paused slightly. “…Sure.”
The two of them stepped out.
“Brother, what do you want to talk about?”
“When Ji Yuelan came to see you back then, was she alone?”
“She came into the dressing room alone, but she said Ji Xinxin and Dad were outside.”
Han Shen said, “Dad was in the auditorium at that time. I was right next to him—he couldn’t possibly have gone to meet Ji Xinxin.”
“You mean… Ji Yuelan lied? She deliberately lured me to the garden?”
“That’s a very strong possibility.”
Han Yunru frowned.
Han Shen continued, “You must’ve thought of this too. If Ji Yuelan did it on purpose, then there had to be a trap waiting in the garden.”
“Little Ru, think back carefully—did you see anything suspicious in the garden?”
Han Yunru thought for a moment and shook her head. “No. Brother, what exactly are you suspecting?”
“After you disappeared, Dad and I launched an investigation. The hotel and the auditorium surveillance footage were all clean.”
But that was precisely the problem—it was too clean.
“Security was tight, both our family’s and the Qin family’s bodyguards were there. Even the most skilled wouldn’t have been able to take you away unnoticed.”
“What if I wasn’t taken away immediately?”
Han Shen froze. “What do you mean?”
“I remember hearing the sound of a hotel keycard while I was unconscious, and I could smell the hotel’s signature scent.”
“So after I was knocked out, I must’ve been kept in a room at the hotel for at least two days.”
“D*mn it!” Han Shen cursed under his breath.
Back then, he and their father had focused the initial search on the hotel but found nothing and decided to pull the team after two days—exactly matching the time frame.
“You’re investigating the case from back then?”
“Yeah. I suspect Ji Yuelan orchestrated the kidnapping.”
“She has the capability?” Han Yunru had doubted that too, after recovering her memories.
Ji Yuelan had no connections, no power, and certainly no money. What could she offer kidnappers?
Han Shen said, “She might not, but someone else could have helped her.”
“You mean… she had an accomplice?”
“That’s the only plausible explanation.”
And in the capital, there were only a few families with the guts—and the means—to harm a Han family member and actually pull it off.
“Little Ru, I promise you—I will uncover the truth and make everyone who hurt you pay.”
After their talk, they returned to the living room. Dinner was ready. The elderly couple had also come out of their room.
Jiang Fuyue had taken over the books from Han Yunru and was rapidly flipping through pages.
She didn’t even use a calculator—just mentally tallied and filled in the summary figures.
Suddenly, a voice spoke beside her. “You also need to deduct transportation costs here.”
At some point, Shi Qingzhi had walked over, observing everything silently.
She was amazed by the girl’s mental math and quietly proud as well.
A granddaughter worthy of her bloodline.
Jiang Fuyue glanced back. “It’s fine. I’ll deduct it later with operating costs.”
“You won’t forget?”
She shook her head. “I won’t.”
Just then, she reached the deduction section and, as expected, included not only transport but other previously accumulated costs too.
Shi Qingzhi was impressed. “So it was me who was overthinking. Your grades must be excellent?”
Before Jiang Fuyue could respond, Little Brother Jiang piped up, “Big Sis is the top of the whole school! She always gets perfect scores!”
Shi Qingzhi’s eyes lit up.
“Just like her grandma back in the day,” Qin Yuancheng walked over and smiled.
“Grandma used to get full marks too?” Little Brother Jiang asked.
Qin Yuancheng patted his head. “Of course. No one at school ever scored higher than her!”
“Grandpa Qin, is this what they call genetics?”
“Hmm…” Qin Yuancheng feigned deep thought. “I suppose it is.”
“Then can I inherit that too?” The boy looked hopeful.
“Of course. But inheritance alone isn’t enough—you have to work hard. Your sister works hard, that’s why she always gets full marks.”
“I see…” The boy nodded solemnly. “I’ll work hard too!”
“Good boy.”
Jiang Fuyue twitched her lips slightly. What a gullible little rascal.
Still, speaking of genetics—even though her current self benefited from her past life’s experience, the original host’s aptitude played a big role too.
No matter how good the water, if the container’s no good, it’ll just spill out.
Before entering No. 1 High, the original’s grades weren’t bad.
And despite her parents never supervising her studies or paying for extra classes, she had managed to earn a spot in the elite class based on her own merit—and some bonus points from shot put competitions.
So yes, genetics probably had something to do with it.
Jiang Da came out from the dining area and called out, “Dinner’s ready!”
Shi Qingzhi and Qin Yuancheng took their seats.
Jiang Da, Han Yunru, and Jiang Fuyue sat to the left, while Han Shen and Little Brother Jiang sat to the right.
The meal was warm and lively. Shi Qingzhi especially praised Jiang Da’s cooking.
“How did you make this sweet and sour pork? So tender and flavorful, and the glaze is just perfect!”
As a mother-in-law asking questions, Jiang Da eagerly shared his cooking process. When it came to food, he seemed to radiate with charm.
Han Yunru couldn’t stop smiling as she watched him.
Shi Qingzhi, catching the look in her daughter’s eyes, felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Unlike Han Qishan, she valued character far more than background, power, or wealth in a son-in-law.
Above all, he had to love Little Ru, respect her, and be patient and kind.
And Jiang Da seemed to be doing all of that.
You could see it in his eyes when he looked at her—love without words.
Qin Yuancheng leaned over and whispered, “Feeling reassured now?”
Shi Qingzhi nodded. “I’m just wondering—has Little Ru’s drifting half-life been fortunate or unfortunate?”
Fortunate, because she was born into a prestigious family and should’ve been a pampered young miss.
Unfortunate, because she had to leap into a river to survive—only to be saved by a simple, honest man who gave her a warm family.
Qin Yuancheng understood her dilemma. “A blessing in disguise.”
Shi Qingzhi finally let go of her worries. “I just hope the rest of her life is full of joy and peace.”
“It will be. Though…”
“What is it?”
A heaviness flickered in Qin Yuancheng’s eyes. He sighed deeply. “Qin Lin is coming.”
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