307

and has dementia. How do you expect me to manage him on my own! You know the situation at the nursing home. There’s no way I can revolve my entire life around your family member. If you're unhappy, t..."Rong Ling, I'm so happy!"

She was so excited that Lin Meng couldn't help but take out her phone to share her good mood with Rong Ling.

On the other end of the phone, a light laugh came through, like notes dancing playfully across piano keys, lifting one's spirits with its elegance. Rong Ling's heart softened somewhat. Holding her phone and the pen in her hand, she paused.

"What happened that makes you so happy!"

"Hee hee, I'm not telling you. It's just good news anyway!"

Rong Ling put down her pen and let out a low, dark laugh. "Xiao Quai, don't you know that it's wicked to be happy all by yourself! Did you call me on purpose to provoke me!"

Lin Meng stuck out her tongue and said, "You probably don't want to hear it, hehe, so I won't tell you. It's a happy thing anyway, hihi..."

Rong Ling put the pen aside, rubbed her brows, and leaned back on the sofa completely. At the same time, she pushed her legs apart, moving the wheelchair away from the desk. She stretched out her long legs and relaxed.

"Baby, if you don't say it, how would I know I wouldn't want to hear it!" The magnetic voice slowly tempted her.

Her ears turned red, and she pouted. "Whatever! I'm not saying it!"

"What a heartless wretch! You came here just to make fun of me, didn't you!"

She bit her lip, a hint of reflection in her eyes.

"Well then, never mind. If you don't want to say, I won't press you!"

Such a result, yet she felt a little disappointed. After holding back for a while, listening to the silence on the other end, she asked in a small voice, "That... you... are you really not going to listen!"

This breath still seemed to hold a hint of anticipation. Rong Ling smiled again, retreating to advance. It truly would make this woman obedient. She was like a delicate, bashful flower. When you teased her, she'd shy away. But when you stopped teasing her, she'd cautiously unfold herself, quietly enticing you to touch her again.

He could probably imagine what she looked like now, her watery eyes must be filled with anticipation, her fair face must be slightly flushed, and her red lips were probably a little awkwardly pursed.

"Hee hee..." He felt a warmth in his heart, wanting to kiss her!

"Why are you laughing!" she blushed, embarrassed by her current demeanor.

He stifled a chuckle, stopping his daydream. In a hoarse whisper, he murmured, "Go on, I want to hear it. I really do!"

Her beautiful eyes immediately curved like crescent moons.

He tempted further. "Share some of your happiness with me, hmm!"

He pleaded like that, how could she refuse

Chuckling softly, she briefly recounted the events in a lighthearted manner. "Heh heh, it was truly exhilarating. Of course, the best part is knowing that all my efforts paid off!"

He didn't say anything there.

She just smiled a little. "Don't you like to hear it!"

She was a little annoyed and muttered, "I told you you probably wouldn't like to hear it, well, I shouldn't have said it, well, what a bother!"

"No!" he spoke up immediately, his voice soft. "I don't dislike hearing it, I was just thinking about some things!"

"What are you thinking!"

"I think highly of your general manager."

"Well, he's very capable. He used to work for a big company abroad, and they hired him at a high salary this time!"

“No—,” Rong Ling explained lightly. “Xiao Quai, think about it carefully. Ruan Chengyi was going to frame Fang Kun from the start, so he investigated everything very thoroughly. But your general manager this time has really put on a good show. Your deputy general manager, Sun Mai, isn’t outstanding You weren’t even thinking of promoting him to general manager before He shouldn’t be much worse than that general manager, right Why didn’t he get involved in the investigation of Fang Kun at all, or at least give you a heads up!”

"Huh!" Lin Meng blinked and stopped in her tracks. "You know, that makes kind of sense! But...but what does that even mean! Is something wrong"

"No! I'm just guessing that your general manager probably wants to make a name for himself, so he followed suit like Ruan Chengyi and focused on Fang Kun. Otherwise, such a detailed investigation wouldn't have been possible in such a short time!"

"Well, you make a good point. Heh heh, I never even thought of that!"

He just smiled at that.

"That must be a very outstanding person, quite visionary!" Lin Meng thought for a moment, then continued. "It's also considered an honor that Ruan Chengyi was able to invite him to the company, right!"

"About that!"

Ambitious people, he also admires them! Those kinds of people will breathe life into the company and lead the entire team to improve the company's performance. Just hope that the man with the somewhat difficult-to-pronounce name is simply someone who is ambitious in their career, and not thinking about any ulterior motives!

But that's just people from Ruan Chengyi's company, he doesn't need to worry about them.

"Baby, come over to my place tonight!"

He wanted to kiss her, to hug her. Who would have thought she'd be so adorable when she smiled!

"No!" she blushed and shook her head, though he couldn't actually see her. "I have to go home tonight, we're having a celebration, hehe, burying the hatchet!"

He was a little unhappy in his heart. How could that place be considered home!

"Little one, when will you ever focus your heart entirely on me!" His tone unconsciously dripped with jealousy.

She paused for a moment, and her smile dimmed slightly.

"I... I..." She stammered, not knowing how to respond.

"Forget it." He helped her out first. If he could wait all these days, what was the point of waiting for a few more

"Hey, buddy!" he demanded.

She blushed. "Wh... why are you kissing me!"

They are not together at all!

"Just on the phone, babe!"

"What...what is this!"

"Hey buddy!" he insisted, like a child, though his voice remained casual.

She shyly bit her lip, holding her phone without saying a word.

"Little darling..." he rasped, his voice dark and full of desire, just like the way he'd held her down back then, whispering in her ear.

Her heart felt like it was being lightly touched by an invisible hand, a tickle spreading through her. Her breath quickened, as if her brain wasn't getting enough oxygen. Then she dizzily shielded the phone's tail end with her hand while secretly darting her eyes around to observe her surroundings!

She's truly bewitched, she's actually going to kiss him!

Just as she turned her eyes, all the romantic feelings dissipated. Because, not far away, someone was watching her. She acted like a guilty person, quickly putting down her hand that was about to cover her mouth, and hurriedly said; "I'll call you later", before Rong Ling could react, she hurriedly hung up the phone.

That man raised an eyebrow, a mix of annoyance and displeasure on his face. That woman, daring to hang up on him, defying him! Now she wouldn't come to him, but just wait, he would show her tonight what happened when you crossed him!

Lin Meng, who was oblivious to the fact that she had already been noticed, quickly forced the blush on her face to recede, then slowed her pace slightly as she walked towards Chou Bao.

"Chou Bao smiled at her."I'm General Lin," she said.

Lin Meng also smiled, and praised without hesitation. "This time, you deserve credit for this!"

"Where!" Qiu exploded, pointing accusingly. "I just provided the information! It was Director Lin who single-handedly took on this responsibility!"

“What can't be endured!” Lin Meng waved her hand confidently. “Dealing with the company’s bad employees is my job. This time, no matter what, you can’t escape blame. I will tell President Ruan and let him give you credit for it!”

Qiu Bao pursed her lips.

Lin Meng smiled and encouraged, "Keep up the good work. CEO Ruan said it himself, he sees all the hard work you put in. As long as you keep doing well, there will definitely be rewards for you!"

Qiu Bao laughed this time, not shying away. "Then I'll thank General Manager Lin first!"

The two of them chatted for a few more moments before parting ways.

Lin Meng was quite satisfied with this outcome and happily planned to tell Ruan Chengyi about it. She thought, "I can't dampen the employees' enthusiasm, can I" Little did she know that when she disappeared from Chou Bao's sight, Chou Bao's face darkened considerably.

***Please note: The original input " >" does not contain any text for translation. I have added "***" as a placeholder to indicate where the translated content would go if there were any. Let me know if you'd like me to translate something else!

On Fang Kun's side, he would never just accept this! For so many years, they have been accustomed to being parasites of the Ruan family, used to the generosity and indulgence shown to them. So with such a sudden judgment, they feel dissatisfied and believe there must still be a way out!

Fang Kun felt like an outsider and didn't seem to have much weight. He went back and mobilized his wife -- Liu Haomin. Liu Haomin was best at the trick of "acting spoiled." When she used this trick against the Ruan family, it usually worked. But this time, she really kicked an iron plate. No matter how Liu Haomin acted coquettishly and used familial affection to pressure them, Ruan Chengyi remained unmoved. He even threatened, "If not for the sake of relatives, I would have sent Fang Kun to the police station long ago." After all, -- Fang Kun had solid evidence!

Liu Haomin and Fang Kun, this couple, only then realized that the situation was different now. They had left a handle in Ruan Chengyi's hands. Even if they, as a couple, caused a huge uproar, they wouldn't be able to stand firm. No one in the company would stand on their side. Thinking about how much they wanted to scold both Ruan Chengyi and Lin Meng, Liu Haomin could only resort to another plan, hurriedly taking her daughter to rush towards the Ruan family!

She wouldn't believe it! She was their aunt after all, Aunt of the three boys from the Ruan family. Could they really be so heartless to ignore her and her family in this time of need! As for the money her husband had embezzled, she would just consider it a gift to them. After all, Guangda wasn't doing badly financially these days!

Let's be honest, there are some people in this world who think the Earth revolves around them!

When Liu Haomin arrived, both Ruan Chenghui and Ruan Chengyang had already been called back home by her phone call. Liu Haomin saw that the two brothers were crying and complained that Lin Meng was ungrateful, ill-intentioned, and hinted that Ruan Chengyi was also heartless. How could her own aunt be so cruel

Fang Kun's daughter, Fang Meijia, was also joining in the commotion, accusing Lin Meng.

Unfortunately, Lin Meng was coming home at that very moment. As soon as she stepped into the house with her little boy's hand in hers, she heard someone speaking ill of her. Needless to say, her heart was far from happy. Since they were relatives of the Ruan family, she, as a later addition, had no standing to chase them away. So, she could only suppress the discomfort in her heart, and pulled Xiao Youyou upstairs.

Liu Haomin, however, was relentless. She rushed forward, raised her hand, and was about to slap Lin Meng, while cursing: "You vile woman, you disgusting woman!"

She really thought Lin Meng was a pushover! After following Rong Ling these days, she had also learned a few basic defensive moves! She let go of the little guy's hand. At the same time, Lin Meng grabbed Liu Haomin's arm that was about to swing down with one hand, and grasped her shoulder with the other. With a turn, a bend, and a straighten of her body, she performed an over-the-shoulder throw, executing it cleanly and efficiently.

"Bang!"

Liu Haomin’s rather portly middle-aged figure, like a giant lead ball, crashed heavily onto the ground. The loud noise sent shivers down everyone's spine!

"Ah--"

Liu Haomin screamed in agony, as if being slaughtered.

Everyone was stunned by the scene. Lin Meng stood there calmly, a faint smile on her face, she glanced at Liu Haomin with disdain, then turned her eyes away and arrogantly swept past Fang Meijia and Fang Kun!

She was like a proud princess, appearing petite but possessing an unyielding aura. Her explosive power struck fear into Fang Meijia and Fang Kun's eyes, while Ruan Chenghui and Ruan Chanyang were filled with awe. For the little ones, it was pure pride. The little ones puffed out their chests, their eyes sparkling with pride, as if basking in glory.

Fang Meijia screamed in surprise, her voice choked with anger. She pointed a finger at Lin Meng and stammered, "You woman, how dare you treat my mother like this! I...I..." She turned away, desperately searching for something to use as a weapon. Finally, finding nothing else, she grabbed a fruit from the coffee table and hurled it at Lin Meng like a stone.

"Mia!" Ruan Cheng Hui's face darkened, he strode forward quickly, and abruptly grabbed her arm, stopping her from moving.

"Chenghui," Fang Meijia called, her voice choked with tears. "Look at that woman! She's so outrageous, Chenghui, please teach her a lesson!"

"Humph—" Ruan Chengyang coldly snorted on one side. "Enough, stop embarrassing yourself!"

Then, he quickly walked towards Lin Meng. He saw Liu Haomin getting up from the ground, for fear that she would do something to Lin Meng again, he had to hurry over and stop her. Don't look at Liu Haomin's plump figure, but her skills were quite nimble. As expected by Ruan Chengan, as soon as she got up, she pounced towards Lin Meng. Lin Meng pulled the little boy back a few steps when Ruan Chengan also arrived.

"Aunty, that's enough!"

Although Ruan Chengyang is a slender and handsome man, he doesn't seem to have much flesh. However, his physical strength is very impressive. Even Liu Haomin, who is quite large, was held down by Ruan Chengyang's two hands. After all, Ruan Chengyang is going to be a surgeon in the future. Without strong physical strength, how could he possibly do it!

Liu Haomin was furious, angrily rebuking Ruan Chengyang for letting her go and then started berating Lin Meng. Fang Meijia also joined in the commotion, unwilling to be outdone by her mother, and they scolded together, one high and one low.

Ruan Chenghui had simply reached his limit, finding the constant chatter of this mother-daughter duo unbearable.

“Shut up all of you!” he roared fiercely, grabbing Fang Meijia and heading for the door. When Fang Kun saw that things were getting out of hand, he hurriedly came over to stop him. As for him, Ruan Chenghui didn't even give him any face.

"Get lost!"

That condescending tone made Fang Kun's face flush red, but he dared not speak out. After all, he still had something to ask of the Ruan family!

“Cheng Hui, what are you doing! Let go of your sister!”

"Auntie, shut up! Be quiet! All of you, get out!"

阮承輝 forcefully pulled Fang Meijia and pushed her out the door.

Not only was Fang Meijia unbelievable, even Liu Haomin couldn't believe it. This nephew, one after another, what medicine did he take wrong! Their own daughter is their most beloved sister, and in the past when their daughter found trouble with Lin Meng several times, they stood on her side! So what happened now!

But she didn't know that the era when the Ruan family blindly stood on Fang Meijia's side was long gone!

Li Hao-min was still screaming recklessly. "Ruan Cheng-hui, don't be rude to your sister, she's your sister! Ruan Cheng-yang, let her go!"

"Ruan Chengyang smiled coldly. “Ignorant fool, you insult my stepmother, which means you insult me. I've tolerated you for a long time!"

He directly twisted and sent Liu Haomin, also toward the door.

Liu Hao-min's face changed dramatically. Looking at her two nephews, whose expressions were as cold as ice, she suddenly burst into tears, her mouth opening wide in a sudden outburst.

"My goodness, what have we done wrong! Sister, my dear sister, did you see that How is your son treating me He must be possessed! He actually pushed our aunt out of the house! Sister, look at this, once you leave, everyone forgets about each other. These three sons of yours have such cold hearts! What kind of stepmother does this woman think she is She's just an outsider, how could she possibly be a stepmother Sister, my dear sister, listen to me, what is going on This breaks my heart..."

Liu Haomin started her usual routine of "crying, making a fuss, and threatening suicide." In the past, this tactic always worked on Ruan Chenghui and his family, who usually obliged her every request. But this time, even after being stunned for a moment, Ruan Changan simply continued to stare coldly at her before pushing her away without any politeness.

Then the two brothers stood like door gods, one on each side, blocking Liu Haomin and Fang Meijia from entering.

Lin Meng's eyes flashed slightly, pulling the little one to his side and silently watching this historic moment!

Here, the two brothers, Nguyen Cheng Huy, are eyeing Fang Kun who is still inside the house!

Fang Kun, that man, was actually all bark and no bite. With a glare from the two brothers, he immediately became wise and went out the door. Liu Haomin, now without Ruan Chengyang's restraint, let loose. She plopped down on the ground like a shrew, wailing and pounding the earth at the same time. The sound of her cries was so tragic, her sobbing so piercing, it was as if someone had died in the house.

Ruan Chenghui and Ruan Chenyang both furrowed their brows.

"Auntie, at your age, aren't you ashamed Get up and let's go!"

Liu Haomin, however, thought that the two nephews were afraid and cried even louder. What was she afraid of She wished more people would come! She wanted to shame them so badly that they wouldn't be able to show their faces, so much so that they would have no choice but to invite her back into the house.

She began to accuse the three nephews of being ungrateful, saying that when their father had abandoned them, she had helped out a lot. She also said how she had taken care of their family after their mother passed away. But now that a stepmother had come into the house, they completely disregarded their old feelings...

At this time, outside the fence of the courtyard, there were already a group of people gathered, pointing at the few people inside the courtyard.

Liu Haomin was pleased with herself, speaking more and more excitedly, her lips flapping wildly and saliva flying everywhere!

Ruan Chengyi and Ruan Chengyang listened with burning eyes. In this world, the hardest thing is to reason with a shrew. What Liu Haomin said seemed plausible, but how much had she taken from this family, how many benefits had she received She didn't even mention that! She claimed to be devoted to them, but when their three brothers were on the verge of ruin during the initial property division, where was her family

There are some things that Nguyen Cheng-hui and his people didn't understand clearly back then; however, as time passed, they naturally figured things out. Especially during their difficult times, when they sought help from heaven and earth but received no response, everyone avoided them like thieves. They truly experienced the coldness of human nature at that time. These so-called relatives were very attentive to them when they were doing well; however, when they fell on hard times, they hid faster than anyone else!

Humph!

Both Nguyen Cheng Hui and Nguyen Cheng Yang's hearts were filled with mockery!

Since their big brother set up this whole situation, it means Fang Kun's corruption back then was indeed a fact. They embezzled so much money, and now they are only required to return a tiny fraction, and they start crying and complaining like helpless children. Now they act righteous and talk about favors, it's simply laughable.

The two brothers remained silent, only glaring at Liu Haomin as she put on her performance. The more heated Liu Haomin's display became, the more thoroughly severed her relationship with the Ruan family grew. Finally, the two brothers waited for Ruan Chengyi to arrive after receiving the news. The three brothers exchanged glances, already understanding each other’s thoughts. They nodded at each other, knowing that the other two shared their same idea.

"That's enough!"

阮 Cheng-hui started to yell, finally launching a sharp counterattack. He accused Liu Hao-min's family of being insatiable, lacking discretion and behaving immorally for all these years. After that, Ruan Cheng-yi took over the conversation, coldly and unceremoniously tearing away the last layer of pretense.

“All I'm asking is for you to return the money you’ve stolen. That should be enough face for you, what else do you want! This amount of money is nothing compared to what you’ve embezzled before. Aunt, we three brothers aren’t an infinite ATM! You keep taking money out like this, leaving us with no way to survive! We have families to support too! Just watching you take the money like this means we'll be left with nothing! We'll end up starving! Aunt, please stop! Even if you were our real mother, you wouldn’t be so heartless! Give us a chance!”

This speech was like a knife, scraping against Liu Haomin's family. It scraped so hard that the three of them were embarrassed. The onlookers surrounding them were all residents of this district, so they were all of decent quality. They had originally been watching Liu Haomin make a scene as if it were a monkey show and didn't have much sympathy for her in their hearts. In addition, there were a few children from other families who had previously eaten the grilled skewers from this family. These were acquaintances, and they couldn't possibly stand on Liu Haomin's side and accuse the Ruan family.

Now that the Ruan brothers had said this, they stood completely unburdened on the side of their family, pointing at Liu Haomin's family and muttering. Their voices weren't loud, but enough for Liu Haomin's family to hear. With everyone chiming in one after another, Liu Haomin was already feeling embarrassed by what the Ruan brothers had said. Now, being scolded like this, he simply couldn't stay any longer and could only slink away.

She couldn't understand why those people didn't support her when she was scolding harshly just now, but as soon as those few boys spoke up, they immediately chimed in. It's really infuriating!

That's just the way things are in this world. Some people have unpleasant appearances and repulsive speech. Even if she cries her eyes out, it's hard to evoke sympathy from others! Besides, Liu Haomin isn't in the right, is she!

As Ruan Chengyi said, even if the Liu family returned all the money they made recently, it would only be a drop in the bucket. The saying "nine cows and one hair" is truly apt. Although the Ruan brothers are not heartless, perhaps out of past affection, they let Liu Haomin and his family off this time.

Liu Hao Min is reluctant to give up this money! Yes, she made a lot of money before, enough for their family of three to just stay at home and enjoy a life of comfort without doing anything. But human greed is endless. With so much money, Liu Hao Min wanted more. As the saying goes, "Not a family doesn't enter a family," Fang Kun is the same way. This couple was blinded by greed and set their sights on the stock market, thinking that the more they invested, the more they would earn. They went all in. However, China's stock market is unpredictable, the most volatile in the world; speculating in stocks is essentially a win-lose-seven times loss situation. For ordinary people, trading stocks is almost like being a prodigal son. You have as much money as you want to spend. Needless to say, the Fang family's money shrank rapidly overnight. Stock trading is actually a disguised form of gambling. Gamblers always think that after a big loss, they can rely on luck to win big and recoup their previous losses. But in the end, the result is usually more losses. The Fang family was the same. They lost almost all their money in the stock market, which is why Fang Kun couldn't wait any longer. After becoming the head of procurement for a new company not long ago, he couldn't resist going back to his old ways and used the company's money to fill his increasingly empty pockets!

This money, Fang Kun can't pay back because after holding onto the "get rich quick" mentality, he poured the hot, freshly acquired cash into the stock market. The gambler's psychology is: I don't believe it, I will keep losing like this, there will be no time to make a profit!

They always pin their hopes on that elusive luck, which may or may not return to them someday.

After this family returned home dejectedly, they racked their brains to come up with a plan. After both adults were stumped, the youngest, Mei Jia, came up with a scheme.

"I'm going to find Lin Zi and talk to her. She's Lin Meng's sister. Mom and Dad, I think the key to this whole thing is Lin Meng. She started it, and judging by how things went just now, her cousins are really protective of her. If Lin Meng admits fault later on, things will probably be easier to resolve!"

“You bitch!” Liu Haomin’s heart filled with rage the instant she heard the name Lin Meng. Ever since that woman arrived, misfortune followed one after another. She couldn’t stand Lin Meng at all. Moreover, before Lin Meng came, she was the rightful elder of the Ruan family; but now, she had to yield her position. So, between her and Lin Meng, there was bound to be conflict. This was also why Fang Meijia always went to the Ruan family to give Lin Meng a hard time!

"I don't need that little slut. Hmph, even if I die, don't expect me to ask her for anything!"

Liu Haomin was always arrogant in front of Lin Meng, causing her to suddenly feel inferior. She wouldn't stand for it.

Fang Meijia pouted. "Mom, what do you think You won't be allowed to ask that woman for help. Hmph, she doesn't deserve it!"

"What do you mean!"

"Just have Lin Zixiu take the field. She's her sister, surely she would listen to her sister!"

Liu Haomin nodded, but she was a little worried. "Do you really think her sister's words will work so well Are you sure that Lin Zi can help"

"Of course I can! Hmph, as soon as I tell her, she'll have to take care of it for me!"

Fang Meijia and Lin Zi are classmates. Before, Lin Zi always asked her to do things. In Fang Meijia's eyes, Lin Zi was as low as a dog. Now that she went there, she would just give Lin Zi some scraps of meat, and Lin Zi would definitely follow suit.

Upon hearing what Fang Mei-jia had to say, the Fang family's faces all lit up.

"Well, Jiajia, go quickly!"

"That's great!" Fang Meijia slung her bag over her shoulder and went out!ing thinks her chances of convincing Madam He to give up her plan are much higher. After all, with He Ya not around, Madam He might be able to make decisions more clearly. However, this kind of thankl...