Chapter 26: The Adorably Goofy Little One

Jiang Li’s words brought a sense of relief to her assistant, Lin Fan. He had to admit, he liked having a boss with such backbone. Jiang Li possessed the same commanding presence as the company’s former head, Jiang Jinxiu.

Jiang Li’s direct dismissal successfully provoked Qin Mu into a glare. "Fine. Designer Jiang, you certainly have some nerve, don't you? A woman with a past riddled with scandals—what right do you have to point fingers here?"

Jiang Li offered a faint smile at his disdain. "What right? The right of being a member of the Jiang family. I carry the name Jiang. Even though my father is gone, he spent his life defending the interests of this company until the very end."

Jiang Xue sauntered over with a haughty expression. "Oh, please. Your father was nothing more than an employee of the Jiang Group. I don't even know who he is. Cousin Jiang Li, aren't you being a bit ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous?" Jiang Li’s face turned cold as she looked at Jiang Xue’s arrogant demeanor. "Is it more ridiculous than you hiding the truth from me and forcing my daughter, Youyou, to donate a kidney to your son? Do you truly not know Youyou, or do you simply not know me? Is there anything honorable about the schemes you and that scumbag have pulled?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xue raised her hand to strike her, but Lin Fan quickly intervened. "Wait, Miss Jiang, we are in the office. I hope you won't overstep."

Jiang Xue withdrew her hand and shot a piercing glare at Jiang Li. "Hmph. A woman who can't even protect her own daughter has no right to blame others. Who can prove I forced your daughter? Who told you to marry a piece of trash?"

The wound on Jiang Li’s nail bed reopened, the dull, throbbing pain forcing her to suppress her emotions once more.

"Jiang Xue, you’re no better than me. After all, even when you go picking through garbage, you still end up with someone else’s leftovers. I would rather spend the night in a hotel with a stranger than be with you and Qin Mu. That is a fact!"

Jiang Li’s words were sharp and precise, striking straight at the hearts of both. Qin Mu’s face turned green with rage; he stared at Jiang Li with a look of disbelief.

Jiang Xue immediately clung to Qin Mu’s arm to complain. "Brother Qin Mu, look! Look at how my cousin has lost all sense of shame, treating the seduction of men as something to be proud of. She—she is a disgrace to all women!"

Qin Mu looked at the person before him with icy indifference. He pulled his arm away and walked toward Jiang Li. Step by step, he loomed over her.

Jiang Li took two steps back. Recalling the pain this man had inflicted upon her, she felt a flicker of fear. But then she remembered her daughter, whose whereabouts were still unknown—what did she have left to fear?

She straightened her back, no longer cowering, and stood her ground. "Is President Qin so stung by the truth that you’re flying into a rage? Go ahead, call the police and have me arrested. Didn't you claim I was the one who killed your father? Then let the police uncover the truth."

Stunned by her defiance, Qin Mu looked at Jiang Li with disbelief. She seemed so like a stranger that his own heartache felt ephemeral.

"Jiang Li, that’s enough!" Qin Mu grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall.

Lin Fan panicked. "How can a man lay hands on a woman? President Qin, I suggest you stay rational."

Qin Mu’s chest heaved with anger. "Jiang Li, what exactly do you want? I had a paternity test done. Youyou is not my daughter."

Jiang Li sneered, staring straight into his eyes. "Is that so? So now you feel that I have nothing to do with you anymore, is that it? Qin Mu, the biggest regret of my life was meeting you and knowing you!"

The veins on Qin Mu’s arms bulged, his skin turning pale, while his eyes burned with a lingering, inseparable love. "When you were at that hotel with someone else, did you ever think about how much I suffered? You were the one who betrayed our love first."

Jiang Li laughed. "It’s true that men think with their lower halves. I was just a small secretary; I had the love of the president. Why would I not cherish it and instead run to a hotel to be with someone else? Qin Mu, do you have any common sense at all? Are you even human?"

Jiang Li’s reminder caused Jiang Xue to panic. As Qin Mu fell into deep thought, Jiang Xue rushed over and pulled the two apart.

"Brother Qin Mu," Jiang Xue pleaded, "she is my cousin, after all. Please, don't argue with her anymore. Her daughter is missing, and she finally found this job. Let’s not disturb her, okay?"

Jiang Xue’s words made Qin Mu loosen his grip. He cast a sorrowful glance at Jiang Li. "Fine. Assistant Lin, the contract split was indeed my oversight. Let's reverse it; we’ll sign at a 60/40 split."

Lin Fan was stunned for a moment before reacting. "Right, President Qin, please hold on. I will update the contract terms immediately." Lin Fan worked quickly, fearing that Qin Mu might change his mind.

They signed the revised contract on the spot, and Jiang Li quietly retreated from the president’s office. The moment she stepped out, her legs were shaking.

They had once been a loving couple—how had it come to this? And who was the man in the hotel that night? With this thought, Jiang Li dialed the number of Brother Scar. "Go investigate. No matter what, you must find out who that man was that night at the hotel."

Since money could solve problems, she was determined to uncover the truth of that year.

"Pretty lady, have you seen my daddy?" A crisp, melodious voice suddenly struck Jiang Li’s eardrums.

She turned to see a little boy of about three, looking up at her with an adorable, dazed expression. Jiang Li was instantly drawn in by the boy’s clear eyes, and her own eyes welled up with tears. Youyou—his eyes were so similar to Youyou’s.

The anger that had built up within her dissipated in an instant. Overflowing with maternal instinct, she crouched down, her voice incredibly gentle. "Little one, are you lost? What is your daddy’s name?"

With large eyes and a rosy face, despite his slightly thin frame, the boy possessed an innate elegance. He was a little gentleman—wealthy, handsome, and refined. Dressed in a red and black plaid suit with a tie, his short, stylish hair added to his natural charisma.

He felt so familiar. Why did she feel this surge of maternal love just by looking at him, just as she did with her daughter?

"Pretty lady, you are so beautiful. My name is Chenchen. I came to find my daddy. He came for a business meeting and told me not to run around, but it was so boring in the car, and I’m in a hurry to find my 'little big sister,' so I came up to call him!"

"Little big sister?" Jiang Li’s eyes reddened at the mention of Youyou.

"Yeah, the big sister is very pretty. She saved me, but now I don't know where she went. I have to find her, or her mommy will be so sad."

Jiang Li’s eyes grew moist. "But I still don't know your daddy’s name, so I can't help you."

"Pretty lady, my name is Qin Jinchen, and my daddy is Qin Mu. Have you seen him? My daddy is very nice, he’s handsome, and he’s the best daddy in the whole world."

The words "Qin Mu" shattered Jiang Li’s heart into pieces. She stumbled back two steps in disbelief. No wonder she had felt such a connection to the child—it was because her daughter’s kidney was beating within him.