After Yunqi informed Cheng Jie of Shang Ning's words, Cheng Jie nearly overturned the office in anger. The anxiety in his heart had been confirmed, decades of hard work were about to be lost in an instant. In the following period, Gaorui Qing noticed that Cheng Jie's secretive actions had significantly reduced, and he became more obedient in front of him.

However, Cheng Jie's caution did not alleviate the problems facing their family. Upon hearing about Yunqi's frantic behavior in Shiyu County just to get information about a man, Cheng Cheng's distressed heart, blank memory, only held the message that Shang Ning wanted to drink with him.

The alcohol in the fridge at home had already been consumed by him, and when Shang Ning came by car, the back seat was filled with several crates of beer. He intentionally didn't buy other alcohol because excessive drinking is harmful, especially when in a bad mood.

"Why are you so stingy, only buying beer?" Cheng Jie's eyes were blurry with drunkenness, his body swaying, but his speech surprisingly clear.

Shang Ning smiled and poured tea for both Cheng Jie and himself. "Have you already found out?"

"What did you find out... um, many buddies are talking about this matter. I didn't expect both you and I to be surpassed by an unknown man!"

"Are you planning to continue expanding your harem?" Shang Ning asked with concern for his good friend, but speaking lightly.

"Expand? Why wouldn't I?" Cheng Jie laughed self-deprecatingly, his tone cool.

Though Cheng Jie spoke out of spite, Shang Ning noticed it, sighed, and then they clinked their beer bottles together, drinking until they were both thoroughly drunk. It wasn't until the next day when the cleaning staff arrived that they woke up, one on the sofa and the other on the floor.

Soon after, Shang Ning learned that Cheng Jie had decided to go abroad for a PhD. This news had been heard three years ago, but when he inquired about it at the time, Cheng Jie had always said that he was in his prime and couldn't let the pursuit of knowledge interfere with tasting all the beauties in the world. Time passed, and now he himself brought up the matter unexpectedly.

Upon learning that his eldest son was turning over a new leaf, Mr. Cheng happily pulled Cheng Xiang, who hadn't slept for days and nights, to drink a large bowl of Erguotou. Erguotou, as the name suggests, is a type of liquor produced in the second pot during the distillation process. It is the purest, least pungent, and though high in alcohol content, it's not harsh. It was Mr. Cheng's favorite.

Cheng Jie going abroad completely destroyed the little scheming in his heart, making him so angry that he nearly spat blood. Without Cheng Jie at home, the Cheng family simply ignored them. Historically, there has been no distinction between officials and businessmen. Without the backing of officials, even simple procedures like export inspections can cost them a lot of money through bribery.

After finishing classes in the afternoon, Huayan walked out of the school gate with her books hugged close to her chest. She was stopped after a few steps. When she turned her head, she was unhappy to see Li Meier, who was wearing simple makeup today.

Seeing Huayan's displeasure, Li Meier quickly let go of her hand and apologized, "Sorry, did my light makeup scare you?"

"It's okay." Li Meier was dressed casually today, giving off a less detestable vibe overall. It was just strange how she suddenly changed like this.

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Or would you prefer tea?"

"No need. Just tell me what you want to say here."

"It seems that my past self was indeed quite detestable, since you're unwilling, let's just talk as we walk." Li Meier smiled bitterly. Huayan nodded in agreement, and the two of them strolled along the pedestrian path lined with lush trees.

"Do you know? The Cheng family is in chaos now. Yunqi's return to China made Shang Ning, the second young master of the Shang family in Haibin City, see her true colors. From then on, he ignored her. The eldest son of the Cheng family, Cheng Cheng, heard about Yunqi's affairs in Shiyu County and was so heartbroken that he went abroad for further studies. With the two major backers gone, Cheng Jie's future days won't be as smooth and enjoyable as before. You must be very happy to hear these news, right?"

"I won't deny that I'm not unhappy."

"You're becoming more and more unpredictable. When I heard this news, I was particularly happy. Since I couldn't share my happiness with anyone else, I thought of you and came to find you." Li Meier paused and continued, "Actually, you don't need to be so guarded against me. It was my own foolishness that led me to seduce Cheng Jie so shamelessly in the past. But in the end, I got what I deserved, played by him, and then kicked out like garbage.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

To retaliate against Cheng Jie, I found out about Yunqi's news and told Shang Ning's older brother and sister-in-law, which led to Shang Ning's subsequent actions. Do you think I'm very wicked?"

"Whether you're wicked or not, you know best." At this moment, Huayan finally understood some of the things Shang Ning mentioned, and Li Meier was indeed a key player.

Li Meier smiled complicatedly and continued, "Yes. What kind of person someone truly is, only they themselves know. In this matter, not only did I retaliate against Cheng Jie, but I also received some money from Shang Ning's sister-in-law. With the Shang family's help, I broke free from the Li family's control and opened my own clothing store. If you go, I'll give you a fifty percent discount."

Huayan thought Li Meier's transformation was too drastic. Despite her malicious intentions, she extended her perception and confirmed that everything Li Meier had just said was true. The little suspicion in her heart disappeared, but she still wondered what kind of enlightenment Li Meier had experienced to live so calmly and freely now.

"But I know you're still not ready to forgive me, and you don't want to see me more often. I won't appear in front of you anymore. I wish you happiness!" Li Meier smiled with a hint of bitterness and left quickly without waiting for Huayan to respond.

Watching Li Meier, who seemed to have escaped from a birdcage and was now freely soaring, Huayan's feelings were complicated, and she didn't know how to express them. The past was like smoke and dust. If Li Meier had truly changed for the better, lived independently, happily, and no longer disturbed her life, she could convince herself not to take action against her.

Suddenly, in the quiet neighborhood, police cars sounded their sirens, and a crowd gathered around a unit downstairs, discussing something loudly. After listening quietly for a while, Huayan learned that a couple in this unit, due to drug addiction and poverty, broke into a retired elderly couple's home while people were napping and, failing to get any money, stabbed the two elderly people to death.

Soon after, the police led out a pair of men and women with faces like dead wood, dirty and ragged clothes, and hands cuffed together. The crowd quickly dispersed, covering their noses and mouths as if avoiding a plague.

Among them, a pair of fifteen or sixteen-year-old siblings caught Huayan's attention. Tears welled up in their eyes as they stood silently at the entrance of the building, watching the couple. Asking the people around her, Huayan learned that these siblings were the children of the couple. They had been living with their grandparents since early on, never returning to this home once a year. Today, they probably came after hearing that their parents had killed someone, just to take one last look.

Once again, it was a pair of siblings harmed by drugs, and who knows how many families across the country are facing the same tragic fate. This incident made Huayan feel even more strongly about the urgency of anti-drug work.

After returning home and hastily eating dinner, she called to inquire about the actions taken against the drug trafficking group, but Lao Qiao told her that the last time the drug trafficking group suffered heavy losses, they might employ various tactics and strategies to achieve their goals, and there was no intelligence available yet.

Lao Qiao also informed her that Zhang Bing's sentence had been handed down: life imprisonment. He would never have the chance to step out of prison again in this lifetime. Huayan could only sigh in response, and she asked Lao Qiao to deliver 100,000 yuan to Zhang Bing's family, hoping to improve their lives a bit. Later, she learned that in addition to the 100,000 yuan, there was also money from Lao Qiao, Lao Yang, Wulin, and others.

Returning from the Feicui Maoliao Public Plate in Shiyu County, Gao Ruching finished handling the accumulated documents. He asked the secretary sitting opposite his office, "Has the jade jewelry for Huayan been completed?"

"Yes, the workshop called and said they're all ready."

"Perfect timing, let's go. We'll personally deliver them to her." Gao Ruching stood up, grabbing his coat.

"But don't you have a dinner appointment later?"

"I'll just say I suddenly feel unwell and cancel it."

Huayan's mother's pastries and her father's tea were eaten by Gao Ruching as he left, leaving only a few leftovers. Huayan's father bluntly said that he had misjudged Gao Ruching; he was indeed a bandit through and through. Hearing this, both Huayan and her mother chuckled. However, the craftsmanship and styles of the jade jewelry made from her own jade somewhat comforted her father's dissatisfied heart.

Before going to bed with the lights off, Huayan gently stroked her abdomen by the moonlight, silently praying to the moon. As she slept, the Dragon and Phoenix Jade Pendant, which had not responded since leaving the special base, once again had the jadeite inside it flowing gently under the moonlight. For a moment, a green thread of light flowed over Huayan's body, finally stopping and rotating on her abdomen.

Only when the moon was obscured by thick clouds did the green thread of light from the Dragon and Phoenix Jade Pendant retract back into the pendant. Certain functions of Huayan's abdomen were being repaired, visible only under a microscope magnified ten million times. Looking at Huayan's sleeping face, her black skin was gradually changing to fair and tender under the moonlight.

The next day, it started raining outside. As Huayan slept in and got up to eat breakfast, her father suddenly scrutinized her face and then exclaimed happily and smugly, "It's better at home, isn't it? Look, in just a few days, Yanyan's skin has become fair again. Listen to Daddy and have another bowl of chicken soup; it's the most nourishing and beautifying thing."

Her mother also followed suit, picking up some chicken skin and putting it on Huayan's already piled-up plate, saying, "That's right, this chicken skin is a natural beauty product. Miss, you should eat more."

Seeing the mountain-like dishes in front of her and the earnest gazes of her father and mother, Huayan clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and devoured the food at lightning speed, then hurriedly escaped back to her nest. She was afraid that if she walked slowly, her father and the others would make up reasons for her to eat more.

Her father, not understanding or pretending not to understand, said puzzledly, "Why did that brat run so fast?" Her mother smiled and nodded in agreement. This moment of happiness was shattered by a man and a woman at noon.