Chapter 212: Just how much have you been hiding?

An hour ago.

Ji Family.

Ji Lao finished dinner and was walking in the hall to aid digestion, gazing at the heavy snow falling outside; he stood by the window for a while, thinking that this year's snow in A City had come earlier than in the previous two years, when he heard the maid passing behind him muttering softly.

"Miss Lin's parcel has been here for seven days; why hasn't Miss Lin come yet?"

"Miss Lin used to come every few days, but she hasn't come in a long time lately."

Ji Lao also noticed that his granddaughter had been contacting him less often lately; Shutong had always been his most filial grandchild.

"What parcel?" he asked, turning around.

The maid said, "It's a document; I don't know exactly what it is."

"A document?" Ji Lao, who was sensitive to documents, gestured for the maid to bring it to him.

The EMS envelope was handed to him, and he immediately tore it open.

A blank white envelope with no writing.

Ji Lao frowned, tore it open, took out a tri-fold document from inside, opened it, and suddenly saw the three large characters "Lawyer's Letter".

Upon closer look, it was a lawyer's letter sent by Jiang Lai through Bo Zheng Law Firm!

It demanded that Shutong return in full the marital property belonging to Jiang Lai and Shen Xun, amounting to over one hundred million!

Ji Lao staggered and almost fell, but the nearby maid, quick-eyed and quick-handed, steadied him; of course she also saw the words "lawyer's letter" on the document, and her face turned grim.

This, this...

The maid hurriedly helped Ji Lao sit on the sofa, then rushed to call a doctor to have him examine Ji Lao's condition.

Ji Lao's current constitution couldn't withstand another ordeal; the last time Miss Lin had acted as a mistress to a married person, resulting in her expulsion from the project team, which had already caused Ji Lao to faint and be hospitalized.

At his age, a few more scares like that could cost him his life!

Ji Lao leaned back on the sofa, clutching the lawyer's letter in his hand, trembling continuously; he didn't let the maid call a doctor, but with a stern face said, "Have the driver go get Shutong and bring her to me!"

"Right away! Immediately!"

The old master's anger drew his son and daughter-in-law, who wanted to know what had happened; Ji Lao, meanwhile, clenched the lawyer's letter, fuming, and rose to head for the study.

"When Shutong arrives, have her come to the study to find me!"

The Ji couple exchanged a glance; well, their niece had surely stirred up some trouble out there again.

"Do you believe that one day this niece of yours will throw our household into chaos?"

"Who made you give birth to a son who isn't as clever as others? If he were that clever, my father wouldn't have fixated all his thoughts on Shutong, hoping she would one day inherit his mantle."

"Is the son mine alone to raise? Now it's my fault—why don't you blame yourself? You're not as smart as your sister either. Besides, can fame be turned into money? We live in a villa today, and most of our money is what we two have earned through hard work."

The man suddenly said, "Dad has money."

The woman blinked and said, "What?"

He just hasn't taken it out yet.

The man said there was nothing to it.

The couple exchanged a few more words, their eyes fixed on the study, sitting on the sofa planning to watch the show when Lin Shutong arrived.

Lin Shutong entered the Ji household, saw her uncle and aunt sitting on the sofa, and politely greeted them.

The woman raised her chin slightly and said, "Your grandfather is in the study; go in."

She said nothing else.

Lin Shutong felt uneasy, pushed the door open and entered, closed it, walked up to her grandfather, and a sheet of paper flew onto her face.

"Take a look yourself—what is this?!"

Lin Shutong's status in the Ji household had always been high; both the maid and the driver would side with her.

On her way over, the Ji family's maid had already secretly called her to tell her about the lawyer's letter, and the driver reminded her on the road that her grandfather's face looked terrible, even angrier than last time.

"Grandfather..." Lin Shutong swallowed, then immediately apologized, saying, "I was wrong, but I truly didn't know before; I only found out after returning that Ah Xun was already married. Besides, the three million a month he said was an investment for me—private investment is still investment—how could I be expected to pay it back?"

"You say you didn't know, but then how did you previously claim that Shen Xun married Jiang Lai just to provoke you into coming back?"

Lin Shutong choked: "I only found out after returning to the country. Grandfather, Jiang Lai did this on purpose—she dislikes me, she dislikes you, and used this method to disgust us."

"Lin Shutong!" Ji Lao bellowed, "Just how much have you been hiding?! Do you want to see how much money is written here and what it involves?!"

"Luxury cars, high-end residences, valuable jewelry and ornaments, plus other movable assets! I know Shen Xun spent money on you, but how could it be this much?"

"It's not like I asked for it."

"Then you wouldn't refuse it?"

"At that time I didn't know he was married, and he kept saying he liked me..." In fact, she had never even regarded that Jiang Lai in her eyes.

"If you like me, why have you kept putting off marrying me?" Ji Lao's question completely silenced her.

Lin Shutong couldn't think of another excuse, and she instantly felt wronged.

"That's his problem; what good does it do for you to yell at me, Grandfather?"

Ji Lao looked at his aggrieved granddaughter, her eyes reddened, and for the first time did not comfort her but continued to reproach: "Haven't I told you not to hang out with Shen Xun anymore? I told you to spend more time with Gu Zhiyan—do you treat my words as wind in the ears? Do you still want to go on in scientific research?"

Ji Lao understood better than anyone that to stand firm in a circle, ability is the entry ticket, but not a talisman.

What truly lets one stand firm and go far is the eye for opportunism, the ability to seize chances, and preferably a bit of daring.

He had clearly paved the way for his granddaughter; if she followed his plan, her future would be bright!

The path of scientific research sounds pure and noble, but only upon entering does one realize that countless people below are mere fodder, competing on talent, time, and output, with only a few managing to rise to prominence.

He himself had once been such fodder; seizing an opportunity allowed him to rise, and after great effort he attained this high position, having connections and resources, yet suffering from a lack of anyone completely trustworthy to inherit them.

Lin Shutong, who carries his blood and has a bit of cleverness, is his last hope.

He knows this granddaughter isn't particularly outstanding nor hardworking, but he can cultivate her, investing time, money, and energy to give her resources as a stepping stone.

As for her, aside from the four years of overseas study which were fairly honest and law-abiding, since returning home she's constantly stirring up trouble!

The more Ji Lao thought about it, the angrier he got, pointing at the lawyer's letter and making the paper rustle with his pokes.

If this gets out, where am I supposed to put my old face? If this blows up in court, how are you supposed to go on from now on?

Now, as long as you get results at Yuan Shu Technology, you can take those results and knock on the door of another research institute—I've already planned it all for you!

If you can be together with Gu Zhiyan of the Gu family, the Gu Family will still support you, you know! What does Shen Xun have that makes you so obsessed?

Lin Shutong knew her maternal grandfather was thinking for her own good, and she didn't want to pretend anymore: "If I keep being with Ah Xun, Jiang Lai really will demand I repay this money, but Ah Xun certainly won't just ignore us."

"Us?" Ji Lao suddenly caught onto that word.