Chapter 38

Good times eventually end; a week passed.

Amid the villagers' hopes, the family of three set off on their return journey.

Gu Jia was eager to get back to Shanghai—during this time she had gathered plenty of materials and ideas, and was rolling up her sleeves, desperate to dive in and make a big splash.

But Wang Yan wasn't in a hurry, and Xu Ziyan was even less so; knowing they still had a week to play, he was over the moon. The family vote was two to one, and Gu Jia had no room to object.

In the end, they once again wandered slowly, stopping to visit Ningbo and Zhoushan, took a boat out to sea, and saw Dongji Island, Putuo Mountain, and such.

After circling a large loop, they finally returned to Shanghai.

Back home, the three of them rested for a day. Everyone was tired from traveling; once home, they just wanted to flop down and do nothing.

Even Xu Ziyan, who had been skipping and jumping all along, had lost his energy.

This was normal—over twenty days, more than half were spent on the road. They'd rushed through too many places, and returning home left them slightly disoriented.

Through this trip, Wang Yan gained some experience.

Traveling around like this is just about seeing something new. By the end, honestly, everyone was a bit worn out.

You still need to live somewhere locally, experience it deeply, and understand it thoroughly—only then can you gain insights and rewards that aren't superficial.

They slept soundly on their big bed at home.

Xu Ziyan bounced off to kindergarten to show off to the other kids.

Gu Jia went to a dessert shop to meet up with the other wives. This time, she'd learned her lesson—she no longer foolishly thought she, Gu Jia, was someone important.

She didn't seek out Mrs. Li, yet still warmly greeted them all.

Gu Jia's connection to Wang Yan had spread through the wife circle during this time. That was normal—some of them had husbands who collaborated with Wang Yan, and they could learn about him by chatting with his subordinates. In this circle, there were no secrets; if you asked around, you'd know exactly what level Wang Yan was at.

In the original plot, Gu Jia was so far below them in status that she still managed to rise and join the core group. Now that she was with Wang Yan, need I say more?

Even Mrs. Li came over to apologize, saying it was all due to her subordinates' behavior and that she had no idea.

This wasn't Mrs. Li backing down—technically, her Li family crushed Wang Yan. It was merely recognition of Gu Jia's upgrade and a way to preserve face.

Gu Jia clearly sensed the change in their attitude toward her, yet didn't understand why—until she asked her friend Mrs. Yu, who explained everything.

Once she understood, she muttered to herself: "So I'm Mrs. Wang now."

The feeling was strange. Before, without powerful backing, she'd genuinely looked down on them, thinking these women were nothing special.

But now that she was "Mrs. Wang," she had truly become one of them—and only after blending in did she realize: this feeling was truly good. She no longer disliked them or looked down on them. People are like this—after all, why stand when you can lie down?

Moreover, as a beneficiary of this status, who knows when she might lose her original heart and start treating the next Gu Jia the same way they once treated her.

After the gathering, she made plans with her close friends again.

They'd kept in touch during this time, just sharing photos of food and scenery to show off, without saying much—everyone was too busy to waste time gossiping.

Back at the same coffee shop, the three friends reunited.

Seeing Gu Jia, Zhong Xiaoqin excitedly rushed forward and hugged her, pouting: "Gu Jia, I missed you so much! Why did you only come back now?"

She smiled and explained the reason, then expressed how much she'd missed them both.

They ordered drinks, sat down, and began chatting idly.

"I saw your photos—the tea factory place was so beautiful," said Wang Manni, sipping her coffee.

Zhong Xiaoqin nodded beside her, agreeing wholeheartedly—she thought the place was truly wonderful.

"It's alright. When I get the chance, I'll take you two there," Gu Jia replied, then described the place in detail, happily soaking in their envy and admiration.

They chatted for hours about their travels.

Mostly, the two asked questions, and Gu Jia answered casually.

That was normal—they'd all traveled abroad frequently, and within China, they'd mostly visited only the most famous, well-known places.

The places Wang Yan and company had visited included many lesser-known spots with equally stunning scenery. Sometimes, an obscure road or an unknown mountain turned out to be a rare gem.

You never know when, where, what thing, or what person will suddenly take your breath away—that's the greatest charm of travel.

After covering their travels, Gu Jia asked the two: "Alright, enough about me. How have you two been lately?"

She turned to Zhong Xiaoqin: "How's it going with Zhong Xiaoyang?"

At this, Zhong Xiaoqin frowned: "Ugh, it's the same as always. I don't know what to do. When I'm with Zhong Xiaoyang, I think of Chen Yu; when I'm with Chen Yu, I can't help thinking of Zhong Xiaoyang. What should I do?"

She looked helplessly between Gu Jia and Wang Manni.

Gu Jia comforted her: "If that's the case, why not just enjoy being single for now? Maybe after some time, you'll figure it out."

Wang Manni added: "Exactly, Xiaoqin. When you're free, take care of yourself. You're naturally beautiful—once you polish yourself, you'll be even more dazzling. Who knows? Maybe another handsome guy will confess to you."

They both burst into laughter, making Zhong Xiaoqin blush.

"Ugh, you're laughing at me again, teasing me!" She playfully pushed Wang Manni beside her, displaying all the charm of a young woman.

After the laughter died down, Gu Jia said: "Hey, Xiaoqin, speaking of Chen Yu—what's he up to? It's been so long since we heard anything about Teacher Chen."

Wang Manni stayed silent—she didn't know him well.

At the mention of Chen Yu, Zhong Xiaoqin's expression turned complicated.

Seeing this, Gu Jia perked up: "What's going on, Xiaoqin? What's that look for?" Wang Manni's face was equally curious.

Facing two pairs of wide, gossip-filled eyes, Zhong Xiaoqin sighed: "He's had a stroke of luck. A while back, he quit his job at the TV station because…"

Zhong Xiaoqin chattered through the whole story.

After hearing it, Gu Jia and Wang Manni were stunned.

Gu Jia knew Chen Yu well—she knew he'd simply gotten unbelievably lucky, which was why she was so shocked.

Wang Manni was amazed by Chen Yu's salary—even though fifty thousand after tax meant nothing to her, she knew how rare it was to earn that much.

Wang Manni asked curiously: "He's doing well now—so what's with that expression you just had?"

"Oh, you don't get it," Zhong Xiaoqin explained. "Since he switched jobs, he's gotten busier and busier—lately, he hasn't come home for days on end."

Ever since he started his new job the next day, Chen Yu plunged into work. The company's acquisition brought a flood of legal and financial matters—all had to be investigated thoroughly, or else he'd end up like Gu Jia.

Besides, he was going to be the boss of this company someday—everything would fall on his shoulders. To live up to Manager Wang's trust, Chen Yu was working his heart out.

When first acquiring the company, it was manageable, but after the acquisition was complete and work officially began, Chen Yu felt the pressure descend.

This pressure came entirely from Chen Yu's insufficient ability and low skill level, like a mountain pressing down on him, just like Dashan. With no choice, he could only work day and night, learning as he worked.

Internal restructuring, personnel transfers, news topics, this and that—he was swamped, utterly exhausted. Who had time to think about love and romance? If he could even get sleep, that was already a blessing.

Chen Yu's current position, to be fair, was something Zhong Xiaoqin had wished for. What troubled her was that as Chen Yu grew busier, in their limited time together, she clearly felt his feelings for her growing colder.

After their divorce, she knew Chen Yu still wanted to reconcile with her. Then, when Zhong Xiaoyang began pursuing her, the feeling of being doted on by two men made her slightly complacent toward Chen Yu.

Now that Chen Yu was too busy to pay attention to her, she began to worry and second-guess herself.

Gu Jia thought: You're already divorced from them—let them come back or not, what's it to you? But she didn't say that aloud, instead asking: "So, are you regretting it?"

Hearing Gu Jia's words, Zhong Xiaoqin grew conflicted again: "It's not regret… it's just… ah, I don't know how to say it."

Seeing her like this, Gu Jia and Wang Manni understood—it was just that she couldn't let go of Zhong Xiaoyang.

Wang Manni offered perfunctory advice: "As Gu Jia said, why not enjoy single life for a while and think things through properly?"

Gu Jia didn't want to say more—it was pointless—and asked Wang Manni: "What about you? How have you been lately? Didn't you just message me a few days ago saying you wanted to transfer to Hong Kong?"

At the mention of this, Wang Manni got angry: "Don't even bring it up. The moment I mentioned going to Hong Kong, Liang Zhengxian changed the subject."

"I wanted to go back with him a couple days ago, but he refused. Then he left that same afternoon without even telling me—I don't know what's going on."

She then explained her situation with Liang Zhengxian and asked: "Do you think he's got someone else in Hong Kong? He's just playing with me. Otherwise, why won't he take me home to meet his family?"

This was because of Wang Yan—Zhao Jingyu was busy moving assets and had no time to bother her.

Gu Jia had known from the start and didn't want to interfere. Zhong Xiaoqin, however, was still analyzing things for them.

Wang Yan went to work early that morning.

A lot of accumulated tasks needed his attention.

Wang Yan had kept tabs on Chen Yu's side—he was busy, but Chen Yu still enjoyed the daily sense of progress. Let him play around for now; Wang Yan had no time to manage him recently.

Operations against the old Liang family had begun several days ago—this was why Liang Zhengxian rushed back.

The Liang family owned a Shangshi Company; Wang Yan directly sent various dirt to Hong Kong authorities, leading to the investigation of several senior executives.

The market value of any Shangshi Company far exceeds its actual worth; any minor disturbance has a massive impact.

The stock market plummeted; Wang Yan's people took advantage, constantly manipulating prices to drain their funds.

Crucially, their family was also involved in real estate, with numerous projects domestically. Real estate is asset-heavy and consumes cash aggressively. Caught off guard, they were thrown into chaos.

Loans of all kinds piled up; when the drum is broken, everyone beats it; when the wall falls, everyone pushes. Calls poured in from this bank, that institution—warmly inquiring about their current situation, gently reminding them to repay debts.

But after years of cooperation, there was still a sliver of face left; moreover, the first wave of attacks, though leaving the old Liang family disheveled and heavily damaged, had not broken them. So no one forced immediate repayment—if they had, not even three-tenths of face would remain; seizures would have come immediately.

All sorts of scandals about the Liang family spread across the market—true or false, they were told with wild exaggeration.

No matter when, people never tire of wealthy family gossip; the uproar was impossible to control.

The Liang family had reached their current status through generations of elites—no one among them was a fool.

It was obvious someone was targeting them, yet no matter how much they investigated, they couldn't find who was behind it.

Zhao Jingyu watched all of this.

She wasn't stupid—such a large enterprise couldn't be toppled overnight. If Liang Zhengxian returned and discovered she'd moved so much of the assets, he'd tear her apart.

Since they were all in chaos and Liang Zhengxian was still gallivanting on the mainland, no one had time to notice her. She followed the old strategy: flee as the best option. The day before Liang Zhengxian returned, Zhao Jingyu bought a plane ticket and ran. She decided to wait one or two years before returning—otherwise, she wouldn't feel safe.

Liang Zhengxian rushed back in a panic, his phone call unclear; after listening carefully, he understood what had happened.

His siblings saw him return, exchanged glances, and immediately found their target.

The eldest brother struck first: "How dare you come back? Did you cause this?"

Liang Zhengxian opened his mouth to defend himself.

The second brother pressed: "Who else could it be? You're the one chasing women all over the world—who knows who you pissed off?"

The rest of the sisters and brothers piled on, scolding him relentlessly.

Even Liang the Patriarch began to suspect him, his gaze toward Liang Zhengxian dangerously cold.

Liang Zhengxian felt wronged: Do you think I'm as stupid as you? Don't you think I investigate before I sleep with someone?

The accusations made him lose confidence: "Could it really be me who pissed someone off?"

He began mentally reviewing everyone he'd offended, going back and forth through his past.

He listed every woman he'd slept with, every man he'd stepped on.

The only recent person he could think of was Wang Yan—there had been a minor conflict. But in his view, it was nothing—surely not worth destroying him over.

If there was suspicion, there must be investigation—without clarity, he couldn't rest.

After endless talk, no solution emerged; the only path left was to fight hard. He ordered them to prepare funds to withstand the coming blows. Liang the Patriarch waved them away.

Liang Zhengxian left the Liang family estate in disgrace and returned to his home with Zhao Jingyu.

On the way, he'd planned to vent his frustration—but when he got home, there was no trace of Zhao Jingyu.

He didn't think much of it, assuming she'd gone out on some errand.

He immediately called Zhao Jingyu on his phone.

Hearing the voice: "Sorry, the number you dialed is powered off," Liang Zhengxian felt a bad premonition.

He urgently called his subordinates, asking what Zhao Jingyu had been doing lately and where the funds had gone.

"Boss, it's like this—Miss Zhao…" the subordinate rattled off.

Liang Zhengxian froze for a moment, then his phone clattered onto the floor with a "clang."

The subordinate called twice: "Boss? Boss? Are you there?" then, after saying something else, hung up.

He didn't know what had happened to Liang Zhengxian, but he knew clearly what had been happening in Hong Kong—every rumor about Liang Zhengxian circulating in the market was, to his knowledge, mostly true.

Based on years of experience, the chance of a comeback was negligible; the boss was about to be finished—and with the typical capitalist cruelty, he'd never treat his subordinates well. He was busy finding a new job, had no time to care about his boss—let him rot, it had nothing to do with him.

Liang Zhengxian sat dazed on the floor, "Answer! Pick up! Pick up!" using his cracked-screen phone to contact Zhao Jingyu through every possible means. The outcome was inevitable—every attempt vanished into silence, unanswered.

After long, fruitless attempts, Liang Zhengxian screamed "Ah!" in rage and hurled his phone against the opposite wall, smashing it into shards.

He had lost most of his fortune and basically had nothing left. Added to the current situation of the Liang family, he was essentially ruined.

That was why Zhao Jingyu had little confidence in Wang Yan and dared not go too far—otherwise he would definitely be forced to sleep on the streets.

"Courtesy name? Stupid courtesy name. Zhao Jingyu, don't let me catch you. Ah..." Liang Zhengxian raged helplessly.

Wang Yan knew about all this—after all, the old schemer hid behind the scenes, savoring the satisfaction of pulling all the strings.

It was just like that criminal psychology: after committing murder, the criminal actually went back to gloat over the scene.

The matter had only just begun. As Zhao Jingyu had expected, such a massive enterprise couldn't be toppled overnight.

He only needed to pay attention for these next two days; the rest he didn't need to worry about. He could leave it all to his subordinates—they'd handle it perfectly.

A dying camel is still bigger than a horse—that's true. The Liang family's businesses were mostly in Hong Kong and the mainland, and of course, as wealthy people always do, they had diversified their assets. It was normal for the Liang family to transfer some assets and industries overseas, but according to Wang Yan's investigations, the amount wasn't large.

He didn't care if they fled overseas to live in comfort.

Owning property abroad relied on domestic foundations and influence. They maintained ties with overseas elites, offering them a bit of face.

But once they lost their domestic roots, like floating weeds without anchors, could they truly live in comfort overseas? Impossible.

Did they really think fleeing overseas meant everything was settled?

Former business partners wouldn't even glance at them—no face left, only shoe insoles. Who could they possibly network with?

They had no influence, no connections, and with various ethnic issues, the locals wouldn't care. All kinds of troubles could wear them down to death.