Chapter 1065: Shi Ran's Unfavorable Start

The three of them turned back; the one speaking was an elderly woman.

"Who are you?"

Wang Yingzhi smiled: "I am someone who knows the truth about Chen Ran; is this identity sufficient?"

"Get lost, get lost, get lost; don't try to pull a scam here."

"Exactly, you're just trying to extort some money. Money is a small matter, don't delay our important business."

"This old woman looks like a swindler, we can't trust her..."

Wang Yingzhi was furious. It was the first time she had good intentions, truly and sincerely wanting to help others, yet she was rejected; her kindness was treated like a donkey's liver and lungs.

The mourning hall.

Madam Chen's complexion was haggard, her hair dry and brittle, and her loose mourning clothes were cinched by a mourning sash, revealing a slender waist.

As the saying goes, nothing is more alluring than mourning attire; anyone who saw her like this could not help but feel pity.

She sat there without moving, appearing extremely frail, needing the support of the maid beside her to stay upright.

At this moment, there was a commotion in the crowd outside, and people made way one after another because Sheng Hanyu and his wife had come to pay their respects.

Sheng Hanyu held a pivotal position in L Country, and Minister Chen was the country's Finance Minister. It was not unusual for a business tycoon to pay respects when a Finance Minister died.

But for Sheng Hanyu to come in person was contrary to common sense.

The two families had recently had a falling out and made a huge scene, and the relationship between the Qi Family and the Sheng Family was excellent. For Sheng Hanyu to come now, it was impossible for people not to overthink it.

Zhu Qingxiang stiffened his body; he was very nervous.

But it was too late to run now; that would only arouse more suspicion.

However, this was L Country, not Jiangzhou; it wasn't a place where the Sheng Family could do whatever they wanted, he comforted himself in his heart!

Madam Chen, however, was even more nervous than him.

She gripped his lapel tightly, panicked and flustered, asking incessantly: "What do we do? What do we do? Sheng Hanyu and Shi Youxuan are here, what we did..."

"Don't speak, and nothing will happen!" Zhu Qingxiang warned her in a voice only the two of them could hear.

So she obediently shut her mouth.

But her hands and feet still couldn't stop trembling.

Watching as Sheng Hanyu and his wife took incense from the offering station, they were getting closer and closer!

According to custom, guests coming to pay respects bow and offer incense, the family members express gratitude, and then the guests must exchange a few pleasantries with the family for the ritual to be complete.

Now, the part Madam Chen feared most was this exchange of pleasantries.

What was she supposed to say?

What would the other side ask?

Sheng Hanyu was fine, but that Shi Youxuan was extremely cunning. Zhu Qingxiang and their son were so smart, yet they had repeatedly suffered at her hands; could she handle it?

Would she give herself away?

People who have done wrong are naturally guilty, and combined with her extreme lack of confidence, she was even more terrified.

Zhu Qingxiang saw it and whispered in her ear: "Faint after the family returns the bow."

She was overjoyed; it was truly a good plan.

While they were speaking, the two had already arrived before the spirit altar, offered incense, bowed, and the family returned the bow.

Supported by the maid, Madam Chen stood up shakily, bowed once... and suddenly tilted and collapsed!

"Someone come! Quickly help Madam inside, Madam has fainted!" the maid shrieked in a high-pitched voice.

The mourning hall was in chaos; the servants carried Madam back to her room and invited a doctor to diagnose her.

Marie was the Madam's personal maid, so she naturally followed along.

The butler apologized to the two: "I am sorry, Chairman Sheng, Madam Sheng. Because of the sudden passing of our master, our Madam has been so heartbroken that she hasn't eaten for days. She was rude just now; please do not take offense."

In such an occasion, talking about taking offense or not sounded as if they had come intentionally to pick a fight.

The butler was also cunning; Shi Youxuan naturally couldn't let him leave her with a handle.

She was very serious and reprimanded the butler: "What are you saying? We admire Madam Chen's heartbreak; to speak of taking offense or not is foolish talk, it lacks any human warmth."

"You tell Madam Chen to please restrain her grief, and I will come to see her again when her health recovers a bit."

"By the way, if there is anything you need help with, don't stand on ceremony with the Sheng Family; just come to me directly. I will be staying in L Country for a while and am at your beck and call."

The butler:...

He thought to himself, if Madam knew you were "at her beck and call," she would probably faint again.

After the couple left the Chen residence and got into the car.

Sheng Hanyu: "That maid beside Madam Chen, do you think there's a problem?"

Shi Youxuan: "No problem at all, it's just Zhu Qingxiang cross-dressing."

Her husband praised: "Not bad, your eyes are getting sharper. I thought you wouldn't be able to tell."

"Hmph!"

Shi Youxuan was disdainful, rolled her eyes at him, and feeling it wasn't enough, she gave him a hard pinch: "Do you think I'm stupid? These are all tricks you played years ago; how could I not see it, how could I not see it?"

"Wife, it hurts!"

After being "domestically abused" by his wife for many years, Sheng Hanyu had also learned to be smart.

He knew that when pinched, he had to cry out in pain; if he didn't, it would hurt even more and leave bruises.

"Wife doesn't hurt." Shi Youxuan corrected.

He was helpless and had to correct himself: "I hurt, my dear wife, I know I was wrong, please be magnanimous and let me off."

They were sitting in the back seat, blocked off from the driver's cabin by a movable glass partition, creating a private space in the back that was soundproof and light-proof, so it didn't matter what the two of them said.

After fooling around for a while, it was time to talk about serious business.

Sheng Hanyu and his wife had gained quite a bit from this visit to pay their respects.

Not only did they see that Zhu Qingxiang was a man dressed as a woman, but they also keenly observed that the relationship between the two was not simple!

The reason is very simple—when two unrelated men and women are together in such intimate harmony, it is either love or an illicit affair.

……

The funeral for Minister Chen had not yet concluded, and they finally waited for the Lüshi to arrive at the house to announce the will.

The Chen family members were all present.

The Lüshi announced: "Mr. Chen has decided that all assets are to be inherited by his wife for her retirement; children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Mr. Chen has three sons and one daughter, four children in total, none of whom have inheritance rights."

It seems fair, but in reality, it is very unfair.

Although it was not given to Chen Ran, giving it to the wife is equivalent to giving it to Chen Ran.

Once the will was announced, the three older children of the Chen family immediately exploded.

"That's not right, this will of yours is forged; it cannot be my father's decision, it's fake."

"Exactly, why should all the property go to that woman while we get nothing?"

"If she has money, it means her son has money too, but we have nothing. We do not agree; the inheritance must be redistributed……"

……

After the Lüshi announced the will, Chen Ran appeared in the Presidential Office.

"Uncle President, my mother has decided to contribute half of the assets to the country; she will only keep a small portion for her retirement."

"Really?"

The President had seen all kinds of situations, yet he was stunned by Chen Ran's words.

He had heard a little about what kind of person Madam Chen was; it could not have been her idea, so the only person who could have thought of this method was the youth before him!

Chen Ran said calmly: "It is true; how could I possibly joke about such a matter?"

"For someone of your young age to have such great vision is truly remarkable. Would you like to take over your father's position and work for me?"

Minister Chen had passed away suddenly, and the President suspected that Qi Heng was not wrongly accused; the Vice President wanted to monopolize power, and now that it was Minister Chen, would he be the next person to be assassinated?

He was now in urgent need of a force capable of checking the Qi Family.