novelraw Chapter 0181 The Strongest Assist
Chapter 0181 The Strongest Assist
weekend.
The old Jiang family residence, side hall.
The finest Pu'er tea swirls in the purple clay teapot, filling the air with its aroma.
Jiang's mother, dressed in a homely silk embroidered long dress, sat in the main seat.
Sitting opposite her was Su Qing, who had just returned from a business trip overseas.
The Su family and the Jiang family are old friends.
Jiang's mother had always admired Su Qing.
She's beautiful, comes from a good family, has a PhD from a prestigious university, and is the CTO of Limitless.
In Jiang's mother's eyes, this was the perfect daughter-in-law who was worthy of Jiang Ci and could form a powerful alliance with the Jiang family.
Although Wen Ning's painting "The Spring and Autumn of the Old House" completely won over Jiang's father at the dinner a few days ago.
Jiang's mother softened and compromised because of Jiang Ci's words, "She is my life."
But as a mother, she still harbored a secret sense of unease.
I always felt that Wen Ning had gone too far back then and didn't deserve my son's heartfelt devotion.
"Qingqing, you must have had a tough trip to Europe this time?"
Jiang's mother poured Su Qing a cup of tea with her hand, speaking affectionately.
"Look at you, you work like a madman, just like Aci."
Su Qing took the teacup with both hands and smiled.
"Auntie, this is a crucial period for the company's expansion, so it's only right that we work hard."
Looking at her capable appearance, Jiang's mother couldn't help but sigh.
"I wish you were my daughter-in-law."
She shook her head, her tone tinged with complaint.
"That Wen Ning..."
"Although she seems well-behaved now, I still feel choked up when I think about what happened three years ago."
Jiang's mother put down her teacup, her brows furrowed.
"She ruined both you and Aci back then. Because of what she did, the company almost went bankrupt, and Aci almost lost his life."
"Now she's transformed into some great painter, and she's back to reap the benefits of what's already been gained."
"I'm really afraid that Aci will be fooled by her again."
The side hall was very quiet.
Only the tea was steaming.
Su Qing listened to Jiang's mother's complaints.
They no longer echoed each other as they had before.
He didn't show any disdain.
She held the teacup and gently blew on the floating leaves.
Then, he put the teacup back on the table.
It produced an extremely crisp collision sound.
"aunt."
Su Qing raised her head.
Those sharp, phoenix-shaped eyes were full of openness and seriousness.
You've misunderstood Wen Ning.
Jiang's mother was stunned for a moment.
"Misunderstanding? Everyone in town knows the outrageous things she said at the victory celebration banquet back then. What misunderstanding could I possibly have about her?"
"You only see the surface."
Su Qing stood ramrod straight, her tone calm yet resounding.
"First of all, she didn't come back to reap what she sowed."
"Limitless has achieved its current brand status and successfully went public."
"She deserves a lot of credit."
Su Qing looked at Jiang's shocked mother and didn't hold back her praise.
"The 'Muse' system is the company's biggest trump card this year."
"Without her artistic control and her incredible comeback during the live stream, our products would never have been able to penetrate the international market."
"She is extremely professional at work. She is not just a pretty face attached to Jiang Ci; she is Limitless's indispensable soul."
Jiang's mother opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.
She never expected that Su Qing, who was always arrogant and known for her strictness, would give Wen Ning such a high evaluation.
Secondly.
Su Qing paused.
His voice lowered, revealing a clarity born from experience.
"About what happened three years ago."
"Auntie, I work with data. I may not believe in fate, but I do believe in logic."
Su Qing recalled Wen Ning's performance at the company over the past few months, as well as the subtle clues she had noticed by chance.
"Limitless's data breach back then was indeed a dead end."
"If Wen Ning hadn't left so decisively back then, A Ci would definitely have been distracted by her, and might even have compromised with competitors and abandoned the company's bottom line in order to protect her."
"If she doesn't leave..."
"Aci may lose everything, and her life may even be in real danger."
Su Qing looked at Jiang's mother with a deep gaze.
That was the conclusion she reached as an observer, using her most rational mind.
Although she was unaware of the existence of the "system".
But she figured out Wen Ning's motives.
"She sacrificed her own reputation to force Aci to cut off her weakness and launch a desperate counterattack."
"She transformed herself into a villain, which made Jiang Ci who she is today."
The side hall was deathly silent.
Su Qing smiled.
There was a hint of relief in his smile.
"Auntie, Wen Ning is a good girl."
"She is more resilient and affectionate than we imagined."
"A-Ci has excellent judgment. The people he chooses are worth protecting with his life."
Jiang's mother froze completely in her chair.
She stared blankly at Su Qing.
My head was buzzing.
Even her "love rival" said so.
Even the usually rational Su Qing was defending her.
Could it be...?
Was I really wrong about her?
Did that frail little girl really swallow all the grievances alone just to protect her son?
Jiang's mother's eyes gradually reddened.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the hem of her silk dress.
She turned her head.
My gaze passed over the floor-to-ceiling windows of the side hall and looked toward the back garden.
The garden was bathed in bright sunshine in early summer.
On the lawn, a white rattan swing has been set up at some point.
Wen Ning was sitting on the swing.
She wore a simple floral print dress, and her long hair swayed gently in the breeze.
Jiang Ci stood behind her.
He took off his suit jacket, leaving him only in a white shirt.
He gently pushed the swing back and forth.
Wen Ning swung so high that she let out a clear scream and turned to glare at him.
Jiang Ci not only didn't stop, but instead took advantage of the swing's return.
He grabbed her waist and held her firmly in his arms.
He lowered his head and stole a kiss on her lips.
Wen Ning blushed and slapped him.
Jiang Ci smiled.
What a smile it was!
Gone is the ruthless and sinister side of the business world.
The lifelessness of the past three years is gone.
His brows and eyes relaxed completely, and sunlight fell into his eyes, reflecting a dazzling starlight.
Clean, bright, unrestrained.
That was the youthful appearance he should have had in his early twenties.
Jiang's mother looked at that smile through the glass.
Tears fell without warning.
Three years.
Three whole years.
She never saw her son smile like that again.
She thought time could heal everything, and that money and status could fill the void.
But she was wrong.
The son's soul left with that girl three years ago.
Now, that girl is back.
Only then did the son's soul finally return to its rightful place.
"yes……"
Jiang's mother took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth, and sobbed silently.
She looked out the window at the young couple embracing tightly.
All prejudices, all defensiveness, all resentment.
At this moment, faced with my son's radiant smile.
Completely wiped out.
"That's enough."
Jiang's mother wiped away her tears.
He let out a long sigh.
Her voice conveyed complete resignation and a mother's relief.
Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
"As long as he's happy, as long as he can live well, that's more important than anything else."
Su Qing sat opposite.
I picked up the teacup and took a small sip.
A knowing smile played on his lips, a smile that concealed his accomplishments.
"Uncle Fu!"
Jiang's mother turned her head and shouted in a loud voice.
The old butler, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately came in.
"Madam, what are your orders?"
Jiang's mother stood up, as if she had made up her mind.
She acted swiftly and decisively, restoring the demeanor of the matriarch of the Jiang family.
But his eyes were full of joy.
"go."
"Take the men to the temperature-controlled warehouse in the basement of the backyard."
"Take out the largest rosewood box from the highest-level safe."
Uncle Fu was stunned for a moment, then he understood what was going on, and his old face broke into a wide smile.
"Madam, are you referring to the Jiang family's ancestral practice..."
"right."
Jiang's mother nodded, her tone extremely solemn.
"Bring out that phoenix coronet and embroidered robe."
That's not ordinary jewelry.
That was a priceless treasure passed down only to the eldest daughter-in-law in the Jiang family for generations, and it was an antique that was priceless in the market.
"That's an old object passed down from our ancestors when they served in the inner court more than 600 years ago."
Jiang's mother's tone revealed the profound heritage of the Jiang family, a family with a history spanning a century.
"A nine-dragon, four-phoenix crown made of pure gold filigree and inlaid with rubies."
"Paired with that bright red peacock-patterned shawl embroidered with gold."
"This is a complete set."
After six hundred years, the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe still shine brightly, representing a formal marriage and the highest and most unshakeable symbol of the Jiang family's status.
"Take it out, and please be careful, master craftsman, and give it a good rest."
Jiang's mother glanced at the two still making a ruckus outside the window, and a deep smile appeared on her face.
"Ningning will go back to her room later."
"I'll deliver it to her myself."