Lin Ma’s movement of relief was subtle, but Fang Miaomiao still caught it. She pretended not to see it and smiled, asking, “Lin Ma, what delicious food did you make today?”
“Madam, didn’t you say a few days ago that you wanted to eat fish? I bought a tilapia to steam. I wonder if it suits your taste.”
“Of course. You know I’m never picky about food, especially with Lin Ma’s excellent cooking. I have no reason to be picky.”
“I’m glad you like it, Madam. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“Nothing for now, Lin Ma. You can go.”
“Okay, Madam, is there anything else you’d like to eat? I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”
“No need, Lin Ma. My last reality show starts the day after tomorrow. Plus, Wen Zhiyan will be on a business trip during that time, so I was thinking of going out to eat with Wen Zhiyan and An An tomorrow.”
Lin Ma nodded with a smile, “Alright, then I’ll be going now.”
“Mhm, goodbye, Lin Ma.”
After seeing Lin Ma off, Fang Miaomiao sat on the sofa and looked at the script.
The doorbell rang.
Fang Miaomiao went to open the door.
“You’re back?” Fang Miaomiao looked at Xin Xuan, who was behind Wen Zhiyan, carrying large bags of dog food with a bitter expression, and instantly understood. “Give it to me.”
“It’s okay, Madam. This dog food is quite heavy. I’ll take it inside.”
“Then, thank you.”
After Xin Xuan left, Wen Zhiyan looked around. “Where’s An An?”
“It’s all because of someone, An An cried non-stop all the way here.” Fang Miaomiao gestured towards Wen Yan’an’s bedroom. “See, he cried himself to sleep because he was tired.”
“I…”
“Stop.” Fang Miaomiao made a “shushing” gesture. “You know, the person you need to apologize to isn’t me.”
“Did I… did I go too far just now?”
“Rather than whether you went too far, I’m more interested in another matter.”
“What is it?”
“Why did An An say you’ve never believed him?”
Wen Zhiyan rubbed his head and didn’t hide anything. “That was two years ago. When An An was two, he started showing symptoms of not wanting to talk. My mother thought An An was just lonely and didn’t have friends, so she decided to find him some playmates. Thus, she organized a birthday party for him on his third birthday.”
“When I rushed back from work with the cake, I saw a group of children gathered around looking at something. I walked over and saw An An sitting motionlessly on the grass, holding a dead cat. The children around were all saying that An An was torturing cats. An An didn’t speak; instead, he pushed the boy closest to him to the ground and punched him repeatedly, with all his might. He hit that four-year-old child so hard that he couldn’t get up.”
Fang Miaomiao gasped, but still said firmly, “An An would never abuse a cat. He’s very kind.”
“I know. Those children were terrified by An An’s actions and started crying loudly. Their parents began to accuse him. Miaomiao, you know how severe the social hierarchy is in this so-called wealthy circle of theirs. Although the Wen Corporation was stable at the time, it was nothing compared to other businesses. My mother, seeing the situation, could only pull An An aside to apologize. Soon, the lively banquet was ruined because of this incident.”
Fang Miaomiao’s brow furrowed, signaling Wen Zhiyan to continue.
“From then on, An An developed a habit of locking himself in his room.” Wen Zhiyan’s voice was filled with deep guilt. “After the banquet, I investigated the matter. In reality, the cat was abused by the person An An hit. When I told my mother, she was indifferent, thinking that since it was in the past, it was over, and that an adult shouldn’t argue with children.”
“It was then that I realized many of my mother’s actions were wrong, and I took An An away, using the doctor’s advice as an excuse.”
This also led to his mother disliking him even more. Every week when he visited Yu Garden, she would glare at him.
“How could she do that?” Fang Miaomiao didn’t know whether to be angry or sad.
This was also the first time she felt that while the story plot and this world were the same as the book, the characters’ personalities were vastly different. In the novel, Madam Ran only favored her own Ran family, using herself as a stepping stone for the Ran family to rise to power, but she was very fond of her grandson.
What Wen Zhiyan just said completely shattered her good impression of the old madam.
“So, An An has actually remembered this all along.”
Wen Zhiyan nodded, a bitter smile appearing on his face. “I think so.”
The reason An An disliked talking to him was probably for this very reason. As for talking to his mother, it was because his mother had been taking care of him for several years and doted on him.
“Mama.”
Fang Miaomiao shook her head, her affection for An An growing. Just as she was about to speak, she heard An An’s voice from behind her.
“An An, you’re awake?” Fang Miaomiao quickly turned and walked towards Wen Yan’an. “Dinner is ready. How about we eat?”
“Mhm.” Wen Yan’an nodded forcefully. “I’ll eat with Mama.”
“So good.”
Fang Miaomiao dotingly ruffled Wen Yan’an’s hair before going to the kitchen to get the dishes.
The three sat at the dining table, eating in silence.
Fang Miaomiao watched as Wen Yan’an completely ignored Wen Zhiyan, feeling a headache coming on.
The incredibly oppressive atmosphere made her seriously suspect that the original host couldn’t handle these two, which was why she transmigrated. This was no different from torture.
…
“Did Fang Miaomiao find out or not?”
“She probably didn’t. Although Lin Lin is of a certain age, her movements are very nimble. Besides, if Fang Miaomiao had seen it, why would she ask Wen Zhiyan about something as subtle as Wen Yan’an’s situation?”
“That’s true. It’s a pity we can’t get into Wen Zhiyan’s study. Otherwise, I would have definitely installed a camera in his study.”
“Damn it, I don’t know what those people upstairs are up to. They said they wouldn’t activate it before, but now they’re suddenly saying to activate it. If Lin Lin hadn’t been so quick, we would have been exposed just now.” Kuaishuge
“Who knows. It’s been installed for several years, and they’re only saying to activate it now. Fortunately, these aren’t faulty, or all our efforts would have been in vain. By the way, do you know why the people upstairs want to reactivate the switch?”
“They suspect Wen Zhiyan’s leg has healed, and he’s now playing dumb.”
“Impossible, right?” One person looked at the monitor feeds. There were four in total.
The living room and three bedrooms.
“Didn’t they say his leg would never stand up again? A leg with no sensation, can it stand? Are the people upstairs crazy?”
“Alright, we’re just employees. You’re just an employee, do your job. Don’t try to guess what the higher-ups are thinking, or you might not know how you died?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat. Go to sleep. We have to report back tomorrow.”
“Understood. Damn, this feeling of living on the edge is really unpleasant.”