Chapter 150: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (25)
Yu Wanru woke up late at night. Although a nurse was attending her, Yu Nian had stayed at a nearby hotel, in case of emergencies.
Used to luxury hotels, she felt suffocated in the small, windowless room.
Her phone’s ringtone startled her from a restless sleep, her back drenched in sweat. A stranger’s voice informed her that Yu Wanru was awake.
The hospital entrance was busy even at night, ambulances wailing.
Even though she reached the ICU in five minutes, Yu Wanru had fallen asleep again.
Yu Nian, now wide awake, paced the hallway, then sat down, scrolling aimlessly through her phone. She received a message from Dai Yan.
Dai Yan had asked about Yu Nian’s participation in Heartthrob, but she hadn’t replied. Now, Dai Yan sent two more messages: “There’s a business leaders’ summit tomorrow night, how’s your mom?”
“I heard Su Mingxiu will be there.”
Two short sentences, a mix of concern and something else, her intentions unclear.
Yu Nian didn’t reply, staring at the messages, her mind racing, the thoughts elusive.
The sky outside the window gradually brightened. The floor was quiet,
But the elevator’s constant movement suggested a busy morning.
A nurse brought her breakfast, which seemed unusually personalized, as if tailored to her taste. After finishing, she took the exquisite wooden box to the nurse’s station. “Excuse me, this breakfast…”
“A beautiful lady brought it earlier, she knew your information… is there a problem?”
Yu Nian’s lips parted. After a moment, she whispered: “No, thank you.”
She traced the patterns on the box, wanting to ask about Yu Wanru’s condition, but the nurse was called away by the caregiver, who excitedly announced that Yu Wanru was awake.
The doctor, after checking Yu Wanru’s condition, confirmed that she was stable and could be transferred to a regular ward.
When Yu Nian was finally allowed to visit, she saw Yu Wanru, looking much older, her face pale and drawn, almost unrecognizable.
“How’s the company?” Yu Wanru asked, her first words.
Yu Nian started to answer, but Yu Wanru frowned and asked her to call her secretary for a report.
The room fell silent, the joy of her awakening overshadowed by business concerns.
10 AM.
Yu Wanru’s secretary arrived, giving a detailed report on the company’s losses and the shareholders’ reactions, as if about to launch into a PowerPoint presentation.
The experienced caregiver, initially unfazed, after a while, reminded Yu Nian to have her mother eat something.
Yu Nian tried, but Yu Wanru only glanced at her coldly. The doctor arrived and, after sending the secretary away, ordered Yu Wanru to rest.
Yu Wanru’s collapse had been caused by a blood clot in her brain, which had been dissolved with medication.
But her condition was still unstable, another episode could lead to a brain herniation, with potentially serious consequences, even with surgery.
Faced with the doctor’s authority, Yu Wanru couldn’t maintain her usual dominance. She sighed softly and asked her secretary about her schedule.
“Leave company matters to the three vice presidents… As for tonight’s business leaders’ summit, have Yu Nian attend.”
Yu Nian, startled, looked at Yu Wanru, her lips moving, but she didn’t say anything, accepting the arrangement.
But Yu Wanru, who had barely acknowledged her since waking up, now looked at her and asked: “Niannian, can I entrust Wanda to you in the future?”
The question, in this setting, was heavier than Yu Nian could have imagined.
She couldn’t even mention the possibility of seeing Su Mingxiu at the summit.
After a long silence, Yu Nian finally replied: “Yes, Mom.”
Yu Wanru smiled, her first smile since waking up, a fleeting expression. “Starting today, you’ll be the manager of Wanda’s investment division. I’ll give you six months to prove yourself.”
After the secretary left, a stream of visitors arrived: Yu family members, company subordinates, and business partners. Yu Wanru met with a few important ones, leaving Yu Nian to deal with the rest.
3 PM.
Yu Wanru, her hospital gown neatly buttoned, was slowly eating the bland soup the caregiver had prepared.
She showed no reaction to the taste, unlike the flavorful soups prepared by the family chef.
Yu Nian, who had always been reluctant to spend more than an hour in the same room as Yu Wanru, now patiently stayed by her side.
Although she didn’t speak much, she helped the caregiver, peeling an apple for Yu Wanru.
The atmosphere between them was tense.
Yu Wanru finally spoke. “The summit is at the International Hotel, the speeches are scheduled, followed by networking. You can review the attendee list.”
“Okay.” Then, silence again.
After meticulously peeling the apple, Yu Nian looked up. “Have you seen the list?”
“Yes.”
Then…
Did Yu Wanru know that Su Mingxiu might also be there?
She didn’t ask, but Yu Wanru, as if reading her mind, asked another question: “Do you know how Wanda’s capital chain was broken?”
Even though it was her family’s company, Yu Nian, having been at school, didn’t know the details. “A few banks didn’t approve our loan applications, causing cash flow problems.”
Yu Wanru chuckled coldly. She didn’t answer directly, instead asking: “Remember that project I took you to in Northern Europe during summer break?”
How could she forget?
It was their first reunion after so long.
But hearing Yu Wanru mention it, she felt a sense of unease, which she quickly suppressed.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“That land… there’s no gold mine. Tianyan was the first to show interest, they had done their research, knew the situation, yet they pretended to be eager to acquire it—”
“I recently had a team conduct a survey, and they found… rare earth minerals.”
A valuable asset had turned into a liability.
Yu Wanru wasn’t happy about admitting this, a silent acknowledgment of her defeat.
But seeing Yu Nian’s infatuation with Su Mingxiu, she still held her ground.
She had walked that rebellious path herself, she knew the consequences, she didn’t want Yu Nian to repeat her mistakes.
And Su Mingxiu’s current behavior was different from before, clearly hiding something.
Whether her collaboration with Tianyan was for revenge or for Yu Nian, Yu Wanru felt that this woman was cunning and dangerous, Yu Nian, with her innocent heart, would be devoured.
She would never approve of their relationship.
“I had planned to give you that gold mine as a dowry,” Yu Wanru said, looking at Yu Nian meaningfully. “You must have heard, she’s now Tianyan Pictures’ prized partner, Sheng Tianheng treats her differently.”
“Do you really think… she’s the same Little Mom you knew before?”
6 PM.
International Hotel.
Yu Nian was wearing a professional three-piece suit chosen by Yu Wanru, making her look older than her age.
She was so nervous that she didn’t even notice how tight her bow tie was.
She knew most of the business leaders present, having met them with Yu Wanru before.
Normally, she would be comfortable in this setting, but her mind was preoccupied.
No matter how many times she took a deep breath, she couldn’t force a smile, making several CEOs, who had sent their secretaries to inquire about Yu Wanru’s condition earlier, ask if her mother was seriously ill.
She shook her head.
The summit started at 6:30 PM. Yu Nian, representing Wanda, despite their current difficulties, was still seated in the front row.
Unable to see the people behind her, she didn’t know what she was expecting, what she was nervous about.
Would Su Mingxiu come?
If they met, what would she say?
Ask if she had collaborated with Tianyan to sabotage Wanda?
Or ask how she had acquired such skills? Was it for her?
Thinking about the last question, she felt a pang of self-doubt.
Was she… worthy of such efforts?
And if Su Mingxiu admitted to everything, what would she do?
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice when the speeches ended, only snapping back to reality as the clinking of glasses and the chatter of networking filled the room.
Suddenly, the noise subsided.
Yu Nian, wondering how long this event would last, wanting to find a quiet corner,
Was immediately surrounded by people wanting to offer their condolences and inquire about Wanda’s situation.
After forty minutes of polite conversation, she finally excused herself and went to the buffet table, a polite smile on her face, a plate in her hand, seeking refuge in a quiet corner, a sofa facing away from the crowd.
As she rounded the sofa, her gaze lowered, the soft cushions making her lose her balance—
A hand steadied her.
A beautiful arm, its delicate floral pattern visible through the semi-transparent fabric, entered her vision.
Even more eye-catching than the design was the snake-bone ring on her index finger, white metal and diamonds creating the illusion of elegant joints, its intertwined loops like a Möbius strip, or perhaps simply a nature-inspired design.
Her fragrance was different now, colder, slightly damp, with a woody base note, like… pine trees covered in moss.
Yu Nian froze, not even turning around.
She wondered when this person had arrived.
Su Mingxiu, enjoying her stunned silence, knowing that Yu Nian had recognized her and knew about the rumors,
Patiently held her, her other hand reaching for the red velvet cake on Yu Nian’s plate.
She took a bite, the sweetness spreading over her tongue, then, leaning closer, her warm breath caressing Yu Nian’s ear:
“I said we would see each other again soon…”
“Happy now?”
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