Four Years Ago, Her Husband Cheated on Her Body - Chapter 23.2

Facing these “family members” with whom she shared no blood, Ji Fuling felt more resentment than regret.

If she hadn’t been blinded by “love” back then and insisted on marrying the sweet-talking, wolf-hearted Old Man Zhu, how could things have evolved to this state?

“Mom.”

Zhu Xingwang used the most intimate title, but his voice carried not a shred of respect.

“It’s the middle of the night. If you don’t want to sleep, we do. We have business to attend to tomorrow. Why did you make such a big fuss calling us here?”

“Business?” Ji Fuling glanced at him. “Is the ‘business’ you speak of waiting for Jia Qiao to stop breathing?”

“What does his breathing have to do with me?” Zhu Ke gave a lazy yawn and deliberately insulted her in a voice she could hear, “Old bag… who are you throwing an attitude at?”

“Second Brother, Ke Ke, say less.” Zhu Fulu played the peacemaker like a “smiling tiger.” “We are all one family; let’s not ruin the harmony.”Who is family with her?” Zhu Ke rolled his eyes. “If it weren’t for this old woman shamelessly marrying back into the Zhu family, Grandpa wouldn’t have divorced my grandma.”

“Zhu Ke, show some respect.” Zhu Xingwang scolded the boy without any sincerity. “The child is just blunt; Mom, don’t take it to heart.”

Ji Fuling felt disgusted hearing them call her “Mom” one after another. She suppressed her anger and asked, “Tell me, where is Jia Qiao?”

“Mom, have you gone senile?” Zhu Fulu said with feigned surprise. “The police have already come to investigate. They flipped through our phones and computers; we have absolutely nothing to do with this. It was all the old man’s idea alone. When Dad gets back, I’ll have a good talk with him!”

“Exactly, you need evidence to slander people.” Zhu Ke lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring toward Ji Fuling. “Besides, that slut Jia Qiao was just after the Zhu family’s money. Why are you worrying your old self about him?”

Ji Fuling was shaking with rage.

It was truly amazing he could shamelessly claim “Jia Qiao was after the Zhu family’s money.”

It was clearly them who were jealous of the wealth Jia Qiao was about to inherit, leading them to commit such a low act!!!

“Mom, calm down.” Zhu Fulu comforted her hypocritically. “No matter what, you are Zhu Nanyu’s biological grandmother, a direct heir. Blood ties cannot be broken. You’ll definitely have a share of the inheritance; we won’t short-change you. From now on, we will also do our best to take care of you in your old age.”

According to the order of succession, Zhu Fulu was only a collateral relative; Ji Fuling and Old Man Zhu were the direct heirs.

Since Old Man Zhu was already in custody, they needed Ji Fuling to take over the multi-billion dollar estate.

She was still the nominal matriarch of the Zhu family and the legal mother of Zhu Fulu and Zhu Xingwang. As long as the money reached the old woman’s hands, it was the same as being in the Zhu family’s pocket.

Ji Fuling had been schemed against by Old Man Zhu once before; how could she not guess what these animals were planning?

She looked around and noticed recent signs of renovation in the ancestral home. The mansion was surrounded by many brawny bodyguards. Even Zhu Ke’s clothes and accessories were a grade higher than before.

Ever since her only son passed away from overwork and Zhu Nanyu resolutely left the family, the two Zhu brothers—who had no business talent—had quickly driven the family business into the ground. Their decline was as fast as a free fall.

Over the last two years, they had maintained a facade of glamour, but in reality, they were at their wits’ end and owed a massive amount of debt.

Seeing the decaying Zhu family looking respectable again, Ji Fuling understood clearly. She asked nonchalantly, “The money for the renovations and the bodyguards… it was all advanced, wasn’t it?”

Zhu Xingwang’s expression changed drastically. He forced himself to stay calm and replied, “We’ll pay it back sooner or later anyway; don’t trouble yourself over it, Mom!”

In fact, it was exactly as Ji Fuling suspected.

They figured they were about to inherit a vast sum, and they couldn’t attend the funeral looking destitute, as if they couldn’t survive without that money—that would make the Zhu family a laughingstock.

Furthermore, having committed such a deed, they were all somewhat paranoid and specifically hired a professional security team to protect themselves.

And then there was that spendthrift Zhu Ke. Hearing that the family was about to be rich, he—who previously negotiated just to buy a girlfriend a phone—immediately became extravagant.

He spent money like water with friends, chartered private jets, and bought yachts, all on credit.

Whatever expenses could be deferred were deferred, and those that couldn’t were covered by loans.

Regardless, Zhu Nanyu’s funeral was next week. Once the inheritance procedures were completed, paying back the debts would be a drop in the bucket.

Ji Fuling got the answer she expected. She propped herself up by the armrests and rose slowly, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

“You truly are that man’s flesh and blood. You’ll use any vicious means for money.” Ji Fuling gave a self-mocking laugh. “Unfortunately, your wishful thinking is destined to fail!”

Hearing this, Zhu Fulu stopped pretending to be a good person and revealed a grim expression. “Does Mom mean she doesn’t plan to cooperate? Then don’t force us…”

“Even killing me won’t work.” The old lady slapped the table hard and reminded them forcefully, “Don’t forget, I am only the second heir. And Nanyu’s primary heir was kicked out by you long ago, having completely broken ties with the Zhu family!”

“!!!”

Zhu Fulu and Zhu Xingwang were struck as if by lightning. They looked at each other and remembered:

After Ji Fuling’s son—their half-brother—died of overwork, they feared the wealth would go to an outsider. They framed their sister-in-law and forced her to renounce the inheritance, allowing the then 10-year-old Zhu Nanyu to inherit it so they could seize the assets as “guardians.”

Fearing a challenge from the actual guardian, they forced the sister-in-law to settle abroad, completely severing all ties with the Zhu family.

In other words, if the inheritance fell to Zhu Nanyu’s mother, the Zhu family—who had actively severed ties—wouldn’t get a cent!

“H-how is that possible!” Zhu Fulu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe his plan had such a glaring oversight. He muttered despondently, “She… she was driven away by us long ago.”

“So what if she was driven abroad by you? Blood ties cannot be broken—those were your own words.” Ji Fuling lifted her chin and said coldly, “And…”

Before she could finish, the bodyguards who were originally guarding the perimeter of the mansion rushed in, surrounding the house so tightly not a drop of water could get through.

Two tall bodyguards pushed open the door, looking down at the three men named Zhu.

“What are you doing? I didn’t tell you to come in! Are you revolting!” Zhu Ke shouted.

The lead bodyguard spoke expressionlessly, “Apologies. Considering your financial issues, our contract was terminated ten minutes ago. We are now under a new employer.”

As soon as he spoke, a fragrant breeze drifted in from outside.

Accompanied by the tap-tap-tap of footsteps, a woman dressed in a black dress and an exquisite dress hat, radiating elegance, slowly entered the room.

She appeared to be around forty years old, with a beauty that transcended age. Her features bore a striking resemblance to Zhu Nanyu.

Her brow carried the composure of years of experience, as if everything in the world was within her grasp.

“It’s been a long time.” The woman in black smiled beautifully. “I trust you’ve been well?”

.

“…I’ve narrowed down the area where Jia Qiao last disappeared to within three streets, as you requested.”

Lanner sent the map to Zhu Nanyu and asked in confusion, “But according to my deduction, the place where Jia Qiao is imprisoned is at least dozens of kilometers from that location. Why are you looking for the place where he went missing?”

Zhu Nanyu stared fixedly at the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he circled several points on the map.

“Go to these places and see if there are any signs of a struggle.”

Lanner didn’t dare delay and immediately made the arrangements. Only then did he hear Zhu Nanyu explain in a low voice.

“He sent me a distress signal.”

Although Zhu Nanyu had never fully gauged Jia Qiao’s strength, he could conclude:

A pair of handcuffs alone was not enough to restrain Jia Qiao.

The answer was obvious.

Something else was being used as leverage against Jia Qiao, forcing him to enter that hellish room.

Zhu Nanyu’s brow furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with gloom.

He believed he knew Jia Qiao; that man was indifferent to everything. Zhu Nanyu had exerted so much effort to make him gradually become soft and vibrant.

However, after he disappeared, he actually gained a new weakness and was even willing to put himself in danger for that person.

And because of Jia Qiao’s distress signal, he couldn’t leave that person alone.

The people sent out acted quickly and soon sent back photos of the scene.

It was an unmanaged underground garage. The floor was covered with glass shards and blood.

Zhu Nanyu closely monitored the six camera feeds and confirmed that Jia Qiao was not injured and had no blood on him.

The conclusion was clear: that blood must belong to the person being used to threaten Jia Qiao.

From the volume and spray pattern of the blood, that person had lost the ability to move and was likely unconscious.

To use him as leverage, the gang certainly wouldn’t let him die. Their next move was easy to predict—

“Investigate nearby private clinics and pharmacies to see who bought a large amount of hemostatic supplies around 8:30 PM, then conduct a thorough search within a 100-meter radius.”

“Understood.”

.

It hurts so much.

Lu Min regained consciousness in a wave of pain, unsure if he was alive or dead.

His last memory was accompanying his master on a trip for the first time, going to a photographer’s studio to pick up wedding photos.

The master asked him to move the photos to the car first. Because the frames were heavy, he wanted the driver to bring the car over.

After sending the message, the driver didn’t respond for a long time.

Lu Min thought the driver hadn’t seen the message. He called the other party’s phone, but a mechanical voice said it was switched off.

Maybe the driver forgot to charge his phone. I should remind him next time!

Lu Min peeked into the studio. Seeing his master focused on the wedding video, he didn’t disturb him and carried the heavy photo frame into the underground garage alone.

The garage was pitch black. Lu Min placed the wedding photo by the car and used a smart app to unlock the door.

Beep—

The sound of the lock echoed in the garage, sounding particularly piercing.

Just as Lu Min was about to pull open the door, a sharp sound of wind sliced through the air; someone was approaching fast from behind.

Before Lu Min could react, he felt a chill in his lower back, followed by a sharp, stabbing pain.

He slowly turned his head and saw a man who had appeared behind him at some point, grinning as he twisted the knife handle.

“Eh? Why no screaming?” The man wickedly twisted the knife half a turn and brutally pulled it out.

Lu Min clearly saw his own blood spray out. He opened his mouth in terror, letting out a series of ah-ah, yi-yi whimpering sounds.

“Oh, so it’s a mute? How boring. I specifically picked a place where no one would hear you even if you screamed your lungs out.” The man twirled the knife in his hand and reached out to grab Lu Min’s throat.

Lu Min found strength from somewhere, gave a hard push, and actually knocked the unsuspecting man to the ground. He clutched his master’s wedding photo and struggled into the car.

Just as he sat in the car, several of the man’s accomplices appeared, cursing and asking, “Why didn’t you catch him?”

“We’re counting on him to catch the big fish! Don’t let him get away!”

Only then did Lu Min realize: their target was his master!

He hurriedly pulled out a spiral notebook. Ignoring the need for a pen, he dipped his finger in his own blood and tremblingly wrote “Run fast.”

The man who caught up picked up a club and smashed the car window, pointing at Lu Min and shouting:

“Little mute, get the hell out of there!”

“If you get out and call your master here, I’ll spare your life.”

I must not let them catch Master!!!

Lu Min realized this and, regardless of whether he knew how to drive, followed his memory to start the engine.

A second before they smashed the glass, the car finally surged forward!

Lu Min was afraid his master would come directly to the garage like he did. He crumpled the paper he had written on and threw it out through the hole in the broken glass.

At that moment, he optimistically thought that if he escaped and his master saw the note, everything would be fine.

Little did he know that after driving for a short distance, the car suddenly stalled.

He tried hard to hit the steering wheel, but it was useless.

Lu Min looked ahead in despair. The gang’s accomplices appeared at the street corner, a metal baseball bat on one of their shoulders, which was then slammed into the windshield…

Later, because of the blood loss, Lu Min’s memory became blurred. He only remembered the accomplices locking him in a small dark room.

He even said that since Lu Min was a mute, they didn’t even have to gag him.

So, am I… dead?

Lu Min reached out to touch his lower back. The wound was simply bandaged, but his body was rapidly losing heat.

He was still alive, so what about Master?

Did he get the message? Was he caught by those bad people?

Although Master was strong and agile…

His body was very delicate. If a wound like this were on Master, it would surely be very painful.

Lu Min tried to prop up his body in worry. As soon as he moved, the accomplice guarding him became alert and walked over to check.

“What are you sitting up for? Don’t pull the wound open. The boss said to keep you alive for a few more days.”

The man looked down to check Lu Min’s wound. Over the man’s shoulder, Lu Min noticed the dilapidated wooden door shaking; someone was picking the lock outside.

Someone was here!

Instinct told Lu Min that they were rescuers!

He immediately began to struggle, pretending to be in great pain, pushing medicine bottles and water cups onto the floor, deliberately making a loud noise.

“Fuck! You kid doing this on purpose? Even a mute is so noisy. Believe it or not, I’ll kill you!” The accomplice was fuming with rage and gave Lu Min two slaps.

He raised his hand high, preparing for a third slap, when his hand was suddenly gripped from behind.

“…!” The accomplice’s whole body shook with fear as he turned his head in terror.

Before he could see the other person’s face, he was slapped twice himself, leaving him dizzy.

“What’s that noise over there?”

The accomplices on the other side of the screen heard the sound and picked up a tablet to check the situation.

Just as the accomplice was about to speak, a powerful hand gripped his throat, commanding in a whispered tone, “If you want to live, cooperate.”

The accomplice saw stars. He pointed the camera at Lu Min and said in a tone that suggested nothing was wrong, “It’s nothing. The little mute woke up and broke things, so I gave him two slaps.”

“Fine. Watch out and don’t kill him.”

“Once these two days are over, you can do whatever you want with that mute.”

After saying their piece, they gathered together again to play cards and kill time.

The person choking the accomplice gave a look, and two more people entered from outside.

One person nimbly installed a small screen in front of the surveillance camera, playing a loop of emergency synthesized footage from moments ago.

The other person quickly picked up Lu Min and confirmed with the captive accomplice, “Is there only one hostage?”

The accomplice nodded, trembling.

“Good.” He signaled the man holding the throat. “The boss said not to alert the enemy. Knock him out.”

Just as Lu Min was successfully rescued, in the room where Jia Qiao was imprisoned, the lights flashed a few more times.

‘Task complete.’

Jia Qiao received the signal and coughed weakly, his fingertips gently tapping the floor:

‘Turn off the lights.’