She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 27

The night light by the bed cast a soft, gentle glow.

Xu Zhaoyi sat on the single sofa by the window, staring at the hospital’s medical report in her hands. The characters crawled across the paper like a dense swarm of ants.

Late-stage gastric cancer. Three months life expectancy.

Her hands shook uncontrollably.

A month ago, her father had begun experiencing frequent stomach pains. It wasn’t until yesterday, when he vomited blood and collapsed at the office, that they realized it was already too late.

The attending physician had been tactful, but she understood the subtext: there was nothing left for them to do.

On the bed, Xu Jiancheng lay with his eyes closed, his face a ghostly grey, as if veiled by a layer of gauze. He was only fifty, in the prime of his life. How could this happen?

Zhaoyi’s eyes burned, and her vision blurred.

A soft footstep sounded behind her. Jiang Yao walked in carrying a glass of warm water, her steps as light as a cat’s. Since the danger they faced a month ago, the wound on her arm had healed, leaving only a faint, shallow scar on her fair skin.

She walked to the bedside and placed the water on the nightstand.

“Jiancheng,” she called out softly, “would you like some water?”

Xu Jiancheng opened his eyes and slowly shook his head. “Zhaozhao,” he rasped, his voice incredibly weak, “come here.”

Zhaoyi wiped her eyes and stood up to move to the bedside. “Dad…”

Xu Jiancheng reached out and took her hand. It was dry and cold, like a withered branch.

“I have something to say,” he panted with difficulty. “Xiao Yao, you come over too.”

Jiang Yao sat down on the other side of the bed. Xu Jiancheng looked at the two of them, a complex emotion flickering in his dimming eyes.

“If I had known… I shouldn’t have pulled you into this,” he said to Jiang Yao. “I didn’t expect things to turn out this way…”

Jiang Yao shook her head. “It was my own choice.”

Xu Jiancheng sighed and turned his gaze to Zhaoyi. “Daughter, Dad is sorry to you and your mother… all these years I was busy with the company and neglected you…”

Zhaoyi shook her head, her tears finally falling. “Dad, don’t say that.”

“If I don’t say it now, I won’t have another chance,” Xu Jiancheng said with a bitter smile. “I’ve already arranged everything for the company. Most of the assets will be transferred to your name. The rest… goes to Xiao Yao.”

He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “The Jiang family… they’ve been watching us like hawks. You two must look out for one another. Don’t let them find a weakness.”

Zhaoyi gripped his hand tightly, unable to speak. She knew he was settling his affairs, but the reality was too cruel to accept.

“And one more thing…” Xu Jiancheng suddenly lowered his voice. “The people in the Jiang family… they have blood on their hands. Zhaozhao, you must, at all costs protect Xiao Yao. She knows too much…”

Before he could finish, he broke into a violent fit of coughing, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Yao immediately pressed the call button. Nurses and doctors rushed in. “The patient needs quiet and rest,” the doctor said, ushering them out. “Family, please wait outside.”

Standing in the hallway, Zhaoyi watched the medical staff through the glass window as they scrambled to intubate her father for emergency treatment. Her legs felt as heavy as lead.

After the incident a month ago, she had vaguely guessed that a deeper darkness lurked behind the Jiang family, but she never imagined it involved murder.

“The ‘blood on their hands’ my dad mentioned…” She turned to look at Jiang Yao.

Under the harsh, pale lights of the corridor, Jiang Yao’s expression was exceptionally grim.

“Ten years ago,” she said softly, “a senior executive of the Jiang Group vanished without a trace. The police investigated for a long time but found nothing.”

She paused. “That executive… was my mother’s brother. My biological uncle.”

Zhaoyi gasped. “You mean…”

“He didn’t just vanish.” A cold light flashed in Jiang Yao’s eyes. “He was silenced. Because he discovered some of the Jiang family’s… illegal activities.”

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I spent ten years gathering evidence just to get justice for him.”

Ten years of endurance and scheming.

Zhaoyi suddenly understood the real reason Jiang Yao had married into the Xu family. She needed a platform that wasn’t controlled by the Jiangs, a safe harbor. More importantly, she needed an opportunity to strike back.

“Then the evidence you have…” Zhaoyi’s voice was tight.

“It’s enough to destroy some of them,” Jiang Yao said. “But not all. That’s why I haven’t moved yet.”

She looked toward the ward. “Your father’s final arrangements were wise. By transferring the bulk of the assets to you, he gave us enough leverage to deal with them.”

Zhaoyi’s mind raced. Inheriting the company meant she would directly face the threat of the Jiang family. And now, her father had tasked her with protecting Jiang Yao…

No wonder her father chose Jiang Yao. It wasn’t about love or a marriage of convenience. He needed someone strong enough, someone who understood the Jiang family’s weaknesses, to protect his daughter.

It was a perfect arrangement, provided Zhaoyi had the strength to carry it.

Three Days Later

The autumn sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling warmly onto the bed.

Zhaoyi opened her eyes and checked her phone: 12:00 PM. She hadn’t slept for three days and had finally succumbed to an exhausted, drug-induced slumber last night.

There were over a dozen missed calls and dozens of unread messages, mostly inquiries from the company and condolences from relatives.

Her father had passed away early yesterday morning. He went peacefully. She had stayed by his side for three days until she saw him take his final breath.

Strangely, she didn’t cry in that moment. Perhaps her tears had run dry, or perhaps the weight of the grief was so heavy it felt surreal.

She got up and pushed open the window. The sun was bright, the flowers in the garden were still blooming, and the trees swayed in the wind. The world kept turning. Only her life had been turned upside down.

When she finished washing up and went downstairs, Jiang Yao was already waiting in the dining room. She wore black mourning clothes, her hair tied back simply. She wore no makeup, looking haggard yet still beautiful.

Seeing Zhaoyi come down, she stood up. “Did you sleep well?” Her voice was as gentle as if nothing had happened.

Zhaoyi shook her head. “Not really.”

She sat at the table. Jiang Yao poured her a glass of warm milk and set out freshly toasted bread and fried eggs, all of Zhaoyi’s favorites.

“Today at 2:00 PM,” Jiang Yao said, “the lawyer is coming to read the will. Some executives from the company also want to speak with you.”

Zhaoyi nodded. “Are you going?”

“If you don’t want me there, I won’t go.” Jiang Yao looked at her with a serious gaze. “You are the head of the Xu family now. All decisions should be made by you.”

The head. The title felt incredibly heavy. A month ago, she was just a carefree student. Now, she was suddenly shouldering a vast commercial empire.

“I need you,” Zhaoyi said, looking up at Jiang Yao. “We’ll do it together.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes brightened. She smiled, leaned over, and gave Zhaoyi a soft hug.

“I will always be here,” she whispered into Zhaoyi’s ear. “No matter what happens.”

The hug was brief, but it made Zhaoyi’s heart feel a flicker of warmth. After breakfast, Jiang Yao took her to the study and began explaining the company’s affairs in detail.

The Xu family’s industries were far more complex than Zhaoyi had imagined. Jiang Yao was patient, simplifying the key information into forms Zhaoyi could understand. Her voice was steady and clear, and as Zhaoyi listened, her confusion gradually transformed into resolve.

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Yao said after explaining a complex shareholding structure, patting Zhaoyi’s hand. “I won’t let you face this alone.”

Zhaoyi looked into her earnest eyes and remembered something. “The ‘safe place’ my dad mentioned… do you know where it is?”

Jiang Yao nodded. “I know. I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

Just then, the doorbell rang. The lawyer had arrived.

Jiang Yao stood up. “Are you ready?”

Zhaoyi took a deep breath and stood, smoothing her clothes. “I’m ready.”

From this moment on, she was the pilot of the Xu family ship. Countless challenges lay ahead, the Jiang family’s threats, company instability, internal doubts…

But with Jiang Yao by her side, she suddenly didn’t feel so afraid.