Transmigrated as the Top-Tier Alpha's Secretly Married Ex-Wife - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Extra – Qiao Yanran

At sixteen, Qiao Yanran attended her first funeral.

It was for her biological parents.

Her hair was cut very short, and she was wearing cheap clothes bought from a street stall.

Sitting in front of the basin of burning paper money, she mechanically threw joss paper into the fire.

Her eyes were empty, as if the world had nothing to do with her.

“She really is an ungrateful wretch! Yonggang spent so much time and effort over the years trying to find his wife and daughter, even giving up many of his bad drinking habits! Yet she hasn’t shed a single tear!”

“That’s how Qiao Hui taught her! I think this accident was caused by her bad luck! Otherwise, why would Yonggang ignore his duties ever since they got married? Just when things were looking up, why did this happen?”

The people behind her, whom she couldn’t distinguish as aunts or uncles, were discussing her among themselves.

Her grandmother, whom she had only met a few times since childhood, leaned on her cane, sobbing hysterically. “Yonggang, I told you not to marry that bad luck charm, but you wouldn’t listen. A good person like you had to suffer like this, dying so young! What am I, your mother, supposed to do…”

A group of people wailed and shouted, but not a single person dared to step closer to look at the people inside the coffins.

Until the insurance company representative appeared.

When Qiao Yanran learned that her mother had bought double life insurance policies, and she was the sole beneficiary of both.

She finally seemed to understand why her mother had taken her father for a drive, leaving her behind.

The huge compensation would be enough to guarantee the teenage girl a worry-free life for the rest of her days and would also give the relatives in the small town something to rely on.

The same people who had just been complaining, despising, and pushing responsibility for funeral costs changed their expressions immediately.

All the uncles and aunts suddenly offered to cover the funeral expenses for both parents, and they all volunteered to pay for Qiao Yanran’s future education.

An aunt lowered her voice behind Qiao Yanran. “Yanran, your mother must have made a lot of money from her breakfast stall, right? She even bought a car for your father. What about the rest of the savings? How much is there? Your aunt can keep it for you, and I’ll give it back after you graduate from university, to prevent those with impure motives from cheating you out of your mother’s hard-earned money!”

An uncle chimed in, “That’s right, Yanran. The money your mother earned, and your parents’ insurance payout, can all be kept by us. Don’t you trust us? I think you should come home with us and study with your cousin. You are still young and need someone to take care of you!”

Qiao Yanran’s wooden expression finally showed a slight reaction.

Her gaze swept over these people, who called themselves “relatives.” The person she called “Grandma,” who had just been full of resentment towards her, saw the insurance agent, her eyes lit up, and she rushed forward to grab the agent.

“She’s just a young girl. Even if it’s an insurance payout, she can’t look after it! If you give her that money, you’ll be harming her! We are her family. I am her grandmother! The money my son is owed should come to me! You must let us see!”

The old lady’s commotion caused everyone else to crowd around the insurance agent, demanding an explanation.

No one was still concerned about the two people lying in the coffins.

Qiao Yanran suddenly felt incredibly ridiculous.

With that thought, she burst into laughter.

At first, no one noticed. Then, her laughter grew louder, loud enough to echo throughout the entire courtyard.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

Shock, surprise, madness, schadenfreude.

Countless gazes converged on her, as if Qiao Yanran were a monster.

As Qiao Yanran laughed, tears unknowingly streamed from the corners of her eyes.

The old lady shouted coldly, “You unfilial girl! Your father is dead, and you can still laugh! To have a granddaughter like you in the Qian family is an utter disgrace!”

Qiao Yanran’s laughter gradually subsided.

Looking at the old lady’s wrinkled face, she only felt sick.

The feeling of nausea rose from her stomach, like an invisible claw emptying her heart, making her want to spit out the filth.

“Yes, I am unfilial! Qian Yonggang deserved to die! He died wonderfully!”

Qiao Yanran chuckled, “All he ever did was hit my mother and hit me. He only drank and gambled, never contributing anything to this family. My mother finally got rid of him, only to suffer his harassment year after year.”

She looked at the circle of people, who were labeled “relatives.”

Like pigs and dogs, like livestock.

“I haven’t eaten a grain of your rice or taken a single penny from you. Now that my mother is dead, you crawl all over me, trying to steal her inheritance for your own pleasure. What do you take Qiao Yanran for?”

Qiao Yanran’s face was cold, defiant, and wore the fiercest expression she could muster.

She no longer had a mother.

Before she was sixteen, even though her mother had weak moments, she had used all her strength to shield her.

The nest her mother built was destroyed. She wouldn’t be comfortable.

And she wouldn’t let these people be comfortable either.

“Qian Yonggang’s body, if you want to take it, take it. Do whatever you want with it. If you don’t dispose of it, I’ll chop up his remains and feed them to the dogs.”

Qiao Yanran said sharply, “There’s no love or respect between you and me, and certainly no father-daughter affection between him and me. Now, I should remind you—”

Qiao Yanran smiled. “I am sixteen years old now, underage. If I were to kill all of you, would I be held fully responsible?”

“You, you—”

“You unfilial girl!”

The relatives huddled together, full of indignation.

The courtyard was tense and furious, everyone locked in a stalemate.

Just then, a resolute voice sounded at the doorway. “According to the law of our country, a person under the age of eighteen, if they accidentally kill someone, will at most be assigned to a juvenile detention center and subjected to discipline for life.”

The voice paused. “Killing one, killing two, or killing ten, there won’t be much difference.”

Qiao Yanran was also momentarily stunned.

Everyone turned to look at the door.

It was Shen Jun, dressed in a black suit, along with Shen Jun’s parents.

Qiao Yanran’s eyes dimmed.

Her mother used to work at Shen Jun’s house. She and her mother lived in the basement of the Shen family home. Shen Jun’s parents were kind and never made things difficult for people.

At that time, she was a ball of sharp edges.

But Shen Jun’s parents were always kind and gentle.

Perhaps this was the refinement of a diplomat.

It was a social class she had never been able to reach, not since the day she was born.

“Hello, I am Qiao Yanran’s legal counsel. All matters concerning the inheritance and compensation will be handled by me.”

Shen Jun’s expression was calm and serious as she looked at the quarreling relatives.

“If any of you have objections, I can resolve them for you free of charge. I believe that attempting to seize the property of an orphaned girl is not something a normal person would do.”

Although Shen Jun was young, having just graduated from the country’s top political science and law university, she was already famous. Several cases she recently handled had even been featured on television news.

Even if these people didn’t know her, they were stunned by her imposing presence.

The people who had just been scrambling for the property were silenced instantly.

Shen Jun’s parents were kind. Shen’s mother took Qiao Yanran’s hand, looking distressed and sorrowful. “Yanran, it’s a tragedy that your mother, such an honest and kind woman, suffered such an accident. Don’t worry, no matter what happens, we will seek justice for you!”

Shen’s mother stood in front of the crowd and said coldly, “You are defying the law, bullying an orphan who has lost both parents here. If we look for faults, you could be thrown in jail a thousand times!”

Shen’s mother continued sternly, “If you want to take Qian Yonggang’s body, take it! It has nothing to do with us. Qiao Hui’s body will stay here, and we will give her a proper burial! If I see you causing trouble for Yanran, not only me, but even my elder brother, the Chief of the Police Bureau, will not let you off lightly!”

Shen’s mother’s reprimand completely silenced the relatives.

They didn’t concede because they accepted defeat, but because the Shen family had brought over a dozen bodyguards and seemed to have strong ties with the police, which forced them to back off.

“Since they died together, they should be buried together! You’re so nosy, you deal with it then!”

“I don’t believe there is no law in this world! We will sue you! Yanran is a young girl, what does she know! You just want to cheat her out of her money!”

The people cursed and made threats, running off without even taking Qian Yonggang’s body.

They had just been crying hysterically here, but their departure now was quick and decisive.

Shen’s mother put her arm around Qiao Yanran’s shoulder. “Child, your mother was a wonderful parent. You must live well and not disappoint the hopes she had for you.”

Qiao Yanran looked at her quietly, meeting her calm and gentle eyes, and her own eyes turned red instantly.

She smiled, a smile that was heartbreaking to see, revealing the fragility beneath a facade of stubbornness that had just been exposed.

“Okay.”

She agreed.

She didn’t refuse.

Years later, when Qiao Yanran recalled that scene, she always thought of the usually quiet Shen Jun.

At that time, Shen Jun was still youthful.

Just a little taller than her.

But she protected her with absolute certainty.

Perhaps it was for justice then.

Perhaps it was for the kindness in her heart.

On their wedding night, Qiao Yanran and Shen Jun were soaking in the bathtub together. Qiao Yanran’s hair was wet. She asked Shen Jun, “Have you liked me for a long time?”

Shen Jun didn’t answer.

Qiao Yanran held her face, insisting on an answer.

Their eyes met. Shen Jun, compelled, whispered, “The first time I saw you after starting university, I passed by your school one day and saw you surrounded by some lowlifes. I was going to help, but then I saw you almost bite off one of their ears.”

Qiao Yanran’s eyes widened.

Shen Jun sighed. “At that moment, I wondered how I would defend you if the person pressed charges.”

Qiao Yanran let out a soft laugh.

She was very proud. “So, you’ve liked me for that long?”

“Not quite.”

Shen Jun pinched her nose. “Don’t be so conceited.”

Qiao Yanran looked at her with glistening eyes. Shen Jun, in the steam, enveloped her lips in a kiss.

Shen Jun said, “If you say so, then it is.”

She was willing to admit it, willing to compromise.

After all, she had waited a lifetime.

There was nothing left to fear.