Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Wealthy Stepparent? - Chapter 15:

Rong Wangzhi had truly prepared himself mentally, but before it was even his turn to take the stage, a Maybach suddenly rolled to a stop nearby. Butler Li, possessing sharp eyes, trotted over and opened the car door as soon as the vehicle was steady.

An elderly lady stepped out.

She had a head of silver hair, looked incredibly energetic, and carried a dignified air. There were wrinkles on her face, but she was exceptionally well-preserved.

Surveying the scene, she frowned. “What’s going on here?”

Butler Li: “She’s here to extort us; says her heart hurts.”

Nine words summarized the situation perfectly.

The old lady arched an eyebrow.

In her youth, she had weathered storms and survived various ups and downs. During the toughest times, the Rong family’s ancestral home had even been sold off. Later, she had staged a comeback and bought the estate back.

There was nothing she hadn’t seen, and there was nothing she wasn’t capable of doing.

The next second, she tossed her walking cane aside, strode forward, and flopped down directly next to Xiang Jinglin’s mother. She wailed, “Oh! You old lady, what are you doing lying here? You tripped me! I can’t do this, it hurts so much, did I break my leg?! I’m 80 years old, I have high blood pressure and heart disease! Oh, I can’t breathe!”

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water. Cheng Leyan couldn’t help but feel a surge of respect, giving a “seal clap” in his mind: A great entrance, a brilliant move—you’ve arrived at exactly the right time!!!

To deal with an old lady like this, you have to bring out an “Old Lady Plus”!

She wasn’t finished. The old lady shouted, “Is that my grandson in the wheelchair? Oh, my eldest grandson is a vegetable, and she’s making his condition worse with her temper! He’s so upset he’s practically sliding out of his chair!”

This old lady was, of course, Rong Wangzhi’s grandmother.

The grandson she referred to was naturally Rong Wangzhi.

A minute later, under the grandmother’s direction, the vegetable Rong Wangzhi was also carefully “placed” on the ground.

Seeing the momentum, Mrs. Rong gritted her teeth and also flopped onto the ground. “Oh, oh!” she cried, claiming she was 55, had high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, was severely traumatized, and was now in pain all over.

Zhuozhuo, seeing his elders being so supportive, simply lay down as well. The toddler thought: I’m a tin man, my battery is dead, and then instinctively clutched his chest.

With four generations of the family going all out together, the Eldest Mrs. Rong was very satisfied with this display of team spirit.

Hmph. Trying to fight me?

However, she took a moment to glance at her grandson’s face. The old lady gave a jolt of shock, nearly having a real heart attack: What on earth? Are they sick? Wangzhi is a vegetable—why did they put makeup on him?

Why are his eyes drawn so big? Is he a vegetable entering a beauty pageant?

Oh, I need to take a photo later.

Wait… wait, what is that liquid coming out of my grandson’s eyes!?

Is that a tear?? It couldn’t be a tear, could it!?

He’s crying! My vegetable grandson is actually crying!!!

The Eldest Mrs. Rong, feeling heartbroken, shouted with great vigor, “You old hag! You’ve made my vegetable grandson cry from sheer anger!! Just you wait to pay up! If I don’t bankrupt you this time, I’ll write my surname backward from now on!”

By the way, the old lady’s surname happened to be Wang.

Rong Wangzhi who was forced to lie on the ground as part of the extortion combat force: “…” I was worried about Grandma’s health earlier, but now I see she’s doing great very spirited.

But Grandma, can you let me go?

If you didn’t say anything, no one would have even noticed!

By this point, Mrs. Xiang was completely dazed.

She was quite practiced at the “rolling and wailing” routine; it had usually been invincible in the past. After all, “whoever is weaker is in the right.” When she clung to people, they usually chose to back down. The richer the person, the more likely they were to concede.

She never expected to hit a brick wall today.

Seeing that the opposition had an 80-year-old, a comatose vegetable, and even a 3-year-old child joined in… not to mention…

Not to mention Mrs. Rong was actually 55! Meanwhile, Mrs. Xiang herself, despite her white hair and elderly appearance, was actually only 54!

She was a year younger than Mrs. Rong!

How could she possibly extort them now?!

Beside them, Cheng Leyan was still recording her with his phone, saying, “Babies, that’s right, this is the lady who tripped my 80-year-old grandmother and made my vegetable husband cry. Even my 55-year-old mother-in-law and 3-year-old child are feeling unwell.

“Sigh, they’ll all have to go to the hospital for checks later. We’ve called the police; why aren’t they here yet?”

What?

Were they really all going to the hospital for check-ups?

Mrs. Xiang was just a rural woman with limited knowledge. She didn’t understand the law and was starting to show her cowardice.

She scrambled to her feet, staring at Cheng Leyan with eyes full of spite. “Just you wait! You rich people’s lives are precious, but us poor people’s lives aren’t worth anything. Remember to check the almanac before you go out in the future, otherwise I’ll throw myself in front of your car at any moment!”

Cheng Leyan said, “Old lady, what you just said constitutes extortion and blackmail. When the police arrive, you can explain it to them. A detention record would mean three generations of your family won’t be allowed to work in the civil service.”

“Also,” he said word by word, “I was originally going to let Xiang Jinglin go, but since you came here to make a scene, fine. Tomorrow I’ll go to court and sue your son for child abuse. We aren’t short of money; I’ll hire the best lawyers. Your son can just wait for the lawsuit.”

Mrs. Xiang was angry, anxious, and panicked. “Stop acting! My son told me everything—everything he did before was done with your tacit approval! You treated the kid poorly yourself, and now you’re putting on an act!”

Zhuozhuo, who was a bit timid, immediately wrapped his arms around Cheng Leyan’s neck upon hearing this, pressing his face tightly against Cheng Leyan’s.

The bond of affection was impossible to fake.

The child’s intimate and completely trusting posture explained everything. The Eldest Mrs. Rong watched this and nodded secretly.

Mrs. Xiang gritted her teeth and decided to drop a bombshell. “Cheng Leyan, what about the fact that you seduced my eldest son?”

She shouted at Mrs. Rong and the grandmother, “You think this Cheng Leyan is a good person? Don’t you know? All the money he earned from you was spent on my eldest son! He’s like a dog in front of my son, and yet you treat him like a treasure!”

There was a sense of spiteful triumph in her voice.

To her surprise, Mrs. Rong rolled her eyes. “Our whole family already knows about that garbage.”

The grandmother, who had just learned of this: “…Yes, our whole family has known for a long time! What, your son is a gigolo and you’re proud of it?”

Mrs. Rong: “Like mother, like son. Perhaps it’s a family tradition; was his father like that too? A lineage of gigolos.”

Grandmother: “Exactly, exactly.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo left Mrs. Xiang unable to get a word in.

Cheng Leyan added fuel to the fire: “Old lady, let me be blunt. All my money went to your eldest son. If you want it from me, I don’t have it. If you have the guts, go ask him for it.”

Mrs. Xiang froze, then something occurred to her, and her eyes turned red with hate. “Was it Xiang Jingzhou who made you do this? Was he the one who ruined his brother’s job? That bastard… not caring for his mother or brother is one thing, but he actually plotted for his brother’s money…”

She followed up with a string of curses.

Horribly foul language.

Cheng Leyan let her curse and recorded it all, finally adding: “Old lady, looking at what you’re wearing, it seems your eldest son didn’t spend a single cent of the money he got from me on you. You worked so hard to raise him; hasn’t he shown any filial piety toward his mother?”

A direct hit to the vitals.

Mrs. Xiang’s face turned red and white. This time, she was truly so angry her chest hurt.

She clutched her chest, breathing heavily. At that moment, the police arrived.

Butler Li explained the situation to the officers and mentioned there was full surveillance coverage. The police suggested going back to the station for mediation, but Mrs. Xiang, having a guilty conscience, refused to go. She dropped the issue of the salary and slunk away in disgrace.

Butler Li took the surveillance footage and went with the police to give a statement, bringing the incident to a close.

Mrs. Rong helped the grandmother back into the house. As soon as they sat down, the old lady asked, “What was that about ‘the whole family knowing’? Niannian, did this son-in-law you found really take the money to support a pretty boy?”

She looked at Cheng Leyan with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Niannian” was Mrs. Rong’s nickname. The two women had a very close relationship. Mrs. Rong said directly, “Mom, who hasn’t loved a few scumbags in their youth? Cheng Leyan already said he’s seen the truth and is completely done with that jerk. He won’t do it again. It’s just a little bit of money; don’t worry about it.”

The grandmother’s voice was stern. “The money doesn’t matter much, but he is Wangzhi’s partner, and you insisted on getting them a marriage certificate. He is Wangzhi’s legitimate spouse. Relying only on a birth chart won’t do; we still have to look at his character.”

Rong Wangzhi had been settled in his wheelchair nearby. His mood was currently very complicated.

He had guessed the situation regarding the tutor being fired for abusing Zhuozhuo, but the things Mrs. Xiang just said—”seduced my son,” “spent money on my son,” “like a dog in front of my son”—made him feel very… uncomfortable.

Was Cheng Leyan still pursuing someone else?

If so, why did his mother make them get married?

Was he forced?

His mother said “Cheng Leyan is completely done” did that mean he had given up on that man?

If Cheng Leyan loved another person that much, what happened to make him give up completely?

Is he truly over it?

A string of questions popped up. He didn’t know the root of that strong sense of discomfort, but it was just…

Indescribable.

The matter made him inexplicably irritable.

Mm, Grandma still looks at the bigger picture; character is definitely what matters.

Then he heard Cheng Leyan say with a smile, “Grandma, you must be tired from the car ride. I’ve studied massage; let me give you a quick rub.”

The grandmother was skeptical. “Really? You know massage too?”

Two minutes later, the grandmother was beaming, saying happily, “Xiao Cheng, I think you have excellent character! Truly excellent!”

Rong Wangzhi: “…”

Grandma, isn’t that a bit too perfunctory!

Rong Wangzhi actually hoped his grandmother would continue to probe, perhaps asking about that adulterer—no, that’s not right asking about Cheng Leyan’s former crush and what the current status was.

But his grandmother seemed to have immersed herself in the massage and couldn’t pull herself out. She didn’t mention it again, leaving only Rong Wangzhi to brood over the matter.

Of course, he wasn’t concerned about some “adulterer.” He didn’t care at all. Not one bit.

But still…

What exactly is the situation? Grandma, do you really not want to ask more? Mom, aren’t you going to say anything else?

He thought so hard that even 250 heard him. The system couldn’t help but ask curiously: Wow, Host, I rarely heard your heart before; I was wondering if you’d learned Occlumency. Turns out you didn’t. But why do you care so much about an “adulterer”? You really care. Why?

Rong Wangzhi: Mute.

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