Rebirth as the Richest Woman in the World
Chapter 179 That year (in the middle of the night)

Chapter 179: 179 That year (in the middle of the night)

Zhao Yiling had lost control of her emotions, and with a swing of her arm, she brushed off Li Ruyu and ran ferociously to the second floor.

Li Ruyu hurriedly followed her.

From the second floor, there came a series of ’bang bang bang.’

Chu Jin paced slowly, just stepping outside the gate, and when her foot crossed the threshold of the Zhao family villa, tears surged forth from the eyes that had slowly been drying, falling in large drops like beads slipping off a string.

Even though the Zhao family hadn’t treated her former self well, at the moment of true farewell, her soul still deeply yearned for this place.

After all, this was where her former self had lived for 11 years.

Eleven years, 4,015 days and nights, 96,360 hours, 5,781,600 minutes.

Even cold stones could be warmed by touch, let alone a human heart.

Unfortunately, not every heart can be warmed.

Some hearts are colder than ice, harder than iron and stone.

Watching that delicate figure, Mo Qianjue recalled the words she had just spoken, each one piercing the heart, each sentence tear-stained.

He felt his heart wrenching painfully.

His feet subconsciously followed behind her.

At such a time, she must be very sad, she must really need someone’s company.

Perhaps, she needed a shoulder to lean on.

Mo Qianjue followed not too far behind her, all the way out of the Zhao family villa, until they reached a fork in the road where Chu Jin stopped.

Without turning back, she said, "Stop following me, I don’t owe you anything, and you don’t owe me anything."

Her voice was as clear and melodious as ever.

But upon a closer listen, one could hear a hint of huskiness in that melodious voice.

Having said that, she strode away.

She knew that she and Mo Qianjue were never on the same path to begin with.

Mo Qianjue stood there stunned, his fingers trembling as he clutched the jade pendant in his palm, holding it so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. Watching her receding figure, he parted his lips and after a moment managed to say three words from the depths of his throat.

"...I’m sorry." Bitterly acidic.

Regrettably, the girl had long since walked away and couldn’t hear his voice at all.

He had never imagined that the events of the day would unfold like this.

It was all his own fault. If he had investigated properly and discovered Zhao Yiling’s true nature sooner, none of this would have happened.

Chu Jin walked at a leisurely pace, observing the scenery along the way as her heart gradually calmed. In fact, she had anticipated that a day like this would come, just not that it would arrive so soon.

"Jin, wait," called a familiar voice from behind.

Chu Jin paused, instinctively turning her head only to see a middle-aged woman rushing towards her. Her pupils contracted slightly. Was that—Aunt Li?

Aunt Li was a former maid of the Chu Family, and after their fall, she followed Chu Jin to work for the Zhao family.

She was also the only one in that cold villa who truly cared for her without expecting anything in return.

If it weren’t for Aunt Li, that little girl of just seven years old would probably have starved to death long ago.

"Aunt Li, what are you doing here?" Chu Jin gave Aunt Li a slight smile.

"Jin," Aunt Li sighed softly, her eyes reddening slightly as her throat tightened, "...are you okay?"

"Does your face still hurt?" Aunt Li instinctively reached out to touch Chu Jin’s cheek with a flash of heartache in her eyes.

She had watched Jin grow up and was acutely aware of the hardships she had endured over the years.

She was also grateful that Jin had come to her senses and grown stronger at such a time.

This way, her late husband could rest peacefully.

"I’m fine," Chu Jin shook her head, "It doesn’t hurt at all. Don’t worry about me, I’ve grown up now, I know what to do about some things, you don’t have to worry."

"That’s good to know, that’s good to know," Aunt Li said, repeating the reassurance, but thinking about what Chu Jin had gone through over the years and her recent rhetoric at the Zhao family villa, tears started streaming down uncontrollably. She embraced Chu Jin tightly and began to sob loudly, "Jin, you’ve suffered over these years, it’s my fault, I couldn’t protect you."

The blame was on herself for not being able to protect Jin as she should have after her husband had entrusted the girl to her before his accident.

She felt guilty for betraying her husband’s trust.

"I’m really fine," Chu Jin patted Aunt Li’s back, "Don’t cry, I’m very grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would have died 11 years ago." By the end, Chu Jin’s gradually recovering voice became hoarse again.

Although she had lost some things, she had also gained some.

Like true affection.

She was happy that, at such a time, Aunt Li could still come out to comfort her.

"Jin, don’t say that. It’s my duty to be good to you. The master had been kind to me when he was alive, and he entrusted you to my care by his own hands. Unfortunately, I still failed to protect you."

If the master were still alive, seeing today’s events would have surely broken his heart.

Unfortunately...

The more Aunt Li thought, the sadder she became, and her sobs grew louder.

"Jin," Aunt Li’s emotions gradually stabilized, looking at the girl in front of her, she knew deeply that this person had truly transformed and that it was time to tell her some things.

Aunt Li took out a bunch of keys and a swipe card from her pocket and handed them to Chu Jin, "Jin, this is a property at Huagui Park that the master left for you. Take good care of it. Now that you have severed ties with the Zhao family, you can live there in the future."

Chu Jin received the bunch of keys, and said with surprise, "The master you’re referring to, is it my dad?"

Aunt Li nodded, "Yes, the master had foreseen that such a day would come, so he had prepared everything in advance. He also specifically tasked me to wait until you truly grew up and became an adult before handing these keys over to you."

Chu Liyan had foreseen such a day?

Does it mean that Chu Liyan had known he would face a day when he would be homeless?

So, Chu Liyan could predict the future?

Knew for certain that he would inevitably sever relations with the Zhao family one day.

As far as she knew, Chu Liyan died in a sudden car accident, which was fatal on the spot, causing a once powerful figure to fall.

How could a person who died in an accident have prepared everything in advance, when at that time, Chu Jin was only 7 years old and Chu Liyan was in the prime of his life? A man in his prime wouldn’t prepare for his own death in advance.

Everything was too illogical.

Unless there was some reason that made it... necessary for him to die.

Listening to Aunt Li’s words, Chu Jin’s brows furrowed slightly, feeling that there was something complicated behind this matter, certainly with even deeper secrets.

"Now that you can discern right from wrong and have separated from the Zhao family, there are some things I no longer need to hide," once she had successfully completed the master’s mission, she would retire and return home to live out her remaining years.

Aunt Li continued.

"Jin, I’m only going to say the following once, so you need to listen carefully,"

Chu Jin nodded vigorously toward Aunt Li, "Please tell me."

"In fact, the master’s death wasn’t an accident at all. Everything was premeditated by someone," Aunt Li’s expression became very grave as she spoke, "Just the night before the master’s crash, he called me into his study to make arrangements for after his death, telling me to take good care of you, and when the time was right, to tell you everything..."

Aunt Li gradually sank into her memories, her eyes reddening.

Listening to Aunt Li’s words, Chu Jin’s heart was in shock, yet she also had some doubts.

If Chu Liyan knew someone was out to harm him, why didn’t he try to avoid it? Or call the police for help.

Instead, he quietly prepared a backup plan for his daughter.

What was the reason that led Chu Liyan to willingly give up his life and enter the trap set by that person without a fight?

Was the opponent too powerful, or was Chu Liyan too weak?

And, from the sounds of Aunt Li’s words, it seemed Chu Liyan had long known his daughter would eventually rise from the ashes.

There were too many doubts.

If Chu Liyan’s death was not accidental, what about Zhao Yan?

Was Zhao Yan’s fall from the building also manipulated by someone?

After all, what was the reason for all of this?

"And what about my mom? Did she jump off the building on her own?" Chu Jin asked, voicing her inner confusion.

"The lady..." As she uttered these two words, Mrs. Li was already sobbing uncontrollably, "Of course the lady didn’t jump off the building by herself! The master was no longer there, and you were so young, how could the lady bear to leave you alone and jump? She had no other choice and she was so young..."

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