Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 46.3 – I’m Not a Rebellious Girl (III)

In the private room of Ningcui Pavilion, Zhou Qianqian knelt before Old Madam Huo, her face covered in tears as she clung to the older woman’s leg and choked out, “Mom, are you really my mother?”

The old lady was also weeping, stroking Zhou Qianqian’s head as she cried, “I’m sorry, Qianqian, Mom truly had no other choice.”

“If I hadn’t switched you back then, we would’ve been stuck in that remote countryside for the rest of our lives. Unlike now, even though Huo Xuewen is the one I raised, I can still make sure you have the best of everything.”

“I know, I know.” Zhou Qianqian, overwhelmed with joy, showed no resentment at all. “I don’t blame you, Mom. Even though I didn’t grow up by your side, I could always feel your care for me.”

The old lady was deeply moved. “We’re mother and daughter; our hearts are connected. I wanted to give you the best of everything in the world, but every time I saw you, you had no idea how much it hurt me.”

Wiping her tears, Zhou Qianqian looked up at the old lady and hesitated. “About Uncle Huo… no, I mean, my father…” The realization that Huo Pengyi was actually her biological father made Zhou Qianqian feel as though her blood was boiling with excitement.

The old lady was alarmed. “You can’t acknowledge him now!”

Zhou Qianqian froze. The old lady sternly emphasized, “Under no circumstances can you reveal this. Absolutely not now, do you understand?”

“Do you know why Ning Shaobai bet that he’d expose the secret of you being my daughter if he got the courtyard houses?” The old lady’s eyes were filled with hatred. “It’s because your father has a biological son now!”

“If your father finds out that Huo Xuewen isn’t his biological son, he’ll have every reason to hand the family business over to his real son.”

“That Ning Shaobai is truly malicious,” the old lady said bitterly, completely ignoring that Zhou Qianqian was always the one provoking him. “If he loses the bet, he’ll return the houses to us. But if he wins, both of us will be doomed!”

Zhou Qianqian wasn’t thinking about Ning Shaobai’s words at the moment. Her attention was fixated on Huo Pengyi’s illegitimate son. After a long pause, her eyes widened. “It’s that Assistant Huo, isn’t it?”

“No wonder Dad treats him so well and values him so highly!” Zhou Qianqian recalled various details. “I even spoke up for Brother Xuewen before, complaining about how that Huo Yuanlong had more authority than Brother Xuewen in the company.”

“Dad even said something about how they share the same surname, calling it fate.” The more Zhou Qianqian thought about it, the angrier she became. “That Huo Yuanlong even has several relatives in the company, and I heard they’ve all been assigned to the Chengbei project.”

“That’s why, before you and Xuewen get married, this secret must never come to light. Do you understand?” The old lady clenched her fists. Worried Zhou Qianqian might act recklessly, she spelled it out for her. “Otherwise, even if you’re officially acknowledged as part of the family, Huo Xuewen will have to leave, and Huo Yuanlong will become the rightful heir to the Huo family.”

Zhou Qianqian could understand this point. After all, she had been integrated with the Huo family for many years and had a good grasp of the intricacy of a wealthy family. She knew that even as Huo Pengyi’s biological daughter, he would never hand over the family business to her. The difference between inheriting the company and receiving some allowance was obvious. Just looking at how Huo Xuewen and the old lady were treated made it clear.

In the past, she thought the money the old lady casually gave her was enough, but now she realized that all those money came from Huo Xuewen!

“So, we have to wait until Brother Xuewen and I are married,” Zhou Qianqian said confidently. Now that she knew she was the real daughter of the Huo family, Huo Xuewen would need her support to secure his position in the family. By then, all the money Huo Xuewen earned would be hers!

Thinking about how Ning Shaoyun had lived such a luxurious and carefree life, Zhou Qianqian was filled with anticipation.

“First, you two need to get married and have a son as soon as possible. Second, he must secure bigger projects. You can’t let that Huo Yuanlong overshadow him. Otherwise, we mother and daughter will both be finished.”

Zhou Qianqian’s mind raced, and she clapped her hands in excitement. “I’ll go talk to Director Luo! Mom, you don’t know—right now, the real estate market in the south is going crazy, and it’s spilling over to Yan City. There are so many projects.”

“I heard from Dad that the reason the Chengbei project partnered with the Ning family was to secure an even bigger project. Brother Xuewen has been working crazily lately, putting together project proposals. He’s clearly anxious and has already submitted several applications, just waiting to see which one gets approved.”

“Will Director Luo approve the project?”

“As long as the gift is good enough,” Zhou Qianqian said confidently. “Remember last time? We gave him that painting, and the project got approved the very next day.”

The old lady was ecstatic. “Our Qianqian really knows how to get things done. Well, what are you waiting for? Once you secure the project approval, Xuewen will definitely see you in a new light. If you help him successfully secure the project, how could he possibly stay mad at you?”

“That boy takes after his Zhou grandfather. He might not be great with words, but he’s actually kind-hearted. Only someone as pretentious and ungrateful as Ning Shaoyun can fail to see it.”

“Oh, Mom, let’s not bring her up,” Zhou Qianqian said, displeased. “The divorce was a good thing, wasn’t it?”

“Right, right, I must be losing my mind,” the old lady said with a laugh before asking, “So, what should we give as a gift this time? If the project is big, the gift should be substantial too, right?”

“I heard Director Luo is into courtyard houses these days,” Zhou Qianqian said, suddenly clapping her hands again. Then, a bright idea struck her. “Mom, why don’t we gift him those courtyards we have?”

“If this project gets approved, it could earn us tens of millions. Those courtyards altogether are only worth tens, perhaps a couple hundred thousand at most. The value matches perfectly.”

The old lady frowned. “But those are the Huo family’s ancestral homes.”

“Oh Mom, listen to me,” Zhou Qianqian said eagerly. “Those rundown courtyards are just symbolic. Do you think Dad or anyone else would actually go back to live there?”

“Besides, I’m the true eldest child of the Huo family now. Aren’t those properties bound to become mine, eventually?”

“If we keep them, they might end up benefiting that Huo Yuanlong. Wouldn’t it be better to use them for greater benefits?”

The more Zhou Qianqian thought about it, the more she believed her plan was brilliant. “The best part is, we can slap Ning Shaobai in the face! Didn’t he make that bet with us over those courtyards?” She said smugly. “If we gift them to Director Luo, what will he use to bet against us? Then I can take back that one courtyard!”

The old lady was still hesitant, but Zhou Qianqian persisted in her persuasion.

“Next month is Old Master Ning’s birthday banquet. I’m sure Fan Xiuzhi won’t let Ning Shaobai off the hook. We can take the chance to humiliate him too—it’ll be so satisfying!”

Thinking about how insufferable Ning Shaobai was, the old lady finally nodded.