Chapter 32: This Grandson Is Truly A Headache

The relationship between Qu Guida and Hao Fang was, in fact, an extramarital affair. Since Hao Fang was capable of being a mistress, her moral compass was evidently not very high. Long before Qu Jiani was born, Qu Guida had quietly conducted a DNA test between himself and his daughter. Only after confirming the child was biologically his did he feel at ease. He was not about to play the fool and raise another man's child.

He never expected that a child who was biologically his could suddenly turn out not to be.

Qu Guida looked at Hao Fang, who was covering her mouth in terror, and Qu Jiani, who stood there in shock. He stepped forward and grabbed Hao Fang by the collar: "What is going on? How did our original daughter die of a severe illness?!"

Hao Fang broke down, sobbing: "It was all because of you! After I gave birth to Jiani, you were always away for work. Even when you occasionally came home, you only cared about Tang Youlan. You thought that no matter how headstrong she was, she had at least given you a son and a daughter, while I only gave you a daughter. You neglected me so much, and you barely even came to see me."

Hao Fang couldn't help but spill the secret she had kept for nearly eighteen years: "To make you visit more often, I bathed our daughter in cold water and made her wear thin clothes in the dead of winter... At first, you did come to see me because the child caught a cold. But as she got sick more often, you stopped caring. I wanted to create a more serious situation... but who knew the child wouldn't pull through? Boo-hoo!"

"It was lucky that you happened to have a minor car accident while away, injuring your left leg and needing a month to recover. I just... I just decided to steal my older sister’s illegitimate daughter, whom she had already given away to be raised by others. She was just two months younger than Jiani and looked somewhat similar."

Qu Guida already knew the rest. When he returned home with his injured leg, Tang Youlan was the one taking care of him. It was inconvenient for him to go out, and he couldn't let Hao Fang, a mistress, bring the child into his home. Once his leg healed, he had intended to visit Hao Fang and his daughter immediately, but Hao Fang, feeling neglected, had picked a fight and returned to her hometown in the countryside for a few months. Later, it was Qu Guida himself who traveled to the countryside to bring the mother and daughter back.

After half a year apart, infants grow quickly. Since the current Qu Jiani already bore a resemblance to the original one, how could Qu Guida tell the difference? Because of the long separation, distance had made his heart grow fonder. He missed Hao Fang, who was then slim and quite attractive. He took them shopping and bought them many things. He even held Qu Jiani in the busy street, teaching her to call him "Daddy"...

However, this scene was witnessed by Tang Youlan, who was out handling errands during work. What followed was the messy divorce that even Qu Jiaqiang remembered vividly, with each parent taking one child. If not for that, Qu Guida would have been insane to abandon Tang Youlan—a woman who ran a clothing store, had a sharp business mind, and gave him both a son and a daughter—to marry Hao Fang, who had no stable job, only occasionally worked as a retail clerk, and relied on him for support while only producing one daughter.

Even in terms of looks, Hao Fang was inferior to Tang Youlan. Hao Fang could only be called delicate and fair, while Tang Youlan was elegant, dignified, and composed. It wasn't that Tang Youlan had too strong a personality; at the time, Hao Fang had been just like Shu Rou—gentle and understanding, the perfect "confidante." He had simply lost control and committed the mistake most men make. Who would have thought she was a poisonous, foolish woman who would use her own daughter as a tool to compete for favor?

Qu Guida grabbed Hao Fang’s throat in a rage: "You black-hearted, rotten-lunged viper! You even harmed your own daughter! Give me back my daughter!"

Qu Jiani stood by, bewildered. When she heard Hao Fang say she was her aunt’s illegitimate daughter, she felt not only shock but confusion, as her aunt did not seem to know she was her daughter. Her aunt had been bullied by a bad man in her youth and had given birth to a daughter, but she rarely spoke of it. Qu Jiani had only learned of it by chance when overhearing a fight between her mother and aunt. Her aunt had later remarried a wealthy man and became a stepmother, but despite her efforts, she was branded a wicked stepmother and could not conceive her own children. She had intended to divorce and find her daughter, only to discover the girl had been stolen from her adoptive family months ago. Her mother had discouraged the search, leading to a falling out between the sisters.

Qu Jiani realized she was the stolen daughter, and the woman she thought was her mother was actually her aunt—a child thief. Yet, she couldn't hate Hao Fang, who had truly loved her as her own for nearly two decades. If Hao Fang hadn't taken her, she would have remained with the rural family, who soon had their own son, and her life would have been far worse than growing up in the city.

The shock and collapse of the revelation left Qu Jiani with a strange sense of relief: at least she wasn't blood-related to Wang Chaoliang! But she couldn't dwell on her emotions, as Hao Fang was being choked to death. Qu Jiani and Qu Jiaqiang rushed forward to intervene.

"Dad, calm down! You'll kill her! Do you really want to be a murderer?"

Zhang Huiyu also stepped in, and even the stunned Wang Hongshun helped pull Qu Guida away. Hao Fang, gasping for air, eventually recovered. Qu Guida’s eyes were bloodshot: "You killed my daughter, you fool! You viper!"

Hao Fang wheezed, her voice raspy: "Hahaha, as if you were such a caring father! In the six months Jiani was alive, you could count the number of times you visited on one hand. You even had the heart to harm Tang Panpan, whom you raised until she was five! You were the one who suggested luring her to Mount X, exploiting her longing for Tang Youlan. It was you, you 'good father,' who murdered Tang Panpan for the sake of your ex-wife's assets! Hahahaha..."

Qu Guida: "Shut up! Shut your mouth! Everything I did was for Jiaqiang, Jiani, and Chaoliang... giving up a daughter I wasn't close to so the others could have a good life! What did I do wrong?"

Qu Jiaqiang added angrily: "Hao Fang, don't act so noble. You were the one who found the people to distribute the flyers to Tang Youlan and Tang Panpan. Mom, sister, don't come to me in my dreams; it was Dad and Hao Fang who incited everything, and Zhang Huiyu who demanded a high dowry before she would marry me. I had no choice!"

Zhang Huiyu, the one who had pushed Tang Panpan, remained cold: "Do you have proof? No one saw me push her!" She suddenly covered her mouth, realizing she had just confessed.

Wang Hongshun was left dumbfounded by the revelations, forgetting his own humiliation about his wife's infidelity. This whole family was truly destined for prison! He pulled a bloodied Shu Rou up and asked: "Did you participate in harming Tang Panpan?"

Shu Rou, nursing her swollen face, hissed: "Of course not. If I knew they were such ruthless people, I would have looked elsewhere for a surrogate, boo-hoo!" She looked at Wang Chaoliang: "Xiaoliang, you mustn't be like your black-hearted father and brother, killing and burning for money."

Wang Chaoliang: "Don't worry, Mom. I'm a coward. At most, I'll marry a rich woman for money... no, I won't even do that anymore. I'll rely on my own efforts!" What if the rich woman turned out to be a long-lost sister? It was too risky! It seemed he would need a DNA test before dating anyone.

Yun Zhi, who had been watching the scene, was stunned by the massive amount of information. However, she had come to investigate the truth about Tang Panpan. Now that the situation was clear, the four culprits were Qu Guida, Qu Jiaqiang, Zhang Huiyu, and Hao Fang. She silently withdrew, leaving a recording pen hidden in the shoe cabinet, and took the artifact spirit Yulong to report the case to the police.

When over a dozen police officers arrived, the families were still "negotiating." Without the artifact's influence forcing them to speak the truth, they had united against the outside world, promising a million to the Wang family to keep them quiet. But when the police knocked, the families panicked.

Qu Jiaqiang looked through the peephole and saw a young, beautiful girl—Yun Zhi, who had restored her true appearance. He recognized her as Tang Panpan's best friend. He grabbed a kitchen knife and swung the door open, ready to strike, but he was met by a shield-wielding officer. He was swiftly subdued.

The police arrested the Qu family and the Wang family. Yun Zhi retrieved her recording pen, which contained sufficient evidence. The Qu family members were sentenced according to their crimes. Hao Fang was charged with complicity in Tang Panpan's murder, as well as the murder of her own daughter and child abduction. Wang Hongshun and Shu Rou were sentenced to prison for failing to report a crime. Qu Jiani and Wang Chaoliang, being minors and largely unaware of the plot, were released.

Yun Zhi sent the videos and recordings to Tang Panpan, who chose to have "Nightmare Runes" sent to the four culprits, ensuring they would suffer nightmares of falling from a cliff for half a year. Tang Panpan paid her fee with six large crates of gold, silver, and antiques, which she had obtained after a dangerous encounter at the black market.

The inheritance, totaling over four million, was donated to the Xiangyang Orphanage under the guise of an old video will. Yun Zhi finished her tasks and eventually moved with her parents to Haicheng, where she was welcomed by the Lu family, who had prepared a generous reward for her help in saving their grandson. After all the chaos, the culprits were left to rot in prison, while Yun Zhi and her family started a new life, leaving the dark past behind.