Halfway through the filming of Drug Bust, the crew had been together for two and a half months. Xu Ping called countless times to urge Xu Ruier to return home, so she applied for leave.

Coincidentally, although Xu Wan initially said she wouldn’t return with her, she also applied for leave, claiming it was for a commercial shoot. They ended up on the same flight back.

Upon arriving at the Xu residence, the moment they walked in, Grandma Xu’s eyes fell on Xu Wan, her voice filled with concern. “You’ve lost weight, and you’ve tanned. Filming must have been hard on you.”

“Grandma, if you say I’ve slimmed down, I’ll accept it because keeping my figure is key. But if you say I’m tanned, then I’ll start to worry.”

“I won’t say it, I won’t say it,” Grandma Xu quickly corrected herself.

“That’s my grandma! You’re the best,” Xu Wan said sweetly, clinging to her arm affectionately. “I kept thinking about you while filming. Yesterday, I even bought you the most famous handmade specialty from the filming location—sticky rice cakes. You’re going to love them.”

“You’re such a thoughtful child.” Grandma Xu patted her hand, entirely ignoring Xu Ruier. Since the moment they walked in, she hadn’t even glanced her way.

Xu Ruier, unfazed, maintained her usual calm demeanor. She placed her own gifts on the table, pulling out a tea set she had specially bought for Grandpa Xu.

“Grandpa, I picked this tea set for you. I hope you’ll like it,” she said with a shy smile before continuing, “I also got a set of ceramic plates for Grandma. I thought they had a nice local flair.”

“Thank you,” Grandpa Xu responded, his broader outlook on life making him more receptive. He nodded and even chatted with her casually.

While Grandma Xu had her grievances, she also knew better than to let things blow up. After all, Xu Ruier was still part of the Xu family, and Xu Ping’s position complicated matters. Despite her annoyance, she kept it to herself.

Xu Ping descended the stairs with the help of a servant, her face full of smiles. “Wanwan and Ruier are back?”

“Mom.”

“Mom, how’s your health?” Xu Wan quickly approached her with genuine concern. When she saw Xu Ping’s hand resting on her stomach, her heart skipped a beat, and an uneasy feeling crept in.

“I’m doing well, keeping up with my health,” Grandma Xu interjected happily. “Your mom is pregnant now—finally, it wasn’t easy!”

Over the years, Grandma Xu had never been fond of Xu Ping, mainly because she hadn’t given birth to a son. She frequently urged Xu Dong to look for other options outside the marriage, but all those pregnancies had turned out to be girls and were terminated. If a mistress had ever been lucky enough to conceive a boy, Xu Ping’s place in the family would have been long gone.

Hearing this, Xu Ping’s smile deepened as she caressed her stomach, her eyes filled with anticipation.

“This time, it must be a boy,” Grandma Xu declared confidently, delighted at the thought that the Xu family’s lineage would continue and the family’s “throne” would have an heir.

Xu Ruier glanced at Xu Ping. Her feelings were hard to pin down. Hope—it’s best if they succeed. If they have a boy, perhaps things will finally improve.

Xu Wan’s gaze flickered with subtle emotions but quickly returned to normal. She held Xu Ping’s hand with a gentle smile. “Mom, you really need to take care of yourself. You just had surgery recently—you can’t afford to be careless this time.”

“Yes, you must be very careful in the first three months,” Grandma Xu chimed in, nodding in agreement.

“Let me help you sit down. Standing for too long must be tiring,” Xu Wan said, holding Xu Ping’s hand and leading her to the sofa.

Xu Ping basked in the attention and care of the family, feeling like an honored contributor. Her attitude toward Xu Wan was less obsequious than before as she allowed herself to be led cautiously to the sofa.

This baby must be a boy!

He would become the sole heir of the Xu family. What would Xu Wan amount to then? She would still be paving the way for her son.

Xu Ruier, excluded from their conversation, watched the group animatedly discussing everything from maternity nurses to baby rooms and the child’s education, with well-formed plans and details.

She remained silent throughout, refraining from joining or speaking.

Sometimes, though, no matter how much you want to stay out of things, others won’t let you. Grandma Xu turned her sharp eyes to Xu Ruier, annoyed that she seemed indifferent to the new baby and still held grudges about her previous disobedience.

“By the way, Ruier, what was that scandal you stirred up recently? Let me warn you: if you’re going to act, just act, but don’t do anything to damage the family’s reputation. Don’t set a bad example for your little brother!”

“Grandma, that matter has already been clarified. It wasn’t anything serious—just rehearsing lines. You wouldn’t know, but Ruier has been improving so much lately. Even the director often praises her. The senior male actors even take time at night to rehearse with her. It won’t be long before she surpasses me,” Xu Wan interjected, her tone carrying a tinge of pride, as if genuinely happy for her sister.

To Grandma Xu, this was shocking. Xu Ping’s face changed visibly as well.

“Rehearsing with men at night?” Grandma Xu’s clouded eyes narrowed at Xu Ruier as she scolded, “You’re a girl! What kind of relationships are you cultivating behind closed doors? The Xu family won’t tolerate disgrace!”

Turning to acting, signing with a studio, and now mingling with men—Grandma Xu had always looked down on her, and now her mind filled with all kinds of unsavory speculations about casting couch antics.

Xu Ping chimed in softly, “Ruier, you really should avoid raising suspicions, but progress is still a good thing.”

Xu Wan had her uncle as a pillar of support, but Xu Ping only had Xu Ruier to lean on. Xu Ping’s baby was still in its early stages, and she needed to secure a good marriage for Xu Ruier to bolster both herself and her son. If Xu Ruier’s reputation was ruined, finding a husband would be near impossible.

“It’s perfectly normal to rehearse late at night,” Xu Ruier responded with a gentle smile, catching Xu Wan’s gaze and calmly explaining, “Senior actors are busy filming during the day. Even my sister and other cast members often rehearse with them at night to improve efficiency during the day.”

Grandma Xu looked to Xu Wan for confirmation, her eyes seeking validation.

“That’s true, Grandma,” Xu Wan admitted, though she hadn’t expected Xu Ruier to involve her in the explanation. She nodded reluctantly, her peripheral glance catching Xu Ruier’s composed expression. A sense of caution arose in her.

Had the girl who never used to resist finally started standing up for herself?

“The entire crew does that?” Xu Ping followed up, keeping the conversation going. “Ruier, are you getting used to the crew? Is it busy?”

“It’s manageable. Everyone’s been very kind to me, and the studio I signed with is great. My agent is already securing endorsement deals for me. Thanks to this role, the endorsement fees are pretty good too,” Xu Ruier answered.

“That sounds great,” Xu Ping said with a nod. “Since you’ve signed on, focus on your acting. I heard the director is quite famous.”

“Yes, Director Xu Yuan is planning to submit this drama for competitions,” Xu Ruier replied. “I was lucky to be chosen, and the senior actors are willing to guide me.”

Grandma Xu’s expression softened slightly. They couldn’t afford the breach-of-contract fees anyway, but hearing that celebrities made good money—and that Xu Ruier’s role was supposedly better than Xu Wan’s—was somewhat comforting. She figured Ruier could earn money for a few years before getting married. With Xu Ping expecting a boy, she could afford to be more lenient.

---

That evening, Xu Dong returned. Ever since Xu Ping got pregnant, he walked with a spring in his step, his work motivated by the knowledge that he would have an heir.

Even the way he looked at Xu Ruier had softened, showing hints of affection. He asked her questions about her work and told her to focus on filming.

Meanwhile, Xu Wan clenched her fists in a quiet corner. She understood the opportunistic nature of the Xu family all too well. If they discovered that Ji Yang and Xu Ruier were together, her own status would immediately plummet.

She wouldn’t allow that to happen.

A sinister thought crossed her mind, and her expression darkened, a faint, chilling smile forming on her lips.

---

Xu Ping was recovering well, and Xu Ruier’s return home was largely a formality. Staying in the Xu house didn’t feel meaningful, so she prepared to return to the film crew.

But as she was dragging her suitcase downstairs, she heard shouting from the living room—furious roars mingled with tearful pleas for mercy.

Her brows furrowed. Before she could descend the stairs, a maid crawled toward her on her knees, grabbing at her pant leg.

“Second Miss, please, save me! You can’t leave me to die! You can’t!”

The maid sobbed pitifully, her nose running and her forehead bleeding slightly. Her disheveled state startled Xu Ruier, but she forced herself to remain calm.

“Unfilial daughter! Get down here and kneel!” Xu Dong’s voice thundered with rage. Grandpa Xu’s face was grim, Grandma Xu was trembling with anger, and Xu Ping sat crying as Xu Wan comforted her.

Xu Ruier was utterly confused.

“I said kneel!” Xu Dong bellowed, hurling a teacup that narrowly missed her face, shattering into countless pieces on the floor beside her.

“Don’t I have the right to know what’s going on?” Xu Ruier’s face turned cold as she spoke firmly.

Her usual meek demeanor was gone, replaced by sharp eyes and a proud stance, refusing to back down.

Xu Wan’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. So, not a little lamb after all—just a fox hiding its tail.

Fine, a fox it is. Tame it, lock it away, and it’ll be less than a lamb.

“You still want to argue?” Xu Dong yanked at his tie, pointing at her furiously. “If you weren’t guilty, why are you dragging a suitcase to leave in such a hurry?”

“How did I end up with such a disgrace of a daughter?”

“I’m leaving because I don’t want to stay here anymore. There’s no other reason,” Xu Ruier met his gaze steadily. “Do I need an excuse to leave?”

“Tell me, was it you who instructed the maid to put contraceptives in your mother’s supplements, causing her to miscarry multiple times?” Xu Dong roared.

Xu Ping sobbed into her hands, clutching her stomach, looking at Xu Ruier with disappointment and blame.

Xu Ruier froze for a moment, then glanced at Xu Wan, who wore an expression of shock and heartbreak.

“No,” Xu Ruier answered without hesitation. “I didn’t do it.”

“Second Miss, you can’t deny it! If you don’t admit it, I’ll go to jail! The drugs were given to me by you. I’ve had a guilty conscience for years; you can’t abandon me now!” the maid on the floor wailed, clutching at her leg.

“You gave me money to do this, and I had no choice. My son owed gambling debts, and the loan sharks were going to kill him. I had no choice!”

Grandma Xu’s face contorted with fury. “Beat her to death! This disgrace! This wretch!”

It was all too perfect: the “witness,” the “evidence.” Even Xu Ruier found it almost convincing.

“How much money did I give you?” Xu Ruier bent down slightly, her gaze piercing. “Tell me, Wang Sao, how much?”

The maid trembled, stammering, “Seventy-five thousand over ten years… I used it all to pay off my son’s debts.”

“Seventy-five thousand.” Xu Ruier straightened up, the corners of her mouth curving into an increasingly cold smile. She turned to Xu Dong.

“A person who couldn’t even afford a plane ticket, who scraped by tutoring elementary school kids for pocket money, somehow gave her seventy-five thousand over ten years? Three years ago, I begged you to let me study abroad. If I had that kind of money, would I have suffered here like a stray dog?”

Her voice grew louder, each word sharp and cutting.

“You’ve driven me to the brink, and it’s still not enough? Now you want to destroy me completely? If I’m guilty, then arrest me. Let the courts decide. Why dirty your hands?”

Xu Ping, stunned, forgot to cry.

“If you can have a child, I’ll be grateful. If it’s a girl, at least someone else can share the pain with me. If it’s a boy, then everyone will be satisfied, and I’ll finally have some peace.” Xu Ruier’s tone was calm, devoid of emotion, as she spoke to Xu Ping.

The maid panicked. “Don’t call the police! Second Miss, you can’t abandon me! You clearly said—”

“I’ve never had a domestic SIM card in my name. You’ve got the wrong person,” Xu Ruier interrupted coldly. “I suggest letting the police handle this. They’re more professional. My travel records can be verified for every year I returned to the country.”

With that, she grabbed her suitcase and started toward the door. Xu Wan supported Xu Ping, trying to calm her, while the Xu family stood dumbfounded. Xu Dong, feeling his authority challenged, tried to stop her.

“Stop right there!”

“I’ll cooperate with the police. There’s no need for you to restrict my freedom,” Xu Ruier retorted, not looking back as she left.

For the first time, her defiance left the Xu family speechless. They couldn’t find a suitable excuse to hold her back.

“Ruier, Mom didn’t mean it,” Xu Ping called out weakly, a hint of guilt in her voice.

The door slammed shut. Xu Ping collapsed back onto the couch, crying again. “Who could be so heartless to harm our poor baby?”

If not Xu Ruier, then…

All eyes turned to Xu Wan, the most suspicious person present.

Standing abruptly, Xu Wan’s face was grave with feigned indignation. “Call the police, Dad. We must find out who’s behind this! Also, Mom’s diet must be strictly monitored from now on—her body can’t handle any more harm.”

“Exactly!” Grandma Xu agreed.

Compared to Xu Ruier, who stormed out in anger, Xu Wan’s performance earned her another wave of goodwill.

Even Xu Ping was convinced. She believed Xu Wan couldn’t possibly be the culprit—her concern for her unborn brother was far greater than Xu Ruier’s.

It had to be one of Xu Dong’s mistresses!

Xu Dong, looking guilty, began to suspect which of his lovers might have been so audacious.

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