Chapter 33: A Pain in the Chest That Takes the Breath Away

After Jiang Li finished helping little Jinchen wash up, the little boy climbed onto her bed.

"Beautiful Mommy, I want to sleep with you tonight. May I?"

Jiang Li felt a pang of heartache. The image of the obstetrician holding up a purple-skinned baby boy on the day of her delivery still haunted her mind. She couldn't help but wonder: if this little Jinchen before her was truly her own son, had Jiang Xue stolen him?

Nodding, Jiang Li let the little boy cuddle her arm and lie down with a look of longing on his face.

"Let me tell you a story—the fairy tale of a prince and a princess."

"Yes, yes! Please tell me a story, Beautiful Mommy. I've grown this big, and no one has ever told me a story before. Thank you, Beautiful Mommy!"

Jiang Li’s heart felt conflicted; looking at the boy, she felt an inexplicable ache in her chest. His emotions seemed to influence her own, leaving her at a loss for how to cope.

"Alright, once the story is finished, you must go to sleep. Your wounds haven't healed yet, so you can't go to school. Tomorrow, you will stay home with Grandpa. I have hired tutors to teach you at home; they will look after you. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, yes, Chenchen is willing! As long as I don't have to see that wicked woman, I am willing."

Jiang Li began the story, and the little boy listened with delight as he settled into the comfortable bed. Soon, he drifted off to sleep with a sweet smile on his face.

Touching her chest, Jiang Li felt the weight of her longing for Youyou, mingled with tenderness for the little boy. She reminded herself that she was a woman who had returned from the dead; in this new life, she would never let those who harmed Youyou have a good ending. Even Qin Mu would not be spared. Even if he denied being Youyou’s biological father, he would pay the price.

Indeed, Jiang Xue and Qin Mu would never dream that the child was at the Jiang residence, accompanied by Old Master Jiang Zhenting. Sometimes, the most dangerous place is the safest.

Early the next morning, Jiang Li received a call from the police.

"Ms. Jiang Li, regarding your accusation against Chen Shaojie for human organ trafficking, we have launched an investigation. Chen Shaojie has provided sufficient evidence to refute your claims. The notice for Youyou’s kidney donation bears the signatures of you, Youyou, and Chen Shaojie. Since the agreement is documented, the accusation is dismissed, and we will be releasing Mr. Chen without charges."

"How is that possible?" Jiang Li was incredulous. When had she signed such a thing? Could it be like her house—tricked into signing by Chen Shaojie without her knowledge? And how could Youyou, a child, possibly sign a donation form?

"Ms. Jiang, the signature was indeed made by Youyou herself, and we have verified it against her kindergarten handwriting samples. There are no errors. Your complaint is invalid; please seek more compelling evidence."

"Chen Shaojie is a wicked man who sold my daughter’s kidney for ten million! Isn't that enough? What other evidence do you need? My daughter’s heart was found, too! He sold all her organs, and the organ procurement agency even gave him one million. Does that not constitute a crime?!"

Hearing Jiang Li’s near-furious roar, the police officer spoke again: "Please calm down, Ms. Jiang. This truly does not constitute a crime. Last night, Ms. Jiang Xue also came to clarify that you, Chen Shaojie, and Youyou all consented to the organ donation. The signatures have been verified by a specialized agency as authentic. Since you were all following standard procedures, we cannot open a case."

The line went dead. Jiang Li slumped onto the sofa in disbelief. How could she have signed it? Aside from the documents she signed for Chen Shaojie to find Youyou’s heart and the medical consent forms at the hospital, she hadn't signed anything else. Unless Jiang Xue, Chen Shaojie, and the doctors had conspired to trick her?

At that thought, a thunderbolt seemed to strike Jiang Li’s mind. Had she pushed Youyou into this herself? But how could Youyou have signed? Looking at little Jinchen, who was studying nearby, Jiang Li guessed that perhaps Youyou, just like her, had been fond of this little boy and couldn't bear to refuse the donation contract.

But why did her heart ache so uncontrollably? As she clutched her chest, her mother, Xie Yun, walked in.

"Have some breakfast. Since it's Saturday, you have the day off. I’m going to the company to continue learning. Your mother supports your work, but Lin Fan hasn't had time for the commercial street bidding proposal yet. Xiao Li, you should try to get involved and develop a plan as soon as possible."

Old Master Jiang also stood up. "Xiao Li is just starting out, so it’s natural she doesn't know everything yet, but she will learn in time. By the way, little Li, are you sure you don't want to tell Qin Mu and Jiang Xue the whereabouts of the child?"

"I am sure. Don't worry, Grandpa; your granddaughter has a plan. I will uncover the truth I need."

"Very well. But I know that boy Qin Mu well—he doesn't like that Xue girl. If he truly loved her, it’s been four years; he would have married her by now."

Jiang Li remained silent. She didn't want to dwell on who Qin Mu loved. All she wanted now was to secure the group's projects as quickly as possible and find Youyou.

"Grandpa, I only want to focus on my job and find my daughter."

Seeing the redness in Jiang Li’s eyes, Old Master Jiang nodded. "It’s been hard on you, child. But I suspect Qin Mu still has feelings for you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sacrificed nearly a hundred million yesterday just to change the profit-sharing ratio to 6:4."

Jiang Li was stunned. She had looked at the contract yesterday and thought the Jiang Group was the one at a disadvantage. Seeing her confusion, Old Master Jiang explained, "You don't know—the bidding deposit for this project was sixty million, which is non-refundable. Qin Mu paid it himself, so even at a 5:5 split, he would just be breaking even."

Jiang Li was speechless. "Grandpa, don't worry about him. Qin Mu is just suffering the consequences of his own actions."

The old man nodded. "You stubborn girl. That boy still has feelings for you. I once asked him who he liked, and the first name he mentioned was yours. I didn't expect that after everything you've been through, you wouldn't end up together. But I can see you still love him."

"No, Grandpa, you're overthinking it. I stopped loving him four years ago. After all, he has Jiang Xue, and she even bore him a son."

Hearing this, Old Master Jiang sighed. "I can't interfere in the affairs of you young people anymore. But rest assured, the Jiang family is your backing. At the inheritance handover ceremony in a month, I want to make everyone who looked down on you regret it. As for that Jiang Xue girl, her intentions are crooked—keep a close watch on her."

"I understand, Grandpa."

Jiang Li glanced at her phone; Qin Mu was already waiting outside the villa. She smiled faintly. "Qin Mu, I’m curious to see how a dignified entrepreneur like you from Jiang City will manage as my servant, bodyguard, and driver."