Chapter:12
A Lowly Woman’s Lowly Child
At the same time—
When Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui returned to the Guan residence, they stepped through the front door just in time to see Guan Baocheng hurrying down the stairs, phone pressed to his ear, his face drawn tight with anxiety.
“Assistant Tan, hadn’t everything already been settled? The terms were nearly finalized—so why did the Jianghai Group suddenly say they won’t proceed with the partnership?”
At those words, Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui both stiffened. Their hearts skipped a beat, and when their eyes met, they saw the same guilty flicker in each other’s gaze.
Guan Ruirui took a step forward to speak, but her father raised a hand sharply, his expression grim.
“Not now. Don’t interrupt me.”
He turned back to the call, forcing his tone to soften into something almost pleading.
“Was it that our company’s terms were too demanding? We can renegotiate that. Even the profit margin we discussed earlier—we can concede on that. I sincerely want to work with the Jianghai Group.”
Something was said on the other end. Guan Baocheng’s facial muscles twitched, and then he slumped heavily into the chair by the foyer, as if the strength had drained out of him.
Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui rushed toward him.
“Baocheng, what happened?”
Guan Baocheng clutched his head and said irritably,
“What happened? The Jianghai Group just canceled the partnership! Everything was fine a moment ago!”
Then, suddenly, he turned toward Bai Shuqin.
“You and Ruirui went to visit the Jiang family’s Third Madam, didn’t you? Did something happen over there?”
At that, Bai Shuqin’s heart went cold. Apparently, the Jianghai Group hadn’t mentioned anything about what had occurred at the Jiang household. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ruirui tugged at her sleeve.
“Nothing happened, Dad. We didn’t even get to see the Third Madam.”
Bai Shuqin looked at her daughter instinctively, but Ruirui pinched her arm gently, signaling her to stay quiet.
Guan Baocheng didn’t press further. He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, muttering to himself.
“Then what went wrong? The Jianghai Group would’ve been our best partner. If we’d managed to secure them, our company would’ve risen overnight! No—I can’t just give up now.”
Without another word, he sprang to his feet and strode out the door, leaving Bai Shuqin and Ruirui behind.
As the door clicked shut, Bai Shuqin turned to her daughter.
“Ruirui, why did you stop me just now? The Jiang family must’ve canceled the deal because of that little brat—”
“Mom!” Ruirui cut her off, her tone tinged with desperation.
“I thought about it on the way home. President Jiang never actually said that Guan Xuxu was his daughter. Maybe we misheard.”
She simply couldn’t accept that Guan Xuxu—the girl she’d always looked down on—might turn out to be the daughter of the prestigious Jiang family. She couldn’t stand the thought of that girl surpassing her.
“Misheard? Impossible. If she weren’t his daughter, why would President Jiang suddenly call off the partnership? And remember what that butler said?”
Bai Shuqin was convinced that the chances of Guan Xuxu being the Jiang family’s lost daughter were extremely high. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?
If it were true, she thought, she had to tell her husband immediately. The Jiangs were one of the most powerful families in the country—surely they would reward the Guans handsomely for having raised their daughter all these years. Canceling a business deal now would be downright ungrateful.
“I don’t believe it,” Ruirui insisted. “Think about it, Mom. If Guan Xuxu really were the Jiang family’s lost daughter, why hasn’t anyone come to fetch her? And remember when that person contacted Dad earlier—they said they were in the mountains with bad reception. Would someone from a family like the Jiangs need to make up excuses like that?”
She was trying to convince not just her mother, but herself.
“Maybe President Jiang was just angry because we made a scene at their house today. The canceled partnership might just be a coincidence. Business deals aren’t decided on a whim—it probably has nothing to do with what happened today.”
Bai Shuqin hesitated.
“You really think so?”
“I’m sure of it,” Ruirui said firmly, pulling out her phone.
“I saw people talking about it in the group chat—the Jiang family’s young lady is going to be formally introduced at a banquet the day after tomorrow. If we can get an invitation, we can see for ourselves.”
Bai Shuqin frowned slightly. Getting an invitation from the Jiang family right after they’d canceled a major partnership would be no easy task.
Ruirui pressed on quickly.
“If Guan Xuxu isn’t their daughter, then fine—we can clear up today’s misunderstanding, and maybe Dad can salvage the deal. If she is their daughter, then she can’t just ignore the people who raised her.”
That last point made Bai Shuqin’s eyes light up.
Yes—why hadn’t she thought of that before?
Whether Guan Xuxu was the Jiang family’s daughter or not, they could turn either outcome to their advantage.
“You’re right, Ruirui. If that brat really is the Jiang family’s daughter, she won’t dare drive us away in public. And whether it’s about the partnership or something else, they’ll have to thank us somehow—for raising her all these years.”
Growing more confident by the second, Bai Shuqin clapped her hands.
“Leave the invitation to me. We’ll all go—your father included. Ruirui, buy yourself two new dresses. You’re going to look stunning that night.”
The Jiang family’s banquet would no doubt gather every prominent figure in Haishi—the elite sons and daughters of the city’s finest families. If Ruirui appeared there for the first time, she had to make an impression.
Ruirui nestled against her mother’s shoulder, feigning shyness, but in her heart, she was thinking exactly the same thing.
Meanwhile, Guan Xuxu knew nothing of the Guans’ schemes.
After dinner, her second aunt, Yao Lin, personally showed her to her new room.
It was a suite at the far end of the third floor—spacious, divided into an outer and inner room. The décor was like a little princess’s nursery: pastel walls, lace curtains, and a dreamy atmosphere. In one corner of the outer room were piles of toys and unopened gifts, even a baby stroller among them.
“This was originally your nursery,” Yao Lin explained kindly. “Your brother kept it just as it was. I actually thought it was a bit childish, so I wanted to prepare another room for you—repaint it before you moved in—but it seems I only upset you instead. Please forgive me.”
As she spoke, she slipped an arm around Xuxu’s affectionately.
Xuxu’s expression didn’t change. She quietly pulled her arm free.
“It’s fine,” she said flatly.
For a brief second, Yao Lin’s smile faltered. After a few more polite words, she turned and left the room.
But as the door closed behind her, her smile vanished completely—and a dark, calculating glint flickered in her eyes.
