Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

While Gu Rong was recovering in the hospital, Chyou took it upon herself to investigate Duan Ren's past and her motives for approaching Yating.

From a cursory glance, she learned that she had received a big chunk of alimony money from Gu Rong when they had divorced. It was huge enough to comfortably last for many years to come.

Chyou blinked.

Strange. The money…seems a little too excessive.

The information further stated that there was barely any custody battle for Yating. Gu Rong easily got it because Duan Ren had no interest in taking the child with her.

Chyou's gaze turned cold.

How could any mother be this cruel? She didn't put up a fight at all for Yating?

She touched her chin.

"They could have also held joint custody, right? But even that route wasn't taken. Why did she completely cut herself off from Yating's life like that?"

Duan Ren was disowned from her family as soon as the divorce proceedings got over. She then went to live in Xuanhua, the same place where Ai's parents lived, and settled there. A few years later, she was remarried to a fairly wealthy man of the area.

Her brows knitted.

It seems that their marriage was going well. So why this sudden wish to meet the past years later?

Chyou thought for a moment and fluently typed across the keyboard.

Meng Jianhong - Duan Ren's second husband.

He held a very high and respectable position in one of the local corporation companies in Xuanhua. He accumulated enough wealth to start thinking of setting up his own business. So he retired from his white collar job three years ago and invested all his savings and money in his start-up.

It seemed that his new company also boomed over the first year and the positive trajectory continued in the second year. All the invested money was recovered through the high returns and deals. But something changed last year and a rival company suddenly dropped a court case against Meng Jianhong, which plummeted his profits and reputation drastically.

Many of his employees began resigning from their posts.

Since then, he had been trying to get himself out of this mess but the struggle remained. Chyou felt an inkling that perhaps the rival company concocted some plan for his downfall in a fit of jealousy and insecurity.

But the truth was right in front of her. Meng Jianhong's assets had gotten greatly devalued and he could barely scrape money for a comfortable living. His lawyers demanded a mountainous fee for fighting his court case that was eating away any savings he had left. If something wasn't done at the earliest, then the threat would loom over him to file for bankruptcy as his last resort.

But Meng Jianhong didn't want to go to that step.

Chyou leaned back on her chair, folding her arms and raising her brow. She took her cell and dialed Butler Mo's number.

"Uncle Mo!" She chirped.

"Miss. Zhu," he politely greeted her.

"How is Uncle Rong doing now?"

"He is still weak but showing positive signs of recovery. Young master stays beside him all the time."

She beamed. "Good good! That's what I wanted to hear. And there was one more thing I wanted to know."

"Yes, Miss. Zhu. Please ask."

"Did Miss. Duan contacted Uncle Rong over the past few months?"

There was a beat of silence.

"...Yes. The first time around nine months back and then again three months back."

Chyou narrowed her eyes.

So she came twice.

"Oh. What was it about?"

"That…" he hesitated and Chyou understood that it had something to do with Gu Rong's secret.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me the exact conversation but did Uncle Rong give her any money after that?"

"Oh yes."

"Both times?"

He cleared his throat. "Y-Yes."

Chyou tapped her finger on her desk. She then smiled. "I see. That's all, Uncle Mo. Thanks a lot. I will hang up now."

She kept her phone aside, squinting her eyes.

She called Uncle Rong the first two times but personally met Yating the next time? Why did she choose to approach Yating that time?

Then she thought of Yin, who somehow knew that Gu Rong was a killer.

But he wouldn't claim to know something like this unless…

Chyou shook a little as she grabbed her phone again. Her palms turned slightly moist and sweaty. Her heart drummed in her chest and she felt like running away. But she knew she had to do this.

"I won't be afraid anymore."

She took a deep breath and dialed a number. She went straight to the point when it was picked up.

"I want to meet you."

—

At the hospital.

Yating gently pulled over the blanket over Gu Rong's body. He was asleep after taking the medication and resting peacefully. Yating stared at him with a light smile and went on to give light pats on his head.

He stepped outside the ward and said to Butler Mo, "Stay with Dad."

"Are you going somewhere, young master?"

"I am going to the office for a bit."

"Ah Dream High," he nodded. "There must be a lot of work pending, right?"

Yating shook his head. "Gu Corps."

Butler Mo looked at him, surprised.

"Dad is in this state. It's obvious that he won't be able to do any work and he shouldn't either. So…" he awkwardly clasped his hands, "I will handle the company affairs in his absence."

Butler Mo shed emotional tears.

"Wh-what? Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing, young master. If Master would have heard this, then he would be so overjoyed."

"It's not a big deal really…"

"For him, it is. He always wanted to see you take the lead."

Yating lowered his gaze. "But I disappointed him."

"No," Butler Mo warmly smiled. "He was and is very proud of you. He is just stubborn in not expressing it. But his chest fills up with happiness to see that you worked so hard and made your own name and position in the industry."

Yating felt a dull ache as if something tugged his heart strings. "I will be back in sometime. Please call me immediately if there is any change in Dad's condition."

"Yes, young master," he bowed.

Yating headed out in the parking area and a chime sounded as he remotely unlocked his car.

"Yating…"

Recognizing the familiar voice, he froze in his steps. He slowly turned and stared expressionlessly at Duan Ren standing before him.

"...You."

Duan Ren hurriedly approached him and asked with tears in her eyes. "I…I want to talk to you, Yating. Can we please go somewhere in private?"