Chapter 72-Part 2

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. She knows. The girl I like knows everything,” Shen Zhi gently stroked her back, comforting her.

After a long while, he smiled and said, “She even said you’re someone who warms my heart just by thinking about you.”

Yuan Sheng listened to his words quietly.

“That’s good, that’s so good,” Yuan Sheng murmured softly in Shen Zhi’s arms, until she finally said, “Xiao Jing, it’s really wonderful that you’ve fallen for such a girl.”

To love the right person—it’s such a rare blessing.

Yuan Sheng, however, had fallen in love with the wrong person, wasting her entire life and making her child endure such a difficult life as well.

On New Year’s Eve, Ji Qingli finally brought Jiang Liqi and Jiang Yi to live at the Ji family home.

Despite being pregnant, Jiang Liqi bustled around, fully assuming the role of the hostess.

Grandma Ji had no objections.

As for Ji Ran, she had lunch at her maternal grandparents’ house and returned to the Ji family home for dinner—ensuring neither side was neglected.

By night, everyone remained downstairs in the living room watching TV instead of heading upstairs right away.

However, Ji Ran wanted to call Shen Zhi and went upstairs first.

As she stepped out of her room, Jiang Yi also emerged from hers—their rooms were directly across from each other.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yi’s phone slipped from her hand and fell straight at Ji Ran’s feet.

Ji Ran glanced down.

At first, she intended to walk away, but her eyes caught a glimpse of the chat displayed on the phone screen.

She bent down and picked it up.

She then read the conversation on the screen.

Man: “Give me Ji Ran’s phone number.”

Jiang Yi: “No way, unless you beg me.”

Man: “Please.”

Jiang Yi: “Buy me another bag while you’re at it.”

Man: “Sure, sure. I’ll buy it for you when you come back.”

Jiang Yi: “I want it now.”

Man: “I always keep my word. Last time you tipped me off, letting me ‘accidentally’ meet her. Didn’t I buy you a bag then too?”

Following that was a string of numbers—Ji Ran’s phone number.

Seeing Ji Ran reading the messages, Jiang Yi lunged forward and snatched the phone back, yelling, “How can you be so rude, reading someone else’s private messages!”

She quickly exited the chat window.

Ji Ran stared coldly at her, and a name suddenly flashed in her mind—Shen Yue.

The day Shen Yue encountered her at Sky Realm, it turned out it wasn’t a coincidence—it was orchestrated.

“It’s Shen Yue, isn’t it?” Ji Ran looked at Jiang Yi with disgust, realizing how bold she had been.

Jiang Yi still tried to deny it, stubbornly refusing to admit, “What are you talking about? Who’s Shen Yue? I don’t know him.”

She turned to retreat into her room.

Ji Ran stepped forward, blocking the door with her foot, her gaze icy.

“You don’t know him, huh? Fine, come downstairs with me right now. Let’s see what Dad thinks about all this.”

Jiang Yi panicked and slammed the door, rushing to delete the chat history.

But Ji Ran wouldn’t let her succeed.

The two struggled, and Ji Ran stomped on Jiang Yi’s foot without hesitation.

Jiang Yi, caught off guard by the pain, hunched over, and Ji Ran easily snatched the phone away.

At that moment, Jiang Liqi came upstairs.

She had messaged Jiang Yi earlier to come down and accompany the elders, but Jiang Yi hadn’t shown up.

When Jiang Liqi saw the two girls fighting, she quickly said, “Ranran, what are you doing? How can you hit Jiang Yi?”

“What am I doing?” Ji Ran sneered and raised the phone.

“Ask your precious daughter. She gave my phone number to some creep. Oh, and she’s got business acumen too—extorting a bag in return.”

Jiang Liqi was stunned.

Ji Ran was thoroughly disgusted by Jiang Yi.

She didn’t want to stay for another second, so she turned and headed for the stairs.

Behind her, Jiang Yi cried out, “Mom, stop her! She’s going to snitch! She wants to drive us out!”

Jiang Liqi panicked and grabbed Ji Ran’s wrist, whispering, “Ranran, please, listen to Auntie. Let her off just this once. I promise I’ll discipline her.”

“It’s too late. She’s crossed the line again and again. Have you ever disciplined her?” Ji Ran stared at Jiang Liqi coldly.

“All you do is indulge her.”

With that, Ji Ran brushed past her and continued downstairs.

Jiang Liqi still didn’t give up and followed Ji Ran to the corner landing.

She grabbed Ji Ran’s arm again and pleaded, “Ranran, I admit I’ve been too indulgent with her.

But the New Year is almost here—can’t you let everyone have a peaceful New Year?”

Ji Ran was truly impressed by Jiang Liqi’s ability to twist the situation.

She looked at her with a faint smile and asked, “So what you’re saying is… I’m the one causing trouble?”

Her anger had faded, replaced by calm indifference.

“If that’s the case, let’s show this chat record to my dad and see what he thinks.”

Downstairs, the faint sound of Ji Qingli talking to the elders could be heard.

Jiang Liqi stared at the young girl in front of her.

Suddenly, something seemed to snap in her mind, and a trace of malice flickered in her eyes.

In a low voice, she muttered, “If you insist on this, then don’t blame me…”

Her voice was too soft for Ji Ran to catch, and Ji Ran had no desire to continue arguing.

She reached out to pry Jiang Liqi’s hand off her arm.

But in the next second, something unexpected happened.

Jiang Liqi suddenly seemed to lose her footing.

She fell backward, tumbling down the stairs, her body hitting each step with a sickening sound.

The noise startled everyone downstairs in the living room.

Ji Ran stood frozen at the top of the stairs, watching Jiang Liqi fall.

Her feet felt like they had taken root, unable to move.

Ji Qingli’s anxious voice broke the silence: “Liqi! What happened? How did you fall?!”

Jiang Liqi hadn’t lost consciousness yet.

As Ji Qingli held her in his arms, she slowly raised her trembling arm and pointed vaguely in Ji Ran’s direction.

At that moment, Jiang Yi, having heard the commotion, rushed downstairs.

When she saw her mother lying there, she pointed at Ji Ran hysterically, screaming, “It was you! You pushed Mom! How could you be so cruel?!”

Grandpa Ji and Grandma Ji were also drawn by the noise.

When they arrived and saw Jiang Liqi lying on the floor, they were stunned.

It was Grandpa Ji who recovered first and shouted, “Call a doctor, now!”

But just as he finished speaking, Grandma Ji suddenly swayed, clutching his arm for support, her face pale with shock.

She pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Liqi and said weakly, “Blood… She’s bleeding…”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Jiang Liqi’s woolen dress, where a dark stain of blood was spreading rapidly, growing larger with every passing second.

Chaos erupted.

The entire room was in disarray.

Yet Ji Ran remained where she was—calm, unmoving.

Silent.

After a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice steady but quiet: “I didn’t.”

But no one heard her.