Chapter 127: Transfer the Shares First

Jiang Ciyou was unaware that Jiang Jinhui had been hospitalized.

She drove to Ruian Hospital, where Jiang Jinhui was staying in the VIP ward. The entire floor was eerily quiet. Walking down the long corridor, Jiang Ciyou finally reached the door of his room. It was left slightly ajar, and from within came the sound of Jiang Jinhui’s furious shouting.

"Jiang Xiaoxiao, you are an absolute idiot! In such a major competition, with so many eyes from all over the world watching, you actually dared to plagiarize? I would have preferred you to come in last place rather than making a spectacle of yourself and losing all face!"

"Do you have any idea what kind of situation 'Qing Ben Jia Ren' is facing now? The stock has hit its daily limit, there is a total boycott online, and the life's work I've spent decades building has been ruined by your hands."

"The greatest stain of my life, Jiang Jinhui, is having a daughter like you. You were born only to collect debts from the Jiang family. You scoundrel!"

"If you had even half—no, a tenth—of the character of Ciyou, our family wouldn’t be in this predicament..."

"Why isn't Ciyou my biological daughter, and why are you..."

The last sentence was spoken in a low, somber tone. It sounded like a lament, or perhaps he was merely talking to himself. Yet, Jiang Xiaoxiao heard it clearly. She could tolerate everything else, but the moment Jiang Ciyou was mentioned, she exploded.

"Oh, right! Why isn't Jiang Ciyou your biological daughter? Why did it have to be me? Why did you give birth to me only to lose me? If I had grown up in this family, if I had received such an excellent education, if I hadn't been abused by the Zhao family, if I had grown up without worries, I would be just as outstanding as Jiang Ciyou!"

"This is your responsibility in the first place. You owe me!"

Jiang Jinhui’s fingers trembled with rage. "Jiang Xiaoxiao, you are truly incorrigible."

"Dad, do you really think Jiang Ciyou is your 'good' daughter? If she were, she wouldn't have exposed me at the competition! If she were a loyal daughter of the Jiang family, she would prioritize the family's interests and reputation instead of letting me fall into a plagiarism scandal, covered in filth. Doesn't she know that I represent the face of 'Qing Ben Jia Ren'?"

Jiang Jinhui fell silent. After a long moment, he let out a heavy sigh. "Yes... why couldn't she prioritize the bigger picture?"

Hearing this from outside, Jiang Ciyou was so angry she laughed. It was truly laughable. She had briefly harbored a shred of hope that Jiang Jinhui had come to his senses, but he remained as selfish as ever. He didn't care about her, nor did he care about Jiang Xiaoxiao. All he ever cared about was his own face and reputation.

Jiang Ciyou pushed the door open and walked in.

"Jiang Xiaoxiao, do you still think you're in the right after plagiarizing?"

"Furthermore, what does your plagiarism scandal have to do with me? Didn't I do my utmost to defend 'Qing Ben Jia Ren' on the competition stage and work hard to salvage its reputation?"

"You were the one who committed such a despicable and shameless act; how can you end up blaming me?"

Jiang Jinhui suddenly realized the logic. "That's right. Ciyou, you were both in the competition. It wasn't Ciyou who reported you for plagiarism. How could you pin this on her?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at her with pure hatred. She pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Ciyou. "Do you dare say this has nothing to do with you? Don't you know Miss Y? Aren't you friends? If it weren't for your instigation, would she have come to expose me? She is already the chief jewelry designer for QUEEN; she had already retired from the fashion design circle! We were fine for so many years, so why, of all times, did she come to accuse me during the competition?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao’s tone was absolute. "This was all your scheming! You didn't want me to win the gold medal and bring glory to the family. You are selfish and calculating. To protect your own reputation and seize the shares of 'Qing Ben Jia Ren,' you destroyed the company's future. Jiang Ciyou, you are a selfish monster!"

Jiang Ciyou sneered. "Yes, I won two major awards and finally saved a bit of the company's reputation. I’m 'selfish'—even though I registered under my own studio's name, I credited the works to 'Qing Ben Jia Ren' when I won. I’m 'selfish'—even though I was kicked out of this house, I acted as a tool to earn prestige for the company's future. I’m so 'selfish'."

"And you? You plagiarized blatantly for the sake of your own vanity, and you're 'not selfish'?"

"Before I went on stage, you cut my model's high heels, causing her to fall and nearly destroying my work. You're 'not selfish'?"

"When the truth came out and your actions dragged the company into the abyss, you pushed all the responsibility onto others. You're 'not selfish'?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao was rendered speechless.

Jiang Jinhui caught onto something. "Xiaoxiao, you sabotaged the competition site and nearly prevented Ciyou from appearing?"

A flicker of guilt flashed across Jiang Xiaoxiao’s eyes, but she denied it instantly. "Dad, don't believe her! She's framing me. She just can't stand to see me do well. She only wants the Jiang family fortune!"

Seeing Jiang Xiaoxiao’s reaction, Jiang Jinhui knew that everything Jiang Ciyou said was true.

"Shut up, Jiang Xiaoxiao! You are a disgrace!" Jiang Jinhui grabbed the water glass by his bedside and hurled it at her.

Jiang Xiaoxiao had actually tried to ruin Jiang Ciyou’s work. If it hadn't been for the fact that Ciyou’s work—under the name of 'Qing Ben Jia Ren'—had won two major awards, keeping the company on life support, Jiang Jinhui couldn't bear to imagine the state the company would be in right now.

The hatred in Jiang Xiaoxiao’s heart was like a surging river, but even Yao Shulan remained silent, not saying a word to defend her.

Yao Shulan poured a glass of water for Jiang Jinhui. "Enough, the doctor said you shouldn't get too excited."

Jiang Jinhui calmed down after a long while. "Ciyou, I asked you to come today because there is something I need to ask of you."

Jiang Ciyou remained expressionless, though she had already guessed what he was going to say.

"Regarding Miss Y, please have a word with her. Aren't you close friends? The lawyer's letter regarding the copyright infringement of 'Qing Ben Jia Ren' was delivered to the company yesterday. If this goes to court, 'Qing Ben Jia Ren' will truly be finished."

Jiang Ciyou frowned, feigning a look of difficulty. "I have only met Miss Y a few times. We have similar design philosophies and got along well, but we aren't that close."

Jiang Jinhui said, "Dad knows that getting her to drop the lawsuit won't be easy. How about this: help us negotiate. See what her demands are. Within reason, we will agree to whatever she asks."

Jiang Ciyou didn't speak.

Jiang Jinhui continued, "Ciyou, Dad has never asked you for anything before. This time, I truly have no other choice."

Jiang Ciyou was blunt. "This is not a simple matter. I can help, of course, but please fulfill your promise first: transfer the twenty percent of shares currently held by Jiang Xiaoxiao to me."