Chapter 2 – I’m Wilder Than All of Them
“I lived with the Gu family for so long—fifteen years of feelings. How could I cut it off so easily? But I never thought they didn’t see me as a human being at all. The moment they found their real daughter, they couldn’t wait to kick me out!”
“I didn’t want to believe it. I gave them another chance, but in the end they still disappointed me. I realized there’s no point staying at the Gu family. At least I still have real family!”
“You are my light!”
Her words were so earnest, so sincere, they could move anyone.
Chi Muze didn’t understand her meme, but seeing her teary eyes, his heart stirred uncomfortably.
After all, she had lived with the Gu family for over a decade. Learning the truth about her identity was a huge blow—it was only natural she couldn’t accept it right away.
Maybe he really should investigate how exactly the Gu family had mistreated her.
Half an hour later, Chi Muze brought Chi Qian to one of his apartments.
Tall floor-to-ceiling windows, bright and airy, clean Nordic-style furnishings—it felt open and refreshing.
“You’ll stay here tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Tomorrow I’ll take you to Grandpa. I have to go on a business trip, I won’t have time to look after you.”
Curious, Chi Qian asked, “Uncle, what kind of person is Grandpa?”
“You’ll know when you meet him. But you’d better behave in front of him. He doesn’t like noisy, unruly people.”
In her mind, Chi Qian pictured a stern-faced old man in retirement and nodded seriously. “I’ll be well-behaved.”
“What about my other uncles? What do they do?”
“Second uncle runs a shop, third uncle does bit roles, fourth uncle digs wild vegetables abroad, fifth uncle screws bolts in a factory,” Chi Muze answered deliberately, watching her reaction.
Would she still make that same disgusted face when she learned her relatives weren’t rich?
Instead, Chi Qian looked sympathetic. “The uncle digging wild vegetables… is he coworkers with Wang Baochuan?” (TN: Don’t know this meme, if anyone knows leave me a comment below..)
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Definitely couldn’t say that out loud.
Chi Muze’s expression eased. He took out his phone. “Let’s add each other on WeChat. Easier to contact later. But I’m usually very busy—if it’s not important, don’t bother me.”
Bringing her back was one thing. That didn’t mean he felt much affection for this niece.
It was just a duty.
Chi Qian scanned his code and added him.
When Chi Muze opened her request, he hesitated two seconds. “Your username is… Green Turtle? And your avatar is a turtle?”
Was this really a name and profile picture a girl would use?
Chi Qian looked very pleased. “Uncle, don’t you think this name and avatar really suit me? I want to be like a turtle—hard shell, hard to chew, long lifespan, and if you keep me in a pond, you can even make wishes.”
Chi Muze’s temple twitched. What kind of person… actually wanted to be a turtle?
The first thing he did after accepting her friend request was send her money.
“From now on, I’ll give you pocket money regularly. If it’s not enough, let me know.”
When Chi Qian saw the amount, her eyes filled with tears. “Uncle, from now on, if you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west! If you tell me to raise pigs, I’ll never ride cows!”
Money truly was like a mother’s embrace!
This was exactly what she needed most right now—money!
Her uncle was so generous!
Her overly dramatic gratitude made Chi Muze suspicious. “Don’t tell me the Gu family never gave you pocket money?”
“During Lunar New Year I’d get a few hundred yuan. Other than that, almost nothing.”
Chi Muze fell silent. Gu Hua’s monthly allowance alone was far more than that.
Was this really the kind of treatment Chi Qian had suffered at the Gu family?
And she still insisted on staying with them—was it really out of “sentimental attachment,” like she claimed?
Chi Qian, however, was genuinely touched. The Gu family had been stingy to the extreme, unwilling to spend even an extra cent on her.
Meanwhile, this uncle she’d just officially met had already given her more money than the Gu family had in years.
“Uncle,” Chi Qian pressed her phone to her chest like she was making a solemn oath. “Don’t worry, I’ll repay you! I’ll definitely take care of you in your old age!”
Chi Muze: “…” Was that repayment or a threat?
“Meow~” A sudden cry came from under the sofa.
Chi Qian spotted a glossy orange “drumstick” crawling out—it was actually a fat cat. She almost drooled and crouched to pet it.
“Uncle, you even keep a chicken leg—ah no, a cat?”
“Just keeping it for a friend temporarily. It’ll be sent back tomorrow,” Chi Muze said coolly.
Chi Qian stared at the fat “drumstick” for a few seconds. “Then make sure to remind your friend not to walk barefoot on the floor so much. His cat says his feet stink.”
Chi Muze was startled. “How do you know that?”
“Because that’s what the cat thinks,” Chi Qian answered matter-of-factly.
Chi Muze found her words childish and chuckled. “What, you can read a cat’s thoughts?”
“Of course.”
He fell silent for a few moments. “Chi Qian… when you lived at the Gu family, did you often talk to animals?”
“Mhm! They’d always bring me gossip!” And the gossip was always fresh and juicy!
Like the time Chairman Gu, while Madam Gu was out, dragged the secretary delivering documents into the dressing room for a wild tryst—so intense they forgot heaven and earth. And a stray cat passing by the window saw the whole thing.
The stray cat: Even I’m not that wild.
Chi Muze grew even more silent.
He knew—when a person starts talking to animals or plants, it’s not too concerning.
But when those things start talking back… that’s a real problem.
Before, he had only suspected Chi Qian was bullied by the Gu family. Now he wondered if she had suffered mental abuse.
Chi Qian, not knowing what he was imagining, looked at him seriously.
“Uncle, I’m not lying.” She pointed at the cat in her arms.
“This cat also said that while you weren’t home, a man wearing glasses came in and secretly took some files from your room. He looked pretty shady.”
“…The cat also knows how to use idioms?”
“This cat said it graduated from Peking University.” Honestly, that kind of background was explosive in the entire pet world.
Chi Muze’s mouth twitched. He decided not to argue with her anymore—her mental state already seemed questionable.
But about that man with glasses… it might be his temporary assistant. Yet he didn’t remember authorizing him to take any files.
“This cat really saw a man with glasses here?”
Even as he asked the question, Chi Muze realized he must have been influenced by Chi Qian’s nonsense—how could he actually believe it?
Chi Qian hugged the fat cat tightly and nodded hard. “He even has a mole on his chin. Uncle, you must be careful with that man.”
Chi Muze’s expression grew grim.
That was true—his temporary assistant did have a mole on his chin.
And that man had only joined the company two days ago. Chi Qian couldn’t possibly have seen him.
Just to be safe, Chi Muze called his chief assistant, instructing him to keep a close eye on the temp and capture him at the first sign of trouble.
If he really was a corporate spy…
Chi Muze looked at Chi Qian, who was whispering with the fat cat like they were sharing secrets.
If she hadn’t been neglected so harshly at the Gu family, would she really be talking to animals, answering herself like this?
The Chi family had raised Gu Hua so well, while the Gu family had treated Chi Qian this way?
For the first time, a trace of anger stirred in his chest.
