Chapter 22: How Could There Be a Human Head in a Vase?

Just as Jiang Wanning was on the verge of a total breakdown, Mother Lu returned from the hospital.

Upon entering, she saw Lu Jingchen pinning Jiang Xinwan to the sofa, locked in a passionate, forced kiss. Jiang Xinwan was an oddity; no matter how much Lu Jingchen tried to coax her, it was futile, but a single forceful kiss would render her instantly docile.

Mother Lu felt a dull throb in her temples. Her eyes ached. Ignoring the squelching sounds of their exchange of saliva, she walked past the living room, eyes fixed straight ahead.

She walked past.

Her nose twitched, and she turned back.

She walked past once more.

Jiang Wanning, clinging to the rim of a large vase, stuck out a hand—her fingernails were quite long, having gone untrimmed for ages—and the top of her head poked out just a fraction.

"Ah, someone's there!" Jiang Xinwan, dazed by the kiss, caught a glimpse of a human head inside the vase in her peripheral vision.

Lu Jingchen, punishing her for her lack of focus, pinched the soft flesh of her waist, causing her to gasp in pain.

Looking again, it must have been an illusion. How could there possibly be a head in a vase?

Mother Lu reached out and pressed the head back down, casually tossing a can of dog food into the vase for good measure.

Gazing at the canned food descending from the heavens, Jiang Wanning’s eyes gleamed with the hunger of a wolf. Treating it like a precious treasure, she gulped down two pieces of meat in one breath. She licked her lips at the final morsel, feeling quite reluctant to finish it.

Cry!

How had she, Jiang Wanning, fallen to such a state? Well, her circumstances had never been great to begin with—living in the cracks, life was just too hard. And to think, the system she finally acquired was a piece of junk.

The system, scolded, dared not make a sound; it knew full well it wasn't exactly acting like a decent being.

Oh, right, it wasn't a being at all.

Jiang Wanning stayed in that vase for seven full days. Lu Jingchen finally finished coaxing Jiang Xinwan, and the two left the house in a display of sickening affection.

Thank heaven, thank earth, thank fate for letting us meet...

Bah!

She hated that fate had brought her together with this pack of lunatics.

For those seven days, she had survived purely on the charitable support of Mother Lu; otherwise, she would have starved to death.

She had one small suggestion: could they stop feeding her dog food every single day? The mere smell of it now made her want to retch. Could they provide some human food for once?

Finally, when Lu Jingchen left, Jiang Wanning crawled out of the vase, her limbs weak and shaky.

She performed a dark, serpentine crawl right there on the floor, leaving a trail of moisture across the hall for dozens of meters. She was like a maggot emerging from the darkness, nearly dying from thirst and the harsh exposure to the light.

Her clothes were so wrinkled and damp that a bucket of water could be wrung out of them.

She was absolutely marinated in the stench.

After sweeping through the leftovers in the kitchen, she, Jiang Wanning, was resurrected on the spot.

Once again, she was the lively, cheerful, and kind-hearted Jiang Wanning.

Bullshit!

She wanted to blow up the entire Lu family—well, except for Mother Lu.

"Kidney transplants for everyone, wishing them a happy and fulfilling life," she mocked. "Ha! This hatred is irreconcilable!"

Reconciliation was impossible. If she let them off easy, what would become of all the suffering that she and the other NPCs had endured?

She pondered a possibility: was there a way to make these vile male leads receive their due punishment without destroying the entire world?

Life is full of drama.

Lu Jingchen’s expression shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "Today’s wedding is cancelled. What follows is a private matter for the Lu family. Please, everyone, leave."

"It is precisely because all the prominent figures of Hai City are gathered here today that I, Lu Huimin, ask you all to bear witness. He, Lu Jingchen, is not my biological son. I have already found the true heir to the Lu family. Jiashu, come here."

Only then did everyone notice a man standing among the group of bodyguards. He wore simple attire—a beige sweater, dark blue jeans, and a khaki windbreaker. It was clearly cheap, off-the-rack clothing, yet he carried himself with the natural elegance of a noble young master.

His frame was tall and upright, and he possessed a composure and calmness beyond his years. His handsome face bore several bruises, and his lip was split, clearly evidence of a recent beating.

Lu Jiashu walked toward Mother Lu, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Wanning on the stage.

Jiang Wanning met his gaze for a second before looking away.

Why was he looking at her on such an important occasion?

She was just a pure spectator today.

Do not disturb, thank you.

Lu Jiashu was a significant character in the original novel—the ultimate villain, regarded as Lu Jingchen’s greatest rival, nearly wiping out the protagonist group by the finale.

"This is the DNA paternity report confirming the mother-son relationship between Jiashu and me. This other one is between me and Lu Jingchen, confirming no biological relation. Today, I hereby announce the removal of Lu Jingchen from his position as Chairman of the Lu Group, and I shall resume the role."

Lu Jingchen chuckled softly. "Mother, we have been mother and son for thirty years. Even without blood ties, there is still affection. Do you really have to be so ruthless?"

"So you knew all along. That’s why you spent the last while coaxing me into transferring my shares to you, and today you planned to gift all your assets to Jiang Xinwan—all to truly seize control of the Lu Group."

"It wasn't a plan; it is already done. Before the wedding began, I had it notarized. All my shares have been unconditionally transferred to Wanwan. She is now the rightful Chairwoman of the Lu Group."

Lu Jingchen swept a glance over the black-clad bodyguards with the authority of a superior, snapping, "Can’t you see who is in charge of the Lu Group now? Release them!"

The bodyguards brought by Mother Lu hesitated, only to be immediately countered by Lu Jingchen’s men.

"Now, everyone, please leave. If a single word of what happened here today leaks out, I, Lu, will personally invite each and every one of you for tea."

Lu Jingchen waved a hand, and the main doors were flung open.

Before leaving, everyone was searched. Recording equipment was smashed, and every video on their phones was wiped clean.

Several esteemed business moguls, who had never faced such humiliation in their lives, roared in anger, "Lu Jingchen, how dare you treat us this way! You used to have to call us 'uncle,' now that your wings have hardened..."

Lu Jingchen cast a cold, murderous glance their way. "Are you two hoping for a tax audit of your companies tomorrow?" Now that the mask had fallen, he no longer needed to pretend.

The moguls fell silent instantly. In business, who had truly clean hands? They couldn't survive an audit. One does not fight the authorities, and the same applied to business.

After clearing the room, Lu Jingchen signaled for Gu Qiyu to carry Jiang Xinwan away to rest.

He looked at Jiang Wanning, his gaze profound. He had a hunch that today’s events were inextricably linked to this woman, and his hunches were always accurate—they had helped him escape death many times.

This woman would become a threat to him.

Yes, Lu Jingchen had decided to kill. He controlled the room now, and he wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate the threat.

Jiang Wanning did not lack murderous intent either, but there were still a few people in this world for whom she held a shred of kindness. Of course, if Lu Jingchen insisted on killing her, she wouldn't mind destroying the entire world.

"Brother, look, he’s glaring at me so fiercely, as if he wants to eat me alive. The reason I disappeared for a while was because he wanted to harvest my kidney, and I had no choice but to hide." *Whimper, whimper.* I'm so scared.