She found it strange when the Fang family invited her to Fang Yuan's birthday banquet last time.
After the Fang family discovered that the original host was not their biological daughter, their attitude towards her plummeted from indifferent to casual. They only raised the original host to avoid gossip and to appear charitable.
Later, when Fang Yan Huan entered the entertainment industry and had something to show for herself, she never again attended banquets with the Fang family. Even for blind date banquets, she never allowed herself to go.
Therefore, Fang Miao Miao was very curious. What was the real reason they had tried so hard to get her to attend the banquet last time?
"Miao Miao, don't be like this. We're worried about you."
"Worried?" Fang Miao Miao raised an eyebrow, her tone mournful, "Really? Mother?"
"Yes, you have to believe us. You have the surname Fang, and you'll always be a member of the Fang family, right? Mother knows she was wrong to argue with you back then, but it doesn't change the love your father and I have for you."
"Mother."
Hearing the choked sobs on the other end, Zhou Wen Jing's eyes lit up, and she looked excitedly at Fang Yuan and Fang Yan Huan.
Fang Yuan quickly signaled her to calm down.
This matter was not urgent; it had to be done slowly.
Fang Yan Huan felt something was off. She had interacted with Fang Miao Miao on a variety show. Fang Miao Miao seemed indifferent, giving off a very comfortable and easy-to-deal-with impression.
Only she herself knew that the current Fang Miao Miao was even more difficult to provoke than before, whether she was in the Fang family or after being kicked out.
She was like a spring; she seemed easy to press down, with no bottom line.
But what if one went too far?
What would happen then?
More importantly, the current Fang Miao Miao had the Wen family standing behind her.
The Wen family, a behemoth.
What would happen if Fang Miao Miao and the Wen family found out about the outrageous things she had done at the banquet?
Fang Yan Huan's mind was in chaos. Before she could figure out what to do, she heard a sob in her ear.
Fang Miao Miao was crying?
Fang Yan Huan instinctively wanted to deny this thought when she heard Fang Miao Miao on the phone complaining about her business not doing well and her husband working long hours, subtly hinting that the Fang family should give them some financial assistance.
She instinctively frowned: there was no reason to return the money that had entered their Fang family.
But just as she was about to retort, she heard her mother also start complaining about being poor.
This made her eye twitch. She had a feeling things were developing in a direction she hadn't anticipated.
"Sigh, we were a family just now, and now that we're in trouble, why aren't you helping us, Mother?" Fang Miao Miao cried louder and louder, "Back then, you also cried to me about having no money, and I kindly lent it to you. How can you go back on your word at a critical moment?"
"Fang Miao Miao, don't talk nonsense. That money was clearly given to us voluntarily. How can you call it a loan?"
"But didn't you say you were opening a new company and were short on funds, so you asked me to invest fifty million? Shouldn't I be getting dividends every month by now? Mom, please help me out."
"No, you just said you invested, so you invested. Do you have any proof?" Zhou Wen Jing flung away Fang Yan Huan, who was trying to pull her. "If there's no proof, don't talk nonsense. Even if you spread it around, do you think anyone will believe you?"
Last night, after Yan Huan said Fang Miao Miao had revealed fifty million on the live stream, they had been trying to find a way to keep that fifty million firmly in the Fang family's hands.
Fortunately, when they "borrowed" the money, they played the emotional card and didn't write any IOUs. They thought, why not go all the way and use Yan Huan's Weibo account to post a series of messages online about how close they were to Miao Miao.
This was to force Fang Miao Miao to admit that the money was a filial gift to them.
But they never expected Fang Miao Miao to be so shameless as to ask them for money.
What a joke.
The thought of her money flowing into the hands of that outsider, Fang Miao Miao, made Zhou Wen Jing agitated. Forget about their later plans; she just wanted to sever ties with Fang Miao Miao immediately.
"Fang Miao Miao, you have no proof, you know? No matter how you twist it, this money was given voluntarily by you."
After speaking, Zhou Wen Jing hung up the phone.
"Mother? What were you doing just now?"
"Zhou Wen Jing, are you crazy?" Fang Yuan also looked at Zhou Wen Jing with displeasure.
Zhou Wen Jing then remembered what she had done: "I just..."
"Yan Huan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Fang Yan Huan said, covering her arm as she stood up from the ground. "Mother, you were too impulsive about this. We could have easily agreed with Miao Miao and given her some money."
"Didn't you hear clearly? She wants the fifty million back. Besides, Fang Miao Miao herself said the Wen family's funds are problematic. If I really gave them the money, wouldn't it be lost forever?"
Zhou Wen Jing sat on the sofa, looking even more angry than Fang Yuan had been earlier. She said sinisterly, "If I had known Fang Miao Miao could anger me so much, I should have strangled her when she was a child."
"Enough!" Fang Yuan noticed Fang Yan Huan stiffen and slapped his thigh hard. "Zhou Wen Jing, listen to what you just said."
"I..." Zhou Wen Jing finally calmed down and looked apologetically at Fang Yan Huan. "Huan Huan, I didn't mean that. I was just confused by Fang Miao Miao's anger."
Zhou Wen Jing had suffered too much hardship and exhaustion in the first half of her life. She didn't want to recall it. After the Fang family became wealthy, she diligently studied upper-class etiquette, making herself elegant, noble, and unattainable.
But all of this was based on no one competing with her, no one trying to steal her money.
Fang Miao Miao's words had truly enraged her.
The Fang family's money could only be spent by their family, by the three of them. Anyone who dared to try and take it would have to bear her wrath.
"I'm fine, Mother." Fang Yan Huan instinctively took a step back, avoiding Zhou Wen Jing's outstretched hand. "It's just that we've now fallen out with Miao Miao. What do we do next?"
After calming down, Zhou Wen Jing's mind raced: "We don't necessarily need Fang Miao Miao for this."
"Mother?"
Fang Yan Huan's right eyelid twitched.
Zhou Wen Jing regained her usual elegant and noble demeanor, pulling Fang Yan Huan to sit on the sofa. She said kindly, "Silly child, have you forgotten? You can do it too. Fang Miao Miao has her husband, and you have the Crown Prince Wen Lan."
Fang Yan Huan frowned and gently refused, "Wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate? Wen Wen Lan and I only just confirmed our relationship."
"What's the big deal? Mother has experience. She can tell at a glance what Wen Lan, the Crown Prince, thinks of you. As long as you act a little cute with him, he'll agree to everything."
Fang Yan Huan desperately wanted to refuse, but the two burning gazes made it impossible for her to speak.