She found it strange when the Fang family had invited her to Fang Yuan's birthday banquet last time.
After the Fang family discovered that the original host wasn't their biological child, their attitude had plummeted from perfunctory to abysmal. They had kept the original host only to avoid gossip and appear charitable.
Later, when Fang Yanhuan entered the entertainment industry and had something to show for it, she had never again attended banquets with the Fang family. She had never even allowed herself to go to blind date banquets.
So Fang Miaomiao was very curious, why had they gone to such lengths to get her to attend the banquet last time?
"Miaomiao, don't be like this, we're concerned about you."
"Concerned?" Fang Miaomiao raised an eyebrow, her tone mournful, "Really? Mother?"
"Really, you have to believe us. Your surname is Fang, and you're always a Fang family member, right? Mother knows she was wrong to argue with you back then, but it doesn't change the love Mother and Father have for you."
"Mother."
Hearing the choked sobs on the other end, Zhou Wenjing rejoiced and looked excitedly at Fang Yuan and Fang Yanhuan.
Fang Yuan quickly gestured for her to calm down.
This matter wasn't urgent; they had to take it slow.
Fang Yanhuan felt something was off. She had interacted with Fang Miaomiao on a variety show. Fang Miaomiao seemed indifferent, giving off a comfortable and easy-going impression.
Only she herself knew that Fang Miaomiao now was more difficult to provoke than she had been when she was with the Fang family, or even after being kicked out.
She was like a spring, looking easy to press down, without any bottom line.
But if one truly crossed the line?
What would happen then?
More importantly, behind the current Fang Miaomiao stood the Wen family.
The Wen family, a colossus.
If Fang Miaomiao and the Wen family found out about the excessive things she had done at the banquet before, what would happen?
Fang Yanhuan's mind was in a mess. Before she could figure out what to do, she heard a sob.
Fang Miaomiao was crying?
Fang Yanhuan instinctively wanted to deny this thought when she heard Fang Miaomiao on the phone lamenting that business was difficult, her husband worked late every day, and she subtly hinted that the Fang family should provide some financial assistance.
She instinctively frowned: there was no reason to return money that had entered their Fang family's coffers.
But as she was about to retort, she heard her mother also start complaining about poverty.
This made her eye twitch. She had a feeling things were developing in a direction she hadn't anticipated.
"Alas, we were a family just now, and now we are in trouble, Mother, why aren't you helping us?" Fang Miaomiao cried with increasing vigor, "Back then, you also cried to me about not having money, and I kindly lent it to you. How can you go back on your word at a crucial moment?"
"Fang Miaomiao, don't talk nonsense. That money was clearly given voluntarily by you, so 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? The dividends should be due every month now, right, Mother? Please help me out."
"No, you said it was an investment, and that's what it was. Do you have any proof?" Zhou Wenjing shoved Fang Yanhuan, who was trying to pull her, away. "If there's no proof, don't spout nonsense. Even if you spread it around, do you think anyone will believe you?"
Last night, after Yanhuan mentioned that Fang Miaomiao had revealed the fifty million on the live broadcast, they had been trying to find a way to firmly keep this fifty million within their Fang family.
Fortunately, when they had "borrowed" the money, they had played the emotional card and hadn't written any IOUs. They had decided to go all the way and had posted a series of messages on Weibo through Yanhuan's account about how close they were to Miaomiao.
The aim was to force Fang Miaomiao to admit that this money was a gift of filial piety.
But they hadn't expected Fang Miaomiao to be so shameless as to ask for the money back.
What a joke.
The thought of her money flowing into the hands of that outsider, Fang Miaomiao, made Zhou Wenjing completely lose her composure. Forget about the later plans; she now wanted to sever ties with Fang Miaomiao directly.
"Fang Miaomiao, you don't have proof, do you? No matter how much you argue, this is money you gave voluntarily."
With that, Zhou Wenjing hung up the phone.
"Mother? What were you just doing?"
"Zhou Wenjing, are you crazy?" Fang Yuan also looked at Zhou Wenjing with displeasure.
Zhou Wenjing finally remembered what she had done. "I just..."
"Yanhuan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Fang Yanhuan stood up, clutching her arm, "Mother, you were too impulsive with this matter. We could have agreed with Miaomiao just now and given her some money."
"Didn't you hear clearly? She meant to get that fifty million back. Besides, Fang Miaomiao herself said that the Wen family's finances were problematic. If I really gave them the money, wouldn't it be throwing it down the drain?"
Zhou Wenjing sat on the sofa, looking even angrier than Fang Yuan had been earlier. She said sinisterly, "If I had known Fang Miaomiao could make me so angry, I should have strangled her when she was a child."
"Enough!" Fang Yuan noticed Fang Yanhuan's body stiffen and slapped his thigh hard. "Zhou Wenjing, listen to what you just said."
"I..." Zhou Wenjing finally calmed down and looked apologetically at Fang Yanhuan. "Huanhuan, I didn't mean that. I was just so angry at Fang Miaomiao that I lost my head."
Zhou Wenjing 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 the etiquette of the upper class, making herself elegant, noble, and unapproachable.
However, all of this was predicated on no one competing with her, no one trying to steal her money.
Fang Miaomiao's words had truly enraged her.
The Fang family's money could only be spent by them, the three of them. Anyone who dared to try and snatch it wouldn't be blamed for her losing her temper.
"I'm fine, Mother." Fang Yanhuan instinctively took a step back, avoiding Zhou Wenjing's outstretched hand. "It's just that, now that we've fallen out with Miaomiao, what do we do next?"
After calming down, Zhou Wenjing's mind raced. "This matter doesn't necessarily require Fang Miaomiao."
"Mother?"
Fang Yanhuan's right eyelid twitched.
Zhou Wenjing regained her usual elegant and noble demeanor, pulling Fang Yanhuan to sit on the sofa, and said kindly, "Silly child, have you forgotten? You can do it too. Fang Miaomiao has her husband, and you have the Crown Prince Wenlan."
Fang Yanhuan frowned and subtly refused, "Wouldn't this be a bit improper? Wen Wenlan and I only just confirmed our relationship."
"What's wrong with that? Mother is experienced. She can tell at a glance what Wenlan the Crown Prince feels for you. As long as you act a little spoiled with him, he'll agree to everything."
Fang Yanhuan really wanted to refuse, but the two intense gazes made it impossible for her to speak.