Chapter 3 There’s No Such Woman

“There’s no such person as Cao Manhui?”

After finishing the check-up with her granddaughter, Ruan Yaoyao turned back and frowned slightly at Xu Lianghan’s answer.

She was somewhat skeptical: 【Did Xu Lianghan actually check? Or is he just making this up to fool me?】

“I called to ask. Mom, what are you thinking? This isn’t the old days, it’s not a movie—you really think someone would steal our daughter? She married into the Cheng family, and the Chengs aren’t like us, overly controlling.”

“You can know a person’s face but not their heart. How do you know what they were thinking? Besides, didn’t you and she have a falling out because of Cao Manhui? After you got married, your relationship with Cheng Xiangrong faded. Do you even know how the Cheng family is now after all these years?”

Ruan Yaoyao didn’t believe him and had Xu Lianghan call the hospital in front of her.

She was certain that in her dream, her beloved granddaughter had been swapped for Cao Manhui’s daughter. If Cao Manhui wasn’t involved, how could such a swap have happened?
【Could it be that someone “did a good deed” and stole Cao Manhui’s daughter to swap for my granddaughter?】

【But if that were the case, why not just give my granddaughter to Cao Manhui? Why dump her in an orphanage instead?】

【This makes no sense.】

Xu Lianghan, with an awkward expression, called the hospital director again, put the call on speaker, and asked in front of Ruan Yaoyao.

“There’s nobody?”

Ruan Yaoyao felt something was off. “What about anyone with the surname Cheng? Cheng Xiangrong?”

The response: “No.”

“Anyone else with the surname Cheng, or with the surname Cao?” Ruan Yaoyao pressed on, unwilling to give up.

The person on the other end was helpless. If this weren’t their boss, they would have lost their temper. Which hospital would casually reveal patient information? Doing this for him was already bending the rules.

“There are some with the surname Cao and some with the surname Cheng.”

“Read them to me. Let me see who they are.”

“…Cao Yushi…”

“Wait, which name did you just say?”

“Cao Yushi.”

【See, I knew I’d find someone!】

Ruan Yaoyao turned to Xu Lianghan. “If I remember correctly, your first love had a younger sister, something with ‘Shi’ in her name, right? Could this be it?”

“…Yes, she indeed has a younger sister named Cao Yushi.”

She was really kind-hearted—having a baby and even helping another mother pay the hospital fees. The whole maternity ward knew about it.

That mother was extremely grateful to Cao Yushi, saying that without her, she couldn’t have afforded such a good hospital.

They weren’t old friends. They only met during prenatal check-ups after she became pregnant. Seeing her in financial trouble, Cao Yushi even included her in the check-ups.

They shared the same hospital room and delivered one after another.

Oh, and Cao Yushi also “adopted” a newborn girl, planning to raise her alongside her own child in her belly as twins…

The call in the morning, by noon, Xu Lianghan already had all the records. During Cao Yushi’s hospitalization, a group of people had accompanied her. Her sister also came—a young woman who looked pale but beautiful.

If they hadn’t introduced themselves, nobody would have known she was the sister—they would have thought she was Cao Yushi herself.

Ruan Yaoyao looked at Xu Lianghan. “Cao Manhui’s younger sister is that kind-hearted? Wasn’t their family poor? I remember back when you were courting Cao Manhui, you said she was poor but ambitious, treating gold and silver as dirt, like a lotus rising unstained from the mud…”

“So, after all these years, their family prospered, and her younger sister is now rich and spending recklessly?”

【This is obvious.】

【Something fishy is going on.】

【If Xu Lianghan still doesn’t believe me, I’ll have to knock some sense into his head and see what’s inside it.】

Then, glancing at the baby sleeping peacefully in the crib, Ruan Yaoyao reminded herself: 【No anger, no anger. This little rascal will play himself into trouble one day; what’s the point of me getting mad?】

【I’m a woman who will live to the very end, watching their family fall.】

【Only my granddaughter is pitiful. I’ll save her; the rest can fend for themselves.】

Xu Lianghan twitched at the corner of his mouth, wanting to remind Ruan Yaoyao: Mom, that includes you!

And, she has to be my daughter first for her to be your granddaughter!

But Xu Lianghan, having run Xu Corporation for so many years, wasn’t a fool. With all these suspicious points laid out, if he didn’t investigate, he’d be a fool. Otherwise, Xu Corporation would have collapsed long ago.

Moreover, though his relationship with Ruan Yaoyao wasn’t perfect, she had never harmed him. He didn’t think her suspicions were baseless—there had to be a reason.

Perhaps it had something to do with him hearing her “thoughts.”

Yes, that’s right—Xu Lianghan was now certain that what he heard was indeed his mother Ruan Yaoyao’s inner thoughts. For some unspeakable reason, he hadn’t told her.

He thought perhaps it was a gift from heaven, allowing him to mend their mother-son relationship.

“Mom, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll check it out. If something like that really happened, I wouldn’t let anyone swap my daughter. She’s my biological child; I’m not stupid.”

Ruan Yaoyao stared at Xu Lianghan as if she didn’t believe him. After a long pause, she said: “It better be that way. If you can’t even handle something this small, don’t blame me for not giving you face—I’ll just take your daughter myself.”

Xu Lianghan laughed: “Take my daughter? Mom, if you like, Lingxuan can stay with you. I won’t object at all.”

He secretly hoped Ruan Yaoyao would help take care of the baby, giving him and his wife some private space.

He had finally tricked his three sons into going out with his younger sister Xu Nannan. Otherwise, how would he have this peace and quiet?

Ruan Yaoyao heard Xu Lianghan call the granddaughter “Lingxuan” and was pleased—he had officially accepted her name.

This name had originally been given by the orphanage caregiver, protecting the girl and ensuring her well-being. After being recognized by the family, she was given a new name, Xu Zhenzhu.

What kind of “family treasure” name is that? Any child called that would be miserable.

Thinking of the misfortune that name brought her granddaughter, Ruan Yaoyao wanted to erase it forever.

“Xu Lingxuan” was much better—she hoped it would protect her granddaughter throughout her life, keeping her safe and happy.

“Lingxuan, Lingxuan, my little treasure, did you hear that? From now on, your name is Xu Lingxuan. Isn’t that much prettier than the name your father gave you…”

“Xu Zhenzhu? We don’t want that. A pearl may seem precious, but it’s just a plaything—unlucky.”

“We’ll be a spirited daylily instead—strong, full of life, a magical herb too.”

As if responding to Ruan Yaoyao, Xu Lingxuan, deep in sleep, curved her lips into an angelic smile.

Overjoyed, Ruan Yaoyao quickly took out her phone, snapped a gif, and sent it to the family group: [Look! Isn’t your adorable niece just like a little angel?]

Unfortunately, aside from Xu Lianghan responding immediately, no one else reacted for a long while.

Seeing the empty family chat and reflecting on her complicated relationship with them, Ruan Yaoyao sighed softly: “Sigh…”

No wonder in the dream she was alone. It had been foreshadowed all along; she was just the only fool who didn’t see it.