Chapter 19: The Vase Actress Who Is the Fake Heiress in Modern Society (19)

Ever since Madam Jiang fell into another coma, Mr. Jiang had remained by her bedside, refusing to see anyone.

"Mr. Jiang," the assistant began, feeling obligated to report the news of Jiang Xiuwen’s accident to the chairman. "Young Master Jiang was involved in a series of car accidents caused by a landslide on his way back. He is currently receiving treatment at a township hospital. The roads are blocked for vehicles. Would you like to—" He was going to suggest deploying a helicopter.

Mr. Jiang replied with impatience, "What about Jiang Xiandu? Hasn't she returned?"

The assistant shook his head, attempting to return to the subject of Jiang Xiuwen.

"Useless. Can't even bring one person back." Mr. Jiang’s voice was loud enough to make the assistant shut his mouth, not daring to speak further.

"Have him transferred once it’s possible. Don't let me see him; it’s an annoyance."

"Understood." The assistant sighed internally at Mr. Jiang’s cold-bloodedness, though he had no standing to comment. As he walked out of the ward, he could only think: *It’s truly a misfortune to be born into this family, and even more miserable to work for them!* The assistant felt that money was hard to earn and humiliation hard to swallow; every cent of his "hardship pay" was well-deserved.

Without the chairman’s authorization, the assistant lacked the clearance to mobilize a helicopter and had to wait for the roads to be cleared before he could transfer Jiang Xiuwen. This wait lasted until the evening of the second day after the accident.

***

When Xiandu heard the words "immediate family," she was stunned, unable to process what the person on the other end of the line was saying.

"Is Jiang Xiuwen still there? Has he not been transferred yet?"

After receiving confirmation, Xiandu returned to the film set, explained the situation to the assistant director, and asked for a half-day leave. The assistant director agreed readily, and the director, glancing at his wife, could only swallow his frustration and nod in agreement.

Having rested for a day, Xiandu felt much better. The assistant director lent her his personal car, telling her not to stand on ceremony. Xiandu drove toward the township hospital, noting on the way that most of the landslide debris had been cleared; traffic would likely be moving smoothly by nightfall.

At the hospital reception, she confirmed that Jiang Xiuwen was still in the same ward. After a hurried word of thanks, she made her way there. It was late afternoon, and since many patients had been assigned to rooms or transferred, the hallways were no longer as chaotic as they had been the day before. Yet, for some reason, the young master of the Jiang family remained here.

As Xiandu opened the door and entered the ward, she saw the extent of his injuries: Jiang Xiuwen’s left leg was in a cast, suspended by a traction frame, and his body was wrapped in bandages, with only his face exposed. It was said that his most severe injuries were to his lungs and head—two broken ribs and a concussion. Once he woke up, he would be out of the danger zone.

He lay on the hospital bed, unconscious. A young nurse was attending to his IV drip.

"Are you a relative of the patient, Jiang Xiuwen?"

Xiandu nodded. *Once, perhaps.*

The nurse checked the drip and left, closing the door behind her. The room was left with only Xiandu and the unconscious Jiang Xiuwen.

Before entering, Xiandu had asked the attending physician why they had concluded they were immediate family, given that there were many causes for an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction. The doctor had listed a string of professional terms that Xiandu didn't understand, knowing only that it was a conclusion reached after multiple examinations.

Xiandu scrutinized Jiang Xiuwen’s features, trying to find a resemblance to the original owner of her body. There was a shadow of similarity in the brow, perhaps the bridge of the nose... but these were ambiguous and could not serve as evidence.

She had considered DNA testing using his hair, but the original owner had been injected with the N-39 mother liquid. No one knew if the original owner’s genetic sequence had changed over the past five years due to the unpredictability of N-39. Furthermore, she couldn't rule out the possibility that Mr. Jiang, in his madness, had also injected Jiang Xiuwen with the liquid.

But if the original owner was the true daughter of the Jiang family, then who was Jiang You’an? What was her motive? Yet, given Mr. Jiang’s suspicious nature, that DNA test result presented to the original owner must have been real. This led to the inference that Jiang You’an was definitely Mr. Jiang’s child, and Jiang Xiuwen’s identity was beyond doubt.

Could Jiang You’an be an illegitimate daughter, and Mr. Jiang wanted to bring her into the family this way? That made no sense; Madam Jiang was in a coma, and Mr. Jiang had total control over the family and Jiang Tech. If he wanted his illegitimate daughter to inherit property, there were far easier ways—he could have simply acknowledged her. Moreover, Mr. Jiang had kept vigil by his wife’s bedside for years. If he had someone else, he would have pulled the plug on Madam Jiang’s oxygen long ago.

Or perhaps Madam Jiang had given birth to twins? But surely they would have known during prenatal checkups... If the original owner wasn't the Jiangs' daughter, why were the delivery hospital and the orphanage that raised Jiang You’an impossible to find?

Everything was too bizarre. Xiandu felt as though a great web was slowly tightening in the shadows, making it hard to breathe. She felt lost; whenever she thought she had grasped the truth, it turned out to be a mirage.

The setting sun turned the sky to molten gold. Without realizing it, Xiandu had spent the entire afternoon by Jiang Xiuwen’s bed. It was time to return to the set. Whether or not the original owner was the Jiangs' biological daughter, the sins they had committed against her could not be erased, and nothing would shake Xiandu’s resolve to make the Jiang family pay.

She picked up her bag and turned to leave. As she did, the door opened.

"Miss Jiang." The assistant stood there, having recognized her from photos he had handled for Mr. Jiang.

Xiandu didn't recognize him and hesitated. "Hello... who are you?"

"I am Chairman Jiang’s personal assistant. I’m here to transfer the young master," he said quickly.

"I was just checking on him. I'm leaving now," Xiandu replied. As her hand touched the doorknob, the assistant called out to her.

"Miss Jiang, Madam Jiang has awakened. Would you like to go see her?"

The assistant had mentioned it out of professional courtesy—after all, since even the young master hadn't brought the young lady home, he knew his place. He was just an honest, humble wage-earner looking to collect his bonus.

"Sure," Xiandu said, taking her hand off the door and turning back.

"What?" The assistant, thinking he had misheard, gasped. Realizing what she had said, he immediately responded, "I will arrange a car for you right away!"

*Wonderful! The year-end bonus is within reach!*

As the assistant rushed out to make the call, Xiandu stepped aside to let him pass.

*Perfect.* She needed to verify a few things with Madam Jiang herself.

***

It had taken Bo Yue a long time to secure an appointment to see Gu Qianxi.

Since the bidding conference, he felt that the Gu Group had been targeting him at every turn. He had lost a project he was on the verge of closing, and even his newly launched products had been repeatedly hit with complaints, drawing the scrutiny of market regulators. If this continued, not only would the Bo family’s plans to expand through a partnership with the Jiangs fall through, but the Bo Group would likely face lawsuits and a plummeting market value.

Thus, the usually arrogant young heir of the Bo family had to swallow his pride and beg Gu Qianxi to show mercy.

He was led into a conference room by an assistant and waited anxiously, glancing at the door every few moments, praying that Gu Qianxi would show up. When the clock struck eight, the door finally opened.

"Mr. Gu." Bo Yue stood up, offering a handshake with a humble attitude.

Gu Qianxi sat down immediately. "Mr. Bo, if you have something important to say, say it. I’m in a hurry."

Bo Yue pulled his hand back awkwardly and began to plead for the Gu Group to spare the Bo Group. Gu Qianxi, unmoved, rose to leave. Bo Yue followed, desperately begging.

As the assistant opened the door, Gu Qianxi paused and looked back.

"I’ve made a deal. The returns are quite substantial."

"Mr. Gu, the Bo family and the Jiang family will do anything you want, as long as you show mercy," Bo Yue said eagerly, thinking he finally had a chance.

"Is that so? But the terms of the deal—"

"Are your bankruptcy."