Huh? Are villainous bosses this easy to flirt with?

Chapter 210 Blood-sucking Insects

The mother and daughter, working in unison like a theatrical troupe that had been performing together for years, bombarded Xie Qing with harsh words.

Xie Qing narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over several familiar yet unfamiliar faces, her memory finally returning. "Oh, it's you guys."

—The original owner's adoptive parents and their family, a group of bloodsuckers that are like a leech clinging to the bone.

The original owner had a gloomy personality, but also an excessively soft heart. Even though she grew up being beaten and scolded and disliked as a burden, she still stubbornly regarded that little bit of family affection as a treasure.

He longed for his family's care and love like a desert traveler yearning for an oasis, but his parents simply didn't love him. His two older sisters followed suit—the eldest sister ignored him, and the second sister went to great lengths to make things difficult for him.

When he came to City A to make a living as an adult, he ridiculously discovered that only by sending money home on time every month could he get a moment of false warmth from his family.

This distorted desire became a shackle that bound him, forcing him to work desperately to make money. In the end, he stumbled into the entertainment industry by chance and mistook Gu Yan's small favors and insincere affections for salvation.

Little did they know that in the other person's eyes, they were nothing more than a stepping stone to be used in the relationship.

Tragically, even after the original owner was taken back to the Xie family and learned that she had been switched at birth, she never mentioned it to her adoptive parents—because she was afraid they wouldn't be able to bear the truth that "the son they had raised for many years was not their biological child."

This kindness, which was meant to be for everyone, ultimately became the noose that strangled him.

However, Xie Qingke did not have the compassionate heart of the original owner; she was cold-blooded and callous to the core.

From the moment he arrived in this world, he blocked and deleted all unimportant people, including his vampire-like adoptive parents.

If they hadn't run into him today, he would have almost forgotten that such a person existed in this world.

Xie Qing slowly raised her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, but her tone was utterly cold. "What do you want?"

Meeting those icy eyes, Xie Yan, the original owner's second sister, felt inexplicably intimidated.

Why does this younger brother look different from how I remember him?

"You heartless ingrate!"

The old woman immediately snapped, "She's your own sister! We're your parents who gave you life and raised you. Can't we come looking for you for no reason?"

She spoke as if she were listing some heinous criminal, "You've been living the high life outside, not sending a single penny home for so long, completely forgetting about your family. If it weren't for the college student from the next village saying you'd become a big star, we'd still be completely in the dark..."

Xie Qing listened to these accusations that twisted the truth, and a hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes.

Did they give him life and raise him?

Since they consider the original owner to be their own son, why is the treatment so drastically different?

Logically speaking, in a rural environment where the preference for sons is so strong, if a family is so poor that they can't even afford to eat and already has two daughters, why would they insist on having a third child? Isn't it all for the sake of having a son to carry on the family line?

But why did this son, who was "long awaited and finally appeared," not only not receive any preferential treatment, but instead live a life worse than the family's guard dog?

Xie Qing had never thought about these issues in detail before, but now that he had seen these two beasts, the original owner's childhood memories became clearer, and all sorts of incomprehensible questions popped up one after another, lingering in his mind.

Chu Luo frowned as she listened. As someone who had investigated Xie Qing before, although she didn't know everything about his past, the few words recorded in the documents were enough to tell her what kind of life he had as a child.

How could this old woman have the nerve to call Young Master Xie an ingrate!

Chu Luo's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists, and he was about to engage in a fierce debate with the scholars when Xie Qing pressed down on his shoulder and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Although he didn't understand Xie Qing's plans, he still suppressed his anger and took half a step back.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Xie Qing spoke coldly, making a move to leave.

"you dare--"

The old woman was about to have another outburst, but her husband pulled her back.

The old man's cloudy eyes darted around twice, and he put on a fake show of affection. "Xiao Qing, your mother is all bark and no bite. She's just saying things in anger. Please don't take them to heart."

“We are blood relatives after all, even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. Your mother and I have been thinking of you day and night since you haven’t come home for so long, so we came all this way to find you…”

Xie Qing's expression shifted slightly, as if she had reverted to being a pushover. "Dad is right."

A glint of light flashed in the old man's eyes, and he immediately seized the opportunity, "Little Qing has become quite successful now, and I, as her father, am also proud of her, but..."

He rubbed his hands awkwardly, his voice suddenly dropping, "We've spent all the money we had on us looking for you, and now we don't even have a place to stay..."

In City A, land is incredibly expensive, and even a decent hotel costs several hundred yuan.

This trip cost them almost half of their family's money. Xie Yan even bought a smartphone specifically to find out the address of Xie Qing's company.

Xie Qing hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about this, I'll arrange a hotel for you to stay in first, don't worry about the money."

"Just staying at a hotel?"

Xie Yan objected sharply, saying imperiously, "We've come all this way, and this is how you're going to treat us?"

"You're a celebrity now, you must live in a nice place. We'll live with you!"

Xie Qing lied without batting an eye, "I live in the company apartment, and it's strictly forbidden for other people to stay overnight. If I violate the rules, I'll be fired."

Upon hearing the word "expulsion," the old man hurriedly tugged at his daughter's sleeve—Xie Qing was now a cash cow, and absolutely nothing could happen to her.

He smiled apologetically, "Mom and Dad will do whatever you say."

Xie Yan was full of suspicion. Thinking of how she had mistreated Xie Qing since childhood, she was afraid of retaliation and arranged for them to stay in a shabby hotel.

"Wait a minute, transfer the money to me, and we'll find a place to stay ourselves."

"How much?"

"This is my first time visiting City A with my parents, so I have to show them around."

Xie Yan held up five fingers. "Fifty thousand, that's not a lot for you, is it?"

"can."

Xie Qing transferred the money readily, her decisive action making Xie Yan instantly regret not asking for more.

Xie Qing: "It's getting late, you should find a place to rest. I'll be going now."

The three of them got what they wanted and, without even looking up, casually said, "Go on, go on."

After Xie Qing walked away, the three of them exchanged glances, greedy smiles appearing on their faces—they had to hold onto this money tree tightly.

……

Inside the car, Chu Luo was filled with questions, unable to understand why Xie Qing was so soft-hearted and indulgent towards those bloodsuckers.

Xie Qing suddenly said, "Assistant Chu, I need you to investigate something very important for me."

Chu Luo subconsciously repeated, "Something very important?"

"Yes."

Xie Qing's eyes were deep and unfathomable. "Important enough—to send that family to jail."

Chu Luo: What?!