The Villainess Is Pretending to Be Sweet Again Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 58

The next day, Mu Jiazhao’s assistant arrived at the house.

Nuo Yang was visibly displeased, sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed.

The well-endowed assistant noticed Nuo Yang’s sour expression and greeted her with a smile, “Hello, Miss Nuo. I’m here to pick up the young miss for the hospital visit.”

Nuo Yang let out a displeased hum and muttered, “Got it.”

The night before, Long Huaichang and Nuo Yang had talked at length. Nuo Yang was reluctant to let Long Huaichang go, fearing she might be stripped to the bone—metaphorically speaking—once she stepped out.

Even though they were currently at odds, Nuo Yang still couldn’t bear the thought of Long Huaichang getting hurt.

But Long Huaichang had her own reasons.

Her mind kept replaying the image of her mother’s lifeless, pallid face in the cold coffin, as well as the video her father had left for her after she came of age.

Deep down, Long Huaichang suspected her father’s death wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.

Lawyer An had also spoken with her. Since the contract had been signed with Long Huaichang’s father, Lawyer An wanted to honor the deceased’s wishes.

If… if there really was something suspicious about her father’s death, then her mother’s subsequent passing would be all the more tragic.

The already fractured remnants of Long Huaichang’s family had now completely shattered, leaving her alone in this world. It was unbearably unfair.

So, when Mu Jiazhao came for her, Long Huaichang was surprisingly compliant—so much so that she agreed to everything without protest.

“Sis, I’ll head out now,” Long Huaichang said to Nuo Yang.

Nuo Yang huffed, grabbed the cat, and stormed off.

The assistant chuckled at the sight. “Miss Nuo seems quite upset.”

Long Huaichang ignored her, simply grabbing her keys and walking out.

When the assistant saw Long Huaichang press the button for the underground parking level (-1), she quickly said, “Young miss, the car is parked at the plaza. We only need to go to the first floor.”

“I never said I was taking your car,” Long Huaichang replied coolly. “I know the way. I’ll drive myself.”

Without waiting for a response, she stepped out of the elevator and headed to the parking lot.

Long Huaichang drove the sports car Nuo Yang had gifted her a few months ago. It wasn’t extravagantly expensive—just a few hundred thousand—but it was comfortable to drive.

Nuo Yang didn’t know how to drive, so she had likely picked it purely for its looks. Fortunately, Long Huaichang loved it too.

The fiery red supercar roared out of the underground lot and sped toward the suburban sanatorium, turning heads all along the way.

Upon arrival, Long Huaichang parked and headed upstairs. The Long family members recognized her immediately, their expressions shifting through a spectrum of colors at the sight of her.

But Long Huaichang had no interest in their reactions. Instead, her gaze landed on Mu Jiazhao, who was standing outside the hospital room. She walked straight toward her.

“You’re here,” Mu Jiazhao said, glancing back at her. “Your grandmother has been waiting for you.”

Long Huaichang remained silent, acutely aware of the countless eyes boring into her back. By now, everyone knew that despite Long Huaichang’s rebellious streak, she was still a child of the Long family.

With Long Yingjun gone, she was the most likely heir to the family fortune. No matter how arrogant or dismissive she acted, she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

And it was clear Long Huaichang couldn’t care less about any of them.

Upon entering the hospital room, Long Huaichang realized the spacious ward was empty except for two nurses.

Mu Jiazhao didn’t follow her in, merely closing the door behind her.

Long Huaichang glanced around as the nurses looked up at her and whispered, “The patient just woke up. You two talk first—we’ll be outside. Call us if anything happens.”

With that, they left as well.

Now, the room was completely empty except for herself and the frail old woman lying on the bed, tubes snaking across her body.

Long Huaichang stepped forward. The elderly Madam Long had been severely ill these past two years, now reduced to little more than skin and bones. Her dull gaze was fixed on the ceiling until she slowly turned her head at the sensation of someone approaching.

“You…”

Her voice was weak, but recognition flickered in her eyes as she blinked and murmured, “You’ve finally come.”

Long Huaichang stood still, replying calmly, “Yes. Didn’t you always want to see me?”

“That’s right.” The old woman’s voice was barely audible. “I don’t have many days left. Among the Long family, you’re the only adult now.”

She continued, “Though your mother was a wretched woman, you still carry the Long bl00d—my son’s only child. In the end, you must return to the family.”

Long Huaichang watched the dying woman indifferently, unmoved even by the insult to her mother.

“I can’t wait for those little grandchildren to grow up—they’re all too young.” The old woman lay there, muttering, “And your uncles… some dead, some missing. The ones left are all useless, good-for-nothings.”

“As for the money in my hands… I can give it all to you. It’s not much—just over ten billion…” She studied the young woman’s delicate features and sneered, “You and that wretched mother of yours lived in poverty your whole lives. I doubt you’ve ever seen so much money, have you? Pathetic.”

Tilting her head back, she added, “Who would’ve thought that when I’m about to die, I’d have no one to inherit my fortune but a bastard like you? If people found out, they’d laugh me to my grave.”

Long Huaichang remained unruffled by the insults and asked calmly, “Auntie Mu is your daughter-in-law, isn’t she? Why not leave the money to her instead of me?”

“Her?” The old woman’s eyes reddened. “A woman with the Mu surname? How could she ever inherit our family’s wealth?”

The stubborn old woman glared at Long Huaichang. “She’s a ruthless woman. She killed your father and your brother. Now that you’re an adult, you must take back the Long family’s assets from her. She doesn’t deserve a single cent.”

Long Huaichang stared at the bedridden woman. “Weren’t my father and brother’s deaths accidents?”

“Accidents?” The old woman scoffed weakly. “There’s no such thing as coincidence. I have no proof, and I couldn’t uncover anything, but I’ve always believed she was behind their deaths.”

The old woman rambled on, and Long Huaichang listened quietly. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and her voice faded into silence as she drifted into a deep sleep.

Long Huaichang looked down at the nearly withered old woman on the hospital bed and reached out to tuck her in.

Stepping out of the ward, she was met with the stares of everyone lining the corridor, all trying to glean some hint from her expression. Unfortunately, the girl’s face remained as calm as when she had entered, giving away nothing.

What had the old woman discussed with her?

Had she mentioned anything about the inheritance?

Who would get the remaining 20% of the shares?

These were the questions on everyone’s minds, yet not a single person dared to be the first to ask.

Mu Jiazhao swept a glance over the so-called relatives before turning to Long Huaichang. “How is Mom? What did she say to you?”

Long Huaichang met her gaze, knowing full well that this woman wasn’t as kind as she appeared. To deceive her, she’d have to mix truth with lies.

Leaning in slightly, she whispered slowly into Mu Jiazhao’s ear, “Grandma said… she doesn’t want you to inherit anything. She wants me to take back the rest of the family assets from you in the future.”

Mu Jiazhao’s eyes darkened, but a bright smile slowly curled her lips. “How thoughtful of her.”

The others had no idea what had been said, only seeing Mu Jiazhao take Long Huaichang’s arm and say lightly, “You must be tired. Let me take you home.”

With that, the two walked side by side down the corridor.

The remaining members of the Long family exchanged bewildered glances, unable to understand why the relationship between the two had suddenly shifted like this.

“That Mu Jiazhao is definitely trying to win that girl over,” a few older women muttered, frowning. “Back when the old lady told us to make a scene, Mu Jiazhao refused to go. Now the tables have turned, and the two of them have ended up with most of the family fortune.”

“Exactly, sister-in-law,” another woman chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I suspect Mu Jiazhao has ulterior motives. Otherwise, why would she always treat Long Huaichang so well?”

“We can’t let her get away with this. If that girl inherits everything, she’ll kick us all out!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s only eighteen—what could she possibly achieve?”

“Even if Long Huaichang does enter the Long family, she’s still just a bastard. Money is all she has—nothing else.”

“Yeah, she has nothing at all.”

——————

Meanwhile, at home, Nuo Yang was sprawled lifelessly on the sofa, staring blankly at the two holes in the ceiling.

Her chestnut hair cascaded over the edge of the sofa, pooling on the floor.

Guazi, the cat, lay curled on her stomach, rising and falling with her breaths, purring contentedly.

Nuo Yang’s gaze lingered on the holes. She knew a lavish chandelier had once hung there—the only thing in the rented apartment that had belonged to Long Huaichang and her mother.

Whenever Long Huaichang’s father visited, her mother would turn it on, flooding the living room with light, leaving no shadow untouched.

It was Long Huaichang’s warmest memory in the novel, yet that same chandelier was also where her mother had taken her own life.

By the time Nuo Yang moved in, the chandelier had long since been removed by Long Huaichang, leaving only these unfilled holes as a testament to the tragic woman who had once died there.

As Nuo Yang lay staring blankly at the ceiling, her phone beside her head suddenly vibrated, then slid off the sofa’s edge with a soft thud onto the floor.

Rolling over to retrieve it, Nuo Yang slowly slid down the sofa’s curve onto the floor like a boneless salted fish.

Checking the phone, she saw an unknown caller. Suspicious, she answered and held it to his ear—

“Hey there~” came a familiar voice from the other end; “Could you pretty please take me off your blacklist? You’re so kind-hearted, you wouldn’t bully me like this, right?”