After a wealthy woman went bankrupt, her live-in husband became her sugar daddy.

Chapter 278 Downfall

I gently tugged at Jiang Yichen's sleeve and whispered, "It's okay, Aunt Lin won't hurt me."

Jiang Yichen glanced at me, his gaze softening slightly, but he didn't move. His palm gently covered the back of my hand, the warm touch warming my heart.

I turned to look at Lin Shu and asked softly, "Aunt Lin, how is your son now?"

She looked up, her eyes filled with tears: "The Jin family promised to let him go, but... I know they won't give up easily. I... I really don't know what to do..."

I sighed, a pang of sorrow gripping my heart. Lin Shu had done wrong, but she had been forced into it. I was about to say something more...

I turned to look at Lin Shu. Her weathered face was filled with fear and exhaustion, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to hide countless frustrations. I tried to keep my tone gentle yet firm: "Aunt Lin, please go back first. It's not safe here. If the Jin family causes you any more trouble, please contact me immediately. I will do everything I can to help you."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Lin Shu's eyes, her lips trembled, as if she had a thousand words to say but didn't know where to begin.

She raised her hand to wipe away the cloudy tears from the corners of her eyes, her voice hoarse with the weariness of time.

Jiang Yichen stood beside me, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with worry and disapproval: "You're always so soft-hearted. Aren't you afraid she might have other intentions?"

I gave a bitter smile, my heart filled with emotion: "She was also driven to desperation by the Jin family. I can understand that helplessness and pain. If given a choice, who would choose to do evil?"

Jiang Yichen looked at me quietly, the worry in his eyes gradually turning into tenderness and heartache. He didn't say anything more, but gently took my hand, enveloping it in his warm and strong palm. That familiar warmth traveled from my fingertips, calming my previously flustered heart.

"Let's go back first, Grandma's waiting." His voice was deep and gentle, filled with endless affection.

"Let's go."

Meanwhile, Xiaotian and Xu Sisi were preparing to go to the hospital, as Sisi had been feeling unwell recently.

We walked side by side toward the garage, got into the car one after the other, and his hand held mine tightly the whole way, never letting go.

When we got home, Grandma was leaning against the headboard. When she saw us, a relieved smile appeared on her face. Jiang Yichen went over and gently tucked the blanket around her, saying softly, "Grandma, don't worry, we've got you covered."

Grandma nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over us with loving eyes: "With you all here, Grandma is at ease."

I went to my grandmother's side, took her hand, and said softly, "Grandma, please rest well. We will handle this matter."

Jiang Yichen echoed him from the side, his eyes resolute.

The lights in the house were soft and warm at night. Jiang Yichen sat beside me, gently pulled me into his arms, rested his chin on the top of my head, and whispered, "Baby, no matter what dangers we encounter in the future, you must remember that I will always be by your side and will never let you get hurt."

I leaned against him, feeling his strong heartbeat, my heart filled with gratitude and reassurance: "I know, but the most important thing right now is..."

Jiang Yichen didn't say anything more, but gently took my hand. His palm was warm and strong, which calmed me down a little. He then put his other arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.

Holding Grandpa's diary, so heavy, it seemed to carry countless secrets.

"Can these diaries really hold the answers we're looking for?" I asked softly, my fingers gently tracing the yellowed pages. The slight roughness between my fingertips felt like I could almost touch the very essence of my grandfather from back then.

Jiang Yichen stood beside me, his gaze fixed on the diary, his voice steady: "Since Grandpa deliberately left these, he must have had his reasons. Let's search carefully; perhaps we'll find some clues."

I opened the first page of the diary. Grandpa's handwriting was neat and strong, recording what he had seen and heard back then. As I turned the pages, my heart gradually quickened, as if each line was telling me a long-buried truth.

"Look here!" I suddenly stopped pointing and pointed to a passage of text, my voice trembling slightly. "Grandpa recorded the Jin family's smuggling evidence, as well as their remittance receipts to Lin Shu... Isn't that enough to overturn the case?"

Jiang Yichen leaned closer, his gaze quickly sweeping over the few lines of text, his brows furrowing slightly: "Indeed, this evidence is crucial. However, we still need to organize it carefully to ensure that every piece of evidence is tenable."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and gently stroked the yellowed pages with my fingers, as if I could feel Grandpa's feelings back then. Jiang Yichen looked at me, his eyes filled with tenderness, and suddenly reached out and took my hand.

"Now we only need to take the last step, and we'll get news from the pregnant woman, Li, soon."

"It's just a bit complicated, it will take two days."

"His voice was deep and firm, and the warmth from his palm made me feel at ease."

I let his hand hold mine tightly. The night outside the window was deep, and I couldn't help but look up.

"Yes, they should be safe in a few days at most, right?" I asked in a low voice, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

Jiang Yichen gently squeezed my hand, his voice gentle yet firm: "Yes, and once the case is overturned, everything will be alright."

I nodded, feeling a little more at ease. Just then, my phone vibrated; it was a message from Xu Sisi.

I sent them some photos beforehand and asked them to organize them; I didn't expect it to be done so quickly.

"I've received the photos you sent, and I'm sorting and organizing them for you." Her voice came from the other end of the phone, a little tired, but still focused. "Keep searching, and send me any new findings immediately."

"Thank you, Sisi," I said gratefully, feeling a sense of relief. With her remote assistance, our progress would be much faster.

"Don't be so polite, we're partners." Xu Sisi smiled, her voice becoming lighter. "However, you'd better be careful, the Jin family is not someone to be trifled with."

"I know," I replied softly, but a vague unease lingered in my heart. The Jin family wielded immense power, and every step we took now felt like walking on a knife's edge; a single misstep could lead to utter destruction.

At this moment, Jin Lao Er rubbed the edge of his phone with his fingertips. The surveillance video, frozen at 3:17 a.m., made his breathing heavy.

A sliver of warm yellow light peeked through the crack in the door to the study on the second floor. The father was taking a nap inside, his head resting on the dragon head carved into the Burmese rosewood bedpost.

“Sizzle——”

The old man's strength was too great; the bamboo tea scoop scraped against the rim of the purple clay teapot, making a harsh sound. He deliberately made a splashing noise as he poured boiling water into the tea tray, the aged aroma of ripe Pu'er tea mingling with the gunpowder in his words: "The diary is lost! The diary is lost!"

"What good will it do us if we get it?" The second son turned the phone screen away; their father still didn't know.

The cloisonné enamel incense burner slammed against the wall with a thud, ash scattering onto the lapis lazuli prayer beads. The eldest brother grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him against the display shelf, where a Tang Dynasty tri-colored horse figurine trembled on the glass panel: "If something happens, will you take responsibility?"

The second brother remained silent.

At this moment, they had no idea that the Jin family was truly about to fall from power in a few days.