After much thought, Su He decided to return the two million.
She appreciated their intentions, and she wasn't short of money now.
Su He checked her bank balance. She was a little rich woman now!
Having made up her mind, Su He drove to her adoptive parents' place the next morning. However, no one answered when she knocked on the door for a long time. It turned out, according to a neighbor, that no one had lived there for a while.
Su He was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses.
How could that be!
She had visited them during the Chinese New Year, so how could they not be living there?
"They moved to Hua Jing Yuan," an informed aunt kindly told her.
Hua Jing Yuan?
Su He's surprise grew even greater.
That residential complex was famously a wealthy neighborhood!
Su He hesitated for a moment before following the navigation. This time, she didn't notify them beforehand.
On the way, questions flashed through Su He's mind, and she recalled what Lu Yanbei had told her. Was it possible that she hadn't understood the situation?
When she arrived at the entrance of Hua Jing Yuan, Su He's car was stopped by the security guard.
"Who are you looking for?" As expected of a high-class residential complex, the security guard was very thorough.
Su He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have an owner named Su Da Zhi here?"
"Ah, yes, we do. May I ask what your relationship is with him?" the security guard asked diligently.
"I..." Su He opened her mouth, not knowing how to answer for a moment.
Seeing her unable to reply, the security guard immediately became wary. "Miss, please show me your identification."
Helpless, Su He dialed Tang Jiaojiao's number. "Mom, where are you?"
"At home," Tang Jiaojiao replied, lying on a massage chair, applying a face mask, and watching a drama.
"I'm at the entrance of the complex, and the security guard won't let me in," Su He pouted aggrievedly.
Tang Jiaojiao gasped and suddenly sat up. "Which complex entrance are you at?"
"Hua Jing Yuan," Su He said, deliberately dragging out the last syllable.
Tang Jiaojiao hadn't expected her to find her way here and inwardly cursed her luck.
She seemed to have forgotten to tell them about the move!
With Su He showing up now, it was impossible to keep it a secret.
As someone who had weathered many storms, Tang Jiaojiao quickly calmed down. "It's okay, hand the phone to the security guard, and I'll talk to him."
Su He followed her instructions and handed the phone to the security guard.
Upon hearing Tang Jiaojiao's voice, the security guard's attitude changed instantly, and he politely let Su He into the complex.
"The house number is 1808," the security guard reminded her, waving from behind.
Su He felt a pang of sadness for no apparent reason.
They still treated her like a child, unwilling to tell her anything!
She was probably the last to know!
After parking the car, Su He looked at the magnificent three-story villa before her, completely lost for words to describe her feelings.
Anyone with half a brain would know that this house was worth at least a hundred million.
"Susu, why didn't you call before you came? I haven't even bought any groceries," Tang Jiaojiao peeked out from the doorway in her loungewear, then ran a few steps to pull Su He into the house.
The opulent interior decoration inside was dazzling.
Su He was a bit dazed, thinking she had walked into a museum.
Seeing her expression, Tang Jiaojiao knew what she was thinking. "Ahem... the decoration is a bit exaggerated, but it's beautiful, right? This crystal chandelier was custom-made from abroad. And these paintings, they are all your works from when you were studying. As for these furniture, I chose them myself, aren't they great?"
As the hostess, Tang Jiaojiao took Su He around, introducing everything with pride.
Su He remained silent throughout, unable to utter a single word.
After the tour, Tang Jiaojiao led her back to the living room. "Susu, it's not that Mom didn't tell you. Actually, I just moved here not long ago and hadn't had time to tell you..."
Su He touched the leather sofa beneath her and asked, "Where did you get the money to buy all this?"
She added, "Don't lie to me!"
Tang Jiaojiao took a sip of coffee brought by a servant. "Mmm, the imported coffee beans, the taste is indeed different."
"Mom~" Seeing her avoid the question, Su He couldn't help but playfully chide her.
Tang Jiaojiao patted her hand, comforting her, "Don't be anxious, I'll explain slowly."
Tang Jiaojiao put down her cup and began to recount. "In the beginning, our family was indeed not well-off. When I was with your adoptive father, he was just a poor boy."
"Don't let his honest appearance fool you; he was quite sharp. After going to construction sites many times, he smelled business opportunities. He resold scrap metal and bought land and houses at opportune moments."
"In recent years, the real estate market has been booming, and the properties they invested in before have all appreciated in value, selling for a lot of money. Later, he partnered with others to open a real estate company and built houses on the land they had previously acquired. Yu Jing Ming Men in the south of the city and Bi Fang Yuan in the west of the suburbs were all developed by your father's company."
Su He was stunned, and it took her a while to react. "So, those bags in your closet aren't knock-offs; they're all genuine luxury items?"
"Yes," Tang Jiaojiao admitted readily. "My old classmates are all shrewd. How could I dare to show them fakes to show off! What if I were exposed, wouldn't that be embarrassing!"
"Then why did you hide it from me..." Su He felt like crying.
"We didn't deliberately hide it from you. You know, a place like Feng Xi Village is a mixed bag, with many gossips. If they knew about our family's situation, who knows how much trouble it would cause!"
"Besides, you, my dear, have always been too innocent. What if you let something slip outside?"
Tang Jiaojiao gently stroked her head. "The ancestors' words must have their reasons."
Su He knew she was referring to "don't flaunt your wealth."
Riches can blind people and may attract jealousy.
Su He could understand this. What she couldn't understand was why they didn't correct her when she misunderstood their financial situation from the beginning, and even went along with her, making her feel like a fool.
"Did Su Chen and the others know long ago, and I was the only one kept in the dark!" Su He said resentfully.
"You're blaming me unfairly! I treated everyone equally, I didn't tell anyone!" Tang Jiaojiao protested. "It's just... Su Chen and Su Ying are too sharp; they accidentally saw through it..."
Su He: ...
Minimal damage, maximum insult!
"Su Lin only knew a few days before you did." Seeing her daughter's sad expression, Tang Jiaojiao quickly hugged her to comfort her.
Su He pouted. It would have been better if she hadn't said anything.
Su Lin, that simpleton, figured it out before her. How slow was she!