Starting with taking in female college students

Chapter 72 The Abandoned Cat

"Is Mr. Ni not home?"

Chen Rang was stunned for a moment.

He suddenly had a feeling that this meant that the various situations Ni Youlin had encountered recently were not actually Ni's doing, but rather the work of the woman in front of him.

As for the reason, it's not hard to guess.

After all, Ni Youlin, being an illegitimate child, is undoubtedly President Ni's daughter, but there's no doubt she has no blood relation to this woman. In other words, to this woman, Ni Youlin is nothing more than an "intruder."

For this woman, Ni Youlin's existence meant nothing more than proof of her husband's infidelity. Or rather, Ni Youlin's mere presence only fueled her loathing.

Her treatment of Ni Youlin seemed "understandable".

"But no matter what, it doesn't have to be to the point of driving someone to their death, does it? And this is clearly your husband's fault, why blame an innocent child?"

Chen Rang thought to himself, "This is what I'm complaining about."

However, since he was already there, even if President Ni was not there and could not be contacted, and even if this woman had no intention of taking the initiative to entertain him, Chen Rang still did not intend to give up.

He glanced at the kitten, who was trembling like a quail in fright, and cut to the chase: "Excuse me for bothering you, but I came here to ask about Ni Youlin's situation—why her bank card is frozen?"

"bank card?"

The woman raised an eyebrow, not surprised by Chen Rang and Ni Youlin's purpose, but she didn't expect him to ask so directly without any restraint.

After carefully examining Chen Rang's appearance, age, and clothing, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Is there a problem?"

The woman remained calm, asking Chen Rang a question before turning to Ni Youlin without waiting for a response. "Ni Youlin, you're an adult now. Your father and I don't seem to have any further obligation to support you, do we? You're grown up now, and you can and should learn how to survive in society. Learning to earn your own living is the most basic quality of an adult. What you should be doing is trying to learn and try, instead of asking adults for money at your age."

At this point, the woman's tone turned serious. "As for why the bank card was frozen, you shouldn't be bringing people to question me; you should be asking the bank. And what happened to the manners and rules I taught you? You didn't even tell me you were coming back, and you didn't greet me when you got back. Ni Youlin, where is your upbringing? Is this how I taught you? Or have you completely gone astray after running away from home for a few days?"

Ni Youlin's expression changed, and she quickly became timid and hesitant. Chen Rang was also taken aback.

"Runaway from home?"

He turned to look at Ni Youlin.

Ni Youlin stood there, her lips twitching slightly before she let out a soft sound.

"Madam...Madam..."

"Mrs?"

Chen Rang was taken aback, not expecting that Ni Youlin wouldn't address this woman as "mother" or "mom." Did she address her this way even in front of President Ni? And what was President Ni's attitude?

Thinking back to what the woman had just said, Chen Rang felt only speechless and full of irony.

What a great obligation to provide support.

"Hmph! I can't accept being called 'wife' by you! You actually dare to cause trouble for me in front of outsiders, you've really grown up! Your father sent you to study in Sarawak, only thinking it would be closer and quieter, but he never expected you'd go astray! And become a... social outcast!"

The woman glanced at Chen Rang out of the corner of her eye while unleashing a barrage of sarcastic remarks. Not only did she quickly regain the upper hand, she even turned the tables, blaming Chen Rang for corrupting Ni Youlin.

Chen Rang could not accept such slander.

He stepped forward without hesitation.

"So what if I'm a member of the working class? Does being rich give me the right to look down on others? Even if I were a member of the working class, I wouldn't do something like kicking my husband and children out of the house, trying to drive someone to their death! I just want to know, does Mr. Ni know about what you've done...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Rang's hand was suddenly grabbed by Ni Youlin. Turning around, he saw Ni Youlin's pitiful, pleading eyes, begging him not to say anything more.

Her appearance immediately made Chen Rang unable to continue speaking.

A bit helpless.

"Go on!"

He hadn't introduced his woman yet, arms crossed, a cold smile on his face. Her completely unconcerned attitude immediately made Chen Rang suspicious, wondering if things might be more complicated than he had imagined.

Surely it couldn't be... that Ni Youlin's father asked her to do this, could it?

If that's the case, things become even more complicated.

Chen Rang fell silent.

"I thought she was some important person, someone who'd stand up for her without even knowing their own place! They probably haven't even figured out the situation before coming here with some ridiculous ideas, huh! What a disgrace!"

The woman had completely taken control, or rather, she had long known how to manipulate Ni Youlin. To some extent, Ni Youlin was someone she had raised, and in terms of understanding Ni Youlin, she was second to none.

However, seeing Chen Rang's angry expression, the woman knew she couldn't go too far; porcelain shouldn't get entangled with stone.

"Now that you're back, you should stay home obediently!"

Her tone softened, and the woman sighed, speaking earnestly, "Do you think your dad froze your bank card? Isn't it because you disobeyed him and insisted on going out? He was afraid you'd be scammed or bullied! He's very busy working in Shanghai and worried you wouldn't be able to come back, so he had no choice but to resort to this strategy. Do you know how much trouble your recklessness has caused him? These past few days, he's been working hard for the company and worrying about you too. It's been so difficult for him! Why can't you be a little more understanding and considerate of him? You're such a grown-up, and you still need to be worried about? Aren't you ashamed?"

The woman firmly held the moral high ground, staring at Ni Youlin with a smile on her face, but her eyes held only cold indifference.

She didn't even bother to hide her malice; it was obvious she was taking advantage of Chen Rang's inability to do anything about her. As for Ni Youlin, she didn't care about her at all.

"fool……"

Taking a deep breath, Chen Rang knew that he couldn't achieve anything today.

He naturally couldn't let Ni Youlin stay as this woman demanded. After all, no one dared to gamble on what a woman who abandoned her and even secretly froze her bank cards might do during their time together.

But this woman is indeed formidable. If Ni Youlin disobeys her orders and leaves today, she will probably have a reason to never bother with Ni Youlin again.

and so……

Should Ni Youlin stay and endure this woman's bullying, or leave completely to try a new life with no guarantees? What should she choose?

No one can make this decision for her; it's her own choice.

Chen Rang turned around and looked at her.

The woman also looked at Ni Youlin, sneering without urging her on.

"..."

Ni Youlin lowered her head, and it was unclear whether she regretted listening to Chen Rang and coming back.

She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what the situation was. Forced by her "wife," now that she was back, she had to make a final decision about her future, and perhaps there would be no turning back.

She understood even better than Chen Rang that the whole affair was definitely not just something "Madam" was planning alone. The man she called "Father" had already made his decision on this matter.

So... should you stay and be a puppet who endures manipulation and humiliation at all times, or risk venturing into the unknown outside world?

Ni Youlin was timid; she dared not make a choice.

But over the past few days, she had come to a clear understanding of one thing: Chen Rang would never harm her! He was definitely not the liar and bad person her wife described.

So Ni Youlin didn't look at the woman, but instead looked up at Chen Rang.

She didn't speak, but her eyes seemed to say a lot.

At least... Chen Rang felt he understood it.

This is a poor little kitten that has been abandoned. After searching desperately, it clings to the person who can give it hope for survival. The kitten may not know whether that person is good or bad, but it has no other choice.

It wanted to survive! It wanted to live well! It craved protection, rather than facing the cold and dangerous fate of the outside world alone.

Clearly, Ni Youlin saw him as someone who could protect her.

"So...can I do it?"

Chen Rang hesitated for a moment.

He didn't refuse, because he already knew of Ni Youlin's misfortune and had already decided to help her. His only doubts were whether he could live up to this trust and the nature of his relationship with Ni Youlin.