My Dragon Baby and Billionaire Husband-Chapter 638: The Daily Pampered Favorite at the Mother-in-law’s House 2
Ye Junqing put down his teacup, stood up, and said, "Follow me."
Yan Mu, not understanding why, followed Ye Junqing all the way to the section of the detention center specifically used to hold prisoners, where he saw Mu Genggeng confined in a room.
A staff member opened the door for them. Ye Junqing walked in, his gleaming leather shoes clicking with each authoritative step, Yan Mu following behind.
Seeing them arrive, Mu Genggeng, who had been sitting on a single bed, abruptly stood up, warily watching the two men before her.
"Who are you? What do you want? I want to see my lawyer! Other than my lawyer, I don’t want to see anyone!"
Mu Genggeng recognized Ye Junqing. He was Mo Yinhe’s father, the most powerful man in Yecheng. Why would he come to see her? Mu Genggeng was somewhat panicked and even more afraid.
Yesterday, her family had visited her in prison, telling her they would bail her out and that she shouldn’t say anything before her release.
After Ye Junqing entered, Ji Qishu, a high-ranking official from City Hall, arrived shortly after, personally bringing a chair for Ye Junqing.
"Junqing, why have you come? You didn’t even inform me—this place is small."
Ji Qishu had rushed over upon hearing the news.
Ye Junqing waved his hand dismissively, sat down, and said, "It’s fine. Though it’s small, it’s not as if I can’t stay for a moment. You just stand aside and don’t get in the way."
Ji Qishu then fell silent, standing quietly behind Ye Junqing.
Ji Qishu and Ye Junqing were childhood friends. Ji Qishu had started working for Ye Junqing in his twenties. From A Country to Yecheng, he had always followed Ye Junqing’s lead and was now the highest-ranking official in Yecheng—a position Ye Junqing had promised him.
"Bring her over," Ye Junqing gestured.
A moment later, two guards escorted a woman missing one arm into the room. Everyone was puzzled. Ye Junqing remained seated while the others stood.
Ye Junqing asked the one-armed woman to introduce herself.
The woman was also frightened, timid and trembling, unsure why she had been brought here.
Ye Junqing’s tone was uncharacteristically gentle, "Don’t be afraid. No one here wants to hurt you. Just tell us about yourself."
The woman haltingly introduced her situation.
Her name was Chen Lili, twenty-three years old, from a family that had always favored sons over daughters. As a girl, she wasn’t valued by her family. After graduating high school, she was admitted to a very good university, but her family wouldn’t give her money to continue her studies; instead, they forced her to marry.
She wanted to work part-time to fund her own university education. However, after only six months, her mother became seriously ill, forcing her to return home to provide care. She had no idea that when her mother was critically ill, her mother would insist on her marrying. Her mother claimed some ’master’ had divined that her marriage would bring auspicious fortune to counteract the illness, and only this could save her mother from death.
She didn’t want to marry, but her entire family pressured her. Unable to withstand the pressure from all her relatives, she registered her marriage with a man in his twenties, and his family gave hers a bride price of 200,000. This 200,000 bride price later became the down payment for her younger brother’s house.
Later, her mother’s condition genuinely improved, and Chen Lili found some consolation in that.
She discussed continuing her studies with her husband after they married. He had agreed readily before they registered their marriage but went back on his word afterward. He claimed her most important duty was to bear a child for his family, and everything else was secondary, refusing to let her continue her education.
When she refused to submit, her husband would beat and kick her. It turned out the man she married had domestic violence tendencies. She wanted a divorce, but all her relatives advised her to endure it. Her mother, especially, threatened to kill herself to prevent the divorce, because the man’s family had said that if they divorced, they would demand the return of the 200,000 bride price.
Chen Lili didn’t possess the domineering aura of the powerful heroines often depicted in novels and TV dramas. She was just an ordinary girl who wanted to continue her education but was powerless against domestic abuse. She endured it repeatedly, only to end up with one of her arms broken by her husband.
After listening to Chen Lili recount her circumstances, Yan Mu felt that this woman’s situation was truly tragic, but...
"Uncle, what exactly is your intention?" Yan Mu didn’t understand. Uncle Ye had called him over, surely not just to listen to gossip.
Ye Junqing lifted his resolute chin. "Yan Mu, would you be willing to let this girl temporarily inhabit your comrade-in-arms’ sister’s body? I’ve heard you’ve been trying to find your comrade’s sister. I’ll give you time to search. Before then, let this girl temporarily look after your comrade-in-arms’s sister’s body. Do you have any objections to my arrangement?"
Yan Mu still didn’t quite understand. His puzzled gaze fell on the woman with the missing arm. "Uncle, what do you mean?"
Ye Junqing gestured between Chen Lili and Mu Genggeng. "Let these two women swap souls. Would you prefer to let a woman who disregarded the safety of Yecheng’s citizens and manufactured an epidemic for personal glory occupy Mu Genggeng’s body? Or would you rather give a woman, mired in the depths of suffering and desperate to escape her plight, the chance to temporarily look after Mu Genggeng’s body? Tell me your choice now."
Ye Junqing’s words made it all too clear.
Yan Mu’s dark eyes stared incredulously at Mu Genggeng and Chen Lili. After a long pause for thought, he asked excitedly, "Uncle, is it really possible?"
"I can make it happen, but I respect your opinion."
"Then can you help me find the real Genggeng?"
"It’s too late." Ye Junqing offered Yan Mu no hope. "If you had come to me six months ago, perhaps I could have. But now, more than half a year has passed. I don’t have that ability. What I *can* do is change the soul within this body."
"No! Don’t! On what grounds? On what grounds can you do this?" Song Pianlan shrieked agitatedly. "I don’t want to inhabit the body of this one-armed woman! I don’t want to! I don’t want to be abused! I am the Mu Family’s most esteemed young lady! I am Mu Genggeng! I’ve always been Mu Genggeng! I want to see my father! I want to see my mother! I want to see my lawyer! This is illegal! You’re committing a crime!"
No one paid any attention to Song Pianlan.
Ye Junqing narrowed his eyes at Yan Mu, awaiting his decision.
Hearing Uncle Ye say he also had no other way, Yan Mu felt a wave of disappointment. His gaze swept back and forth between Chen Lili and Song Pianlan.
He made his decision. "Alright, I agree."
Song Pianlan glared furiously. "You can’t! Yan Mu! How can you face your comrade-in-arms? How can you face him? He died saving you, yet you treat his sister like this! Yan Mu, you animal!"
"You are not Ayang’s sister!" Yan Mu was no longer the easily fooled young man. He looked at Song Pianlan with disgust. "Rather than letting an inhuman woman like you occupy Genggeng’s body, it’s better to give this girl, trapped in the mire, a chance at rebirth. Uncle Ye, I’ll have to trouble you."
Chen Lili was the only one who didn’t speak. She felt that everything happening before her was beyond her comprehension.
Since Yan Mu had made his decision, Ye Junqing didn’t waste any more words. He gestured and said, "Except for Chen Lili, all of you, get out."
