Chapter 39: Now, He Is Mom’s Treasure

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Now, He Is Mom’s Treasure

In the original plot, the Nan Yi who was forced onto a show, pretending to be related to a stranger, was even colder and more defiant. He was guarded around everyone and was by no means a child who could charm an audience.

Whatever little goodwill the netizens had for him because of his appearance was quickly dispelled by his unlikable nature.

In its place came intense scrutiny and criticism from all sides.

So, when the theft incident occurred, the vast majority of people were convinced that Nan Yi was the culprit.

His celebrity partner on the show immediately distanced themself from him.

The public lambasted him, as if to prove their initial judgment correct.

Online pundits linked his behavior to his upbringing, offering all sorts of analyses.

Even the teachers and children at his orphanage started looking at him with suspicion and keeping their distance.

...

From then on, the label of "a born villain" followed Nan Yi for the rest of his short life.

He became sullen, ruthless, and cruel. Step by step, he walked down a criminal path, using his genius-level intellect to build a massive, shady business empire.

The only person he ever showed a shred of kindness to was the female lead.

This was because, during the theft incident, she was the only person who believed in him and offered him comfort.

For her sake, he repeatedly clashed with the male lead.

At first, he had the upper hand, suppressing the male lead. But later, the male lead made a comeback and became his rival.

Ultimately, the male lead exposed Nan Yi’s crimes, and he was sent to prison.

A single bullet ended his young life.

He was twenty-eight years old.

...

Just thinking about the original plot’s trajectory made Nan Zhi’s heart ache so much she could barely breathe.

She had thought that by coming back, she could help Nan Yi escape his fate as the villain of the novel.

But why did the theft incident happen anyway?

The location and the people involved were completely different.

Nan Zhi felt as if some intense malice was hiding in the shadows, quietly spying on her and her son.

It was ready to pounce at any moment, to tear them apart and devour them whole.

Moreover, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was overlooking something.

...

"No, it’s still not the same," Nan Zhi muttered to herself.

Fu Chao tilted his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Nan Zhi steadied herself. She pulled Nan Yi into her arms, looking at Lei Yougang with the protectiveness of a mother bear, and said calmly,

"You’re saying my son stole money? Do you have any proof?"

The police officer nodded in agreement.

"That’s right. You can’t just accuse a child of theft with nothing but empty words. Where’s your evidence?"

Lei Yougang wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, pointing at Nan Yi.

"Of course I have evidence! It’s on him!"

At the same time, he surreptitiously shot his son a meaningful glance.

But Lei Xiaopang, embarrassed, was letting his gaze wander and completely missed his father’s signal.

Lei Yougang tried again, winking at his wife.

Zhao Shumei was glaring daggers at Nan Zhi and didn’t spare her husband so much as a peripheral glance.

The frustrated Lei Yougang almost spat out the word "Idiot!"

Left with no choice, he had to take matters into his own hands.

"The money is definitely on the kid. Search him if you don’t believe me!"

The police officer looked helplessly at Nan Zhi.

"Can we search him?"

Nan Zhi didn’t answer. Instead, she asked Nan Yi what he thought.

Nan Yi was in a daze, his mind filled with the surprised, ecstatic thought: ’Mom trusts me!’

Hearing the adults talk about searching him, he stubbornly pressed his lips together and lifted his chin.

"Go ahead and search me!"

His voice was filled with the confidence of someone who knew they had backup.

Fu Chao leaned over and whispered, "We can’t let them. That guy is definitely trying to frame him!"

A corner of Nan Zhi’s mouth twitched.

But she still respected Nan Yi’s decision, allowing the police officer to search his pockets.

"The money you mentioned isn’t here," the officer said.

Lei Yougang said, "Check somewhere else! Like the hood!"

Nan Yi was wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

The officer did as he was told. His hand reached for the hood, and then he froze.

"It-it’s really here!"

He then pulled a thick wad of cash, folded into a neat square, from Nan Yi’s hood.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Lei Yougang gloated, "See! I told you! He’s a thief!"

Fu Chao, who had suspected something was off the whole time, couldn’t watch any longer.

"That’s a lie! That cash is folded way too tight! How could our four-and-a-half-year-old son have the hand strength to do that?"

Lei Yougang shot a smug look at Nan Zhi and Fu Chao.

"Who’s to say the adult and child weren’t working together to steal the money?"

Zhao Shumei seized the opportunity and joined in, spewing accusations.

Nan Zhi remained calm.

This scene, of course, had happened in the original novel.

Why had everyone believed Nan Yi stole the money?

It was precisely because the missing money had been found on him right then and there.

So, she knew the money would be found on him.

’Since Lei Yougang dared to make the accusation, he must have planted it.’

But the difference between reality and the original novel was—

She was here.

Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "You say this money is yours? Where’s the proof?"

’Something feels off,’ Lei Yougang thought.

But Fu Chao’s eyes lit up.

"That’s right, the burden of proof is on the accuser! The money just happened to be in our son’s hood. What makes you say he stole it? For all we know, you planted it there yourself!"

Lei Yougang frowned. "You’re just making excuses! This is the money I lost!"

Nan Zhi calmly and methodically continued her questioning. "How were you able to pinpoint the hood so precisely? The cash is folded up tight and hasn’t been opened, so how can you be sure it’s exactly one thousand yuan? And if the money was stolen, why wouldn’t we have just left it at home? It’s been a whole afternoon since noon."

Her logic was impeccable, and every question exposed a flaw in his story.

The surrounding crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.

Lei Yougang was visibly starting to panic. "I... I just guessed it was in the hood..."

He tried to explain.

But Nan Zhi wasn’t going to give him the chance.

She said, "A thousand yuan is enough to qualify as felony theft, isn’t it? In that case, let’s run a fingerprint analysis. Let’s see if my son’s fingerprints—or mine—are anywhere on that cash. And if they’re not, I will sue you for defamation!"

Her tone grew heavier, her pace quickening.

Her words landed like hammer blows, perfectly in time with Lei Yougang’s frantic heartbeat, shattering his composure.

Lei Yougang completely lost his nerve. "I... I..."

The experienced, older police officer, having seen enough, calmly interjected, "’Publicly insulting another person or fabricating facts to defame them, if the case is serious, is punishable by up to three years in prison, criminal detention...’"

That was enough to scare Zhao Shumei, who immediately started backpedaling. "Wait— We’re not defaming anyone! That’s not our money! We made a mistake!"

’My husband can’t go to jail!’

Furious, Lei Yougang’s mask of a simple, honest man shattered. He spun around and slapped his wife hard across the face.

"Idiot!"

’How could she just give the whole game away like that!’

Zhao Shumei held her face, stunned.

Lei Xiaopang, who had been gloating only moments before, burst into tears with a WAH.

...And so, the farce came to a close.

The dejected Lei Yougang and his family were taken away by the police for a stern lecture.

Nan Zhi didn’t take the one thousand yuan. Considering it tainted, she let the police take it.

Nan Zhi knelt in front of Nan Yi, looking directly into his eyes.

"Remember, no matter what happens, I will always be on your side."

’So don’t lose hope in this world.’

Nan Yi wanted to laugh.

But as he did, tears welled up in his eyes.

"I know."

He was no longer just a weed, a stray dog, or a burden.

He was his mother’s treasure.