Scumbag Forcing Me to Divorce? Watch Me Turn Around and Marry a Powerful Capital Tycoon! - Chapter 71

Jiang Ning had always been an orphan.

In her past life.

And in this life as well.

She never understood why the one nobody wanted… was always her.

Back then

She had no grandfather.

At barely six or seven years old, she lived under a bridge. Every night, her favorite thing to do was lie on the concrete beams and stare at the stars, wondering why every other child had parents… except her.

She wanted parents who loved her.

She wanted to wear pretty dresses.

She wanted to taste cotton candy.

She looked fierce, wild even, baring her teeth like a little beast. The neighborhood kids never dared play with her.

But no one knew—

That the girl covered in spikes, who acted like a tiny demon king, would curl up alone in the dead of night and cry in secret.

She cried so hard.

And eventually, crying herself to exhaustion, she would fall asleep slumped against the pillar of the bridge.

In her dreams, her parents would finally come find her—crying, hugging her, apologizing over and over, saying they had accidentally lost her for many years.

She couldn’t see their faces clearly, but she smiled so brightly.

From now on, she could be like other children—she would have a mom and dad.

But just as she was smiling—

The dream shattered.

Waking up, she was left only with the cold echo of the bridge… and the night wind.

When she was eight, the orphanage found her.

During her time there, she finally received a name—Jiang Ning.

The surname “Jiang” was picked from a hundred-family list.

“Ning” was chosen by the director—peace, joy, serenity.

Later, because of her extraordinary talent, she was accepted into the youth program of a top research institute.

And later still—

No one called her name anymore.

They called her Miss Jiang.
Academician Jiang.
Boss Jiang…

Yet in the silent hours of the night, she would still wonder—Who am I?
Somewhere in the world… is someone looking for me?

But in this life, she was luckier.

Because this time—she had a grandfather.

Every time she saw Old Master Jiang, she felt a warmth unlike anything she’d ever known.

From him, she felt familial affection for the first time in her life.

Hearing Jiang Ning’s story, Yue Qianlan’s heart sank heavily.

In all the time she’d known Jiang Ning—

This was the first time she’d seen her like this.

The Jiang Ning she knew was strong—so strong she could easily face a dozen street thugs alone.

But now—

She looked so fragile.

So fragile it felt like the slightest touch could shatter her.

“Ningning… I’m sorry. I didn’t know…” Yue Qianlan grabbed her hand, full of regret.

Why did she have to ask about her parents?

“I’m fine.” Jiang Ning lifted her eyes with a gentle smile, a faint dimple deepening. “It’s all in the past.”

Seeing her smile, Yue Qianlan finally exhaled. Then she asked, “Ningning… have you ever thought about finding your parents?”

Yue Qianlan always thought it should be easy—Jiang Ning had a birthmark.

“No.” Jiang Ning shook her head.

“Why?” Qianlan asked immediately.

Jiang Ning took a bite of her bunny-shaped dessert. “Because when Grandpa found me, I was barely three months old—and someone had thrown me into a drainage ditch. Grandpa said I was covered in blood. He thought I wouldn’t make it. But somehow, I survived.”

Yue Qianlan frowned. “So… your parents abandoned you on purpose?”

A three-month-old baby couldn’t walk.

There was no way she “fell” into a ditch.

“I don’t know.” Jiang Ning shook her head. “But… ‘There are no silk skirts in the classroom, and no boy infants in the tower of abandoned children.’ I’ve always wondered… if I had been born a boy, would I still have been thrown away?”

In her past life, after achieving fame, Jiang Ning had searched for her biological family.

The moment she found them, she thought she would finally have a home.

But the moment she stepped into that house, she realized just how wrong she was.

Back then—

The couple was already forty-six years old, yet they had an eight-year-old son.

To be precise, a pampered little crown prince who never lifted a finger.

The moment they met her, the middle-aged woman dragged the boy over and said:

“This is your brother. Your father and I are getting old. From now on, he’ll depend on you!”

After digging deeper, Jiang Ning discovered the truth—besides her, they had four older daughters and two younger ones.

But none of them lived.

Her four sisters and two younger siblings were all abandoned and all died one after another.

She was the only survivor.

Only then did Jiang Ning realize—some parents truly do not love their children.

From that moment on—

Her childhood dream shattered.

All illusions of “family” were gone.

So after being reborn, she never again considered looking for them.

Her only wish was to treat Old Master Jiang well—

Take him around the world.

Care for him.

Accompany him in his final years.

For Jiang Ning, having a grandfather was enough.

In the memories she inherited from the original host, she felt a kind of affection she had never experienced before—proving that not all family is bound by blood.

Some bonds surpass blood itself.

And the reason she loved sweets so much—the reason she always ordered milk tea with full sugar—was also because of her childhood.

She had tasted too much bitterness.

So as an adult, she wanted… endless sweetness.

“There are no silk skirts in the classroom,
and no boy infants in the tower of abandoned children.”

The words seemed light, but they struck Yue Qianlan to her core.

She remembered a news story from years ago—

A couple who abandoned their newborn daughter because they wanted a son.
Twenty years later, their beloved son developed kidney failure.
They found the daughter they had abandoned and guilt-tripped her to donate a kidney.

Back then, Yue Qianlan had thought such stories were distant and unreal.

How could anyone abandon their own child?

But now—

Her closest friend had lived that reality.

Qianlan squeezed Jiang Ning’s hand tighter, unsure how to comfort her. “Ningning, don’t be sad. I don’t know the real reason you were abandoned… but if you weren’t thrown away on purpose, then they must have been searching for you. With how advanced the search networks are now, they’ll find you one day.”

Jiang Ning nodded lightly. “Mm. Let fate decide.”

In this life, she wouldn’t chase what wasn’t hers.

She would live freely.

Qianlan stood, walked around the table, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“Ningning, you have me. And you have Grandpa. From now on, my parents can be your parents too!”

“Alright.” A smile bloomed on Jiang Ning’s lips. In this life, she had both a grandfather and a true friend. “Thank you, March.”

Jiang Ning healed Yue Qianlan—

But in her own way, Yue Qianlan healed Jiang Ning too.

Jiang Ning had always been used to being alone.

This was her first time realizing that outside of work and research—
the friendship between girls could be this warm, this beautiful.

“What are you saying, Ningning? We’re best bros!”

Then Qianlan shifted topics again. “By the way, Ningning, why are you so confident in Heartbeat Studio? Because of Xie Huaijin, they almost went bankrupt. And I heard the new shareholder doesn’t even understand games! It’s only been a month—what good game can they make?”

“You know, right? Beyond the Stars already has over ten million pre-registrations. Splendor’s Peak barely passed a hundred thousand. They’re being crushed by the Cheng Group. I think you should lower your expectations.”

One had ten million.

One had one hundred thousand.

How could they compare?

Unless a god descended from the heavens—

No one could save Heartbeat Studio’s mess.

“March, let me tell you a secret.”

“What secret?” Yue Qianlan perked up.

“I’m the new shareholder of Heartbeat.” Jiang Ning said calmly. “So yes—of course I have faith in my own game.”

Yue Qianlan burst out laughing. “Pfft—Ningning, you’re too funny!”

Jiang Ning: “…”

Even the truth sounded like a joke now.

After returning from the milk tea shop, Jiang Ning received a call from Wang Shengli.

The new game was launching soon, and he was nervous.

“Miss Jiang, the programming department is fully prepared. We’re just waiting for midnight to release the game. Do you need anything else on your end?”

“No.” Jiang Ning switched her shoes as she spoke. “Release on schedule.”

“Got it.” Wang Shengli hesitated, then added, “By the way, the Cheng Group invited a bunch of celebrities for hype. Should we get some too? Academician Chen said she can help.”

Chen had a wide network—big names, powerful names. If Jiang Ning needed support, she could deliver.

Wang Shengli thought star endorsements mattered.

After all, the Cheng Group’s pre-order numbers looked so good.

Beyond the Stars was already past ten million.

Their Splendor’s Peak had barely scraped past one hundred thousand. The Cheng Group was about to hit twenty million, and they weren’t even sure they’d break two hundred thousand.

He was extremely anxious.

“No need.” Jiang Ning entered her home. “As long as our game is solid, we can overturn everything—even without hype.”

Wang Shengli, who had been trembling with nerves, instantly relaxed. “Yes, Miss Jiang. You’re absolutely right.”

Jiang Ning was incredible.

She would definitely lead Heartbeat to victory.

After a bit more discussion, they hung up.

The moment the call ended, Jiang Ning spotted a familiar fat white cat lounging on her sofa.

Her eyes widened. “Xiaobai?!”

“Meow~ meow~”

She hurried over and scooped up the oversized fluffball. After checking the collar, she finally confirmed—it really was Xiaobai!

“It’s really you! How did you get into my house?”

“Meow~”

Old Master Jiang emerged from the bedroom. “Ningning, you know this cat?”

“Yes. His name is Xiaobai—it belongs to a friend.”

Madam Shen had told her Xiaobai was often left to roam and sometimes vanished for days…

But she never expected him to appear at her home.

The old man chuckled. “No wonder he refused to leave our doorstep! Must’ve followed your scent! Smart cat. Funny though—your Grandpa Zhou and I tried to pick him up earlier, but he dodged us. Now he’s acting like a plush toy in your arms.”

Jiang Ning laughed. “That’s just how Xiaobai is. He’s shy around strangers.”

“I see.” The old man nodded. “Oh, Ningning—there’s chilled watermelon in the fridge. Remember to eat some.”

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Cradling the big fluffy cat, she walked toward the kitchen. “Since you came all this way, you’re sleeping with me tonight. You can go home tomorrow, alright?”

“Meow!”

Yay! Happy kitty!

Elsewhere—
Xue Kai and Wang Shengli were eating roadside barbecue.

After Wang Shengli ended the call, Xue Kai asked, “What did Miss Jiang say?”

Wang Shengli picked up a skewer. “She said no need for celebrity endorsements.”

Xue Kai froze. “Miss Jiang is that confident?”

He was increasingly curious about this mysterious investor.

“She has every reason to be.”

Xue Kai raised his beer. “Old Wang, here’s to a successful launch. May your game soar!”

“Thanks.”

“What success?” a mocking voice cut in. “Heartbeat is about to go bankrupt. You still dare talk about soaring? Don’t make me laugh.”

Wang Shengli and Xue Kai turned—
Li Lei and Zhang Haoxuan stood behind them, sneering.

Both had once been Heartbeat partners.

When Xie Huaijin left, they didn’t hesitate to abandon Wang Shengli and join the Cheng Group.

Now that the Cheng Group’s new game was crushing pre-orders, they were smug beyond belief.

Wang Shengli set down his beer. “It’s not over yet. Li Lei, Zhang Haoxuan—don’t celebrate too early. Be careful you don’t throw out your backs.”

Throw out their backs?

Li Lei scoffed.

“Stop dreaming, Wang Shengli! Beyond the Stars is about to hit twenty million pre-registrations. You guys barely hit a pitiful hundred thousand. What do you have to compare? Just wait—you’re about to lose everything. Might as well prepare to sleep under a bridge!”

Heartbeat was nothing more than a fish in a barrel now.

Unless…

They actually created a real triple-A game.

But—

Was that even possible?

Impossible.

Leaving Heartbeat had been the best decision of their lives.

“President Li,” Zhang Haoxuan said with fake concern, “don’t be like that. We can’t really let Old Wang sleep under a bridge. Coincidentally, my wife needs a driver to take our dog to pet school. After Heartbeat goes bankrupt, Old Wang has years of driving experience. He’ll be perfect for chauffeuring our puppy.”