Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 327 This assist was absolutely brilliant.
However, the thought of her father's debts worried her. She had asked Wang Guojing for some money to cover the shortfall, and if given some time, she could pay it back.

The problem now is that there's no time. The two had already discussed getting married in Vegas next month, and they were keeping it a secret from his father, Guanshan.

As she thought about it, she felt so helpless that she started to cry.

Her co-stars tried to comfort her, saying that Wang Guojing didn't seem like a good person, which made her cry even harder.

Three hours later, in Bai Yifeng's office.

Bai Yifeng placed a document on the table: "This Wang Guojing does have some issues. His company is in finance, and now he's starting to invest in film and television, which is suspected of money laundering. In addition, he's been frequently contacting female artists from TVB lately, and it seems he's taken a liking to a young woman surnamed Guan and has even given her some money."

"That girl surnamed Guan has a rather interesting family background. Her father is also an actor, quite famous, and the womanizing type. So her mother divorced her father and then took her younger brother to North America. To be honest, her father is quite a freak. A couple of years ago, he went to North America without saying a word. This girl is working part-time and studying, living alone in Hong Kong, and now she's being targeted by this guy Wang Guojing."

He Yuxin frowned: "So he's been pestering Miss Guan because..."

"What else could it be? Beauty, of course. The girl is quite pretty, and this guy is a womanizer." As he spoke, Bai Yifeng took out a photo from the file.

He Yuxin took the photo; it wasn't a celebrity photo, but a student photo.

The picture above shows a slightly younger Rosamund Kwan.

Seeing that He Yuxin was engrossed in watching, Bai Yifeng nudged He Yuyao with his elbow, and He Yuyao nodded with a smile.

Bai Yifeng laughed and said, "So, how about I take care of this guy?"

"Are there any clues about money laundering here?" He Yuyao asked.

"Yes, but it's very rough. We only found this much because we didn't have enough time."

"Could you give me a more detailed one?" He Yuyao asked.

"Sure, but it'll take a few days."

“I can wait a few days, but it’s hard to say about someone else,” He Yuyao said.

"Get lost!" He Yuxin said.

"Alright, thanks, Brother Bai. We'll head back now. Don't tell my brother about this yet."

"It's a small matter, the boss wouldn't care," Lao Bai said.

"I'll treat you to drinks next time; tea is too boring," He Yuyao said.

"No problem, but the timing is a bit tricky," Bai Yifeng said with a smile.

“It’s okay, I’ll use your schedule,” He Yuyao said.

"That's fine, I'll call you when I have time."

"They're gone."

That evening, Rosamund Kwan returned to her apartment and made a phone call to her father.

He asked his father if he could raise the money, and when his father asked what it was about, he gave a brief explanation.

His father got angry and said, "I told you long ago that that guy surnamed Wang is no good, but you wouldn't listen."

"I'm asking if you have any money. I need to pay you back!"

"No, you'll have to figure out how to pay it back yourself."

"Click!" Rosamund Kwan hung up the phone.

After returning home, Wang Guojing felt increasingly uneasy.

He used some connections in the financial world to subtly inquire about the family members of "Huang He" and "Mr. He".

Although the information returned was vague, it was enough to alarm him—the twins were very likely the younger brothers of Mr. Ho, a Hong Kong tycoon.

He wanted to withdraw immediately, but the money he had invested and his unwillingness to give up made him hesitate.

A few days later, he asked Rosamund Kwan to meet him at a quiet coffee shop, but his attitude was completely different from before.

"Zhilin," Wang Guojing tried to keep his tone calm, "could you pay me back the money we gave you as soon as possible? I'm having some cash flow problems."

Upon hearing this, Rosamund Kwan's heart sank. She said, "Ah Jing, didn't we agree that most of that money was to cover my father's debts? You said there was no need to rush."

Wang Guojing interrupted her, raising his voice slightly: "No need for that, times have changed! The situation has changed. In short, I hope you can raise the money as soon as possible. Otherwise, it won't look good for either of us."

His words left Rosamund Kwan stunned. Was this still the same person who had pursued her before? How could he have become like this?
Seeing his cold and heartless demeanor, her heart ached, and she felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Where could she get the money?

That's not ten or twenty thousand, but hundreds of thousands.

She bit her lip, trying hard not to let her tears fall: "I understand, I need time."

"I hope you can hurry, I don't have that much time to wait!" Wang Guojing said and left.

Then Rosamund Kwan started borrowing money everywhere, enduring countless scornful looks, and only managed to scrape together less than 100,000 yuan.

Wang Guojing called almost every day, like he was being pressured to his death, and his tone became increasingly harsh.

Rosamund Kwan tried to contact her father again, but he only gave her perfunctory answers on the other end of the phone.

With nowhere else to turn, she rummaged through her handbag and found the crumpled piece of paper she had been holding. She had considered making the call several times, but had given up each time.

Looking at the handwritten phone number, she mustered her courage, picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed the number on the slip of paper.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. A gentle yet slightly authoritative female voice came through: "Hello, who is this?"

Rosamund Kwan paused for a moment. That voice... she vaguely felt that it was familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.

Without thinking too much, she quickly said, "Hello, I, I'm looking for Mr. He Yuxin, or Mr. He Yuyao."

The woman on the other end of the phone paused, her voice still gentle: "Neither of them are here. I'm their sister-in-law. What can I do for you? I can pass on your message."

"Sister-in-law, Mrs. He?" Rosamund Kwan's heart skipped a beat.

Yes, she remembered that voice—the secretary-general of the Yellow River Charity Foundation, whom she had seen at several large charity galas.

The Yellow River Charity Foundation is a charitable foundation established personally by Mr. He of the Yellow River Group.

This makes He Yuxin and He Yuyao's identities quite obvious.

A wave of immense embarrassment washed over Rosamund Kwan. She now regretted making the call; she never imagined it was from the Ho family.

What a coincidence! It was Mrs. He who answered the phone!
She originally just wanted to find He Yuxin or He Yuyao to see if she could get some temporary financial support, or even just to confide in them about her predicament.

"I...I..." Rosamund Kwan's cheeks were burning, and she stammered, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Ho, I may have dialed the wrong number. I apologize for disturbing you!" She hurriedly tried to hang up the phone.

"Please wait a moment," the woman's voice on the other end of the phone remained calm. "Are you Miss Guan? Yuyao mentioned to me when she came back that if a Miss Guan calls, I must tell her and Yuxin. Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Rosamund Kwan's fingers trembled slightly as she held the receiver, her nose tingled, and she almost burst into tears.

Rosamund Kwan didn't mention on the phone that Xiaoman had asked her to meet at a coffee shop. Kwan was very nervous, but she still agreed.

The following afternoon, Xiaoman arrived at the coffee shop as promised.

She chose a quiet spot by the window, and not long after she sat down, she saw Rosamund Kwan appear at the door, wearing sunglasses and looking slightly awkward.

"Here." Xiaoman gestured with her hand.

Rosamund Kwan walked over, took off her sunglasses, and said apologetically, "Mrs. Ho, I'm sorry to bother you."

"Don't be shy, have a seat." Xiaoman smiled and nodded, then beckoned a waiter over. "What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee is fine, thank you."

After ordering, Xiaoman looked at the girl in front of her.

Up close, she was indeed extremely beautiful, especially her large eyes, which now carried a hint of unease and weariness.

"Yuyao briefly told me about your situation," Xiaoman said, getting straight to the point. "I heard you've encountered some financial difficulties?"

Rosamund Kwan tightened her grip on the cup and nodded gently: "Yes, my father had some debts before, and I borrowed some money from Mr. Wang to tide me over. He said there was no rush, but recently he's been pressing me for more."

"A large amount?"

“Eight hundred thousand.” Rosamund Kwan’s voice was very low. “I tried to raise it, but I’m still far short.”

Xiaoman pondered for a moment.

This amount of money is nothing to her, but it is indeed a considerable burden for a young actress.

"Why didn't you ask TVB for an advance on your salary? Or ask the company for help?"

Rosamund Kwan smiled wryly: "I only recently signed the contract and haven't filmed many movies. Besides, I don't want the company to know about this."

Xiao Manran knew that the entertainment industry was extremely materialistic, and if people knew that she owed a huge debt, it would probably affect her future career.

Just then, a cheerful voice broke in: "Mommy! It really is you!"

Xiaoman turned around and saw her daughter, He Ningxue, standing in front of the table with a smile, accompanied by a classmate.

"Xiaoxue? What brings you here?" Xiaoman asked, somewhat surprised.

"I'm here for afternoon tea with my classmates!" He Ningxue blinked, her gaze falling on Rosamund Kwan, her eyes widening instantly. "You're...that one from TV?"

Rosamund Kwan forced a smile: "Hello, my name is Rosamund Kwan."

He Ningxue exclaimed excitedly, "It really is you! You look even better than on TV!"

"Thank you, you're prettier than me!" Rosamund Kwan said. He Ningxue was indeed beautiful, a more advanced version of Xiaoman, but they were clearly mother and daughter.

Xiaoman shook her head helplessly: "Xiaoxue, we are talking about serious matters. You should go back to your classmate's place."

"No, Mommy!" He Ningxue said coquettishly, pulling out a chair and sitting down as if they were old friends. "Miss Guan is my third uncle's friend, right? Then she's one of us!"

Rosamund Kwan was taken aback upon hearing this, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Inspector Ho, he..."

“That’s my fourth uncle. The other one who looks just like him is my third uncle. He’s a really nice guy!” He Ningxue corrected.

"Oh, actually I know both of them."

"It's not good to have your cake and eat it too!" He Ningxue said seriously.

Rosamund Kwan's face instantly turned red to the roots of her neck.

Xiaoman glared at her daughter: "You little brat, what do you know? Don't talk nonsense."

"I'm just reminding you, my third uncle likes Miss Zhong!" He Ningxue said, getting excited.

“Miss Chung?” Rosamund Kwan was taken aback.

"The person you know works at your company."

"Sister Hong?"

“If you’re talking about Cherie Chung, then that’s it,” He Ningxue nodded.

"Oh!"

"Don't be disappointed! My third uncle has a better temper and is more caring than my fourth uncle!" He Ningxue instantly switched roles and began to help.

Xiaoman watched her daughter from the side, shaking her head and chuckling. "We've only met once."

"My silly third uncle hasn't contacted you at all? But he's gone to the mainland now and won't be back for a while."

“I…I didn’t leave him my phone number,” Rosamund Kwan said.

"Then write it down for me, and I'll tell her later."

"Xiao Xue."

"Hurry up, hurry up, my classmate is waiting for me," He Ningxue urged deliberately.

Rosamund Kwan could only write down her apartment's phone number using a sticky note and pencil on the table.

"Mommy, you and this Sister Guan... no, I should say Aunt Guan, please continue your talk. I'm leaving." He Ningxue shook the note in her hand and ran off.

"Miss Guan, please don't mind her, this girl is spoiled."

"It's alright, Miss He is so straightforward," Rosamund Kwan said with a smile. To be honest, He Ningxue's interruption had eased her tension considerably.

Xiaoman turned to Rosamund Kwan and said seriously, "Ms. Kwan, I can help you with your debt problem. The Yellow River Charity Foundation has a small, low-interest loan program that fits your situation perfectly. The interest rate is very low, and the repayment period is negotiable."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Rosamund Kwan's eyes, but she immediately hesitated: "Is this... appropriate?"

“This is a legitimate charitable project, not a personal favor.” Xiaoman took out a document from her bag. “You can take a look at the terms. The foundation will not inquire about the use of the loan, as long as it is repaid on time.”

Rosamund Kwan took the document and began to read it carefully.

The terms were indeed very generous, almost to the point of being charitable.

"Can I borrow more?" Rosamund Kwan asked.

“No problem, it depends on your situation,” Xiaoman said.

"Thank you, thank you Mrs. Ho!"

"No need, our company happens to offer this service."

"No, no, you're so busy, yet you still took the time to handle this little thing for me. Thank you so much!"

"Since we're on the topic, I have a small favor to ask Miss Guan."

Rosamund Kwan, without any suspicion, said directly, "Mrs. Ho, please speak!"

"Oh, you answered so quickly, aren't you afraid I'll trick you?"

"Don't worry, I have nothing. Besides, Mrs. He, you are a great philanthropist, you won't do anything to me."

"Hehe, I'm not a philanthropist, my husband is," Xiaoman said with a smile.

From a young age, Rosamund Kwan saw excitement and adoration for her man on his face, which she envied.

"Both of you are."

"Alright, let's get down to business. Our charity foundation is short of a charity ambassador. I wonder if Ms. Guan would be interested? Of course, it won't be a free job, but since we're doing charity work, the pay won't be too high."

"Charity ambassador? What does that do?"

"It's about participating in the foundation's charitable activities. For example, visiting children in welfare homes, showing up when donating supplies to impoverished students, and occasionally taking promotional photos or videos. It doesn't take up too much time, just one or two days a month."

Rosamund Kwan was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant.

This wasn't just her doing a 'small favor,' it was clearly giving her an opportunity—with the Yellow River Charity Foundation as her backer, she could not only improve her public image, but also potentially gain access to more resources.

"I do." She agreed immediately without any hesitation.

"That's good. Someone will let you know the time later."

"Mrs. Ho, there's something else. I've signed with TVB, and I'm worried they might need to coordinate things. I don't know if they'll agree."

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll have my assistant contact TVB's management; they'll be lenient about this. Just focus on filming, and someone will handle the details with you later."

Rosamund Kwan felt relieved and thanked him repeatedly.

Xiaoman glanced at the time, stood up and said, "Okay, that's all for now. I'll have someone deliver the loan contract to your apartment."

Rosamund Kwan quickly stood up, "Thank you, Mrs. Ho!"

Xiaoman simply nodded and smiled before walking out. As she reached the entrance of the coffee shop, she called out to a corner, "Xiaoxue, it's time to go home."

He Ningxue skipped over, and her classmates tactfully said goodbye.

Just as they stepped out the door, He Ningxue suddenly tugged at Xiaoman's sleeve, winked, and whispered, "Mommy, why don't you go back first? I have something to say to Aunt Guan, so I won't be home for dinner tonight!"

"You're not allowed to be silly! Or your dad will give you a piece of his mind!"

"My dad wouldn't do that, hehe!"

Seeing her clever look, Xiaoman nodded helplessly: "Don't come home too late, it's dangerous outside!"

"Don't worry, I know kung fu too!" As she spoke, the girl even performed a Tai Chi cloud hand gesture.

"Alright, enough showing off." Xiaoman patted her daughter's head, who was a little taller than her.

"Yes, sir!" He Ningxue playfully clasped her hands in a fist salute.

Then Xiaoman drove away, and He Ningxue immediately turned around and quickly went to meet Guan Zhilin, who was about to leave, deliberately pretending to bump into her: "Aunt Guan! What a coincidence!"

Rosamund Kwan was startled by the girl: "Oh, it's Miss Ho! Didn't you leave?"

“No, my mom gave me a day off, so I can go back later. Do you have time to go shopping with me?” He Ningxue said, linking her arm with Guan Zhilin’s.

"This, isn't good!"

"Let's go have some fun. I'll have so much to brag about when we get back—I'm a TV star!" He Ningxue said with a smile.

Rosamund Kwan gave a wry smile, saying that she was now quite afraid of shopping because her pockets were empty and she still needed to borrow a large sum of money, not knowing when she would be able to pay it off.

Unfortunately, He Ningxue didn't give her a chance to refuse and dragged her to Women's Street.

This greatly surprised Rosamund Kwan. "Miss Ho, you, you still come to places like this?"

“What’s wrong with this kind of place? My classmates and I come here often. And you can just call me Ningxue, Aunt Guan!” He Ningxue emphasized the last few words.

Rosamund Kwan could easily understand the implication in her words. Even though she was about the same age as her, she insisted on calling her "Auntie," which meant she was still thinking about her third uncle.

He Ningxue pulled Guan Zhilin through the bustling crowds on Ladies' Street.

In stark contrast to the luxury of department stores, this place is filled with a bustling, down-to-earth atmosphere. Stalls are packed together, filled with all kinds of clothes, bags and trinkets, and the sounds of vendors shouting and bargaining can be heard constantly from loudspeakers.

"Look at this!" He Ningxue stopped in front of a stall selling hair accessories, picked up a hair clip with rhinestones, and held it up on her head. "Does it look good, Aunt Guan?" she asked with a grin, emphasizing the last three words.

Rosamund Kwan looked at the hair clip that shimmered somewhat cheaply in the sunlight and smiled: "Not bad."

She felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't been to a place like this in a long time. She used to come here often when she was short of money to find cheap and fashionable clothes.

"Boss, how much is this?" He Ningxue had already started skillfully bargaining. "Too expensive! It only costs fifteen over there!"

Rosamund Kwan watched with some surprise as the wealthy young woman dressed in designer clothes next to her went back and forth with the stall owner, eventually settling on a deal for twelve yuan.

He Ningxue paid with satisfaction and stuffed the hair clip into her bag: "I'll play with it when I get back."

She then dragged Rosamund Kwan to a small cart selling shark's fin soup: "Come on, come on, I'll treat you to this! This is the most authentic one!"

A steaming bowl of shark's fin soup was handed to them, its aroma filling the air. The two stood by the roadside, leaning against the railing, and began to eat.

He Ningxue ate with sweat dripping from her nose, completely disregarding her image.

"Do you often come to these places?" Rosamund Kwan couldn't help but ask, blowing air into her mouth.

“Yes,” He Ningxue swallowed the food in her mouth, “I often come here with my classmates. It’s so much more interesting than shopping in a department store! My dad and mom brought me here before, but that was a long time ago.” Her tone was full of nostalgia.

Rosamund Kwan ate silently, the warmth of the shark fin soup spreading from her palms to her stomach.

Looking at the lively and carefree girl beside her, she recalled her own age, when she seemed to always be struggling and worrying about living expenses and family troubles, rarely experiencing such simple and carefree happiness.

“Hey,” He Ningxue nudged her with her elbow and blinked, “Don’t look so gloomy. My mommy promised to help you with the money, so there won’t be any problem. She’s the kind of person who always does her best to keep her promises.”

Rosamund Kwan nodded: "I know, thank you so much."

"No need to thank me!" He Ningxue waved her hand, then suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Actually, my third uncle is a really good person! He just went to the mainland to take care of business, otherwise he would have come to find you long ago. Don't let his quiet demeanor fool you, he's very thoughtful and caring. Much better than my fourth uncle, that blockhead!"

Rosamund Kwan was both amused and exasperated by her blunt "sales pitch," her cheeks flushing slightly: "You, you shouldn't talk nonsense. I've only met your third uncle once."

"So what if it was just one time?" He Ningxue said dismissively. "My dad said that my mom was like that back then..."

She suddenly stopped talking, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Oh dear, I can't say that. Anyway, if my third uncle knew you were in trouble, he would definitely fly back to help you immediately."

She quickly launched into a lively account of her family affairs: the awkwardness of her third and fourth uncles when her grandmother pressured her to get married; her eldest brother's academic prowess but his constant loss to her second brother at chess; her second brother's seemingly bookish nature but actual martial arts skills; and the embarrassing stories of her own mischievous childhood and the scoldings her father gave her. She spoke with vivid detail, her eyes sparkling.

Rosamund Kwan listened quietly, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

Those trivial family anecdotes, imbued with a vivid and warm atmosphere, are things that only exist in her memory.

Her family memories are mostly of her parents' arguments and separation, her father's escapism and debts, and the hardships she endured at a young age to make a living.

Looking at He Ningxue, the envy that welled up in her heart was not because of the He family's wealth, but because of the confidence of being closely surrounded by family members, being able to laugh freely, and being carefree.

As dusk settled, the stalls' lamps lit up one by one.

He Ningxue glanced at her watch: "Oh dear, it's so late! I have to go back, or Mommy will start nagging me."

She escorted Rosamund Kwan to the intersection, saying, "Aunt Kwan, be careful on your way home."

"Be careful too!"

“I know kung fu, hehe!” He Ningxue even demonstrated.

He then hailed a taxi for Rosamund Kwan and helped her into the car.

Before closing the door, he added, "When my third uncle comes back, I'll have him treat you to dinner and a movie!"

Before Rosamund Kwan could respond, she closed the car door, ran away, waving as she went.

Then he jumped onto a bus that had just stopped.

Rosamund Kwan looked out the car window as the bus merged into the traffic, then looked down at the bag of peanut candy that He Ningxue had insisted on giving her, which she had bought from a roadside stall, and smiled.

"It's nice to have a friend like that!"

Then, as if remembering something, he sighed.

She was worried that people might not consider her a friend!

He Ningxue dared to stay out so late because she knew someone was following her. It had been like that since she was little, but she only found out when she was older. Neither of her two older brothers said anything, so she didn't either. Anyway, she knew that her father was doing it for their own good.

As for manpower, initially it was Bai Yifeng's faction, but later it became people from 'Wolf Fang', including both men and women.

(End of this chapter)