Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

"My grandfather?"

The man was taken aback at first, then reacted, his face instantly turning bright red with anger. He immediately shouted at the camera, his emotions completely exploding: "Answerer, you're talking complete nonsense! My grandfather is clearly alive and well, and you're cursing him to die! Even if you're trying to create a mystery, at least come up with a plausible excuse! Do you think I don't know whether my grandfather is alive or not? You're cursing an old man just to get attention, that's so heartless and utterly ungrateful!"

He became more and more agitated and angry as he spoke, his originally haggard face turning into a ferocious and distorted expression, his eyes filled with rage. If Shen Jingshu were standing in front of him right now, seeing him like this, she would probably rush up and attack him.

The viewers in the live stream were also taken aback by this sudden reversal, and the chat exploded with comments.

The live stream chat instantly exploded, with the comments splitting into two opposing camps, arguing fiercely.

[It's a disaster! Let's see how the streamer tries to cover it up!]

[So it was all scripted before? They conspired with those girls to act and gain views!]

[To curse even the living is utterly despicable; they have no bottom line when it comes to gaining attention!]

Many netizens took the opportunity to mock the incident, saying that the case in the girls' dormitory was deliberately staged and that even the police response was said to be an imposter.

However, some longtime fans remained steadfast in their support:

[Impossible! I just watched the entire police arrest and seize stolen goods live. Who would dare impersonate law enforcement officers?]

[The streamer has never made a mistake before, I don't believe he'll be wrong this time, I'm waiting for a turnaround!]

Don't jump to conclusions yet; let's wait and see!

Seeing that many netizens were on his side, Li Qiang, on the other end of the camera, became even more confident and angrily shouted at the screen:

"You liar! Give me my money back! I'm going to file a complaint against you! You're talking complete nonsense, cursing my elderly relatives, how can you live with yourself?!"

Shen Jingshu remained calm, showing no sign of emotion, and simply asked in return:

Are you sure your grandfather is still alive?

"Of course I'm sure! When I went back to my hometown last time, the old man was in very good health!" Li Qiang retorted without even thinking.

"Then think carefully, how long ago was the last time you went back to see him?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qiang froze, his mind going blank.

Yes, it's been half a year since he last went back to his hometown.

After graduating from university, the job market was highly competitive, with fresh graduates everywhere. He was busy with interviews every day. After finally finding a job, he was exploited by his boss. He had to revise plans for free after get off work, and he was so busy that he barely had time to breathe.

Forget about going back to my hometown to see my grandfather, I've long forgotten to even make a phone call home.

But he still refused to believe it, stubbornly shaking his head:

"Even if I didn't go home, my parents would have told me, right? If something happened to my grandfather, how could they not have called me? I don't believe it! You're a liar!"

Shen Jingshu looked at his self-deceiving appearance and spoke slowly:

"Whether it's a scam or not, just call back to your hometown and ask. You'll know the answer right away."

After she finished speaking, her gaze fell back on the hunched ghostly figure behind Li Qiang.

The old man looked at the screen with a mixture of anxiety and heartache, his soul seemingly adrift.

He has been dead for several days and lived alone in the old house, and no one has discovered him yet.

Unable to let go of her grandson whom she had raised from childhood, she came all the way to the city to find Li Qiang, staying by his side every night, hoping to see him one more time.

No one knew that Li Qiang was a left-behind child, raised by his grandfather with great difficulty from childhood to adulthood.

Li Qiang was extremely nervous, but he still dialed his home phone with trembling hands, making sure to put it on speakerphone so that everyone in the live stream could hear him clearly.

The call connected quickly, and his mother's loud voice came through the receiver, tinged with surprise: "Hey, Qiangzi? What brings you to call your mom today?"

"Mom, it's been so long since we last talked. I miss you and Dad. By the way, where's Dad?"

"Yes, yes." As soon as he finished speaking, his father's steady voice rang out, "Qiangzi, work hard out there. Your mother and I are doing fine, don't worry about us."

Li Qiang's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Mom and Dad, are you still living in our hometown?"

"Hey, I forgot to tell you."

The mother sighed, "You've already graduated, and in two years you'll be getting married. Your father and I have been thinking, why don't you come to the city and find a part-time job to save up some money for your dowry and wedding house?"

"You've all come to the city? Then... what about my grandfather?"

Li Qiang's voice instantly rose, filled with barely concealed anxiety.

"Your grandfather still lives in his hometown."

These words struck Li Qiang like a stone. He was both anxious and angry: "You both knew Grandpa wasn't in good health, how could you both leave? Who will take care of him, leaving him all alone in his hometown?"

The mother on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then explained helplessly, "Your father and I have no choice. All the money in the family has been spent on your education. If you don't go out to work, how will we support you to get married in the future? I've asked your uncle to take care of your grandfather so he can visit him often when he has time."

"Have you contacted your uncle recently? Have you visited your grandfather?" Li Qiang pressed, his heart pounding faster and faster.

"I've been working overtime at the construction site, so busy I haven't had a moment to breathe. I haven't called your uncle in a week."

"A week?!"

Li Qiang's mind went blank for a moment, and a chill ran from his feet to the top of his head.

"I have to go now!" he said hastily, then abruptly hung up the phone.

Holding his phone, he stood frozen in place, muttering to himself, unwilling to give up: "No, it can't be. Grandpa's always been healthy; he can eat and walk on his own. Even without someone to look after him, nothing will happen to him..."

But the more he tried to comfort himself, the stronger the ominous premonition became.

The live stream chat quieted down for a moment, then burst into a flurry of sighs and reflections.

My God, my parents are working away from home, my uncle hasn't visited for a week, and my grandson hasn't come home or called for six months...

[He was clearly a left-behind child raised by his grandfather, but now that he's grown up and busy with work, he's even forgotten about his family.]

[This is the worst kind of situation: wanting to care for one's parents but finding them gone—it's so heartbreaking.]

[He was just fiercely criticizing the streamer, but now he's probably panicking.]

[Hurry and contact your uncle to go back to your hometown for a visit! Don't wait until it's too late!]

Behind Li Qiang, the gaunt ghost of the old man stood quietly, looking at his distraught grandson with heartache and helplessness in his eyes, a trace of resentment lingering in his gaze.