Chapter 24: This Circle Is Truly Messy

The Vane family had just finished dinner when a servant arrived to report that the third young master and the fifth young miss of the Ruan family had come to visit, asking Arthur Vane if they should be let in.

Arthur said, "Let them in."

Seren Thorne was the true heiress of the Ruan family, having accidentally gone missing at the age of four. Mrs. Ruan had fallen ill from the grief of losing her daughter, and to distract her, Mr. Ruan had adopted a girl who looked seventy percent similar to Seren—that was Mabel Ruan, who had arrived today with the third Ruan brother.

Thinking of this, Seren couldn't help but complain in her head: {How can this author use the same trope twice? It’s the true-versus-fake heiress plot for the heroine, and the exact same routine for the original host.}

{Jasmine Jia, the fake heiress, bullies the heroine because she likes the male lead. Meanwhile, Mabel Ruan, the fake heiress here, bullies the host because she likes the villain, Alaric Vane. The summary is basically: everyone exists to bully the heroine.}

{A world where only the heroine gets hurt has been achieved. Being born into this book is truly bad luck for her.}

Mabel Ruan likes my grandson? Upon learning this, Arthur Vane immediately regretted his impulsive decision to let them in. But since the deed was done, he could only go to the living room to wait for them.

Before long, Xander Ruan and his younger sister Mabel entered together. Seeing Mabel’s face, Seren couldn't help but raise a hand to touch her own.

{She really does look a lot like me. No wonder the Ruans chose her as their adopted daughter.}

{The Ruans must have been genuinely guilty and heartbroken over the host's disappearance back then, and they likely loved her from the bottom of their hearts.}

{Unfortunately, human hearts are fickle. After nineteen years of her being missing, compared to the original host, the Ruans' hearts have ultimately shifted.}

{A year ago, Alaric was in a car accident. To catch the person who tried to kill him, he deliberately leaked news that he was paralyzed and would never walk again, hoping to lure the mastermind out.}

{Who knew that before the culprit was caught, the Ruans—who had an engagement alliance with him—were the first to despise him. Not wanting their precious Mabel to marry a "cripple" like Alaric, they pushed the recently recovered original host out to fulfill the marriage alliance.}

{As a result, shortly after the marriage, Alaric stood back up, and the company's market value skyrocketed after the storm, making him the richest man in the country overnight.}

{After these events, Mabel was filled with immense regret. This past year, she has tried every possible way to get close to Alaric.}

{Unfortunately, Mabel isn't the heroine. She was never destined to win Alaric’s favor. All the flirtatious glances she’s thrown this past year have been wasted on a dog.}

Xander Ruan heard Seren's voice the moment he stepped in. He looked up, only to find that her mouth wasn't moving at all. No one else on the scene seemed to react, as if they couldn't hear Seren’s inner thoughts.

He frowned slightly, unsure if it was a hallucination. He didn't speak up but led his sister to Arthur Vane’s side, handing over the gifts they had brought.

"Mr. Vane, I heard you enjoy tea. This is some Longjing tea I specially asked someone to bring from City D for you."

"That’s very thoughtful." Despite his distaste for Mabel, Arthur maintained a polite facade, chatting with Xander with a smile and gesturing for the siblings to sit.

Once they were seated, Arthur asked, "Did you come here today specifically to discuss something?"

Xander said, "It’s like this: Mabel resigned from her previous company a while ago and is currently looking for work. I heard one of Alaric’s assistants resigned and he’s been hiring lately. We came to ask if it would be convenient for Mabel to work under Alaric."

In the past, if the Ruans—being in-laws—had a request, Arthur would have agreed directly. But having just learned Mabel’s feelings for his grandson, it was impossible for him to agree now.

"The Ruan family has its own company. Why go the long way around to come to Vane Corp? I think it’s better for her to stay and work at the Ruan family business. You brothers are all at the company; you can look after her."

As soon as Arthur finished, Mabel spoke up: "Mr. Vane, you might not know, but I actually worked at our family company before. However, everyone there knows my identity. They all treat me like a young mistress, flattering me wherever I go and rarely assigning me any real work. It’s hard to grow in that kind of workplace environment."

"My brother-in-law is famous for being strict with work. I know he won't give me special treatment just because of my sister, so I want to train under him. I hope you can grant this request."

Watching his sister speak to Arthur with such poise and dignity, Xander’s eyes were full of admiration. His sister had excelled in her studies since childhood and attended a top university. Growing up in the Ruan family's affluent environment, she never slacked off, and after entering society, she sought to constantly improve herself. She was countless times better than Seren Thorne, who had been a "rice worm" (parasite) ever since she was found.

Just as he was about to speak up for his sister, Seren’s voice rang out:

{Tsk, she makes it sound so noble. 'Improving herself'? It’s actually just wanting to use her position to snag Alaric, using work as a pretense to reel him in.}

Xander’s face instantly darkened. With so many people present, even if Seren hated Mabel, she shouldn't slander her in front of the Vanes!

He glared fiercely at Seren, intending to scold her, but saw that she was focused entirely on eating fruit. She could stuff three grapes in her mouth at once, looking nothing like someone who had just opened her mouth to speak.

Xander was stunned. Again?

Seren clearly didn't move her lips, yet he could hear her voice. Was he possessed?

Before he could figure it out, he heard Seren’s inner thought again: {What’s this 'licking dog' staring at me for? I haven't said a single word from start to finish, right?}

{If he wants to glare, he should glare at Alaric, his love rival. After all, the sister he’s had a crush on for so many years has never been willing to give him a single look, yet she has a soft spot for Alaric.}

Upon hearing this, the previously uninterested Arthur Vane suddenly sat up straight.

Xander Ruan likes Mabel Ruan?

Huge gossip! Tell me more!

Xander’s pupils shrunk. He couldn't believe the secret he had buried deep in his heart for so many years was known by Seren.

{Sigh, this Ruan family is stupid. The three brothers are all being played like fiddles by Mabel, each secretly harboring feelings for her.}

{Little do they know, Mabel has known about their feelings for a long time. She intentionally strings them along to enjoy the benefits of their devotion.}

{Of the three brothers, the eldest Ruan brother is probably the unluckiest. When he finally summoned the courage to confess, Mabel lied and said she wanted to focus on her career and didn't want to marry yet, stalling him. Because of that, the eldest brother is thirty this year and hasn't even dated anyone. How pitiful.}

Arthur Vane had lived for half a century and considered himself well-traveled, but he had never seen a case where all three brothers in a family liked their sister. He couldn't help but click his tongue.

This circle is truly messy.