Wang Qiqi glanced at the noble lady beside her, then recalled the information she had later gathered about her parents’ accident. She remembered that the noble lady’s husband—the father of the young couple—was apparently the head of a powerful government department. Why the matter was suppressed, Wang Qiqi didn't know, considering the loss of two lives—a son and daughter-in-law—plus an unborn grandchild.

The only thing Wang Qiqi knew for certain was that an incident causing such an uproar—five deaths, no, four deaths and four injuries—had to be a horrific car crash. But the driver’s family was clearly wealthy, and perhaps some agreement had been reached. It seemed her own parents were the unluckiest party; the perpetrator was not severely punished. Her uncle and aunt later claimed that even with the compensation paid, her parents bore some responsibility. Thinking back now, Wang Qiqi suspected that the so-called uncle and aunt might have manipulated things, pocketing the money themselves.

The thought sent a surge of anger through Wang Qiqi. If the noble lady’s family had been able to demand severe punishment for the culprit back then, wouldn't the nouveau riche son have been dealt with harshly? Yet, Wang Qiqi knew she was simply displacing her anger. In reality, if her own uncle and aunt hadn't been so ruthless, and if she hadn't been so foolishly naive, she wouldn't have given them such an easy opportunity.

Under pressure from the noble lady, the young policeman ventured, “Should I contact Captain Min?” Forget it, he thought. Let them handle the discussion themselves. Judging by their demeanor, they don't seem to lack connections. A minor figure like me should just stick to procedure.

The noble lady nodded, pulling a mobile phone from her handbag. While slightly smaller than the 'brick phones,' it was still a status symbol in those days. She quickly dialed a number and moved aside to speak.

Seeing this display, Wang Qiqi didn't know what to do. “Officer Uncle, can I take my parents home?” If they were going to leave her parents in that cold funeral home just for a small settlement fee, Wang Qiqi felt it was pointless. It would be better to let them rest in peace sooner. But Zhang Qian wouldn't allow them to be buried until the case was resolved.

It wasn't that Wang Qiqi didn't want revenge for her parents; it was simply that the opposing power far outweighed that of an orphaned girl like herself. In her previous life, she had insisted on severe punishment, yet the matter fizzled out, leaving her parents in that terrible place for so long. In this life, Wang Qiqi had fewer such illusions.

While taking notes, the police officer learned that the couple on the ground were the girl’s parents. Poor girl, losing both parents at just eighteen. “Once the statements are complete, you can take them back. However, they cannot be cremated until the matter is settled,” the officer kindly reminded her. “This process might take a long time; perhaps keeping them at the funeral home is the better option.”

Having been a police officer for so many years, he had seen countless accidents and should have grown hardened, but this young girl softened his heart. It was for no other reason than seeing her sitting foolishly on the ground, hugging her lifeless parents when he arrived at the scene. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so kind as to remind Zhang Qian. After all, the weather was starting to warm up, and renting a refrigerated coffin would cost a lot. Furthermore, standard procedure required someone to stay with the bodies day and night, and judging by the perpetrator’s indifferent look, bragging about his father’s position, he was likely no easy opponent.

Wang Qiqi nodded, understanding this. However, according to the progression of her past life, once the perpetrator was detained, her parents’ side quickly settled the matter, resolving everything by the end of the month or the beginning of the next. Before that, Wang Qiqi had decided she would take leave to stay with her parents at home.

“Thank you, Uncle, thank you. I know, but I still want to take my parents home. I want the funeral procession to start from our house,” Wang Qiqi first expressed gratitude for his kindness but firmly maintained her stance. Seeing her persistence on this point, the officer stopped trying to persuade her. What a filial daughter, he thought. Transporting two bodies home requires immense courage. “Girl, your parents would be so proud of you.”

Wang Qiqi nodded. “I will strive to be a daughter who brings them peace. After all, which relative wouldn't be moved by money?” In her past life, her parents had left a substantial inheritance. Perhaps they assumed that even if her uncle and aunt took the money, she would retain the house. But they hadn't expected their daughter to be so utterly useless; the money and the house slowly ended up bearing other names, leaving her like Lin Daiyu—an orphan living off relatives.

Upon hearing Wang Qiqi’s words, the officer’s eyes flickered. He glanced at the deceased’s brother and sister-in-law—the couple supposedly negotiating the accident details nearby—and then back at the solitary girl. He could only sigh; after all, it was a family affair. “If you are determined, you can achieve it. You’re a grown-up now; what can they do if you disagree?”

Wang Qiqi thanked the officer again and returned to her parents’ side. She saw two middle-aged couples standing near her parents, while her uncle and aunt were arguing heatedly with one of the pairs. Based on their expressions, Wang Qiqi surmised they were a couple.

“What are you two still doing here? That girl is overcome with grief. My brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident; they absolutely cannot be brought back to the house,” Wang Dagui desperately tried to shoo the couple away. This is ridiculous! If this accident isn't resolved, my brother and sister-in-law will have to stay here every day—how could I feel comfortable living here? He was already terrified. Several people had come earlier hoping to gain financial advantage, but only this couple was being obstinate, refusing to leave, which infuriated Wang Dagui.

The couple exchanged a look but decided to stay and wait. They had witnessed the argument between the girl and the other couple earlier. Besides, waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt.

“Please wait a moment. My parents are coming home, but we must wait until the paperwork is complete,” Wang Qiqi said. She didn’t know how many people her uncle and aunt had already driven away, but the number must have been significant. However, their departure had nothing to do with her; they had been coaxed away by her uncle.

“But Qiqi, you must understand…” Wang Dagui pulled Wang Qiqi aside to explain how complicated the handling of the matter would be. “If you let your parents go to the funeral home, the other party pays the subsequent fees. Bringing them home…”

“They should pay for that too,” Wang Qiqi stated decisively. “My parents died because of his negligence. Regardless of whether he faces criminal charges, he must bear the financial responsibility. Uncle, even if they refuse, the money my parents left me still needs to be spent.”

Wang Dagui realized his niece wouldn't listen to reason now and fell silent.

After completing all necessary procedures, Wang Qiqi finally received confirmation that she could move her parents home. Wang Qiqi directed the two middle-aged individuals to help transport her parents back. Seeing Wang Qiqi instruct two strangers to physically carry her brother and sister-in-law away, Wang Dagui and his wife stomped their feet but reluctantly followed.

Li Cui watched the stubborn girl walking ahead and whispered to Wang Dagui, “Their house will certainly be a mess later. I’ll take the opportunity to look around your brother and sister-in-law’s room then.” I don’t believe we won’t find anything valuable among their belongings. Besides, more people means better chances for fishing in troubled waters.

Wang Dagui shot his wife a glare. “You fool! If you act now, will Qiqi still allow us to stay over?” What a short-sighted woman! “Qiqi is just a child. Won’t we have to step in and handle many things later? At that time…” Li Cui was about to retort, arguing that given Qiqi’s age, how could she manage many affairs? Wouldn’t they have to take care of her? Taking some things early was just an advance. But then she registered Wang Dagui’s next words and understood—her own husband was even more grasping than she was. “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Wang Qiqi walked ahead with the middle-aged couple. She had considered helping, but was surprised to see the couple actually carrying her parents home on their backs. Along the way, the middle-aged pair kept offering Wang Qiqi words of comfort.

Listening to their soothing words, Wang Qiqi contrasted them with the things her uncle and aunt had said while hovering nearby. Aside from the initial pleasantries, they hadn’t offered any real consolation. These strangers were better, even if her future payment factored into the equation.

Wang Qiqi took the opportunity to ask about the couple’s situation and learned that the middle-aged woman worked as a housekeeper. Wang Qiqi suddenly realized she needed someone to help with housework. “Auntie, after my parents’ affairs are settled, could I trouble you to come to my house to clean?”

In her past life, the destitute Wang Qiqi had to do her own chores; Li Cui was not easy to deal with. But the current Wang Qiqi had no such intention. Her immediate task was to absorb her high school textbooks; otherwise, next year's college entrance exams would be fatal. For the sake of her grades, Wang Qiqi wasn't planning to spend much money on housework—more importantly, excessive housework was bad for the skin. Gong Hong had expected to earn a large bonus today—five hundred yuan, and a thousand with her husband—enough to cover tuition for their two children next semester. She hadn't expected the girl to hire her for housework. However, she worried about one thing: “Your aunt…” This couple clearly looked hard to deal with.

Wang Qiqi knew her aunt would object once she found out, but the issue was this: “Don’t worry. My parents are gone; I am the head of this household. But until my parents’ matters are fully resolved, don't let them know about this.”

It wasn’t that Wang Qiqi feared them, but many essential steps, like moving assets to a secure location, could only begin after her parents’ situation was settled. If she provoked them now, Wang Qiqi worried they might become desperate and cause real trouble.

Gong Hong nodded. “Okay.”

“Right, where do you live? I’ll come find you later.” Wang Qiqi almost asked for her phone number but caught herself and immediately switched to asking for her address.

Gong Hong had been wondering how to arrange contact later, so when Wang Qiqi asked for her address, she quickly recited the location details.

Wang Qiqi repeated the address several times to confirm it was correct, deciding to write it down later when she returned home.

When Wang Qiqi opened the door, she realized she hadn't prepared anything for their return. Although funeral homes now offered comprehensive services, Wang Qiqi knew her greedy second uncle wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

Chapter Two: Not every section lacks paragraph breaks; I don't know why it separated correctly during the upload, but after updating, everything merged. I've tried revising it many times, but it remains the same. Alas, I can only add an extra blank line between sections. Recommended for you by 】Visit the website for more chapters. Grand recommendation for ad-free, full-text novel reading software.