The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

"Illegitimate children?" I gasped, and countless melodramatic dramas about wealthy families suddenly appeared in my mind. Zhan Yu's father, that seemingly kind and amiable old man, actually had illegitimate children?

"Yes, I just learned about this not long ago." Zhan Yu's expression was a little gloomy, but he quickly regained his composure. "That's why the distribution of the family inheritance is so complicated."

Lawyer Wang cleared his throat and continued, "The master stated in his will that his illegitimate children also have the right to inherit a portion of the estate. The specific shares and distribution method will be determined by the Trust Fund Management Committee."

"Trust Fund Management Committee?" I caught the word. "Who is on the committee?"

"The current committee members include me, Young Master Zhan Yu, and..." Lawyer Wang paused, as if hesitant, "and several of Master's old friends, who are also veterans of the family business."

My heart skipped a beat. Would these so-called "old friends" protect those illegitimate children and usurp the inheritance that should belong to Zhan Yu? I secretly glanced at Zhan Yu and found that he remained calm, but his eyes were a little more solemn.

Over the next few days, Zhan Yu and I inquired with Attorney Wang about the various details of the family estate, including how the trust fund would operate and the scope of the management committee's authority. However, the more I listened, the more uneasy I became, as I discovered that many of the clauses were written in a vague manner, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.

"It seems that this battle for inheritance is more complicated than I thought." I whispered.

Zhan Yu nodded and patted my hand gently, indicating that I should be at ease.

Just then, I noticed a hunched figure appear at the study door. It was an elderly man with graying hair and a thin frame, dressed in a black Tang suit and leaning on a cane. He stood in the doorway, quietly observing us, his cloudy eyes seeming to see through everything.

"Who is he?" I asked in a low voice.

"An elder in the family." Zhan Yu said lightly, but there was a subtle vigilance in his tone.

I sensed something was amiss in the atmosphere, so I stood up and politely greeted the old man, "Hello, old sir."

The old man didn't say anything, but just looked at me deeply, then slowly walked into the study. He walked to the desk, picked up a photo frame on the table, and looked at it carefully.

"That is..." I was about to ask Zhan Yu what the photo was, but he stopped me with a gesture.

The old man looked at the photo for a while, and suddenly said: "Young man, don't rush into things."

His voice was low and hoarse, as if he was talking to himself, or hinting at something to us...

I suppressed my doubts and tried to get more information from the old man. "Old man, what are you talking about?" I asked cautiously, hoping to get some clues from him.

The old man slowly put down the photo frame in his hand, and turned his cloudy eyes to me, deep as an ancient well, unfathomable. "Some secrets, once revealed, can never be hidden again." His tone was calm, but it was like a warning bell ringing in my ears.

I was even more bewildered by his words. His words were filled with metaphors, the meaning of which I couldn't fathom. Could he know something about the Zhan family's legacy?

Just as I was about to ask more, Zhan Yu gently pulled my hand, signaling me not to ask any more questions. The old man looked around the study and finally set his eyes on Zhan Yu. "My child, remember, people's hearts are unpredictable. Act with caution." With that, he hobbled out of the study, leaning on his cane.

Zhan Yu and I watched the old man leave, bewildered, our hearts filled with questions. Who was this old man? What did his cryptic words mean?

"Don't worry, I will find out." Zhan Yu whispered with a hint of determination in his tone.

At this time, Lawyer Wang sorted out the documents in his hands, pushed up his glasses, and said to us: "In order to help you better understand the rules for the distribution of family inheritance, I have specially found some historical cases."

I took the document and began to study it carefully. These cases all concerned disputes over inheritances among wealthy families, many of them involving sibling rivalry and family feuds. As I read, I mentally analyzed the similarities and differences between these cases and our current situation.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to one of the cases in which the heirs successfully exploited a legal loophole in the establishment of the trust fund and ultimately won the lawsuit.

"Zhan Yu, look at this!" I pointed to the key information in the case and said excitedly, "If we..." "Zhan Yu, look at this!" I pointed to the key information in the case and said excitedly, "If we..." Before I finished speaking, I was interrupted by a sudden ring of my cell phone.

It was Lawyer Wang's phone that rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression changing slightly, and walked to the window to answer the call.

At first, his tone was calm, and he simply replied, "Yeah, OK, I understand." But as the voice on the other end of the phone came through, his brows furrowed more and more, and his tone became hesitant and uneasy.

"This...I'm afraid it's not a good idea..."

"But……"

"I understand. I'll do my best."

Lawyer Wang hung up the phone and returned to the table with a serious expression, a completely different person from before.

Zhan Yu keenly noticed his change, put down the documents in his hand, and asked, "Lawyer Wang, what's wrong? Who called?"

Lawyer Wang pushed his glasses up, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Nothing, just some personal matters."

"Personal matters?" I couldn't help but ask, "But, the look on your face just now..."

"Some things are more complicated than we imagined." Lawyer Wang interrupted me with a hint of warning in his tone, "Mr. Zhan, Mrs. Zhan, I advise you not to know too much about some things."

His words were full of hints, as if there was some huge secret hidden behind this phone call, and this secret was something we could not bear.

"Lawyer Wang, what do you mean by that?" Zhan Yu pressed on. "We need to know the whole truth now so we can better protect ourselves, don't we?"

Lawyer Wang was silent for a moment, then he sighed and said, "Well, there are some things I should tell you."

He walked to the window, and after confirming that no one was around, he lowered his voice and said, "The call just now was from the family. They warned me not to interfere in family affairs, otherwise..."

"What else?" I demanded.

Lawyer Wang didn't answer directly. He simply shook his head and said in a heavy tone, "In short, this matter is far more complicated than we imagined, and even... potentially dangerous. I advise you to abandon the investigation and live a peaceful life. That's the best policy."

His words resonated like a thunderclap in my ears. Danger? What kind of danger could make this experienced lawyer so fearful?

A feeling of unease spread through me. I felt as if an invisible hand was manipulating all this from the shadows. We were like prey trapped in a spider's web, struggling with nowhere to escape...

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. I knew fear and retreat wouldn't solve anything. I squeezed Zhan Yu's hand and gave him a firm look.

"No matter what, we must find out the truth."

Lawyer Wang's words cast a shadow over my heart. The feeling of powerlessness, of being manipulated, made me extremely depressed. But when I saw Zhan Yu's determined eyes and felt the warmth from his palm, a surge of strength ignited in my heart.

"Lawyer Wang, we understand your good intentions." Zhan Yu's voice was as calm as ever. "However, there are some things we must clarify. This is not for the sake of property, but to give us and Zhan Yu's parents an explanation."

I nodded vigorously and agreed, "That's right, we want to know the truth. If someone really did something behind the scenes, we'll make them pay the price!"

Lawyer Wang looked at us and sighed deeply, seeming concerned about our stubbornness, but ultimately he nodded. "Since you insist, I'll do my best to help you. But you have to promise me to be careful and protect yourselves."

After seeing Lawyer Wang off, I began to sort through the existing materials, trying to find more clues. Zhan Yu, on the other hand, began contacting some of his family connections, hoping to learn more from other sources.

However, the deeper I investigated, the more I felt an invisible pressure. I felt like there were eyes watching our every move from the shadows, and this feeling was lingering, making it difficult for me to sleep or eat.

"Zhanyu, do you feel..." I lowered my voice and looked around vigilantly, "that we seem to be being watched?"

Zhan Yu stopped what he was doing and frowned slightly. "You felt it too?"

I nodded and said uneasily, "Ever since Lawyer Wang received that call yesterday, this feeling has become increasingly stronger. It feels like our every move is controlled by someone else."

Zhan Yu pondered for a moment, then walked to the window and drew aside the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room, but it didn't dispel the gloom in my heart. "Maybe we're being too sensitive," he said calmly. "But it's better to be safe than sorry. We do need to be more cautious."

I walked over to him and took his hand, trying to draw some strength from him. "We're going to be okay, right?"

Zhan Yu turned his head and looked at me, his eyes full of determination and tenderness. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Despite our mutual encouragement, my unease grew day by day. I knew this game had only just begun, and we were gradually walking into a carefully designed trap...

In the evening, Zhan Yu received a call and his face suddenly changed. He hung up the phone and said in a cold tone: "Someone has started to take action..."