Chapter 328 - 208: Jiang Sifan Finally Goes to the Manor for the First Time! Triple Shock

At that moment, countless scenes flashed through Jiang Sifan's mind.

He first met Jiali during the case involving the fraudulent company.

She had approached them and offered to provide legal aid.

Back then, he had felt lucky, thinking he had met a kind person.

Later, when the studio ran into trouble and Xu Junjie poached their clients, the first person he thought to ask for help was Jiali.

And every time, Jiali helped him solve the problem right away, without hesitation.

'Why were those business owners willing to continue working with us?'

'How did Jiali convince them?'

Thinking back on it now, Lu Fan must have been pulling the strings.

Then there was the incident with Lin Qiang. After he was beaten up, Lu Fan's bodyguards had shown up right on time.

He thought it was a coincidence then, but thinking about it now, Lu Fan had been secretly protecting him all along.

And the Xu Junjie affair. After just one phone call from him, Jiali had directly filed a police report, and the prosecutor's office had accepted the case with astonishing speed.

The efficiency was incredible.

Jiang Sifan had always assumed Jiali was just a kind person and that this was all within the scope of the legal aid center's work.

But now he understood that Lu Fan had arranged everything from behind the scenes.

A question suddenly struck Jiang Sifan. 'Is there any part of my studio that *hasn't* received Lu Fan's help?'

He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anything.

From the very beginning, it seemed Lu Fan's influence had been there every step of the way.

He just never knew, always believing it was the result of his own hard work.

Jiang Sifan put down his phone, leaned against the headboard, and stared at the ceiling.

His mind was in turmoil.

There was shock, confusion, and anger, but more than anything, there was an indescribable feeling.

He had always believed he had built his studio step by step through his own efforts.

From getting scammed in the beginning to slowly building a client base, he had poured his blood, sweat, and tears into it, staying up through countless nights.

But only now did he discover that someone had been silently holding him up from behind the scenes.

That person was the father he had been unwilling to acknowledge.

Jiang Sifan rolled over and buried his face in his pillow.

He remembered Lu Fan's always-smiling face, the business insights he shared at that seminar, and the way he looked at him every time they met.

In that gaze, there was guilt, expectation, and… something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Jiang Sifan suddenly felt agitated.

He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Gao Lao's snoring filled his ears, punctuated by the occasional chirp of an insect from outside.

Jiang Sifan stared at the ceiling, his mind a chaotic mess.

He remembered when he was a child, whenever he saw other kids being picked up and dropped off by their fathers, he would hide in a corner and watch secretly.

He remembered his mother raising him and his sister alone, so tired she could barely straighten her back.

He remembered those years when he vowed to protect his mother and sister, to become a man who could stand tall and strong.

And he had done it.

He got into university, opened his own studio, and moved forward step by step.

But only now did he discover that someone had been silently holding him up from behind.

Jiang Sifan didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

After thinking for a long time, he picked up his phone, quietly got out of bed, and walked out onto the balcony.

The cool night breeze washed over him, clearing his head a little.

He found Wen Wan's number, hesitated for a few seconds, then dialed it.

The phone rang twice before it was answered.

"Hello, Class President?" Wen Wan's voice held a hint of surprise and a little grogginess, as if she had already been asleep.

Jiang Sifan said softly, "Wen Wan, were you asleep?"

"I was just about to. What's wrong?" Wen Wan explained.

Jiang Sifan was silent for a few seconds, then answered, "I… There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it? Tell me." Sensing something was off in his tone, Wen Wan urged him on.

Jiang Sifan took a deep breath and told her the whole story.

From Jiang Silu recognizing Jiali, to her discovering Jiali was Lu Fan's assistant, to him slowly piecing everything together.

He spoke for a long time, and by the end, his voice had grown a little hoarse.

Wen Wan listened quietly the entire time, not interrupting him once.

Only after he finished did Wen Wan speak, her tone gentle. "Class President, you know, I've actually long suspected that Uncle Lu was helping us in secret."

Jiang Sifan was stunned for a moment, surprised. "You knew all along?"

Wen Wan said, "Not knew, exactly. It was more of a feeling. Do you remember? Every time we ran into trouble, it would always get resolved in some mysterious way. Why were those business owners willing to work with us? How did we get that discount on supplies? And with the Lin Qiang incident, why did his people show up so quickly?"

Jiang Sifan fell silent.

He replied helplessly, "It seems you're more observant than I am…"

"I had a hunch back then that someone was helping us, but I didn't know who and didn't dare to make any wild guesses. Now that you've told me all this, it all makes sense. It was Uncle Lu," Wen Wan continued.

"Then why didn't he tell me?" Jiang Sifan sighed, unable to understand.

Wen Wan thought for a moment and explained, "He was probably afraid you'd refuse. Haven't you always been… a little resistant to him? If he helped you directly, you definitely wouldn't have been happy about it, so he had to do it this way, helping you in secret."

Jiang Sifan fell silent.

"So, Class President, what are you going to do now?" Wen Wan asked tentatively.

Jiang Sifan gave a bitter smile and said helplessly, "I don't know. I really don't know."

Wen Wan had always hoped Jiang Sifan and Uncle Lu would reconcile, so she suggested, "Why don't you… thank Uncle Lu?"

"Thank him?"

"Yes. No matter what, he's helped us so much. Even if you still have your reservations, thanking him is the right thing to do," Wen Wan reminded him.

Jiang Sifan hesitated. "Should I thank him in person? Or…"