Outside the villa’s main gate.
The Yan family stood in neat rows at the entrance, waiting for the arrival of their new head.
Just six months prior, a new product launched by the Yan Group had been exposed in a plagiarism scandal, causing their stock prices to plummet. The Fu family seized the opportunity to aggressively acquire their shares, bringing the Yan Group to the brink of a change in ownership.
Old Master Yan fell ill from the stress and was hospitalized. The family scrambled to buy back shares, but they couldn’t come close to matching the shares held by the Fu family. That’s when they suddenly thought of Yan Shi, who had been cast out of the family.
“Grandfather must be out of his mind from illness! He’s actually begging Yan Shi to come back and be the head of the family. That jinx nearly ruined our entire family back then!”
“Enough. Dad and Aunt are all out here waiting, aren’t they? Who knew Uncle and Aunt had already transferred all their shares to her? What a pain!”
“Isn’t she just coming home? Why do we all have to come out and wait for her? Who does she think she is?”
Yan Yi and Yan Shen kept muttering their complaints under their breath. The older generation of the Yan family behind them remained silent, but their faces were grim.
Yan Feiyu couldn’t hold back either. “Second Brother, we’re still her elders, aren’t we? Making us wait this long—does she even understand basic manners?”
“Aunt is right. Why should we have to wait for her?” Yan Yi quickly chimed in, and even Yan Shen nodded in agreement.
Yan Feihong’s face was dark as iron. “Then what do you suggest? Let the Fu family take over our company?”
“Dad, but she’s a jinx! She brought death to her own parents, made our whole family vomit and have diarrhea, and Xiao Rou nearly died!”
Xu Rou, who had been singled out, had a slightly sour expression but only pressed her lips together tightly, saying nothing.
Clearly, the Yan family held deep prejudice against Yan Shi, but because she held the largest share of stocks, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and wait here.
“Screech—!”
A taxi pulled up steadily at the villa’s entrance. Yan Yi let out a disdainful laugh.
But the moment Yan Shi stepped out of the car, her laughter froze instantly.
Five years had passed, and Yan Shi’s beauty had only grown. Her temperament seemed completely reborn—composed and elegant.
She had long hair reaching her waist, her graceful figure wrapped in a shirt and trousers, exuding an air of capable maturity. Her delicate, exquisite features were so beautiful that one couldn’t look away.
“Thanks, driver. Keep the change.” Yan Shi pulled out a fifty-yuan note, her expression indifferent.
Butler Wang, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately instructed the servants to step forward and take her luggage. Looking at this familiar face, his heart was filled with complicated emotions.
“Young Miss, you’ve returned.”
Yan Shi glanced at the elderly Butler Wang and gave a slight nod.
Butler Wang was considered a veteran of the Yan household, having served three generations. Even her late father had shown him a degree of respect.
Yan Yi rolled her eyes and sneered, “So she’s back. And with such a grand air about her. She’s probably forgotten how she was kicked out in the first place.”
The voice wasn’t too loud or too soft—just enough for Yan Shi to catch it.
Seeing this, Yan Shen quickly tugged at her second cousin’s sleeve, then greeted Yan Shi with feigned warmth.
“Big Sister, you’ve finally come back.”
Unfortunately, before her hand could even touch her, Yan Shi stepped back to avoid it.
Yan Shi spoke in a calm, flat tone. “I was born a jinx, with a cheap life that brings death to others. Third Sister, it’s better if you don’t touch me. That way, if anything happens, you can’t blame me for it.”
She lifted her gaze once more to Yan Yi. “It’s been a few years since we last met, and your talent for speaking ill of others has really grown. No wonder, though—having just been jilted, you’re bound to carry a bit more resentment.”
Her sore spot struck, Yan Yi shrieked in fury, “What nonsense are you spouting! I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Yan Shi unhurriedly took the cat from the servant’s arms, stroking it gently without sparing the other woman so much as a glance. “Uncle Wang, when Grandfather invited me back, he never mentioned I’d have to put up with sour faces.”
She suddenly smiled. “Oh, right—how can trash be counted as people?”
The faces of the Yan family shifted dramatically!
Yan Yi, driven mad with rage, charged forward to throw a punch!
But before she could get close, Butler Wang spoke in warning: “Second Miss, don’t act rashly. The Eldest Miss is the new family head appointed by the Old Master himself. If you dare to defy your superior, per family rules, you’ll be punished with kneeling and confinement.”
Yan Yi was beside herself. “What right does she have to be family head? On what grounds!”
That shout echoed the sentiments of nearly every member of the Yan family.
Yan Shi stroked the cat in her arms, letting out a lazy chuckle. “On what grounds? Let me tell you exactly what grounds.”
“On the grounds that I hold forty-one percent of the Yan Corporation’s shares! On the grounds that Grandfather personally asked me to take over as family head! On the grounds that you people begged me to come back and salvage this mess!”
Each word rang with conviction as her smile gradually faded, replaced by an expression of cold arrogance!
“If you have no money, you accept your fate—unless you’ve got the same ability.” Yan Shi walked past her, cat in arms.
Butler Wang and the servants immediately fell in step behind her, cutting an imposing figure.
As she passed the Yan family members, Yan Shi suddenly stopped. “Oh, and one more thing—from now on, I call the shots in this family. If any of you have a problem, feel free to speak up anytime.”
She raised an eyebrow at the faces so familiar they made her sick, her tone playful. “Of course, even if you do speak, I won’t listen.”
Yan Feiyu couldn’t hold back. “You little wretch, you—!”
But Yan Feihong beside her yanked her arm hard, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words.
“Auntie, what were you about to say? Surely not planning to lecture me?” Yan Shi said with a smile. “I recall Auntie’s already married, isn’t she? A married daughter is like water thrown out—what’s she doing back at her natal home? Scrounging for handouts?”
Her gaze swept over everyone present with undisguised scrutiny, each word landing as a precise strike!
She’d learned exactly what kind of people the Yan family were five years ago.
Because her parents had held the highest shares in the company, these people had racked their brains to drive her out of the Yan family after the car accident, calling her a “jinx” at every turn.
To protect her while preserving so-called family bonds, Grandfather had been forced to “banish” her from the family.
To make a living, Yan Shi had no choice but to work as a nurse in a hospital—which was how she’d been fortunate enough to catch Old Mrs. Shen’s eye and become Shen Ci’s wife.
But these five years had felt as absurd to her as a dream within a dream.
As for Yan Feiyu—she’d always looked down on this niece who couldn’t amount to anything, let alone now that the girl had risen above her.
Her eyes red with fury, she spat, “You little bastard, watch out or I’ll tear your mouth apart! I’m your aunt! Your elder!”
Yan Shi curled her lips in a cold sneer. “I was only making a casual joke. Why is Auntie so upset? Could it be that I hit a nerve? Coming back with your daughter to sponge off the family isn’t shameful—our Yan family can certainly spare two extra bowls of rice.”
Her voice paused briefly, and with a smile in her eyes, she turned to Xu Rou. “Don’t you think so, cousin?”
That single remark made Xu Rou clench her teeth, though her face still wore a timid expression.
Yan Feiyu was so furious that her hand was already raised to strike, but Yan Feihong forcibly held her back!
Five years ago, they had used nearly every means at their disposal to drive this girl out of the Yan family. Yet who could have imagined that, in the end, the very person who could save the Yan family would be this same girl!