The Hu family’s simple-minded son, although in his twenties—said to possess the intelligence of a mere child of seven or eight—the Hu family was merely spending money to provide for him.
He could not inherit the family estate, and to marry such a man, aside from a lifetime of luxurious clothing and exquisite food, what good would there be?
How could she possibly allow her own biological daughter to marry such a man?
No sooner had the words of denial spilled from her lips than Liu Huiru realized they were amiss, and with an embarrassed expression, she hastened to make amends, “Rainy, the Hu family is inviting misses who are just over twenty years of age, and your sister is only eighteen.
Even if Mom wanted her to go, she wouldn’t meet the requirements.”
Confronted with Qin Yuji’s cold expression and those clear eyes that seemed to see through the truth, Liu Huiru felt a twinge of guilt and beat a hasty retreat under the guise of an excuse, hurrying downstairs.
Qin Yuji sat at the bedside, gazing at the luxuriously fine dress beside her, feeling an overwhelming sense of bitterness in her heart.
Everyone knew she was the eldest daughter of the Qin family, and the household servants all addressed her respectfully as “Miss,” but little did they know that she, this eldest daughter, was nothing more than a child adopted by Qin Zhongsong and Liu Huiru from the orphanage.
Qin Zhongsong and Liu Huiru had been married for three years without any children.
They had visited many renowned doctors and taken numerous remedies, but Liu Huiru’s womb showed not the slightest sign of life.
In the end, heeding their family’s advice, they adopted one-year-old Qin Yuji from the orphanage.
The happiness only lasted for a year, and a year later, Liu Huiru discovered that she was pregnant.
After a ten-month pregnancy, she gave birth to mixed-sex twins: a son, Qin Haokun, and a daughter, Qin Yuyan.
Qin Yuji’s status in the family plummeted overnight.
Life after the age of three could be described for her in just one phrase.
Unspeakable suffering.
Being bullied by the little demons had become part of the daily routine, and complaining to their parents would not bring her their sympathy; instead, it would lead to even harsher blame.
Back then, she would look up with tearful, bewildered eyes, watching as her parents cuddled her siblings in their arms, cherishing them as if they were their precious treasures, not understanding what she had done wrong.
It was not until one year that she accidentally overheard her mother saying during a chat that she regretted her decision, bemoaning why they had unnecessarily gone to the orphanage to pick her up if they knew they could have children of their own, and even twins of mixed sex.
A bolt from the blue.
Why did she always have to wear old clothes, and why were the tasty foods at home only available to her once her brother and sister had grown tired of them and didn’t want them anymore?
Why was it that, during the summer when her siblings took their noon naps, she had to stand beside them fanning, and once they woke up and went out to play, she was left to help with the housework?
Why was it that their strict father and indifferent mother became as gentle, tolerant, and partial as any other parents when dealing with the younger siblings?
Although they all called out “Dad” and “Mom,” the gap between her and Qin Haokun and Qin Yuyan was as vast as that between the earth and the sky—there was no small difference at all.
All of these questions suddenly made sense after hearing Liu Huiru’s words.
Because she was adopted; because their blood did not run through her veins.
So ever since then, Qin Yuji never acted coy again, nor did she ever reach out to Liu Huiru; her tuition and living expenses were all earned from her own hard work during her summer and winter vacations.
Now, Liu Huiru’s drastically different attitudes before and after made Qin Yuji’s already cold heart turn even colder.
Because she was still useful.
The Hu family’s dinner party, huh…
An event from years ago was recurring, and their handling of it was strikingly consistent.
Perhaps in their eyes, it was a privilege for her to be of use to the family, and she should gratefully extend both hands and feet in agreement, to shine her last bit of light and warmth?
Clenching her fists, Qin Yuji looked out the window at the pitch-black Night Scene and bit her lip.
She didn’t owe them anything.
Even if, in their opinion, the family had graced her with many years of upbringing, everything that had happened three years ago had already been paid back in full.
This time, she would not let herself be manipulated.