“Aunt Lian?” Yun Manxia reminded leisurely.
Xia Lian quickly forced a smile, looking somewhat worried. “Manxia, did someone say something to you? Everyone has seen how I’ve treated you all these years. For you to distrust me like this… I’m truly a bit hurt.”
“No one said anything to me.” Yun Manxia smiled faintly. “I just feel that I’m already nineteen, and those shares should be returned to me. Keeping them with Aunt Lian might make people think too much—like thinking Aunt Lian wants to take my things.”
Xia Lian tightened her grip, almost snapping the pen in her hand.
“How can you speak to your Aunt Lian like that?” Yun Hong scolded angrily. “She’s treated you so well and put in so much effort for you all these years, and this is how you repay her—with suspicion?”
Yun Manxia sneered inwardly.
Treated her well? Put in effort for her?
Yes—treated her well, put in effort!
If not for all that “effort,” her reputation wouldn’t have become so awful, excluded from her peers, talked about like a joke by everyone!
She wouldn’t have ended up with no friends, nor grown so distant from her maternal family as if they were enemies!
She tugged at her lips. “I didn’t mean to suspect Aunt Lian. But if she still doesn’t sign, others will start suspecting her.”
Immediately, everyone’s gaze fell on the pen in Xia Lian’s hand.
Yun Hong felt the scrutiny from all directions and was even more embarrassed than Xia Lian. He couldn’t tolerate others saying that his second wife was coveting the inheritance left by his late wife for their daughter!
“Xia Lian, sign it!” he said with a dark expression. “You kindly kept it for her, but not everyone will appreciate it. Listen to how unpleasant that sounds!”
Xia Lian gripped the pen tightly, her smile stiff, almost wanting to vomit blood.
The things she had finally gotten into her hands—she had long considered them her own. How could she willingly give them up?
But with Yun Hong saying this, if she refused to sign, what would happen to her reputation?
She suspected that this wretched girl had done it on purpose—choosing this occasion to force her to return everything!
Yun Manxia seemed to guess what she was thinking and sneered inwardly.
Of course she did it on purpose.
A woman who could seduce her best friend’s husband and plot for her inheritance—how could she have any shame?
If she wasn’t forced, how could she possibly let go?
In the end, Xia Lian reluctantly signed her name on the document.
Then she suppressed her anger and put on a helpless expression.
“How could I possibly covet such a small thing of yours? Since you don’t trust me, fine—take it back.”
As she handed the document to Yun Manxia, her heart was bleeding.
But on the surface, she looked like a stepmother who had given her all, only to be wronged.
Xia Lian was usually good at maintaining her reputation. With this display, some people immediately sympathized with her, thinking she wasn’t that kind of person.
They began whispering about Yun Manxia, calling her ungrateful and accusing her of slandering her stepmother and being too aggressive.
Having lived through it once, Yun Manxia had long seen through Xia Lian’s tricks.
She curved her lips, her eyes filled with admiration. “I know Aunt Lian isn’t that kind of person. I’ve always seen how much she cares about me. She personally handled everything for me all these years—even preparing my dresses for banquets, though I didn’t really like them…”
“But how could Aunt Lian scheme against me? I don’t believe that at all. It’s just that outsiders might speculate, so I’ll take the shares back first. They were mine sooner or later anyway, right, Aunt Lian?”
Xia Lian felt her chest tighten in pain but couldn’t refute a single word. Could she admit she really was scheming and wanted the property?!
She could only force a smile. “…It’s good that you still trust me, Manxia.”
Among the guests, some who had just sympathized with Xia Lian now reconsidered. Yun Manxia’s mention of the dresses, combined with her seemingly trusting attitude, made others uncomfortable.
“This girl is an idiot, isn’t she? That stepmother clearly has bad intentions! If those dresses were so nice, why didn’t she or her own daughter wear them? Tsk… such a naïve girl, being sold off and still counting money for others, and she still thinks her stepmother is a good person…”
Hearing that faint comment, Yun Manxia’s lips curled slightly.
Xia Lian heard it too and nearly coughed up blood in anger.
Were these people blind?
Yun Manxia, naïve?
That tone just now—how was that trust? It was clearly sarcasm!
Having achieved her goal, Yun Manxia felt pleased. She placed the thick stack of documents back into the box, preparing to take it with her.
As for Xia Lian’s birthday gift?
If Xia Lian hadn’t returned the shares, how badly would people have spoken of her? By taking them back, she had protected Xia Lian’s reputation—wasn’t that thoughtful enough to count as a grand gift?
“Alright, the banquet is about to begin!” Yun Hong glanced at her and spoke with displeasure.
Yun Manxia said nothing more, holding the box as she walked away, satisfied.
No rush—this was only the beginning. There would be plenty of time ahead. She would make everyone who owed her in her previous life pay the price!
Many eyes in the hall followed her movement. Beautiful things naturally drew attention.
Seeing this, Yun Yiyi’s mood worsened.
She had dressed carefully today, and before Yun Manxia arrived, many people had been looking at her. But now, all those admiring gazes had shifted to Yun Manxia!
Coming back to her senses, she suddenly noticed several socialites beside her looking at her with probing eyes.
Yun Yiyi felt a jolt of unease and forced a smile. “Xiaoxiao, why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Yun Manxia just said her previous styling was done by you and your mom?”
They weren’t fools—they understood the implication.
If what Yun Manxia said was true…
Yun Yiyi hurried to explain, “I thought she liked it, so I kindly helped her. I didn’t know she didn’t—she never said anything…”
She bit her lip, sounding aggrieved. “We’ve known each other for so long. Don’t you know what kind of person I am?”
As a stepdaughter who had managed to thrive in this social circle, Yun Yiyi was naturally skilled at putting on an act.
Seeing her like this, the others hesitated, then chose to believe her.
Suddenly, someone said, “Wait—didn’t Yun Manxia just say ‘my husband’? She’s married?”
Everyone looked at Yun Yiyi. “Who did she marry?”
Thinking of that noble and handsome man, jealousy surged in Yun Yiyi’s heart. She gave an apologetic smile and said vaguely, “Sorry, it’s not very convenient to tell everyone…”
Her tone was subtle, successfully misleading them.
Not convenient? What could be inconvenient?
Unless Yun Manxia had married someone disgraceful, someone the Yun family was ashamed of, and didn’t want to make it public!
As people speculated along those lines and sought confirmation, Yun Yiyi looked embarrassed and troubled. “Sorry, I really can’t tell you…”
But she didn’t deny their guesses.
Immediately, when they looked toward Yun Manxia in the distance, their gazes turned disdainful, and they whispered mockingly, “Listening to her tone earlier, you’d think she married someone extraordinary!”
“Exactly. Didn’t you hear? I just heard she even took a taxi here!”
“What? No way? Her husband’s family doesn’t even have a car?”
“Tsk tsk…”
They laughed freely, occasionally glancing at Yun Manxia.
When the banquet was nearly over and Yun Manxia was about to leave, they exchanged looks, revealing malicious smiles, and followed her.
Yun Manxia checked the time and prepared to go back.
When she came, a driver from Yujing Garden had brought her. But halfway through, the driver’s elderly mother had fallen and been hospitalized. Seeing how anxious he was, she let him leave and took a taxi herself.
Now that his situation was probably still unresolved, she planned to take another taxi back.
But suddenly, Yun Yiyi and her group walked toward her.