“Rourou—” Lu Yunxiang saw her daughter’s swollen cheeks and rushed forward to embrace Su Yirou. “Rourou, let Mom take a look.”
“Wentao, my son, who hit your face?” Mother Jiang shrieked as she grabbed her son’s arm.
She had come upstairs with Father Su and Mother Su, originally intending to watch the Su siblings’ drama, only to see her own son’s bruised face.
“You bastard, how dare you hit Wentao and Rourou?” Father Su roared, striding forward and raising his hand to strike Su Yiwei’s face.
Su Haohan lifted his hand and caught his father’s wrist. “Hah, you don’t even ask what happened before hitting my sister?”
“Tsk tsk, such deep father-daughter affection,” Su Yiwei stood beside her second brother, her eyes filled with mockery as she looked at Father Su.
Father Su felt a twinge of guilt. “N-no matter the reason, you can’t resort to violence.”
“Dad, I hit her for your own good. Do you know what nonsense she was spouting?” Su Yiwei asked mysteriously.
“Rourou, what did you say?” Father Su’s heart skipped a beat, his expression turning grim as he questioned her.
He had repeatedly warned the mother and daughter not to tell anyone that she was his biological daughter.
“Dad, I didn’t say anything. You must believe me. Please don’t blame my sister. She hates me for taking Wentao away—it’s all my fault.”
Su Yirou’s voice choked with sobs, tears falling like broken strings of pearls, pattering down as she leaned weakly into Lu Yunxiang’s embrace.
Father Su’s heart softened at the sight, but he was too guilty to pursue the matter with Su Yiwei, opting instead to smooth things over.
He cleared his throat. “Wentao and Yiwei have been together for two years. This sudden change is indeed hard to accept.”
Before Mother Jiang could speak, Lu Yunxiang shrilly demanded, “Old Su, how can you be so biased?”
“Auntie, what right do you have to criticize my dad? My sister was maliciously swapped, and Su Yirou has lived in luxury in our family for years. Is it wrong for my dad to show a little favoritism toward his biological daughter?” Su Haohan asked matter-of-factly.
Lu Yunxiang: “…”
She wished she could immediately tell this stepson that Su Yirou was also his father’s biological daughter, but she knew she couldn’t—at least not now.
“Dad, look how Auntie favors my sister. I finally returned to the Su family, yet she guards against me at every turn, afraid I’ll harm my sister in the slightest.”
“Weiwei, why aren’t you even calling me ‘Mom’ anymore? Hearing you say that is like stabbing me in the heart with a knife,” Lu Yunxiang cried.
“Hah, stabbing someone with a knife is illegal. Otherwise, do you think I wouldn’t? After all, someone ruined my entire life.”
“Just now, my sister proudly told me that Auntie knew I got into university and immediately urged my dad to bring me back to the Su family.”
“Dad, what does that mean? It means some people knew all along that I was your biological daughter, yet they never told you.”
“Su Yirou, a mere adopted daughter, got everything and still isn’t satisfied. She had to come flaunting her superiority in front of me—what’s wrong with me slapping her a few times?”
“Su Yirou coveted my university admission letter, so she tricked her fiancé into pursuing me. Now that she’s graduated, she wants to take him back.”
“If you want him back, fine, but why force me to marry into the Huo family? What exactly are you scheming?”
Su Yiwei’s eyes were red, and though every word she spoke was an accusation, she looked so fragile it seemed she might shatter at any moment.
Her conjectures struck like a thunderbolt, staggering Father Su so much that he dared not utter a single word of reproach.
Su Yirou had been sobbing in her mother’s arms, but upon hearing Su Yiwei’s words again, she was too stunned to even think of a rebuttal.
She wasn’t sure if she had actually said those things earlier—the joy of her rebirth had left her somewhat lightheaded.
Jiang Wentao’s heart was in turmoil. Guilt-ridden, he didn’t dare question why Su Haohan had hit him.
Leaning close to his mother’s ear, he whispered urgently, “Mom, let’s leave first.”
“Brother Su, Wentao’s face is badly injured. We should take him to the hospital to have it checked,” Mother Jiang said, her face filled with anger.
She had always listened to her husband and son, and though she had many questions, she knew now wasn’t the time to ask.
After all, for the sake of the Jiang family’s dignity, they usually avoided open conflict. Since her son didn’t want to pursue the matter and insisted on leaving, she was willing to let it go.
“Mother-in-law, why not stay for dinner—” Lu Yunxiang’s words were cut off by Mother Jiang. “Wentao’s face can’t be left with scars.”
“Uncle, Aunt, my face hurts, so I won’t be able to join you for dinner. I need to go to the hospital to feel at ease.”
Seeing Jiang Wentao’s swollen, bruised face, devoid of his usual charm, Father Su had no desire to keep him. “It’s all my fault for failing to discipline my son properly. Let me see you out.”
“Brother Wentao~ I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. You must come tomorrow, okay~~” Su Yirou cooed, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Rourou, don’t worry. I’ll definitely come tomorrow to register our marriage with you,” Jiang Wentao said, then took his mother’s hand and headed downstairs without looking back.
Mother Jiang’s expression was grim. Her gaze fell coldly on Su Yirou’s face, and she suddenly felt that this daughter, so carefully raised by the Su family, was inferior to the one who had grown up in the countryside. She had no idea that Su Yirou’s university spot originally belonged to Su Yiwei.
Father Jiang had taken the car earlier in the afternoon for business, so Father Su wanted to ask his second son to personally escort Jiang Wentao and his mother. In the end, he could only arrange for the family driver to take them.
Seeing that the Jiang mother and son had left, Su Yiwei didn’t press further. She simply sat quietly beside Su Haohan and ate her meal.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reveal more, but she lacked concrete evidence. No matter how eloquently she spoke, if no one admitted to anything, her chances of success were slim.
Why waste her energy?
Besides, it was a good thing to lock the deceitful man and Su Yirou together. When she gained the ability, it would be easier to deal with them all at once.
Father Su and Lu Yunxiang were both deeply uneasy. Not only did they dare not provoke her, but they also cautiously tried to please her, taking turns serving her dishes.
Though Su Yirou was jealous, she didn’t dare say anything, as both her father and second brother looked extremely displeased.
Without their approval and support, not only would she be unable to marry into the Jiang family, but she might not even have a place in the Su family.
This was also why she hated Su Yiwei so much. They were both Su Qingshan’s biological daughters.
Why could Su Yiwei openly enjoy their father’s love, while she had to sneak around to receive it? Even if she was favored, she couldn’t accept it.
“Little sister, have some shrimp. If you don’t want to marry into the Huo family, then don’t. Your second brother will take care of you for the rest of your life,” Su Hao said warmly as he peeled shrimp for Su Yiwei.
“Second brother, how can you just decide not to marry? The Huo family has already called and said they’ll come tomorrow to deliver the betrothal gifts,” Su Yirou couldn’t help but interject.
“It’s just delivering betrothal gifts, not like we’ve already registered the marriage. I’ll call Uncle Huo right now and tell him not to come to our house tomorrow,” Su Haohan declared with authority.
“Second Brother, let’s talk about tomorrow’s matters tomorrow. Have some more to eat,” Su Yiwei said, placing a piece of braised pork in Su Haohan’s bowl.