However, no matter how careful Zuo Yang was, she couldn’t hide it from Zuo Ying.
As Zuo Ying put it: “You’re flesh of my flesh. I know exactly what you’re thinking just from the way you blink.”
Thus, Zuo Yang heard the complete version from her mother.
Her mother even self-mockingly remarked that this was like a real-life dramatic soap opera of the wealthy!
Back when Ji Zexian wanted to marry Zuo Ying, he faced strong opposition from his mother Qian Mei and the entire Ji Family.
The reason was simple: Zuo Ying was just an ordinary girl with neither family background nor money.
It was Ji Zexian who overcame all objections and married Zuo Ying as he wished.
As for Zuo Ying, she actually didn’t care about wealthy families at all – she simply loved Ji Zexian as a person.
Since she couldn’t get the Ji Family’s blessing, she didn’t mind. She just put on her wedding dress, registered her marriage with Ji Zexian, and incidentally held a wedding with only the two of them.
Ji Zexian had originally prepared a grand wedding ceremony, but since Zuo Ying insisted on this approach, he had no choice but to give up his plans.
After marriage, Zuo Ying maintained an extremely low profile, never liking to go out flaunting the title of Ji Family Madam.
She was just Zuo Ying, a simple, ordinary woman.
If not for the ring on Ji Zexian’s ring finger – since he needed to appear in public – and his habit of telling everyone he met that he was married, no one would have known that the head of the wealthy Ji Family in Xi Cheng was actually married.
But that was the extent of it.
Ji Zexian wanted to show off his wife, but had to respect her wishes, so the outside world never managed to uncover who his wife was.
Mainly because no one dared to dig too deep.
Although Qian Mei still looked down on Zuo Ying and found fault with everything about her, what’s done was done. No matter how stubborn she was, she couldn’t be more stubborn than her son.
In short, the relationship pattern between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was: avoid meeting as much as possible, and don’t interfere with each other.
However, long after marriage, Zuo Ying still showed no signs of pregnancy.
This finally gave Qian Mei an opportunity, saying that for a wealthy family like theirs with Ji Zexian as the only son of this generation, how could there be no heir.
It wasn’t that Zuo Ying really cared about having an heir or not, but she genuinely wanted to have a child with Ji Zexian.
Ji Zexian didn’t care at all, always comforting Zuo Ying that having her in this lifetime was enough for him, and that children were completely unnecessary.
But Zuo Ying really wanted one!
So the couple tried every possible method, finally deciding on in vitro fertilization.
But it still wasn’t going smoothly.
“At that time, Ji Zexian couldn’t bear to see me suffering so much. He cried countless times in front of me, saying we should give up on having children.”
Speaking up to this point, Zuo Ying showed a bitter smile.
And the result?
The man she thought was deeply in love with her betrayed her so quickly.
“That woman put her pregnancy test report in front of me, holding her neck high like a noble swan, saying she was pregnant with Ji Zexian’s child. She said she and Ji Zexian were childhood sweethearts, and if I hadn’t intervened, she would have married Ji Zexian long ago. She said she was the one recognized by the Ji Family as their daughter-in-law.”
Although Zuo Ying was an ordinary person, she had her own pride. She couldn’t tolerate disloyalty and impurity in marriage.
She first went to Ji Zexian to clarify matters about the child.
Ji Zexian just held her and cried bitterly, saying he was too drunk that night to remember anything.
He said he wouldn’t keep the child, that he would definitely have the pregnancy terminated.
Zuo Ying didn’t hesitate. She immediately asked Ji Zexian for a divorce.
She couldn’t care less about all this nonsense.
But Ji Zexian stubbornly refused, resorting to extreme measures against himself—self-harm, and finally threatening suicide.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Yang was stunned. Self-harm? Threatening suicide?
So he was actually a yandere dad…
“Hah, his suicide threat actually gave me an idea. I directly staged a Death Escape and left completely. As for everything else, I didn’t care what the Ji Family did—I couldn’t be bothered. But not long after, I discovered I was pregnant with you.”
At that moment, Zuo Ying was grateful, feeling nothing but infinite joy at this child’s arrival.
Even after being betrayed by her beloved, she genuinely loved this little life from the bottom of her heart.
Zuo Yang quietly watched her mother.
Although her mother spoke as if it didn’t matter, and though it was subtle, she could still see that trace of sorrow in her mother’s eyes.
How could she not feel sad?
After all, he was someone she had loved so deeply.
This was the person who had defied all opposition to marry her mother—they had loved each other so profoundly.
Zuo Yang hugged Zuo Ying, her small hand gently patting her mother’s back without saying a word.
“Sweetheart, I’m telling you this not to stop you,” Zuo Ying gently stroked her daughter’s head. “If there’s something you want to do, just go ahead—Mom will always support you. But remember one thing: don’t let yourself get hurt.”
Zuo Ying had always practiced a largely hands-off approach with her daughter, as long as she was healthy and happy.
Especially after experiencing the pain of losing her daughter for five years, now whatever her daughter said went—she wouldn’t stop her from doing anything.
Plus, given her daughter’s current… differences, she had even less reason to stop.
But just thinking about that scumbag actually committing suicide for her…
Zuo Ying’s feelings couldn’t help but become complicated.
He’d already betrayed her, had a child with another woman—why couldn’t he just live peacefully with her? What was with this suicide drama?
He’s seriously messed up.
Zuo Yang nuzzled against Zuo Ying: “Thank you, Mom.”
Hah, she was going to properly confront that homewrecker!
While Zuo Yang was determined, Zuo Ying was considering something else: “Qingyan, should I go with you? To be honest, I haven’t paid any attention to the Ji Family since my Death Escape that year.”
Anyway, having her daughter was enough—she couldn’t be bothered with anything else.
“Mom, stay calm for now. Let your daughter deal with the Ji Family first—it’s not the right time for you to reveal yourself yet,” Zuo Yang said.
Mo Qingyan agreed with Zuo Yang: “Auntie, with me accompanying her, nothing will happen. I’ll let you know when your presence is needed.”
“So what’s your plan? Ji Zexian isn’t easy to meet.”
Hearing this, Zuo Yang also blinked and looked at Mo Qingyan: “Anyway, I don’t want to reveal my identity directly for now either.”
But Mo Qingyan was looking at Zuo Yang’s face that resembled Ji Zexian’s.
He couldn’t guarantee that if Ji Zexian saw Zuo Yang, he wouldn’t immediately notice something.
After all, the head of the Ji Family in Xi Cheng was no ordinary person.
“Kid, what if Ji Zexian recognizes you at first sight?” Mo Qingyan asked.
“Ah?” Zuo Yang opened her small mouth and looked at her mother. “That’s impossible, right?”
At this point, Zuo Ying also understood why Mo Qingyan had asked that question. She reached out and pinched her daughter’s still chubby cheeks.
It really infuriated her—her own biological daughter looked just like that scumbag!
Where did all her own genes go!
“Hmph, if that bastard man fails to recognize you, then he’s truly blind! Don’t they say blood is thicker than water? Sweetheart, how about this – if that person doesn’t recognize you at first glance, just forget about it and come back home obediently. Don’t get involved with the Ji Family affairs anymore.”
Zuo Yang remained silent.
Mo Qingyan spoke up: “What if he doesn’t recognize her immediately, but becomes suspicious?”
Zuo Ying paused for a moment, then somewhat exasperatedly pulled her sweet, soft daughter into her arms: “So annoying. Sweetheart, do you really have to go?”
Nestled in her mother’s embrace, Zuo Yang wore a smile but spoke seriously: “Yes, Mom. Your daughter has grown up now. I can’t bear to see you suffer injustice. I’ll reclaim everything that’s owed to you, with super interest!”
Zuo Ying’s heart melted completely: “Alright, alright. Just don’t be impulsive, remember to listen to Qingyan, be good now.”
“Got it!”
Mo Qingyan’s lips quirked into a slight smile.
As if this child would listen to him – it was him who had to obey his little one, unconditionally at that.