“You don’t need to apologize to me, and I won’t forgive you. The harm you’ve caused me can’t be undone with a simple apology.”
Fang Youning looked at the weeping Fang Mingzhu, her heart aching. But when she thought of what they had done to her, anger still simmered.
“Mingzhu, why are you apologizing to her? It’s not your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s her own misfortune. You can’t hold it against yourselves.”
Shen Yunhai half-embraced Fang Mingzhu again, comforting her with tenderness.
Fang Youning stared wide-eyed in shock, hardly believing her ears.
“Shen Yunhai, so you knew all along? We’ve supported each other through all the hardships to get to where we are today, and you think it’s just my bad luck?”
She had always known that Shen Yunhai wasn’t a man of strong convictions. But no one is perfect—she thought he was just worldly, yet at least someone who understood right from wrong.
But she never expected him to shatter her perception of him once again.
Shen Yunhai shielded Fang Mingzhu behind him, speaking with righteous indignation. “Today, Mingzhu confessed everything to me. The Fang family isn’t poor—they’re actually very wealthy. The Fang Group is Mr. Fang’s company. The reason they never told you was because they were worried you’d covet the Fang family’s wealth.”
“Hah, I covet the Fang family’s wealth?”
“I know, this isn’t your fault either,” Shen Yunhai changed his expression, sighing. “Back when your mother and Mrs. Fang gave birth at the same time, your parents saw that the Fang family was wealthy and secretly swapped you with Mingzhu. When the Fang family found out, they abandoned you and ran away. If you want to blame anyone, blame them for their cruelty. The Fang family didn’t abandon you in an orphanage—that was already an act of kindness. Even if they hid their wealth from you, they still raised you for twenty years. You should be grateful, not resentful. If you don’t know how to be grateful, what difference is there between you and your biological parents?”
“Fang Mingzhu, is this the truth you told Shen Yunhai?”
Fang Youning finally understood why Fang Mingzhu had acted that way earlier.
She thought Fang Mingzhu had finally been moved by her conscience to apologize, but it was all just another act.
“Sister, even if you’re not my biological sister, you’re still a child my parents raised for twenty years. As long as you behave yourself, we’re still willing to continue supporting your education,” Fang Mingzhu said with feigned innocence.
“Support my education?”
Fang Youning looked at Shen Yunhai. “Others might not know, but you do. Over the years, the money I worked so hard to save was taken from me by them for various reasons. Whether it was tuition or living expenses, every penny was earned through my own sweat and toil. When have they ever helped me?”
“The Fang family was just testing you,” Shen Yunhai argued stubbornly. “They only wanted you to learn gratitude. Look at how you are now—I understand why the Fang family hid their wealth from you.”
Fang Youning smiled bitterly. She didn’t want to explain anymore.
No matter how many reasons she had, they would always find excuses to refute them.
There was no use explaining further to someone who didn’t want to believe her. It would only be a waste of breath.
“It’s me who’s ungrateful, me who doesn’t know how to be thankful. Fang Mingzhu, don’t call me sister anymore. I don’t have a sister like you. Go back and tell your parents that from now on, I, Fang Youning, have nothing to do with the Fang family.”
“Sister, you want to cut ties with our family?” Fang Mingzhu covered her mouth with teary eyes, looking utterly heartbroken.
“Fang Youning, think carefully. Words spoken are like water poured out; once you say it, there won’t be any chance to take it back.” Shen Yunhai reminded her with an anxious expression.
Fang Youning said, “I’ve thought it through. What I said to her counts, and what I said to you counts too. Shen Yunhai, from now on… we have no relationship either.”
After saying this, tears finally fell uncontrollably.
It wasn’t sadness over breaking up with Shen Yunhai, just sadness that someone who had accompanied her all this way had drifted apart like this.
Seeing her tears, Shen Yunhai still felt a pang of heartache.
After all, they had been together for over a decade—how could there be no feelings at all?
“Brother Yunhai, are you really going to break up with… sister?” Fang Mingzhu tugged at his arm and asked timidly.
Shen Yunhai snapped back to reality and looked at her pitiful little face. Though not as exquisite as Fang Youning’s, her skin was fair and smooth, clearly having been carefully nurtured as she grew up.
He made up his mind and said, “She was the one who brought up the breakup first. I can only respect her decision. Besides, we’re not on the same path anymore anyway. It’s better for everyone to part ways sooner.”
Not on the same path?
Was he saying that just because he became He Zhenting’s nephew, he was truly a rich second generation now?
Fang Youning found it laughable—he was laughably foolish!
Back then, Aunt He had gone through such hardships without ever thinking of returning to the He family.
Did he think the He family was truly a golden nest, that their money was so easy to spend?
However, she wouldn’t meddle anymore with the words she had originally intended to remind him.
Carrying her bag as she left, the Fang family was indeed formidable. They truly had the ability to leave her with nowhere to go and no home to return to.
“Sister, let me walk you out.”
Fang Mingzhu chased after her.
Fang Youning said coldly, “I told you, don’t call me sister anymore. You said it yourself—I have no blood relation to your Fang family.”
“Sister, you actually believed the lies I told Brother Yunhai.” Fang Mingzhu lowered her voice and said smugly.
Looking at this hypocritical face, Fang Youning felt nothing but disgust and shook off the hand Fang Mingzhu had reached out.
How could Fang Mingzhu tolerate such treatment?
Immediately, she sneered and rolled her eyes, saying, “Mom and Dad asked me to relay a message: you won’t be able to rent an apartment or find a job in Rongcheng. But if you’re willing to admit your mistake, they can arrange for you to work in the Fang family factory. It’ll be tough, sure, but you could earn enough for next semester’s tuition over the summer. They’re only willing to help because of blood ties—think it over carefully.”
“Do you think I’d believe you have such good intentions?”
Arranging for her to work in the family factory—they would definitely find opportunities to torment her and make her suffer.
After all, the more she suffered, the better the Fang family would fare.
This, she would not forget.
“Suit yourself whether you believe it or not.”
Fang Mingzhu snorted coldly and turned back.
Fang Youning carried her bag, gazing into the boundless dark night. Rongcheng was so vast, yet there was no place for her.
Though she had a few close friends, she couldn’t go to them.
Given the Fang family’s attitude of driving her to the brink—even interfering with rental apartments—if her friends helped her, they might get dragged into trouble too.
The balance in her phone was also running low. Ironically, she had managed to save a small sum last month. After all, once Shen Yunhai reunited with his wealthy uncle, he no longer needed her support. Yet, Li Meifen had swindled most of the money away under the pretext of needing medicine.
That amount of money was less than what Li Meifen would spend on a single afternoon tea, yet it represented nearly half a year’s savings for her.
If she ever got the chance to see Sister Qin again, she would definitely tell her that there truly were heartless parents who could bear to watch their own child suffer. Not only could they bear to watch, but they would even deliberately create hardships for their child to endure.
“Young lady, what do you need?”
As she stepped into the 24-hour convenience store, the clerk, an auntie, greeted her warmly.
Fang Youning, her face slightly flushed, said, “Auntie, are you alone here tonight? I can keep you company and help you organize things. Could I stay in this store overnight? My parents kicked me out, and I have nowhere to go, no money for a hotel.”
Actually, she still had a little money left, but she needed to use it sparingly, especially since she wasn’t sure if she would really be unable to find a job.
This 24-hour convenience store was the only one she had found nearby with a female clerk working the night shift.
“How pitiful. How could your parents be so heartless as to kick such a pretty young girl out of the house? You can stay here. You don’t need to help me; just keeping me company is enough,” the auntie said sympathetically.
Even a stranger could show her kindness, yet so-called family kept pushing her deeper into the abyss.
With tears in her eyes, Fang Youning silently helped the auntie tidy up.
She had worked at a convenience store before and knew how to arrange the goods.
“What a diligent child. Your parents are truly fortunate,” the auntie said enviously.
Fang Youning smiled bitterly. Her parents might be fortunate, but she was the unlucky one.
The next day, she went to Sister Qin’s shop. As expected, Sister Qin wore an apologetic expression and said, “Xiao Fang, I’m sorry, but I can’t hire you anymore.”
“I understand. Thank you, Sister Qin.”
Afterward, she visited several other stores hiring temporary workers, but as expected, she was rejected everywhere.
By the end of the day, she had run around for nothing.
She hadn’t found a job, nor did she have a place to stay.
The Fang family truly kept their word—they really could make it impossible for her to survive in Rongcheng.
“Miss Fang.”
A black business car pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and the man in the driver’s seat adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses as he greeted her.