Chapter 42: Playing the Villainous Supporting Role in an Old-School CEO Novel (7)

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone froze. Suspicious gazes darted between Yu Liuxue and Ye Jin. So, after all this time, the person responsible for ruining Yu Liuxue’s reputation wasn’t that supposedly hideous and short man—only 1.6 meters tall—but rather the stunningly beautiful, wealthy, and well-connected Ye Jin?

Wait, how did Ye Jin end up entangled with Yu Liuxue?

Before Father Bai and Mother Bai could react, Ye Jin stepped forward, grabbed the thug’s wrist, and with a single motion, threw him over her shoulder onto the ground. She then casually pulled a silk handkerchief from her coat pocket and carefully wiped Yu Liuxue’s wrist where she had been touched. Her lips parted slightly as she instructed the security guards, “Throw this man out.”

Yu Liuxue feigned excitement and threw herself into Ye Jin’s arms. “Ye Jin, it really was you?!”

Ye Jin gazed at her quietly for a moment before turning to Father and Mother Bai. “I’m sorry, teacher. I simply couldn’t find the right opportunity to be honest with you about this matter, so…”

Mother Bai wasn’t even thinking about blaming her; she was too busy feeling grateful. With a beaming smile, she patted Ye Jin’s back. “Let’s talk inside.”

As she spoke, she shot Yu Liuxue a glare. She was already an adult and still this clueless about who she had been with? No wonder the rumors outside had become more and more outrageous. Mother Bai herself wasn’t too concerned, but she did worry that this mess would make it difficult for her daughter to find a good match in the future. Fortunately, it had all turned out to be a misunderstanding.

Although Yu Liuxue’s engagement with Yi Ting had been canceled, Ye Jin was just as exceptional, if not better. Most importantly, Ye Jin truly liked Zhenzhen. Unlike Yi Ting, who always had one foot in and one foot out of the relationship.

This was turning out to be a great day. Mother Bai instantly felt rejuvenated. Though the daughter she had raised for years wasn’t biologically hers, Zhenzhen was still willing to stay by her side and call her “Mom.” Now, even the distressing issue of Zhenzhen’s supposed lost virtue had been resolved. Could things get any better?

The wealthy ladies at the event were all shrewd. As soon as they heard that the person from that night was Ye Jin, they swarmed around Mother Bai, speaking all at once:

“Oh my, congratulations! You’re so lucky! Ye Jin is well-mannered and filial. Zhenzhen has found such a wonderful daughter-in-law for you. Your future is set!”

“I knew it! Zhenzhen has always been a well-behaved girl—I’ve watched her grow up. How could she possibly have done something so disgraceful? It’s a relief that the misunderstanding has been cleared up. Those gossipers are really too much. If things had gone any further, Zhenzhen’s reputation could have been ruined!”

Mother Bai accepted their congratulations and flattery with a warm smile and responded modestly, “That’s right. Zhenzhen was raised by me to be humble and polite. She has a pure heart. If it weren’t for someone setting her up, she would never have been caught in this kind of scandal.”

“So, who tried to frame her?”

Mother Bai narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head without answering. Once the crowd had dispersed, her gaze slowly swept across the venue, finally landing on Tian Wenwen in the distance.

Dare to mess with my daughter? Who do you think you are?

—

After the thug was thrown out by security, he immediately called his employer to complain.

“Hey, I did what you told me to do. Now hurry up and send me the rest of the payment.”

Hearing this, Song Yiqiu’s heart leaped with excitement, and she quickly transferred the money. Then, she casually asked, “So? Did that woman’s reputation get completely ruined?”

The thug spat on the ground and muttered, “You didn’t tell me she had someone that powerful backing her up! That woman almost broke my bones. Anyway, I did my part. As for emotional damages, I won’t even ask for compensation. I’m busy drinking with my buddies. Bye.”

Song Yiqiu held her phone tightly, her lips curling into an ever-widening smile.

As long as the villainous supporting character was publicly disgraced, her mother would avoid acknowledging her for the sake of her own reputation. That way, her chances of being accepted back into the Bai family would increase.

—

Lazing around at home every day, doing nothing but eating, drinking, and scrolling through her phone, Song Yiqiu suddenly noticed something strange on social media.

What were they talking about? Why did it seem like she was missing something?

She messaged someone she was on decent terms with: “What happened at the event tonight?”

That person, thrilled to finally have someone to gossip with, immediately typed excitedly:

“Oh my God, you won’t believe it! The person who was with Bai Zhenzhen that night was Ye Jin! Ye Jin admitted it herself!”

“Not only that, but she promised Mr. and Mrs. Bai that she would pick a good day for their engagement soon! She said she wouldn’t keep Zhenzhen waiting too long!”

“Can you believe how dramatic this is? If Bai Zhenzhen ever entered the entertainment industry, she’d be a top-tier star with endless scandals fueling her popularity…”

Song Yiqiu stopped reading. She stared at her phone in disbelief, her face pale.

How was that possible? How could the person from that night be Ye Jin? Of all people, why Ye Jin?

Song Yiqiu suddenly recalled the description of Ye Jin’s first appearance in the original novel:

“She was dressed in a crisp black suit that accentuated her tall, slender frame. Her high heels clicked against the floor with an air of authority. Cold and proud, she exuded an untouchable aura. With her long hair swept into an elegant updo and her strikingly defined features, she was the epitome of an Eastern beauty. Her gaze was deep and penetrating, and when it occasionally swept over Song Yiqiu’s figure, it carried an indescribable hint of tenderness…”

She had known all along that Ye Jin liked women. She just never expected Ye Jin to be quietly seduced by the villainous supporting character.

Song Yiqiu suddenly felt a deep sense of regret. If she had known this earlier, she would have tried to befriend Ye Jin instead of allowing her to become Bai Zhenzhen’s backer.

The Ye family was wealthy and powerful, no less than the Yi family. Now that Bai Zhenzhen had Ye Jin’s support, trying to push her out of the Bai family would be nearly impossible.

Song Yiqiu bit her lip, filled with regret and disappointment.

Why was everyone siding with the villainous supporting character now?

Why did no one like her anymore?

What did she do wrong?

Wasn’t she just following the storyline?

Besides Song Yiqiu, the most agitated person was none other than Madam Yi. The noblewoman who deliberately delivered the news to her covered her mouth with a small fan and said, “Oh dear, Ruzhen, what should we do? That Bai family foster daughter whom Yiting broke off his engagement with is now Ye Jin’s fiancée.”

“You didn’t know, did you? Even though she isn’t the Bai family’s biological daughter, both her biological mother and adoptive mother dote on her immensely. I heard they almost fought over her.” The noblewoman chuckled with schadenfreude. “Tell me, what’s so special about Bai Zhenzhen?”

Madam Yi looked at her coolly. “How would I know?”

The noblewoman shook her head with a laugh. “But I heard that when Bai Zhenzhen visited a friend in the hospital, she ran into her biological mother. Every time she visits, she brings the old lady some fruit or socks—how thoughtful.”

“Hey, isn’t your Yiting in love with the Bai family’s biological daughter? So, when are they planning to get married?”

“How come that girl hasn’t come over to serve you yet?”

Madam Yi was utterly annoyed. She finally used exhaustion as an excuse to send the woman out of her house. In the dead of winter, the noblewoman fanned herself with her small fan and muttered, “Tsk, I really don’t know what this family is thinking. They threw away a watermelon to pick up sesame seeds. I think Bai Zhenzhen has a good temperament and looks quite likable.”

Madam Yi was livid. She should have stopped Yiting from breaking off the engagement with Bai Zhenzhen. Otherwise, the Yi family wouldn’t be a laughingstock now.

Thinking of Song Yiqiu, who was currently resting at Yi Ting’s villa for her pregnancy, Madam Yi became even angrier. That girl was clearly the Bai family’s biological daughter and had two undeniable paternity test reports in her hands. Yet, Bai Zhenzhen had taken over her place in the Bai family, enjoying a life of luxury. Useless!

Absolutely worthless.

The most bewildered party throughout all of this was probably the Ye family. The Ye family had always kept a low profile, so aside from a few prestigious families, most people didn’t truly understand their power. Some mocked Ye Jin as a nouveau riche, only for someone nearby to slap them across the head. “What do you know? When the Ye family was building their empire, your ancestors were still playing in the mud!”

“Really? Is the Ye family that powerful? I’ve never heard much about them…”

“You think everyone is as flashy as the Yi family? The Ye family is humble and low-key. No one who has ever dealt with them has anything but praise. Everyone is eager to be their friend. Otherwise, why do you think they’ve stood strong for so many years?”

The listeners nodded in agreement. That made sense.

Meanwhile, the Ye family was still sitting at home drinking tea when they suddenly received waves of congratulations from their friends. The whole family, puzzled, picked up their phones. “What’s going on?”

After some investigation, they finally realized their granddaughter/daughter had unknowingly brought home a wife. Old Master Ye was overjoyed. “Little Ye finally fell in love! If she stayed single any longer, I would’ve had to arrange blind dates for her.”

The elders were greatly comforted by the news and immediately urged Ye Jin to bring the girl home for a proper introduction.

As soon as they got into the car, Ye Jin leaned in toward Yu Liuxue, kissed her tenderly for half a minute, and then suddenly asked, “Will you come home with me?”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes flew open. “Huh?”

Home? Which home?

Was this… meeting the parents? Already?!

Yu Liuxue’s eyes widened in shock. Ye Jin chuckled softly, kissed her forehead, and said, “If you don’t want to, then we won’t go. I’ll wait for you.”

So Ye Jin decisively rejected his grandfather’s request. “She’s shy. Let’s wait a while.”

Old Master Ye: “…” This girl isn’t even married yet, and she’s already siding with her fiancée over his family.

Bai Zhenzhen’s reputation was finally restored. Some people didn’t believe it and suspected Ye Jin had deliberately helped Yu Liuxue clear her name. But before the doubts could spread, surveillance footage circulated among the public. After watching the video, any remaining skepticism was crushed. The timestamps were clear, and both Yu Liuxue’s state and Ye Jin opening the door were captured vividly. There was no room for fabrication.

Then, Yi Ting personally admitted that he had received Yu Liuxue’s distress call that day, but because his fiancée suddenly felt unwell, he had rushed to her side instead. As a result, Bai Zhenzhen had suffered through the ordeal alone and endured rumors for so long.

With Yi Ting’s admission, the credibility of the surveillance footage skyrocketed.

Yi Ting sat in his office. Upon learning that the man in question was Ye Jin, he let out a long sigh of relief. When he first found out that he had missed Yu Liuxue’s call because he was taking care of Song Yiqiu’s menstrual pain, he had been overwhelmed with guilt. He had long believed it was his fault—his negligence had cost the childhood friend he had grown up with her reputation and innocence.

Now that he knew the man involved was someone Yu Liuxue loved, he suddenly felt much lighter.

Feeling relieved, Yi Ting had several lavish gifts sent to the Bai family as a gesture of goodwill toward Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue accepted the gifts with a bright smile and said to the system, “I really should thank Song Yiqiu. If she hadn’t been so desperate to break off my engagement with Yi Ting, pulling all sorts of tricks to make sure he found out about this, he wouldn’t feel this guilty toward me.”

The system agreed. 【Song Yiqiu made a mistake from the very beginning.】

Yu Liuxue chuckled. Exactly. Even though this was just a fictional world, who could say the people here weren’t real? They had their own thoughts, their own sense of right and wrong. They knew who was genuinely good to them and who approached them with ulterior motives.

Any rational person would choose the former.

Yu Liuxue sighed. “If only Song Yiqiu had treated Hu Qiong a little better, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

But in Song Yiqiu’s eyes, Hu Qiong was nothing more than a parasitic mother—and not even her real mother at that. In Song Yiqiu’s worldview, Bai Zhenzhen was an evil supporting character who had stolen everything from her. Hu Qiong was the opportunistic mother of that villainess. Yi Ting was the male lead who would unconditionally cherish and protect her. And since Bai Father and Bai Mother were her biological parents, they were obligated to acknowledge her and shower her with love and compensation.

Just because she had suffered all these years outside.

As Yu Liuxue was sighing, Hu Qiong suddenly called, sounding worried: “Zhenzhen, your father has woken up.”

Song Jindou woke up? Yu Liuxue immediately jumped off the sofa. “Mom, don’t panic. I’m coming over right now.”

Hearing Yu Liuxue’s words, Hu Qiong felt slightly more at ease. She sat at a distance beside the hospital bed, watching as Song Jindou cursed incessantly. The nurses were startled and rushed in. Seeing the patient in an agitated state, they quickly went to fetch the attending physician.

Ever since Yu Liuxue was reunited with her, she often bought Hu Qiong nice things, sometimes even taking her out shopping and buying her outrageously expensive clothes. Hu Qiong would refuse at first, but once Yu Liuxue bought them, she couldn’t help but love them.

Her daughter said, “Mom, you’ve worked hard your whole life. What’s wrong with wearing something nice? All my friends’ mothers dress like this!”

Hu Qiong had seen the wealthy ladies—graceful, well-maintained, like the elegant figures on TV. The truly rich spoke softly and carried no airs. So when she heard Song Jindou cursing at the top of his lungs, she flushed with embarrassment, feeling that he was utterly disgraceful.

He was embarrassing himself—and their daughter.

If people found out that Zhenzhen had such a shameful father, would the Ye family still accept her relationship with Ye Jin? Would others look down on her?

The more Hu Qiong thought about it, the more flustered she became. Meanwhile, Song Jindou continued to rant from the bed, “Damn woman! Get over here and help me up!”

He couldn’t move, and Hu Qiong instinctively stepped forward, hesitating. Seeing her hesitation, Song Jindou became even angrier and roared, “Where’s Song Yiqiu? Tell that useless girl to get back here! Her old man is half-dead, and she won’t even come see me? Heartless wretch!”

Hearing Song Yiqiu’s name, Hu Qiong finally made up her mind. She raised her hand high and, summoning all her strength, slapped Song Jindou so hard that he passed out.

Hu Qiong, overwhelmed, clutched her hand, her mind fixated on one thought: Zhenzhen must not see Song Jindou acting like this—utterly disgraceful.

Yu Liuxue entered with the doctor just in time to witness this dramatic scene. Her small head filled with a big question mark—wasn’t this way too ruthless?

Even the doctor and nurses were momentarily stunned. They clearly hadn’t expected a family member to hit the patient. The attending physician was the first to recover and quickly instructed, “Hurry, check on the patient!”

As they approached, they noticed a glaring red handprint on Song Jindou’s face.

Hu Qiong gave an awkward smile, her guilty conscience reflected in her shifty gaze. “He was making a racket, and I was afraid he’d disturb the other patients, so I just wanted to quiet him down a bit.”

Doctor: “…” That certainly wasn’t necessary.

Yu Liuxue, once again witnessing her mother’s ferocity, felt a surge of excitement. She had been worrying about how to deal with her father, but her mother’s combat prowess was truly unexpected.

She quickly grabbed Hu Qiong’s hand, casting a worried glance at the unconscious Song Jindou. “Mom, what are we going to do with Dad from now on?”

“The doctor said he’ll be bedridden for the rest of his life, needing constant care. He can’t eat, drink, or relieve himself without assistance.” Yu Liuxue sighed dramatically. “But I was planning to take you abroad next spring to see the cherry blossoms.”

“Mom, you don’t know—there are cherry blossoms everywhere, the sun is warm, the air is fresh. You’ve spent your whole life working for this family and never had time to enjoy the scenery. So, I wanted to sign us up for a senior travel group and go together. That way, you won’t have to worry about the language barrier or bad accommodations, and you can even make new friends along the way.”

The system was stunned, thinking: The host’s ability to spin a tale was getting out of hand. She could paint a grand picture for a streetwise woman without batting an eye.

“With Dad in this state, you obviously can’t go back to your old home. So, I plan to use my savings to buy you both a house here, where it’ll be easier for Dad to get treatment. That way, aside from taking care of him, you can work if you want, or just chat with friends in the neighborhood and join the square dancing group…”

While the doctors and nurses were busy examining Song Jindou, Yu Liuxue was painting a bright future for Hu Qiong. The more Hu Qiong listened, the more excited she became. She clutched Yu Liuxue’s hands, her eyes brimming with tears. “Zhenzhen, you’re so good to me. How can I ever thank you?”

Yu Liuxue smiled sweetly. “Mom, I never had the chance to be filial to you before. Now that we’ve finally reunited, I just want you to live well and enjoy your life.”

Hu Qiong wiped away her tears. “Zhenzhen, I won’t be a burden to you. Don’t worry, I’ll find work and support myself. As for your father, you don’t need to worry—we won’t drag you down.”

Then, her expression changed. “We raised Yiqiu for so many years, scrimping and saving to send her to school. Now that her father is paralyzed, she should at least do something, right?”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “That might not be appropriate… Yiqiu, she—”

“What’s inappropriate about it? She wants to live as a rich family’s daughter, right? I don’t care what her status is—she must send money for her father and me every month, not a cent less!” Hu Qiong thought, even if it was just 200 yuan a month, it would still show some conscience.

If Song Yiqiu had ever shown even a little gratitude before, Hu Qiong wouldn’t have felt so bitter.

Yu Liuxue’s grand vision successfully reignited Hu Qiong’s hope for life. Within a few days, Yu Liuxue heard that Hu Qiong had started working as a chef at a restaurant.

With her excellent cooking skills, she quickly gained a reputation, and more and more people came seeking her food. Hu Qiong’s name was becoming well-known.

Yu Liuxue thought for a moment and simply set up an account for Hu Qiong, forming a team specifically to film Hu Qiong cooking. Hu Qiong found it novel and couldn’t help but chatter in front of the camera. Over time, she became increasingly popular on the platform. With Yu Liuxue pouring money into it, Hu Qiong quickly became a rising star as a senior internet influencer.

Hu Qiong was overjoyed and grew fonder of Yu Liuxue. She immersed herself in her new career, constantly checking comments and monitoring her growing fan base, completely forgetting about her paralyzed husband in the hospital.

When Song Jindou woke up, he found that not only was his daughter absent, but his wife was also nowhere to be seen. He immediately started cursing, causing a commotion in the hospital.

The nurse explained, “Your family has paid the fees, so from now on, we will be taking care of you.”

Song Jindou didn’t understand any of this and kept demanding to see his wife. With no other choice, the nurse contacted Hu Qiong. However, at that moment, Hu Qiong was being interviewed by a platform editor. Without hesitation, she refused, saying, “I’m very busy, I don’t have time.”

When Yu Liuxue heard about this, she picked up her bag with an unreadable smile and headed to the hospital. “I haven’t even met my biological father yet.”

The system knew she couldn’t sit still and was about to stir up trouble.

When Yu Liuxue arrived at the hospital, Song Jindou was still pointing at the nurse’s nose and scolding her, nearly making the poor nurse cry. After dismissing the nurse, Yu Liuxue pulled up a chair and sat by his bedside. After sizing up the frail and scrawny old man, she called out, “Dad.”

Song Jindou: “…?” Excuse me, who are you?

Why are you calling people randomly?

Yu Liuxue furrowed her brows, looking as if she was about to cry, and said, “Dad, I’m your biological daughter!”

Song Jindou was even more confused and said bluntly, “I’m not buying a foot bath, and I’m not buying health supplements. Get lost.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Did my biological father just mistake me for a saleswoman?

You have quite the imagination.

Wiping away nonexistent tears, Yu Liuxue sorrowfully explained, “Dad! I really am your biological daughter. When Mom gave birth, the hospital nurse accidentally switched me with Yiqiu. Yiqiu was raised by your side, while I was raised by another family.”

“A while ago, Yiqiu took the hair of all four of you and did a paternity test. Mom already knows about this.”

Song Jindou mulled over her words for a while but still didn’t believe her. “You’re my daughter? My daughter could never be this good-looking.”

Ah, how embarrassing.

Yu Liuxue chuckled. “Dad, it’s true. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Mom later. But Mom has been really busy making money to support us, so she can’t come for now. In the meantime, I’ll take care of you!”

The more Song Jindou looked at her, the more he felt she was up to no good. He quickly refused, “Get that worthless girl over here. I need to have a word with her.”

“Worthless girl?”

Song Jindou snorted. “Song Yiqiu.”

Yu Liuxue sighed, “Oh no, I don’t have Song Yiqiu’s contact information.”

Song Jindou nearly fainted from anger.

He couldn’t reach his wife or his daughter, and now this suspiciously attractive swindler insisted on staying to take care of him. Over the next few days, it felt like living in hell. The supposed “swindler” took care of him meticulously, but he just didn’t like it.

He couldn’t bear it.

After some time, Yu Liuxue casually mentioned, “Dad, even if you owe so much debt, it doesn’t seem like a reason for them to beat you up this badly, right?”

She said it offhandedly, but Song Jindou took it seriously. He thought about it and realized she had a point. He had been a habitual defaulter, and those people knew he couldn’t pay. But before, they had never been this violent. Why did they suddenly go crazy?

Yu Liuxue continued, “Dad, do you know? From now on, you’ll have to rely on others to take care of you. But don’t worry, I won’t just stand by and do nothing, and neither will Mom.”

Song Jindou was shocked. “What did you say?”

He struggled to sit up but ended up falling off the bed, unable to move. In horror, he realized he had lost all sensation below the neck. Yu Liuxue pretended to be alarmed and called the nurses to help him back into bed, comforting him before continuing, “Dad, you’ve been in the hospital for so long. Why hasn’t Yiqiu come to see you?”

“After all, you did raise her all these years.”

“By the way, when I went with Mom last month to pack up some things, I noticed that the people who beat you so badly were living the high life—drinking and having fun every day. I wonder where they suddenly got a fortune from.” She left it at that, then smiled and stood up.

“Dad, I have work to do, so I’ll be leaving now. I’ll find a way to contact Song Yiqiu.”

Finally, she was gone. Lying in bed, the more Song Jindou thought about it, the more he felt that the “swindler” had a hidden message in her words. He had spent years in the underworld and knew how these people operated. After Yu Liuxue’s hints, he quickly came to a conclusion: someone must have paid to have him crippled.

As for who…

Hu Qiong was too timid—she wouldn’t dare, didn’t have the guts, and lacked the money. That left Song Yiqiu…

She did have money, and the last time she visited home, she was particularly rebellious. They had even had a big argument. But would she really go so far as to hire people to beat him to the point of paralysis?

Aside from Song Yiqiu, he had made many enemies over the years, but none of them would bother hiring debt collectors to do the job. If they wanted to get rid of him, they would have done it themselves. Why waste money hiring thugs?

Whatever Song Jindou was thinking about, Yu Liuxue didn’t care. Today, she had a date with Ye Jin. She returned home, happily dressed up, and went to the meeting place.

Both Yu Liuxue and Ye Jin were busy—one with family matters, the other with work—so they rarely had time to meet. As soon as they finished eating, Ye Jin asked, “Get a room?”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

“Let’s go to your place.”

Ye Jin immediately nodded, carried her into the car, and said, “Alright.”

Yu Liuxue managed all the key plot characters in an orderly manner, but things weren’t going as smoothly on Song Yiqiu’s side. Ever since she found out that person was Ye Jin, she had suffered a major shock and had been bedridden ever since, staring at the ceiling every day with a pale face. Yi Ting had also called doctors to their home, but nothing worked. In the end, one of the doctors gently reminded him, “Madam’s illness is of the heart.”

A heart sickness? Yi Ting frowned. Song Yiqiu no longer needed to work, nor did she have to endure Tian Wenwen’s bullying. She could relax at home all day. What kind of heart sickness could she possibly have?

With an indifferent expression, Yi Ting walked upstairs. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw her small figure hunched over the toilet, vomiting violently. His heart ached immediately. Taking a quick stride forward, he soon reached her and gently held her from behind, stroking her head and back. In a low voice, he asked, “Feeling any better?”

Song Yiqiu’s face was deathly pale, almost devoid of color. She shook her head. “Still the same.”

Ever since she got pregnant, she had felt unwell all over. Sometimes, she even considered aborting the child. But she quickly suppressed that thought. If she dared to get rid of the baby, not only would Madam Yi never forgive her, but even Yi Ting would grow cold and disappointed with her.

But she truly felt miserable. It was bad enough that she wasn’t living as freely as the female supporting character, yet even pregnancy had to be this tough.

Thinking about it, Song Yiqiu’s eyes reddened again. She hugged her knees and sobbed softly. “Yi Ting, I’m so tired. Why hasn’t Mom come to see me? I miss them so much.”

Bai Mu and Hu Qiong hadn’t visited Song Yiqiu at all, not even once. Yi Ting felt something stir in his heart. He pulled her into his arms. “Yiqiu, once you’re feeling a bit better, I’ll take you to see them.”

Song Yiqiu’s tear-filled eyes lit up. “Really? You’re really willing to take me to see them?”

Only when Yi Ting nodded did Song Yiqiu finally smile. She buried her face in his shoulder, crying and laughing at the same time. “President Yi, you’re so good to me. I really like you.”

Yi Ting gently comforted her, coaxing her to sleep. Then he walked out onto the balcony, hesitated for a while, and finally picked up his phone to call Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue was exhausted and had just fallen asleep. Ye Jin, annoyed at being disturbed, opened her eyes and, upon seeing Yi Ting’s name on the screen, pressed the mute button. She then got up and went to the next room, her voice hoarse. “This is Ye Jin. Zhenzhen is already asleep.”

“If you have anything to say, tell me, and I’ll pass it on when she wakes up.”

Yi Ting paused for a long moment. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask how she’s doing.”

“She’s doing very well.”

The call ended.

Ye Jin returned to the bedroom. Yu Liuxue drowsily opened her eyes. “Who was it?”

“Yi Ting.” Ye Jin pulled her into an embrace and tucked the blanket around her. “Sleep, we’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

Yu Liuxue squinted slightly, half-conscious. “Why would Yi Ting call me in the middle of the night?”

Still half-asleep, she thought about it. Yi Ting would never willingly ask her for help. The only thing that could make him lower his head was most likely Song Yiqiu. But she was too exhausted to care. Yu Liuxue lazily kicked Ye Jin and muttered, “You’re always so mean. I won’t go home with you anymore.”

Ye Jin stroked her face. “Okay.”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

The next morning, after waking up, Yu Liuxue excitedly called Yi Ting back. “I heard you called me last night after I fell asleep? Is something up with Song Yiqiu?”

Yi Ting hesitated for a moment before responding awkwardly, “Yiqiu is missing her family.”

“Oh.” Yu Liuxue revealed an unsurprised expression. Neither of her mothers had gone to see Song Yiqiu, so she must be panicking now, fearing that all her efforts would end up for nothing—that she would be left with nothing in the end, while someone else reaped the benefits.

Yu Liuxue chuckled. “If she’s missing her family… well, Dad happens to want to see her too. By the way, isn’t it time for her prenatal checkup? You can take her to visit Dad when you go to the hospital. As for Mom, I’ll handle it. After seeing Dad, just bring her over directly.”

Yi Ting sighed in relief and said in a low voice, “Zhenzhen, thank you.”

Yu Liuxue’s tone was lighthearted. “No need to thank me. I also hope she can have a happy pregnancy and not let her emotions affect the baby’s development.”

Yi Ting gave a quiet “Mm” before ending the call.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Liuxue immediately rushed home. Bai Mu was in the living room eating an orange. As soon as Yu Liuxue saw her, she grabbed the orange and began peeling it for her. Bai Mu gave her a cool look. “Spit it out. What do you want this time?”

Yu Liuxue blinked and grinned. “Mom, Yi Ting called and said Song Yiqiu misses you all and wants to see you. You know, she’s carrying Yi Ting’s child now, and pregnant women can be emotionally unstable…”

Bai Mu subtly furrowed her brows. Though Song Yiqiu had once been a part of her, she had long since come to regard Bai Zhenzhen as her true daughter. Over the years, all her love and tears had been devoted to Bai Zhenzhen. Though there was no blood relation, their bond was stronger than that of biological mother and daughter.

Bai Mu had never particularly liked Song Yiqiu. Though the girl had a sweet appearance, she was increasingly petty and had repeatedly tried to scheme against Zhenzhen.

As a mother, she could never tolerate that.

Hearing that Song Yiqiu wanted to see her now, Bai Mu didn’t feel any joy—only faint disgust. She even wanted to sever ties completely.

Yu Liuxue carefully watched Bai Mu’s expression before continuing, “Mom, none of us have visited her since she got pregnant, and that’s not a good look. But after this visit, Yi Ting won’t let her go out freely anymore. She’ll have to stay put at his house until she gives birth…”

Bai Mu’s eyes brightened. “Alright, tell her to come over for lunch.”

“Mom, I’ll go arrange it right now!” Yu Liuxue handed her the peeled orange. Bai Mu rolled her eyes. “You’re quite the magnanimous one.”

Madam Bai couldn’t help but feel suspicious. If a normal girl found out she had been switched at birth, wouldn’t she try every means possible to hold on to the love of her adoptive parents? So why was her own daughter acting like everything was fine, as if the world was full of love and harmony?

Yu Liuxue smiled faintly, wiped her hands clean, and replied to Yi Ting’s message. Yi Ting quickly gave her a specific time.

When the time came, Yi Ting first accompanied Song Yiqiu for her prenatal checkup. After confirming that the baby was healthy, he helped her walk toward Song Jindou’s hospital room. However, just before they entered, Song Yiqiu suddenly stopped. She stood nervously at the door, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on her palms.

Yi Ting looked at her with concern. “What’s wrong?”

For some reason, Song Yiqiu felt uneasy. She forced a smile onto her face and shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Yi Ting, can you wait here for me?” Song Yiqiu pressed her pale lips together. “I want to go in and talk to my dad alone first.”

Yi Ting ruffled her hair. “Alright, I’ll wait outside. If anything happens, just call my name.”

Song Yiqiu forced another weak smile before raising her hand and slowly pushing open the hospital room door.

Hearing the noise, Song Jindou thought it was a nurse coming to tend to him again. He was just about to curse when he opened his eyes and saw his slightly chubby daughter, Song Yiqiu. His expression immediately turned furious. “Is it you?! Did you hire people to beat me up?!”

Song Yiqiu was stunned for a moment before panic set in. She tried to appear calm as she stood behind the door. “Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly do something like that?!”

Song Jindou ignored her explanation and continued, “Good, very good! I never thought that after raising you, you’d turn out to be such an ungrateful wretch! It’s bad enough that you don’t respect me, but now you’ve even sent people to cripple me! How could I have raised such an ungrateful beast?!”

Suppressing the panic in her heart, Song Yiqiu shouted, “Dad, stop spouting nonsense!”

Hearing her yell, Yi Ting immediately pushed the door open. Song Jindou became even more agitated, trembling with rage on the hospital bed. “Is it him?! Is he your accomplice?!”

Yi Ting frowned. “Yiqiu, what’s going on?”

Song Yiqiu quickly pulled Yi Ting out of the room, crying. “Dad must have hurt his head—he’s saying crazy things. He claims I want to harm him, but he’s my father! How could I ever do such a thing?”

Hearing the commotion, a nurse rushed into the room. Since Song Yiqiu was pregnant and couldn’t be overly agitated, Yi Ting instructed the doctor to thoroughly examine Song Jindou before pulling Song Yiqiu out of the hospital. “I’ve asked the doctor to check on him properly. I’ll come back in a few days to see the results myself.”

Song Yiqiu nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue let out a sigh, seemingly deep in thought. “Song Yiqiu will be here soon. Mom, I’ll go pick her up.”

Madam Bai lifted her eyelids lazily. “Good timing. Your mom is about to arrive too—go pick them both up.”

Hu Qiong and Song Yiqiu arrived almost simultaneously. When Hu Qiong saw Song Yiqiu’s slightly protruding belly, she let out a cold snort and immediately linked arms with Yu Liuxue, walking inside without a word.

Madam Bai was instantly displeased, but she couldn’t lose her temper, so she simply glanced at Yi Ting and said flatly, “Let’s go.”

Hu Qiong and Yu Liuxue quickly engaged in conversation, and Madam Bai soon joined in, unwilling to be left out. Song Yiqiu sat quietly to the side. Watching the three women chatting and laughing, a bitter taste spread in her heart.

At the same time, a faint sense of resentment began to rise.

That resentment grew stronger and stronger until it finally overwhelmed her reason.

Seizing the opportunity when Hu Qiong and Madam Bai went into the kitchen, Song Yiqiu made her move. She had a calm expression, but her eyes gleamed with a hint of madness. She blocked Yu Liuxue’s path. “Zhenzhen, let’s go upstairs and talk.”

Yu Liuxue looked at Song Yiqiu with an amused expression and nodded slowly. “Alright.”

The two of them ascended the staircase one after the other, with Yu Liuxue following behind. She excitedly spoke to the system, “I bet a pack of spicy sticks that Song Yiqiu is going to frame me!”

This familiar, over-the-top drama—it was the classic setup of a CEO romance novel!

“Ah—”

A piercing scream shattered the silence.

Yi Ting, Madam Bai, and Hu Qiong all looked toward the staircase, only to see Song Yiqiu suddenly flailing wildly as she fell backward. Her body tumbled onto the stairs, her head slamming hard against the solid stone, and then she rolled down step by step.

A pool of blood slowly spread beneath her.

The system: “……” Damn, she really did it.

Yi Ting went crazy. He immediately rushed to Song Yiqiu and scooped up her nearly unconscious body. “Yiqiu! Yiqiu, are you okay?!”

Madam Bai and Hu Qiong quickly ran over. “What happened?! How did she fall down the stairs all of a sudden…”

Barely conscious, Song Yiqiu weakly raised a trembling finger and pointed at Yu Liuxue, tears of grievance streaming down her face. “Yi Ting… Mom… Zhenzhen, she… she…”

“Bai Zhenzhen, what did you do to her?!” Yi Ting roared.

Yu Liuxue blinked innocently and slowly raised her phone, showing a video recording. She shrugged harmlessly. “She lost her balance and fell down the stairs by herself. Why are you yelling at me?”

Yu Liuxue handed the phone to Madam Bai. “I have video evidence.”

Song Yiqiu was so enraged she nearly fainted on the spot.

Madam Bai watched the video and then turned to Song Yiqiu, a questioning look in her eyes.

Realizing she had completely shot herself in the foot, Song Yiqiu’s face turned ashen. Under the weight of eight scrutinizing eyes, she forced herself to change her words. “Zhenzhen… she… she tried to catch me but wasn’t fast enough…”