Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The painkillers took effect quickly.

I slept well, and early the next morning, I was jolted awake by uninvited guests outside the door.

“…Uncle, I don’t like Song Huaqing. Mingxi is thoughtful, sweet, and obedient. Anyone with eyes would like her.”

“I won’t interfere with your relationships, but your engagement with Huaqing has already been called off. For the near future, I expect you to behave yourself,” Jiang Siyan instructed coldly.

In the middle of the night, my engagement to Jiang Yu had already been dissolved.

After a whole night for the news to spread, there was probably no one left who didn’t know.

The next second, Song Mingxi’s voice rang out.

“Uncle… I’m also a daughter of the Song Family. In the future, I’ll have a share of Song Group too. I’m no worse than my sister. Jiang Yu and I truly love each other.”

She really was impossible to shake off.

I pulled a shawl around myself, opened the door, and walked out.

From the instant I appeared, Jiang Siyan’s gaze seemed glued to me. He watched me pass by Song Mingxi and Jiang Yu, then sit down beside him.

I rubbed my aching neck, yawned, then turned my head to size up the two people standing there in a daze. I smiled.

“Well, what a coincidence. You two haven’t even changed out of yesterday’s clothes. So you spent the whole night fooling around outside, huh?”

Jiang Siyan glanced at me and, without a word, adjusted my shawl for me.

Jiang Yu’s initial surprise gradually twisted into disgust and anger. “Do you even know how to talk? What do you mean, fooling around?”

“Before the engagement was even canceled, you were out flirting with whoever would take you. If that isn’t fooling around, what is it?”

“And what about you, Song Huaqing? You have the nerve to talk about me?”

“Oh. You slept with my sister, and I slept with your uncle. Seems fair to me.” I leaned against Jiang Siyan. “After all, it’s not as if you’re the only two who can arrange a marriage alliance. Be good now. Call me Auntie.”

The corner of Jiang Siyan’s mouth lifted. He did not object.

Jiang Yu stared in disbelief. “Uncle! Do you know what kind of woman she-”

“Jiang Yu,” Jiang Siyan cut him off, his tone calm. “If you don’t know how to speak properly, I can send you back to the old residence to learn.”

Jiang Yu’s face darkened, but he did not dare make another sound.

Song Mingxi clenched her fists, looking as if she had decided to go all in.

“Uncle, I admit it was wrong of me to steal my sister’s fiancé. But Jiang Yu and my sister never had any feelings for each other. Since it was a marriage alliance either way, why can’t it be me instead?”

After that, she did not forget to lecture me. “Sis, no matter how angry you are, you can’t joke around with your own purity. My mom said that a girl has to know self-respect and self-love…”

I got up and poured myself a glass of water.

Song Mingxi was still going. “…and stay faithful to one person. I may be an illegitimate daughter, but I’ve never been promiscuous. I dare say I’m cleaner than most girls.”

Holding the glass, I asked, “Are you done?”

Song Mingxi’s face was flushed, glowing with the satisfaction of having finally said her piece, as if her years of humiliation as an illegitimate daughter had at last been vindicated today.

I smiled. “Thanks. Your bullshit stinks to high heaven.”

With that, I splashed the entire glass of water straight into Song Mingxi’s face. Amid her piercing screams and sobs, I picked up the coat from the sofa, wrapped it around myself, and smoothly slipped into my high heels.

“President Jiang, please have your nephew send my sister home safely later. Last night was very enjoyable. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Jiang Siyan said, “Huaqing, you haven’t had break-”

The rest of his words were shut behind the door.

Because of that, I had no idea that after I left, Jiang Siyan looked at the steaming breakfast on the table, his expression cooling inch by inch. “Miss Song, are you finished?”

Jiang Yu wrapped an arm around Song Mingxi, comforting her while shouting, “Uncle! You saw that woman! She’s like a lunatic!”

Jiang Siyan let out a cold laugh. “Jiang Yu, go back and pack. Get ready to study abroad.”

Song Mingxi was incredulous. “Uncle-”

“It seems your father never taught you,” Jiang Siyan said, his gaze terrifyingly cold, “that I don’t like people claiming kinship with me at random. Jiang Yu is going abroad, Miss Song. I suggest you listen to your sister and focus on your classes.”

I hailed a cab by the roadside.

When we passed an intersection, I saw that the announcement dissolving the engagement between the Jiang and Song families had already been posted there.

My gloomy mood improved quite a bit.

I had my assistant bring me a change of clothes, then spent the whole day at the office with a hot water bottle in my arms. When I got off work and returned home, the moment I pushed open the door, I heard a woman sobbing inside.

After rounding the entryway, I saw Song Mingxi and her mother sitting on the sofa. Both of their eyes were red, and even the way they cried and complained was exactly the same.

On Song Mingxi’s mother’s wrist was my mother’s jade bracelet. She was wearing my mother’s clothes as she said, “Honey, from today on, I’m living in this house! I’d like to see who dares bully our Mingxi now!”

I really hadn’t expected that by the second day, she would already be so impatient to climb into my mother’s place.

When Aunt Liu saw me, she raised her voice and came over from a distance to greet me. “Oh my, Eldest Miss is back!”

Their conversation stopped abruptly.

I looked at Liu Chunhua’s displeased face. My expression was gentle, my manner polite and refined as I spoke.

“Auntie Liu is here. Mingxi, why didn’t you tell me?”

The words Liu Chunhua had been about to use against me stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth, then said stiffly, “Huaqing, it’s been many years.”

It had indeed been many years.

Back then, when my mother wasn’t around, Liu Chunhua had crouched beside me and said, “Your father will abandon you and your mother sooner or later.”

She scared me so badly that I couldn’t sleep for several nights, terrified my parents would divorce.

Such a vicious woman, yet in front of my father, she always played the poor and helpless victim.

I took off my coat. When I lowered my head and saw that Liu Chunhua was wearing my mother’s slippers, my smile stiffened slightly. Then, without letting anything show, I walked over and sat down beside my father.

Liu Chunhua’s hands were a bit rough; as she moved, a snag caught on her brand-new silk dress, pulling a thread and ruining the fine fabric.

My father cleared his throat lightly. “Huaqing, from today on, your Auntie Liu will be living here with us.”

Without a single word of explanation, he simply informed me.

Song Mingxi snuggled coquettishly in Liu Chunhua’s arms. “Mom, Jiang Yu and I are dating, but Sister won’t allow it.”

Liu Chunhua assumed the air of the first wife. “Huaqing, I know you have high standards and look down on arranged marriages, but your father built everything from scratch. It wasn’t easy. Mingxi and I know how to cherish him. What you won’t do, Mingxi will-all for the good of our Song Group. What do you have to be angry about?”

My father glared at me, his tone unfriendly: “Why did you throw water at your sister today in front of President Jiang?”

When I was little and made mistakes, my father was just like this. Back then, he would then comfort me: “This is Daddy’s way of showing love.” Later I realized it was all bullshit. Expecting Song Feng to love someone was like waiting for a boar to give birth.

At this moment, they seemed like a real family.

I laughed. “Didn’t she deserve it?”

“What kind of attitude is that!” My father’s brows furrowed.

Liu Chunhua suddenly choked up. “All these years, I’ve been hiding in a small town with Mingxi. I can do without comfort, but Mingxi is different. She’s still young. The education you’ve received, she’s never even seen. All I want is for Mingxi to have a place to belong. Is that so hard?”

My father seemed to be reminded of past pains. “Chunhua, I’ve wronged you and our daughter.”

My previously calm anger suddenly flared up.

He’s sorry to Liu Chunhua and Song Mingxi, but does that make it right for my mom and me?

I clenched my fists, keeping my tone even.

“Jiang Siyan called off the engagement because Song Mingxi caused a scandal. She stole my fiancé, and the entertainment reporters made it public knowledge. Last night, Song Mingxi posted on her Moments: ‘True love is innocent.’ Dad, you must know what kind of impact this will have on our family if it spreads.”

My father scrolled through his Moments. “Why didn’t I see it?”

I randomly pulled up a gossip article and read it aloud in front of the three of them: “Song Mingxi’s birth mother rose to power as a mistress; her daughter follows in her footsteps. Song Group’s DNA equals mistress culture?”

My father’s face turned livid. “Which media outlet said that! I’ll sue them!”

“Are you going to sue every single one? And besides, are they wrong?”

“I didn’t steal him! You just couldn’t hold on to Jiang Yu! He was willing!” Song Mingxi yelled, her eyes red. “Are you so scared that I’ll take your things? Song Huaqing, you’re afraid!”

Liu Chunhua wiped her tears. “Husband, it’s fine if my status isn’t legitimate, but for our child-do you still want her to suffer such grievances?”

I smiled. “Dad, look, this is just a simple little report with fewer than two hundred views. Yet Mingxi is yelling at me, and Auntie Liu is crying. People who can’t control their emotions-are you really comfortable entrusting the important task of marriage alliances to them? If Auntie Liu moves in with us and tomorrow reporters are blocking the door, how can you ensure they’ll calmly go through an interview without giving the reporters ammunition?”

My father’s face was livid, his lips pressed tight without a word.

Liu Chunhua dried her tears and calmed down. “Husband, I can do it. Whatever Sister Lan could do, I can too.”

Sister Lan was my mother, who back then moved effortlessly through the high-society wives’ social circles and smoothed over many things for my father.

Did she really think that by wearing my mother’s clothes and putting on her jewelry, she’d be just like her?

My father shot me a glance, his eyes evasive. “Huaqing, let it go. A few times and she’ll get the hang of it.”

He knew he was in the wrong, yet he was determined to protect the two of them.

“Fine.” I called my secretary. “Arrange a press conference for the Song Group tomorrow. The chairman is remarrying, and Ms. Liu Chunhua will be attending.”

“Wait! I-”

I cut off Liu Chunhua. “Don’t worry, Auntie Liu, take it easy. I’ll help you practice. The reporters will only ask a few standard questions.”

I stared into her eyes, a faint, cold smile curling on my lips. “Ms. Liu Chunhua, what was your purpose in being a mistress? For Mr. Song’s money or the man himself?”

Annoyance flickered in Liu Chunhua’s eyes, but she feigned composure. “I have always loved the man himself, and our feelings were within the bounds of propriety-”

“Miss Song Mingxi is the same age as Song Huaqing. May I ask what method you used to seduce Mr. Song into having an affair back then?”

Liu Chunhua’s face went pale, and my father frowned, clenching his fists tightly.

“How do you interpret the term ‘whore’?”

“What is your view on Song Mingxi’s identity as an illegitimate daughter?”

Liu Chunhua was trembling all over.

“How do you explain her interfering in someone else’s relationship?”

“Have you ever taught your own daughter how to be a third party-”

“Stop it! Stop it!” Liu Chunhua shrieked, grabbing the teapot and hurling it straight at my head. I didn’t dodge. A huge lump formed on my forehead, the skin broken.

Song Mingxi was already crying, covering her ears and sobbing quietly.

I still smiled as I finally shifted my gaze to my father:

“Is the Song Group openly promoting mistress culture? This runs completely counter to the Song Group’s brand philosophy. How do you explain this-scandal-to the public?”

“Enough!” My father slammed his hand on the table, breathing heavily, the veins on his forehead bulging.

I silently covered my forehead. “These are all questions from the reporters’ interview drafts… Auntie Liu, you injured me today. Tomorrow, are you going to injure a reporter? My father wants dignity. My mother worked so hard for him all these years, without complaint, to earn it. Are you going to destroy all of it the moment you step into this home?”

My father had already noticed my injury. A faint flicker of concern crossed his eyes. “Huaqing, are you all right?”

Blood ran down between my fingers.

I ignored it and went on. “Dad, ask yourself honestly-have I not treated Song Mingxi well? I signed her up for finance classes, and the moment my back was turned, she hooked up with Jiang Yu. Then she even had the nerve to run to Jiang Siyan and demand that the marriage alliance candidate be changed to her. You know better than I do what kind of man Jiang Siyan is. If we keep changing our minds and making a fool of him, what will our family have left to stand on in A City?”

My father’s expression changed at once. He turned and fixed Song Mingxi with a deadly stare. “You little bastard. What did you say to him?”

It seemed Song Mingxi had been rather selective when she told on me.

“She said that in the future, the Song Family would have a share for her too, and that she wasn’t any worse than me, so she was more suitable for the marriage alliance than I was.” I leaned back and let Aunt Liu tend to my wound. Where my father couldn’t see, I gave the mother and daughter a provocative smile, then added, “She also said… sooner or later, her name would be written into your will.”

“Bullshit! Song Huaqing! You’re slandering me!” Song Mingxi jumped up in fury.

Aunt Liu spoke at just the right moment, cutting her off. “Oh, Eldest Miss, didn’t you go to the temple a few days ago to ask for a protective charm for Sir?”

I smiled. “I don’t have my mother anymore. From now on, the only family I can rely on is Dad. I just hope he’ll live a long, healthy life.”

My father was getting older, and in recent years, he had started paying more attention to his health.

One of us was hoping he’d die. The other was hoping he’d live.

He knew perfectly well which words touched his heart.

He asked Aunt Liu, “Where’s the protective charm?”

Aunt Liu took it out of her pocket. “It was the day before yesterday, I think. Sir, when you went to pick up Second Miss, Eldest Miss went to the temple. She even caught a cold from the freezing weather after she came back.”

His expression softened, guilt and regret surfacing on his face. “Huaqing-”

I glanced at the time and only felt utterly sick of it all. With a sigh, I said, “Dad, I just want you to be well.”

“Honey… no…” Liu Chunhua cried until she was a mess of tears. “I don’t want them talking about me like this.”

Song Mingxi refused to back down. “Dad, she made it all up… I didn’t…”

The waves of crying in the living room were irritating beyond belief.

He cut Liu Chunhua and Song Mingxi off impatiently.

“Enough. I still have a business trip to catch. The two of you had better behave yourselves at home. As for the company matters, leave them to Huaqing.”

With that, my father left without looking back.

The roar of the car drowned out their sobs.

Only after the car had gone far away did I pull out a tissue and wipe away my tears. “Aunt Liu, strip her clean.”

Before Liu Chunhua could react, Aunt Liu led several others forward in a rush and pinned her down on the sofa.

Liu Chunhua’s furious shrieks came from beneath the pile of people.

“Song Huaqing! Let go of my mom!”

I smiled and grabbed Song Mingxi. “One bracelet alone costs seven hundred thousand. That’s not your mother. That’s just a thief who walked in through the front door.”

“Bullshit!”

“Aunt Liu, call the police. And while you’re at it, pull the surveillance footage from my mom’s bedroom and hand it over to them too.”

Liu Chunhua’s eyes reddened with panic as she screamed hysterically, “You little bastard! I’m your father’s wife! What in this house doesn’t belong to me?”

My face darkened. I walked over, raised my hand, and slapped Liu Chunhua across the face. “Open your dog eyes and take a good look. In this house, aside from Song Mingxi, nothing belongs to you.”

“You unfilial wretch!”

Smack!

I slapped her again, grabbed her by the hair, and forced her to lift her face and look at me. Then I smiled faintly.

“Auntie Liu, forgive me for the poor hospitality. You only just arrived, and now I have to invite you to enjoy prison food. I hope you’ll bear with it.”

When the police arrived, Song Mingxi’s face turned deathly pale. She had never seen such a scene before.

Liu Chunhua screamed at her until her voice nearly tore apart. “Call your father!”

In a fluster, Song Mingxi tried calling several times, but the call never went through.

I stood to the side with my arms crossed, watching. Out of kindness, I reminded her, “Mingxi, Dad is overseas. You have to make an international call.”

Song Mingxi froze. She didn’t know how to make an international call. In the end, she could only watch helplessly as Liu Chunhua was taken away by the police.

Song Mingxi broke down. “Song Huaqing, I’m Dad’s child too. That’s a fact neither you nor I can change. I know you’re biased against me, but ask yourself honestly-if I had received the same education as you since childhood, would I be like this now? You only started higher than me. That doesn’t mean you’re more capable than I am. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been first in my class. I was recommended for admission to the best local university and won scholarships every year. Song Huaqing, do you dare compete with me? You treating me and my mom like this-what are you so afraid of?”

I gave her a sideways glance. “Have you understood your finance classes? What did the teacher cover? Did you preview the material? Did you review it afterward?”

Song Mingxi was rendered speechless by my questions.

“If you think joining a wealthy family means you can do nothing all day, live off others, flirt with some empty-headed rich second-generation heir, and rise to the top of life, then you’d better roll back to wherever you came from.” I pulled out a schedule and threw it at her. “I’ve already spoken to Dad. From now on, it won’t just be finance classes. English, etiquette, management-you’ll attend all of them. You have three months. If you don’t produce results, then there’s no need for you to remain in the Song Family.”

Song Mingxi was clearly dissatisfied with my arrangements. “How am I supposed to finish learning all of this? Song Huaqing, stop lecturing me with that superior attitude of yours.”

But she didn’t know that this was how I had grown up.

I no longer wanted to hear another word from Song Mingxi. “Aunt Liu, keep a close eye on her. If she doesn’t behave, call my dad directly.”

With that, I drove away from the villa.