Chapter 87: The Secret

At the same time, a voice seemed to ring in Xu Yunzhuo’s mind.

It was Xu’s father.

When Xu Yunzhuo had only just returned to the Xu family, he had said to her, “The Xu family can shelter you, and it can also take back what you have. If you refuse to obey, if you don’t marry Pei Jin, and cause the Xu family to lose the Pei family as a powerful ally, then I will make life hard for your foster mother. For the sake of your pitiful foster mother, I hope you will do your utmost to curry favor with Pei Jin. Do you understand?”

At eighteen, Xu Yunzhuo had bowed her head, thrown her dignity to the ground, and from then on followed her father’s orders to win over Pei Jin.

For five whole years, she could not warm the heart of even one man.

She had given her effort, her energy, her time, and the faint stirrings of affection that had grown for Pei Jin beneath the numbness, along with the tears, the confusion, and the despair after heartbreak.

That memory had originally been lost.

Perhaps because the original owner of this body did not wish to remember it, Xu Yunzhuo, who had taken over this body, had also no recollection of it.

Now, hearing her father’s similar words, it all came flooding back at once.

A mocking smile appeared on Xu Yunzhuo’s face.

Years of survival in an orphanage had taught her that she should pretend to agree and continue circling with her father. A man like him, who valued profit above all and would stop at nothing to secure it, would only make her future life more troublesome.

But Xu Yunzhuo felt sick at the thought of spending even one more second with them. She let out a scornful laugh, her gaze drifting to Xu Mu ning, who was hiding upstairs and peeking down furtively. The look in her eyes was venomous enough to feel tangible.

Taking her eyes away, she looked straight at Xu’s father. “You don’t only have one daughter. Winning over the Pei family doesn’t have to be done by me.”

Madam Xu stiffened instinctively and looked at her husband.

Xu’s father frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Xu Yunzhuo’s expression was cold. “Is Xu Mu ning not your daughter too? Just have her do it. She may suit your tastes even more than I do.”

“And if you called me here only to say this, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. You can’t threaten me.”

Xu Yunzhuo took out a bank card and placed it on the table. “There are two and a half million yuan in here. Let’s call it repayment for your kindness over the past five years. From now on, Mr. Xu, we part ways. I won’t be coming back to the Xu family, and you can pretend you never had a daughter.”

Xu’s father’s face darkened. After Xu Yunzhuo finished speaking, she turned and left.

Only when her figure had completely disappeared did Xu’s father fiercely smash the cup in his hand, the sharp sound ringing out. Xu Mu ning, sitting in her wheelchair, was so frightened that she retreated back into her room.

Madam Xu hurriedly stood to soothe his breathing, lowering her voice. “What does she mean by that... Could she already know something?”

Xu’s father’s expression was gloomy. “Don’t talk nonsense. She can’t possibly know. Besides, in the eyes of outsiders, even if Niangniang is an impostor daughter, she is still our adopted daughter.”

Madam Xu frowned in displeasure, but in the end said nothing. Instead, she lifted a hand to her own face. “Hongye, have you dealt with that woman’s matter cleanly?”

Xu’s father’s brow furrowed hard, dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes. “You’re interfering too much. These are not things you should be asking about.”

Madam Xu’s eyes filled with quiet resentment. “I’m only afraid you’ll let old feelings interfere and ruin everything.” She looked around the vast villa. “Hongye, this all came at no small cost. It took us seven or eight years. If you handle it cleanly, then you’ll truly deserve my face, and our child.”

Xu’s father turned his head to look at her face, the desolation in his eyes going unnoticed by Madam Xu.

Not everything that looked the same was truly her.

“Mom, Dad, what are you talking about?”

It was Xu Yu’s voice, coming suddenly.

The two of them stopped speaking.

Seeing Xu Yu, Madam Xu immediately smiled brightly. “My son is back. I’ll go tell the kitchen to make your favorite braised pork ribs.”

Xu Yu smiled at her gently. “Thank you, Mom.”

The servants not far away were already used to this.

The Xu family’s husband and wife were truly strange people.

Madam Xu treated her adopted son and adopted daughter with the utmost care, worrying over every little thing.

But toward Xu Yunzhuo, she was neither warm nor cold.

Perhaps blood really could not compare with the closeness of years spent together.

Xu’s father looked at his son’s gentle and courteous manner, and could not help nodding in satisfaction. “Come with me to the study.”

“Yes.”

Xu Yu followed Xu’s father to his study.

To Xu’s father, the study was a sacred place. Normally he would not allow anyone in to clean it. Even when cleaning had to be done, only Madam Xu could do it, and he had to watch the entire time. He was almost absurdly cautious.

So when Xu Yu came in, he did not dare look around. With his eyes lowered slightly, he listened carefully as Xu’s father gave him his instructions.

The Xu family had been declining in recent years and needed investment.

Meanwhile, the Yun family in distant Sea City had also been constantly pouring money into the Xu family, leaving their own capital chain strained.

So Xu’s father needed a powerful family like the Pei family as support.

And what he instructed him to do was nothing more than build good relationships with those young masters in the upper circles of the capital so that he could secure projects.

But Xu’s father had not considered that in a circle like this, nobody was stupid.

Still, Xu Yu obediently agreed.

Xu’s father was very satisfied with his son’s attitude. Every task he assigned was carried out excellently.

Then, as if remembering something, he rose to his feet. “Wait here a few minutes. I’m going to get something.”

Xu Yu nodded.

Xu’s father was rather at ease with him.

Xu Yu did not move around, but walked to the side of Xu’s father’s desk. On it sat a photograph of a woman.

It was Madam Xu in her youth.

She faced the camera with a radiant smile, sunlight spilling over her, as though draping her in a layer of gold.

The only pity was that the photograph was only half there. The plump little hand, held by Madam Xu and resting on her knee, proved the identity of the person in the picture.

It was Xu Yunzhuo as a child.

It had been torn away, leaving only Madam Xu behind.

Xu Yu lowered his gaze, and memory suddenly returned to those summers of years past.

His eyes swept over the photograph inch by inch, studying it with unusual care, until at last he found a tiny detail.

On Madam Xu’s fair neck there was a small mole, so faint that one would miss it without close attention.

“What are you doing?”

Xu’s father’s voice came suddenly.

Xu Yu did not panic.

He simply turned and smiled at Xu’s father. “I was looking at Mom’s photo from when she was young. As I expected, it’s exactly the same as I remember.”

Xu’s father shoved a stack of documents into his arms, his face unreadable.

He reached out, casually tossing Madam Xu’s photograph into a drawer. “Nothing worth looking at. She was only a little younger back then. What I’m giving you are the connections I’ve accumulated over the years. They should be useful to you. Go on, leave.”

Xu Yu nodded, took the documents, and left without hesitation.

Outside, he ran into Madam Xu, who had come looking for him. Her eyes were warm with concern. “A Yu, the food is ready. Stay for lunch before you go?”

Xu Yu’s gaze fell on Madam Xu’s bare neck, then he smiled. “Mom, something came up at the company, so I won’t eat. I’ll come back next time and have a meal with you then.”

Madam Xu was a little disappointed, but quickly brightened. “About your sister going on that program next week, help arrange it for her. Put in a little more money. I think Niangniang is no worse than Yunzhuo at all. Maybe Niangniang has even more of a star’s destiny than Yunzhuo. What do you think?”

Xu Yu’s smile did not change. “I’ll take care of Niangniang. Don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Madam Xu was instantly reassured.

Xu Yu walked out of the villa, and his expression turned dark in an instant.

There was no mole on Madam Xu’s neck.