This was something the original host had never known. In the plotline Ye Shaohua received, she had already been mentally broken by repeated blows. By that point, Zhao Yijun likely hadn’t even considered her worth the effort, so this particular humiliation never happened.
Seeing Ye Shaohua standing motionless beside her mother, Zhao Yijun felt a twisted satisfaction.
No matter how successful you are, your mother will always be your greatest shame.
Honestly, at this point, Ji’s mother had only one thought—as long as her son was willing to get married, she didn’t care who the woman was.
But the way she looked at Zhao Yijun was thoughtful. From the moment this girl insisted on bringing her to see Ye’s mother, she knew there was more to it.
Ji’s mother was no fool. She saw right through it. Still, she had wanted to meet Ye Shaohua in person, so she hadn’t called it out.
Now that Zhao Yijun had publicly exposed Ye’s mother’s past, Ji’s mother gave her a deep look. “Miss Zhao, morally speaking, all people are equal. You have no right to judge another’s life.”
Ye’s mother wasn’t stupid either. She knew exactly why Zhao Yijun had brought Ji’s mother here.
And after Zhao Yijun’s words, Old Master Zhao’s silence had nailed her to a pillar of shame—not just her, but Ye Shaohua as well, for years to come.
No one expected what happened next.
Ye’s mother, with a courage no one knew she possessed, grabbed a dagger from the bedside table.
Even while lost in thought, Ye Shaohua’s reflexes were sharper than anyone else’s.
She caught the blade mid-air.
Blood dripped from her palm, staining the dagger red. She looked down at her mother—her face filled with shame, but her eyes resolute—and suddenly smiled.
Old Master Zhao finally spoke. “Shaohua, don’t blame Ye Dongxiang for hiding this from you. Some things are… difficult to admit. Our previous offer still stands. You’ll be a daughter of the Zhao family. Your mother’s past will be erased.”
“A dance hall girl? Why should that be difficult to admit?” Ye Shaohua tossed the dagger onto the table with a clatter. Her voice was calm, almost devoid of emotion. “Yes, she once lost her way. But who in this world hasn’t made mistakes? She pulled herself out of it. She worked twice as hard to prove herself. What right do you—or you—have to shame her?”
She paused, then continued, cold and unyielding. “This is my mother. No matter what she was in the past, she gave everything she had to raise me. She’s timid. She’s weak. She’s insecure. She has flaws, like anyone else. But as a mother? She did nothing wrong. She raised me well.”
Her gaze swept over Zhao Yijun and Old Master Zhao like a blade. “For the emotional distress and defamation you’ve caused today, I’ll be filing a lawsuit.”
The sheer intensity in her eyes made even Old Master Zhao flinch.
Ji’s mother was stunned. This composure, this presence… Since when are young people this formidable?
“There are some unwelcome guests in my mother’s room. Remove them.” Ye Shaohua didn’t bother bandaging her wound. She simply pressed a button on the intercom.
Within moments, black-suited bodyguards entered and escorted everyone out.
As Ji’s mother left, she glanced at Ye Shaohua’s bleeding hand and offered a perfunctory, “You should get that looked at.”
Ye Shaohua gave her a frosty nod.
Downstairs, Ji’s mother’s secretary stood waiting by the car. “Madam.”
Zhao Yijun, frustrated that her plan had backfired, wasn’t ready to give up. As Ji’s mother walked away, she called out loudly, “The whole internet knows Ye Shaohua was the other woman between me and Liu Yizhou! Don’t let her fool you today!”
Yes, Zhao Yijun knew that while Ye Shaohua had cleared her name of the “kept woman” scandal, the accusation of homewrecking still lingered.
She had even paid trolls to smear Ye Shaohua online. Since neither she nor Liu Yizhou were unknowns, the scandal had only grown, with “insiders” claiming Ye Shaohua had taken advantage of Zhao Yijun’s absence to seduce Liu Yizhou.
Comments flooded in:
“With her stock market genius, of course she’s scheming. This doesn’t surprise me.”
“High IQ doesn’t mean high morals. This is just dirty.”
A few defended Ye Shaohua, but they were quickly shouted down:
“Stop making excuses. If she had no history with the Lius, why were she and Liu Yizhou so cozy in those photos?”
“To all Ye’s defenders: may you also have a ‘best friend’ who lusts after your boyfriend!”
The scandal raged overnight. Liu Yizhou never stepped forward to clarify, which finally eased Zhao Yijun’s nerves.
Relieved, she turned her attention back to work—only to be met the next morning by a weary-looking General Manager Ding.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning. The company had been struggling lately, its stocks plummeting.
Ding shook his head. “Nothing much. Starting today, Miss Zhao, you’re relieved of your duties.”
“Relieved?” Zhao Yijun’s frown deepened. She had chosen this company carefully—not the largest, but a place to hone her skills and network for her eventual takeover of the Zhao family.
“No explanation needed. The company’s new CEO is Miss Ye.”
Ding had realized the truth the moment he saw Ye Shaohua on the financial news. This was why Fenghua Group had cut ties with him.
In all his years in business, this was his first major misjudgment. Bullying interns wasn’t new for him—but of all people, he’d picked the one who turned out to be an industry titan in disguise.
Who could’ve guessed that an ordinary intern—no family backing, no connections—would become the most talked-about financial prodigy?
Zhao Yijun collected two months’ severance and left. At least, she consoled herself, Ye Shaohua’s online reputation was in tatters—worse than hers.
But when she got home, an even bigger surprise awaited.
“That jinx Ye Shaohua is all the old man cares about now,” Zhao’s mother spat, her fury barely contained. “We should’ve let those kidnappers finish her off back then.”
Zhao Yijun froze. “Wait—are you saying Ye Shaohua was part of that kidnapping case? She’s the girl who escaped?”
