Ye Shaohua spoke calmly, and everyone could tell she was serious.
An Tingjun finally understood why Ye Shaohua’s parents had acted the way they did. Ye Shaohua had endured the unfortunate childhood that should have been An Tongtong’s.
Yet, just as Ye’s parents realized their mistakes and wanted to make amends, the truth about their identities was revealed. An Tongtong returned, having never experienced that painful childhood, yet she reaped the benefits of her parents’ newfound love and care.
He slammed his fist on the table beside him. The impact must have hurt, but he felt nothing. His eyes, however, were bloodshot.
He had once resented her coldness. The mix-up wasn’t their fault, so why did she act as if everyone owed her something? Why did she isolate herself in her own castle?
Now he understood.
She wasn’t An Tongtong, the princess living in a fairy tale. From beginning to end, she had been alone.
Madam An was already in tears.
She could imagine the kind of life her daughter had lived. An Tongtong had An Tingjun, servants, and tutors, but her own daughter had no one!
She had thought that since Ye Shaohua was the only child in the Ye family, they wouldn’t mistreat her.
She had hoped the two families could coexist peacefully, and she even tried to balance her affection between the two daughters. Never had she imagined the kind of life her biological daughter had endured in the Ye household.
From the moment Ye Shaohua returned, Madam An had favored An Tongtong, hoping to make her feel loved despite not being a biological member of the An family.
But now, recalling everything, her heart ached so much she could barely breathe.
Her child should have been the cherished jewel of the An family, yet for the first eighteen years of her life, she had suffered in such conditions.
Especially after the truth came out, Madam An had tried to maintain balance, but everything that should have belonged to Ye Shaohua had been given to An Tongtong by the Ye parents. She couldn’t even imagine how Ye Shaohua had endured during that time.
And to make matters worse, she, as the biological mother, had repeatedly rubbed salt in her daughter’s wounds after learning the truth.
“Mom… can I…” Madam An reached out to Ye Shaohua. She realized that since Ye Shaohua had returned to the An family, she had never once hugged her.
Ye Shaohua glanced at her indifferently.
Before she could respond, a cold, deep voice echoed through the room, each word heavy with emotion: “No.”
The sudden voice made everyone in the room turn toward the source.
Mo Yunchen walked in, his presence exuding a dangerous, oppressive aura that silenced anyone who thought of speaking. He wrapped an arm around Ye Shaohua’s shoulders.
Ye Shaohua, who had been holding herself together, finally showed a crack in her composure. She let out a self-mocking smile.
Perhaps she was influenced by the original host’s emotions, or maybe it was something else, but her fingers trembled slightly.
“Let’s go,” Mo Yunchen said, his icy gaze sweeping across the room. As he turned to leave, no one dared to stop him.
By the time he reached the door, An Tingjun finally snapped out of his daze and moved to follow, but Mo Yunsheng, who had slipped in from outside, blocked his path.
“An Tingjun, I suggest you don’t provoke him. My brother is in a bad mood, and he’s only holding back because of Shaohua,” Mo Yunsheng said, glancing at the people in the room with a hint of disdain.
Uncle Yao watched Mo Yunchen’s retreating figure, feeling that the man looked familiar but unable to recall his name. He turned to An Tingjun, “Who was that who took Shaohua away?”
An Tingjun simply shook his head, exhausted. He then looked at Grandpa An, not saying a word.
He felt a sense of relief. Thank goodness, at least she had always had Grandpa by her side. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine how she would have endured…
The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if a storm was brewing.
It was only then that An Tongtong truly felt fear.
She looked at Madam An, then at An Liguo, “Dad… Mom…”
“Don’t call me Mom,” Madam An replied emotionlessly.
No matter how pitiful An Tongtong looked, crying her heart out, Madam An felt no sympathy. All she could think about was the suffering Ye Shaohua had endured. Compared to that, what was An Tongtong’s pain?
“You’ve always wanted to return to a loving family, right? Then get out of our house with your biological parents. Butler—” Madam An took a deep breath and called for the butler to escort them out.
She had foolishly doted on this adopted daughter, but now it seemed the Ye parents must have been laughing at her behind her back.
Grandpa An sat on the sofa, still in shock. An Tingjun stood by his side, worried that the old man might suffer a heart attack from the stress, and didn’t pay any attention to An Tongtong.
At this point, no one objected to An Tongtong leaving the An family.
“Tongtong, let’s go!” Mrs. Ye, unable to stand the arrogance of these wealthy people, grabbed An Tongtong’s hand and tried to pull her away.
An Tongtong, seeing Madam An’s cold expression, shook off Mrs. Ye’s hand and stood up. She decided to go all out, “Fine! You’re kicking me out now, but what good will it do? Without me, how will the An family negotiate or compete for projects? What use is Ye Shaohua? She’s been away for eighteen years! What influence does she have compared to me? In high society, everyone sees her as a joke. She’s nothing but a useless medical student! The so-called Miss Ye you want to recognize is just a laughingstock!”
Her words were like a dagger to the heart.
Madam An couldn’t hold back any longer and slapped An Tongtong across the face.
An Liguo, clutching his chest, couldn’t catch his breath and fainted on the spot. The An family had a history of heart conditions, and he couldn’t handle the stress.
Surprisingly, Grandpa An, who usually had a weak heart, managed to hold on, while An Liguo, who was usually healthy, collapsed.
“Get out!” An Tingjun shouted, his eyes red as he ordered An Tongtong to be thrown out.
For eighteen years, they had been blind!
Mo Yunsheng, standing at the door, watched the drama unfold with disinterest. He lazily glanced at An Tongtong and said, “An Tongtong, you’re wrong about one thing. Our Shaohua is far more outstanding than you. You? You’re not even worth her pinky finger.”