“I’ve been a bit busy lately,” Ye Shaohua replied with a faint smile, not mentioning that her room had been turned into An Tongtong’s bedroom. She didn’t feel the need to dwell on it. Right now, she had more important things to focus on, and she wasn’t about to waste time on trivial matters.
Grandpa An asked a few more questions about her hand, but Ye Shaohua brushed them off with brief answers.
The redistribution of assets had been prompted by Ye Shaohua’s return, and the lawyer, speaking on Grandpa An’s behalf, laid out the new arrangements. Grandpa An held 40% of An Corporation’s shares, with An Father holding 15%, An Tingjun 5%, Ye Shaohua 10%, and the remaining 10% allocated to the second branch of the family.
An Father already owned 11% of the shares, so with the additional 15%, he now held 26%, making him the largest shareholder in An Corporation.
Meanwhile, An Tongtong, standing to the side, dug her nails into her palms, her frustration barely contained.
An Tingjun suddenly stood up, his voice sharp. “This isn’t fair! Tongtong doesn’t even get 0.5% of the shares? Grandpa, she’s your granddaughter too!”
“Enough!” An Father shot An Tingjun a cold glare. “If you keep disrespecting your grandfather like this, you can leave!”
An Tingjun swallowed his words, glaring at Ye Shaohua before sitting back down.
“Tongtong, I have other plans for her. As for the shares, let’s be clear—these are the An family’s shares. Just because she occupied Shaohua’s place for eighteen years doesn’t mean she’s the An family’s true heiress,” Grandpa An said sternly.
An Tongtong caught the underlying message in Grandpa An’s words. She glanced at Ye Shaohua, who stood there expressionless, and for the first time, she felt a surge of resentment toward this woman who had suddenly appeared and taken her place.
When it came to signing the documents for the shares, Ye Shaohua declined, saying she believed Grandpa An would live a long life.
“Since the young lady is interested in medicine, let’s keep the 10% shares under her name for now, with proxy rights going to Chairman An,” one of the An Corporation’s directors suggested. “This way, she can focus on her studies without distraction.”
The directors, all shrewd individuals, had barely interacted with Ye Shaohua, who had spent eighteen years away from the family. Their sympathies leaned more toward An Tongtong, who had always been articulate and well-versed in family matters. But Grandpa An’s decision was final, and they had no say in it. If Ye Shaohua wanted to study medicine, so be it. At least she wouldn’t be meddling in the company.
However, when they saw Ye Shaohua return the shares to Grandpa An, the directors couldn’t help but think she was naive. Didn’t she understand the value of company shares? Yet here she was, handing them back like a fool.
Grandpa An, however, sensed the sincerity in Ye Shaohua’s words. She wasn’t ignorant; she genuinely wished for his longevity.
Having lived through countless experiences, Grandpa An patted Ye Shaohua’s hand and said nothing more. But he made a mental note to discuss his will with the lawyer later.
Just then, the butler announced that the Yan family and Mrs. An had arrived.
With the asset distribution settled, the An family directors left, each pondering which side to align with next.
An Tongtong, barely holding back her tears, rushed out of the room.
She collided with Mrs. An, who had just entered.
Mrs. Yan, who was also fond of her future daughter-in-law, saw An Tongtong’s red eyes and immediately pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears. “Tongtong, what’s wrong?”
“Mom, why did Grandpa say such things? I know he never liked me much growing up, but I’ve tried so hard to learn what he values. Why does he say I’ve taken Shaohua’s place? Was it my fault that the hospital mixed us up at birth? Do you know how devastating it was the day you told me that the parents and brother I’ve loved for eighteen years weren’t actually my family?!”
Tears streamed down An Tongtong’s face. “He thinks I’ve taken advantage of Ye Shaohua, but has he ever treated me like a granddaughter in these eighteen years? I gave up my love for oil painting, my dreams, to study Go. But aside from my brother, who ever cared about how I felt?!”
Mrs. An hadn’t noticed Ye Shaohua standing nearby.
She wrapped her arms protectively around An Tongtong. “Tongtong, don’t cry. Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll always be your mother, and I won’t let anyone bully you.”
She knew today was the day for asset distribution, but she had been busy discussing An Tongtong’s marriage with the Yan family.
Seeing An Tongtong in this state, she could guess what had happened.
Then she noticed Ye Shaohua standing to the side and sighed.
Dressed in a custom-made gown, Mrs. An stood next to Ye Shaohua, who wore simple, inexpensive clothes. The contrast made Ye Shaohua seem even more out of place.
“Shaohua, we’re all trying to make it up to you. Tongtong is right—the mix-up at the hospital wasn’t her fault. She’s been my daughter for twenty years. I don’t know what you said to her in the office, but now we need to discuss the Yan family’s marriage proposal. Seeing you will only upset her further. Could you please leave the An residence for now?” Mrs. An spoke earnestly.
At that moment, Grandpa An interjected calmly, “Little Shaohua, come here. I’ve arranged for a family doctor to see you.”
Ye Shaohua still hadn’t given Grandpa An the medicine she had prepared, so she wasn’t about to leave. She nodded and walked over to him.
“Dad!” Mrs. An’s expression turned serious. “What’s so urgent that you need to call a family doctor? Tomorrow is Tongtong’s Go promotion match, a globally broadcasted event against a Korean player. The Go Research Institute and even Mr. Mo himself have high hopes for her talent. She can’t afford to be distracted by unnecessary people and matters right now. Can’t you consider the bigger picture?”
One thing must be said: An Tongtong was the child An’s parents had poured their love and effort into raising, so it was natural for them to favor her.
But Ye Shaohua was not. She hadn’t arrived at a time when her parents were ready to welcome her, nor had she been the daughter they had invested their hearts in.
Ah, here’s a second chapter to make up for the delay. Once again, I failed to update on time. Tall Flower, kneeling on her left leg over her right, sheepishly admits.