Chapter 11: She lived quite well without her daughter

At 3 PM, Xu Yao drove to the agreed location.

The serene resort in the suburbs was surrounded by lush greenery, with verdant hills framing the scene. A stream from the mountain flowed gently past a small bamboo house.

A warm breeze rustled through the bamboo forest, producing a soothing sound that easily calmed the mind, allowing one to escape stress and immerse in nature.

However, at this moment, Xu Yao felt nervous. She took several deep breaths before stepping out of the car.

That very noon, when her elder sister was brought home, Xu Yao received a text from an unfamiliar number. The content was simple: “Yao Yao, I’m your mother—your biological mother.”

The words, when broken down, were familiar, but put together, it took her a while to process their meaning.
When her adoptive parents first learned that their biological daughter was living in a neighboring city, Xu Yao had already started grappling with the reality that she was an impostor.

By the time they cautiously and nervously brought her sister home, Xu Yao spent an entire night coming to terms with the truth and preparing herself to leave.

From the moment she learned of her origins to deciding to leave her adoptive parents, not once did she consider searching for her biological parents.

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If her sister had held resentment against her from the start—ostracizing and targeting her—the appearance of her biological mother at such a moment would be pivotal.

The first time, she might have ignored it. But what if her sister escalated her hostility?

If Xu Yao were constantly suppressed—torn between her gratitude to her adoptive parents and understanding her sister’s jealousy—her adoptive parents would inevitably urge her to make concessions for the sake of family harmony.

Once or twice, she might comply willingly. But after ten or twenty times?

If her concessions didn’t lead to her sister easing up but instead encouraged further aggression, how long could she endure?

When she reached a point of repeated compromise without any resolution, wouldn’t she feel wronged and frustrated?

If her biological mother then appeared, offering warmth, remorse, and pleas for forgiveness, how could Xu Yao, caught in inner turmoil, resist?

She would certainly feel stifled, even indignant—Why should a biological child be allowed to bully an adopted one? Why should I always be the one to yield? I didn’t ask to be switched in the first place!

With such dangerous thoughts, her biological mother could easily exploit the opportunity to slip into her life. Under her gentle yet manipulative persuasion, Xu Yao might end up doing anything—even harming her adoptive parents.

The more she thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed.

Xu Yao worked hard to steady her turbulent emotions as she walked toward the designated private room.

Standing at the door, she took another deep breath before knocking.

Three light knocks were followed by the voice of a woman inside, speaking to someone on the phone: “She’s here. I’ll call you back later.”

After hanging up, the woman exhaled deeply, rose, and opened the door.

Standing outside was a graceful young woman with delicate features, resembling her by at least fifty percent. Upon seeing her, Zhou Xinyi’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

Choking back her emotions, she nervously and awkwardly said, “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

She understood that her sudden appearance would leave her daughter confused and overwhelmed. Aside from the initial text where she revealed her identity, she refrained from calling herself “Mom” in subsequent contacts.

Xu Yao raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the woman’s tear-filled eyes, her face, and her outfit.

The woman standing before her exuded an air of luxury and opulence, from her flawless skin to her attire and accessories. Clearly, she had lived a very comfortable life without her daughter.

Xu Yao nodded slightly and said coolly, “Let’s talk inside.”

With that, she stepped past Zhou Xinyi and entered the room.

Zhou Xinyi had anticipated her daughter’s aloofness. She hadn’t deliberately dressed down or played the part of a pitiful, destitute woman to garner sympathy at first glance.

She had a better plan—to quickly earn her trust and understanding for her supposed helplessness.

Once seated, Zhou Xinyi reached for a delicate teapot to pour tea.

“I’ll do it.”

Xu Yao took the teapot from her, pouring tea first for Zhou Xinyi, then for herself, and taking a sip with elegance.

Seeing her daughter, well-bred, graceful, and considerate, Zhou Xinyi’s eyes filled with tears again.

She said, “Your adoptive parents raised you so well, I—”

She choked up, covering her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her delicate features and innate softness gave her a fragile, pitiable air, like petals battered by rain—vulnerable yet beautiful.

But to Xu Yao, who was on guard, this performance had no effect.

The more vulnerable she appeared, the more hypocritical Xu Yao found her.

Xu Yao was curious to see how far Zhou Xinyi could take this act and what “moving” words she might say next.

“I have a meeting in an hour,” Xu Yao said in a cold, detached voice, cutting through Zhou Xinyi’s self-styled emotional moment.

Zhou Xinyi’s sobbing came to an abrupt halt, and a fleeting flash of astonishment appeared in her eyes.

Quickly wiping away her tears, she forced a smile to save face, saying, “I apologize, I lost my composure.”

“No problem,” Xu Yao replied nonchalantly, sipping her tea without the slightest hint of curiosity or probing.

Such composure and indifference left Zhou Xinyi feeling at a loss.

Why wasn’t the situation going as she had planned?

In her carefully crafted strategy, this initial encounter—revealing her identity—was meant to evoke either curiosity or anger in Xu Yao, leaving a strong first impression.

Subsequent meetings would be her chance to play the remorse card, slowly dismantling Xu Yao’s defenses.

Once Xu Yao opened her heart, Zhou Xinyi planned to recount the reasons for abandoning her. By leveraging the shared experiences and empathy between women, she hoped to evoke Xu Yao’s compassion and ease her resentment over being abandoned.

Finally, she intended to use companionship and care to foster Xu Yao’s reliance on her. Step by step, she would build a bridge to extract Xu Yao’s connection to the Xu family’s resources—securing everything in one fell swoop.

The earlier stages of her plan had gone well: Xu Yao had responded to her messages, and their meeting even came sooner than expected.

Wasn’t this eagerness a sign of longing?

So why the cold indifference now?

Zhou Xinyi’s mind raced, quickly arriving at a conclusion: perhaps her daughter was expressing silent reproach for her abandonment through this icy demeanor?

With this thought in mind, she hurriedly said, “Yao Yao, I know you hate me—for abandoning you, for—”

“So, why did you abandon me?” Xu Yao cut her off, asking the question she most wanted an answer to.

Even if Zhou Xinyi fabricated a story, Xu Yao was determined to hear it.

Zhou Xinyi froze again, her shock clearly visible, though it lasted only a moment before she heard Xu Yao continue.

“Judging by your circumstances, it doesn’t seem like you couldn’t afford to raise me. So, why abandon me?”
“If I told you I had no choice, would you believe me?” Zhou Xinyi replied hesitantly, looking at Xu Yao with teary eyes that added a touch of tragic beauty to her face.

“How desperate was it?” Xu Yao pressed, her tone unyielding. “If you truly had no means to survive, wouldn’t you have sold me to traffickers to squeeze out every last bit of value? Oh, wait—I understand. It’s because I’m a daughter, so I wasn’t worth selling. Is that it?”

Zhou Xinyi’s pupils widened in shock. How could Xu Yao say something so cutting? According to the private investigator’s report, wasn’t she supposed to be a well-bred, gentle, and refined young lady of the Xu family?

Pain contorted Zhou Xinyi’s face, but she flipped the blame: “Yao Yao, how could you say such things? You’re my flesh and blood. I’d rather die than sell you!”

Xu Yao sneered, her lips curling coldly. “You didn’t sell me, it’s true. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been taken in by wealthy adoptive parents and lived a life of luxury. On my way here, I kept wondering: if I hadn’t been adopted by my current parents, would you even consider acknowledging me?”

Xu Yao deliberately avoided mentioning that her sister had already returned home. The truth about the real and fake daughters was known only to their family and some close confidants in the company.

Since this was clearly a scheme, her top priority was to protect her sister and parents.

If Zhou Xinyi knew her sister had returned, she would undoubtedly mention it to further manipulate her.

If she didn’t know, all the better—it would buy Xu Yao time to plan and ensure they captured Zhou Xinyi’s schemes in their entirety.

“Of course, I would still acknowledge you. No matter who adopted you, it wouldn’t change the fact that you are my flesh and blood. How could you assume otherwise of your mother?” Zhou Xinyi suddenly shifted to an emotional appeal.

“Mother?” Xu Yao laughed coldly. “My mother’s name is Jiang Xin. It’s not you.”

“Yao Yao! How can you treat me like this? You can’t—after everything I went through! When I gave birth to you, I suffered massive bleeding and was unconscious for three days and nights. When I woke up, the doctor told me you had died from oxygen deprivation. I didn’t believe it and painfully chased after them to the morgue, only to see a lifeless body. It was all your grandmother’s doing. If it weren’t for her conscience catching up with her on her deathbed, I would never have known you were still alive!”

Zhou Xinyi wept hysterically, as if reliving the despair, helplessness, and guilt of that moment.

Xu Yao simply watched her quietly, her gaze calm and unruffled.

This explanation might have swayed her in the past, but now that she was aware of Zhou Xinyi’s true intentions, not even the most eloquent plea could shake her resolve.

With no sympathy, Xu Yao continued her questioning: “Did I not have a father? Why wasn’t he there when you gave birth to me? Don’t tell me you were unmarried and had a child out of wedlock, that your partner was disapproved of by your mother, and I became an unwanted existence. Was my death the price for clearing the way for your perfect life of remarriage and wealth?”

Zhou Xinyi’s mouth twitched in shock, her body trembling as she squeezed out yet another wave of tears to cover her discomposure.

This brat—how dare she steal my lines? Unforgivable!

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