Cheng Tao's eyes were filled with despair.
She could accept not being the Feng family's granddaughter; she had known that from the start.
But she couldn't accept that the Feng family's daughter, missing for many years, was Cheng You's mother!
The gears of fate turned, as if it had been decided from the beginning that she and Song Yulian were no match for Cheng You and her mother!
"I don't believe you, you're lying to me! You're lying to me!"
Qiu Desheng let out a cold laugh. "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. You'll understand in a while."
It was just a matter of waiting for the appraisal report. Judging by the attitude of those two old folks from the Feng family, they had already confirmed Cheng You was their granddaughter.
After Qiu Desheng left, Cheng Tao remained in the room, stunned for a long time.
It wasn't until she heard the voice of the next-door neighbor from outside the door: "Cheng Tao, are you alright?"
Cheng Tao had calmed down. She still wanted to stay in Yan City and couldn't fall out with Qiu Desheng.
"Auntie, I'm fine," she replied in a hoarse voice.
She finally understood why the Feng family elders thought she would regret it.
She didn't regret marrying to stay in Yan City, but she regretted misjudging people and choosing someone like Qiu Desheng.
She took off her tattered clothes, put on long sleeves, and covered her wounds tightly, then went out.
The neighbor auntie was still standing at the door. Seeing her come out, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked Cheng Tao up and down, and it seemed like she was indeed fine.
"Are you alright?"
Cheng Tao shook her head with a smile. "Thank you, Auntie, I'm fine."
After seeing the neighbor off, she decided to go find Cheng You.
She wanted to ask clearly if Cheng You and the Feng family had any connection.
She ran to Cheng You's doorstep in a fury and sternly questioned, "Cheng You, Qiu Desheng said you are the Feng family's granddaughter. Is that true!"
Cheng You didn't want to answer this pointless question and tried to close the door, but Cheng Tao held it shut with all her might.
"You haven't answered me yet!"
Cheng You leaned against the door with one hand and smiled, "Did Qiu Desheng tell you?"
She looked at Cheng Tao, and her sharp eyes noticed a hint of a red mark showing on her neck.
"What, did Qiu Desheng hit you?"
Cheng Tao didn't want to show weakness in front of her, so she quickly covered her neck and denied it. "No, he dotes on me. How could he possibly hit me!"
Cheng You shrugged. "Whether I am the Feng family's granddaughter or not, you'll know when the appraisal report comes out."
Cheng Tao was stunned. "You're doing an appraisal too."
Cheng You ignored her further. "Are you satisfied now? Can you leave?"
Cheng Tao numbly let go. As long as the results were not out yet, Cheng You might not be the Feng family's granddaughter.
Actually, this matter wasn't that certain, she reassured herself.
Looking at the closed door, unwillingness appeared on Cheng Tao's face.
"Why... why do all the good things belong to you! Cheng You, why must you fight with me."
Cheng You, standing in the yard, clearly heard her words.
She let out a laugh and retorted, "Cheng Tao, what is yours? Is Cheng Tianhua your father, or is the wealth he accumulated with my mother yours? Or perhaps you've taken a fancy to the Feng family's wealth, and they must acknowledge you as their granddaughter! Please get it straight, it's you who has been coveting other people's things from the very beginning."
Cheng Tao was full of resentment, but it was precisely because she didn't have these things that she wanted them!
Why should all of this belong to Cheng You alone!
...
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was Liu Zi and Yuan Yuzhen's wedding banquet.
Cheng You had been attending wedding banquets quite frequently lately.
She heard that Duan Liping and her partner had booked their banquet for the end of the month, inviting only close friends and family, so there were only a few tables.
Although Yuan Yuzhen came from a poor family, Liu Zi doted on her, and all the essential items for marriage proposals, the "three turns and one ring," were prepared.
The banquet was held at Dong Shun Lou, with nearly twenty tables in total, making it quite lively.
Most of the guests were Liu Zi's friends and comrades, while Yuan Yuzhen only had her grandfather, with no one else from her side.
As Cheng You was talking with Yuan Yuzhen, a man walked over.
"Yuzhen, I heard you were getting married today, so I came specifically to see you and your grandfather. Congratulations, you've found a good match."
The man held a red envelope in his hand and had a simple smile on his face.
At first glance, he appeared to be an honest man.
Yuan Yuzhen rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you here?"
The man smiled. "As I said, I came to attend your wedding banquet."
"I didn't invite you, please leave!" Yuan Yuzhen said with a cold face.
If she hadn't been so angry, she wouldn't have chased someone away at her own wedding banquet.
Even though she gave him a cold shoulder, the man's smile remained.
"Just consider me as someone who came to see your grandfather. Don't be angry."
Anyone who looked at him would think he was good-tempered.
A cold glint flashed in Yuan Yuzhen's eyes. "If you truly don't want to make me angry, then please get out of here quickly! Yuan Yutang, the moment you and your mother took all the family money and ran, abandoning us to fend for ourselves, we ceased to have any relationship! Others may not know how dirty you are, but I don't mind tearing off your mask!"
Yuan Yutang's smile froze, and his hand holding the red envelope tightened until it turned white.
Yuan Yuzhen's voice was not quiet, and the gazes of the people around them were drawn to them, making his face burn.
"Yuan Yutang, aren't you leaving yet?" Yuan Yuzhen's eyes widened. kuAiδugg
Yuan Yutang wiped his face, making no move to explain further.
"I know you have some misunderstanding towards us, but today is your wedding. You should still accept a red envelope."
With that, Yuan Yutang placed the red envelope down and left in a hurry.
Cheng You pondered, this Yuan Yutang sounded familiar.
She felt like she had heard this name somewhere before.
Seeing that Yuan Yuzhen was still angry, Cheng You comforted her. "Alright, getting more upset won't make you look good. He's already gone, so don't dwell on it."
Yuan Yutang's visit had stirred up Yuan Yuzhen's grievances, giving her the urge to confide.
"Back then, my father had just passed away, and less than a month later, my grandmother also passed away. My grandfather was seriously ill, and he advised my mother to take my father's compensation money and run away, marrying someone in Yu Province and never returning."
"Yu Province?" Cheng You finally remembered where she had heard of Yuan Yutang.
It was from Sun Xiaowan's mouth.
And Yuan Yutang was precisely Duan Liping's boyfriend!
Sun Xiaowan had complained to her a few times, disdaining Yuan Yutang for being penniless and predicting that Duan Liping would suffer.
Now, it seemed, this Yuan Yutang should be Duan Liping's boyfriend.
Cheng You felt a pang of unease, and her expression soured a little.
At least from Yuan Yuzhen's account, Yuan Yutang's character in the past probably wasn't good.
Yuan Yuzhen rambled on. "Heaven truly has no eyes, letting him get into university! He abandoned his wife and child to study in Yan City, and found himself a girlfriend! I saw her on the street last time. She's at least six or seven years younger than him! Hmph!"
Cheng You's face changed drastically. Just as she was about to ask for details, she heard Liu Zi calling Yuan Yuzhen over to toast.
Yuan Yuzhen quickly adjusted her emotions, picked up a wine glass, and stood up.
"Sit here for a moment, I'm going over."
Cheng You nodded absentmindedly. "Go ahead."