It wasn’t until they left Chenger Technology that Huo Chao finally spoke. “She might be your biological mother.”
Originally, Huo Chao had thought that if Shu Father and Shu Mother insisted on Shu Er staying, he and his uncle would have to take certain measures
But who would’ve expected that before he could do anything, Shu Er would be even more powerful than he was? It seemed there was no need for him to step in.
Shu Er blinked and asked in return, “So what?”
Huo Chao: …
For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Shu Er clasped her hands behind her back and said earnestly, “A princess only eats sweets, not bitterness. I won’t let myself suffer, not even a little.”
“Mm, you’re right.”
Huo Chao had been so worn down by Shu Er that he didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore. After all, she is beautiful, and she is always right.
When Shu Er returned home, her mother looked at her with displeasure and said, “What have you been doing lately, kid? You’re never home and you’re busier than your older sister who’s preparing for her college entrance exams.”
Shu Er’s good mood wasn’t affected in the slightest. She smiled cheerfully, “I’m going to move out soon.”
Move out?
Shu Mu reached out to grab Shu Er’s ear and said angrily, “What’s wrong with you? You have a perfectly good home, and you want to move out? I’m not giving you a cent for rent. Not one! If you really move out, then don’t bother coming back.”
Shu Er shrugged and hummed.
When she first found herself in this body, her impression of Shu’s mother wasn’t bad. She thought she was a good mother. But after finding out that she might have intentionally swapped the two children to let her own daughter live a better life, Shu Er no longer wanted to speak much with her.
Perhaps Shu’s mother is indeed a good mother, but she is not a good mother to her. In Shu Er’s view, she had never truly fulfilled her parental responsibilities for the original Shu Er. When she was young, she was mostly raised by her grandmother, and she hardly saw her mother throughout the year.
They had different worldviews and weren’t on the same page at all.
Shu’s mother snorted and said in a cold voice, “I’d like to see if you can really survive on your own out there!”
Shu Er’s smile didn’t waver. “Not only will I survive, but I’ll live even better.”
Shu’s mother was so angry that her face turned pale. “You!”
Shu Er didn’t say anything more to her. She went straight into her room. Not long after, Shu Rou came knocking.
Once inside, Shu Rou had a gossipy expression as she asked, “Are you really moving out?”
“Yes.”
Shu Rou’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and she was filled with pink, romantic bubbles. “Are you moving in with Mr. Huo?”
Shu Er: …
She would never have imagined that her “sister” would jump to such a conclusion, immediately thinking of cohabitation.
Did she really seem like that kind of person?
Absolutely not!
Shu Er didn’t bother explaining and simply let her believe whatever she wanted.
Shu Rou, thinking she had hit the nail on the head, gave Shu Er a thumbs-up with an excited grin. “Go for it! You’ve got this!”
…
Not long after Shu Rou left, Shu Ya came in.
She and Shu Rou had heard the conversation in the living room earlier between Shu Er and Shu’s mother. Unlike Shu Rou’s gossipy excitement, Shu Ya looked worried.
She adjusted her glasses and asked with concern, “Second Sister, why do you suddenly want to move out?”
Shu Er had a pretty good impression of Shu Ya. If there was anyone in the Shu family who had genuinely cared about the original Shu Er, it was Shu Ya.
Shu Er pursed her lips and smiled. “In a way, it’s thanks to you.”
Shu Ya was smart. She immediately grasped the meaning behind those words and guessed what was going on.
“Second Sister, you… you’re really not our parents’ child?”
“Yeah.”
Upon receiving confirmation, Shu Ya’s face turned pale instantly.
She had overheard her parents’ conversation before and had her suspicions, but when it actually happened, she found it hard to accept. Could it be that Shu Er really was intentionally swapped by her parents?
Then, what kind of person would her real second sister be?
Shu Er patted Shu Ya’s head gently and said warmly, “Even if I move out, you’ll still be my sister.”
Shu Ya’s eyes turned red, and she quickly wiped them before asking, “Have you found them yet?” She’s referring to Shu Er’s biological parents.
“Found them.”
Shu Ya offered her congratulations. “That’s wonderful, congratulations, second sister.”
Shu Er leaned in and whispered, “I’m not sure yet if they’ll take me back right away, so for now, please help me keep it a secret!”
Shu Ya, as if entrusted with an important task, nodded vigorously. She reached out and made a zippering motion in front of her mouth. “I understand, second sister. I’ll keep your secret, I won’t say a word.”
Shu Er thought it might take a month or two for the Shu family to acknowledge her, or perhaps she might wait even longer and still hear nothing from them.
She was prepared to give them three months. If, after three months, they still hadn’t restored her to her rightful position, she would take matters into her own hands. She wasn’t afraid of offending Shu’s father and Shu’s mother. Worst case, she would live with her biological grandparents instead of them.
But she didn’t expect that, just one week later, Shu Father and Shu Mother would come to personally take her back.
It just so happened to be Sunday, so the entire Shu family of five was at home.
When they knocked on the door, it was Shu’s father who answered. As soon as he opened it, he froze.
It had been a long time since this middle-aged man had seen someone so well-dressed in real life. A suit, tie, custom-made leather shoes, and perfectly groomed hair. The years had left their marks on the man’s face, but they also made him look more mature and commanding—clearly a person of high status. Compared to this man standing in front of him, Shu’s father suddenly felt shabby and insignificant.
The woman beside the man had short hair and wasn’t wearing any jewelry, but she had an eight-figure watch on her wrist. One look, and you could tell she was a noble lady.
Shu’s father’s heart skipped a beat when he saw them.
He quickly guessed their identity.
Seventeen years ago, he had met these two at a hospital, though they, being of higher status, probably didn’t remember someone like him.
Seventeen years ago, on the day he and his wife deliberately swapped the two babies, he knew this day would eventually come.
Back then, he had hesitated, knowing that swapping the babies was wrong, but Shu’s mother’s words left a deep mark on him.
“Our daughter and theirs were born less than ten minutes apart, but their lives will be entirely different. Some things, if you’re born with them, will make the road ahead much smoother. All newborns look about the same. Even if we switch the babies, no one will notice.”
Seventeen years ago, security cameras weren’t as common as they are today, and the hospital had very few. As long as he was careful, no one would find out.
In the end, he gave in.
Over the years, he had mentally prepared himself, knowing that the truth of what they’d done would eventually come to light.
But now that the day had arrived, he still found himself panicking.
“Is there… something you need?”
Liu Yan smiled politely but distantly. “We’re here to take back our biological daughter.”
Shu’s father still tried to deny it, struggling to hold on. “Biological daughter? What are you talking about? You must be mistaken.”
Shu Ke glanced at his watch. He had taken time off from work and had a meeting to attend shortly. He didn’t have much time left. His tone was firm, “There’s no mistake. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Shu’s father cautiously invited the two into the house.
“The living room is a bit small, I hope you don’t mind,” Shu’s father said carefully, before calling out to Shu’s mother, who was busy in the kitchen. “Ah Fen, make two… no, four pots of tea.”
The couple didn’t come alone. Behind them were two others, one looking like an assistant and the other like a bodyguard.
Shu’s mother heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen. When she saw four new people in the living room, she was startled. “Who are these people…?” She hadn’t heard what Liu Yan said earlier, so she was still a bit confused.
Liu Yan said, “No need to make tea. We’ll be leaving soon.”
At that moment, Shu Rou heard the noise and came out of her small room.
After Shu Ke saw the girl, he asked Liu Yan beside him, “Is it her?
Liu Yan shook her head. “No.”
Shu Rou, hearing this brief exchange, was confused. “What’s going on?”
The burly man behind them looked intimidating. Could they be here to cause trouble?
The noise in the living room was too loud, so Shu Er and Shu Ya came out as well.
This time, Shu Ke didn’t even need to ask Liu Yan. He could immediately tell which one was his daughter.
Shu Er took after Liu Yan in appearance, and when the two of them stood together, it gave off a strong sense of mother-daughter resemblance.
Liu Yan tossed a few documents onto the table and said to Shu’s father, who looked depressed, Shu’s mother and Shu Rou, who were confused, and Shu Er and Shu Ya, who had already guessed their intentions, “Here are the DNA test certificates between Shu Er and you, and between her and me. She’s not your child, she’s our biological daughter.”
Shu’s mother’s face drained of color upon hearing this.
She had always feared this day, a day she thought would never come, but here it was, sooner than she had ever expected.
Shu Rou gasped in surprise, looking between Shu Er and the two clearly wealthy people in front of her, and her vision darkened.
So, Shu Er hadn’t gone to live with some rich guy—she was going to become a rich young lady herself?
Damn, if she’d known her sister was such a big deal, why had she bothered trying to cozy up to rich second-generation kids at school? She could’ve just latched onto her own sister!
Shu’s mother asked with trembling lips, “So, who are you exactly?”
Shu Ke replied, “We’re here to take her back.”
Shu Mother’s heart clenched painfully. She didn’t even need to look at the report; she had known the truth all along. Stammering, she asked, “Then… where’s my daughter?”
Liu Yan was silent for a few seconds before answering, “We’ll bring her back to you in a few days.”
Shu Mother’s vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.
Liu Yan didn’t want to waste too much time here. She stood up and extended her hand toward Shu Er, saying gently, “Child, come, let’s go home.”
If it had been any other girl in Shu Er’s place today, she might have been so overwhelmed by the situation that she would have followed them without question, without thinking about her own conditions.
But Shu Er wasn’t like that. She was clear-headed and rational.
She knew exactly what she wanted.
She glanced at Liu Yan’s hand, smiling innocently, but the words she spoke were far from harmless. “If Shu Er doesn’t come, I won’t go back with you.”
Shu’s father and Shu’s mother widened their eyes in shock, while Shu Rou almost wanted to shake Shu Er out of her daze.
They were here to take you back—why wouldn’t you just go?
Why are you negotiating terms?
What if they change their minds all of a sudden?
Is her brain made of water?
This opportunity might never come again!
