Chapter 13: Mother's Relative, Mentally Disturbed

Beside her, Peiyao Ge heard Xinxin Jiang’s question and felt a pang of sympathy. She bent down to meet her gaze and spoke gently, “Xinxin, why would you think that? You’re so adorable; no one could dislike you.”

“If anyone does, then they must have poor taste,” Yueyao Jiang said helplessly.

Hengzhi Jiang smiled. “Mom isn’t wrong. Our Xinxin is the most beautiful and lovely little girl in the world.”

Wen Yin Bai and her daughter had no right not to like her.

Xinxin Jiang’s cheeks flushed with shyness from the praise, and she shyly hid her face behind a flower. “Oh, you’re making me embarrassed!”

As they spoke, a black sedan slowly rolled in.

Xinxin Jiang bounced excitedly. “Uncle and big sister are here!”

Hengzhi Jiang and Peiyao Ge instinctively turned to the slowly stopping black sedan.

Hengzhi Jiang straightened his back, and Peiyao Ge unconsciously smoothed her perfectly wrinkle-free dress, her gaze fixed on the car with a tension and anticipation she did not notice herself.

Yueyao Jiang quietly observed their reactions, her hand dropping to her side, clenched into a fist, her sharp fingertips pricking her palm, the slight pain keeping her mind clear.

The door of the black car was pushed open.

Stepping out, Lixuan Jiang saw the people standing at the door and greeted them with a playful “Yo,” one hand resting on the car door, raising an eyebrow with a lazy smirk. “Mom, second brother, little sister, Xinxin, did you all come specially to welcome me?”

“Cut the nonsense,” Peiyao Ge scolded. “Where is she?”

Just as she spoke, the other car door suddenly swung open.

Accompanied by a grunt, a child appeared in view—wearing worn gray cloth clothes, her hair tied into two messy pigtails, fair-skinned, with bright, lively round eyes and delicate, pretty features.

Seeing the little girl, Peiyao Ge’s vision blurred for a moment, as if she were seeing Wen Yin Bai in her childhood, before she got lost.

Her resentment toward Wen Yin Bai instantly softened.

Hengzhi Jiang was also stunned; this girl looked so much like Wen Yin Bai in her youth, practically her spitting image.

His previously cold expression relaxed somewhat.

Yueyao Jiang almost lost her smile at the sight. Again! Whenever Wen Yin Bai or anyone connected to her appeared, they all became so distracted.

They verbally despised her, had already forced her out of the family, even threatened to sever ties, yet why did they still react so strongly to anything related to her?

While they studied Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan studied them as well.

From their faces, she could tell that among the three adults, two shared blood ties with her, but the pretty aunt and the lovely child did not.

Tilting her head slightly, Yuanyuan asked, “Are you my mother’s relatives?”

Peiyao Ge snapped back to reality and frowned. “How do you speak like that? I’m your grandmother. Didn’t your mother tell you?”

“And where’s your mother? Why hasn’t she come down yet? What, do I have to fetch her myself for her to come?”

Lixuan Jiang’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing Peiyao Ge’s words.

Yueyao Jiang didn’t notice and reached out to steady Peiyao Ge, her eyes tinged with sadness. “Mom, don’t speak that way about sister. Maybe it’s because of what happened to me back then that…”

“Sister, what happened back then was my fault. If you still blame me, I apologize.”

“Don’t worry either. I won’t be staying with the Jiang family long. In a few days, I’ll take Xinxin and move out.”

Xinxin Jiang, who had happily wanted to greet Lixuan Jiang and Yuanyuan, suddenly looked panicked at those words. Her cute little face showed distress. “Mom, are we moving away?”

She pouted, her voice trembling with tears. “I... I don’t want to move…”

“Move where? You and Xinxin are both unwell. If you move out, who will take care of you?” Peiyao Ge’s eyebrows shot up in anger, her dislike of Wen Yin Bai, who deliberately caused trouble, deepening.

She really was incorrigible, returning only to bring trouble.

Hengzhi Jiang’s once softened expression turned cold again as he warned, “Wen Yin Bai, if you don’t come down now, then never come down!”

Yueyao Jiang lowered her gaze, sorrowful, but a faint smile quickly touched her lips.

It had been five years, and Wen Yin Bai was still so useless.

Yuanyuan looked at them in confusion, then glanced at the empty backseat. “It’s just Lixuan Jiang and me in the car. Who is this Wen Yin Bai you’re calling for?”

Peiyao Ge felt a sudden ominous premonition. “Wen Yin Bai is your mother! Didn’t she come back with you?”

Yuanyuan’s face was calm. “Oh, my mother? She’s dead.”

Her tone was so flat, so light, that Peiyao Ge momentarily thought she had misheard.

Yueyao Jiang’s expression froze for an instant.

Hengzhi Jiang’s pupils contracted sharply, and he asked in disbelief, “What did you say?”

Yuanyuan looked at him oddly. What was wrong with these Jiang family people? Were they deaf at such a young age?

She repeated, “I said my mother is dead.”

Peiyao Ge suddenly turned to Lixuan Jiang, gripping Yueyao Jiang’s arm with a bit more force, swaying slightly, her voice sharp. “How is that possible?! How could she be dead?!”

She disliked Wen Yin Bai as a daughter, but she had never imagined that Wen Yin Bai could die.

Wen Yin Bai was only about twenty years old—so young. How could she be dead?

Hengzhi Jiang looked darkly at Lixuan Jiang.

Lixuan Jiang rubbed his nose and said, “I was just about to tell you. When I went to Batang Village, I only found Yuanyuan. I couldn’t find Wen Yin Bai.”

“Yuanyuan was raised by an old coffin maker.”

He glanced strangely at Yueyao Jiang.

Was it just his imagination? He had a feeling that Yueyao Jiang’s words earlier were deliberate.

Why?

Would provoking Wen Yin Bai like that benefit anyone?

“If you can’t find her, that doesn’t prove she’s dead,” Hengzhi Jiang said, strangely relieved. His gaze toward Yuanyuan held a trace of displeasure as he added, “Don’t curse your mother so easily.”

Yuanyuan’s expression was beyond words. She was certain now: her mother’s relatives were crazy.

Peiyao Ge seemed convinced and nodded. “Exactly, she must be trying to get our attention with this trick.”

Her gaze fell on Yuanyuan. Seeing her tattered clothes, worn-out shoes, and messy hair, her brows furrowed tightly. “What kind of mother is Wen Yin Bai? How could she raise you like this?”

“Hurry inside and take a bath. You’re filthy!”

Peiyao Ge spoke as she stepped forward, pinching the collar of Yuanyuan’s clothes with her slender fingers, guiding her toward the house.

Hengzhi Jiang saw Yuanyuan’s current state as well. His brow twitched imperceptibly. Instinctively, he took out his phone and called the children’s brand they worked with to send over some clothes suitable for a girl.

Xinxin Jiang clearly felt that her uncle and grandmother’s attention was fully captured by the new sister.

A pang of panic rose in her heart; she felt that if she didn’t do something, her grandmother and uncle would be taken away.

She clutched her chest, her frail body trembling, and weakly said, “Uncle, Grandma, I feel so unwell…”