Chapter 13: Young and inexperienced
Yun Ya shrank back a little, as if she were somewhat afraid, and hung her head low.
Kang Jinse hooked her lips up slightly, Ji Lanyi’s daughter, just seeing her was enough to get under her skin.
She simply turned her head away, refusing to look at her anymore.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Kang Jinse grew impatient and turned to Su Ye to instruct, "Go and see what’s taking so long." Kang Jinse’s patience had run out; she hadn’t come here to drink tea and sleep.
"Yes," Su Ye replied and quickly left the room.
Two minutes later, Su Ye returned to Kang Jinse and said, "The Mayor’s wife is here, just next door."
The Mayor’s wife?
Kang Jinse’s eyes lit up; if she could connect with the Mayor’s wife, she would slip through high society like a fish through water, and gaining entrance to the Yun Family mansion would be a mere matter of course.
Yun Ya watched her excitement, the ambitious gleam in her eyes, and smiled before standing up and saying to Kang Jinse, "Aunt Jiang, I’d like to go to the bathroom."
Kang Jinse waved her hand in annoyance, "Ye, take her to the bathroom."
Yun Ya smiled, "There’s no need to trouble Su Auntie. I’ve been here before with my mother; I know where the bathroom is."
Hearing her mention Ji Lanyi, Kang Jinse’s complexion worsened, but she swallowed her anger and said grudgingly, "Go on then, but be careful."
Su Ye watched Yun Ya leave, frowning subconsciously.
Emerging from the private room, Yun Ya walked toward the restroom. She indeed had accompanied Ji Lanyi here before, but only once or twice, so it was normal for Manager Gao not to recognize her.
After coming out of the restroom, Yun Ya moved to the sink. She was short, barely reaching on her tiptoes, but she wasn’t in a hurry, her small hands slowly moving closer, her little face set with a stubborn determination.
A shadow fell over her head and a fair, slender hand reached out to turn on the tap, water cascading down with a whoosh.
𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Yun Ya turned around, feeling as if the world brightened at the sight of that beautiful face.
The woman upon seeing Yun Ya, her eyes glimmered with joy and her smile deepened, her face softening with affection.
"It’s you, Little Yun Ya, do you remember me?" she couldn’t help but reach out to tousle Yun Ya’s hair, overwhelmed with delight. How could there be such a cute and pretty girl? If only she were her daughter.
The woman looked to be in her late twenties, dressed in a dark green long dress, smooth and straight, which outlined her shapely figure perfectly, not aging her in the slightest, but instead making her look extremely fashionable and elegant.
Her eyebrows were finely drawn, her makeup subtle, her eyes like a painting, and she carried an elegant charm. The noble and elegant air about her seemed to be ingrained in her bones. When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons emitting a soft and gentle glow that did not scorch but illuminated the entire gray world.
Yun Ya revealed an innocent smile, her voice sweet and soft, "Hello, Aunt Zhuang."
In an instant, Zhuang Xiyue’s heart melted into a mess as she bent down to smile at Yun Ya, "So, Yun Ya still remembers Auntie? I’m so happy. But why are you here alone? Where’s your mother?" As she spoke, she remembered the gossip she’d heard and her brow furrowed, her gaze upon Yun Ya filled with pity.
"I came with Aunt Jiang," she said, deliberately avoiding mention of Ji Lanyi.
Zhuang Xiyue’s frown deepened, Kang Jinse? It seemed the rumors were true. Ji Lanyi had disappeared, and Kang Jinse had blatantly taken her place, even publicly appearing with Yun Ya. How utterly...
The first time I met Yun Shen, I felt that this man was unreliable, and it turned out he really was a complete scumbag. It’s a pity for the child, Yun Ya...
"Did she just let you go to the bathroom by yourself?" Not afraid of losing the child, that’s quite negligent for someone who’s not her biological mother.
Yun Ya shook her head, grinning, "No, Auntie Jiang asked an assistant to accompany me, but I’m very familiar with this place, so I didn’t bother the assistant."
The more Yun Ya explained herself, the more heartbroken Zhuang Xiyue became. A five-year-old child being so sensible, Zhuang Xiyue sighed again, wishing her own daughter could be like that...
"You mustn’t do that again; it’s very dangerous for a little child to encounter bad people." Zhuang Xiyue held her hand and walked out, speaking with gentle patience as they proceeded.
Yun Ya turned to Zhuang Xiyue with a smile, "Auntie Zhuang, you’re so good to me."
She gazed at the woman before her, her eyes beginning to glaze over with a distant look.
Before long, as her husband’s career soared, she would become the most sought-after lady in Jiangzhou, a woman with grace etched into her very bones, naturally suited to stand in the spotlight, basking in everyone’s envious glances.
And she, she liked herself very much; actually, on a deeper level, it was because of guilt.
Two years ago, Zhuang Xiyue had moved to Jiangzhou when her husband took a new position. Others may not know her background, and although she kept a low profile, she never attended any social events. Meeting Ji Lanyi was an accident. They later arranged secret meetups, and it was during one of these that Yun Ya met Zhuang Xiyue’s eldest son, Yan Song.
He looked like a polite and delicate little boy, but his eyes hid malicious sparks. Taking advantage of a moment when the adults were conversing, he leaned into Yun Ya’s ear with a sneaky smile, "I heard your brother is a deaf-mute, and an idiot too, how pitiful." His lips curled into a mischievous grin as he provoked Yun Ya.
Miaomiao was Yun Ya’s Achilles heel, she couldn’t stand others slandering Miaomiao like this. Her facade of politeness shattered instantly, and she splashed the fruit juice in her hand onto Yan Song’s face, "Your mouth is filthy, let me clean it for you."
Yan Song, not expecting her to splash juice in his face, was stunned.
"Fuck, you dare to splash me?" He retorted and went for Yun Ya’s hair, but Yun Ya was not one to show weakness. The two of them suddenly started fighting, and despite Yun Ya’s smaller and weaker appearance, her explosive strength was surprising. Yan Song, much taller than her, was actually getting the worse of it. He grabbed a knife and fork from the table and stabbed it into her chest.
Yun Ya groaned, eyes fixed deadly on him, and that look frightened Yan Song so badly he shivered. She suddenly bit fiercely into his shoulder, as if she wanted to tear a piece of flesh from him.
"Ah..." Yan Song’s scream shattered the silence.
This scene terrified both mothers, who rushed to separate the fighting children. Blood diffused across Yun Ya’s white dress, with the fork still embedded in the flesh. She spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Yan Song with fierce eyes.
"Don’t let me see you again, or I’ll beat you up every time I do."
Yan Song, equally defiant, couldn’t believe he was being threatened by a "smelly girl," "Just you wait, I won’t let this go."
Zhuang Xiyue slapped him hard, "You little brat, you really need discipline. Apologize to Sister Yun Ya."
"Why should I? She started it by splashing juice on my face, she got what she deserved," Yan Song argued stubbornly.
"What right do you have to insult Miaomiao? He’s my..." Before Yun Ya could finish her sentence, she fainted, scaring both adults, and even Yan Song felt a twinge of fear.
As a result, Yun Ya’s injuries were more severe than Yan Song’s. The fork had pierced deep, hitting an artery and causing a lot of blood loss. She passed out and lay in bed for a month before recovering, left with an indelible scar on her chest. Zhuang Xiyue felt so guilty; she visited the hospital every day, forcing Yan Song to apologize to Yun Ya. As she got to know Yun Ya more, Zhuang Xiyue grew even fonder of her and became more sympathetic as she saw how harshly Ji Lanyi treated her.
Memories surfacing, Yun Ya looked thoughtfully at the woman before her.