Chapter 9
Xue Xi changed her slippers and was about to go back to her room when Ye Li walked out from the kitchen, dressed in a purple dress. Looking every bit like a cultured and sophisticated person, she smiled gently at Xue Xi and waved her over.
When the latter reached the dining area, she then passed a small and exquisite-looking bowl over to her and said in a soft voice, “Xixi, are you hungry? This bird’s nest soup is fresh out of the pot. I have added honey and milk inside. Have some.”
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Her attitude made Xue Xi feel warm as she received the food and took a mouthful. It was a little fishy, but the milky scent and honey resulted in a sweet aftertaste.
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She was planning to finish it when a bellow erupted from the staircase. “Eat, eat, eat! All you know is to eat! Didn’t you see how much Yaoyao is crying?”
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Ye Li was startled as she tensed up. She then pacified the old lady, “Mom, she’s a child. It’s normal for there to be things that upset her. I’ll accompany you to appease Yaoyao…”
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She circled past Xue Xi after saying this and was just about to go upstairs. However, Old Lady Xue suddenly stopped and swept her gaze past Xue Xi with hostility. When she spotted the bowl in the latter’s hands, her eyes widened as she roared, “Who gave her bird’s nest soup? That is specially made for Yaoyao!”
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Ye Li hurriedly explained, “Mom, I know. Yaoyao’s is still being kept warm in the pot. I made two portions today and will give the other portion to Yaoyao soon…”
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Xue Yao had a portion of bird’s nest every day. This was her habit.
Since both were daughters of the Xue family, Ye Li felt that it was Xue Xi’s right to have one portion every day too. Yet what she did not expect was Old Lady Xue’s following rampage. “Yaoyao has bird’s nest every day because she studies so diligently every day and needs proper nourishment. With Xue Xi’s pea brain, giving her some is simply wasteful! You will not make it for her again!”
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Ye Li was totally dumbstruck.
To the Xue family, bird’s nest was a very average expense. They would even let the servants at home have some when they had leftovers.
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Still, she never expected in her entire life that the old lady would be this stingy toward Xue Xi!
Xue Xi eyed the bird’s nest soup in her hands. She never craved any of such things in her life. After all, at the orphanage, all she asked for was to have a full tummy.
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She put the bowl down on the dining table and moved to go upstairs.
At this moment, the old lady blocked her path again. “Also, tell me, did you bully Yaoyao and make her cry?”
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Ye Li flailed her arms. “How can that be? Xixi is—”
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a hum. She turned to look at Xue Xi together with Old Lady Xue.
Xue Xi decidedly abandoned her plan to go upstairs. Her eyes, which always seemed shrouded in mist, turned to the old lady. “Looks like I really did.”
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With a vicious look, Old Lady Xue berated, “I knew it was you! You lunatic! Tell me, what the hell did you do to Yaoyao?! Why is she crying?!”
The girl paused for two seconds. “Perhaps it’s because… I got better grades than she did?”
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“…What?”
Old Lady Xue was stunned. She even suspected her hearing of being faulty… Her grades are better than Yaoyao’s? That’s not possible!
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Xue Xi flung the bag she was carrying to the front, retrieved the final grade report, and passed it to Old Lady Xue.
The old lady instinctively reached for it. On it were the results of every subject.
Mathematics: 150 marks.
Science Aggregate: 288 marks.
English: 140 marks.
Literature: 102 marks.
Old Lady Xue, who frequently flaunted Xue Yao’s results to everyone else, naturally knew what these grades meant. She stared at the “dimwit and dumb” granddaughter in disbelief.
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Xue Xi gently and suavely hooked the dining chair over with her foot. The chair rocked a little and stopped before her. She then pressed down on Ye Li’s shoulders, asking her to sit down before she turned to the old lady. “Now, it’s time for your apology.”
Apology…
Old Lady Xue instantly recalled the girl’s words from yesterday:
“No need…
“If my results are better than Xue Yao’s, you just have to apologize to my mother.”
Old Lady Xue’s face turned red with anger as her entire body trembled.
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Apologize to this useless daughter-in-law? Especially in front of the servants? Impossible!
The old lady frowned and suddenly clutched her chest. “Aiyo, aiyo…”
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Beside her, Auntie Sun instantly got her hint and moved forward. “Old Madam, is your angina acting up again? I’ll help you back to your room to rest.”
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“Yes…”
With Auntie Sun supporting her, Old Lady Xue escaped the dining area in dismay.
Xue Xi: “…”
It was only when dinnertime arrived that the old lady and Xue Yao came down again.
Today, the old patriarch, Xue Shengqiang, had finally finished dealing with an acquisition project and returned home for dinner. Hence, the dining table was filled for today.
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Xue Xi sat beside Ye Li. It was her first meeting with her supposed paternal grandfather.
Xue Shengqiang was a conservative elder. Despite being 70 years old, he was still a stern person. He first sized up Xue Xi, then nodded with an ambiguous attitude. “It’s good as long as you’re back.”
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After which, he swept his gaze across the rest of the house. He spotted Xue Yao’s reddened eyes but did not point it out. Instead, he turned toward Old Lady Xue and asked blandly, “Did anything happen at home in the past few days?”
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The old lady answered, “No.”
“Are you sure?”
The old lady was taken aback, unsure what he was referring to.
Xue Shengqiang continued staring at her. “Did you forget to apologize to Ye Li?”
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This one sentence made the old lady tense up, as though she would flip the table in the next instant.
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How did Xue Shengqiang know about this?
She balled up her fists, feeling a severe sense of shame looming over her. She did not dare to go against the old patriarch and could only look at Ye Li in a disgruntled manner, saying, “I should not have hit you for that day’s events.”
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Ye Li was frightened when she spotted the anger and condemnation in the old lady’s eyes.
She knew that this time, she had thoroughly offended the old lady.
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Still, she could not back down now. She had conceded in every way she could in the past only because she did not want to make things difficult for Xue Sheng. However, now, she had Xue Xi, and so she had to protect her.
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…
…
The next morning, when Xue Xi woke up, Ye Li came over happily and knocked on the door. “Xixi, your maternal grandmother is here!”
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The two of them descended down the stairs. Xue Xi quickly spotted an old lady with a head of white hair sitting on the sofa in the living room cautiously. She was donning a traditional-looking Chinese-style jacket and had a kind smile on her face.
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Old Lady Xue was seated opposite her. Her eyes were droopy, and she clearly looked down upon the former.
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Granny Ye, whose name was Song Wenman, stood up in agitation when she spotted Xue Xi. Her frail and wrinkled hands tightly held on to the latter’s hands as she said with reddened eyes, “My good child. We finally found you!”
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Ye Li introduced her to Xue Xi. “Your maternal grandmother’s house is not in Bin City. We originally intended to bring you over to visit them during the weekend, but your granny already could not wait and came over first instead!”
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“Oh,” Xue Xi replied. She then turned to look at Song Wenman and obediently called her, “Granny.”
“Aye!”
While the trio were chatting, Old Lady Xue suddenly cut in, “Ye Li, the servants don’t know what your mother likes. Go brew a cup of tea for her personally.”
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Flattered, Ye Li nodded. “Yes.”
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As she moved for the tea cabinet, Old Lady Xue shot a glance toward Auntie Sun, who then nodded back.
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Slow on the uptake, by the time Xue Xi realized that something was amiss, Ye Li’s loud shriek was already heard!