Chapter 43 - You’re Not Worthy
Li Hongyu widened her eyes. Her face turned white. She found it hard to believe that the person whom she had been taking control of bit back all of a sudden and actually talked back to her like this.
Zhao Youlin ignored her troubled expression. She smirked to herself.
She recalled the past memories of the previous Zhao Youlin. She found out that her stepmother was sinister, cunning, and double-faced. Even her mother’s death had been related to this woman.
In fact, the previous Zhao Youlin had actually discovered all this. However, she had to rely on her father for survival, and her father adored her stepmother. Moreover, her mother’s family had long cut ties with them. As a result, she was all alone and isolated at home. Therefore, it was impossible to investigate the issue any further. After she was married to the Mu family, she only focused on Mu Tingfeng and rarely contacted them.
Originally, Zhao Youlin did not bother to be calculative with these people as long as they did not provoke her. However, people like them liked to mess around when they should not actually exist on earth. What else could be done?
“Youlin, y-you…”
“Stop addressing me so intimately. We’re actually not that close with each other,” Zhao Youlin cast a glance at Li Hongyu whose face was already as white as a sheet. She smiled and continued, “What’s the matter? Do you feel ashamed because I’m right about it? You should own up to the deeds that you’ve committed. Your so-called treating me as good as I’m one of yours, and even better than your own daughter refers to locking me up in a small house whenever you desire without giving any food or drinks, and when a certain one was not around, you instructed your children to treat me like a servant at home, and even swung punches and delivered kicks at me to vent out anger, right?”
“I-I… I just wanted to educate you on your mother’s behalf. I admit that there were times when I was a little too harsh on you, but…”
When Li Hongyu saw Zhao Youlin bringing up that issue before Zhao Shuncheng, she wanted to defend herself. However, she was interrupted by Zhao Youlin once again, “Educate me on my mother’s behalf? As I mentioned earlier, you’re just a mistress who usurped my mother’s place by seducing a man. Who are you to educate me on my mother’s behalf, huh?! Did you actually think you’re qualified to educate me on her behalf?! Before you discipline me, you should consider if you’re worthy to do so!”
Li Hongyu’s face turned pale. At that moment, Zhao Shuncheng, whose face had already turned black shouted loudly and interrupted the argument between the two women, “Enough!”
“Shuncheng, listen to me…” Li Hongyu hurriedly offered her explanation when she saw he was so angry. However, she was scared into silence when her eyes met his cold glare.
Zhao Shuncheng’s eyes delivered a hint that he would settle the account with Li Hongyu when they got back home. Then, he drew in a breath, turned around, and confronted his daughter who had become a new woman. He said with a low voice, “I suppose I’m qualified to discipline you even if she isn’t, right? What kind of attitude did you just show to me? That is so rude of you. I’m your father, to say the least!”
“My father?” Zhao Youlin sneered, “So, you still remember you’re my father, huh? I thought you’ve long forgotten you still have a daughter like me.”
Zhao Shuncheng had not expected Zhao Youlin to be this disrespectful to him. He immediately put on a straight face and said coldly, “Youlin, watch your attitude!”
“Attitude? What kind of attitude? I think I’ve been acting kind enough to the two of you,” Zhao Youlin did not have the slightest fear of him. Instead, her sneer only grew intensified, “Ask yourself, ever since I was born, have you ever once not spent a day drinking and flirting outside? When have you ever cared about me? You contributed to my birth, but you never took care of me before this. Did you actually think you’re qualified to discipline me now?! You’re just as unworthy as this woman!”