Chapter 277: A Regrettable Fact
This fashion show was hosted by a design studio specializing in Hua Country Style clothing.
They sent out invitations far and wide to many of Dijing’s high-society figures. Although Yun Zijin had only recently emerged on the Dijing social scene, she received an invitation as well.
However, the invitation ended up in Mei Lin’s hands, likely because Yun Zijin rarely shared her personal information publicly.
Mei Lin wasn’t particularly interested in such events. If Yun Zijin hadn’t asked about it, the invitation might have been left to gather dust in a corner, completely forgotten.
Hearing Yun Zijin, Lu Yunque raised an eyebrow. "When is it tomorrow?"
’If it’s a fashion show, it could be during the day.’
’But I have to go to the company tomorrow, so I might not have time to go with Yun Zijin.’
"It’s an indoor fashion show, starting at 7 PM. You should be off work by then, right?"
Although Lu Yunque was the president of the Lu Family corporation, he often couldn’t leave work right on time.
The president of a publicly listed company wasn’t like the overbearing CEOs from novels and TV shows, who could have it all in love and business just by dating the female lead.
Before meeting Yun Zijin, Lu Yunque was a notorious workaholic. Even after they became an official couple, he still spent his workdays buried in company affairs.
In fact, he had very little time to actually spend with Yun Zijin.
But seven in the evening was after work hours. Lu Yunque felt he could make it.
"I can. I’ll try to get off work by six tomorrow. Should I come pick you up?"
"No need. I have class tomorrow afternoon. Just pick me up from school."
"Okay."
Just then, Wang Minli emerged from the kitchen. "Miss, Mr. Lu, dinner is ready."
After she spoke, several maids carrying dishes came out from behind her. They walked past in succession, placing the food they held onto the dining room table.
The last person came up with a tray and set out two bowls of rice and the chopsticks.
"Time to eat, time to eat."
Yun Zijin’s eyes lit up when she saw the dishes the maids brought out.
’They’re all my favorites today.’
Seeing Yun Zijin so happy, Lu Yunque’s heart couldn’t help but leap with joy.
However, when she saw Lu Yunque about to reach for the boiled meat slices in chili oil, she blocked his chopsticks with her own. "Your stomach is sensitive. You can’t eat spicy food."
As she spoke, she picked up a poached shrimp for him. "Eat this. This is delicious, too."
To make things easier for Yun Zijin, the poached shrimp had been peeled in advance, with only the heads and tails reattached to make them look whole.
For someone like Yun Zijin, who loved eating shrimp but hated peeling them, this was an absolute godsend.
Lu Yunque ate the shrimp Yun Zijin had given him, feeling quite pleased with himself.
’But to avoid being teased by Yun Zijin, Lu Yunque tried his best not to show it.’
*
「The Xia Family Residence.」
After the Xia father and son both returned home, the lawyer Xia Zhengguang had hired for Zhang Yiqin called Xia Zhengguang, confirming the same very unfortunate news Tang Yu had told Yun Zijin.
’!!!’
’He’d signed the divorce papers too soon! He should have investigated first before drafting the agreement.’
Xia Zhengguang wasn’t on speakerphone, but Xia Zhiyun, standing to the side, saw his father’s expression darken and had a feeling something terrible had happened.
"Where is Xia Jiajiao?!"
Zhang Yiqin was at the J Bureau, so Xia Zhengguang couldn’t go there and cause a scene. But Xia Jiajiao’s very existence was a constant reminder to him that she was the product of his wife’s—no, his ex-wife’s—affair!
’He’d foolishly raised another man’s daughter for over twenty years, only to turn his own biological daughter away!’
"The young miss hasn’t returned yet."
The servant who spoke was filling in for the recently-resigned butler. He dutifully relayed Xia Jiajiao’s status.
However, he didn’t know where she had gone.
"Call her and tell her to come back immediately! And freeze all her cards!"
’He wouldn’t spend a single extra cent on another man’s daughter!’
"Dad, what’s wrong?"
Xia Zhiyun still didn’t know what had happened and was confused to hear Xia Zhengguang wanting to freeze Xia Jiajiao’s cards.
Although things had gotten rather ugly at home recently because of the marriage alliance issue...
...Xia Zhiyun had always believed that Xia Zhengguang still cared for Xia Jiajiao very much.
After all, she was the daughter he had watched grow up, the daughter he had raised for over twenty years.
"Hmph! Do you have any idea what your mother has done?!"
’Xia Zhengguang felt he couldn’t even bring himself to tell Xia Zhiyun that he’d been cuckolded by a woman for over twenty years!’
"What does Mom have to do with this? She can’t even get out now."
’The fact that Zhang Yiqin had hired someone to intentionally kidnap Yun Zijin was basically a settled matter. Dad had already divorced her, so why couldn’t he just let it go?’
’As their son, Xia Zhiyun felt it was truly difficult being caught between the two of them.’
"Just now, the lawyer called me. He said that Xia Jiajiao is your half-sister!
"Half-sister!"
Xia Zhengguang repeated the word twice, a testament to his immense fury.
Hearing Xia Zhengguang’s words, Xia Zhiyun opened his mouth, but in the end, couldn’t say a thing.
’He had never imagined that things would actually develop in this direction.’
"Then Yun Zijin..."
’If Xia Jiajiao was his half-sister, then didn’t that mean Yun Zijin was...?’
"She is my daughter, but not your mother’s daughter."
’Yun Zijin and Xia Jiajiao were around the same age, and Zhang Yiqin had only been pregnant twice. It was impossible for her to have given birth to three children.’
But as Xia Zhiyun listened to Xia Zhengguang’s explanation, he felt like his head was going to explode.
’What kind of insane, melodramatic plot was this? The daughter isn’t the daughter, but the daughter is also the daughter?’
’Xia Zhiyun felt like his CPU was about to fry.’
"Dad, could you be mistaken? This..."
’This wasn’t something to joke about.’
"The lawyer just called and told me himself. This is information the J Bureau found. Do you think the J Bureau would lie about such a trivial matter?"
’No matter how unhinged Xia Zhengguang was, he didn’t think the J Bureau would do something to ruin its own reputation.’
’If it hadn’t been confirmed, the J Bureau wouldn’t have revealed it.’
’He had done a paternity test with Yun Zijin; their father-daughter relationship was genuine.’
’Xia Zhengguang was starting to regret it. He should have had Yun Zijin and Zhang Yiqin do a maternity test back then, too.’
Xia Zhiyun didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling. He glanced over at the acting butler by chance, only to find the man looking at him with an expression of pity.
Xia Zhiyun: ’...I don’t feel like talking.’
"It’s getting late. Sir, Young Master, would you like to have dinner?"
Lately, the father and son had been working from dawn till dusk for the company. Today was a rare day that they had gotten off work relatively early.
"Bring it up. We haven’t eaten yet."
’Even though he had no appetite because of his foul mood, Xia Zhengguang’s stomach had been bothering him recently, so he couldn’t skip a meal.’
Xia Zhiyun didn’t have much of an appetite either, but the food was already made, and it would be a waste not to eat it. In the end, he decided to sit down at the table.
"Butler, call Xia Jiajiao and tell her to get her ass back here right now!"