Chapter 48 (Part 2)

"How can Zhao Yuan be Zhang Yufen's child?! We haven't noticed anything amiss for so many years!"

The entire Zhao family was struck by lightning.

This meant many things—

It may mean that the swapping of children back then was deliberately done! It may also mean that their child was deliberately abandoned and became an orphan who suffered and almost froze to death! The other party stuffed a daughter of their own who was completely irrelevant to them. She was fed, dressed and educated for many years. Even the other party has been working as a nanny in their house for so many years and has been very close to Zhao Yuan!

The other party did not lose anything, and together with her child, they maliciously stole their child's life!

Whenever they thought that this possibility may be true, the Zhao family became disgusted and angry.

Assuming this is true, then Zhang Yufen was the culprit, and they have raised the child of the culprit for 18 years! And because they loved the culprit’s child too much, they forced their own children to break up with their families!

Madam Zhao slumped on the side with a pale face. She had yet to fully process what was going on.

"This is unbelievable." Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. "Who can think of such an imaginative scenario and spread it everywhere?”

He was totally unable to think about the possibility of this extreme horror.

"Where is Zhao Yuning?" Zhao Mo asked, "Does he know about this?"

Zhao Zhanhuai said, "He doesn't go on the forum very much, and the first and third years are also separated in school, so he probably doesn't know. But Assistant Li said that three days ago, someone posted about this on the forum of his school. There’s a lot of gossip now, so it’s hard to guarantee that he hasn’t found out already.”

"What the hell is this?" Zhao Mo scratched his hair irritably. "Someone is talking about this in Weibo. My agent asked me to go back quickly, otherwise the reporter who is looking for me may come near our home. I can't stay at home anymore.”

Mr Zhao was angry like a volcano. He forced himself to calm down a little bit. "Then just go back to your company first! You will only cause trouble if you stay at home, and it won't help!"

Madam Zhao picked up the paternity test on the ground and slowly recovered her senses. She cried and asked, "So, Zhao Hongzhi, you bastard, you can’t possibly have anything to do with Zhang Yufen—”

"No way!" Zhao Hongzhi was so enraged that he jumped up without a care for his image. "Even if I want to, I will find a tender model. Zhang Yufen is a nanny. How could I possibly have anything to do with her?! Do you know what the people outside are saying about me right now? Even the employees of my company are laughing at me behind my back, so don't add to the mess with your silly implications at this time!"

Zhao Zhanhuai was a little more rational. He said: "This matter is still unconfirmed. I am afraid that Dad's company’s competitors might have deliberately created such rumors to cause unrest. If we want to verify this, we have to send the hair strands of Zhang Yufen and Zhao Yuan to do a test. Zhao Mo, you go back to the company first. Wang jie*, take my mother upstairs to rest."

*Not his actual sister. ‘Jie’ can also be used to refer to a close elder caretaker.

Then he asked Mr Zhao, "Dad, how do you think this should be resolved now?"

Zhao Zhanhuai couldn't help taking in a deep breath. “You can't let the public opinion be anymore or your reputation will be ruined! How can I participate in the summit next month? I am far too embarrassed to participate!"

…

It wasn’t a small thing to be accused of having an affair with the nanny at home.

The problem is, it’s about Mr Zhao’s reputation.

He cheated with the nanny at home despite his old age. What will the people in their circle think?

When discussing business and playing golf in the future, how would those middle-aged men laugh at him behind his back?

There were also those groups of wives with an even looser tongue. Within two days, this matter would be spread all over their circle.

"You must make a decision as soon as possible," Zhao Zhanhuai and the assistant said.

Mr Zhao scratched his hair irritably.

*

E Xiaoxia sat in the classroom and watched absent-mindedly. She looked at how everyone was in turmoil, especially Zhao Yuan— There was a feeling of having executed a successful revenge. She couldn't help shaking her legs. She untied the earphone cord and put on her earphones.

The next step was to watch the show.

The reason why she only released the one that proved that Zhao Yuan and Zhang Yufen were biological mother and daughter but did not include the one showing that Zhao Yuan and Zhao Yuning were not siblings was because directors should always pay more attention to how the plot was to be pushed little by little.

If I let everyone know that Zhao Yuan is not the daughter of the Zhao family, but the daughter of the nanny, the explosion would be finished all at once, then what else is there to watch?

I must everyone mistakenly think that Zhao Yuan is the illegitimate daughter of Mr Zhao and the nanny. Only this sort of water is muddy enough.

Pu Shuang looked at E Xiaoxia who was smiling strangely.

Is she happy that something so huge happened to Zhao Yuan?

But then again, if something like this happened to Zhao Yuan before, the two of them would rush out to curse others and defend Zhao Yuan first. But now both of them were no longer on Zhao Yuan's side, instead they were gloating a little— Is this Zhao Yuan's problem or their problem?

Pu Shuang pursed her lips, feeling that she and E Xiaoxia were still different people. She disdained to be grouped with E Xiaoxia.

…

When Mingxi returned to the classroom and put down her school bag, she also found out about it. There was no other reason but Ke Chengwen who would never miss the opportunity to pick up on even the smallest piece of gossip.

As soon as Ke Chengwen saw her, his eyes lit up. He quickly moved his head over. “Zhao Mingxi, are the rumors on the forum true? Did you know that—”

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi pushed his head away.

Fu Yangxi glared at him displeasedly and said, "Just talk normally. What are you doing with your head stretched out like a tortoise? Your saliva sprayed all over me. She just came back from the preliminary exam in the training camp. How can she know what happened on the forum?”

"What are you talking about?" Mingxi’s heart fell, thinking that something bad had happened to her.

Why did I keep seeing everyone discussing something while I was walking all the way from the bus back to class?

She glanced at Fu Yangxi and saw that Fu Yangxi didn't want to say anything. She sat down and turned to ask Ke Chengwen. "What is it? Does it have something to do with me?"

Ke Chengwen's lust for gossip was burning. "This is a long story!"

Mingxi said, "Then make it short."

"Class is about to start soon!" Fu Yangxi was not too happy that she and Ke Chengwen were so close. He raised his hand to her head, twisted her head back and muttered, "You can talk even with your back turned away. How can you twist your head so much? Are you not afraid of spraining your neck?"

Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi. "Huh?"

Fu Yangxi said, "It has nothing to do with you. It’s Zhao Yuan from the Evergreen Class who is related to this. What has it got to do with you?"

Ke Chengwen took the opportunity to intervene and briefly summarized, “Someone posted something bad about Zhao Yuan on the forum!"

While the three were having a conversation, Mr Lu came in. As soon as he came in, he said to them, "Zhao Mingxi, the opportunity to compete is hard to come by. You have to study hard! You kept on staring at your desk mate before going off to training camp, yet you’re still doing the same after returning from training camp?!"

"Or should I just change seats for you two?"

Fu Yangxi almost slapped the table and said angrily, "Lu Zhangwei, don't try to ask for trouble!"

Mingxi was also taken aback. "Teacher, forget it..."

The two sentences of refusal were unanimous.

After saying these two sentences, both Mingxi and Fu Yangxi went a little stiff at the same time.

The air became distressed.

The tips of their ears were red and they both felt guilty. They quickly turned away, refusing to look at each other.

Lu Wangwei was about to continue speaking when there was a sudden commotion outside.

“What happened?”

They saw Miss Ye Bing from the Evergreen Class and a group of students suddenly rushed here. However, unlike last time, the student following this time seemed to be just excited to watch the show and rushed over with the girl in front.

And the girl in front—

Lu Wangwei recognized Zhao Yuan from the Evergreen Class.

Seeing her pale complexion, angry expression and the redness under her eyes, Lu Wangwei suddenly became vigilant. There was a premonition that she was coming to find the students in his class. So before the group of people rushed over, he walked up to them. "What are you doing?!"

"What do you want with our class?!"

Zhao Yuan stared at Fu Yangxi and Zhao Mingxi, who had their heads emerging from the back of the classroom, from outside the window. She was all choked up. "You guys were the ones who did it, right?! Such intolerable bullies!"

Fu Yangxi felt a surge of anger. He wanted to stand up as soon as he slapped the table. He pointed at his own nose in disbelief. “Was she speaking to me just now?? Was it me? Is she tired of living?”

Mingxi had just returned to the classroom and had not figured out what was going on. She frowned, and under the guidance of Ke Chengwen, opened the school forum.

And before Fu Yangxi came out, a group of followers in the International Class were already out of the ground and angry. "What the hell? Why is everything thrown on our boss? Why don’t you take a look at yourself? Are you even worthy of our boss sparing you a glance?”

Seeing that the scene was going to be chaotic.

A person climbed up the stairs. It was Li Ye, Mr Zhao’s assistant.

Zhao Yuan's eyes became even redder when she saw someone she was familiar with.

Li Ye walked over in a suit and leather shoes. First, he handed a business card to Ye Bing and Lu Wangwei, and then he said, “I am Mr. Zhao Hongzhi's assistant. See, our boss can't come as he is occupied with other matters, but this incident has also spread to our boss's ears. Thus, he has asked me to deal with this matter first.”

The noises in the corridor immediately fell silent. They were all waiting excitedly for the newest piece of gossip.

Waiting for Li Ye to say something.

This was the person who represented Zhao Hongzhi, another party in the gossip!

Everyone's hearts were beating with excitement.

Someone in the crowd couldn't help asking, “So, is Zhao Yuan the illegitimate daughter of the nanny?”

"No." Li Ye shook his head firmly. “You may not know this, but Miss Zhao Yuan is not related to the Zhao family.”

As soon as this remark came out, there was an uproar.

Li Ye continued, “The Zhao family has always raised Zhao Yuan as their biological daughter. Her parent-child relationship with the nanny was only known to my boss and my boss’s family very recently. They were also very shocked and have asked me to bring Miss Zhao Yuan back so that they can do a DNA test carefully.”

Zhao Yuan's face changed and her breathing became rapid. She stared at Li Ye in disbelief— Who made him say the words ‘not related’?

So what she desperately wanted to cover up was just revealed by Mr Zhao so mercilessly?!

Has the Zhao family ever thought about how she would regain her foothold in school after saying these things?

What the hell?

The crowd did not react in time. Someone couldn't help but ask, “If there is no blood relationship between them, why did they raise her as their own daughter?"

Li Ye said, “Because they picked up the wrong child in the hospital. Miss Mingxi became an abandoned baby and Miss Zhao Yuan was taken home as their own. Both the Zhao family and Miss Zhao Mingxi are victims! When we learned that the nanny Zhang Yufen may be related to Miss Zhao Yuan, we were also shocked. We decided to verify the truth of this matter first. If it is true, we will definitely hold the nanny to blame!”

Li Ye's voice was very clear and loud.

When these words were heard, everyone in the hallway immediately made up a big scene in their heads.

Every sentence was shocking!

In other words, 18 years ago, the Zhao family took the wrong child home. Zhao Mingxi was the real daughter and Zhao Yuan occupied the magpie's nest, but the latter was regarded as a real daughter and loved by the Zhao family.

And now, they found out that the nanny who had been staying at the Zhao family’s house was probably Zhao Yuan's biological mother— that is, the culprit who swapped the children back then?

The amount of information was simply too much! Everyone was horrified.

Li Ye tried to keep his cool.

Just before he came, Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai made a decision. Since things have developed to this point, the most important thing was of course to preserve the image of Mr Zhao, who was equivalent to the company’s reputation, and stop the derailing of the scandal between Mr Zhao and the nanny.

Then there was only one way— to clarify that Mr Zhao and Zhao Yuan were not related at all.

The people in the Zhao family were all thinking about the paternity test now. How could they think about the mood of Zhao Yuan, who may be the culprit’s daughter, at this moment?

Zhao Yuan stared at Li Ye with a pale face. At this moment, she understood that she had become an abandoned pawn.

ray's note: the big reveal has finally come... let me know what are your thoughts in the comments section!