flstandardbreds Chapter 1163 - 1152: When the Daughter Is the Supporting Role and the Younger Sister Is the Protagonist
Chapter 1163 - 1152: When the Daughter Is the Supporting Role and the Younger Sister Is the Protagonist
"What’s wrong? You look so absent-minded." Ye Changfeng was getting on in years now; his sleep was light and easily disturbed. Half-awake, he muttered.
"Oh, nothing." Mei Chunli mumbled back, not voicing what was in her heart. She just felt it was unfair—why did Heaven make her daughter work so hard?
Her daughter was so obedient. When she was little, whenever she wasn’t allowed to excel, she’d actually listen and never stand out. After she grew up, in order to avoid clashing with the sharp edge of the stepdaughter, she even went abroad for several years before coming back.
Now she’d finally earned her husband’s approval, opened a small company of her own, yet was busy to the point of exhaustion every single day, with no time to rest at all. Mingming her daughter could have lived in comfort, but just so no one would look down on this Mom of hers, she forced herself to be ambitious.
They were both daughters of the Ye Family, so why was it that the stepdaughter didn’t have to work so hard and could possess Ye Group as a matter of course? And then there was Ye Shu—Mingming only two years younger than her daughter, yet already the heir of the Group. Just that identity alone, without any effort, gave her ten times more respect from others than her daughter ever got.
Sometimes she wondered, how could fate be this unfair? Just because her daughter happened to be born from the womb of a caregiver like her, she had to endure others’ discrimination?
The more Mei Chunli thought, the more extreme she became. Looking at the sleeping face of the husband she loved so much, she even felt a bit of hate—hated him for being so biased. If only he would give some of the Group’s shares to their daughter, how great would that be?
"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" Ye Changfeng grumbled. "Got sucked into those TV dramas again? Those things are all fake."
"What TV drama?" Mei Chunli was stunned.
"Isn’t it that ’Family Feud’ you’ve been hooked on lately? The way they act is too fake. How could the older brother be murdered by his younger brother and the police still can’t do anything? Having money isn’t omnipotent."
Mei Chunli’s heart suddenly stirred, as if some string inside had been plucked. "Isn’t it because that old man was covering for him? They never filed a report in the end anyway!"
"That’s TV. Real life can’t be the same. Go to sleep, stop thinking about it." Ye Changfeng turned over and soon fell back into deep sleep.
But Mei Chunli couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. Scenes from "Family Feud" kept replaying in her head. What if that kind of situation happened in real life?
If the stepdaughter were gone, and her husband had only their daughter left, would he protect her?
Mei Chunli’s eyes flickered nonstop. Even if he didn’t protect them, what could he do? Xiao Shu was too young to run the Group; only her daughter could help him. Besides, the one who took action wouldn’t be her daughter. Once it was investigated, everyone would just think it was an accident.
If there was no stepdaughter, her daughter could naturally take over the company. Her daughter would never have to work so hard again. She knew doing this would be letting the stepdaughter down, but she would treat her granddaughter well. She would also make sure her daughter treated her granddaughter well.
Once the thought took root, the next day Mei Chunli didn’t even dare look Ye Qiu in the eye, which planted seeds of doubt in Ye Qiu’s heart.
Thinking about it, the time of the murder in her previous life wasn’t far off now. And at present, the only one showing cracks was this stepmother, Mei Chunli. But why?
Ye Qiu couldn’t figure out why the stepmother would suddenly harbor malice toward her. Where did she get the courage? She didn’t seem to have offended her anywhere.
Ye Qiu glanced at her rebirth little sister Ye Yun, whom she’d gotten at a bargain, and found nothing unusual about her. That made her even more curious, but outwardly she showed nothing, remaining calm and collected, while inwardly she grew vigilant.
Ye Yun herself had no idea her own mom had suddenly developed such thoughts for her sake. She was still patiently preparing for Zhang Beichen’s graduation ball.
That afternoon, Zhang Beichen drove over to pick her up and took her straight to a private styling studio.
"Is this really necessary, going this heavy?" Ye Yun joked.
"Of course. I finally borrowed such a great beauty like Sister Yun; wouldn’t it be a waste if we didn’t doll you up properly?" Zhang Beichen opened the door for Ye Yun like a gentleman, then chuckled. Dressed in a black suit today, he looked especially handsome, making Ye Yun’s heart skip a beat. She immediately despised herself—had she just been single for too long? How could she almost develop feelings for her future nephew-in-law?
"You’re slick with words. You shouldn’t be saying that to me; you should say it to Xiao Shu." She suppressed the restless stirrings in her heart and kept her smile poised and appropriate.
For a moment, a look of dejection flashed across Zhang Beichen’s face. "But Xiao Shu doesn’t seem to like me at all."
"Then work harder. Only by persevering can you win a beauty’s heart."
"Then a beauty like Sister Yun must have tons of suitors too. How come you haven’t agreed to any of them?"
"Right now I care most about my career. I’m not in the mood for that."
"The guys must be beating their chests in regret." Zhang Beichen smiled again. "We’re here. They’ll do the full styling for you today, Sister Yun. This is the gown I picked for you—see if you like it. If not, we have backups. All of them are new this year."
Ye Yun lifted her eyes. It was a silver evening gown; she already recognized the brand. The price was in the high six figures. The front looked extremely conservative, but the back was completely cut out, with only a row of tassel. She could already picture how dazzling she’d be when she walked in that gown.
She liked it at first glance. She hadn’t expected Zhang Beichen to have such good taste.
"Miss Ye, please try on the gown first, then we’ll finalize the makeup."
"Okay."
Ye Yun admitted she’d misjudged it. The front of the dress was anything but ordinary; thanks to the special fabric, it shimmered with every step and flattered her figure beautifully. She even caught the flash of amazement in Zhang Beichen’s eyes.
"Didn’t expect the gown you picked for Xiao Shu to fit me this well too." She laughed lightly.
"No." The brightness in Zhang Beichen’s eyes still hadn’t faded, his ears even reddened, and his tone wasn’t as steady as before. "This isn’t the one I picked for Xiao Shu. I chose this only after Sister Yun agreed to be my date."
"Really? It’s gorgeous, I love it. Thank you." Ye Yun smiled, her brows and eyes full of allure.
Zhang Beichen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Feeling it was a bit impolite to stare, he turned his head away and muttered, "It suits you very well."
The gown was stunning, so naturally the makeup couldn’t go wrong. This private styling studio charged no small fee, but their skills fully justified their prices. When Ye Yun’s look was finally complete, Zheng Beichen practically couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Ye Yun laughed again. "What, have you fallen for your big sister here?"
Zhang Beichen nodded sincerely. "Yes."
Ye Yun froze, suddenly at a loss for words, feeling a bit awkward.
Fortunately, Zhang Beichen was considerate and attentive. He quickly adjusted his mood, then like a gentleman opened the car door for her, arranged her skirt, and thoughtfully prepared a water cup with a straw for her to drink from.