Chapter 276 Unable to Leave

She added with a sneer, her voice low but full of sarcasm: "What is Shen Cuifen? She has no connection with the Zhou family whatsoever. She used to call me 'Mom' so affectionately, but now she's been kicked aside, hasn't she?"

Song Yu'an had anticipated this situation and had long seen through these people's intentions.

But he wasn't angry; instead, he felt relieved.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Shen Cuifen's face. He saw that she had her head down, her hands were tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, and her shoulders were trembling slightly.

His heart tightened, and he immediately reached out and tightly grasped her hand, as if trying to transfer all the remaining warmth he had to her.

His voice was low, but each word was clear and firm: "Shen Cuifen, starting tomorrow, your household registration will be under my name. She is not my wife, but my daughter. No one is allowed to say another harsh word about her."

Zhou Xiuli laughed so hard she almost fell over, slapping her hand on the coffee table with a loud "thud".

She laughed and shook her head, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world: "Fine, if you want to adopt a goddaughter, go ahead. Anyway, starting tomorrow, you're no longer considered a member of the Zhou family. Do whatever you want, we'll keep to ourselves."

Zhou Dajun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with panic, his pupils slightly contracted, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He glanced at Song Yu'an, then looked at his two younger brothers sitting on the sofa—Zhou Jianguo and Zhou Anguo.

The two seemed completely detached from the situation, heads down, fiddling with their phones—one scrolling through short videos, the other playing games, their fingers flying across the screen without even lifting their eyelids, as if the argument was nothing more than an insignificant family drama.

Xiao Shui affectionately linked arms with Zhou Xiuli, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her voice was sweet, a mix of coquettishness and provocation: "Sister, you're so young. We'll have to call you 'Mom' from now on. This title... it's really hard to say."

After she finished speaking, she deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her eyes full of sarcasm.

Zhou Xiuli blushed, though it was feigned shyness, she couldn't help but spit and glare at her: "Oh, you're already making fun of me before we're even married? Be careful, when I become your mother-in-law, I'll make you kneel down and scrub the floor every day!"

Looking at the lively and noisy room full of people, Song Yu'an found it particularly jarring.

They chatted and laughed, raising their glasses in celebration, as if they were performing an utterly absurd play.

Everyone wore a smile, but there was no warmth in those smiles, only calculation, indifference, and naked smugness.

He suddenly felt tired, so tired that he didn't even have the energy to be angry.

He stood up, his movements slow but firm. Holding Shen Cuifen's hand, he didn't say a word of farewell, nor did he look at anyone else. He turned and left.

His steps were steady, his back straight, like a mountain that was about to sink but still refused to bend.

Zhou Dajun hurriedly followed, his steps unsteady, his voice urgent: "Mom, are you going back? Shall I drive you? It's already dark outside, and the roads are difficult to travel..."

Before Song Yu'an could refuse, Xiao Shui had already chased after him, grabbed Zhou Dajun's arm, and her nails almost dug into his flesh.

She lowered her voice, but each word was clear: "Dajun, your dad is calling you! There's something going on at home, don't go out!"

Zhou Dajun's body stiffened, his arm aching from her grip, but he dared not break free.

He turned around, looking apologetically at Song Yu'an and Shen Cuifen. His lips moved, but he could only manage a stammering sentence: "You...you sit for a while, I'll take Mother and the others back."

The sound was faint, like a candle flame in the wind, which would be extinguished with a single breath.

Xiao Shui pouted, her eyes slightly red, tears welling up in them, her voice trembling so much she could barely utter a complete sentence: "Bian Jiang, what am I here? You're not here, how can I sit down? I... I'm standing here like an outsider, nobody pays attention to me, nobody even greets me... How can you expect me to sit down in peace?"

Song Yu'an glanced coldly at Xiao Shui, his eyes sharp as knives. A mocking smile played on his lips, and his tone was as cold as the depths of winter: "You can keep this room, we're not staying here. Dajun, let's take a taxi and come back to pick up our things first thing tomorrow morning. There's no place for us here, and there's no need for us to be disliked any longer."

She saw Xiao Shui reach out and grab Zhou Dajun's arm, wiping away tears as she desperately pulled him back, sobbing softly, "Brother Dajun, don't go... what will I do if you leave?"

Song Yu'an turned around decisively and walked out the door without looking back.

Just then, the sky suddenly changed color, dark clouds rolled in, as if a huge hole had been torn open in the sky, and large raindrops pounded down, hitting the eaves, the ground, and the umbrellas with deafening noise.

Seeing this, Shen Cuifen quickly rummaged through her bag for her coat, wanting to rush out to shield Song Yu'an from the rain.

She had just taken a step when Song Yu'an grabbed her wrist with such force that she stumbled: "You just had a miscarriage, you're so weak, are you trying to end up in the hospital by getting caught in the rain? Are you out of your mind?"

After saying that, Song Yu'an didn't give her a chance to refute. He grabbed her hand, pulled her forcefully, and turned to go into the house.

Rainwater splashed in through the cracks in the door, wetting the floor, but the room was noisy.

Zhou Xiuli was busy at work, humming a little tune as she deftly set out the bowls and chopsticks. The soup in the pot was bubbling and steaming, with white mist rising and a fragrant aroma filling the air.

Song Yu'an raised his chin and walked steadily into the kitchen, his voice calm but undeniable: "The rain is too heavy, we can't leave."

She swiftly and decisively pressed Shen Cuifen down into a chair, her movements surprisingly strong. The girl nearly lost her balance and had to grab the corner of the table to steady herself.

Zhou Anguo sat in the main seat, not even lifting his eyelids or glancing at them, and simply said, "Cuifen, you're back just in time, hurry up and cook. The food's getting cold, it'll taste even worse if you don't reheat it soon."

Even Zhou Xiuli, who had just been clamoring to eat out and saying "whoever cooks is an idiot," was now sitting obediently at the table, holding a hot water cup in one hand and gently patting Xiao Shui's back with the other, smilingly advising, "Drink slowly, don't choke, be careful not to burn your mouth. Look at you, you look so scared, drink some hot water to calm down."

The whole family, men and women, young and old, sat neatly around the dining table, bowls and chopsticks set out, their eyes all fixed on the kitchen, waiting for Shen Cuifen to start cooking.

Song Yu'an stood to the side, feeling a chill run through him, as if he had been doused with cold water from head to toe.

They're not even divorced yet, and they're already being treated like servants?

One woman had just miscarried and was still in her postpartum period, while the other was kicked out of the house but was expected to come back and take care of her?