The office fell silent, with only Ruan Yuzhi's voice clearly audible.

“Lu Rang’s mother and I used to be best friends. I’ve never mentioned this to you before. I used to hate my name Ruan Hua and wanted to change it. His mother even pestered me to add the character ‘Yu’ to my name.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Shang Wu's eyes.

She really didn't expect that Ruan Yuzhi and Lu Rang's mother had a friendship.

No wonder Lu Zheng kept calling Ruan Yuzhi "Ruan Hua" when they met.

Shang Wu pressed further: "What happened next? Why did you become enemies with Lu Zheng? Why did he make you kneel down and apologize?"

When this was mentioned, Ruan Yuzhi's face turned extremely ugly.

She snorted coldly and said irritably, "Back then, he was a poor man from a poor background who insisted on marrying Xiaoyun as a live-in son-in-law just because he saved Xiaoyun's father's life. He was like a toad trying to eat swan meat!"

“I tried my best to dissuade Xiaoyun from marrying such a man, lest the Yu family’s assets end up in someone else’s hands. In addition, Xiaoyun’s dream of becoming a movie star was shattered, and she was forced by her father to marry Lu Zheng, which is why she couldn’t think straight and developed depression.”

"In the end, because that good-for-nothing Lu Zheng failed to protect their son, he even blamed Xiao Yun for being depressed and not caring about the children. Xiao Yun couldn't bear the pressure and chose to jump into the lake and commit suicide at a young age!"

"Afterwards, in order to shirk all responsibility, Lu Zheng actually claimed that I instigated Xiaoyun to fall apart from him and her husband, causing Xiaoyun to suffer from depression and commit suicide by jumping into the lake!"

"What good can a child born to a cowardly gigolo like him be? Don't forget, he also bears some responsibility for Lu Rang's death!"

Ruan Yuzhi's face was full of disgust when she mentioned the father and son.

After listening silently, Shang Wu remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Ruan Yuzhi raised an eyebrow: "I've already told you what you want to know. There will always be a life between me and Lu Zheng. That was his wife, my best friend. Neither of us will agree to you being with Lu Rang."

"Since you'd rather sever ties with your father and son than live in the same house as Lu Rang's mother, then so be it! You're all grown up now, and you can make your own decisions about everything."

Shang Wu lowered her eyes expressionlessly, staring at the natural patterns on the marble tabletop.

After a few seconds, she smiled slightly.

"When people talk about something, they always unconsciously or deliberately embellish their behavior."

Ruan Yuzhi was stunned, staring at her in disbelief: "What do you mean? You'd rather believe Lu Zheng than me now?"

“I believe your words have some accuracy, but you don’t even know how Lu Rang’s brother died, and you keep pushing the blame onto him, which shows that you don’t understand anything about the Yu family’s internal affairs at all.”

Shang Wu stood up and looked down at her: "You can leave now."

Ruan Yuzhi's expression changed several times before she finally clenched her fists and stood up.

She wrapped a shawl around her neck and said, "Release Yun Shen. No matter what happens between us, at least he treated you well before!"

Shang Wu's eyes darkened slightly: "So, for Shang Yun Shen's sake, you're even willing to reveal secrets you've always refused to tell before. Mrs. Shang, I'll just ask you one question: Am I really your biological daughter? How about we do a paternity test?"

Ruan Yuzhi turned around in disbelief, looking at her with an incomprehensible expression.

"You heartless wretch! I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you, and you actually..."

"Otherwise what! What do you want me to think?" Shang Wu interrupted her, his eyes full of mockery.

She stared coldly at Ruan Yuzhi; utterly disappointed, she would no longer feel sad.

She just couldn't understand it, she just couldn't comprehend it.

"When I was disfigured, when I was bullied in the club, and when I was being auctioned off by a group of men in the underground trading market, did any of you merchants ever worry about me?"

"When you came in just now, did you see the injury on my face and ask if you were concerned?"

"Also, Lu Zheng asked you to kneel down before, but you refused. However, when he mentioned that he wanted to harm Shang Yun Shen, you started to waver and thought about kneeling down to him."

"Am I really that dispensable in your eyes?"

Shang Wu asked these questions simply because she wanted an answer.

She felt like she was dreaming, when she was the merchant's most favored youngest daughter.

Shang Yun Shen had said more than once before that he envied his parents for being more gentle and doting on her.

Ruan Yuzhi listened to Shang Wu's words with a blank expression, showing no significant change in her expression, except for a complex glint in her eyes.

She listened quietly, and only after she finished did she give a sarcastic smirk.

"I've just realized that you've always been the luckiest, the most disobedient, and the most troublesome. I'm completely heartbroken by you."

Shang Wu slowly opened her eyes wide, thinking she had misheard.

She asked, bewildered, "What...what did you say?"

"All the money the business made in the past was used on you and your brother; they never shortchanged you."

"But your childhood sweetheart and high school classmate, Zhou Yanci, ruined our family's life and sent your brother to prison."

“You were pampered by him and enjoyed three years of wealth and luxury, and you were still able to continue your design dreams.”

"Later, when we discovered what Zhou Yanci had done, you relied on your beauty to maneuver between him and Lu Rang, ruining the Zhou family and using the Yu family's power to take revenge, and then you claimed it was all your doing."

"Shangwu, from beginning to end, only we have suffered. Every step of your life has been so smooth!"

Shang Wu's breathing quickened and her palms sweated.

The mother and daughter confronted each other, oblivious to the fact that there was a third person present.

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