Luo Chen didn't know how to explain everything he had done, and said dryly, "We had our reasons for doing that..."
Xiao Yunying's eyes held even more sarcasm: "Oh? Tell me, what's the reason?"
"Because...because..."
Luo Chen clenched his fist and dug his palm with his nails.
She had that same expression again, a half-smile playing on her lips, her eyes devoid of laughter but filled with sarcasm, making anyone who looked at her feel annoyed.
In a moment of impulsiveness, the words his second brother had repeatedly warned him not to say slipped out: "You are not our stepmother!"
Xiao Yunying tilted her head: "What?"
“I’m telling you, you’re not our stepmother! My second brother and I know you’re not the same stepmother we knew!”
Xiao Yunying raised an eyebrow: "That's right, I'm not your stepmother."
No wonder they were able to refrain from asking her where those strange things came from or why her cooking skills had improved; it turns out they had already realized that they were no longer the original Xiao Yunying.
Luo Chen was taken aback by Xiao Yunying's straightforward admission of her identity and asked blankly, "Where is your former stepmother?"
Xiao Yunying spoke the cruel reality without any mercy: "She is dead. She died on West Mountain. She was worried that you would go hungry, so she went to West Mountain to dig for wild vegetables and lost her life. It's a pity that she was missing for two days and none of you cared about looking for her."
Luo Chen's face instantly drained of color: "She...is she really dead?"
Xiao Yunying snorted coldly: "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"
These words made Luo Chen extremely uncomfortable: "What do you mean by 'what we hope for'?"
Xiao Yunying didn't want to argue with him anymore: "Anyway, she's dead now. You know I'm not your stepmother, and you should know I have no obligation to support you. I'm only willing to build you a new house, buy you food, and give you money because of the past Xiao Yunying. As long as you don't mess with me, I'll raise you until you grow up or Luo Sheng comes back. As for other things, it's none of your business."
A sudden, inexplicable panic welled up in Luo Chen's heart. For some reason, he felt that if he let his stepmother leave tomorrow, he would truly never get her back.
"You can't leave. You promised my father you would take good care of us. You can't break your promise."
Mentioning Luo Sheng made Xiao Yunying angry: "Don't mention your unreliable father to me. Do you think your father is a good person?"
He ran away with his mother on their wedding day, taking with him twenty taels of dowry money from Xiao Yunying. He said he would be back in a few days, but he hasn't returned for almost two years. He left you with your stepmother, without ever considering how a fifteen-year-old girl could raise four children. Unless he died in an accident, he is a complete scumbag.
Besides, it was the original Xiao Yunying who promised your father to take care of you, not me. What, she sacrificed her own life, and now you want to sacrifice mine too?"
Although Luo Chen didn't understand what "scumbag" meant, Xiao Yunying's other words stung his face, making him unable to lift his head. He bit his lip and said:
"If you want to live in Xiaqu Village as a stepmother, you can't abandon us!"
"Heh, are you threatening me?"
Xiao Yunying laughed out of anger. The kid was quite clever, he had grasped the crux of the matter very well.
"I'm not threatening you, I just..."
I don't want you to leave.
Xiao Yunying tapped her fingers on the table and said with a relaxed expression, "Luo Chen, let me tell you clearly, from the very beginning, I never intended to hide my identity from you. Because no matter how you hide it, as long as you live under the same roof, you will eventually reveal your secret."
We are two people with completely different personalities. Whether we can hide it or not, it's too tiring to live a life where we have to be careful about our words and actions all the time. I don't like it.
I'm never worried that you'll discover I'm not the original Xiao Yunying, and you're trying to use that to blackmail me. That's impossible.
Luo Chen felt that their conversation had strayed from his original intention, but he couldn't think of any other way, so he had to continue: "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell others?"
Xiao Yunying pointed to her head: "I have all of Xiao Yunying's memories from childhood to adulthood in my head. No matter who asks me any question, I can answer it. As long as my parents and brothers acknowledge me, do you think other people will believe the ghost stories of an eight-year-old child like you, or will they believe my family?"
If you don't believe me, go ahead and tell everyone, and see how many people believe you.
The worst outcome is simply leaving here and moving to another place. I'm not like you; I can thrive anywhere. Luo Chen, the threats you speak of mean nothing to me.
Luo Chen was unwilling to give up and was thinking of other ways to keep his stepmother, but his mind was in a mess and he couldn't think of anything.
Xiao Yunying lost her patience; if the other person hadn't been just an eight-year-old child, she would have been tempted to physically kick them out.
"Didn't you wish Xiao Yunying were dead? Now that you've got your wish, why pretend like this? Don't worry, I'll still give you food and money after I leave. Don't worry about me abandoning you. I've said all I have to say, you can go now."
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