"I want to go to that private school, I don't want to go to No. 1 High School!"
"Goodness, your grades weren't good enough to get you into the top high school. Your dad went to great lengths to pay a hefty fee to get you in, so you'd better behave yourself!"
“Yes, there are a few of us at school who will look after you. If you go to that college alone and get bullied and cry, there will be no one to help you.”
"You know the situation at home right now, so why do you insist on going to the academy?" Meng Zhiyi was somewhat afraid when Meng Zhiyuan, the eldest son, spoke up.
"I just want to go..." Meng Zhiyi stammered, unable to articulate her reasoning.
"The money has already been paid, so just stay at No. 1 Middle School and study there. If your family's situation improves later, you can go back if you want."
"But……"
“Your older brother is right. Besides, it’s not like you can just get into college. Given our family’s current situation, we’re not even sure if we can even meet the requirements. In addition, the teaching staff at No. 1 High School is no worse than those at the college. You should study hard and not waste your energy on eating, drinking and having fun like you did in junior high school. Getting into a good university is better than anything else.”
Meng Boqun looked somewhat tired and left after finishing his speech.
Meng Zhiyi naturally refused, but this time, no matter how much she threw a tantrum, her family wouldn't give in to her. From then on, whenever she was unhappy at home, Meng Zhiyi would either smash things or scream and curse.
The Meng family's situation deteriorated year by year, and everyone was overwhelmed with worries, especially since Meng Zhili and Meng Zhiyao already had considerable expenses. Meng Zhilian's tutoring classes were discontinued, and Meng Zhiyuan, as the eldest son, began working part-time to support himself, but it was only a drop in the bucket.
Under these circumstances, Meng Zhiyi showed no concern for her family and continued to live a life of extravagance until the Meng family officially declared bankruptcy and moved into a small, dilapidated residential building.
In less than a week, Meng Zhiyi somehow obtained two paternity test reports. One report showed that she had no relation to the Meng family, while the other showed that she was the real daughter of the Tang family, which had risen to prominence in the past two years.
A daughter you've raised for 17 years suddenly pulls out a paternity test report and says she wants to cut off all contact with you. No one could accept that.
"Zhiyi, what do you mean by this?" Qin Yi asked incredulously.
"Haven't I made myself clear enough? I am the true daughter of the Tang family. I have found my biological parents. Shouldn't you be happy for me? Don't worry, after all, you have raised me for so many years. It wouldn't be unreasonable for you to give me a million or two to help you out."
Meng Zhiyi strutted around arrogantly, her eyes filled with fantasies about her future life. It seemed that as long as she left this place, a glamorous high-society life would surely await her.
Her eyes were filled with uncontrollable greed, but she failed to see the disappointment in her family's eyes.
“It’s a good thing you’ve found your biological parents. The Tang family is powerful and wealthy. It’s definitely better for you to stay with them than to suffer with us.” Meng Boqun looked much older.
"As for the one or two million, forget about it. Although my Meng family has fallen on hard times, we are not so destitute that we need our adopted daughter to use her wealthy parents' money to help us."
"That's for the best. I originally wanted to spend a million to buy out this family relationship, but since you don't want it, it saves me a lot of trouble. Just don't come back to me and try to bleed me dry."
"Meng Zhiyi!" Unexpectedly, it was Meng Zhili who called out this. His eyes were filled with disbelief. How could his sister, whom his family cherished, say such hurtful and resolute words?
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Zhiyi, is there something troubling you? If so, you can tell us, and your parents and brothers will try their best to help you."
"What can you do to help me?" Meng Zhiyi's face was full of undisguised mockery.
"I can't get into the academy, I can't afford a dress that costs 30,000 yuan, and now they can only let me live in this small and smelly apartment building. What can you do to help me? What can you give me?"
These words made the faces of the group turn pale.
"Are these words sincere?" As the eldest brother, Meng Zhiyuan was more composed. His deep, abyss-like eyes stared directly at Tang Zhiyi, yet she showed no sign of flinching.
At this point, he understood.
"So, when did you find out you were the eldest daughter of the Tang family?" Meng Zhilian asked the question that the others dared not think about, and Meng Zhiyi's eyes also subconsciously darted away.
“You don’t need to know this.” Meng Zhiyi stood up, her expression becoming somewhat impatient.
"I'm only here to inform you that from today onwards, we go our separate ways. If we run into each other, we'll pretend we don't know each other and leave each other alone. As for the one million I promised you, you refused it yourselves. Don't come back to me later and ask me for it again!"
She stood up, chin held high with haughtiness.
"Alright, let's not bother each other. Just consider that my Meng family has never had a daughter named Meng Zhiyi! As for the one million, you can rest assured that even if my Meng family is so poor that we can't afford to eat and have to sleep on the streets, we would never ask you for money!" Meng Boqun's tone was extremely calm.
He closed his eyes, concealing all his emotions. "Go, and if we ever meet again, just pretend we don't know each other."
Meng Zhiyi never returned after that day.
The bus started announcing its stops, and Meng Zhili subconsciously got off, still looking somewhat dazed. He looked up at the sky; the sun was slowly setting, and the sky was filled with the glow of dawn, yet a sense of melancholy inexplicably washed over him.
On the other hand, not by Meng Wan's own will, she was still taken to the restaurant by Tang Qi.
The two were led to their seats by a waiter. Since Tang Qi had booked the entire restaurant in advance, the two of them were the only people in the huge restaurant besides the staff.
"Take a look and see what you'd like to eat. After all, you can't come here from the Meng family." Tang Qi handed her the menu.
Meng Wan wasn't annoyed; she simply smiled and pushed the menu back.
"With you, I can't even bring myself to eat a Manchu Han Imperial Feast."
Tang Qi chuckled softly, but wasn't angry. The waiter stood aside, pretending not to hear. Fortunately, the two didn't give him, a working-class man, a hard time, and he was able to order his food smoothly.
"Sir, your order has met the requirements for a complimentary drink. Would you like to try our newly launched eggnog?"
"No need, this is fine." Tang Qi closed the menu.
"Okay, please wait a moment." The waiter took the menu and left.
"Tell me, what exactly do you want? You went to all this trouble, I don't believe it's just for a meal."
"My dear sister, we've been together for 17 years, is it wrong to treat you to a meal?"
Meng Wan sneered, "It's been 17 years and you've only just remembered to invite your little sister to dinner. You're quite the dutiful brother. Also, I think you're just too forgetful. Your real sister is the one you just left at the school gate. Thanks to you, my mundane life has gained another enemy who wants to tear me apart."
"You're welcome."
Tang Qi raised an eyebrow, raised his glass of water, and clinked glasses with her in the air.
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