Chapter 104 Jiang Beila
◎The Story of Jiang Bella and Jiang Shan◎
jealous
My name is Jiang Bella.
At first glance, this name seems rather ordinary and uninteresting, somewhat resembling the names of stray cats and dogs on the street. Every time the rest of the family hears my name, they frown, but there's nothing we can do about it, because my father likes this name.
I like it too.
My mother gave me this name. From a young age, she was innocent, pure, and dreamy. She loved reading completely unrealistic romance novels, especially her favorite one, which told the story of a smart, elegant, beautiful, and melancholic girl falling in love with a vampire boy.
Coincidentally, the girl in the story is named Bella.
Out of love for her child, she also gave her child the same name.
Although I think the male protagonist of that novel is not even as handsome as the dog named Ye Fenglin that my mother keeps, she likes him, so it doesn't matter.
I continued to use that name and celebrated my tenth birthday. Incidentally, I was already a highly regarded honor student at Warren High School in Empire State, having entered high school early like my father.
Meanwhile, those idiots who are years older than me are still attending stupid parties where only their peers scream. There are illegal drugs everywhere, and they only care about their momentary pleasure. Breathing alongside such idiots makes me feel uncomfortable.
I don't have any hobbies. All I need to do is go hunting with my father, learn chess, economics, game theory, politics, and accompany him to various occasions. In the future, I will inherit the family business. This is the future I can see with my own eyes.
My phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly rang. I quickly put down my book and picked up the phone. I was unusually nervous and uneasy. Of course, my heart was pounding. I hoped it was her.
I glanced at my phone screen again, and only after confirming it was her did I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mother……"
I only open up to my mother...
An ordinary teenage girl.
"Mom, have you been very busy lately? It's been a long time since you contacted me." I spoke softly into the phone. The woman on the other end looked almost exactly the same as I remembered her; she was still beautiful, delicate, and pitiful.
She is probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Her round, gentle eyes were hidden beneath thick eyelashes, her delicate and pure eye shape, her exquisite nose, her full and moist lips, and her snow-white and translucent skin. Her long hair was like that of a princess in a fairy tale, with full, wavy curls that shimmered like satin.
The weather in California is different from that in the Empire State. She always wears the kind of sundress that accentuates her slender limbs, which is completely opposite to Lin Zhi'en, who always comes to my house to play.
"No, Bella, Mommy's been a bit busy at work lately. There are a lot of things for Mommy to draw." Her voice was as pleasant as ever. I stared at her blankly, and my anxiety and disappointment were instantly soothed by her words.
Although I don't understand, she's already married to my father and has so many loyal dogs. She could just snap her fingers and everyone would give her money, right? Why does she have to work so hard?
I won't pretend with my mother, and I honestly asked her, "Mom... do you need money? If you're too embarrassed to ask Dad for it, I can give you the jewelry I have. Grandma gave me so much, I don't need it at all."
Mom laughed, unable to suppress her laughter. "Bella, it's not that Mom is short of money, it's just that I like it."
“But your work separates us,” I stood up and looked at her. “Doesn’t Mom miss me? Doesn’t she want to be with me every day? At school, many girls’ mothers come to pick them up after school every day, and I’m always all alone.”
Fake.
I didn't care about those female classmates at all, but I seemed to have an innate talent for using my pale and sickly appearance to look at her pitifully.
Sure enough, I saw some guilt on her face.
She opened her mouth and said, "Bella, Mommy will come back to play with you this week, okay? Do you want to go to the art museum with me?"
“…Hmm!” A smile appeared on my lips.
My mother is very kind, so even though I feel guilty towards her, I still took advantage of her without any qualms. What can I do? I like her so much.
...
When I was about four years old, I began to realize that my mother might not love my father.
I don't know how they got married, but it seems that she separated from my father after I was born. My father, such a strong man, never went to California to bring her back. They were like parallel lines that would never intersect, and it was only because of me that they had a point of intersection.
A business marriage? No, Jiang Mingzhuo said that his mother's family was a mess. If you had to say, they were poor and wouldn't even have any concerns about the Jiang family, let alone be compared to Lin Zhien, who often played with him in place of his mother.
Why? I couldn't help but think about it. I read many books and consulted the family's private doctor. The conclusion I came to was that my mother was probably forced by my father against her will, and she couldn't bear to have an abortion, thus killing my chance to be born and grow up.
She doesn't love her father, but she must love me.
Because she hates her father, she doesn't want to go home to see him and would rather be separated from him.
But wait... if she loves me, why won't she bring me to her side and take care of me?
Is it because she feels she has no money? No ability? Or has I become a bargaining chip for her father to use to bind her and force her to go home?
Countless questions flooded my mind, and I heard my mother say to me, "Bella, go to sleep early. I'll be going home tomorrow morning."
I nodded. My mom even sent me a flying kiss and a heart gesture through the screen. I'm sure she loves me.
What I need to do now is tell her that I love her too, that I can give up my entire life for her, and that she no longer has to suffer for me by being with a man she doesn't even like.
...
My father, Jiang Zhao, wasn't a very likable person.
He was a cold and arrogant man who was good at deriving pleasure from the suffering of others. He loved hunting and had taught me how to lure birds into cages and then use their pitiful and piercing cries to attract their mates, thus catching them all at once.
“Bella, do you know why she came here even though she knew her husband had been captured?” He stood tall and straight in front of me, dressed in black riding gear. His features were sharp and handsome, and his dark eyes were piercing, exuding a powerful and imposing aura.
“Because…it’s so stupid,” I told my dad.
I looked down at the two pale blue birds in the cage. The male bird had been caught by the servants, and it was also a trap to catch the female bird.
Soon, these two beautiful and unique birds will have their last wing feathers clipped and be sent to a greenhouse. They can still fly, but they will never be able to soar freely in the sky again. They will be tamed by humans, perched on their shoulders, singing melodious songs to amuse and entertain them.
Knowing full well that her husband was here and had already been arrested, why did she still come back?
I reached into the cage and grasped the trembling birds. They struggled with their last bit of strength, pecking at the back of my hand.
It didn't hurt at all; in fact, it felt quite novel to me.
"Miss." The maid beside me quickly pulled me back, but seeing that my father was not moving, he hesitated for a moment.
My father stared at me. "Because they love each other."
"Love?" I looked at my father curiously. "Is it because a wife loves her husband that she's willing to risk her life to save him?"
Dad patted my head. "That's how it is."
"Hmm..." This is completely different from the "love" I've ever felt.
I have never seen such a deep and unconditional love in my mother. Although I think my father would definitely do it, my mother might not necessarily give up everything for him.
...
The day my mother came back, I left school early.
I easily fooled the school teacher by looking like I was sick. She allowed me to go home and rest instead of going to the aquarium with the other students. I didn't tell the driver, the housekeeper, or even Lin Zhi'en, who took me out to play every day. I went to the airport alone.
Traffic in the Empire State may be busy, but that's not a problem for me.
It was the first time I went to pick up my mom by myself. I was a little excited and nervous.
She had just returned from California and probably didn't know that it had been raining in the Empire State for the past few days... I carefully held up the umbrella; I even had another limited-edition Hermès umbrella that I had given her in my bag. I thought that when I saw her later, I would take her for a walk in Central Park and tell her all about what happened on the hockey team.
Walking was a bit difficult in the continuous rainy weather. I carefully avoided the puddles on the ground. Before I could cross the road, a black Bentley stopped.
The car window slowly rolled down, and Xie Yong's face appeared at an inopportune moment.
He rested his chin on his hand, looked down at me, and smiled. "Bella, where are you going?"
"..." I heard Jiang Mingzhuo say that if my parents' marriage had problems, Xie Yong would be the culprit. He was selfish, greedy, and forcefully interfered in my parents' marriage, and was the culprit who caused my mother to dislike my father.
“We’re not that close, Mr. Mayor.” I gave a slight bow. “You should call me Miss Jiang.”
"Go pick up Xiao Fu?" Xie Yong's smile remained unchanged. The oppressive aura emanating from him was not much less than that of my father, but his mature politician demeanor still made me wary of him. I looked at him without saying a word.
"I can give you a ride. I haven't seen your mother in a long time either." Xie Yong stared at my face with his dark eyes and confidently curled his lips.
His father often commented that he had a moral outlook worse than that of a cat or dog.
Knowing that her mother was already married, she still continued to harass her, risking her re-election as mayor, and still chose to be the other woman.
Perhaps it was precisely because Mom was fed up with Xie Yong that she chose to leave us.
Even so, after calmly weighing the time it would take me to get to the airport versus him taking me there, I still chose to get in the car. Xie Yong sat next to me, and he gave my face a half-smile, "Bella, did you tell Xiao Fu that you secretly went to the airport?"
“If I tell her, she will be scared.”
Xie Yong put away his computer, looked at me, and said, "Knowing she was scared, you still did it."
I found his smile somewhat irritating, and I couldn't be bothered to chat with him. Instead, I silently looked at him and said, "You talk too much, Mr. Mayor. You are neither my father nor my family member, so stop using such a condescending tone to criticize me."
Xie Yong's brows furrowed slightly.
He rarely showed this expression in news interviews. The citizens of Empire State, regardless of age or gender, were proud of this dignified and elegant young mayor. They once believed that Xie Yong represented the image of the entire state, and it was clear to the naked eye that he would continue to serve in the federal government in the future.
However, this kind of man... has no moral compass, is good at destroying other people's families, and even bosses around other people's children.
Only when facing me does he show such an arrogant smile that makes me feel somewhat disgusted.
Xie Yong: "Bella, you and Jiang Zhao are really alike."
"But everyone says I look a lot like my mom."
“Aside from resembling Xiao Fu in appearance, your personality is exactly like your father’s, which is annoying.” Xie Yong emphasized.
He certainly wouldn't hold a grudge against a child like me.
Xie Yong raised his hand again and pinched my cheek. "Back then I was... but I don't look like myself at all."
“I can’t be like you,” I said quietly. “My father is Jiang Zhao.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Yong withdrew his hand, and my gaze slowly fell downwards.
From the man's gleaming pointed leather shoes to his impeccably tailored suit and the slicked-back hair typical of a meticulous politician, he was very gentlemanly.
His entire face radiated confidence and he was undeniably handsome.
Only those eyes...
Yes, those are Xie Yong's eyes.
His eyes were much darker than others, so when he calmed down, he appeared particularly arrogant and unapproachable.
She's very similar to me...
“Bella,” Xie Yong smiled and said, “I’m not complimenting you when I say you’re like Jiang Zhao.”
He let go of her hand.
The pinch on my face wasn't too hard. Soon, Xie Yong switched to a more affectionate way. He patted my head, just like my father and Jiang Mingzhuo always did to me. "When you were very young, you played with me and Xiao Fu at my family's manor. Do you remember?"
"I don't remember," I said softly.
Xie Yong probably realized that his domineering attitude was a bit too much for a child like me, so he patiently comforted me, "Bella, I'll go with you to pick up Xiao Fu. Later, I'll take you to the rooftop restaurant for dinner, okay?"
I looked at him, and he tried his best to adopt a gentle demeanor, much like his father…
I dared not think about it, and shook my head frantically, but Xie Yong made me hold his arm and slowly lean towards him.
In Xie Yong's arms, I clung to him like a good child relying on his father.
Every man around my mother tried to get me to call them "Dad".
But I only ever called Jiang Mingzhuo "brother" because he was the only man my father allowed to be in my house. He was only allowed to be in my house because he was related to my father by blood.
The car was moving slowly along the road, but for some reason my mood began to wane.
Perhaps to make up for the unpleasantness in the car earlier, Xie Yong did not go to the VIP lounge with me to wait. He instructed the driver to wait at the door, and he himself stayed in the car, leaving my mother and me alone.
A short while later, I saw her.
My mother was wearing a light pink sundress that perfectly accentuated her figure. She was tall, slender, and had fair skin, giving her a full and delicate appearance.
I don't understand why they all say I look like my mom.
I always look sick, while she, though frail, exudes a vitality and an innocent naiveté that I find very appealing.
“Mom…” I opened my mouth softly, and she saw me immediately.
She quickened her pace, ran to my side, and looked around worriedly. "Bella, what are you doing here?"
“I came by myself.” I couldn’t help but reach out and hug her. “I’ve missed you so much. I haven’t seen you since the Easter holidays… If you’re this busy, you should tell Dad. Wouldn’t it be better if he bought the company?”
She paused for a moment, then smiled gently. I greedily inhaled the pleasant jasmine scent emanating from her hair. I'm not a child who likes to act cute, but when I'm with her, I always feel like those two dogs, Ye Fenglin and Lin Jindong, eager to do something to attract her attention.
"Does your dad teach you this every day? If this continues, I'm going to talk to him. I told him he's not allowed to teach you weird things." Mom hugged me tighter, and I kissed her on the cheek. She quickly smiled sweetly and kissed me back.
Holding my mother's hand, I felt content and happy. Most importantly, I heard my father's name from her, and I couldn't help but feel ashamed of all those messy thoughts I had before.
My parents clearly love each other, yet I'm starting to doubt them...
I couldn't help but squeeze my mother's hand tightly.
She went to get her luggage and the gift she gave me. I secretly texted my dad to tell him that my mom was back.
My dad replied in less than a second.
He said he would arrange for someone to pick us up and take us home immediately.
I quietly looked up at my mother, who had brought out a gift from the California Studios: a teddy bear that smelled of strawberries. Although I was long past the age of playing with such things and didn't really like them, I silently accepted it because I could see how happy my mother was.
Because I love my mother, I can accept everything about her.
As soon as we stepped out of the VIP lounge, someone was already waiting at the door and led us to another exit of the airport, which was reserved for dignitaries.
Xie Yongzheng leaned against the car door, his long legs half-crossed, his dark eyes calm and focused on his mother.
"Xiao Fu." He called her name affectionately, "You're back. Why didn't you tell me?"
“This time…” Mom’s gaze shifted for a moment, “I just wanted to spend time with Bella.”
“You’re so heartless. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, have we?” Xie Yong’s voice was gentle and patient. “You can’t abandon me just because Bella is growing up. Besides, Bella has never had a DNA test done since she was born. Can you guarantee this time that she’s not related to me…”
My mother tightened her grip on my hand, interrupting Xie Yong: "Xie Yong, Bella and I are tired and a little hungry."
“I’ve made all the arrangements. Get in the car.” He nodded without any hesitation.
I vaguely saw Xie Yong's slightly upturned lips. His mother's words, though she hadn't said anything, seemed to have given him some kind of promise, making this man secretly delighted.
He's a despicable third party! I remembered what Dad said, and quickly looked up at Mom. "Mom, Dad said he'll come pick you up."
Xie Yong immediately replied, "It's alright, I've already told him. We can have a meal together when we get to the restaurant."
Ignoring my refusal, he arranged for the driver to carry me into the car.
I was sitting in the back row and could only watch helplessly as Xie Yong approached her and subconsciously raised his hand to brush her hair from her cheek to behind her ear. My mother frowned slightly and said, "Don't do that, Bella will be sad."
Mom's expression changed immediately.
Xie Yong smiled, took her wrist with exceptional gentlemanly manners, and whispered something in her ear.
“Honey, I miss you. If it weren’t for Bella, would you not have planned to come back this year?”
I heard him say that sentence by reading his lips.
My hands were pressed tightly against the glass, and my eyes were wide open.
Are he and Mom really having an affair? Then what about my dad?
I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.
Even when my mother got back into the car and tried to hug me, I silently pushed her away. I turned my face to the other side and said coldly, "Take me to Lin Zhi'en's place. I haven't had my ballet lesson with her today."
"Bella."
"Don't call me that, I'm tired." I don't want to see my mother anymore.
Her disappointed and sad expression was reflected in the car window. I pretended not to care. Although my mother was biting her lip and looked like she was about to cry, she still called Lin Zhi'en and softly explained, "I'm sorry, Zhi'en... please take care of Bella tonight."
“Lim Ji-eun is more like my mother,” I told her.
These words clearly made her face even paler, and Xie Yong finally ordered the driver to stop the car, staring at me with those exceptionally dangerous eyes.
...
I arrived at Lim Ji-eun's apartment as I had hoped.
From a young age, she was by my side, teaching me ballet. When I was little, she would read fairy tales to me in place of my mother and lull me to sleep. I once thought she was my father's secret admirer, but their relationship was even more distant than my relationship with my teachers at school.
Why does she stay by my side like this?
Every time I asked her that question, she would stroke my face and say, “Because you look a lot like your mother, Bella, I love everything about your mother, so I want to love you too.”
Lin Zhi'en had me sit in front of the vanity mirror and was slowly and patiently combing my hair.
She noticed I was in a bad mood, paused slightly while combing her hair, and asked, "Bella, weren't you supposed to be out playing with Xiaofu today? Why did you come here with me? Did you and Xiaofu have a fight?"
"Mom...she cheated on me." I said, blinking the water droplets clinging to my eyelashes, my head bowed.
Lin Zhi'en showed absolutely no reaction. "So? Bella thinks Xiao Fu should be devoted to Jiang Zhao?"
"Otherwise what?" My face turned red as I looked at Lin Zhi'en in surprise. "That's how it should be done after marriage."
“Only you would think that way, Bella.” Lin Zhi’en stared at me intently, her gentle demeanor sending a chill down my spine. “If it weren’t for you, do you think your father would have made her compromise? Your mother is a very charming and strong person. Even without your father, she could still find someone better.”
"But, but..." I shrank my neck, feeling stiff, cold and numb all over, as if I had been frozen in place.
Lin Zhi'en combed my hair neatly. "Bella, how about I take you to see it? Once you see it for yourself, you'll know how important you are to your mother."
She glanced at me.
A smile quickly appeared on his face.
I didn't understand why Lin Zhi'en always smiled at me like that before. Later, I found out that she was also complaining about me because I hadn't been able to bring my mother back to her side, and they hadn't seen each other for a long time.
She took my hand and drove me to the hotel where my mother was resting.
In the presidential suite on the top floor, Lin Zhi'en pushed open the door, and I saw her immediately.
"Xie Yong, you shouldn't have told Bella so soon." Mom lowered her eyes, her long, silky hair was swept to the other side of her neck, adding a touch of fragility to her fair neck.
“He should find out sooner or later,” Xie Yong’s deep voice drifted over lazily. “Tell her sooner rather than later, at least she can accept our relationship.”
“Bella is smart, she’ll figure it out,” Dad said.
He was clearly a well-dressed, aloof, arrogant, and domineering man, the most powerful and ruthless capitalist in my mind...
Mom ate half a cherry, seemingly preoccupied, or perhaps disgusted, and then put it directly into Dad's mouth.
Dad ate it without any hesitation.
Like...like a dog...
She absentmindedly held the cherries, while Xie Yong knelt in front of her, gently and sweetly wiping the juice off her fingers. He kissed her fingers tenderly, almost excessively so, completely unlike the dignified mayor he usually was.
"I..." Mom was still hesitating.
She was indeed slender and delicate, surrounded by two powerful men, but for some reason, she wasn't the weaker one.
Both Xie Yong and her father were carefully looking after her emotions.
She didn't love them.
Perhaps I have a slight liking for them, but compared to their madness, it's utterly insignificant. I even think that my father, Xie Yong, and those two dogs that constantly pester my mother are no different.
"Xiao Fu".
Lin Zhi'en's voice rang out, and my mother quickly turned around. She saw me immediately, and only when she faced me did I feel her true emotions. She was somewhat ashamed and gently bit her lip. I stared at her numbly.
I don't know what they said, or maybe I've forgotten.
All I remember is that my mother accompanied me home, handed me the strawberry bear, lay down next to me, and stroked my face, saying, "Little Bella, Mommy is with you. Go to sleep early, okay?"
"Do you love me?" I asked blankly, staring at that gentle and beautiful face.
"Of course I love you."
"Why?" I asked calmly. "You should hate me. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to stay with these dogs."
Mom smiled. "I love Bella very much. I have loved her for a long, long time. Back then, I wanted to die and leave this world. But every time I was sad, Bella was there for me. So I made up my mind to protect Bella. I will not let anyone take away Bella's chance to live."
She hugged me tightly. "Bella, I'm sorry, but please believe me. I've sacrificed so much to make you grow up healthy. I will always protect you from now on. I'll be there for you whenever you need me."
"I love you too. I will grow up well and protect you forever." I looked at her and cried.
As long as my mom loves me, that's enough...
After that night, I seemed to have completely grown up, accepting the abnormal relationship between my parents and the moral values that were contrary to the mainstream.
My father also told me after that day that if I ever upset my mother again, he would kick me out of the house immediately.
The person he cared about was never me, but his beloved mother.
The reason my mother kept me around was simply because having me made her more willing to come home.
...Whatever, I have a mom who loves me, that's enough.
But I still have a question in my heart.
Mom, are there really families like this in California? I know Jiang Mingzhuo lives there most of the time and rarely comes back. Could it be that you and Jiang Mingzhuo are there...? I can't imagine that there would be another child like me attracting her attention.
In the darkness, my breathing became increasingly trembling and rapid.
I called my "brother" Jiang Mingzhuo and told him that I wanted to see him.
Although I don't want to admit it, I feel that I am more like Jiang Mingzhuo than Jiang Zhao. Oh well, I am a mixed-race "bastard" anyway, so it doesn't matter anymore which man I am the father of.
At 10 a.m., under Jiang Mingzhuo's arrangement, I boarded a private plane and landed in California on time.
Unlike the always cold and gloomy atmosphere of the Empire State, here the sun shines brightly, people walk around the streets relaxed and casually, dressed freely and unrestrainedly, and even the palm trees look lush and verdant. It's not hard for me to imagine why my mother likes to stay here.
I thought the Maybach would take me to a wealthy man's estate, but to my surprise, it drove slowly straight towards a suburban villa area. I couldn't imagine that someone like Jiang Mingzhuo would live in such a place. My gaze lingered on the lawn outside the car window.
A typical middle-class community.
A car costing just over 300,000 yuan, a lawn big enough for the whole family to play on, well-planned and beautiful public roads, and people dressed smartly.
The car stopped in front of the two-story white villa at the very back of the mountaintop.
The car door slowly opened, and Jiang Mingzhuo's aloof and indifferent eyes came into view.
He was dressed casually, which made his fair skin stand out. Although there was a slight smile on his lips, there was still an unsettling pressure about him.
"Bella, you've come."
"This is where you and your mother live."
"I guess so." Jiang Mingzhuo carried me out of the car as if I were a princess. His smile remained unchanged, and I couldn't help but purse my lips. "Is Mom home?"
"Well..." Jiang Mingzhuo smiled, "She went out to play with Shan'er."
"Shan'er? Who is that?"
"Little princess, let's talk about it when we get home."
Upon entering the gate, I sat down on the sofa out of curiosity.
The whole house was very deserted, as if no one lived there at all. There were no memorable landmarks or even a servant. I looked curiously at the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
The room's sunlight came entirely from the large window that almost filled the entire front wall, but it was now completely blocked. I couldn't resist walking over and gently lifting the curtain. Instantly, what came into view was a floor-to-ceiling window covered with photos, all of which my mother had taken unintentionally.
My scalp tingled. Even through the faint gaps in the photo, I could see another light gray two-story building below this villa. Clearly, the floor-to-ceiling windows were there to observe the building below.
My body was trembling uncontrollably, and I seemed to have guessed the purpose of this window.
Behind me, someone spoke, "What's wrong, little princess? Are you unhappy to see your mother?"
"you……"
“Little princess, don’t worry, you’re definitely not my child, because Xiao Fu and I couldn’t have had you.” Jiang Mingzhuo turned to the side and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He walked over and stroked my cheek with his fingers. “My child with Xiao Fu is over there.”
Jiang Mingzhuo gently took down a photograph.
In my line of sight, a pure white Audi drove in from the other side of the road and approached the garage of the gray villa.
A moment later, the man was carrying a swimming ring and some other things, while the woman beside him was holding a girl much younger than me. The girl was leaning on her shoulder and asleep. My eyes suddenly widened.
It's Mom...
And her voice and that man's voice even reached my ears.
"Xiao Fu, let me hold Shan'er. You've been playing with her all day, you must be exhausted."
"Alright. I'm not that tired, Yu Xu. Let's let Shan'er rest later. Can you come with me to the market to buy some things? I saw the community announcement last night. There might be some fun things today."
"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever Xiaofu says, alright?"
The man's voice was very indulgent.
My mother also revealed a side of herself that was completely different from what I had imagined.
She was laughing very happily, and a moment later, I saw her throw herself on the man's back, begging him to carry her. That scene might be something I could easily see on the street, but I never thought it would happen to my mother.
My mother was originally energetic, romantic, and lovely... but she never showed these qualities to me.
I lowered my eyelids and looked at Jiang Mingzhuo again. He looked at me with great interest for a while, "Bella, you are my brother's child, and Shan'er is my child. I can't let Shan'er lose to you. Everything I have will be given to her in the future."
"Do you want to declare war on me?" I looked at him. "You should know that I can easily destroy all of this."
“Bella, this is the balance that my brother and I have worked so hard to maintain. If you make a move, your mother will die right in front of you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Ignoring Jiang Mingzhuo's indifferent expression, I stormed out of the house and went straight into the gray two-story building. I climbed over the wall from the kitchen into the room, and looking at the obviously homey furnishings, I felt even more tormented.
On the second floor, the little girl was still fast asleep.
Her desk was covered with photos: her mother taking her to the California Studios, holding her on the lawn, and the three of them at the beach... Everything about them made me both jealous and sad, especially when I saw the huge strawberry bear plushie on her bedside table. Suddenly, I understood.
That's what she likes.
It's not what I like.
My mother loves me, but she loves her even more.
I slowly walked forward and looked at that small face. She looked more like her father than her mother. Her features were soft and gentle, and her whole face had an innocent and dreamy quality. She probably had never seen those dogs that were bothering her mother.
In her world, she has a beautiful and lovely room, and even more so, loving parents.
Perhaps sensing my breathing, she slowly opened her eyes. She looked only three or four years younger than me. She looked at me warily, "You, who are you?"
My hand slowly reached out to her, then firmly gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at me.
At that moment, I felt an immense sense of joy.
A twisted desire for control stirred a strange impulse and desire within me towards my helpless little sister. I smiled and said, "I'm just saying hello today. We'll meet again sooner or later when you're all grown up."
I looked at the notice for the Imperial University's high school summer camp posted on the wall.
I remembered the bird I encountered while hunting.
At this moment, Shan'er is like that fragile little bird. Will her mother be willing to go back to the cage to save her?
...When that time comes, let me see if Mom will completely bow down to me for your sake.
[Author's Note]
There are a few more bonus chapters, but they're not as wholesome. They depict the events surrounding Xiao Fu's encounters with Xie Yong, Ye Fenglin, Lin Jindong, and Xu Ya, all while she was in a daze under Jiang Zhao and Jiang Mingzhuo's control, without meeting Yu Xu. If you don't enjoy dark and gritty stories, you don't need to read further.
Bella seems to have inherited the traits of Jiang Zhao and Xie Yong. Shan'er is indeed Yu Xu and Jiang Mingzhuo's child. Ye Fenglin and Lin Jindong had already undergone sterilization for Xiao Fu, and the two of them couldn't defeat Jiang Zhao and Xie Yong together.
I've been watching the US presidential election these past few days, and it's been quite interesting, but what's even more interesting is saying goodbye to my lover.
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