Jiang Zhujun felt a lump in her throat, her heart aching. She turned her head, her eyes dark and filled with barely perceptible anger: "Yuan Jiang, is this how I taught you?!"
Yuan Jiang felt a chill run down her spine and involuntarily shrank back: "Mom, I..."
Jiang Zhujun placed great emphasis on cultural and etiquette education. After adopting Yuan Jiang, she sent her to the best aristocratic school, where teachers nurtured her after class and occasionally provided her with personal guidance.
"I just thought she was just a maid, and what she did was just what she was supposed to do. I was just too anxious. I... I was worried about you." Yuan Jiang gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, flustered for a moment, and her words became somewhat incoherent.
This was the first time Jiang Zhujun had ever been so harsh on her, making her apologize to a lowly maid in front of so many people!
Does Jiang Zhujun really treat her like her own daughter?
Yuan Jiang sniffled pitifully, her eyes reddening as if tears were about to fall, and looked at Jiang Zhujun with a pitiful expression.
A fierce look appeared on Jiang Zhujun's pale face. She remained unmoved, but due to the sudden surge of anger, she felt dizzy and her thin body swayed.
"Zhujun, sit down first, don't get angry." Qin Jin'er had been observing Jiang Zhujun and noticed something was wrong, so she went over and helped her sit on the sofa.
Jiang Zhujun took a deep breath, her already bloodless lips turning even paler, her broken eyes looking at Yuan Jiang, who stood ramrod straight: "Apologize."
"Me!" Yuan Jiang almost screamed. Meeting Jiang Zhujun's ink-black eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine. She could only grit her teeth and turn away, uttering three words through gritted teeth with utter humiliation: "I'm sorry."
"What?" Yu Qiao poked Shen Zhao out with her head, her dark eyes staring curiously at Yuan Jiang. She picked at her ears; she really hadn't heard clearly.
Yuan Jiang's face was sinister, his deep, dark eyes fixed on Yu Qiao: "Are you hard of hearing?"
“…Huh?” Yu Qiao slowly withdrew her gaze, then looked up at Shen Zhao expectantly, as if she wanted Shen Zhao to make the decision for her.
"Cough cough cough cough..." Shen Zhao pressed his long, slender white fingers against his thin chest, his peach blossom eyes shimmering with moisture, and his eye rims were smudged with a layer of rouge. His tone was very calm, as if he were asking if you had eaten today: "Zhu Jiang? If I remember correctly, your biological father is an alcoholic and is about to be released from prison?"
He called her by her original name!
Yuan Jiang looked into Shen Zhao's calm and deep gaze, and a chill ran down her spine.
Her biological father was an alcoholic who would beat either her biological mother or her when he was drunk. Her biological mother couldn't take it anymore and ran away with a rich thug.
Not long after, the lonely biological father, while drunk, forced himself on a recent college graduate, who, unable to bear the shock, committed suicide by jumping off a building.
She was originally only supposed to serve seven or eight years, but unexpectedly, the college student had connections and her biological father was sentenced to eighteen years!
Anger and fear flashed in Yuan Jiang's eyes. On one hand, she was afraid that her biological father would find her and make her lose everything she had. On the other hand...
She sneered. That college student had only lost his hymen and slept with a man beforehand! Yet he insisted on making it public knowledge, causing her to lose her mother and then her father!
If this hadn't happened, how could she have ended up in an orphanage, being bullied and called an orphan!
Why bring up this painful and dark memory? Yuan Jiang screamed inwardly, a crack appearing on her delicate face.
When she glared angrily at Shen Zhao, Shen Zhao only slightly raised a thin layer of color, his peach blossom eyes were red, but his pupils were extremely dark, and his whole body exuded a nonchalant, noble and aloof feeling, as well as a sense of looking down from a high place.
Yuan Jiang immediately calmed down, took a deep breath, slowly tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear, forced a calm demeanor, and said with a forced smile, "Miss Maid, I apologize for my behavior just now."
I hope you can forgive me.
Suppressing the itch in his throat and suppressing a cough, Shen Zhao stepped past Yuan Jiang, seemingly bumping into her unintentionally.
"You!" Yuan Jiang staggered, glaring angrily at Shen Zhao's retreating figure.
Shen Zhao seemed not to hear, and swaggered to sit or lean against the sofa. Shen Hanyang took out a blanket to cover his legs, as it was cold and Shen Zhao was sensitive to the cold.
"Then I'll forgive you."
Yu Qiao tilted her head, her expressionless face twisting into a strange, stiff smile, and followed Shen Zhao past Yuan Jiang, bumping into him again along the way.
With a "thud," Yuan Jiang lost her balance and fell onto the coffee table, her exquisite princess dress getting wet with tea, and her face landing squarely on the ashtray.
"Aaaaaah!" Yuan Jiang scrambled to her feet, covering her face and screaming.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I hope you can forgive me." Yu Qiao bowed politely and apologized, turning her head to stare at Shen Zhao and blinking.
Shen Zhao chuckled and shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, "This little maid is quite vengeful."
"Mom, look!" Yuan Jiang cried, pointing at Yu Qiao as she looked for her mother.
Yu Qiao imitated him: "Young Master, look!"
Shen Zhao froze abruptly, raised his hand, his long fingers half-covering his face, his exposed earlobe tinged with crimson.
The little maid is so cute.
Jiang Zhujun witnessed the whole process and her gaze never left Yu Qiao. Now that this mishap has happened, she doesn't know why, but her heart also turns to Yu Qiao: "That's enough. It wasn't intentional. She has apologized, so don't hold it against her. Didn't you bump into her just now?"
"This is blatant revenge!" It's intentional!
Yuan Jiang cried out in her heart, feeling wronged, but dared not act rashly again, for fear of really angering Jiang Zhujun and causing her to stop receiving living expenses.
Although she had graduated a year ago, she had not looked for a job at all. The jobs she did were tiring and paid very little, not even a tenth of the living expenses Jiang Zhujun gave her!
Moreover, she is now the daughter of the Jiang family, and the Jiang family will belong to her in the future. She will inherit the Jiang family!
How can you just take any job? Wouldn't that lower your own worth?
"What...what's your name?" Jiang Zhujun ignored Yuan Jiang, forced herself to stand up, and walked slowly to Yu Qiao, asking in a soft voice.
"Yu Qiao." Yu Qiao replied coldly, her face expressionless.
"Yu Qiao, Yu Qiao, how old are you this year? Where are you from? What do your parents do?"
Yu Qiao's quiet gaze suddenly turned fierce and wary, her eyes fixed on Jiang Zhujun: "Why are you asking me these questions?"
As she spoke, the darkness in her eyes deepened, like dark, heavy clouds or sharp blades.
Shen Zhao was stunned. It was the first time he had seen Yu Qiao with such a cold look in her eyes. He turned his gaze to Jiang Zhujun.
Jiang Zhujun was stunned for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared on her pale and weak face. Her voice was as soft as honey as she slowly replied, "Because I feel like you look familiar."
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