CHAPTER 81: 078 SHE HATES US

The hallway was lit with a dim wall lamp that provided a faint, unclear glow.

Standing against the light, the girl’s face was half-hidden in the shadows while the other half was exposed to the dim light. Her pitch-black eyes shimmered with a bizarre, unpredictable light, as if she were a malicious spirit that had crawled up from Hell. The visual impact of that moment made Kang Jinxian scream out loud.

Ji Yunya, this name, this person, had almost become her nightmare.

For some reason, every time she faced those eyes, fear would well up from the depths of her heart, entirely beyond her control. That bone-chilling coldness felt like a heavy snow in the dead of winter, enveloping her entire world.

"Aunt Ah Xian, what’s wrong?" The girl stepped out from the shadows, asking with concern, her delicate face sweet and adorable.

Kang Jinxian abruptly stepped back, as if the other was some kind of a ferocious flood beast. Realizing her reaction was a bit too intense, she embarrassingly hung her head.

Yun Ya smiled and stopped in her tracks, "Aunt Ah Xian, are you very afraid of me?"

Kang Jinxian’s heart pounded violently for a moment, and resentment surged within her, yet she suppressed it without showing any sign of it.

"No...." She shook her head, frowning at her, "It’s so late, why are you alone in the hallway?" Was she trying to scare her on purpose?

"I heard Dad was home, so I wanted to come downstairs to have a look. I didn’t expect to scare Aunt Ah Xian. I’m sorry." The girl’s sincere and bright eyes gaped open; facing such eyes, it was truly impossible to feel antagonistic.

"It’s just...?" Yun Ya’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Grandma and Dad don’t like people who are easily startled. In the future, Aunt Ah Xian, you should be more careful at home. After all, I am saying this for your own good." She finished speaking with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips before heading downstairs.

After Kang Jinxian was acknowledged by Yun Shu as her goddaughter, a room upstairs was prepared for her so she could stay at the house for a while until they found her a larger room to move into.

Kang Jinxian had never lived in such a large house before. She was extremely cautious, fearing everything was a dream, but Ji Yunya reminded her that she was just an outsider. If Yun Shu or Yun Shen became unhappy with her, she could be cast out at any moment.

Her gaze fell on the girl’s retreating figure, her innate nobility a perfect match for the opulence of the house, akin to a castle. She had been born here and was entitled to enjoy everything naturally....

No, she had finally gotten this opportunity and she must cling to it firmly.

——

At the sound of a knock, Yun Shu, who was getting ready for bed, paused while untying her robe.

"Come in."

The next moment, Yun Shen pushed the door and entered.

Seeing it was Yun Shen, Yun Shu smiled, "Why are you back so late?" She frowned slightly when she smelled the alcohol on him.

"You’ve been drinking? You always get a headache after drinking. Wait, I’ll get you some medicine." She was about to get up and leave, but Yun Shen grabbed her arm.

It was then Yun Shu sensed something was off and looked at Yun Shen’s face.

Her own son, she knew his moods better than anyone else.

"What’s wrong?"

"Mom." Yun Shen turned his gaze aside, his eyes turning icy.

A flicker of foreboding crossed through Yun Shu’s heart.

"Did Lady Yan ever say that she wanted to take Yun Ya as her goddaughter?" Yun Shen stared intently at Yun Shu, not missing a single fluctuation in her expression.

Yun Shu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and then she smiled lightly.

"So you are referring to that. Lady Yan did mention it once, but I rejected her proposal," she said, giving the impression it was an utterly trivial matter.

"Why? This is such a good opportunity. Mom, do you know what kind of person Minister Yan is? I’ve put in so much effort to connect with him, and now there’s such a great opportunity right in front of me, but it slipped away, and you’ve even offended Lady Yan for it. I really don’t know what to say to you...." Yun Shen’s voice carried a hint of reproach.

Yun Shu scoffed coldly, "Shenshen, are you blaming me?"

Yun Shen pursed his lips and hung his head, "That’s not what I meant."

Yun Shu snorted and her gaze turned sharp, "I think that’s exactly what you meant. I don’t care how important that Minister Yan is, have you ever paid attention to your daughter? She hates us, do you really want to wait until she clings to Minister Yan’s leg, and then turns to deal with us? How can you be so foolish."

Yun Shen hadn’t thought as deeply as Yun Shu. Startled, he said, "Yun Ya, she...."

"Ha... I always praised you for being smart, but it turns out you are as foolish as they come. Or why else do you think I was so eager to send her back to our hometown? Your daughter may look young, but she is cunning. I even suspect she already knows about her own origins and the truth behind Huaixi’s death."

Yun Shen couldn’t believe it, "How could that be possible...?"

Yun Shu told him about Yun Sha’s situation. His face gradually turned cold; he always felt that his daughter was no simple child, but he had not expected her to be even more terrifying than he had imagined.

"Shenshen, are you still blaming me now? I am doing this for your own good," Yun Shu sighed heavily, speaking earnestly. "You can always start over if you lose your career, but you must guard against the menace at your side. Who knows when it might bite you? You said it yourself, Minister Yan is an influential man. If she becomes the Yan family’s godchild, the Yan family will side with her. If she really knows the truth and harbors thoughts of revenge, the Yan family might even help her against us. Why not cut that connection early? On her own, what waves can she possibly make?"

Yun Shu’s analysis made sense, and Yun Shen furrowed his brow, asking, "If it’s as you say, what should we do?"

Yun Shu sneered, a chilling glint flashing in her eyes as she gritted her teeth to speak.

"If we’re going to do it, might as well go all the way...." She made a slicing gesture across her neck.

Yun Shen’s heart skipped a beat and, under Yun Shu’s oppressive gaze, he eventually nodded in resignation.

——

In the living room, Bai Ran glanced toward the bedroom and then asked Yun Ya, who was approaching, "Aren’t you curious about what they’re discussing?"

Yun Ya gave a faint smile.

Plotting how to kill her.