CHAPTER 155: CHAPTER 155: YOUR SON IS IN OUR HANDS

"Mu Qianyuan."

Ning Zitong spoke directly.

Yan Xinxin felt her heart plunge into the depths of the ocean—so heavy, so weighed down.

"You should have already heard from Qianshui about Yuan and Chuxi."

"You... why are you telling me this?"

Yan Xinxin felt an overwhelming discomfort, especially in her chest, a stifling pressure that brought with it an illusion of drowning and suffocation.

"I’m telling you this so you know—the only reason Chuxi keeps you around is because he sees you as a substitute for my daughter Yuan."

"..."

"He doesn’t genuinely love you. You’re just his way of filling a void in his heart."

Ning Zitong’s sharp words pierced directly into Yan Xinxin’s chest without the slightest hint of subtlety.

"Sister Xinxin, are you cold?"

Seeing Yan Xinxin’s trembling fingers, little Chenxi looked up with concern and asked.

Yan Xinxin snapped back to reality, shook her head absentmindedly.

"Sister Xinxin isn’t cold..."

"Yan Xinxin, I’ve already dug deeply into your family background."

Ning Zitong’s icy voice echoed once more.

"I want you to make things clear to Xixi and ensure that you never see her again. Otherwise, I will make your out-of-wedlock child known to the public. I imagine then, your days at Ancheng University won’t be easy."

At her words, Yan Xinxin froze in disbelief.

A few seconds passed before she let out a sarcastic laugh.

"If you had any sense, you’d have already taken the $500,000 Yuan’ai offered you and left. The position of the Mo family’s young mistress is not something you should foolishly fantasize about."

So, they were all in on it together.

Yan Xinxin only found it more and more ridiculous. Suppressing the ache in her chest, she raised her serene, clean face.

"And what if I insist on foolishly fantasizing a little longer?"

"Yan Xinxin, you—"

"When it comes to little Chenxi, I have a clear conscience! As for me and Mo Chuxi, whether I’m a substitute or his lover, the only thing I know is that he told me more than once to stay by his side. Even if, one day, I really have to leave, it certainly won’t be because of your threats!"

"You—"

Ning Zitong hadn’t anticipated Yan Xinxin’s stubbornness and, for a moment, couldn’t come up with a retort.

Yan Xinxin stood up, lowered her gaze, and gave little Chenxi a soft smile.

"Little Chenxi, Sister Xinxin has to go to work now. Let’s play together another time, okay?"

"Sister Xinxin..."

Little Chenxi reluctantly tugged at her dress.

"What about Daddy? And big brother Xi?"

"Next time, Sister Xinxin will ask them to come play with you as well, okay?"

"Really?"

"Mm!"

Yan Xinxin smiled and nodded, then held out her pinky finger. Little Chenxi quickly understood and eagerly extended her tiny finger to make a pinky promise with Yan Xinxin.

Ning Zitong sat off to the side, her face dark.

After their hands parted, Yan Xinxin finally turned around, her heart heavy with emotion.

"Sister Xinxin, you have to miss Xixi, okay! Xixi will miss you too!"

A sweet, earnest voice echoed behind her, making Yan Xinxin’s eyes sting with the warmth of tears.

She forced a smile and looked back to nod, her bright, crescent-shaped eyes already glistening with teardrops.

Ning Zitong was momentarily stunned. It seemed Mu Qianshui wasn’t wrong—this Yan Xinxin did indeed bear some resemblance to her Yuan...

Throughout the afternoon, Yan Xinxin was completely distracted at work. Ning Zitong’s words kept replaying in her mind.

Do I really look that much like Mu Qianyuan?

So is that why Mo Chuxi treats me differently?

At last, she made it through her shift. Exhausted, Yan Xinxin changed out of her uniform, intending to go pick Yan Chenxi up from school. But just as she reached the street across from the dessert shop, a luxurious-looking business car pulled up in front of her, blocking her way.

A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car.

"Lady Yan, please come with us."

"What?"

Yan Xinxin felt utterly baffled.

"Your son, Yan Chenxi, is in our hands now."

"..."