CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199: CHANCE ENCOUNTER(2)_1

Such a gentle girl actually turned away the person who had raised her from childhood, and on top of that, she did it during the New Year celebrations. Regardless of what she did, her actions were too much. Where does the younger generation get off driving out their elders? The crowd listened and began pointing fingers at Shangguan You.

"Although you drove Auntie Li away, she really can’t stop worrying about you. Without me, how would you cook, especially over the New Year? I don’t want to see you going out to eat. Though I’ve made you sad, I’ve always treated you like my own daughter."

"You can’t forgive me, and I don’t want to force you, but please, let me come back tonight and cook one last New Year’s Eve dinner, okay? After I finish cooking, I will leave immediately. Your sister is still in the hospital with no one by her side. I hope you can have a good New Year, so I’ll leave as soon as the cooking is done. You, dear, okay? Please, I beg you, You, dear, on account of Auntie Li treating you well, agree to my request?" Li Wanying begged Shangguan You in a low voice as she wept bitterly.

Shangguan You’s brows furrowed deeply. This Li Wanying was like an ineradicable ghost; with just one appearance, she had the gall to set up this scene here, in front of so many people, and to speak such shameless words. It was utterly despicable. She wanted to use this opportunity to worm her way back into the Shangguan Family, to stick like a plaster that couldn’t be shaken off. Li Wanying was certainly playing her own calculated game, but I won’t give her this chance. Since she has left, she should leave completely and sever all ties with the Shangguan Family forever.

"You, dear, I know you hate me, but I truly care for you. On account of how Auntie Li treated you even better than your own sister, please let Auntie Li come back and cook the New Year’s Eve dinner. I just want you to have a happy New Year. Is that okay, You, dear? Please, consider it a plea from Auntie Li?" Li Wanying’s imploring voice rang out once more, and combined with the tears welling in her eyes, it made her seem even more pitiable—driven from home, yet still desperately begging to return and cook for them.

This was the tableau of a pitiable stepmother and a wicked stepdaughter, vividly displayed before their very eyes.

"Li Wanying, you truly have no shame! How dare you show your face here? How can you even say such things?" Shangguan You’s voice was filled with sorrow. "Auntie Li, I’ve treated you like a mother since I was young, but how have you treated me? In the face of danger, you actually pushed me forward to save Rourou and yourself! And I, without any regrets, saved you both. But what do you mean by this now?"

Shangguan You stepped back a few paces, dodging Li Wanying’s renewed attempt to rush forward. With a light flick of her hands, she quickly formed a hand seal in mid-air. Then, a faint smile played on her lips as she adopted a pitiful expression, looking at Li Wanying.

So, Li Wanying, you think you can act and garner everyone’s sympathy? Don’t I know how to act too? If we’re going to put on a show, let’s do it together. We’ll see who is more pitiable and who is more wicked.

Shangguan You’s lips curled slightly as she watched Li Wanying’s facade of maternal affection instantly turn vile, the tears in her eyes vanishing without a trace.

"Shangguan You, you filthy seed born of a filthy woman!" Li Wanying shrieked, her once loving eyes now spewing venom. "I protected you, pampered you with the best of everything since you were a child, all with the intent to ruin you, to make you live a life worse than death! You filthy girl, you offspring of that other filthy woman! If it weren’t for gaining the Shangguan Family’s trust, for securing the position of Lady of the Shangguan Family, for maintaining the image of a good stepmother in front of others, do you think I would have let my own daughter be overshadowed by you all these years?"

The surrounding people stared at Li Wanying in disbelief. Just moments ago, she had seemed so fragile that a gust of wind could blow her away. Now, she was so vicious. Had she revealed her true colors?

"I wish you were dead!" Li Wanying continued to scream. "If you died, everything you own would belong to Rourou! Rourou would be the Princess of the Shangguan Family, the only granddaughter! What are you? A filthy seed born of a filthy woman, daring to compete with Rourou and me! Why didn’t you die this time?

"Why didn’t you die? It would have been so much better if you had! You didn’t even die with such a perfect opportunity; your life is truly tenacious! If you had died, Rourou would be the Shangguan Family’s only granddaughter, and I could have openly returned to the Li family household, as the mistress of the Shangguan Family! Even if they kicked me out, I could still openly return to the Shangguan Family because of Rourou! Why didn’t you just die?!"

Li Wanying shrieked again.

"It’s all because of you! Because of you, I was driven out by them!" she railed. "It was only right for you to use your life to save Rourou’s life. Rourou is your younger sister; even if you had died, you would have deserved it! Since you already traded your life for hers, why didn’t those people kill you? Why? Why?!"

Shedding her earlier frailty, Li Wanying became utterly ferocious. She roared at Shangguan You, the words spewing from her mouth exceptionally venomous.

"Why don’t you just die? Go die! You were lucky this time; they didn’t finish you off! But even if you didn’t die this time, I’ll make you disappear forever next time! You want to live? I’ll make you live a life worse than death, forever in agony! Shangguan You, go die!"

The people around them were once again astounded. What had seemed like the tale of a vicious stepmother and a pitiful stepdaughter had nearly deceived them. This woman was far too skilled at acting, but her transformation was too rapid. In the blink of an eye, she had changed completely—it was simply unbelievable.

"Auntie Li, how can you be so vicious?" Shangguan You’s voice sounded frail, tears welling in her eyes. "I have always treated you as my own mother, and Rourou, I treated her as my own dear sister. I even risked my own life to save you both. When Grandfather drove you out, I was thinking about persuading him, about going with Dad to bring you and Rourou back home. But I truly never expected you to hate me so much. I considered you my mother, yet you wish I were dead. Auntie Li, how can you be so vicious? How could you?

"To repay your kindness in raising me, because you knelt before me yesterday, begging me to save you, I didn’t even care about my own life. Do you know how heartbroken I was when Grandfather drove you out? But since you wish I were dead, and even want me to live a life worse than death, Auntie Li, your heart is truly ruthless."