Chapter 201: Resemblance
While Yu Xin was talking with Yu Wenli in the study, Yu Yuan quietly slipped away when no one was paying attention. She found Yu Wenxiu and pulled her to a corner of the courtyard.
“Aunt Yu, I’m sorry. It’s because of me that you got scolded by my mom today,” Yu Yuan lowered her head and apologized.
“It’s alright, really, it’s nothing,” Yu Wenxiu said quickly. “Madam only said a few words, she didn’t punish me.”
Yu Wenxiu understood very well that, as a housemaid, expressing her own opinion without being asked—especially one that contradicted the employer—would easily cause displeasure.
She just… didn’t want to see Yu Yuan being scolded.
Although many people fail at weight control because of the mindset of “it’s just one snack,” Yu Wenxiu had been working at the Yu household for nearly a month and was quite familiar with Yu Yuan’s daily diet.
A bowl of red bean glutinous dumplings really wouldn’t affect her much. She didn’t eat it every day, and she usually restrained herself according to Cui Wanning’s standards.
For Yu Yuan, it wasn’t indulgence—it wasn’t even enjoyment. It was more like a “luxury.”
During her time at the Yu household, Yu Wenxiu had gradually figured out Yu Yuan’s situation, and also how the Yu family truly viewed her.
The daughter she had searched for so many years had indeed received abundant material care here—but emotionally and psychologically, at least in Yu Wenxiu’s eyes, it was far from healthy.
Yu Yuan cared too much about others’ opinions, was not good at expressing her own thoughts, was overly obedient to authority, and placed her own desires very low…
All of this made Yu Wenxiu angry.
This wasn’t raising a child—it was training a pet for future use.
Especially after learning about the engagement between Yu Yuan and Wei Xiao, she felt this even more strongly.
Marriage? At such a young age, what marriage?
Cui Wanning and Yu Wenli’s eager attitude made her extremely wary.
Although Wei Xiao had only visited twice during winter break, and she hadn’t seen much of him or figured out what kind of person he was, she didn’t need to judge him directly.
She only needed to look at Yu Yuan’s attitude.
Yu Yuan clearly didn’t seem to like Wei Xiao at all. During those visits, she neither approached him proactively, nor showed excitement before his arrival or longing after he left.
That alone was enough for Yu Wenxiu to conclude that Yu Yuan had no feelings for him.
Now that they finally had a chance to talk alone, Yu Wenxiu couldn’t help but ask:
“Miss… do you really want to keep living like this?”
Yu Yuan froze, and only after a while did she reply, “I don’t want to marry Wei Xiao. But right now, all I can do is learn how to protect myself, and try my best to make him lose interest in me.”
She knew her approach was passive.
But in the Yu household, this was all she could do. If she showed resistance too openly, Cui Wanning’s criticism would immediately fall on her, and she might even be forced into something.
“I…” Yu Wenxiu hesitated, but still said it, “I know you’re not Madam’s biological daughter. Have you ever thought about leaving here… and finding your real family?”
How strange, Yu Yuan thought.
If she had heard this a few months ago, she would definitely have been furious.
She would have demanded where Yu Wenxiu heard such nonsense, told her to shut up, and perhaps even driven her away.
But now, her heart was calm.
She thought of Yu Xin calling her “little sister,” of the steaming hot mala tang Gu Qinghuan handed her that night, of Jiang Chuchu sighing while sparring with her during sanda practice…
And also Yu Wenxiu, who cared for her and cooked such delicious food.
The kindness she had received over these past months was already enough.
So this alone was enough.
The praise and affection she once longed for so desperately… weren’t so irreplaceable after all.
Yu Yuan came back to herself, looked at the anxious and worried Yu Wenxiu, and said seriously:
“I used to be afraid. I didn’t know what my real family would be like, and I was worried it might be worse, so I didn’t dare to look for them.”
“But now I’ve figured it out. Even if both sides turn out to be bad, I still want to make my own choice.”
Maybe she was still naive, inexperienced in life and untested by hardship.
And precisely because of that, she still had the courage to try.
She didn’t want to keep begging for that tiny bit of love from Cui Wanning, or twist herself against her own will.
She already knew—
Even without trying to please others, she could still be loved. Just as she was.
Seeing Yu Yuan’s determination, Yu Wenxiu wanted to hug her.
Her fingers moved slightly, but in the end she only said, “Your biological mother… will definitely love you and support you.”
Yu Yuan smiled shyly, then added seriously:
“But not now. I want to resolve the engagement first, and also my relationship with the Yu family… I want to go find my mother openly and with dignity.”
She wasn’t looking for her family just to escape the engagement or run away from the Yu household.
On the contrary—
To gain a real family, she had to leave these cages.
Even if her biological mother didn’t love her, she could still move forward lightly and find a place that truly belonged to her.
After talking with Yu Wenxiu, Yu Yuan felt much lighter.
She smiled and said, “The red bean dumplings were really delicious. I liked them a lot.”
Then she returned inside.
Yu Wenxiu, however, remained standing there, breathing slowly and deeply.
Though she hadn’t been able to raise her child, just now—
She had witnessed the moment her child broke out of the cocoon and became a butterfly.
For any parent, that was priceless.
Yu Yuan’s courage and resolve moved her deeply.
But as a mother, how could she just stand by and watch?
Because of today’s incident, Cui Wanning was displeased with her.
As a result, the housekeeper instructed her to appear less in front of Cui Wanning.
Originally, Yu Wenxiu was responsible for cleaning the first floor.
But since Cui Wanning often stayed there—and considering that Yu Wenxiu had spoken up for Yu Yuan today—the housekeeper adjusted her duties and assigned her to clean the upstairs rooms of Yu Xin and Yu Yuan.
To Yu Wenxiu, this was exactly what she had hoped for.
She had already consulted a testing agency.
She needed at least three to five strands of hair with follicles, and had prepared proper storage methods.
Given the household’s cleaning frequency, she could ensure the collected hair was fresh and belonged to Yu Yuan. The only uncertainty was whether the strands would include follicles—that depended on luck.
If not, she would collect samples over several days and store them carefully.
Yu Wenxiu returned inside as well.
Just from an instinctive feeling, she was already certain—
Yu Yuan was her daughter.
She only needed a DNA test as proof.
Then, she would find the right moment to tell Yu Yuan the truth.
She couldn’t let her bear all this alone.
That was also her responsibility.
The courtyard returned to silence, as if nothing had happened.
Only the moon in the night sky had witnessed the figures of this mother and daughter.
Clouds gathered, blocking the moon—
A sign of bad weather tomorrow.
“The forecast says it’ll rain tomorrow. Make sure there’s an umbrella in the car,” Xu Zhishu instructed the housekeeper.
Wei Xiao, hearing this, frowned and said impatiently, “There’s already an umbrella in the car. Why make such a fuss over something so trivial?”
He had done quite a bit of physical labor today and was still sore. His mood wasn’t good.
Xu Zhishu paused, didn’t pursue the topic, and instead asked, “How was school today?”
“Same as usual.”
Her question reminded Wei Xiao of being used as free labor by Gu Qinghuan, and his frown deepened.
Seeing his mood, Xu Zhishu didn’t continue.
But Wei Xiao suddenly asked, “How did you and my dad get together back then?”
Xu Zhishu paused, then said, “He was willing to spend money on me. Whatever I wanted, he bought.”
Wei Xiao nodded thoughtfully, said nothing more, and returned to his room.
The living room fell silent.
The housekeeper and servants went about their tasks.
Only Xu Zhishu remained seated on the sofa, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Family environment really shapes a person.
Two people who shouldn’t resemble each other at all…can end up being so alike.
