Chapter 237 | Chapter 238 | Chapter 239
Chapter 237: Capable of Anything
The phone with the shattered screen still had to be picked up by Wei Xiao himself—and he also had to deal with getting a new one.
All the data inside needed to be exported. So many apps had to be re-linked. He’d even have to unbind everything from the old phone first…
Why on earth did he smash his phone just now?!
After cooling down from his rage, Wei Xiao finally realized—his impulsive act of smashing the phone had achieved absolutely nothing except creating trouble for himself.
He returned to his classroom. Although the “capybaras” in Class Two were known for slacking off, they weren’t completely cut off from the outside world. Most of them had already seen the posts on the confession wall and were now casting all sorts of looks at him.
No matter what, they were still classmates. At a time like this, shouldn’t they at least offer a few words of comfort?
But judging from the post and the comment section, even they felt that Wei Xiao had gone a bit too far.
In the end, the collective conclusion was: forget it. Pretend nothing happened. Less trouble is better.
Class Two’s capybaras were as consistent as ever.
The problem was—this kind of silent avoidance only made Wei Xiao feel even worse.
To put it bluntly, didn’t it just mean they also thought those criticisms were justified, and that’s why they couldn’t fully stand on his side?
He let out a cold snort inwardly, stopped looking at his classmates, and went straight back to his seat.
Next door, in Class Three, Yao Shali—who was sitting by the window—confirmed that Wei Xiao had returned and immediately reported:
“Wei Xiao’s back in class!”
Bao Qingsong withdrew his gaze as well. “He doesn’t look too good, but Class Two isn’t making any moves.”
“With their personalities, they probably won’t get involved. Honestly, that’s already pretty considerate of them,” Qin Yue smacked his lips.
“That cockroach won’t appreciate that kind of consideration,” Jiang Chuchu rolled her eyes. “He’s probably blaming his classmates right now for not speaking up for him.”
Everyone thought about it—and agreed. That really did sound like something Wei Xiao would do.
Gu Qinghuan was still scrolling through the comment section. Hearing this, she looked up at Yu Xin.
“Step one’s done. What’s next?”
Yu Xin tapped her pen cap against her notebook. “Make him clearly understand how others see him. With his pride, he probably won’t dare come up to us and talk about that disgusting engagement for a while.”
“As for step two, I originally planned to handle it myself. But Yu Yuan said she wants to do it personally. So tonight, she’ll have a showdown with her family.”
“Huh? Will that be okay?” Song Yi immediately looked worried.
“If it were before, I’d think it wasn’t a good idea either. But now she has people supporting her—she has confidence,” Yu Xin said.
Gu Qinghuan’s eyes shifted slightly. She turned to their trio group chat:
[Xinbao, the person supporting Yu Yuan… you mean that Aunt Yu, right?]
Yu Xin：[Yes. Any problem?]
Jiang Chuchu：[Who’s Aunt Yu?]
Yu Xin briefly explained Yu Wenxiu’s situation to Jiang Chuchu, who nodded along as she listened.
She really did sound like a good person.
Yu Xin：[She’s really kind to Yu Yuan. Yu Yuan even told me that her ideal mother would be someone like her.]
Yu Xin：[Yesterday, my mom said something unpleasant that Yu Yuan overheard. Aunt Yu stood up for her, and Yu Yuan couldn’t help but call her ‘Mom.’]
Gu Qinghuan：[That really is nice.]
Gu Qinghuan：[Then… I think it’s time I tell you something too.]
Gu Qinghuan：[Actually, Yu Wenxiu is Yu Yuan’s biological mother.]
Yu Xin：[……]
Jiang Chuchu：[……]
After receiving two strings of ellipses, Gu Qinghuan was immediately grabbed by both Yu Xin and Jiang Chuchu—one on each side—and dragged out of the classroom toward the small garden.
Xu Xinghe watched them leave. “What’s going on with them now?”
Qin Yue glanced over and shrugged. “They’re close. People who are close tend to do weird things together.”
Gu Qinghuan was pushed onto a bench in the garden. Yu Xin and Jiang Chuchu stood in front of her with arms crossed, looking down at her.
“Spill it,” Jiang Chuchu said with a dangerous expression. “When did you find out?”
Gu Qinghuan scratched her cheek. “It’s… a long story…”
“Short version,” Yu Xin cut in immediately.
“My grandma broke a bone before and hired Aunt Yu as a caretaker. I found out her biological daughter had been trafficked years ago. After the New Year’s gala, she saw Yu Yuan on TV, thought she was her daughter, and went to the Yu family,” Gu Qinghuan rattled off quickly.
She hadn’t contacted Yu Wenxiu since, but judging from her behavior at the wine tasting event, it was obvious Yu Yuan’s identity had already been confirmed.
So… no need to mention her information source anymore, right?
Yu Xin pressed a hand to her forehead. Jiang Chuchu, on the other hand, reached out and pinched Gu Qinghuan’s cheek.
“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?!”
“I thought if Yu Yuan found out too early, it might be hard for her to accept…” Gu Qinghuan mumbled.
“I meant—why didn’t you tell us?” Jiang Chuchu snapped. “You keep so much to yourself—can’t you share it? Aren’t you tired? We could help too!”
Gu Qinghuan froze for a moment, then broke into a grin. “Hehe… how could I reveal such a huge piece of gossip too early? Isn’t it way more shocking now?”
Jiang Chuchu let go of her and poked her forehead hard instead. “Yeah, yeah, super shocking. So shocking I want to hit you.”
Gu Qinghuan shrank back, looking guilty.
Yu Xin lowered her hand. “Actually, Qinghuan’s reasoning isn’t wrong. Letting them build a relationship first, then revealing the truth—it’s easier for Yu Yuan to accept.”
“Will this affect your next step?” Gu Qinghuan asked.
Yu Xin thought for a moment. “I’ll delay it by a day. Tonight, I’ll talk to Aunt Yu first. If she cooperates, we might get an even better result.”
Gu Qinghuan immediately clapped enthusiastically. “Good, good, good—now we’ll just wait for Xinbao’s performance!”
That night, after returning home, Yu Yuan was practicing piano while eagerly looking forward to dinner. Taking advantage of the quiet house, Yu Xin went straight to the kitchen to find Yu Wenxiu.
Yu Wenxiu was busy chopping vegetables. Seeing Yu Xin, she smiled.
“It’ll take a bit longer before dinner’s ready. There’s cake in the fridge—if you’re hungry, you can have some first.”
Yu Xin closed the kitchen door behind her and got straight to the point.
“Aunt Yu, Qinghuan told me about you.”
Yu Wenxiu’s knife paused for a moment, then continued smoothly. “Mm.”
If it was Qinghuan who told her, then Yu Xin must be someone trustworthy.
“I have a plan. I hope you can cooperate with me. If it succeeds, at the very least, my parents will realize that the engagement with the Wei family can’t go through,” Yu Xin said.
“The best outcome would be… you taking Yu Yuan and leaving directly.”
At those words, Yu Wenxiu abruptly raised her head and set the knife aside.
“What did you say?”
Yu Xin remained calm. “That’s only the ideal scenario. We still need to consider the cost, and there are many uncertainties—”
She didn’t finish her sentence.
Because she saw tears in Yu Wenxiu’s eyes.
Yu Wenxiu was smiling through her tears, shaking her head gently.
“No matter the cost… nothing is more important than my child. Tell me what I need to do.”
“As long as I can be with my child… there’s nothing I can’t do.”
Chapter 238: Beyond Expectations
The night before, with Yu Wenli and Cui Wanning not at home, Yu Yuan had eaten especially well. The spicy diced chicken was delicious, the boiled pork slices were delicious, and the spicy shrimp was even better.
Yu Xin, on the other hand, kept drinking water while eating, occasionally letting out little “hiss—ha” sounds from the heat. Watching her, Yu Yuan felt a bit embarrassed and started wondering if she had ordered too many spicy dishes.
But Yu Xin said it was fine—she wasn’t incapable of eating spicy food, she just didn’t get to eat it often at home. Besides, Yu Wenxiu’s cooking was excellent; the spiciness was sharp and satisfying.
However, tonight’s dinner was far from pleasant.
The moment Yu Yuan stepped through the door and saw the pairs of shoes lined up in the entryway, the faint smile on her lips disappeared.
Cui Wanning, Yu Wenli, Yu Jinxin… why were they all back tonight?
In the past, she had been able to sit at the same table with the Yu family and eat together. Now, just the thought of it made her feel suffocated.
Recalling how she used to try so hard to please them, Yu Yuan’s face twisted into a bitter expression.
The last time the whole family ate together, Yu Jinxin had even asked why she had been so quiet lately.
Because she no longer wanted to beg for that tiny bit of affection.
All Yu Yuan wished for now was for tonight’s dinner to end quickly—without dragging on.
Unfortunately, the moment Yu Wenli brought up the engagement with the Wei family, she knew things were going to go badly.
Yu Wenli frowned. “What exactly does the Wei family mean now?”
Cui Wanning paused mid-bite, pretending ignorance. “You mean Yuan Yuan’s engagement? What’s wrong?”
“I happened to meet President Wei this morning. When I brought it up, he just brushed me off, saying everything was left to his wife,” Yu Wenli’s expression darkened.
Yu Xin quietly continued eating her salad.
She already knew the situation with the Wei family—Xia He had investigated it and told her. To her surprise, it was quite different from what she expected.
Normally, marriages like this were meant to strengthen cooperation—mutual benefit, shared growth.
But Wei Yan didn’t care about Wei Xiao’s engagement at all. The reason was simple: he had no intention of relying on marriage to secure business interests.
After all, he himself had abandoned his ex-wife for not bearing a son. Naturally, he didn’t believe marriage was something reliable.
On top of that, he was fully aware of the things his son had done when he was younger. If Wei Xiao mistreated his wife after marriage and the in-laws caused trouble, what then?
The risk was too high.
So when Xu Zhishu suggested that instead of matching families by status, they should choose someone easy to control, Wei Yan thought it was a great idea.
Thus, he handed full authority over Wei Xiao’s engagement to Xu Zhishu—and whether it was suitable or not didn’t matter to him.
If it didn’t work out, they could just change partners. Marriage wasn’t permanent. With the Wei family’s standing, Wei Xiao could marry as many times as he wanted.
Now that Xu Zhishu no longer wanted to deal with Wei Xiao, she naturally had no interest in pushing forward his engagement with Yu Yuan.
She had already informed Wei Yan—just saying that after returning to the country, she had met many suitable girls and wanted to take her time choosing. Wei Yan had no objections.
There was one more thing Yu Wenli hadn’t mentioned: when he asked Wei Yan about it, Wei Yan had actually told him that as a man, he should focus on building his career instead of meddling in trivial domestic matters.
At the time, Yu Wenli had been so stifled by those words that his face nearly turned red before he managed to compose himself.
Seeing his expression, Cui Wanning knew that if the conversation continued, the blame would soon fall on her. So she tried to push Yu Yuan forward.
“I think Yuan Yuan and Wei Xiao get along quite well. Yuan Yuan, what do you think—”
Yu Yuan’s nerves tightened instantly.
But before Cui Wanning could finish, Yu Xin put down her chopsticks.
The ceramic chopsticks made a crisp sound against the holder. Once everyone’s attention turned toward her, Yu Xin spoke:
“Wei Xiao’s reputation at school hasn’t been very good lately.”
“What happened?” Yu Wenli’s attention shifted.
Yu Xin briefly explained the two confession wall posts and the resulting uproar. Yu Wenli’s brows knit tighter as he listened.
She concluded, “So Wei Xiao probably won’t have time to contact the Yu family for now.”
Yu Wenli caught the underlying message immediately: Xu Zhishu was dissatisfied with Yu Yuan.
Instead of blaming the Wei family for being unreliable, his gaze snapped to Yu Yuan.
“How could you cause such a huge mess!” he barked coldly.
“You created this kind of trouble and didn’t even tell the family—do you really think you won’t be replaced?!”
The word “replaced” struck Yu Yuan like a hammer.
As a child, she had been swapped and raised as a Yu family daughter, always living in fear of being abandoned again. That fear had driven her to constantly try to please them.
Even after Yu Xin returned, and with Gu Qinghuan’s help she began to change her mindset, deep down she still feared ending up alone.
It felt like… she was always destined to be replaced.
Yu Yuan tightened her grip on her chopsticks, forcing herself to stay calm.
“The situation was already explained at the time. Everyone present knew it wasn’t my fault. I also apologized to Aunt Xu—”
She couldn’t finish.
Yu Wenli’s cold voice cut her off again: “Are you talking back to me?”
Yu Yuan instinctively fell silent.
Only then did she realize—she was supposed to be obedient, well-behaved, compliant.
She should apologize. Admit fault. Promise not to repeat her mistakes.
But now…
She no longer wanted to play the obedient child just to earn that hollow affection.
For the first time, she lifted her head and met Yu Wenli’s gaze.
“I’m not talking back,” she said calmly. “I’m stating facts.”
“And it’s not that I think I won’t be replaced. I simply don’t want this engagement. I don’t like Wei Xiao.”
Yu Wenli narrowed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of absurdity—as if the rabbit he had raised had suddenly started speaking like a human.
“What do you want, then?” His voice turned cold. “You’re barely grown, and already you’re going against your parents?”
“I’m not going against you!” Yu Yuan raised her voice. “I just don’t want to marry Wei Xiao. I don’t want to be treated like merchandise and sold to the Wei family!”
“Yu Yuan!” That clearly struck a nerve.
He slammed his hand onto the table, making the dishes rattle.
“What do you think you are?”
“If we hadn’t raised you, what kind of life do you think you’d be living?”
“Father,” Yu Xin cut in lightly, “are you saying that if Yu Yuan weren’t part of the Yu family, she’d be miserable?”
Being interrupted made Yu Wenli visibly irritated. He glared at her. “Wouldn’t you know best?”
Yu Xin replied calmly, “And whose fault was it that I was switched at birth?”
Yu Wenli choked on his words, then snapped angrily, “We’re not talking about you!”
He didn’t give her another chance to speak, turning back to Yu Yuan.
“Tomorrow, you will go to the Wei family and find Wei Xiao—”
“I won’t!” Just hearing Wei Xiao’s name triggered her.
His authority challenged again and again, Yu Wenli finally lost control.
He shot to his feet, strode toward Yu Yuan, and raised his hand.
But Yu Yuan reacted faster.
As the slap came down, instead of striking her face, she caught his wrist from the outside, yanked his arm, then lifted her elbow and slammed it into his elbow joint.
The movements flowed smoothly, clean and precise.
If Song Yi had seen it, he would definitely have given her a thumbs-up.
A sharp crack rang out—clear to everyone present.
Then came Yu Wenli’s scream.
Yu Xin froze, eyes wide.
She had intended to escalate things—but Yu Yuan dislocating Yu Wenli’s elbow was definitely not part of her plan.
Chapter 239: The Happiest Person
The moment Yu Wenli stood up, Yu Xin realized he might be about to strike Yu Yuan. She immediately rose as well, intending to stop him.
But she was seated opposite Yu Yuan—by the time she could get there, it was already too late. When she saw Yu Wenli raise his hand, all she could do was shout inwardly: Dodge!
What she never expected… was that Yu Yuan would deal with it so cleanly and decisively—dislocating Yu Wenli’s elbow in one swift move.
Amid Yu Wenli’s scream, Yu Yuan snapped back to her senses. Looking at him kneeling on the floor, clutching his arm and gasping in pain, she instinctively took two steps back.
After the wine tasting incident, when Song Yi learned about her engagement with Wei Xiao, he had immediately taught her several harsher moves, repeatedly reminding her: if anyone ever laid hands on her, she should use what he taught.
Yu Yuan had practiced seriously—and now, she had used it purely on reflex.
The problem was… Song Yi’s physique versus Yu Wenli’s?
Yu Jinxin finally snapped out of his shock. His chair toppled over as he rushed to Yu Wenli’s side and crouched down to check on him.
He had been sitting right next to Yu Wenli. Strictly speaking, he had noticed the moment Yu Wenli stood up.
He had guessed that Yu Wenli intended to hit Yu Yuan—but in his mind, it wouldn’t be too serious. Just a slap to teach her a lesson, and then he would step in to stop it, playing the role of the mediator.
He had never imagined things would turn out like this.
That gentle, obedient Yu Yuan had so effortlessly dislocated their father’s elbow?
Yu Yuan looked at Yu Wenli, still crying out in pain, then at Yu Jinxin, who looked flustered but hadn’t even thought to send him to the hospital.
Suddenly… it all felt meaningless.
By then, Yu Xin had already moved to stand beside her. She squeezed Yu Yuan’s hand firmly, signaling her not to worry, then turned to the housekeeper—who had been drawn over by the commotion but didn’t dare approach.
“Uncle Zhao, arrange a car. Take my father to the hospital.”
Yu Wenli gradually recovered from the initial shock of pain. Supported by Yu Jinxin, he stood up. Looking at Yu Yuan—whose face showed little emotion—his lips trembled with rage.
“You dare lay such a heavy hand on your own father? You animal!”
Even though she already knew what kind of person Yu Wenli was, the word “animal” still pierced Yu Yuan’s heart. She wanted to argue—but her throat felt tightly blocked.
Yu Xin’s expression also turned cold.
But before she could speak, a figure suddenly rushed forward, shielding Yu Yuan completely.
“You’re the animal!” Yu Wenxiu’s voice was fierce.
According to Yu Xin’s original plan, she was supposed to provoke Yu Wenli and Cui Wanning until they lost control. Once they said something harsh, Yu Wenxiu would step forward to defend Yu Yuan.
Yu Wenxiu had already told Yu Xin what Cui Wanning said before. Yu Xin judged that her earlier rebuttal must have left Cui Wanning extremely displeased.
So if Yu Wenxiu stood up again this time, Cui Wanning would likely target her and drive her out of the Yu family.
At that point, Yu Wenxiu would reveal her identity and explain her true purpose for coming to the Yu family.
If everything went as planned, Yu Xin was confident in the later developments.
By now, Yu Yuan had grown strong enough mentally. Compared to the cage-like Yu household, she would definitely choose Yu Wenxiu.
Not to mention—Yu Wenxiu was truly her mother.
Even Yu Wenli and Cui Wanning, under such circumstances, would fall into confusion and anger, saying anything in the heat of the moment.
Yu Xin’s role was to guide the conversation at the right time, ensuring Yu Yuan and Yu Wenxiu would be “driven out” together.
Of course, given Yu Wenli and Cui Wanning’s personalities, they might demand “compensation” from Yu Wenxiu—or still try to treat Yu Yuan as a commodity and sell her off elsewhere.
But as long as this was set in motion, there would be more chances in the future—until Yu Yuan could truly escape.
What Yu Xin hadn’t expected… was that Yu Yuan would immediately dislocate Yu Wenli’s elbow.
And Yu Wenxiu—who had been holding back her emotions, waiting for the right moment—finally snapped at Yu Wenli’s insult and rushed forward to defend Yu Yuan.
Cui Wanning finally recovered from her shock. Or rather, Yu Wenxiu’s sudden appearance gave her an outlet for her emotions.
She didn’t dare face Yu Wenli or Yu Jinxin. She ignored Yu Xin. And Yu Yuan now felt like a stranger to her.
At such a moment, Yu Wenxiu—whom she saw as inferior—became the perfect target.
“What did you say?!” Cui Wanning’s voice turned shrill. “You’re just a servant—what are you butting in for? This has nothing to do with you!”
“How does it not concern me?!” Yu Wenxiu’s voice rang out even louder, like sunlight breaking through clouds.
“Yu Yuan is my daughter!”
Yu Yuan instinctively clutched the fabric at Yu Wenxiu’s back. The blockage in her throat disappeared, replaced by overwhelming emotion.
She had only called her “Mom” once—because she longed so deeply for a mother who truly loved her.
But no… Yu Wenxiu couldn’t clash with the Yu family because of her. She couldn’t let her get hurt.
“No—no, that’s not it! This has nothing to do with her!” Yu Yuan rushed out from behind Yu Wenxiu, trying to stand in front of her. “Don’t blame her! She’s just—just…”
“It does concern me!” Yu Wenxiu pulled her close, holding her shoulders so she had to look at her. Her eyes were red and wet.
“Yuan Yuan, you are my daughter—you are my biological daughter!!”
The noisy room fell silent in an instant.
Even Yu Wenli was struck speechless.
Cui Wanning looked like someone had grabbed her throat, forcing out a hoarse voice. “You… you are…”
“I am her mother!” Yu Wenxiu turned toward her, staring intently. Tears streamed down her face, but her voice remained firm.
“I’ve been looking for her for sixteen years—sixteen years! She is my daughter!”
“I used to think… if she could live happily in the Yu family, it wouldn’t matter if she never knew me.”
“But you—none of you ever treated her like a human being! I cannot stand by and watch my daughter be ruined by you!”
“I’m taking her away—from here, from all of you animals!”
Her eyes were bloodshot, almost frenzied. Cui Wanning instinctively stepped back in fear.
Yu Wenli, shocked into a strange calm, spoke sharply:
“You say she’s your daughter—what proof do you have?”
Yu Xin cut in at the right moment. “I believe it. Aunt Yu and Yu Yuan look quite alike. Why not do a DNA test?”
Although Yu Wenxiu had already done one privately, it wasn’t suitable to reveal that.
After all, she was still a servant of the Yu family. If that got out, it could damage her reputation.
Yu Jinxin glared at Yu Xin. “Yu Xin, whose side are you on?”
“Me?” Yu Xin smiled faintly. “My household registration is still under a servant. Whatever happens to the Yu family has nothing to do with me.”
Yu Wenli’s expression darkened.
Just as Yu Xin had expected, the chaos made it impossible for him to think clearly—especially with his dislocated elbow still throbbing.
His gaze shifted, finally landing on Yu Yuan, who still looked dazed.
“Yu Yuan! Answer me yourself—do you want to go with this servant?!”
Hearing her name, Yu Yuan snapped back to reality.
Her gaze passed over Yu Wenli, Cui Wanning, Yu Jinxin… and finally landed on Yu Wenxiu, who was looking at her anxiously.
She smiled.
“I want to be with my mother.”
Without hesitation, she grabbed Yu Wenxiu’s hand and ran.
They stumbled as they ran—behind them, the grand Yu family villa, and Yu Wenli’s furious shouting.
Just as they reached the gate, a car pulled up beside them. The window rolled down, revealing Gu Qinghuan and Jiang Chuchu.
“Good evening,” Gu Qinghuan said with a bright smile from the passenger seat. “We’re here to take you home.”
From the back seat, Jiang Chuchu opened the door, pulled them in quickly, and shut it in one smooth motion.
Yu Yuan was still breathing hard. As her breathing gradually steadied, she continued holding tightly onto Yu Wenxiu’s hand.
“Mom,” she called suddenly.
“Mm,” Yu Wenxiu answered softly.
“Mom.” Her voice trembled.
“Yes,” came the gentle reply.
“Mom!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Yu Yuan threw herself into Yu Wenxiu’s arms and burst into tears.
Yu Wenxiu held her, patting her back.
So warm, Yu Yuan thought.
She had a mother now—a real mother who loved her.
At this moment, she was the happiest person in the world.
