Chapter 2 Recognizing Kin

Chapter 2: Family Reunion

"Miss?"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Liu He’s fist, the size of a sandbag, froze mid-air as he stood there, covering his eyes, which had been irritated by some unknown spray, and grimacing in pain.

“Who are you?”

In the presence of strangers, Liu Hua immediately adopted a composed and polite demeanor. Moreover, with his extensive experience, he could tell at a glance that these people were anything but ordinary.

What ordinary person could afford to wear a limited-edition Armani suit?

“I am the butler of Chairman Su of the Su Group. I’m here specifically to escort the young lady home.”

The middle-aged man’s tone was full of apology. “Although we didn’t notify you in advance, which was unavoidably sudden, today is New Year’s Eve. Our Chairman is too eager to reunite with Miss, which is why he hopes you can return. As for the reasons, I will explain them to Miss personally on the way.”

The previously chaotic living room fell into complete silence. Everyone stared wide-eyed, utterly confused. What "Miss"? Wasn’t this wretched girl their eldest brother’s daughter?

Could it be that…

Liu Zhenyi pointed a trembling finger at Zhao Yun, his face livid with rage, and cursed, “My eldest brother is honest and kind-hearted, and he’s treated you well! How dare you cheat on him behind his back! Are you even human?!”

The others also looked at her with disdain. No wonder Zhao Yun married their eldest brother while pregnant—she had made him the fall guy! Now the biological father had even come knocking!

“Hello, I’d like to report a crime. Apartment 201, Building 3, Longcheng Garden. There’s been an attempted murder here. Please send someone as soon as possible.”

Su Mi hung up the phone, then helped the bewildered Zhao Yun to her feet, quickly grabbing tissues to wipe the blood from her forehead.

“What nonsense are you spouting, you wretched girl? Who attempted murder?” Liu He pointed at her nose and yelled.

Su Mi gave him a cold look. “You intentionally pushed my mother, causing her to hit her head. Isn’t that attempted murder? Save your explanations for the police.”

Then, she turned her gaze to Liu Zhenyi. “And you, deliberately fabricating facts to slander my mother’s reputation—that constitutes defamation. You can expect a court summons.”

No one expected her to actually call the police. This was no longer the introverted and quiet niece they once knew. Liu Zhenyi was so angry his face turned red and his neck thickened. Just as he was about to curse again, his second brother stopped him.

“We’re all family. Causing such a scene during the New Year is terribly inauspicious.” Liu Hua seized the moment to play the peacemaker. “Hurry and take your mother to the hospital. I’ll cover the medical expenses. Also, tell the police not to come. It wouldn’t look good for the neighbors to see this during the New Year.”

It was baffling how these people had the nerve to say such things. This was exactly why the meek get bullied—they had grown accustomed to treating the original host’s family this way.

Su Mi didn’t want to waste words. She simply helped her mother up to go to the hospital. However, Zhao Yun was unwilling to move, instead looking at her with helpless eyes, as if hoping she wouldn’t escalate the situation. After all, they were family.

It was always like this. The original host’s family would only endure when bullied, which was why these despicable relatives had become so brazen.

But she felt no blood ties binding her. Even if there were, someone had to teach these idiots how to behave.

“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll have a lawyer come right away.” The butler calmly took out his phone to make a call.

Suddenly remembering that her biological father was wealthy, Liu Zhenyi grew uneasy. His curses died in his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to apologize.

Liu Hua, however, quickly reacted. The Su Group? How many Su Groups could there be in this city?

“A misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding!” He stepped forward with an apologetic expression, even bowing to Zhao Yun, his sincerity unmistakable. “It was all Xiao He’s fault for being reckless. Sister-in-law, you can punish him however you see fit.”

With that, he immediately glared at his son. “Kneel down and apologize to your aunt right now! If she doesn’t forgive you, you’ll kneel here and kowtow until she does!”

Liu He, still covering his irritated eyes, was utterly bewildered. He couldn’t understand if his father had also lost his mind, asking him to kowtow and apologize to this adulterous woman?

If he had known this woman was so promiscuous, he should have vented his uncle’s anger earlier!

“Dad, have you gone crazy too? She cheated on Uncle, and you want me to apologize to her?” He looked on in disbelief.

Crazy, crazy. The whole world had truly gone mad.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Hua’s slap landed on his face with a sharp “crack.” “You insolent brat! How dare you speak to your elders like that! Mimi grew up in our family. No matter who her biological father is, she is your sister!”

Liu Yue also stamped her foot in anger, looking at the butler with hopeful eyes. “Are you sure you have the right person? Could it be that I’m the one you’re looking for?”

“Yueyue! Have you lost your mind too?!” Liu Zhenyi’s blood pressure skyrocketed with rage.

When Liu Zhiyun returned with the family bucket, this was the scene that greeted him: the house in disarray and several well-dressed, distinguished strangers suddenly present.

“What’s going on?”

Seeing his wife injured, he quickly put down what he was carrying and walked over, his eyes filled with heartache.

The butler merely looked respectfully at Su Mi. “I can handle matters here. The Chairman is still waiting for you at home for the New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Su Mi pretended to think for a moment. “I need to take my mother to the hospital first.”

The butler nodded respectfully. “Of course.”

With that, the bodyguards immediately pushed the others aside, clearing a path through the cramped living room.

Zhao Yun seemed to want to say something, but she was also utterly confused. There was no doubt her daughter was biologically hers—but who were these people?

Liu He shouted indignantly, “Uncle! Don’t be fooled by this loose woman! This wretched girl isn’t your daughter at all. Now her bastard father has even come knocking!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a pig-slaughter-like scream erupted in the living room. Liu He was pinned to the ground by two bodyguards, his arms twisted behind his back at unnatural angles. The others were too terrified to make a sound at the sight.

“You insolent brat! What nonsense are you spouting?!” Liu Hua glared at his son with a mix of anger and disappointment. “That’s the Chairman of the Su Group! You’d better kneel and kowtow to apologize to your sister and aunt right now!”

Even if they hadn’t seen the news, everyone had heard of the Su Group. After all, most daily necessities were produced by subsidiaries of the Su Group—a leading conglomerate in the country.

Liu Yue’s face turned deathly pale, and she nearly lost her balance. The Su Group? That wretched girl was the daughter of the Su Group’s Chairman?

No! This had to be a mistake!

Even after leaving the chaotic house, Liu Zhiyun remained bewildered. He couldn’t understand how, in the short time he’d been out buying groceries, his home had turned into such a mess.

And why was his mother lying on the floor with no one helping her up? What on earth was going on?

A row of luxury cars was parked outside the residential complex, drawing many onlookers. When they saw Su Mi and her family get into the cars, whispers of shock and amazement immediately spread.

Given the Liu Zhiyun family’s circumstances, how could they possibly afford such expensive cars? Surely their daughter had hooked up with some wealthy man and was now taking her parents to live in luxury.

Once in the car, the butler explained the situation in as much detail as possible. He hadn’t spoken earlier because with so many people around, some matters were better kept private.

After all, how to handle Miss’s identity was still an issue. If too many people found out, it would inevitably invite gossip.

Su Mi sat there with a puzzled expression, as she had to maintain appearances, even though she already knew the plot.

The truth was that the original host’s biological father had made too many enemies in his youth. As a result, a rival bribed a nurse to switch his newborn daughter with the original host. It wasn’t until recently, on his deathbed from cancer, that the rival revealed the truth, cruelly mocking the original host’s father for spending his life raising another man’s child.

Upon hearing this, the original host’s father was stunned. He secretly arranged for a paternity test, only to discover that the daughter he had raised for over twenty years was not his own!

But that wasn’t the most heartbreaking part. What truly pained him was imagining what his biological daughter might be enduring. He knew his rival would never have switched his daughter into a wealthy family.

So, he spent three years investigating in secret. However, due to the long passage of time, many clues had been lost. It was only now that he had finally found the original host.

But he couldn't bring himself to let go of the female lead, so he ultimately decided to keep both girls. However, the female lead had her own principles. Although she stayed with the Su family, she immediately declared that she would refuse any allowance from Father Su from then on. After all, she had already enjoyed a privileged environment that wasn't rightfully hers to begin with, and now she had even less right to continue benefiting from those resources.

She stayed with the Su family only because she couldn't bear to leave such good parents.

While reading the story, Su Mi didn't see a problem with it. But from a different perspective, she felt something was off. The female lead was always away on film shoots and didn't spend much time with her parents, so it didn't really matter whether she stayed or left.

Still, she shouldn't assume the worst about others. No one is perfect; everyone has their own selfish side. As long as the female lead didn't bother her, it was fine.

"The Chairman feels terribly sorry about what happened, so appropriate compensation will definitely be provided. We will not let either of you suffer any injustice," the butler said solemnly.

Once they'd heard everything, Zhao Yun and her husband finally understood the whole story. Both were in disbelief, never imagining that such a one-in-a-million chance would happen to them.

Liu Zhiyun was quick to respond, frowning with a serious expression. "If a paternity test confirms everything you've said is true, we won't stop Mimi from going to her biological parents. But no matter what, she is still our daughter. There's no need to mention compensation. Mimi is not an object, and she definitely can't be measured by money."

Su Mi remained silent, as if still reeling from the shock of her origins. Although the original host's family was somewhat weak-willed, they truly cared for her. It was just that being too weak-willed might cause their daughter to develop character flaws.

But then again, nobody's perfect. She had no right to judge anyone.

The butler also showed a sincere smile, looking at the couple with newfound respect. Having seen many profit-driven people, he could tell at a glance that Liu Zhiyun and his wife's sincerity was genuine—not an act—and that their love for the young lady was real. It was just that this family environment had inevitably caused the young lady much suffering.

"That is for you to decide. However, our Chairman is eager to see his daughter, so I must take the young lady back today. I hope you can understand."

Hearing this, Zhao Yun and her husband exchanged glances. Just then, the car stopped at the hospital entrance.

Zhao Yun smiled at her daughter. "Mom just has some minor injuries. Your dad can stay with me. You're grown up now and have your own thoughts. Whether you go or not is up to you."

Although her daughter's behavior earlier was very different from before, she could understand. Her daughter had always been introverted and must have bottled up a lot of grievances, which had suddenly erupted. After all, everyone has their temper.

In the end, it was her and Zhiyun's fault for not providing a better environment for their child to grow up in.

Su Mi looked out the car window at the hospital entrance, then at Zhao Yun, whose forehead had stopped bleeding. After a moment of silence, she finally nodded.

Seeing this, the butler couldn't help but show delight and assured them that he had already informed the hospital. They would give Zhao Yun a thorough check-up later, so she needn't worry.

Since she had to go back sooner or later, there was no point in dragging it out. She had also realized that this mission required her to trigger events herself. She needed to quickly increase her luck value; otherwise, she might end up in jail.

It was just a pity about the hard-earned money she had saved from a month of overtime work. So, people should spend when they can, drink when they want, and enjoy the present. Life is about getting by day by day. In these short years, rather than wronging oneself, it's better to let others bear the burden, lest one dies with unresolved grievances.