Chapter 401 Refusal to Acknowledge

Chapter 401: Refusing to Acknowledge

The gatekeeper burst out laughing upon hearing this.

"Ha ha ha, I don't know where this little beggar crawled out from, but you dare to boast that your second sister is the Crown Princess."

"If she's the Crown Princess, then I'm the current Emperor. You guys should at least think before you spout that nonsense."

Chen Huaxiu saw the gatekeeper kick her youngest son to the ground and immediately went ballistic!

She rushed over and scooped Wu Chaoyang into her arms, checking him over, looking him up and down, worried out of her mind.

"Yang Geer, are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Wu Chaoyang's lips puckered and he burst into loud wails. "Mother, they said Second Sister isn't the Crown Princess, so I can't live the high life or become a young lord!"

Chen Huaxiu frowned deeply and quickly stood up to explain urgently, "My daughter really is the Crown Princess, I swear! She's a young lady of your marquis's manor. Please just let us see her."

The gatekeeper rolled his eyes and sneered contemptuously, "What kind of riffraff thinks they can just waltz in and see our young miss?"

"There's no second sister of yours here, and no daughter of yours either. All of you, get the hell out of here right now, or don't blame us two for getting rough with you!"

At his shout, Wu Chaoyang cried even louder, drawing stares from people passing by on the street.

Wu Jinxi stared coldly at the two gatekeepers, his weather-beaten face twisted with spite and gloom.

He cursed inwardly—a lackey riding on his master's coattails.

Once he met Ji Qingqing, he'd make those two gatekeepers regret ever messing with him. He'd make them pay for crossing him.

Just as Wu Jinxi decided it was getting late and he'd head off for now, planning to come back tomorrow, a tall, ornate carriage pulled up right beside them.

Two women stepped down from it. One of them was dressed in a gorgeous silk gown, with delicate features and an air of elegance. She looked to be in her early thirties, remarkably well-preserved for her age.

The other was a young girl of fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a twilight-purple dress with lily and ruyi patterns. She stepped down gracefully from the carriage, with a slender neck, delicate brows, and eyes as clear as autumn water, exuding an air of magnificent nobility.

Wu Chaoyang's eyes lit up, and he broke free from Chen Huaxiu's arms, hurling himself into Ji Qingqing's arms.

"Second Sister! Are you my second sister?"

The sudden appearance of the little boy, along with his nonsensical words, gave Ji Qingqing a real scare.

She cried out in alarm, "Where did this little brat come from? Get him off me, he's filthy!"

"I'm not going, I'm not going! You are my second sister! Second Sister, are you going to abandon Chao'er?"

A maidservant came over to pull Wu Chaoyang away, but he clung to Ji Qingqing's waist with all his might.

Because on the way here, Wu Jinxi had told him that if they wanted to hit the jackpot and live large, they could only cling to Ji Qingqing.

If he let go, he'd never get to be a young lord!

Madam Meng was shaking with fury. She snapped at the maidservant in a rage, "How dare you! Hurry up and drag this little beggar off Second Miss!"

Wu Chaoyang stuck his tongue out at her and made a silly face.

"Auntie, you're so mean! You took my second sister away and won't let us see her again. You're so wicked!"

Being called "Auntie" nearly made Madam Meng blow her top. She raised her hand to smack Wu Chaoyang.

But just as her palm went up, she suddenly realized something was wrong. A thought suddenly hit her, and she turned to look at Wu Jinxi and his wife.

The moment she looked, she froze in place.

Similar—too similar. The couple's features resembled Ji Qingqing's by at least forty percent.

Even the youngest, Wu Chaoyang, had features that were about thirty percent similar to hers.

Ji Qingqing also sensed something was wrong. They say kids are honest, but Wu Chaoyang's words set off alarm bells in her head.

She looked at Wu Jinxi's face, her gaze sweeping past Wu Shijie and landing on Chen Huaxiu's face. She was so shocked she nearly stumbled.

If Ji Qingqing still hadn't figured it out by now, she'd have been living her life for nothing!

She'd always known she wasn't Madam Meng and Ji Nanchuan's real daughter, and she'd never even thought about looking for her birth parents.

But when several people who looked like her stood right in front of her, clinging to her and refusing to let go, she still found it hard to accept.

So much so that she forgot to shove Wu Chaoyang off.

Chen Huaxiu stared at Ji Qingqing with burning intensity, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

"Yueyue, you must be Yueyue, right?"

"Yueyue, I'm your mother!"

Since Ji Qingqing hadn't pushed her youngest son away, Chen Huaxiu figured she'd already accepted them.

She reached out to grab hold of Ji Qingqing, but before her fingertips even touched her sleeve, Ji Qingqing shoved her back hard.

Wu Chaoyang was also roughly tossed aside.

Ji Qingqing's eyes were filled with disgust as she snarled, "You rude old hag, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I'm not called Yueyue, and I don't know any Yueyue. If you're trying to pull a con, at least pick the right person."

"This isn't the place for you. Get out of here right now, or don't blame me for being rude!"

Chen Huaxiu seemed taken aback that Ji Qingqing refused to acknowledge her. She stared at her in disbelief, and the moment turned awkward.

Finally, it was Wu Shijie who snapped out of it first. He explained, "Madam Meng, Second Miss, it was my mother and little brother who were out of line just now. I apologize to you both for them. Please don't hold it against them."

"Our family actually came here this time to visit my sister Ji Yuntang. She was brought back to the Marquis Yongning's manor half a year ago, and I heard she's already gotten married. I was wondering if you, madam, and Second Miss might know her?"

Ji Qingqing's almond eyes reddened. Her curled fingers dug hard into her palms, her knuckles going white.

She bit her lower lip hard, an uncontrollable hatred swelling in her chest.

Ji Yuntang—so she was the one who'd called these country bumpkins here.

Did she think this would expose her background and keep her from becoming the Crown Princess?

How naive can you get!

Not only would she become the Crown Princess, she'd do it in style.

She'd make Ji Yuntang watch with her own eyes as she rose to become Empress, the one person second only to the Emperor, above everyone else.

Anyone who got in her way would die!

With that thought, a terrifying idea suddenly began to take shape in Ji Qingqing's mind.

Her gaze darkened slightly, then a smile spread across her lips.

"Ji Yuntang is my elder sister, and she has already married into the Night Prince's residence."

"Qingqing didn't realize you were all my sister's relatives; sorry for any rudeness earlier."

"You must be tired from the long trip. Why don't you come with me and my mom to our place to rest and grab something to eat?"

Hearing this, all four of them lit up with joy.

In contrast, Meng's expression turned cold.

She had already guessed the identities of the people before her—they were Ji Qingqing's biological parents, elder brother, and younger brother.

Back then, when Ji Qingqing was less than a month old, Ji Nanchuan had brought her home, while Ji Yuntang was sent to be raised in the other family.

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