PFC Chapter 174 True and Fake Gold 2
Chapter 174 True and Fake Gold 2
With Lingjiu's gentle comfort, Ji Qing and Li Yun's emotions gradually calmed down. However, when their thoughts drifted back to the daughter they had raised for many years at home, the anger that had just been suppressed in their hearts suddenly burned again, and anger and unwillingness followed them like a shadow.
Li Yun raised her eyebrows and spoke resolutely: "From now on, this family can only have Xiaojiu as a daughter. No one else can stay!" Her words were loud and clear.
Ji Qing naturally agreed with this. He nodded slightly, his eyes etched with a hint of coldness. "That being said, the effort and money we've spent on her over the past twenty years must not be wasted. Since we've raised her for so long, why not let her make some compensation for this family in the days ahead? That would be worth all our years of hard work." With that, a calculating look flashed in his eyes. He turned to look at Lingjiu, seeing the cunning in her gaze. He couldn't help but laugh. As expected of his own daughter, she wanted the same thing.
In two years, she would be old enough to get married, and by then, it wouldn't be too late to let her go. In Ji Qing's mind, the Ji family's wealth and resources were not something that could be squandered at will. Even if it was a daughter he had raised for twenty years, since she was not his biological daughter, he should pay the corresponding price for what he had gained.
Lingjiu pondered inwardly, this thought coincided with her own. How could twenty years of time be written off so easily? Naturally, he had to squeeze every bit of value out of her body to quench his hatred.
Li Yun frowned slightly, her eyes full of confusion and dissatisfaction: "What do you mean by this? Do you still want to keep her in this family?" There was a hint of questioning in her voice, and she expressed her confusion about Ji Qing's intentions.
Ji Qing hurried forward, gently took Li Yun's hand, and patiently explained, "Wife, you misunderstood me. Think about it, how much effort and money have we poured into her over the past twenty years? If we just drive her away like this, wouldn't it be too easy for her? We business people have always followed the word 'profit'. Now that she has grown up, she will get married in two years. By then, we can gain some benefits from her marriage, which can be regarded as recovering the costs of these years."
After hearing his explanation, Li Yun's doubts gradually dissipated, and her expression softened a little: "But whenever I see her, I can't help but think of the suffering Xiaojiu has endured over the years. It's really unbearable."
Ji Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "This matter is simple. Their family treated Xiaojiu like that back then, and now it's time for them to pay the price. I will make them receive the punishment they deserve, and reflect on their actions in there, so that I can vent my anger for Xiaojiu and you. With us here, Xiaojiu will never suffer the slightest injustice or bullying again."
At this point, Ji Qing seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression slightly changed as he continued, "And there's that kid Axun. He's usually very close to Yueyue, and they have a very good relationship. If he's biased towards Yueyue in this matter, I'm too busy with company affairs to take care of it. You have to keep a close eye on him and teach him a lesson if necessary so he knows the importance of it."
Li Yun nodded slightly, her expression serious and resolute: "Don't worry, if he dares to do anything bad to Xiao Jiu, I will not let him off easily, even if it means kicking him out of the house!"
In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and Li Yun enthusiastically led Lingjiu through the various designer stores. Lingjiu was always elegant and graceful, with proper manners. Her every move exuded an innate noble temperament, clearly nurtured by a good upbringing.
However, an irrepressible emotion gradually welled up in Li Yun's heart. As she looked at Lingjiu, a series of imaginary scenes emerged in her mind: if only she hadn't missed out on Lingjiu's growth, and if she had been the one to carefully teach her these etiquettes, what a wonderful scene that would have been. This regret was like a thorn, deeply piercing her heart, making her dislike for Ji Yue even stronger. Because in her opinion, it was Ji Yue's existence that caused her to miss out on the precious time she spent growing up with Lingjiu, a period of time that could never be recovered or made up for in any way.
In the evening, Ji Yue, after a busy semester, finally welcomed summer vacation. She walked eagerly ahead, her nanny trotting along behind her, carrying a heavy suitcase. As soon as she stepped into the house, Ji Yue couldn't wait to call out, "Mom, I have a day off today! Why didn't Dad come pick me up?" Her voice was filled with a hint of complaint.
However, Li Yun, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room at this moment, ignored her. Her eyes were always gently fixed on Lingjiu beside her. She held Lingjiu's hands tightly with both hands, immersed in a world that belonged only to them.
Seeing that her mother did not respond, Ji Yue thought that her voice was not loud enough. When she was about to raise her voice to continue complaining, she stepped into the living room and her eyes fell straight on the strange girl next to her mother, her heart full of doubts.
"Mom, who is she?" Ji Yue couldn't help but ask.
At this time, Ji Qing slowly walked down from the study upstairs. His expression was serious and solemn. He said to Ji Yue, "She is your sister."
"Sister? When did I get a sister?" Ji Yue's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. As her gaze carefully scanned Lingjiu's face, which bore a resemblance to her mother's, a sudden jolt struck her heart, a terrifying thought flashing through her mind like lightning. But she quickly shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the thought, repeating to herself: Impossible, absolutely impossible. That child had already been sent away, and there was no way she would come back.
Just as Ji Qing was about to continue explaining, Ji Xun also happened to return home. He heard the conversation in the living room and asked curiously, "What are you talking about? What sister?"
Seeing that everyone was present, Ji Qing coughed lightly and motioned for everyone to sit down. He took a deep breath and began to solemnly announce this major event that would shake the entire Ji family.
He slowly glanced at Ji Xun and Ji Yue, then held Lingjiu's hand tightly and said firmly, "Her name is Lingjiu. She is your mother's and my biological daughter. It's just that when she was born, she and Yueyue were accidentally taken away by mistake. Now, she has finally returned to this family. She is the true eldest daughter of our Ji family. As for Yueyue..." At this point, his gaze turned to Ji Yue, who was pale and nervous, "From now on, you will be the second daughter of our Ji family."
As soon as Ji Qing finished speaking, Ji Xun stood up with a jerk, his face filled with shock and disbelief. Twenty years of his beloved sister, now being told she was someone else's child, was like a hammer, hammering down on his heart.
Ji Qing glanced at the emotional Ji Xun, ignored his reaction, and continued: "In a few days, I will hold a grand banquet. At the banquet, I will announce this matter to the public. At that time, I will declare that Xiaojiu and Yueyue are twins."
When Ji Yue heard Ji Qing say this, her pale face gradually improved. In her mind, as long as she didn't reveal to the public that she was a child taken away by mistake, she could still maintain her image in the eyes of others, and everything would not be too bad.
Ji Qing took in all the subtle changes in Ji Yue's movements and sneered inwardly. He had made this arrangement simply to make Ji Yue relax her guard. This way, he would be more comfortable handling matters related to her in the future and would be able to keep her firmly under his control.