SYLFS 07

Chapter 7 –

Terminating the Alliance with the Guan Family.

Jiang Huai’s single remark barely managed to pull Bai Shuqin back from the brink of losing all reason.
The blood that had rushed to her head cooled instantly, as if doused with cold water. Her movements froze.

At the same time, the noise finally drew the attention of those inside the villa.
Jiang Yucheng walked out slowly.

“What’s going on?”

Jiang Yucheng, current head of the Jianghai Group, was a figure who often appeared in the media and financial magazines.
The moment Bai Shuqin saw him, she immediately recognized who he was—and all thoughts of quarreling with Guan Xuxu vanished.
Her expression flipped instantly, and she approached with an ingratiating smile.

“President Jiang! I’m Bai Shuqin, wife of Guan Baocheng, president of Guan Construction Materials. What an honor it is to find you at home today.”

Jiang Yucheng’s eyes passed over Bai Shuqin, Guan Xuxu, and Jiang Huai in turn.
His expression did not change as he asked calmly:

“Mrs. Guan, hello. What brings you here today? Is there something you wanted to discuss?”

For a man of Jiang Yucheng’s status, there was no need to be so polite.
He wasn’t the type who liked formalities either.
But the other party was from the Guan family—the family who had raised Xuxu.
Keeping that in mind, he chose to show some rare courtesy.
He assumed she had come to discuss details about Xuxu’s living habits.

Bai Shuqin, completely misunderstanding his tone of polite inquiry, felt her vanity swell.

The head of Jianghai Group is personally asking for my opinion? That must mean our company is very important to them!

The irritation she’d felt toward Jiang Huai moments ago vanished. Puffing up her chest, she said proudly:

“Yes, in fact, there are a few things I’d like to bring up.”

Casting a smug glance at Xuxu, she quickly grabbed her daughter’s arm.

“President Jiang, this is my daughter, Guan Ruirui.”

Guan Ruirui hurriedly greeted him politely.

“Hello, Uncle Jiang.”

“Actually,” Bai Shuqin continued, “for the upcoming Haishi Landmark Project, I heard that the government plans to select eight university students from four schools to appear in the city’s promotional film. I understand Jianghai Group will make the final selection.”

She went on smoothly:

“However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, the spot my daughter rightfully deserved was taken by someone else. So I hoped Jianghai Group could help us get it back. It’s really just a small favor.”

Jiang Yucheng’s brows furrowed slightly.
He was aware of the project, but his third son was actually in charge of it.
And personally, he disliked private requests of this sort.

Still, thinking that the woman before him was from the family who had raised Xuxu, he hesitated.

Well… perhaps as repayment for the years they looked after her…

He convinced himself and offered a small concession.

“I’ll look into the matter. Who exactly took your daughter’s spot? I’ll have my secretary investigate.”

“Guan Xuxu.”

The answer came instantly.

Jiang Yucheng froze, hand halfway to his phone, and slowly looked up at her, startled.

“Who?”

“Guan Xuxu,” Bai Shuqin repeated, thinking he hadn’t heard clearly. She even pointed at the girl beside her.

“This one. We adopted her years ago, but she turned out to be ungrateful, dishonest, and ill-tempered. I had no idea her biological parents once worked for the Jiangs, but… well, I don’t mean to badmouth a child, but a person’s character is determined by birth. No matter how hard I tried to raise her right, a bad seed will always be a bad seed…”

Bai Shuqin rambled on, eager to smear Xuxu’s name.
Jiang Huai’s face darkened as he listened.
So this is what Xuxu meant when she said they bullied her behind the scenes…

The butler and servants nearby were stunned.

How dare this woman speak so ill of Miss Xuxu right in front of President Jiang? Is she insane?

Guan Xuxu was already used to Bai Shuqin’s insults.
She’d long learned to tune out the venom.

But now—hearing it again, in front of Jiang Huai and her biological father—it cut deep.

She had only just begun to feel accepted, to believe she might finally have a family.
Why—why did this woman still have to destroy even that fragile hope?

Bai Shuqin knew exactly what she was doing.
She didn’t care how others saw her; all she wanted was for everyone to hate Xuxu.

When teachers had once praised the girl, Bai Shuqin always found ways to whisper poison in their ears:
“She’s such a troublesome child…”

No one would imagine a mother defaming her own daughter, so the teachers believed her.
Soon, “Guan Xuxu” became synonymous with “problem child.”

The more everyone disliked Xuxu, the higher Ruirui could shine.

Over time, this habit of slander became second nature to Bai Shuqin.
And now, she was doing it again.

Xuxu clenched her fists, trembling.
Finally, she couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Stop it!”

“Stop it!”

Two voices rang out at once.
Xuxu turned reflexively toward the second one—

It was Jiang Yucheng, face cold and grim.

Already known for his stern demeanor, he now looked downright terrifying.
Bai Shuqin flinched and fell silent.

Jiang Yucheng’s gaze was icy as he said,

“You have no right to speak that way about my daughter. Butler, see our guests out.”

Bai Shuqin froze, not even catching that one crucial phrase—my daughter.
She tried to speak again, but the butler swiftly stepped forward and ushered her and Ruirui out of the villa.

Jiang Yucheng watched impassively as they were removed, then turned back to Xuxu.

“Have they always treated you like this?”

He paused, realizing what a foolish question that was.
If Bai Shuqin could speak this way in front of him, how much worse must it have been before?

He had believed that when Xuxu was adopted, she’d at least been provided food, clothing, and a stable home.
But now—it was clear she’d been treated like trash.

Rage burned through him.
He turned to Jiang Huai and ordered coldly:

“Call your Third Uncle. The cooperation with the Guan family is to be canceled immediately.”

That partnership had originally been arranged as a gesture of gratitude—for raising Xuxu.
They’d offered the Guan family preferential terms, even tens of millions in profit, to lift their business to a higher tier.

But now that he knew how they’d truly treated his daughter—
They didn’t deserve a single favor.

Jiang Huai’s expression softened into his usual calm smile.

“Understood.”

Xuxu could only stare at her father, dazed.
Then, as she lowered her eyes, an almost invisible smile touched her lips.

Her new father and brother… were nothing like the Guan family.

…And that, she thought, was truly a blessing.

Outside the estate gates,
Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui were unceremoniously thrown out.

They couldn’t understand why President Jiang had suddenly become furious.
And what had he meant by “Jiang family’s daughter”?

Who was that referring to?

The butler, watching them, could only sigh inwardly.

How can these people be so utterly foolish?

The Guan family could have received endless benefits from the Jiangs, simply for having raised their lost daughter.
And yet, even now, they had no idea that the “ungrateful girl” they despised was that very daughter.

The butler, ever polite and professional, decided to enlighten them.

“President Jiang lost his daughter eighteen years ago. Today marks the day she has finally returned. Naturally, he will not listen to anyone who speaks ill of her. Please, leave.”

He turned away and instructed the staff to close the gates.

Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui stood there, dumbstruck.
Bai Shuqin grabbed her daughter’s arm, trembling.

“Rui… Ruirui, that girl they were talking about—their daughter… who did they mean?”

Guan Ruirui shook her head, refusing to believe it.

“That’s impossible… you must have misheard…”

There was no way the “Jiang family’s daughter” they mentioned could be Guan Xuxu.
It was unthinkable—unacceptable.

Bai Shuqin stared at her daughter, silent for a long moment.
Then her knees gave out, and she nearly collapsed.

“It’s over… we’re finished…!”