Yun Yao, now fully composed, descended the staircase with a grace that seemed to make every step bloom with lotuses. The servants present were left wide-eyed and stunned.
Her lustrous black hair was casually pinned up, framing her chest, and she wore a pale pink qigong dress that was beautiful without being provocative, perfectly accentuating her statuesque figure. Her skin, smooth as rendered fat, seemed to glow with a faint light. She looked like a goddess who had descended into the Mortal Realm—cold, aloof, and noble.
Mother Wang stared, dumbfounded. Is... is this really Yun Yao? Only this morning, when she had gone to deliver some things, Yun Yao had been nothing more than a withered husk! But looking closely, her features were the same—just fuller and more vibrant. If it wasn't Yun Yao, who could it be? It was as chilling as seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Could a vegetative patient recover this quickly?
Before Mother Wang could collect herself, Yun Yao parted her thin lips.
"Where is Su Yuchen?"
Mother Wang hurriedly bowed her head. "The Young Master had business to attend to and left early this morning."
He was out? That was just as well. In this lifetime, she had two goals: to win over Su Yuchen and to seek revenge for the original owner of this body. She would be seeing him face-to-face often enough in the future; there was no need to rush. For now, she could go and deal with the two idiots from last night.
***
At the Yun residence, Yun Jianghai and Qiao Lan sat on the sofa with dark circles under their eyes, looking utterly detached from reality. Beside them, Yun Xinru watched her grandfather, Yun Zhengfeng, who had suddenly returned from the airport, with a sense of nervousness.
"Grandfather, why have you come back?"
Yun Zhengfeng leaned on his cane, his expression grim. "The doctor in charge of Xiao Yao’s care called me to give instructions for after she left the hospital. If not for that call, I wouldn't have even known she had already left the hospital! Tell me! Where have you hidden her?"
Yun Xinru flinched and ducked behind Yun Jianghai.
"Yun Jianghai! I’m asking you! Where is Xiao Yao?"
Yun Jianghai stammered, afraid to speak. Qiao Lan, disgusted by her husband’s spinelessness, licked her parched lips and spoke up.
"Father, you know the Su Family specifically demanded that we marry our daughter off to their simple-minded heir. You told us to wait, but you’ve been pulling strings for so long—has the outcome changed? Xinru has been accepted into Jingnan University; her future is limitless! Do you really have the heart to let her marry that fool and ruin her life?"
With the truth laid bare, Yun Zhengfeng understood everything. He slammed his cane hard against the floor. "So, you unplugged her life support and handed her over to the third young master of the Su Family?"
Qiao Lan decided to abandon all pretense, raising her voice. "Father, even though Yun Yao is not my biological child, I watched her grow up. My feelings for her are no less than anyone else’s! It breaks my heart to marry her off to Su Yuchen, but be honest with yourself: is this not the best solution?"
Yun Zhengfeng, never imagining Qiao Lan could twist right and wrong so brazenly, felt his chest heave with rage. "You! You people! Our Yun Family has always walked a straight path. If we stand together as a family, what can the Su Family really do to us? Is this your excuse for casting Xiao Yao aside? You wretches! I give you one day to retrieve Xiao Yao from the Su Family, unharmed!"
Yun Jianghai’s face darkened. "Father, what are you joking about? That is the Su Family! Do you think it’s a vegetable market? Yun Yao has already completed the ceremony with Su Yuchen. She is a member of the Su Family now. If you want her back, go get her yourself!"
Qiao Lan looked as if she were facing a catastrophe. What was Yun Jianghai babbling about? Given how much the old man cared for Yun Yao, it wasn't impossible that he might actually go and make a scene! She had finally managed to marry that little wretch off; if she came back… Qiao Lan shuddered, recalling the look in Yun Yao’s eyes the previous night.
"Father, why can't you just accept reality? There is more to the Yun family than just Yun Yao. If we offend the Su Family, you are pushing us and my brother’s family into a pit of fire!"
Yun Zhengfeng was incensed. "Xiao Yao is my granddaughter. Even if I have to sacrifice our current status, it doesn't matter. As her grandfather, I will bring her back safely."
Yun Zhengfeng turned and walked toward the door, his back set with determination. Just then, the front door swung open, and Yun Yao appeared, slowly lifting that mesmerizing gaze.
"Grandfather."
At this moment, she looked like a fox spirit that had cultivated for ten thousand years, radiating a sense of killing intent that vanished only when her eyes rested sincerely upon the old man.
Yun Zhengfeng was stunned at first, but when he looked closer and realized the person before him was indeed the Xiao Yao he had been longing for, tears of excitement welled up.
"Xiao Yao, my Xiao Yao!" He stumbled forward, dropping his cane to pull her into an embrace. "My poor child! You’ve recovered!"
Yun Yao’s body remained stiff. "Grandfather, I’ve made you worry." No one was better at playing a part than Yun Yao.
Yun Zhengfeng wept, clutching her hand, unable to let go. "It’s good that you’re alright. It’s good that you’re alright. Your grandfather has waited for this day for five years!"
While Yun Zhengfeng was lost in his joy, he failed to notice the color draining from the faces of the people on the sofa. Yun Xinru stared at Yun Yao’s breathtaking beauty and poise, consumed by a jealous frenzy.
"You are not Yun Yao!"
Yun Yao looked at her, and that single glance carried an immense sense of oppression. "Five years later, and you still have no manners. Can’t you even call me sister?"
This remark effectively scolded Qiao Lan as well. Qiao Lan tried to restrain Yun Xinru, but it was too late.
Yun Xinru rushed forward. "Yun Yao was a vegetative patient! She would never wake up! You are not her at all!"
Yun Yao toyed with her hair and chuckled. "That's right, I’m not Yun Yao." She paused, then added lightly, "I’m your father."
Yun Jianghai: "..."
Yun Xinru was furious. "Grandfather, don't be fooled by this woman! The nation’s top experts said Yun Yao would never wake up. With today’s plastic surgery technology being so advanced, she must be an imposter!"
Had Yun Xinru not been on the opposing side, Yun Yao might have complimented her on her intelligence. Yun Zhengfeng glared at her. "What nonsense are you spouting? How could I fail to recognize my own granddaughter?"
Yun Zhengfeng pulled Yun Yao to sit down. Yun Yao shifted her gaze to the couple before her. Yun Jianghai wore a cold, indifferent expression, with a hint of disgust; as for Qiao Lan, a cocktail of guilt, panic, and fear flickered across her face—it was a sight to behold.
Yun Yao smiled, and it seemed as if the world lost its color. "What’s wrong? Not happy that I’m back?"
Yun Xinru shrieked, "You know Yun Yao was a vegetable, so you got surgery to look like her, planning to steal her identity and become the eldest daughter of the Yun Family and the young mistress of the Su Family! I’m telling you, you won't get away with this! I’m calling the police!"
Yun Xinru’s hands trembled as she reached for her phone.
*Smack!*
A crisp sound echoed through the room.
"Xinru, she is your sister! How much longer are you going to make a scene?"