【Oh my goodness, doing all the household chores, only to be met with abuse and scolding, it’s practically like growing up in an environment of mistreatment. And this Aunt Mao would just turn a blind eye, always siding with her husband and stepson, whether openly or secretly. Afterwards, she’d tell her daughter, “I’m sorry, it’s all because your mother is useless,” urging her to endure it. Not only was she weak and incompetent, but she also used emotional manipulation and moral guilt-tripping to make Duan Yi forgive her… Duan Yi was trapped in this toxic family dynamic. Sigh~ So, Aunt Mao didn’t want Duan Yi to interact with Qin Tiantian because she genuinely believed her own daughter wasn’t worthy of someone as heavenly as Qin Tiantian? After all, judging by the family dynamics, she looked down on herself and, by extension, her own daughter.】
Although Qin Zhao and Qin Rong wanted to hear more, they had already returned with the group.
While it wasn’t common for everyone to have breakfast together, when there were many people, they’d usually eat in the dining area. If there were only a few, like when it was just Ji Fei alone, someone would bring a tray over to save her the trouble of going to the dining room.
As soon as they entered, the conversation inside naturally stopped.
“Xiao Yi, is that you?” Qin Tiantian, upon seeing Duan Yi, immediately ran over and gave her an enthusiastic hug.
However, Duan Yi was visibly stiff in response to the hug.
Aunt Mao, standing nearby, looked even more uncomfortable, even showing signs of resistance, which made Qin Zhao and Qin Rong look down on her even more.
What kind of nonsense is this? How could she be so dismissive of her own daughter?
The gossip they had just overheard, combined with Duan Yi’s shabby appearance, painted a clear picture of the kind of life she was living.
Even the families of the servants in their own household lived much better lives.
It was clear that Aunt Mao hadn’t given her daughter a single extra penny.
It was truly… hard to even know where to begin with the disdain.
Such a bizarre situation would have seemed unheard of in the past, but now, having seen so many strange human behaviors, it didn’t seem all that surprising anymore.
They exchanged a glance, not wanting to say much. After all, they couldn’t just fire Aunt Mao on a whim just because they found her behavior unpleasant. She had been serving Sixth Uncle’s family for a long time and, from the Qin Family’s perspective, she had been dutiful in her role.
If they were to fire her, it might only make Duan Yi’s situation even worse.
Qin Zhao and Qin Rong exchanged another look, then greeted Ji Fei as she came downstairs. One asked her what she wanted to eat, while the other prepared to call a servant over to help, deliberately avoiding calling Aunt Mao.
Seeing Ji Fei come down, Aunt Mao seemed uneasy, sneaking a glance as if afraid Ji Fei had overheard something.
Ji Fei shared a similar sentiment with Qin Zhao and Qin Rong. There were too many people in the world suffering from unfortunate circumstances, and she wasn’t the type to interfere in others’ fates unless they were within her own circle. For everyone else, it was simply their own destiny.
However, Ji Fei thought that if Duan Yi were to confide in Qin Tiantian, Qin Tiantian would definitely help. She was the type of person who would go all out to help others without a second thought.
After chatting for a while, Aunt Mao, seeing that nothing was amiss, left to attend to her work, as she couldn’t stay and watch them indefinitely.
Qin Tiantian took Duan Yi back to her room, gave her some gifts, and they began to catch up.
Duan Yi responded with a smile throughout the conversation.
Suddenly, Qin Tiantian asked, “Xiao Yi, I heard you’re not studying anymore. Why is that?”
Duan Yi’s expression changed slightly, and she took the opportunity to complain about her situation.
As expected, Qin Tiantian’s face fell. “That won’t do! Is there still a chance for you to go back to school? Can you resume your studies? If you need help, I can assist you.”
In truth, Duan Yi had been waiting for this exact offer. Her mother wouldn’t give her money, but Qin Tiantian would. That was why she had been so eager to see Qin Tiantian.
After all, Qin Tiantian was that kind of overly generous person.
But at this moment, Duan Yi felt deeply uncomfortable, especially when she thought about the things her mother often said.
Her mother would often praise Qin Tiantian at home, smiling as she spoke, far more than she ever praised Duan Yi.
Her mother would also frequently compare her to Qin Tiantian, saying how she fell short in so many ways, and even brought up her own life as a point of comparison. Qin Tiantian was the “perfect child” from another family, someone Duan Yi could never measure up to.
Duan Yi believed that if she had been born into the Qin Family, she would have been even more outstanding than Qin Tiantian. Qin Tiantian was just lucky with her birth.
The childhood bond they once shared had long since faded, replaced by jealousy. She couldn’t help but wonder why her mother favored Qin Tiantian so much. Why did Qin Tiantian, who already had so much, still need to take away her mother’s attention and affection? Even though she knew these grievances had nothing to do with Qin Tiantian herself, she couldn’t help but feel resentful. She even wished Qin Tiantian would disappear forever and stop intruding into their lives. That was why she had cut off contact during middle school.
Yet, when she needed help, Qin Tiantian was the only person she could think of.
Now, however, it felt as though Qin Tiantian was a princess looking down from above, offering charity, while Duan Yi was nothing more than a beggar. She looked at Qin Tiantian’s smile and found it insincere, as if Qin Tiantian was only helping her to flaunt her own kindness and superiority.
“What are you spacing out for?” Qin Tiantian waved her hand in front of Duan Yi’s face.
Duan Yi forced a smile. “I’m just really grateful. I’ll repay you someday.”
“No need, it’s nothing,” Qin Tiantian replied casually.
Duan Yi’s expression stiffened again, but she quickly changed the subject, asking about Qin Tiantian’s recent life. She learned that Qin Tiantian had become infatuated with that beautiful woman they had seen earlier, who was both her sister-in-law and an idol, a somewhat mystical figure.
Duan Yi couldn’t help but think that Qin Tiantian, even now, was still as naive as ever. But at the same time, she understood that this was the result of being showered with love and care her entire life.
In truth, Duan Yi had never expected to be as fortunate as Qin Tiantian. All she wanted was for someone in her family to care for her.
But her only family member…
Just as she was lost in thought, Aunt Mao knocked and entered the room, clearly uneasy. She brought in Qin Tiantian’s favorite cake, which elicited a delighted laugh from Qin Tiantian. For Duan Yi, however, she only brought a simple, plain dessert, as if to say that this was all the care her daughter deserved. She didn’t even bother to pretend otherwise in front of others.
“Why didn’t you make the same for both of us?” Qin Tiantian asked, puzzled.
Aunt Mao replied, “Xiao Yi likes this one.”
Qin Tiantian let out a confused “Oh,” but ultimately decided to respect her choice.
Duan Yi clenched her teeth tightly. She didn’t like this dessert at all—of course, she preferred something better. But her mother believed this was all she deserved.
Downstairs, it wasn’t that Ji Fei enjoyed prying into others’ privacy, but when she saw Aunt Mao bringing different desserts upstairs, she couldn’t help but feel something was off. Her mind wandered, and she caught a glimpse of Duan Yi’s inner thoughts.
The more she saw, the more alarmed she became.
It seemed that Duan Yi, due to her own tragic circumstances, was beginning to resent Qin Tiantian.
However, Duan Yi was rational enough not to show it.
After all, thoughts alone couldn’t condemn someone—it all depended on their actions.
So, when they decided to go to the amusement park, Ji Fei changed her mind and decided to join them.
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