Chapter 450: Chapter 450 - 450 Four-Hundred and Fifty: Probe

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Fang Xi placidly looked at Ms. Xi’s expression, a little lost in thought. ‘If Ms. Xi had chosen to be a celebrity when she was young, she would’ve won the Best Actress Award multiple times, wouldn’t she?’ Fang Xi thought. ‘Pity she didn’t choose that route. What a waste of her acting skills.’

Fang Xi only felt weary.

Zhu An and Zhu Li left their seats to coax Xi Yue, and the woman finally stopped crying—well, stopped wailing to be exact, as she hadn’t managed to squeeze out much tears in the first place.

The waiters filed in and swiftly filled the table with all kinds of dishes. The head waiter personally brought a lobster over and said, “Miss Fang, Mr. Mo has instructed us to add in a lobster for you. He has an important meeting and can’t leave, so he won’t be coming over to greet you. Please let us know if you need anything.”

Fang Xi smiled and nodded. “Thank you!”

The head waiter led the staff out and closed the door. Fang Xi glanced at the boys who were staring at the food eagerly and softly uttered, “You all must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”

Xi Yue’s group had indeed spent the entire afternoon getting primped and preened for this evening’s dinner. They were currently famished, and at Fang Xi’s words, they’d already picked up their chopsticks and started in on the food before Xi Yue could say anything.

Xi Yue angrily wanted to stop them, but when she saw the boys had already begun wolfing down their food, she could only swallow her words. Looking at Fang Xi, Xi Yue switched her tone and remarked, “Look at your younger brothers, Fang Xi. From the way they’re acting, you wouldn’t think they’re also from wealthy families. See how much they’ve suffered coming back to the country with me just to attend your wedding. They’ve never suffered in their lives and are all pampered children, but they left their home and its comforts without hesitation when they heard that they were coming to attend your wedding.”

Fang Xi’s lips curled into a sneer as she lowered her head and took a sip of tea. She knew that they were changing their strategy again.

Xi Yue started to play the sympathy card: “When I first got to the Zhu family, my seventh and eighth step-children were still babies who couldn’t even walk yet. When I saw them, my heart softened right then. Everyone said that I was a gold-digger, and they didn’t believe that I could truly fall in love with someone, but no one knew how much I wanted a family. These poor children completely melted my heart.”

“Your father broke my heart, and if you weren’t so little back then, I would’ve jumped into the sea long ago. It was the Zhu family who gave me a safe haven, and it was these children who gave me the warmth of a family. I know you hate me. You think I don’t treat you well enough!”

“But think about it from my perspective. I was alone with so many kids to look after, and my energy is limited. I had to prioritize the kids who are much younger than you, right? My conscience won’t allow me to ignore them! But you don’t understand. Why can’t you just be a little kinder?”

“What does it matter if we’re blood related or not? Is it really that important? Look at your brothers and sisters. They don’t all share the same mother, either, but don’t they still all love each other?”

Fang Xi slowly took a sip of tea. Staring at Ms. Xi’s “kind” face as she tried to move her emotionally and convince her with reasoning, Fang Xi detachedly stated, “So, how much do you want exactly?”

‘All that talk and blather about the past is just her laying down groundwork for the money conversation,’ Fang Xi thought dryly. ‘It must’ve been hard on her, going through all that trouble to emotionally blackmail me and all the Zhu siblings in one go, making herself as the sole “Virgin Mary” in the whole matter.’

“You think I’m here to ask you for money? Why are you so vulgar?” Xi Yue exclaimed and looked towards her stepchildren plaintively. Zhu Ping, Zhu An, and Zhu Li also looked at Fang Xi silently.

Fang Xi, however, was stupefied, thinking, ‘What? They aren’t here for money?’

Xi Yue began to yell at Fang Xi, loudly slamming her hands on the table to emphasize her words. “You’re just like that good-for-nothing father of yours! Is money the only thing you care about? Don’t you have any familial love? Don’t you remember? Anna and Lina gave you their dresses when you were kids! Aren’t you even a little grateful at all?”

“You gave me the dresses that they couldn’t fit in anymore, and then you bought them new ones. Remember that?” Fang Xi said indifferently. When they were kids, Xi Yue always brought the two sisters out to buy new clothes to please them, and Fang Xi would wear the old clothes that they had discarded until she returned to the country after high school.

It wasn’t that Xi Yue didn’t have the money to buy Fang Xi new clothes, but Xi Yue wanted to emotionally move the two sisters. If she wanted to present herself as a good stepmother, the most convenient way was to sacrifice her own daughter.

Zhu An and Zhu Li looked embarrassed and timidly glanced at Fang Xi. Fang Xi was exhausted. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair before saying, “Mother, you can stop with the act! You said that you brought the entire family over just to attend my wedding. There’s no way I’ll believe that, and you don’t have to try to explain any further. We’ve been tormenting each other for so many years, I’m already very clear about your tricks.”

“I can’t spout any loving mother-and-daughter dialogues, so you don’t have to emotionally kidnap me, either. Why don’t you be straightforward and tell me your purpose here? Do you want money or things? How much do you want? What do you want? I’ll consider it if it’s within my ability to give them to you, but do forgive me for not being able to do it if it’s beyond my ability!”

“Also, the Ye family is my line in the sand. If you have any designs on them, don’t blame me for turning against you!”