Chapter 14

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Du Xia’s expression changed when she heard Xia Yan’s words. Then she stepped away and gave Xia Yan some privacy.

Xia Yan chatted with her Grandmother for a while before urging her to hang up and get some rest.

Meanwhile, her grandmother was overjoyed when she heard that the Mo family didn’t despise her granddaughter because of her scarred face. “I am relieved to hear that they’re treating you well, Little Yan. As long as you’re happy, everything will be okay.”

Xia Yan became teary-eyed when she heard her grandmother’s words. She coughed lightly and said, “Don’t worry about me, Grandma. You need to get some rest, okay? I’ll be truly happy with you around.”

Her grandmother replied and finally hung up the phone.

Xia Yan put her phone away and gazed blankly at the bowl of noodles before her, which had become lumpy. She continued eating without hesitation in big mouthfuls.

Du Xia stood by Xia Yan’s side almost the entire time, quietly watching her every move.

…

Xia Yan then planned to walk around the Mo family residence after eating. However, Du Xia followed closely behind, making it inconvenient for Xia Yan to do much of anything.

Xia Yan couldn’t take it anymore, suddenly stopping in her tracks. She turned to face Du Xia and said, “Can you stop following me so closely? I’m the young madam of the Mo family, not a criminal!” Xia Yan sounded highly annoyed.

Du Xia only put her hand on her waist and said sassily, “Madam Mo told me to follow you closely.”

Xia Yan took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. “All right, fine! Then can I go to the garden and sit there?”

“Yes, you can. I’ll accompany you.” Du Xia answered without hesitation.

Xia Yan clenched her fists, scoffed, and turned around to walk toward the gate.

“Young Madam Mo, the garden is that way.” Du Xia stood still and reminded Xia Yan softly.

Xia Yan waved her hand impatiently before turning around. Then she walked in the direction of Du Xia’s pointed finger. Xia Yan couldn’t help but sigh when she arrived at the garden. She realized that her family couldn’t compare to the Mo family.

The Mo family’s garden was as big as two Xia family homes. There was an assortment of flowers and plants in the garden and a glasshouse especially built for more expensive varieties.

Xia Yan wanted to enter the glasshouse to check it out, but Du Xia stopped her. “You can’t enter the glasshouse, Young Madam Mo!” The little girl stretched out her arm and blocked Xia Yan.

Xia Yan looked at the glasshouse and turned to walk toward a rattan house beside it frustratingly. Then she asked Du Xia with an annoyed tone, “Can I go in here then?”

Du Xia nodded and replied expressionlessly, “Yes, you may.”

Xia Yan discreetly gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “Thank you!” Then she pushed some vines aside and entered the rattan house.

She saw a variety of flowers and plants there as well. The ratton house was much darker compared to the bright sunshine outside. Since vines surrounded the house, the scent of grass and leaves made her feel much calmer.

Xia Yan found a place to sit while she was there. Since her mother had passed away, Xia Yan’s father, Xia Qi, soon married a woman named Yao Qing.

Xia Yan’s stepmother had a daughter, Xia Rou, and she was one year older than Xia Yan. Nonetheless, Xia Yan didn’t know how to deal with this sudden change.

She thought that her stepmother would treat her as her own. However, she never expected her kind father to start treating her so poorly when Yao Qing and Xia Rou entered her home.

Xia Yan heard that a father would become a stranger if they remarried, but she thought it was just a rare occurrence. But Xia Qi was a prime example of what Xia Yan had heard.

Xia Qi kept all of his late wife’s belongings that she had left for Xia Yan and sent his biological daughter to live with her grandmother. Xia Yan was just a child while her grandmother was already retired during that time. The two were lonely and could only rely on each other.

Xia Qi never gave them a living allowance and didn’t allow Xia Yan to return to the Xia family home simply because Yao Qing would get angry. From then on, Xia Yan knew that her father had abandoned her.

If it weren’t for Xia Yan’s sick grandmother, she would no longer have a connection to the Xia family anymore.

“Young Madam Mo, it’s getting late. We should go back inside.” Du Xia reminded Xia Yan promptly.

Xia Yan sighed and lamented that she had finally found a comfortable place to sit. Despite that, she had to leave. Just as she was about to stand up, she felt her right leg numb.

“Ouch!” Xia Yan staggered and fell to the ground.