Chapter 203: Chapter 205: Make Her Quit the Competition

In Sang Zhilan’s impression, Tang Yuxin was still the skinny, dark-skinned girl from the past without any distinguishing features. There was no way for Yuxin to compare to her Jiani. Her Jiani took after her, with a pure white skin and a naturally beautiful face. Yuxin’s ordinary looks were disappointing in comparison. However, she was still her own child and, regardless of appearance, her motherly instinct was to care for her.

Regrettably, Sang Zhilan had long forgotten that she had a daughter named Tang Yuxin. Over the years she could count how often she remembered her. She wouldn’t have remembered Yuxin now if it hadn’t been for Wei Jiani mentioning her.

She would still forget that she had another daughter named Tang Yuxin.

She didn’t know when it happened, but she realized she had aged, while Tang Yuxin had grown up and changed so much that she barely recognized her. If not for her recognizable childhood features, she might not have recognized this ugly child she had given birth to.

Now, Tang Yuxin’s skin was very white, her features delicate and petite. She had a very pointed chin and large eyes. Her ordinary features now seemed to shine, and she was much prettier than before.

There was also a unique aroma in the air. It smelled of orchids and peonies, but it was accompanied by a hint of coldness, somehow lifting her mood.

Sang Zhilan didn’t know where this fragrance came from. It seemed to emanate from the young girl standing before her. She was growing, blooming not like a wildflower, but like a night-blooming cereus, with an exquisite beauty that one dares not gaze directly at.

“You wanted to see me?” Tang Yuxin stood in place, not moving at all.

A corner of her mouth curled, revealing a cynical smile. She would never believe that Sang Zhilan would seek her out because she missed her or wanted to see her. She had already witnessed this woman’s selfishness in her previous life and had given up all hope in her. So she did not believe in the wavering, intangible concept of maternal love, as it was unrealistic.

Excessive fantasies only lead to disappointment, not only hurting oneself, but also those around you.

In this life, she would not be fooled by Sang Zhilan, nor would she allow Sang Zhilan to hurt her and her father again.

“Yuxin…” Sang Zhilan called Yuxin’s name with a complex expression, acknowledging that she was Tang Yuxin, a daughter she had not paid attention to.

“Is there something you want?” Tang Yuxin repeated coldly without any warmth. In her eyes, there wasn’t a trace of emotion.

“I…” Sang Zhilan tried to say something, but the cold indifference from Tang Yuxin made her words stuck in her throat.

“Yuxin,” she licked her dry, cracked lips.

“I want you to withdraw from the English competition.”

Tang Yuxin smirked. Just as expected, no good would come from Sang Zhilan or Wei Jiani.

“Why should I?”

Indeed, why should she? Why should she give up? She had already won a national essay competition; winning another would give her a significant advantage when applying to university.

Why should she give away such a good opportunity to someone else for no good reason?

“Yuxin, she’s your sister. You’ve never done anything for her. Are you going to compete with her for such a trivial thing like a competition?” Sang Zhilan felt a bit ashamed but hardened her heart when she thought of her little daughter.

“Sister?” Tang Yuxin sneered coldly.

“Was Wei Jiani birthed by you?”

Sang Zhilan was taken aback and failed to react.

“She is only a year and a half younger than me. Weren’t you and my father still married then?” Tang Yuxin said calmly.

Sang Zhilan’s face turned pale, she was unable to argue against this.

“If she weren’t your daughter…” Tang Yuxin’s voice fell, and just when Sang Zhilan thought she could finally breathe, she had to hold her breath again.

“What does it have to do with me if she isn’t your daughter? Her father is not my father, what has she ever done for me? Why should I give up an opportunity for his daughter?” Tang Yuxin returned harsh words to Sang Zhilan.

It was true. They had not done anything for each other, so why should one sacrifice for the other?

Did they deserve it?

Sang Zhilan clenched her fists beside her body. Her face was red and black; it was unclear whether she was angered or something else. It seemed that she harbored a growing resentment, but it was not clear whether it was towards Tang Yuxin or Tang Zhinian. Or perhaps this father and daughter pair were not considered family in her heart, but enemies.

“Tang Yuxin, you must withdraw from the English contest.”

She issued a stiff command, “If you do not withdraw, you will face the consequences.”

Consequences? Tang Yuxin really wanted to know what those consequences were. To live in the dog hole of the Wei family or to serve the Wei family and be treated like a horse by Wei Jiani?

She turned away, not wanting to say anything more to Sang Zhilan. She feared that she would hate her even more and might end up hurting her. Regardless of Sang Zhilan’s wrongdoings, she was still the one who had given her life.

She didn’t care about herself, but she didn’t want her dad to take the blame for anything.

“Tang Yuxin!” Sang Zhilan took a step forward. “Withdraw from the competition, or else I’ll give your father a piece of my mind. Does he teach his daughter to deny her own mother?”

Tang Yuxin suddenly stopped, she turned around, staring at the woman behind her as if she were an idiot. The woman looked like a shrew, her face red and neck thick with anger.

“Do you believe that if you dare show up in front of my father again, he won’t care that you are a woman and will throw you out of our house?”

Her tone was full of mockery. Sang Zhilan really thought that Tang Zhinian had no temper, was made of clay? Yes, he was honest and good-natured. He could live his whole life for his daughter, even humbling himself to death. But if anyone dared to hurt his daughter, he would also dare to fight to the death with them, even if that person was Sang Zhilan.

Sang Zhilan felt a shock in her heart, an inexplicable coldness that made her shiver involuntarily. She still occasionally had nightmares about the time when Tang Zhinian came to the Wei family to fetch Tang Yuxin’s belongings, his eyes filled with a ferocity as if he were going to devour someone.

Sweat trickled down her forehead.

Tang Yuxin turned around again, but her voice, filled with contempt, clearly reached Sang Zhilan’s ears, making her feel rather embarrassed.