The Jiang residence in the Beijing Military Region.

Jiang Ye looked up at the courtyard, her eyes filled with anticipation. Her skin had suffered after all those days in the Northwest. She had snuck out of the house back then without bringing any of her makeup.

In the living room, Su Guilan sat on the sofa with a melancholy expression, contemplating how she could possibly mend her relationship with her daughter, Ah Ci.

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open.

Jiang Ye spoke with a radiant smile, "Mom, I’m back from studying at my classmate’s house."

As she spoke, she walked toward the sofa with her arms open wide, pouting playfully. "While I was studying at Qiqi’s house all this time, I missed you to death, Mom!"

Upon hearing this, Su Guilan shot her a cold glare. Her dark, bright eyes fixed on Jiang Ye as she said with a mocking tone, "Were you studying, or were you in the Northwest? You know the answer."

Jiang Ye’s heart dropped. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Looking at Mrs. Jiang’s cold, severe expression, a flicker of killing intent flashed through her eyes. She forced a pained smile and, feigning innocence, said, "Mom, what are you talking about? If you don’t believe me, you can call Qiqi and ask."

"Do I even need to ask? The Northwest already called me!"

The sudden shout made Jiang Ye tremble. A single tear traced a path from the corner of her eye. With her eyes slightly red and looking pitiful, she said in a delicate, weak voice, "I was wrong, Mom."

"Don’t call me Mom." Su Guilan sat up straight, lowered her gaze, and said with a serious expression, "Since you won’t listen to me, you can support yourself from now on. I’m giving you the apartment near the school. Whether you want to sell it or live in it is your decision."

Jiang Ye’s eyes widened.

She looked at her mother on the sofa in disbelief.

"You want to disown me?"

"You’re an adult now. You can support yourself."

"I’m still a senior in high school."

Su Guilan snorted coldly, then shook her head with a scornful smile. "So you *do* know you’re a senior? Then what were you doing in the Northwest? Just to break up Ah Ci and her husband?"

At this, Jiang Ye suddenly laughed.

’In the end, this was all for Wen Ci!’

’An adopted daughter can never compare to a biological one, after all.’

She said nothing, her eyes welling with tears as she left the Jiang residence. Her silence was a calculated move to keep her options open. The moment she turned and stepped out of the house, a vicious glint flashed in her eyes.

’In this life, the Jiang Family will be nothing more than a stepping stone for me!’

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was leaning back on his sofa, watching TV. Although the apartment he’d been assigned was only a one-bedroom, it was fully furnished with appliances and a sofa.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past in the hallway outside his room.

Jiang Chen’s eyelids lowered slightly as he stood up from the sofa. He thought he’d just seen Ye Zi, but he immediately shook his head and muttered to himself, "I must have been seeing things. Ye Zi is in the Northwest Military Region right now."

The two of them had just spoken on the phone a few days ago.

Ye Zi had even said she was going to perform with her students in the Military Art tour.

Not thinking much of it, Jiang Chen went back to watching TV.

A few minutes later, he faintly heard a girl sobbing. He got up from the sofa and walked to the door, but the long hallway was empty.

But the sobbing continued.

Jiang Chen’s room was near the stairs. He leaned out and looked toward the stairwell. A girl was crouched on the steps, her face buried between her knees, sobbing.

His gaze fell on the back of the girl’s head. He frowned and asked tentatively, "Ye Zi? Are you back?"

Jiang Ye lifted her head. Her eyes, red-rimmed, looked at Jiang Chen. With a few tears still on her face, she called out in a delicate, wronged voice, "Brother."

Seeing this, Jiang Chen quickly climbed the steps to her and said comfortingly, "Why are you back?"

"Our mom doesn’t want me anymore."

[PS: I’d been fighting a cold for a few days, but tonight I came down with a fever. I can only manage a 1,000-character update for now. The author will make it up tomorrow (I owe you 3,000 characters!).]