"After this meal, hurry back to your biological parents, don't loiter around our house."
Just as Nan Qiao sat down, she heard the irritated urging from her mother, her current foster mother Liu Yanfang, telling her to quickly leave.
Half a month earlier, Nan Qiao had a medical check, and Liu Yanfang discovered that Nan Qiao's blood type was different from theirs. After a paternity test, they found out that the daughter they had brought up for eighteen years was not their own.
Liu Yanfang and her husband, Zhou Hongqi, investigated the matter, hired a private detective, and finally found their biological daughter, Zhou Jingya.
Liu Yanfang had always felt that Nan Qiao didn't resemble their family. Over the years, they didn't give her much affection.
Even when naming her, Liu Yanfang just named her Nan Qiao, not wanting to give her the surname Zhou.
The name Nan Qiao came from a chaotic burial place by the bridge in the southern part of Liu Yanfang's hometown.
Now that they had found their biological daughter Zhou Jingya, they were over the moon.
As for Nan Qiao, the Zhou family had helped her find her biological parents, who would come to take her home today.
Nan Qiao looked at the table full of lavish food, this was the most abundant meal she had ever had in this family, and also the last one.
Zhou Jingya sat on a chair, dressed in a designer dress, and said with a smile, "Sister, eat as much as you like, this is a token of appreciation from my parents. I hear your family is particularly poor. Living in a county town is different from the capital, I wonder if you'll be able to adapt."
With affectionate eyes, Liu Yanfang looked at Zhou Jingya and said, "Whether she can adapt or not, that's her home! Jingya, you are too kind."
Nan Qiao looked at Liu Yanfang, and surprisingly also saw a benevolent mother in her.
The old Liu Yanfang who looked at her with cold eyes, the present Liu Yanfang looking at Zhou Jingya, wishing she could pamper her in the palm of her hand.
After Zhou Jingya came home, Zhou Hongqi and Liu Yanfang asked her to move out of her bedroom, bought a lot of new furnishings, and let Zhou Jingya move in.
He bought her a piano as well, and upon hearing she liked to dance, he constructed a dance room for Zhou Jingya.
As for Nan Qiao, she was driven to exile into the smallest room at the furthest end.
Nan Qiao stood up, capturing the sight of Zhou Jingya's gloating expression.
Upon seeing her, Zhou Jingya immediately put on a vulnerable, harmless facade.
Nan Qiao looked coldly and distantly at Zhou Jingya, "You should eat more. After all, you’ve never had such good food before."
Zhou Jingya was left speechless, feeling injustice in her heart, yet her face revealed a wounded and sad expression, her voice revealing caution, "Sister, I was only worried that you wouldn't have such good food when you returned to your biological parents' house. I didn't mean anything else. If you don't want to leave, I can talk to my parents, would you like to stay?"
Liu Yanfang blazed with anger, "Xiao Ya, you are just too kind! You mean well for her, but she may not appreciate it."
Zhou Hongqi spoke up, "Alright, let's talk less."
Liu Yanfang, "Why should I speak less? Xiao Ya is our child, Nan Qiao is not our real daughter! It’s all because of her that our Xiao Ya grew up in an orphanage and suffered so much! "
Zhou Jingya pulled Liu Yanfang's arm sympathetically, "Mother, don't be angry, what if it hurts your health."
Liu Yanfang held Zhou Jingya's hand, staring at her with affection, "Our daughter Xiao Ya knows to care about me, only our hearts are most connected as mother and daughter."
Nan Qiao's eyes were filled with frost, she stood up, walked upstairs, packed her things and was ready to leave.
Seeing that Nan Qiao wanted to leave, Zhou Jingya thought of Nan Qiao's marriage.
She pretended to be understanding and said, "Mother, let's let my sister stay. After all, she's engaged to Mr. Li. If she leaves, who's going to marry Mr. Li?"
With Zhou Jingya's words, both Zhou Hongqi and Liu Yanfang were reminded of this matter.
That was indeed a prospective marriage arranged by the old man for his daughter. Being able to tie the knot with the Li family, that was a blessing their Zhou family couldn't pursue in several generations! And it shouldn't just be wasted on Nan Qiao.
This fortuity was only meant for Zhou Jingya!
Liu Yanfang held Nan Qiao's arm sternly, "If you want to leave, it's fine! But first, write a letter terminating your father-daughter relationship. Confirm that you have no further affiliations with the Zhou family. Your wedding is Jingya’s. It’s a match arranged for Jingya by the old man. You don’t even have the slightest bit of relation to it, Nan Qiao."
Zhou Jingya gently said, "Sister, mom and dad raised you for eighteen years. They hadn't been without merit or hard work. Please don't make them angry; will you? If you have anything to vent, come at me, but please don't upset mom. Her health is not good, and I worry about her."
Liu Yanfang was lovingly looking at Zhou Jingya, appreciating her the more she looked, "Jingya, you’re the most considerate of me, unlike some people, an ungrateful wolf in sheep's clothing!"
Liu Yanfang further said, "Hongqi, stop wasting words with her! Ever since Jingya returned half a month ago, our company's business has been booming. Didn't you recently close two big deals? Those are the blessings brought by Jingya!"
Nan Qiao sneered lightly; are the two big deals really blessings brought by Zhou Jingya?
Nan Qiao then pulled out her phone and sent a message.
Zhou Jingya shyly said, "Mom, all these are your and dad's achievements. It's because you both have good insight and made good investments."
Liu Yanfang was all smiles, "Jingya, don’t be overly modest. You are a child of blessing."
Zhou Hongqi pondered for a moment and then said, "Qiaoqiao, we haven't treated you wrongly. The wedding was never meant to be yours anyway. Jingya is our own biological daughter. No matter what others say, she is the future daughter-in-law of the Li family."
Nan Qiao, with her black and white eyes full of mockery, looked at Zhou Hongqi and said word by word, "Are you sure that these two partnerships were all brought by Zhou Jingya?"
Liu Yanfang roared discontentedly, "If not her, then who? You?"
At this moment, Zhou Hongqi's phone rang. It was a call from his secretary.
"President Zhou, something’s wrong! The two investors have withdrawn their funds. They have decided not to cooperate with our company!"
Zhou Hongqi was filled with anxiety, "What! What's happening?"
"Mr. Zhou, I'm not clear about the specifics. Two partners suddenly called, hinting that your family's bad luck just came back half a month ago; cooperating with you would bring misfortune. They reject the collaboration. We were originally set to sign contracts with them this afternoon. Now it's ruined!"
The secretary's voice was loud and filled with panic; Nan Qiao and the others overheard his words.
Half a month?
Bad luck?
They were talking about Zhou Jingya, weren't they?
One minute she was being hailed as a lucky charm, and the next she was a menace?
Zhou Hongqi slapped his thigh in frustration, "Securing these two partnerships could have earned us a billion! A billion, just like that, gone!"
Zhou Hongqi looked at Zhou Jingya with complex emotions, Liu Yanfang also felt uncomfortable—after all, she cared more about the vanished billion.
A struggling laugh escaped Zhou Jingya, the glory she savored moments ago was now replaced with mortification.
Nan Qiao, arms crossed, watched the spectacle unfold, delighting in Zhou Jingya's embarrassment.
"Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, let's wait and see who's the real lucky charm in your family."
Nan Qiao turned coolly and walked away.
Zhou Hongqi's phone rang again.
"Mr. Zhou, there's more bad news. Our collaboration with Y company isn't due to end until next month, however, they are willing to pay a breach of contract fine just to end our collaboration now!"
Liu Yanfang looked pale upon hearing these words.
She angrily declared, "I'm going to find Nan Qiao right now and ask what on earth this little bastard has done!"
But as she stood in the doorway, the scene before her rendered her speechless.
