I woke up to find I have a child - Chapter 78

As the legitimate daughter, Zhong Ya felt disgusted when she discovered she had a half-sister, especially when she found out that she was only five years older than her own daughter.

On the other hand, being an illegitimate daughter, Chloe was forgotten and raised quite neglectfully. Her mother did not care for her at all and she basically raised herself as a child. She took care of herself, cooking, doing laundry, and studying on her own. 

Her mother was drunk almost every day and when she was drunk, she laid in bed all day. When her mother was sober, she would dress up beautifully and go out to have fun. When she returned, she didn’t even talk to Chloe and even when she did, it was to tell her to cook something for her to eat. 

Chloe’s memories of her childhood and her mother was that whenever her father came over, her mother would put her in some new clothes before telling her to stand at the door. She would then awkwardly wait there and greet her father. 

When her father came home, he would say a few words to her, asking her how she was and so on, but before he could finish his words, her mother would cling to her father, crying or whispering flirtatious words in his ear. They didn’t care whether Chloe was there or not, they thought Chloe was too young to remember anything they did. 

Growing up in such an environment, Chloe was treated no better than a child with a disability. The label of being an illegitimate daughter stuck to her, and people would look at her in disdain and disgust. Even if they didn’t know about her illegitimate status, her unconventional appearance and height kept others at a distance.

Despite the hardships, Chloe now looked back on those times with a hint of nostalgia. And that was because it was a rare period of quiet in her over thirty years of life.

Although she had vaguely remembered being called an illegitimate bastard by others since childhood, she didn’t grasp the concept until the day her mother forcibly brought her to that house.

Seeing another elegant woman and another child, as well as another family, Chloe suddenly realized what kind of existence she was. 

Serge and her mother wanted to confront Zhong Manwei, Han Feixu’s grandmother, directly. They used Chloe, as a weapon Zhong Manwei, is an indecisive woman with a weak temperament, having endured Serge’s  infidelity for more than a decade. She had endured it silently, swallowing her anger even when Serge crossed the line. She endured all humiliation silently, even if someone was to knock out all her teeth, she would only swallow her anger and endure. However, her tolerance ended on that day when Serge involved his bastard child in the matter.

After that day, Zhong Manwei no longer wanted to endure. She divorced Serge, letting him leave with the money he so desired. But shortly after the divorce, he met with an accident. Chloe’s mother, with a guilty conscience, thought someone was trying to take revenge against them So, she took all the money and Chloe back to France.

After returning to France, Chloe became a different person. Her previous personality was a bit like Zhong Manwei, all she could do was endure silently when others treated her badly. After she came to France, however, she became a bit like her mother. She became sharp, ruthless, and aggressive. She both despised herself and her mother. 

Her mother brought her to Rethel, her hometown, but not long after, Chloe had a serious quarrel with her that eventually led to her running away from home. She didn’t return for more than ten years.

When she left, she had only 200 francs and a little over 30 euro to her name. This money would only last her only three to five days back in 2002, so she had to find work immediately, or she would end up on the streets. In the first year, she did all kinds of odd jobs and endured various hardships. If not for someone noticing her beauty and suggesting she become an actress, she might still be working in various restaurants or other under the table work across Paris. She would not have reached where she was today without that person. 

It was not easy for a girl with nothing to survive  in the capital of France. She didn’t know how long she had worked hard and struggled, but just when she thought she could finally live a peaceful life, her mother appeared before her again. It turned out that the inheritance she stole was almost spent, and she now wanted Chloe’s share of the inheritance. However, since she was already an adult, her mother would not be able to take out the money without her permission. 

Her mother wanted to spend the money for herself, but Chloe refused to let her touch it. Her mother had cursed her, hit her, and behaved like a common shrew, causing havoc even at her workplace, and even tried to sue her. She tried every method she could, but Chloe would not let her tough the money. 

Although the money was never touched, she had to find a way to shut her mother up or else her career wouldn’t survive. 

So, for the next many years, her mother was like a vampire, coming over every day and greedily asking her for her hard-earned money. So, when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Chole’s first reaction was not shock but a sigh of relief. 

How ironic it was that her mother was dying, and Chloe’s first thought was “Finally, the day had come.”

Returning to China was all Chloe’s decision. There was nothing left in Paris worth clinging to for her as it was just a place for her to work and she could work anywhere. As for repaying the inheritance through a charity auction was not about seeking redemption or atonement. After so many years, Chloe still felt some guilt, but it wasn’t that deep as she had come to understand that she was just another victim.

Paying back that money would allow her to say goodbye to the past completely and allow the guilt in her heart to ease a bit. Although the inheritance, converted to RMB, was less than a hundred million, she used her own money to make up the difference. Others might find the amount shocking, but Chloe herself didn’t care much. In her mind, it was just some money and even if she spent it all, she could just make some more.  She only left enough for her own place to live and a car to drive, and with her paycheck, she could live the rest of her days comfortably. So, the money had little use for her, and spending it this way didn’t bother her. 

As for Han Feixu, Chloe had thought about getting to know her. Regardless of whether she wanted to admit it or not, they were blood-related family members and she never had a normal relative in her life. She wanted to know what kind of person Han Feixu was, and, if possible, maybe they could even become friends.

After listening to Chloe’s words, Ye Mingxin remained silent for a long time. After a while, she pursed her lips and said, “I will return the part you contributed with your own savings. No need to refuse, since you don’t want to owe us anything, then we don’t want to owe you anything either.” 

Chloe opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Ye Mingxin. Hearing her next statement, Chloe fell silent.

Ye Mingxin turned her head, took a long breath, and continued, “As for what you said about wanting to be friends with Little Xu, I’m sorry, but that probably won’t happen.”

Chloe was stunned and quickly added, “I don’t want her to recognize me as a relative, I just want to be ordinary friends with her, the type that only occasionally meet each other. She doesn’t even need to know who I am.”

“That still won’t work,” Ye Mingxin refused decisively. “You’ve stepped out of your shadow, which is very impressive and I admire you for it. However, Little Xu has not yet overcome her own trauma. If you keep appearing in front of her, it might remind her of the past.” 

Ye Mingxin looked at her. “Years of therapy and the passage of time have gradually pacified your trauma and allowed you to face your past. However, if Little Xu was to remember her past now, how long do you think it will take for her to….become like you? Her current psychological resilience cannot be compared to yours, in fact it’s worse than an average person’s.”

Chloe wanted to say something more, “But….”

“I thank you on behalf of Little Xu. Thank you for your kindness,” Ye Mingxin smiled. “And I apologize to you on her behalf. I’m sorry, but she probably can’t accept your presence in her life.”

Ye Mingxin left, and Chloe stood there, watching her leave. Slowly, she lowered her eyes and sighed silently. 

After leaving Chole, Ye Mingxin drove straight home. At that time, there was no one at home, not even Auntie Li, who had gone out to buy groceries. Han Feixu had already come back in the afternoon, and she was currently holding a passion fruit drink in her hand, trying her best to suck up all the tapioca pearls and coconut peels with a straw. 

She walked into the living room and raised her head when she noticed Ye Mingxin sitting on the couch,“Where have you been? President Gan has been looking for you.”

Ye Mingxin didn’t answer but asked, “What does he want?”

“He didn’t say, just asked a question. Probably nothing important, but you should still give him a call.”

“Okay,” Ye Mingxin replied and turned her head again. Han Feixu sat down beside her, biting down on her straw.  

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Han Feixu sat down too heavily, causing Ye Mingxin to bounce a little on the sofa. She looked at the person beside her, and Han Feixu looked back at her with her wide, curious eyes. Under those sharp eyes, Ye Mingxin nervously opened her mouth, “I want to go out for a drink. I don’t know who to ask.”

Han Feixu patted her on the shoulder happily, “Ask me! I’ll accompany you to drink!”

After a moment of silence, Ye Mingxin stood up. “I’d better go find Lin Yi.”

Han Feixu: “…”

Ye Mingxin would rather go with a mortal enemy than with her? Did she really have such a poor alcohol tolerance?

Lin Yi was very surprised when she received Ye Mingxin’s call.. She had other plans for the afternoon, but after thinking about it, she postponed her schedule and moved her arrangements for another day. 

They met up at a small pub, and one of the safer places for celebrities like them to drink After entering, Lin Yi sighed with a smile, “So, this is the legendary little pub you’re always talking about. Thanks to you, I finally see what it looks like inside.”

Ye Mingxin didn’t say anything. She walked straight to the bar and sat down. She turned to the bartender with her back to Lin Yi, “One Long Island Iced Tea, please.”

Lin Yi followed her and sat down beside her, “Make that two please.” 

The bartender serving them looked quite cute from behind, with fluffy curly hair and a fringed see-through top along with a black pleated skirt on the bottom. Ye Mingxin’s eyes flickered over the bartender, wondering why they changed the bartender. Then she watched as the bartender turned around with a sour expression on her face and a bottle of gin in her hands. 

Jiang LingYuan palmed the bottle with her other hand, looking like she was about to hit someone with it. She stretched the last note of her sentence as she said, “There is no Long Island Iced Tea here. If you want one, go out, and then turn right—”

Lin Yi was startled, and she looked over at Ye Mingxin in confusion, her eyes clearly asking who this girl was. Ye Mingxin introduced her, “This is Jiang No.2, the second Jiang sister and Jiang Lingyan’s younger sister. Jiang No.2, this is Lin Yi, you should know all about her. 

Jiang LingYuan slapped the bottle down on the bar counter and said angrily, “Do I call you Eldest Ye to others?! No! My name is Jiang LingYuan, either use it or leave! And I own this bar! If you give me another nickname so easily, believe it or not, I will put a sign up on the front door!” 

Lin Yi was startled by her sudden outburst, but quickly recovered and said with interest, “What kind of sign will you put up?” 

Jiang LingYuan looked at Lin Yi and drew a big circle in front of her eyes with both hands, “One of those big iron, circular signs with a big red line across it, much like those no smoking or smoking is bad for your health signs. But instead of a cigarette, Ye Mingxin’s photo will be on it with a big, long black line drawn through it.” 

Lin Yi: “…..” 

She thought it would be a more insulting sign, something like “Dogs and Ye Mingxin not allowed.” She didn’t expect such a…cute sign. 

Ye Mingxin was in no mood to quarrel with the second Jiang sister today and straighten her back, raising her eyes as she said very politely, “Very well. Miss Jiang LingYuan, will you please serve me a glass of Long Island Iced Tea?” 

Jiang LingYuan froze, and her eyes wide, “Ye Mingxin, are you okay?” 

Ever since she entered junior high school and got engaged to her, Ye Mingxin had never treated her so well. Even when they weren’t engaged, Ye Mingxin’s attitude towards her was always indifferent.

Ye Mingxin remained silent, “If you don’t bring me the drink soon, then I won’t be okay.” 

Jiang LingYuan stared at her and then, seeing her lifeless posture, turned around to mix up some drinks. 

Lin Yi looked over at her and said, “If you have something to tell me, then spill it.” 

When she was at home earlier, Ye Mingxin was careful not to say anything that might offend Han Feixu. Then, after much thinking, she felt that talking to Lin Yi was the only way to ease her internal conflicts and frustrations. Lin Yi was the only person Han Feixu confided in about the troublesome matters at home. Even Section Chief Shen was unaware of the issues in the Zhong family.

Ye Mingxin fell silent for about half a minute before asking, “If, and I emphasize if, Little Xu has a previously unknown relative closely related to her by blood, and you suddenly learned about the existence of said relative, would you want her to meet this relative?”

Jiang LingYuan was pouring some rum and gin into the shaker, and was just about to pick up the vodka bottle when she heard this. She quietly moved closer, perking up her ears to better hear their conversation.

Lin Yi looked at her skeptically. “Your question is quite strange. Why wouldn’t you want them to meet? If Han Feixu discovers she has such a close blood relative, she should be happy, right?”

Lin Yi continued puzzledly, “Why would you oppose such a meeting?”

Ye Mingxin lowered her voice. “Because she’s related to that side.”

Lin Yi blinked lightly, taking a moment to realize what she meant. She suddenly understood and said, “Oh… that’s a bit…” 

Jiang Lingyuan, still eavesdropping, mixing the drinks with her ears pricked up: ??? What? A bit what? Can you two speak up?

Lin Yi paused, then shared her opinion, “Nevertheless, the mistake was made by her grandfather. It shouldn’t have much to do with this relative. By the way, what kind of relative is this person? Her grandfather’s…what exactly?”

Ye Mingxin tapped the bar gently and quietly said, “His daughter.” 

Lin Yi didn’t react for a moment, “Who?”

Ye Mingxin repeated, “His daughter, making her Little Xu’s aunt.”

Lin Yi was shocked, nearly falling off her chair. She quickly stabilized herself, staring intently at Ye Mingxin’s face. “Wait a minute, he has another daughter? No, what I mean is, he has other daughters?!” 

“Same father, different mother. Little Xu doesn’t know about this.”

Ye Mingxin and Lin Yi locked eyes as Lin Yi’s expression shifted from shock to calmness. Lin Yi propped her arms on the bar, needing a bit more time to digest this information. “My goodness, even I am….shocked. It’s hard to imagine what Han Feixu’s reaction would be if she found out.”

“But wait a second,” Lin Yi lifted her head, “how did you find out?”

Ye Mingxin didn’t mention her investigation into Chloe. “I found out by coincidence.” 

How could there possibly be so many coincidences that just happen to allow Ye Mingxin to discover such earth-shattering news” Lin Yi looked at her suspiciously. At this moment, Jiang LingYuan brought two cocktails over. Lin Yi picked up her drink from the coaster and asked, “Then what does she want to do by coming here? Is she here to cause trouble?”

“No.” Ye Mingxin shook her head. “I just talked to her today. In fact, she has been in China for over a month. She used her work opportunity to meet Little Xu several times, but she never revealed her true identity. She also said it herself that she’s not here to recognize blood ties or anything, she just wants to know Little Xu better.” 

Lin Yi pondered for a moment. “Sounds like she might be a good person.”

Although reluctant to admit it, Ye Mingxin nodded. “Not just good, she’s probably a very good person. However, this all relies on her being truthful. I don’t know her, and what I’ve heard so far is only her side of the story. She might be lying for all we know.”

Lin Yi also nodded, acknowledging the possibility. It was better to be careful. She didn’t want to discriminate against another person, but considering the behavior of her parents… it was necessary to be a little careful. 

Lin Yi then asked, “What did she actually tell you?”

“Not much. She briefly explained her purpose for coming here and shared some aspects of her past life. I didn’t ask her anything. She volunteered the information, probably to dispel any wariness I had towards her. 

After saying this, Ye Mingxin took a sip of her cocktail and fell silent.

Lin Yi was almost left breathless by Ye Mingxin’s lack of a response. By asking all these questions, she was asking Ye Mingxin to retell everything the person said, okay? Instead, Ye Mingxin summarized it all in basically a few sentences. 

Lin Yi put down her glass and was about to speak when a grouchy voice suddenly took over, “Who are you trying to kill with such suspense by ending in the middle of a sentence?! What did she say? Spit it out completely, otherwise how can we help you if you don’t tell us!”

Jiang LingYuan stood behind the bar, looking anxious and frustrated. Lin Yi and Ye Mingxin raised their heads to look at her. After her outburst, Jiang Lingyuan suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be eavesdropping here. 

Jiang Lingyuan hesitated for a moment, quickly correcting herself, “…or how can Miss Lin help you.” 

Ye Mingxin couldn’t be bothered with her. She looked at Lin Yi, about to speak, but turned her head to find Jiang LingYuan still standing across from them, propping her chin up and appearing to be listening carefully. 

Ye Mingxin asked her, “Do you understand what we’re saying?”

Jiang LingYuan honestly replied, “Not really. It’s okay, you guys talk, and if I don’t understand, I’ll ask you later.” 

Ye Mingxin said, “…”

Forget it, let her listen if she wants to.

Although Jiang LingYuan was particularly useless at romantic relationships, she had at least had some common sense, and was good at keeping secrets. As long as she didn’t want to say it, not even Jiang Lingyan, her older sister, could get the information out of her.

Ye Mingxin warned her, “You can listen, but not a word can be leaked, understood?”

“I know, I know,” Jiang Lingyuan readily agreed. “Hurry up and tell me, already. I’m dying to know what she said!”

Ye Mingxin selected certain parts of what Chloe had said and recounted it. When Chloe told her all this, her purpose wasn’t to garner sympathy; she just wanted to convey to Ye Mingxin that she had distanced herself from her parents long ago. Moreover, she had never wanted nor attempted to harm Han Feixu’s family. Her parents had hurt Han Feixu’s family, mainly Zhong Manwei and Zhong Ya, but they had also harmed Han Feixu and they hurt her no less than her grandmother and mother. 

Ye Mingxin’s version downplayed the situation, as she just wanted to get the general situation of what happened to the Zhong family across. The actual situation was a hundred times worse than what she said, and so she recounted a lighter version in order to get Lin Yi’s view on things. After she left Chole’s company today, she couldn’t help but think of the family tree that Han Feixu drew a few days ago and the family tree drew for a long time, and the words Han Feixu had said to her back then. Since leaving Marica Lai, thoughts of Han Feixu’s family tree and something Han Feixu said a long time ago have been haunting her.

After she finished speaking, the same expression appeared on both Lin Yi and Jiang LingYuan’s faces, that of extreme sympathy and pity. 

Lin Yi said, “Everyone has their own misfortunes. This girl… sigh.”

Jiang LingYuan added, “It’s so pitiful. What did she do wrong? It must not have been easy to grow up safely under such circumstances and to turn out so well. You shouldn’t prevent her from seeing Han Feixu; you’re going to far!” 

Ye Mingxin: “….” 

Sometimes, Jiang LingYuan said things that made her want to hit her with a stick. Ye Mingxin looked at her with a speechless expression, “If she had any other identity, how could I not let her meet Little Xu? But her identity is problematic. I don’t want to prevent this either, but what can I do?”

Jiang LingYuan curled her lips. Such situations were not uncommon around her. Men, once they had a bit of money, felt invincible, as if they could disregard morals and ethics entirely. They couldn’t control their lowly desires and thus leading to a pile of illegitimate sons and daughters. Who doesn’t know how pitiful illegitimate children are? Yet, what can one do? If the illegitimate children are pitiful, are not the legitimate children and wives even more pitiful? 

Jiang Lingyuan stopped talking and Ye Mingxin looked at Lin Yi. She had maintained the same attitude towards Lin Yi as she had from a long time ago. She didn’t like Lin Yi from the beginning and still doesn’t like her now. However, in certain situations, she had to admit that Lin Yi was the most mature and decisive person among those around her. The advice she gave seemed to always be the right advice. 

Lin Yi also looked at her. After contemplating for a moment, she answered, “I think you should tell Han Feixu about this.”

Ye Mingxin wasn’t surprised by this response, but she furrowed her brows.

Lin Yi leaned towards her, speaking gently but firmly. “Ye Mingxin, some decisions should be made by Han Feixu herself. You are her wife, but you are not her. Whatever decision you make now will be yours, it is not ‘for’ her. How do you know which decision is the best for her? Perhaps the decision you make will only make the situation worse.”

“There’s an idiom, ‘*You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.‘ You can’t be afraid to move forward just because something might cause a setback for Han Feixu. People grow through setbacks, and even a festering wound needs to be cleaned out by removing the rotten tissue, and one can only do that by enduring the pain of their flesh being cut. Only then can one be completely healed.” (*T/N: ???? = “break it first to allow it to stand later” is the direct translation, but it’s basically the same as “through destruction comes creation” and I chose a english idiom english speakers are more likely to recognize) 

Lin Yi’s expression was very gentle, but whether Ye Mingxin absorbed her words remained uncertain. However, Jiang LingYuan seemed to have taken them to heart.

She looked at Lin Yi with admiration, her eyes sparkling and turning into stars as she looked at her. 

Wow… such an amazing jie-jie.