Page 48

"Of course someone without a daughter wouldn't understand the joy of having one!" Zhou Mei had provoked her again and again, and Zhao Huizhen had no intention of taking it anymore. "People who can't have grapes always say they're sour."

Zhao Yuan joined in. "Second Sister-in-law, you have a son, and sons are so wonderful. So why hasn't yours come to show you a little filial devotion in over half a month?"

Shen Luoluo blinked. So she's my second uncle's wife! The person at the center of the gossip was right beside me!

A voice suddenly sounded in Zhou Mei's mind. She jumped. What was that? No one spoke, so why could I hear a voice? Was it a ghost?

The others who had heard Shen Luoluo's thoughts before lit up, especially Shen Xiche and Shen Jiayan. They exchanged a look. Well, would you look at that—it was their second uncle!

Shen Jiayan raised an eyebrow. You lost. Don't forget to call me big brother!

Zhao Huizhen and Zhao Yuan were baffled. What did Luoluo mean by "the person at the center of the gossip"? They weren't sure, but after listening to her for so long, they knew it couldn't mean anything good!

Shen Luoluo's voice continued, sounding rather excited.

Is she the poor fool whose husband brought his illegitimate daughter home to join the family, only for that girl to steal her own son away too?

Almost everyone there heard her. They were stunned. An illegitimate daughter?

Zhao Huizhen and Zhao Yuan's mouths fell open at the same time. Their brother had an illegitimate daughter? Something like that had happened in their own family?

Nonsense! Zhou Mei's chest heaved with anger. What was that voice? Who was making up rumors about her husband? She understood now—someone wanted to drive a wedge between them. She couldn't believe that voice!

But a moment later, the truth appeared before her eyes. She had no choice but to believe it!

It was time for the family dinner. The butler helped the old master out of his room and into his seat at the table. At the same time, someone hurried into the room.

Here they come!

He's brought his illegitimate daughter in!

The man who entered was Zhao Huizhen's second brother, Zhao Jin. Two people followed him: a young woman and a young man.

Zhao Huizhen recognized the young man as her second brother's son, Zhao Yu. The young woman must be the illegitimate daughter.

Zhou Mei stared blankly at the scene before her. The voice in her head had been telling the truth. Zhao Jin really had brought a young woman home!

After a long moment, she snapped out of it and rushed forward to block Zhao Jin's path. "Zhao Jin, what is going on?"

Zhao Jin glanced at her. "Zhou Mei, I'll explain later. I have something more important to say right now."

"What do you mean, something more important? Am I not important? Don't think I don't know who that woman behind you is. She's your illegitimate daughter!"

Zhao Jin ignored her, stepped around her, and continued toward the dining table without slowing down. Instead, Zhao Yu, who was following him, tried to persuade her. "Mom, it's too complicated to explain right now. Dad will explain when we get home."

Then he followed his father, leaving Zhou Mei standing there in despair. So the voice had been right about her son being stolen away by the illegitimate daughter too!

Zhao Yu had known about the girl all along. He had hidden it from her and lied to her alongside Zhao Jin!

By then, Zhao Jin had reached the dining table with the two younger people and stopped before the old master.

"Dad, I have something to tell you today," Zhao Jin said bluntly. "Tingting is Shiwei's daughter. She's my daughter too. I want her to come home to the Zhao Family!"

That brief declaration sent a shock through the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turned toward the table, and began murmuring.

"She really is his illegitimate daughter!"

"I never thought Zhao Jin, of all people, would have an illegitimate daughter. He always seemed so devoted to his family."

"That woman looks over twenty, about Zhao Yu's age. He must have been seeing someone else for years!"

"Who's Shiwei?"

His former girlfriend. His first love! If it weren't for that Marriage Alliance, they would have been together! Shen Luoluo answered silently.

Shen Jiayan frowned. Another first love?

The moment Zhao Huizhen and Zhao Yuan heard the name "Shiwei," they understood why their second brother was being so forceful. Even on the old master's birthday, he had insisted on bringing his illegitimate daughter into the Zhao Family.

As Shen Luoluo had said, Tingting's mother, Shiwei, was their second brother's first love. The two had started dating in college and had always been close, but their father had opposed the relationship.

The reason was simple. Shiwei came from a poor family. Her parents were ordinary working people who ran a small convenience store. At the time, the Zhao Family's business was just taking off, and it needed a powerful ally to help it rise higher.

A Marriage Alliance was one way to secure that help. To make Zhao Jin marry Zhou Mei, the old master had forced him and Shiwei apart. What none of them had expected was that Shiwei would give birth to Zhao Jin's child after they broke up!

Zhao Huizhen had assumed her brother had carelessly fathered a child with someone else. Who would have thought the girl was his daughter with his first love? She had good reason to suspect Zhao Jin had chosen the old master's birthday on purpose!

The old master, however, had seen much of the world and weathered countless storms. Unlike the others, he spoke calmly. "Have you had a DNA test done?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" The question instantly set Zhao Jin off. He struggled to hold back his anger. "Do you think I wouldn't recognize my own daughter?"

"I mean nothing by it. It's simply the proper procedure. If a DNA test confirms she's your daughter, I won't object." The old master's voice remained even.

But the calmer he was, the angrier Zhao Jin became. He couldn't understand how anyone could be so cold-blooded. Just because Tingting was Shiwei's daughter, his father refused to acknowledge her as his granddaughter!

But half the blood in Tingting's veins came from the Zhao Family too, didn't it?

"Tingting has a keepsake Shiwei and I exchanged, and she knows what happened between us back then. Isn't that enough?"