The ninth piece of gossip: What kind of melon? Take nine bites

She looked at her manager and said excitedly, "And I made a huge sum, too. Ye Zhipeng said he'd give me two million as long as I solved the mystery of why the Ye family's money tree withered for no reason!"

At that, something suddenly occurred to her, and her eyes widened. "Oh no, I forgot to ask whether that was before or after tax!"

Seeing her like this, Shen Yan couldn't help saying, "...I must have had nothing better to do than worry about you. Fine! I'm leaving!"

Ye Mo waved at him. "Go on, then."

Shen Yan got into the Ye family's car, and their driver drove him away. Ye Mo watched him leave, only turning to go back once the car had disappeared from view.

The Ye residence was very quiet at night. Beneath the dark sky, little lights of all kinds cast a soft glow over the garden, where flowers tended to exquisite beauty by professional gardeners released their rich, delicate fragrance.

Walking through the garden, Ye Mo couldn't help feeling her spirits lift, and she unwittingly wandered deeper inside.

"...Mom, I really didn't pretend to be sick on purpose. I was just afraid you'd all like her and not me. After all, she's your biological daughter, while I'm not related to you at all!"

When Ye Mo reached a certain spot, she heard a tearful voice. She immediately stopped and looked ahead.

Amid luxuriant flowers and foliage and drifting fragrance, Ruan Xianyue sat in the garden with a very young woman. The young woman was leaning against Ruan Xianyue's shoulder, weeping sorrowfully.

"...Mom, please don't be angry. I know I was wrong!" the young woman said through her tears. "I'll never do it again... But I'm really scared. Dad seems to like Ye Mo so much. Will you stop wanting me one day?"

That soft, frail voice was enough to break anyone's heart. Of course, Ye Mo's heart wasn't broken, but her bargain-bin mother's clearly was, because the very next second, Ye Mo heard her say in a voice full of heartache:

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could your dad and I ever stop wanting you? Even if we're not related by blood, no one could ever replace you in our hearts..."

The young woman pressed, "Even if I'm not your biological daughter? Even with your biological daughter back, am I still the most important?"

Ruan Xianyue seemed to hesitate for a moment, but ultimately nodded. "Of course!"

"Waaah..." the young woman sobbed, her voice joyful, before apologizing again. "I'm sorry, Mom. I was just so scared. I was afraid you wouldn't want me anymore, afraid you'd like Ye Mo more than me... Ye Mo is so pretty, and she looks so much like you. I was afraid you and Dad would only dote on her and not me anymore."

"Silly girl, how could you think that?" Ruan Xianyue chided affectionately. "How could your dad and I not dote on you? You're the one we dote on most. So don't pretend to be sick again. Your dad and I were worried to death."

"I know..." the young woman said coaxingly.

"Oh, and you need to apologize to Ye Mo tomorrow..." Ruan Xianyue added with a sigh. "I hope the two of you can get along."

The young woman nestled against her and said sweetly, "I'll do as you say..."

Ruan Xianyue seemed helpless. "You, honestly. You're all grown up, and you're still acting like a spoiled little girl."

"..."

Ye Mo stopped listening at that point and turned to leave.

The next morning, she finally met the "sick" Ye Baozhu at the dining table.

Chapter 9: The ninth piece of gossip: What kind of melon? Take nine bites

At the breakfast table the next morning, Ye Mo finally met Ye Baozhu.

Ye Baozhu had a round face and pretty, delicate features. Her almond-shaped eyes, with their distinct blacks and whites, lent her a sweet, artless charm. Coupled with her snow-white, translucent skin, she could be considered a budding little beauty.

Ye Mo sized her up, making no attempt to hide her scrutiny.

Ye Baozhu seemed to shrink a little under her gaze, but after hesitating, she still plucked up the courage to greet Ye Mo. "You must be Big Sister Ye Mo. Hello, I'm Ye Baozhu..."

"You're calling me big sister?" Watching her nervous expression, Ye Mo asked with interest, "How can you be sure you're older than me? Maybe I was born later than you?"

Ye Baozhu's voice instantly caught. She opened her mouth, then instinctively looked to Ye Miao for help.

Seeing this, Ye Miao immediately stepped forward. "Baozhu only called you that to be polite. After all, who could possibly know which of you was born first?"

Ye Baozhu nodded in agreement.

Hearing that, Ye Mo replied without hesitation, "I know!"

She looked at Ye Miao. "Have you forgotten? I'm a divine fortune-teller. Of course I

can calculate something like that. As it happens, I was born half an hour later than Miss Ye. Strictly speaking, Miss Ye is my elder sister."

She looked at Ye Baozhu with a smile. "So please don't get it wrong again, Miss Ye."

At those words, Ye Baozhu's expression stiffened.

"Ahem!" Seeing the atmosphere between the three turn stiff and strained, Ye Zhipeng couldn't help clearing his throat. He looked helplessly at Ye Mo. "Momo, come to think of it, this is your first time meeting Baozhu, isn't it..."

Ye Mo sat down naturally at the dining table and said without looking up, "Not exactly. I saw Miss Ye last night."

Ye Zhipeng was surprised. "When did you meet last night?"

Ye Baozhu also looked a little bewildered. "I didn't see Big Sis-...Ye Mo last night."

At the words "last night," however, Ruan Xianyue suddenly seemed to remember something. Her eyes widened, and she looked nervously at Ye Mo.

Under her gaze, Ye Mo named the place quite naturally. "In the garden..."

Ye Mo looked at Ruan Xianyue and smiled. "Mom and Miss Ye were talking in the garden, so I didn't go over to interrupt. That's why, although this is Miss Ye's first time seeing me, it isn't my first time seeing her."

Ruan Xianyue fell silent for a few seconds, then asked, "Then did you hear what we said, too?"

"Of course." Ye Mo nodded, with no intention of hiding it, then remarked from the bottom of her heart, "The bond between you and Miss Ye as mother and daughter is so deep. It really is enviable."

At this point, Ye Zhipeng also realized something was wrong. He glanced hesitantly at Ruan Xianyue, then at Ye Mo.

As for Ruan Xianyue, a distressed expression immediately appeared on her face when she heard Ye Mo's words. She couldn't help saying, "Don't talk like that. What I said last night, all those things were..."

Were what?

She opened her mouth, only to see Ye Baozhu looking expectant and nervous, and for a moment she didn't know what to say-what could she say? That everything she had said last night was a lie?

After a long silence, Ruan Xianyue finally lowered her eyes and said to Ye Mo with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry..."

She looked deeply ashamed.

Ye Mo found the sight a little amusing. "You don't need to feel guilty. It's only natural that you'd care more about Miss Ye and like her more than me. After all, you've been mother and daughter for twenty-three years. Your bond must be very deep..."

She smiled and said frankly, "If you told me you'd suddenly stopped liking Miss Ye after finding out we'd been switched, that would surprise me!"

"So you really don't need to dwell on what you said last night, because I don't mind. After all, you don't have much affection for me, but I don't have much affection for you, either."

Her tone was very relaxed, but her words sent a jolt through Ruan Xianyue.

"You don't have much affection for me, either?" She stared blankly at Ye Mo, seemingly unable to accept this fact, and couldn't help pressing, "Not even a little?"

Ye Mo looked at her. Instead of answering directly, she asked in return, "Then how much affection do you have for me?"