Chapter 11  : An Adopted Daughter

Yao Yuan was stunned speechless for a second or two before Yao Ran’s words finally got through to him.

For a moment there, he had forgotten that his biological daughter had been raised in a poor village up in the mountains.

There was no way she could have had access to a phone, let alone a high-quality computer. She wasn’t being idle and helpless by her own volition, she simply had no idea how to use these devices.

Yao Yuan chided himself for not realizing this sooner, but then again,?Yao Tang?was still a member of their family. It mattered little where she came from; the point was that she now bore their family name.

Deep down, he had been harboring a fear that he might have hurt the self-esteem of this newfound daughter of his. He was convinced that his concern was well-founded, too. Yao Yuan?cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well,?Tangtang, if you encounter any trouble in the future, don’t hesitate to ask?Ranran?for help. There’s no need for you to be so reserved around your own family.”

“Of course, you can come to me or your mother as well. We’ll do our best to help you adjust, as long as we’re not busy.”

“That’s right, Sister Yao Tang,”?Yao Ran?said, all sweet and demure.

“Feel free to come to me if you need help with anything. Don’t worry, I will never think of it as a bother. I’ll be more than happy to support you.”

While she might appear warm and inviting on the surface, Yao Ran?was feeling the exact opposite. If anything, she was rather repulsed with?Yao Tang.

She had gravely underestimated this country bumpkin. To think that Yao Tang actually had the audacity to buy a bunch of foreign novels and pretend to be able to read them. The girl had even managed to act all elegant and ladylike during the meal!

Yao Ran had never met anyone who was this good at putting on a show.

It was clear to her that Yao Tang?had some lofty ambitions to be recognized as a member of their prestigious family.

No matter. Yao Ran?knew that this bumpkin was bound to slip up sooner or later. Since?Yao Tang?seemed to love acting so much, she would just have to wait until the girl made a fool of herself at school.

Qin Man’s face twitched. She had been silent all this time, but since Yao Yuan?and?Yao Ran?had both expressed their willingness to support?Yao Tang, it would be decidedly ill-mannered for her not to do the same. “Yes, you may come to me as well,” she bit out reluctantly.

Yao Tang looked at the three people who appeared so generous as to offer their care. She propped her chin on her hand and smiled daintily. “All right. Thanks.”

Her gaze lingered on Yao Ran, her smile turning a little sly.

Yao Ran met her eyes head-on. It didn’t take long for her to shed her friendly facade as she recalled how?Yao Tang?had strangled her just the night before.

A chill ran down her spine, and she felt tiniest beads of cold sweat form on her forehead.

Her face had drained of color, too.

Yao Tang’s smile deepened. She gave the other girl another long glance before slowly averting her eyes.

Only then did Yao Ran?understand her discomfort for what it truly was — fear. She actually feared?Yao Tang!?Yao Ran’s face twisted at the despicable realization. She lowered her head and turned to her steak to vent her anger. Her knife clinked loudly against the porcelain dish as she ruthlessly cut the meat into pieces.

Her unnatural behavior caught Qin Man’s attention and prompted the woman to give her the side-eye several times.

“Anyway, Yao Tang, your father and I had a discussion and finally made a decision.”

Qin Man said, picking up her napkin and carefully dabbing at the corners of her lips. She made no mention of?Yao Ran?as she continued speaking, as though the matter didn’t involve the other girl at all.

“From now on, you will be known as the daughter of the second uncle of the Yao family, who resides in the countryside. I suppose you may feel aggrieved by this, but you must understand — we already have?Ranran as the young lady of our family. Her identity has been acknowledged by the public, and the family can’t afford to mess things up by declaring the truth.”

“In any case, even though you will be identified as our niece, you and Ranran?will definitely be treated as equals in all other aspects.”

“Your father and I will love you both and provide for you equally.”

Yao Ran did look up then, her eyes darting to?Yao Tang. Her expression was smug, her lips upturned in a smirk.

So what if Yao Tang was the biological child of the family? In the end, her parents still chose her. She had been holding back her outrage since the beginning. With this, she finally felt somewhat appeased.

“Well, Yao Tang? Do you have anything to say to that?”

Qin Man asked. To anyone watching it might look like she was asking for the girl’s opinion, but in reality, she was confirming?Yao Tang’s assent to this arrangement.

Not that it would have made a difference either way. Regardless of whether Yao Tang?agreed or not, she could never amount to anything more than an adopted daughter of the?Yao family.

If she insisted on a more solid position, then they would just have to send her back to Yingxiu Village.?Qin Man?might have her misgivings about the child, but she knew?Yao Tang?wasn’t stupid. She should know well enough to choose what was best for her. To be the adopted daughter of a family like theirs was still a hundred times better than being a peasant from the rural mountains.

“I have no objections whatsoever,” Yao Tang?said indifferently before sipping a mouthful of milk. “I think it’s good that you came up with a plausible explanation for this set-up.”

Yao Yuan was a bit taken aback by her reaction. His eyes flashed as he noted how unaffected?Yao Tang?was. “Since this is how you feel, then I must tell you: I don’t care about your past, or how you lived all these years. Now that you’ve returned to the?Yao family, you should make an effort to get along with your… your first aunt and your younger cousin sister.”

He was already demanding her end of the agreement by establishing the titles she was supposed to address them with. Then, as if he remembered too late, he added, “Make sure you don’t cause any trouble at home.”

Yao Tang gave them another nonchalant smile, though her eyes had turned glacial.

Yao Yuan noticed this, and he couldn’t help but think that this daughter of his was utterly unlikable for some reason.

But he acknowledged that this girl was quite smart and sensible in some sense. Unbeknownst to them, Yao Tang?had her fair share of excellent qualities, which were more than enough to make up for their asinine opinions of her.