"Xinman is right, the child just came back, it's natural that they're still not used to it."
Yuan Li followed up with reassurances. Thinking of the Yu Family matter, she added, "Baisong, you should give the Yu Family member a call. Let's go over together."
Baisong nodded slightly, "Alright, I'll ask if they're free right now."
Baisong picked up his phone, stepped to the side, and dialed Yu Bin's secretary.
The Yu Family was far more affluent than the Yu Family. Though the two companies had some collaborations, in the end, they could not compare in stature.
The reason for Baisong's intense anger was his fear that Yu Zhi's matter might affect the Yu Family's business and their partnership with the Yu Family.
Yu Xinman sat elegantly on the sofa, picking up her coffee cup. Her every movement exuded refinement.
She took a sip, her gaze resting on Baisong's back. Her lips curled up slightly, and her rounded eyes gleamed with malice.
In just a few minutes, Baisong returned, his expression distracted.
Seeing this, Xinman feigned concern, "Dad, what did they say?"
"Baisong, is it difficult to resolve?" Yuan Li frowned deeply, her worries growing.
If the Yu Family truly decided to make things difficult, the problem would become extraordinarily troublesome.
Baisong pinched his brow, "The Yu Family said there's no need to apologize. It was their fault; it has nothing to do with Little Zhi."
He glanced toward the stairs, guilt growing stronger within.
Upon hearing this, Xinman's fingertips dug harshly into her palm as if she couldn't feel the pain.
Yuan Li was the first to react, her face breaking into a smile, "I knew the child wouldn't hurt someone for no reason. You can put your mind at ease now, right?"
"Alright, I'll go check on her." Baisong hurried toward the spiral staircase.
Leaving behind the mother and daughter, each harboring their own thoughts, in silence in the hall.
Baisong stood at Yu Zhi's bedroom door, hesitating for a long moment before finally knocking lightly.
But when the door opened, the words he'd prepared stuck in his throat.
"What is it now?" Yu Zhi saw that it was him, a flash of impatience crossing her eyes.
Baisong froze for two seconds, then pulled out a pre-prepared bank card from his bag, "Little Zhi, you've been back for a while, and I haven't had time to take you shopping. Here, take this."
Yu Zhi was about to decline, but Baisong had already pressed the card into her hand.
He glanced at the desk lamp glowing in her room and smiled faintly, "Keep studying. Dad won't bother you."
"Alright."
Yu Zhi replied indifferently, shutting the door without hesitation, locking it as well.
She tossed the bank card aside without care, walked to her desk, and stared at the few exam papers in front of her with overwhelming frustration.
Though she'd taken exams before while studying in the interstellar region, the content was completely different.
If she were to solve these problems, it would certainly consume a lot of her time.
Yu Zhi clicked her tongue lightly, opened her computer, and tapped a few keys. A familiar heart-shaped icon appeared.
"What's up?"
Ruan Yuan, dressed in a red camisole nightdress, stood by the window, seemingly freshly awakened.
Yu Zhi got straight to the point, "Are you good at math?"
"Math? What for?"
"Answer me first."
Yu Zhi grabbed a candy from a jar, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth.
"Are you trying to make me do your homework?" Ruan Yuan's keen eye immediately spotted the exam papers on the desk.
"Mm, sharp guess."
Yu Zhi leaned back lazily, lounging as she crossed her legs.
Ruan Yuan coughed lightly, "Well, I have a headache, I need to sleep now. Find someone else for this."
To make it more convincing, she massaged her temples, painting a picture of discomfort.
Yu Zhi: "..."
Indeed, unreliable.
Yu Zhi bit down hard on the candy in her mouth, casually showed Ruan Yuan a little concern, and ended the call as per her wishes.
**
Night had fallen deeply. The warm, golden glow of the desk lamp illuminated the girl's head, leaving only the sound of scratching pens filling the room.
By the time Yu Zhi finished all the exam papers, it was already close to eleven.
She rubbed her wrist, stretched leisurely, and slowly walked out of her room.
The hallway and staircase lights remained lit, but the hall downstairs was empty.
Yu Zhi stepped into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and picked out a peach-flavored cake and a bottle of yogurt from a selection of desserts.
She ate the cake and drank the yogurt, relaxed, as she walked upstairs.
Passing by Xinman's room, her petite ears twitched, and her footsteps halted.
"Don't worry, the entire Yu Family belongs to you and Cheng'an. She can't take it away."
"But Dad's attitude toward her is becoming better and better. What if he decides to keep her in the family?"
"Hmph, Mom won't let that happen!" Yuan Li gritted her teeth, "That wretched woman truly has her ways, even after dying, she still manages to set a trap for me!"
Xinman consoled, "Mom, don't be upset. She's just an orphan with no parents or kin. How could she ever compare to you?"
"I think she's quite cunning. Otherwise..." Yuan Li stopped mid-sentence, changing the topic, "Alright, it's late. Get some rest and stop overthinking."
"..."
Hearing footsteps, Yu Zhi immediately softened her steps and retreated into her bedroom.
She set the cake aside, curled up on the sofa, and replayed the conversation she'd just overheard.
She had previously investigated the Yu Family but only turned up information from after Baisong achieved success.
As for Mrs. Yu, she had pieced together a scant image from fractured memories: gentle, kind, a virtuous and devoted wife and mother.
Could someone like that truly be as despicable as Yuan Li claimed? Or was there a deeper secret hidden here?
Yu Zhi sighed softly, the excessive mysteries swirling in her mind making her increasingly irritable.
"Knock knock knock—"
"Little Zhi, are you asleep?" Yuan Li's voice rang out.
Yu Zhi lifted her brows, rose from the sofa, and walked over to open the door.
Without revealing any emotion, she glanced at the glass cup in Yuan Li's hand, "What's up?"
"I heated some milk for you." Yuan Li handed her the cup, smiling gently.
If she hadn't heard those malicious words at the door just earlier, Yu Zhi might have been fooled by her elegant and tender façade.
"Thank you."
Yu Zhi accepted the cup, and with a loud "bang," shut the door, not bothering to grant Yuan Li an opportunity to speak.
She followed her usual routine by emptying the milk into the toilet and flushing it away. Then she sat at her desk, opened her computer, and began typing quickly on the keyboard.
As strings of code rapidly filled the screen, she glanced toward the door and flashed a wicked grin.