Speak of the devil and it appears. Wen Xinya was just chatting about Xia Ruya with Old Mr. Wen and yet, Xia Ruya showed up right after. Wen Xinya could not help but be bewildered.
The Wen Family had already severed ties with Xia Ruya a long time ago. Given Xia Ruya’s character, she definitely had a hidden agenda for paying Old Mr. Wen a visit out of her own accord.
Besides, she had already returned to Capital city for a month. Of all times, why did she have to choose now to pay Old Mr. Wen a visit? Why did she have to wait until I was done with the military training program?
Xia Ruya, what tricks are you getting up to?
Wen Xinya frowned slightly with a petulant expression as she kept her guard up.
Wen Xinya helped Old Mr. Wen out of the study, after which they were greeted with the sight of Xia Ruya seated on the couch as soon as they arrived downstairs. She was dressed in a short-sleeved knitted shirt and a pleated skirt that ended at her knees. She looked sweet and youthful, yet pure and graceful at the same time.
Seated beside her was the impeccably-dressed Uncle Yu.
Upon sight of Uncle Yu, an icy cold stared formed in Wen Xinya as she thought to herself that Xia Ruya had a questionable agenda for visiting the Wen Family home today.
At this moment, Xia Ruya rose from the couch and greeted Old Mr. Wen smilingly. “Hello, Grandpa Wen. I’m so sorry for imposing on you out of the blue.”
She sounded formal, polite and distant as if Old Mr. Wen was just one of her elders and not… the adoptive grandfather who brought her home at a tender age, once showered her with love and concern, took her in hand, provided for her and made her rich.
“Have a seat!” Old Mr. Wen said with a complicated mix of emotions. Partly… he hoped to see Xia Ruya do well. Since he had already decided to cut off all ties with her, he ought to get rid of his feelings towards her too. However, he found it a little heartless and agonizing to do so.
Had he not learned his lesson yet?
Wen Xinya took a seat on the couch together with Old Mr. Wen.
Xia Ruya said with a smile, “It’s been a long time since we met, but you’re still as healthy as ever, Grandpa Wen. Seems like… Miss Wen has been taking good care of you. She’s really capable.”
She then shot Wen Xinya a glance with a tender and sweet smile.
Xia Ruya’s voice was alluring. Even during Wen Xinya’s last moments in her previous lifetime where Xia Ruya had done possibly the most vicious thing in this world to her before her death.
However, Wen Xinya was utterly disgusted by her voice and her angelic face. “Miss Xia… oh wait, I mean, Miss Li! Miss Li… Grandpa is my biological grandfather and we’re related by blood. It’s only my duty to take care of Grandpa because I’m his granddaughter. You don’t have to compliment me because of that.”
Xia Ruya smiled and said, “Miss Wen, you don’t have to address me in a different way. That makes it really awkward for all of us. I may be the heiress of the Li Family now, but I didn’t change my last name.”
Yes, she didn’t.
She kept her last name because she wanted to constantly remind herself of the unfair treatment, pain, agony, despair, and humiliation that she had suffered all because of her last name, “Xia”. From now on… she would take revenge bit by bit, and make them pay for everything.
Returning to Capital city was only the first step of her plan.
Not only was Wen Xinya shocked, but Old Mr. Wen was also astonished as well. To his knowledge, Xia Ruya had become the only remaining heir of the Li Family and Old Mr. Li once said that he would find Xia Ruya a husband who’d take their last name. As the only successor of the Li Family, Old Mr. Li definitely wouldn’t agree to let her keep her last name, he thought.
Xia Ruya didn’t explain much about her last name. Old Mr. Li had indeed opposed to the idea of her keeping her last name and she had gone through painstaking means to convince him to let her keep it. However, Old Mr. Li made her promise that she would change her last name back to “Li” before she got married. By the time she got married… she would probably have done everything she had to do, she thought. Hence, she agreed because there would be no need for her to give herself a reminder anymore when the time came.
A sudden tension filled the air.
Wen Xinya asked coldly, “Miss Xia, what’s your purpose in visiting us today?”
Wen Xinya cut straight to the chase.
Extremely displeased with Wen Xinya’s attitude, Uncle Yu interjected. “Missy is paying Old Mr. Wen a visit today, not you, Miss Wen. Why would you say that?”
Uncle Yu was just trying to imply that Wen Xinya was being rude because Xia Ruya was paying Old Mr. Wen a visit and hence, Wen Xinya was asking an inappropriate question.
Old Mr. Wen’s face turned sullen and he questioned, “Who’s this old man? How do I address him?”
Just as Uncle Yu was about to speak, Xia Ruya immediately explained, “Grandpa Wen, Uncle Yu is my grandma’s servant. Grandma especially got him to take care of me.”
She was trying to make Uncle Yu seem more respectable.
However, Old Mr. Wen clearly did not buy it. “Oh, so he’s just a servant!”
His remark was extremely sarcastic and he was obviously trying to insult Uncle Yu for insulting Wen Xinya. Regardless of how rude she may be, she was still a member of the Wen Family and was allowed to do whatever she wanted in the Wen Family home. Uncle Yu was just a servant who was in no place to make any comment.
Indeed, Harbor City had been occupied by foreigners for too long, such that the citizens did not even have any basic manners.
Uncle Yu turned pale and was momentarily speechless. When Xia Ruya first returned, Old Mr. Li instructed him to take good care of her. Xia Ruya did not see him as a servant at all and instead respected him greatly. She also sought his opinion all the time and treated him as her elder because of his position in the family.
Yet, Old Mr. Wen and Wen Xinya both treated him like a servant and made an issue out of his status.
Xia Ruya turned pale and hung her head low… feeling extremely embarrassed.
Old Mr. Wen shifted his gaze onto Xia Ruya and exclaimed, “You’re still as kindhearted as you used to be! You can’t bear to punish your servants at all, but don’t let some dauntless servants take advantage of your kindness. They might just climb all over you someday.”
This old fogy tried to assert dominance over Xinya. Does he think I’m dead? This Li Family is really getting too haughty. He actually forgot that they’re in Capital city now, not Harbor City.
Xia Ruya hung her head low and said, “Got it, Grandpa.”
Uncle Yu immediately felt uneasy and awkward, not sure if he should sit or stand. He had never been treated that way before in the Li Family home.
Clearly, he only knew how powerful the Li Family was in Harbor City and was ignorant about the Wen Family’s power, wealth and status in Capital city. He suddenly felt inferior and despised the Wen Family, especially because of the feud between the Xia Family and Wen Family.
