Chapter 5: The Vicious Mother

“Chunhua, instead of trying to frame Ranran, you might as well insist that it was that brat He Hongwen who did it.”

Only then could they force He Hongwen to marry Yueyue. Ye’s father, however, didn’t dare say this last sentence out loud.

He had always prided himself on being a gentleman—how could he possibly speak like a rogue?

Frowning at his wife, he inwardly felt disdain for her stupidity, yet he still harbored some affection for this foolish woman before him.

Because her whole heart and eyes were devoted to him; she never defied him, and to please him, she could even harm her own daughter.

She wasn’t as clever or beautiful as his ex-wife, but his ex-wife, though smart and pretty, was selfish and self-centered.

Ye’s father was certain that today’s incident was the work of his own daughter. She had inherited his intelligence and her mother’s ambition.

She was desperate to marry into the He family, hoping to wed He Hongwen—but He Yongchang only wanted to repay Ranran’s father for saving his life.

He would never allow his son to break off a marriage and marry Yueyue, so Yueyue had no choice but to take a bold step to make herself and He Hongwen inseparable.

Unfortunately, Yueyue was still too young!

Even if they were already entangled, with He Yongchang’s current position, Yueyue would likely find it even harder to marry into the He family.

Only if Ye Siran voluntarily gave up the engagement could Yueyue marry into the He family. Given the mother’s favoritism, Yueyue might still have a chance.

As Ye’s father pondered how to guide his wife, Song Chunhua anxiously asked, “Honey, why did you let Hongwen leave just now?”

“What else could I do? You shouldn’t have wrongly accused Ranran! Who would believe you if you said Ranran set them up?”

Ye’s father frowned, a look of exasperation on his face, which even made Ye Siran flinch.

Had she not lived a previous life, she might have been moved to tears by this expression, thinking he favored her.

Her stepfather and stepsister were cunning, and her mother foolish, so it was easy for them to stir emotions. Ye Siran, however, watched coldly without a word.

“I’m sorry, honey! They all said Yueyue orchestrated everything herself. I just panicked and said Ranran did it.”

Song Chunhua’s voice grew lower as she spoke. She knew she wasn’t very smart—if only she had realized it was Hongwen at the time!

“The He family’s son can’t decide his own marriage. Since you didn’t insist it was him, keeping him around is useless!”

“Keeping him here at least forces him to agree to marry Yueyue. Once he agrees, Director He won’t make things difficult for Yueyue.”

“Ah! You know that Director He only wants to repay Ranran’s father. If we force them without a proper reason, it would backfire.”

Song Chunhua couldn’t detect her husband’s subtle hint, but Ye Yueyue could. She tugged her mother’s hand and whined:

“Mom, it’s your missed opportunity. The only way now is for my sister to voluntarily cancel the engagement. Then Uncle He will agree to let me in.”

Yueyue’s original plan to manipulate Ye Siran had only been to secure her college acceptance letter. Now she wanted more—ideally, to marry into the He family and get the letter.

“That’s right. If Ranran voluntarily asks to cancel, the He family will definitely marry you. Yueyue, you’re so clever.” Song Chunhua patted Yueyue’s hand, pleased.

She then turned to Ye Siran: “Ranran, you’ve seen that Hongwen and your sister are already inseparable. Go to the He family and tell your uncle you don’t want to marry Hongwen.”

Ye Siran lowered her head and said softly, “Mom, as long as Brother Hongwen is willing to marry me, I don’t mind if he…”

“Ranran! You disappoint me! You don’t mind? How shameless! Don’t you have any sense of decency?”

“Mom, how am I shameless? I’ve had an engagement with Brother Hongwen since childhood. How is that shameless? Should I, like my sister, scheme against him? Is that honorable?”

Ye Siran’s mother was momentarily stunned by her daughter’s retort. She didn’t expect her obedient daughter to talk back.

She collapsed to the floor, wailing: “Heavens! What sin have I committed? My daughter, whom I raised with so much care, dares to talk back… I can’t go on living!”

Facing her mother’s resentful glare, Ye Siran felt a sharp sting.

At this moment, her mother didn’t look at her as a daughter but as an enemy.

In her previous life, Ye Siran had always believed her mother’s harshness was to please her stepfather, that it was unavoidable.

Years later, after meeting an aunt named Lu Ran, she realized her mother truly hated her.

All because her father helped him marry someone named Ye Siran, while his childhood sweetheart was Lu Ran. Naturally, he still thought of Lu Ran.

Why should their complicated love triangle make her suffer? What wrong had she done?

Moreover, her mother had used unfair means to seize her father—how could she resent her and her dad?

Thinking of this, Ye Siran’s gaze toward her mother turned icy. “Threatening me with death won’t work. I will never go to the He family to talk about canceling the engagement.”

“Ye Siran, how dare you refuse! Have you looked in the mirror? Do you deserve Brother Hongwen?” Yueyue sneered viciously.

“Whether I deserve him or not isn’t for me to decide, nor is it for you,” Ye Siran said calmly.

Though she had no intention of marrying He Hongwen this life, she was happy to irritate Yueyue with a few words.

“Yueyue! How can you talk to your sister like that? Your father always taught you to love your siblings!”

Seeing the sisters about to argue, Ye’s father immediately stepped in.

Seeing her husband scold Yueyue, Ye Siran’s mother glared at Ye Siran: “Ranran, when did you become so disobedient? How dare you speak to your sister this way? Yueyue hasn’t said anything wrong. Among the girls in the courtyard who like Hongwen, who isn’t better than you?”

“So what if they are better? Uncle He has only chosen me as his daughter-in-law.” Ye Siran said, stiff-necked.

“Ah, what a curse… My own daughter disobedient, what’s the point of living?”

Ye Siran coldly watched her mother thrash on the floor and feigned pity:

“Dad, I just spoke the truth, and Mom is acting like she’s dying. If she actually dies, would you let me go to jail?”

“Of course I wouldn’t let Ranran go to jail! Honey, get up. How can you behave like this?”

“Ranran, if you don’t agree to go to the He family to cancel the engagement, Mom won’t get up.”

Ye Siran wanted to say, “Go ahead, stay down forever,” but seeing her father merely trying to smooth things over, she didn’t.

She looked at her mother: “Mom, why don’t you even listen to Dad? Disobeying him like this will make him angry.”

Hearing this, her mother looked timidly at Ye’s father, unsure what to do.

Yueyue knelt beside her, sobbing, “Mom… I have no face to live. If my sister doesn’t go to the He family, I’ll just kneel and die in front of her.”