“Weren’t you supposed to be injured and unconscious? Why aren’t you resting properly? What are you doing here? Go back and recover!”

Zhao Hanya, after suspecting that Lin Qianqian might be Lin Xiongan’s illegitimate daughter, now saw that she seemed completely fine.

Yet, she had deceived them by pretending to be seriously injured.

At this moment, no matter how she looked at Lin Qianqian, she found her displeasing.

She might as well send her away to keep her out of sight.

“Mother, I’m fine. Since my sister is back, I want to spend more time with her and strengthen our bond.”

Lin Qianqian put on a pitiful expression, smiled ingratiatingly, and took Zhao Hanya’s arm, looking at her cautiously.

Then, she turned to Lin Yuxin, stepped forward warmly, and said with a friendly tone:

“You must be Yuxin! Welcome home! You used to live in the countryside, so if you have any trouble adapting to life in the mansion, you can always come to me! I’ll be happy to teach you everything!”

[Oh wow, isn’t this just a roundabout way of calling me a country bumpkin? You, a cheap knockoff, really have the audacity to say that?]

Lin Yuxin inwardly ridiculed her, but on the surface, she simply gave a sweet smile and replied:

“Thank you, Sister!”

“Alright, now that you’ve seen her, you should go back.”

Zhao Hanya suddenly interrupted whatever Lin Qianqian was about to say next.

Although she had no solid evidence to prove that Lin Qianqian was Lin Xiongan’s illegitimate daughter, just looking at her made her feel uncomfortable.

“Mother…!”

Lin Qianqian still wanted to say something, but Zhao Hanya cut her off:

“Enough. You were just injured—go back and rest early! Don’t let yourself fall sick.”

As the legitimate daughter of the general’s household, Zhao Hanya had honed her ability to keep a composed facade over the years.

Even though she suspected that Lin Qianqian was the result of her husband’s infidelity, she could still endure it for now without showing any signs of weakness.

Lin Qianqian gritted her teeth but had no choice but to bow reluctantly and withdraw.

[Ha! The frustration is practically written all over her face. She’s definitely going to cry to her mother about this later, and I bet that scumbag father of mine will come storming over to question us. Just wait—he’ll be here soon.]

Lin Yuxin smirked slightly as she watched Lin Qianqian leave.

Then, she turned to admire the beauty of her mother.

[So beautiful! Seriously, that scumbag dad doesn’t deserve her!]

Zhao Hanya noticed her daughter gazing at her with starry-eyed admiration and chuckled helplessly.

She then signaled the servant behind her to bring something over.

Shortly after, the servant returned with a wooden box. Zhao Hanya took it and placed it in front of Lin Yuxin, speaking gently:

“Yuxin, this is for you. Have a look!”

Lin Yuxin was momentarily stunned but obediently opened the box. Inside was a collection of dazzling jewelry—each piece obviously worth a fortune.

“This… Mother, these are too valuable! I can’t accept them!”

Lin Yuxin was taken aback and instinctively tried to refuse.

[Whoa! Is that red agate? Such a huge string of it?? And—is that an Eastern pearl? My goodness! I’ve struck gold!]

Zhao Hanya: …

Lin Shaoyang: I didn’t know you were such a money-grubber…

“Haha! Since I’m giving them to you, they’re yours now. You suffered so much in the countryside all these years. I’ll give you more in the future.”

Zhao Hanya chuckled, finding her daughter’s attempt to act reserved absolutely adorable.

“Then… thank you, Mother!”

Lin Yuxin blinked her large eyes and sweetly expressed her gratitude before quickly closing the box.

She was worried she might start drooling over the treasure if she looked at it any longer.

The mother and daughter spent the afternoon together, chatting.

After some time, Lin Shaoyang excused himself, saying he had matters to attend to.

By the time dinner arrived, Lin Yuxin finally met the so-called scumbag father.

As she and Zhao Hanya walked toward the dining hall, they saw that three people were already seated inside.

Aside from Lin Qianqian and her second brother, the other man, if she guessed correctly, was her father, Lin Xiongan.

The moment Zhao Hanya and Lin Yuxin sat down, Lin Xiongan spoke.

He barely spared Lin Yuxin a glance, his expression filled with unconcealed disdain.

Frowning, he said: “So you really did live in the countryside. You don’t even know basic manners? You don’t know how to greet your elders?”

[Oh wow. So he’s here to back up that fake white lotus? No wonder she’s the favorite daughter—he jumps to her defense immediately.]

Lin Yuxin was just about to respond when her mother suddenly turned to Lin Xiongan and said coldly:

“Greet you? Yuxin came back half a day ago, and you didn’t even bother to check on her. Now you want her to greet you? What a joke.”

“You…!”

Lin Xiongan was stunned.

He couldn’t believe his wife was talking back to him.

After all these years of marriage, she had always endured everything in silence because of what had happened in the past.

But now, why was she suddenly speaking with such sharp words?

However, he quickly brushed it off.

Remembering his precious daughter’s grievances today, he glared at Zhao Hanya and scolded:

“Qianqian was injured today. Why didn’t you check on her? She’s been sad for so long. As her mother, why don’t you care about her?”

“My daughter came home today. Why should I ignore her to care for Qianqian? Qianqian knew Yuxin was returning today, yet she still put on this act. What was her intention?”

Zhao Hanya didn’t hold back, directly calling him out.

[Go, Mother! This scumbag doesn’t deserve any respect!]

Meanwhile, Lin Shaoyang remained silent.

He knew his mother could handle this on her own.

“She’s just a countryside girl! Bringing her back was already a sign of our family’s generosity. How can she compare to Qianqian? Qianqian was raised as a noble lady, educated in all the refined arts. But this rough, uncultured girl? She should just stay out of trouble and not embarrass us!”

Lin Xiongan spoke with obvious disdain.

“Lin Xiongan!!!”

SLAM!

Zhao Hanya shot up from her seat, eyes burning with fury.

With a single palm strike, she shattered the round dining table in front of her.

Lin Xiongan and Lin Qianqian trembled in fear, instinctively stepping back, staring at Zhao Hanya in shock. It was as if they were seeing her for the first time.

[Whoa! Mother is incredible! No wonder she’s the daughter of a general—her combat skills are top-tier! She’s officially my goddess!]

Lin Yuxin’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at her mother standing protectively in front of her.

The rage boiling inside Zhao Hanya subsided slightly when she heard her daughter’s praise.

She shot Lin Xiongan a cold glare and declared:

“Lin Yuxin is my daughter, born from my own flesh and blood. She has finally returned to me, and I will not allow you to speak ill of her again! If you don’t want her as your daughter, then let’s get a divorce!”

Lin Xiongan’s heart skipped a beat. Divorce?

Even though he had long grown tired of this woman, she was still the daughter of the general’s household.

Their family needed the general’s support, and her dowry had not yet been fully taken. He couldn’t afford to let her go so easily.

[Hmm, is Mother suddenly pushing for a divorce? But now isn’t the best time. That scumbag father won’t agree. Not only does he need the general’s backing, but he also wants Mother’s dowry to marry off Lin Qianqian into the Sixth Prince’s household.]

Zhao Hanya’s gaze flickered. They want my dowry? Over my dead body.

For now, it wasn’t time for a divorce—but she would make sure Lin Xiongan paid the price.