Chapter 75 Eavesdropping

Fortunately, the movement behind them retreated quickly. Before the show ahead had even officially begun, those people had already slipped away.

Only then did Ruan Yaoyao finally see clearly who the pair behind them were—Xie Zining and He Tao.

【Wait… how did those two end up together?】

【Didn’t Xiangqiao already make things clear to Xie Zining? She told her to stay away from her brother-in-law He Tao until the baby was born. Why is she still with him at a time like this?】

【Isn’t she afraid something might happen?】

Yu Xiangqiao was also startled.

Everything had already been explained so clearly—surely Xie Zining wouldn’t still act foolishly, right?

If she did, then all of her mother-in-law’s plans would fall apart.

【No, I need to go take a look!】

Ruan Yaoyao signaled for Yu Xiangqiao to stay quiet. Fixing her gaze on the glowing “labels” hovering in the darkness, she quietly followed behind He Tao and Xie Zining.

Before long, the two of them circled around to a more secluded spot.

“You dragged me over here just to show me this?” He Tao’s voice sounded.

Xie Zining replied, “Mm. Now you understand why I hate your wife so much, right? I’m clearly my dad’s biological daughter, yet he found her such a great husband—like you—but gave me such a disgusting man instead. Anyone would be furious.”

He Tao fell silent for a moment. “There’s no point telling me this. I can’t help you.”

“I don’t need your help. I just don’t want you to hate me. I know what I did to you last time went too far, but I just couldn’t stand it. I wanted revenge on that mother and daughter. If my life is miserable, they shouldn’t get to live well either.”

He Tao sighed softly. “I’m not angry with you. That incident wasn’t entirely your fault… I had too much to drink that day too…”

【Not really drunk—you just knew Xie Zining was the biological daughter and went along with it on purpose, didn’t you?】

【Makes sense. You couldn’t marry the real daughter and ended up with the stepdaughter instead—someone as ambitious as you wouldn’t be satisfied.】

【Must’ve been tough, acting like a devoted lover just to please the Xie family.】

He Tao was indeed good at putting on an act. He had always appeared deeply in love with Xie Ziyi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have passed over the real daughter to marry a stepdaughter.

But the truth was different. The He family’s background was weaker than the Xie family’s. With his status, marrying Xie Zining—the biological daughter—would have been difficult.

A stepdaughter like Xie Ziyi, however, was another matter. Though not biologically related, her mother was Xie Father’s wife. And for a woman to remarry into the Xie family and remain firmly established for so many years, she clearly had her capabilities.

If her influence in bed wasn’t strong, Xie Ziyi couldn’t have secured her position as the eldest young lady of the Xie family despite being just a “stepdaughter.” If no one had mentioned it, many people wouldn’t even know she wasn’t Xie Father’s biological child.

Even He Tao himself had once believed the rumors that Xie Ziyi was Xie Father’s “illegitimate daughter” before marrying her.

Illegitimate daughter plus her mother’s influence—He Tao had thought his chances were pretty good.

So he even lent a hand in arranging Xie Zining and Ran Hao’s marriage. But what he didn’t expect was that it wasn’t until Xie Ziyi went into labor and nearly died from complications that he noticed something off about her blood type.

Based on Xie Father and Wan Yuegui’s blood types, it was impossible for Xie Ziyi to have hers. He even suspected that Wan Yuegui had deceived Xie Father somehow.

Before he could even help cover it up, he discovered that the blood in the blood bank had been prepared in advance by Xie Father for Xie Ziyi.

Which meant—Xie Father knew her blood type. He knew she wasn’t his biological child.

He Tao: “…”

Damn it!

I’ve been fooled!

When he later confronted Xie Ziyi, she was completely baffled. “I was never his biological daughter to begin with. Who told you I was? Everyone knows my mom remarried into the family.”

He Tao felt stifled. “But weren’t there rumors outside… that you were his illegitimate daughter?”

“Rumors? You believed that? That was Zining making things up out of anger because my mom treated me like her own. Both my parents know about it.”

From that point on, although He Tao’s attitude toward Xie Ziyi appeared unchanged, he was no longer as devoted as before.

Previously, whenever Xie Zining approached him, he would firmly avoid her to prevent complications.

But now…

“I’m not asking you to take responsibility!” Xie Zining’s eyes reddened, her voice stubborn. “I never regret anything I do. I slept with you, so I slept with you. I like you, and I won’t regret that either… I know you want my dad’s property. I can help you—but I have one condition. I want a child that belongs to you and me!”

“You…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone the child is yours. I’m my father’s only biological child. A child born from me will definitely be his true grandchild. No matter how much he favors Xie Ziyi, he wouldn’t let her child inherit the family assets. It would definitely go to mine.” Xie Zining said, “What you need to do is simple—before this child grows up, don’t let my dad’s property fall into the hands of his adopted son.”

“Your father still has several nephews…”

【Scheming even now—reminding her not to overlook those few.】

【Tsk tsk… pity, Xie Zining is actually quite devoted to him.】

Yu Xiangqiao: “…”

Mom, your focus is off! Shouldn’t you be worried that half your property is about to slip away?!

“Those guys…” Xie Zining sneered coldly. “They’re either eating, drinking, gambling, or embezzling funds. Do you think my dad would hand the company to them? Afraid they won’t ruin it fast enough?”

“They are still your father’s blood relatives. Sometimes the older generation still favors sons… Otherwise, he should have trained you properly to inherit the business,” He Tao said with seeming sincerity. “Even if you’re a woman, you’re his biological child. Whether you inherit it or your future child does, what’s the difference? Fathers can change, but mothers can’t. A child from your womb will always be yours.”

“Exactly! That’s why my dad’s gone senile—he’s got something wrong with his head. Ignoring his own biological daughter and doting on a stepdaughter with no blood relation. Otherwise, I’d have been the one who married you, and we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.” After cursing a few more times, Xie Zining asked, “So? My condition isn’t that hard, right?”

He Tao sighed again, sounding conflicted. “Aren’t you making things difficult for me? You know your sister already gave birth to several children—all daughters. And during the last pregnancy, her uterus was damaged. It’s uncertain if she can have more… Zining, I’m not a saint!”

【Meaning—you’re no saint, so don’t test your limits, right?】

【Tsk tsk… you clearly had these thoughts long ago. Otherwise, when Xie Zining threw herself at you, you wouldn’t have pretended to be drunk and slept with her. Isn’t it a bit late to say this now?】

【What, you want to keep sneaking around behind your wife and Ran Hao?】

【Makes sense. If Xie Zining really gives you a child, then whether you divorce or not, both her child and Xie Ziyi’s children are yours. As long as Xie Father doesn’t give the inheritance to the adopted son or those nephews, no matter which grandchild gets it, it’ll end up in your hands eventually.】

【Clever.】