HBWMA -Chapter 338 Refusing the Invitation

Early Monday morning, Whale Harbor was overcast as the deep winter set in.

Inside a warm luxury car, Su Yun lowered her head and looked at the gold button on her school uniform cuff. At Yucai School, the Yingcai uniform used gold buttons, while Dechai used silver ones. It was just a single button, but the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth.

Outside the gray window, the car in front suddenly turned at a fork in the road, heading in the opposite direction of the school.

When she left home, Su Yun had already noticed it—Su Miao was in that car.

Su Yun turned to look at Su Zhuo. His gaze had been fixed on the car ahead the entire time, faintly worried, but the moment he noticed her looking, he quickly withdrew his eyes.

“What is it?” he asked.

After a moment of hesitation, Su Yun still asked, “The direction Su Miao is going… doesn’t seem to be the school.”

Su Zhuo paused slightly, then smiled gently. “She’s not going to school today. I’ll take you instead.”

Su Yun nodded and turned to look at the fading car in the distance.

So in the end… she went to see Su Li.

The car quickly entered the school’s dedicated road. Other vehicles immediately recognized the Su family emblem and moved aside. When Su Yun got out of the car, it caused quite a stir.

“A transfer student? At this time? She must have quite a background.”

“Didn’t you see who’s standing next to her? She’s pretty too, but what’s her relationship with the Su family?”

Su Yun had previously concealed her appearance at school, and because she usually had little presence, the surrounding students didn’t immediately connect her with the so-called “top-performing but ugly girl” from Dechai.

Su Zhuo took her bag from her hands, his attitude warm and affectionate. “Let’s go.”

Su Yun nodded and quietly followed beside him.

The Yingcai and Dechai buildings remained clearly separated. Su Zhuo led Su Yun directly to Class One of Yingcai.

The homeroom teacher had already been informed and was waiting in the classroom. As soon as they arrived, she quickly came forward and warmly introduced the class situation.

“Classmate Shen is very kind and is also the class monitor. With her guidance, I believe you’ll integrate quickly. However, she has taken leave for the past two days. If you need anything, you can come to me directly or ask the vice class monitor.”

Su Yun smiled politely. “Thank you, teacher.”

Su Zhuo couldn’t help but add a comment after hearing that Su Yun’s deskmate was Shen Mianzhi. “Is it appropriate to arrange things this way? Won’t it trouble Classmate Shen?”

Su Yun paused slightly and looked at him in confusion.

The teacher smiled awkwardly and explained, “Don’t worry. We already asked Classmate Shen before making the arrangement, and she was very willing.”

Only then did Su Zhuo nod. “Thank you for your effort, teacher.”

After finishing the new student orientation, the teacher quickly returned to the office. Su Yun went back to her seat to prepare for class.

Yingcai and Dechai had completely different educational philosophies. Yucai aimed to cultivate “pillar-of-the-nation workers,” while Yingcai focused on training outstanding decision-makers, so even the curriculum systems differed.

Su Yun casually flipped through the materials for a while before remembering that Su Zhuo was still standing beside her. She felt a little embarrassed.

“Brother Zhuo, thank you for today.”

Although she and Su Zhuo were siblings, sixteen years of separation left them somewhat unfamiliar with each other.

Su Zhuo noticed her awkwardness and reached out to pat her head. “What’s there to trouble about? It just so happens I haven’t been back to Yucai in a long time. I’ll visit my old teacher while I’m here. After school, call me—we’ll go home together.”

Su Yun felt a faint warmth in her heart. Although she was still a little unaccustomed to it, she forced herself to suppress the urge to turn away.

Her life had now returned to the right track. She shouldn’t doubt others’ goodwill.

As Su Zhuo walked out of the Elite Building, someone on the sealed top floor was already using binoculars to watch his departing figure.

“So this girl really is the Su family’s real daughter? Tsk tsk, how disappointing.” Guan He sounded bored. He had finally taken an interest in someone, only for her to turn out to be off-limits.

Zhou Yanheng stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the railing as he looked down.

At that moment, his phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out, glanced at the screen, and let out a cold laugh.

—[I refuse your invitation.]

After only a glance, Zhou Yanheng casually put the phone back, no longer caring.

“Let me out! Let me out! How long are you going to keep me locked up?! I already said I know nothing! I just wanted to take back my daughter! What right do you have to detain me? What right?!”

In a pitch-dark room, Su Li screamed hysterically. Ever since she was locked up, she had been repeating the same words.

Outside the iron door, Su Miao signaled for the Su housekeeper to open it.

The creaking sound of the door opening drew Su Li’s attention. She frantically slapped the glass wall.

“Let me out! Let me out!”

When she saw the figure outside the glass, joy flashed in her crazed eyes.

“Miaomiao! Miaomiao! I knew you wouldn’t ignore me! We are biological mother and daughter!”

Su Miao looked around. The room was completely without light, split into two by a large floor-to-ceiling glass wall. On her side were interrogation chairs, while Su Li’s side was lit by two huge white fluorescent lamps hanging on the wall.

“Miaomiao, let the Su family release me. I’m innocent—I know nothing.”

Su Miao sat down in silence, studying Su Li’s face carefully. Without all that gaudy makeup, this face actually looked much cleaner than her vile personality.

“Miaomiao, save me!!”

Su Miao said calmly, “Grandfather said I wasn’t switched at birth—I was abandoned. So from the moment I was born, you gave me up?”

Su Li froze for a moment, her expression stiffening slightly. “I did it for your own good! If you had stayed with me, you wouldn’t have had any future. The Saint Mary’s Hospital was full of wealthy people. If you met a kind rich person, you wouldn’t have had to suffer with me.”

She suddenly thought of a “good” justification.

“See? I was right in the end, wasn’t I? The Su family adopted you, didn’t they?”

Su Miao couldn’t quite describe how she felt. “If you didn’t want to be burdened, why did you adopt the Su family’s real daughter?”

A flash of vigilance immediately appeared in Su Li’s eyes. “So that’s it—you’re on their side! You just want to dig up information about Su Yun. You want to know something? Fine. Give me money! As long as you guarantee my safety, I’ll tell you everything I know!”

Truly insatiable.

Su Miao said indifferently, “I think I should remind you—this isn’t the world you’re familiar with. The leverage you think you have is worthless to the Su family. Do you really think they can’t find out who’s behind you? The only reason you’re still standing here unharmed is because Grandfather still has concerns about me. Without that, just for what you’ve done to Su Yun, the Su family could make you die a thousand times over.”

Su Li’s face instantly turned pale. She was, after all, just putting on a strong front—bluffing to survive.

Now that Su Miao had exposed her, Su Li simply stopped pretending. She collapsed to the ground and cried out: “I did it all because of you! As long as Su Yun can never return to the Su family, no one can compete with you! Save me, Miaomiao! I don’t want to die! Go plead with Old Master Su for me! I was forced into this—it was them who made me do it!”

Su Miao stood up, looking at her through the glass wall, and said gently: “I will help you, because only by reducing your crimes will Grandfather not take it out on me. This is the last time I come to see you. After today, our mother-daughter bond is severed. Whether you speak the truth or not… is up to you.”