The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

On the 29th of the year, Xi Yuanchen stayed in his apartment all day.

Knowing that he wouldn't be spending the New Year with her, Yao Yingxi cherished this day immensely, but she didn't want to make it too obvious.

I simply cooked a few extra dishes as usual, ostensibly to make sure we ate well during the Chinese New Year.

At the dinner table, Xi Yuanchen asked, "When is your flight?"

Yao Yingxi paused in her chopsticks, looked up at Xi Yuanchen, and answered haphazardly, "Tomorrow, I haven't booked tickets yet."

"Do you need help?"

Yao Yingxi shook her head: "No need, I haven't decided where to go yet."

Xi Yuanchen did not reply.

After the two had been eating for a while, Yao Yingxi cautiously asked, "Where is Mr. Xi? You shouldn't be spending the New Year in Yuncheng, right?"

Xi Yuanchen replied calmly, "My flight is this afternoon."

The meal was finished quietly, and Yao Yingxi was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen when she heard the door close.

She hurriedly came out of the kitchen, opened the apartment door, and saw Xi Yuanchen leaving.

My heart is filled with sadness.

They weren't lovers, so of course there was no need for a farewell.

On New Year's Eve, Yao Yingxi still hadn't decided where to go.

She wandered aimlessly down the street, carrying a large bag of things.

Pedestrians on the street hurriedly bought New Year's goods in twos and threes.

An elderly couple walked ahead, discussing what to cook on the first day of the Lunar New Year to nourish their child who had returned from another place, and what to cook on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Yao Yingxi looked at them with unspeakable envy, and even more so at their children.

She hadn't felt that warmth for a very, very long time.

Even after bringing Yao Yingyue back from the Xu family, she didn't feel that warmth. What impressed her most was that for several years in a row, she worked desperately every day to make a living.

This is true even during the Lunar New Year period.

The burden on her shoulders was too heavy; supporting Yao Yingyue, who was attending a top university, was no easy task.

We have no choice but to work tirelessly, regardless of holidays or the time of day.

She wandered aimlessly on the street for a long time, but when she tried to flag down a car to go back to her apartment, she couldn't get one.

She shook her head with a wry smile. It was Lunar New Year's Eve, and everyone was heading home; how could anyone be working?

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Yao Yingxi returned to her apartment at 7 p.m.

After opening the apartment door, Yao Yingxi stood there for a long time, hesitant to go in.

For the first time, I realized how big the apartment I'd lived in for almost a year was; it felt empty and lonely.

Yao Yingxi shook her head and went inside helplessly, putting all the things she had bought into the refrigerator.

My phone suddenly rang in my pocket; it was a text message.

After tidying up, Yao Yingxi took out her phone, which displayed a New Year's greeting text message from her mobile carrier.

One of the passages reads: "On New Year's Eve, even if you're alone, you should eat dumplings to symbolize a happy and healthy reunion, and wish for everything to go smoothly in the coming year."

Yao Yingxi smiled slightly as she washed, chopped, and mixed the dough, pork, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients for the dumpling filling.

Afterwards, I sat in a chair and kneaded the dough in front of me for half an hour before cutting it into small pieces, rolling them into dumpling wrappers, and filling them with dumplings.

Looking at the rows of dumplings, Yao Yingxi got up from her chair.

She suddenly lost her appetite for dumplings.

Yao Yingxi sighed, put all the wrapped dumplings back in the refrigerator, cleaned and tidied the kitchen, boiled water, and walked out of the kitchen.

She sat on the sofa and turned on the TV, long past the time when the Spring Festival Gala skits were supposed to air.

She wasn't very interested in the TV shows where movie and TV stars were performing skits, but she didn't want to turn off the TV.

The complete silence in the apartment made the person feel even more lonely.

Fireworks burst brilliantly outside the window with a crackling sound.

As Yao Yingxi walked to the door, she suddenly felt nostalgic for the night on Christmas Day when Xi Yuanchen had spent time with her.

Although nothing memorable happened, at least I wasn't alone in the apartment.

The water in the kitchen boiled and the power automatically shut off. Her frail body stood on the balcony, looking as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

The lights were on in every apartment on the building in front of me, either waiting for someone to come home late or for a family to have a meal together.

She stood there alone, completely out of place amidst the hustle and bustle and warmth, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

Yao Yingxi gazed ahead and murmured softly, "Yao Yingxi, this is only the first year. You have to get used to it. From tonight onwards, you will be alone every year."

Turning around and going inside, Yao Yingxi made herself a bowl of instant noodles in the kitchen. Although the refrigerator was full of all sorts of ingredients she had bought that day, she still had no appetite for them.

Eating those meals alone made her feel even more lonely.

She doesn't like it, not at all.

The Xi family's old house at the same time.

The person seated at the head of the table was Xi Yuanchen's father, Xi Zhishen. His gaze was sharp and deep, like an eagle's, as unfathomable as a deep spring. He tilted his head slightly, glancing lightly at the food before him. The aura of someone accustomed to a position of power made people hesitant to approach him.

"Your fiancée, Liang Pingyin, will be returning to China soon. Break it off as soon as possible before the Liang family finds out you're keeping someone else on the side."

Xi Zhishen reminded him.

Xi Yuanchen and Liang Pingyin's marriage was an arranged marriage that had been in place since childhood.

Xi Yuanchen's lips curled slightly: "How do you know the Liang family didn't find anything?"

Those who have reached these positions are not fools; as the prospective husband of the eldest daughter of the Liang family, they have been keeping a close eye on her for some time.

The marriage was purely for mutual benefit; everyone went their own way, and they wouldn't have any children. The Liang family understood this but kept quiet about it.

"I know that woman has been by your side for quite a while now, so don't tell me you're serious."

Xi Zhishen frowned and spoke with a gloomy expression.

Xi Yuanchen paused: "Seriously? I just haven't had enough fun yet."

"Not done playing around? When are you going to be done? I don't want this woman to cause a rift in the relationship between our two families."

Xi Zhishen asked, "And what are your plans for next year's wedding?"

Xi Yuanchen stood up from his chair, his gaze cold: "Haven't you already arranged all of this? What does it matter what my plans are?"

After saying that, without paying any attention to Xi Zhishen's expression, he left the restaurant and walked towards the door.

Enraged, Xi Zhishen picked up the table next to him and smashed it on the ground, yelling, "You worthless bastard!"

"What's wrong during the Lunar New Year?"

Hearing the noise, the woman who came out of the kitchen quickly went up and patted Xi Zhishen on the back.

This person is Liu Hui, Xi Zhishen's wife, who is ten years younger than him.

"This bastard is getting more and more outrageous."

Xi Zhishen pointed angrily towards the door. Seeing that one person was missing from the table, Liu Hui knew who Xi Zhishen was referring to even without asking.

She pretended to be troubled and stepped forward: "Old Xi, Yuanchen is growing up. It's inevitable that you and he will have different opinions sometimes. Don't scold the child like that."

Although it's unknown what Xi Yuanchen and Xi Zhishen talked about that made Xi Zhishen so angry.

But to be a good stepmother and to make sure Xi Zhishen didn't feel that her personality wasn't as gentle towards Xi Yuanchen as it was towards him, she quickly comforted Xi Zhishen.

A sharp glint and a smug smile flashed in his eyes.

"Even if he grows up, he is still my son, Xi Zhishen, and he must obey his father's discipline."

Liu Hui remained silent.