Sober and beautiful, my husband and son begged for my forgiveness on their knees.

When Ning Yao received the call from the Ning family, she guessed what they were up to, but she still went over anyway.

Although the Ning family was not as powerful as the Lu family, their residence was still extremely valuable and magnificent.

But this wealth had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Ning Yao was switched at birth and was not recognized and returned to the Ning family until she was eighteen years old. Before returning to the Ning family, she made a living by collecting garbage.

In her previous life, when her biological parents found her, they saw a room full of cardboard boxes and bottles. Despite their best efforts to restrain themselves, they couldn't help but reveal a hint of disgust and aversion.

In their eyes, Ning Yao, no matter how you look at it, is no match for Ning Yan, whom they have nurtured with all their might, even though Ning Yao is their biological child.

Thus, she became a stain that the Ning family tried desperately to cover up.

Even when she married Lu Jingmo, no one in the entire Whale City was optimistic about their marriage. After all, before she came back, the person who had grown up with Lu Jingmo was Ning Yan.

At this moment, Ning Yao was standing outside the Ning family's gate when she heard a servant say, "Please wait a moment, I will go and inform Madam."

A mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips. She had to report back to her own home?

This is clearly her so-called biological parents trying to suppress her and vent their anger for their adopted daughter, Ning Yan.

"No need. You invited me here, but it's turned into me begging to come. It's pointless. I'm leaving."

The maid's expression changed slightly. Just then, a scolding female voice came from the living room—

"Ning Yao, get in here! Do I have to come out and invite you myself?"

Ning Yao paused. Now that things had come to this point, she naturally couldn't leave, otherwise she didn't know what kind of trouble the Ning family would cause.

She turned and walked directly into the living room, where she was greeted by a blast of cold air.

Ning's father, Ning Jianguo, and mother, Li Lifen, were sitting on the sofa in the living room. Ning Yan sat between them, her eyes red, as if she had just been crying.

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Lifen's eyes when she saw Ning Yao now.

Ning Yao used to be timid and hesitant, completely unfit for the stage, but she's a little different now.

Her posture is straighter than before, and her eyes are no longer timid... she looks a bit like the daughter of the Ning family.

“I was worried that you would embarrass the Ning family in the Lu family, but now it seems that Yanyan was right. Jingmo has taken good care of you and has completely transformed you.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Yao raised an eyebrow and sat down on the nearest single sofa.

“If we’re talking about taking care of someone, Lu Jingmo takes much better care of Ning Yan. Even Ming Jin only recognizes her and doesn’t recognize me as her mother.”

Hearing her sarcastic words, Li Lifen immediately retorted angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? If Yanyan hadn't voluntarily withdrawn, how would you have had the chance to marry into the Lu family and enjoy a life of luxury? You not only don't appreciate her good qualities, but you also slander her in front of us. You're too ungrateful!"

Ning Yao doesn't want to cause trouble, but that doesn't mean she's afraid of trouble.

“Enjoy life? If I remember correctly, you didn’t give me anything when I got married. You said the Lu family lacked nothing and told me to be patient and avoid causing trouble so as not to implicate you.”

"If this is what you call enjoying life, then you have very limited knowledge."

Li Lifen's face flushed with anger. "How dare you talk to me like that? I'm your mother!"

Ning Jianguo was also very dissatisfied, "If we hadn't agreed to let you marry into the Lu family, would you be living such a good life now? Yanyan has already kept her distance from Jingmo so that you can be happy, but you are not grateful at all and even come to criticize us. You are too insensible!"

Ning Yao's fingers tightened slightly. These were her biological parents. They were clearly biased to the extreme, yet they still thought it was her fault.

A bitter feeling welled up uncontrollably in her heart.

Forget it, it’s useless to say more.

"Alright, I didn't come back to listen to your complaints. If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm leaving now."

"You—" Li Lifen had been relieved that Ning Yao had improved, but now she was so angry that her chest heaved violently.

"Mom, don't be angry, take care of your health." Ning Yan quickly helped her calm down, and then looked at Ning Yao with aggrieved expression, "Yao Yao, I know you still resent the fact that we switched identities. You can do whatever you want to me, but you can't deliberately say things to upset Mom. She's not in good health and she'll get sick."

Seeing how worried she was, Li Lifen felt comforted and reassured her, "Mom's fine, don't worry."

Then she looked coldly at Ning Yao, "You blame us for favoring Yanyan, but look at yourself. From the moment you entered this family until now, you haven't said a single word of concern for your parents. Instead, you've repeatedly angered us. How are we supposed to communicate with you!"

Ning Yao immediately put her legs down, which she was about to cross, and her face turned cold.

Are you sure you want to keep arguing with me about who's right and who's wrong?

Li Lifen felt a pang in her heart when she saw her cold demeanor.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be good to Ning Yao, but after all, the two had been separated for more than ten years. Even though blood is thicker than water, it couldn't compare to spending every day with Yan Yan.

She had initially considered repairing her relationship with Ning Yao, but she didn't expect that Ning Yao would try every means to squeeze Yan Yan out as soon as she returned, which made it impossible for her to feel close to him.

Seeing his wife's ashen face, Ning Jianguo immediately took over the conversation.

“We’re family now, so there’s no need to bring up the past. I called you back today because I have something to discuss with you. Give that opportunity to study abroad from Xingyi Group to Yanyan. Now that you’re married, you only need to take care of your family and children; you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

When Ning Yan heard Ning Jianguo say that, she raised her eyes slightly to look at Ning Yao. Although her eyes were restrained, they still revealed a hint of smugness.

Although Ning Yao had come prepared, she still felt a tightness in her chest when she heard these words.

He said he wanted to discuss it, but his tone was so forceful that it left no room for argument.

They even used marriage and family as an excuse to dismiss her diligence and hard work.

She doesn't agree!

"It's her own fault for being less skilled. Why should I give her the opportunity? Besides, I earned this opportunity through my own abilities. It has nothing to do with you. What right do you have to make decisions for me?"

Seeing that she still dared to talk back to him, Ning Jianguo became even angrier and blurted out, "Just because I'm your father, you have to listen to me."

Ning Yao let out a cold laugh, "So what if I am? I am not your appendage, and I can make my own decisions."

"You bastard!" Ning Jianguo was furious, his face flushed red with anger. "How could I have given birth to a daughter like you, who disregards family ties and is so selfish!"

Ning Yao remained unmoved.

Li Lifen's face, which had just calmed down, turned ashen again. Pointing at Ning Yao, she said, "How can you be so cold-blooded? Yanyan gave Lu Jingmo to you. It was just a study opportunity. What's wrong with you not giving it up?"

Ning Yan had long guessed that Ning Yao wouldn't agree so readily, and she was very happy to see the father and daughter break off their relationship.

The more ungrateful Ning Yao is, the more advantageous it becomes for me.

“Yaoyao, it’s okay if you don’t agree, but please don’t upset your parents anymore. They’re getting old and can’t handle this kind of stress. This opportunity is precious, but if it will cause you to fall out with your parents, then I absolutely cannot accept it.”

Ning Yan said no, but her expression was extremely aggrieved. When she turned her face away, she secretly wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face.

Her forbearance and willingness to compromise touched the hearts of both Li Lifen and Ning Jianguo.

Li Lifen became even more enraged and said, "Ning Yao, I am your mother, and I'm making the decision today. You must give this spot to Yan Yan as compensation for her tolerance and sacrifices towards you."