On the day of her return to China, she was tied up and coaxed by the richest man to get her marriage

at the same time.

"Go outside and kneel down." Yu Zongxian pointed towards the backyard with a gloomy face and shouted at Jiang Xintong in a deep voice.

Jiang Xintong shrank back slightly and instinctively grabbed Yu Jinxian's sleeve, like a wisp of duckweed clinging to its only support.

Then, she bravely met his gaze and said in a trembling voice, "Uncle Yu, I will not admit to doing something I didn't do."

As she spoke, a tear slid down her cheek.

That expression, though terrified, revealed a resolute determination, as if Dou E, having suffered countless injustices, was risking her life to defend her innocence.

Yu Zongxian looked at her coldly, "Whether you admit it or not, the fact that you took the package that A-Xian was supposed to give to Chaochao is enough to prove that you have wicked intentions to ruin my children, and you can't deny it!"

Jiang Xintong's eyes were red, and she glanced at Yu Jinzhao beside her out of the corner of her eye.

She stared at the scene expressionlessly, seemingly not taking her seriously at all.

Treat it like air, completely ignore it.

It's as if, regardless of whether she kneels or not, she will definitely be kicked out of the Yu family.

My heart skipped a beat.

Yu Jinxian sensed her trembling, and a slight ripple appeared in his clear eyes. He spoke up to help her out, "Dad..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Zongxian interrupted him with narrowed eyes, "What, you're just making her kneel down once? It's not time to really deal with her yet!"

"The evidence hasn't come yet, and she's still on my side, the Yu family's side. I'm still her stepfather for now, so can't I discipline her?"

The icy voice was like the first layer of melting snow on a glacier, chillingly cold.

Jiang Xintong's heart trembled. This one sentence, "for now," seemed to have already removed her from the Yu family.

Seeing that Yu Jinxian remained unmoved and determined to protect Jiang Xintong, Yu Zongxian felt extremely sorry for his daughter.

He couldn't help but glance at Yu Jinzhao, and saw her standing quietly in place, her eyes filled with the gentle moonlight, devoid of any emotion.

His long eyebrows furrowed instantly into a deep frown, and his fists clenched.

"Tongtong, listen to your Uncle Yu and go outside to kneel down." At this moment, Lin Hui came over and pushed Jiang Xintong, sternly reprimanding her.

Jiang Xintong clenched her teeth, glanced at her mother with tears in her eyes, and then turned and walked towards the back door.

As she walked, she sniffled, perfectly conveying her grievance and helplessness.

Yu Zongxian didn't even want to look at her. He turned around, walked up to Yu Jinzhao, and gently patted her hand.

Her calm eyes flickered slightly as she recalled how, when she was little, if anyone bullied her, her father would always rush over immediately, no matter how busy he was, and would always hold her hand and pat it gently.

They all heard Grandma's favorite saying: "Pat their fur, they won't be scared."

Dad is standing up for her!

A warm feeling spread from the bottom of my heart, and I couldn't help but take my father's arm.

Yu Jinxian frowned slightly as she watched their interaction, then spoke gently, "Dad, since you're determined to indulge Chaochao, then I'll kneel in place of Xintong."

With that, he turned and walked toward the back door.

Yu Zongxian grabbed his arm and shouted, "Stop!"

His handsome features faltered slightly as he turned to look at his father, whose face was ashen. Deep worry filled his eyes, and his usually gentle tone became anxious as he said, "Dad, Xintong can't get cold!"

At this moment, Jiang Xintong had already obediently knelt down in the courtyard.

Outside, a fierce wind and rain raged, whipping the surrounding trees and flowers, making them sway and rustle, like an invisible behemoth ravaging all things in the world.

Although a pergola with shade was installed in the garden, it was still open on all sides, and the storm swept in the rain, some of which would inevitably get on Jiang Xintong.

She knelt there, her thin body trembling slightly, as if she were in great pain. She couldn't help but hug herself, and after a while, she collapsed to her knees, her face showing signs of great suffering.

Yu Jinxian disregarded everything, pushed her father aside, strode up to her, bent down and helped her up by the arm, "Xintong, how are you?"

"Brother Jinxian, my body hurts so much..." Jiang Xintong leaned weakly against Yu Jinxian's leg, her face already deathly pale, one hand pressed against her knee, looking extremely fragile.

"It seems like my rheumatism has flared up again. You know, I always feel a lot of pain before it rains..."

A hint of self-reproach flashed in Yu Jinxian's clear eyes. "I'll help you back to your room to rest."

"Rheumatism?" Yu Zongxian was shocked for a moment, then laughed angrily.

“You don’t believe a word of Chaochao’s words, yet you’re deceived by such a clumsy lie. She came to the Yu family at the age of twelve and has been pampered with good food and drink all these years. Her annual physical examinations have been very healthy. Tell me, where did she get her rheumatism from?”

Rheumatism mostly affects the elderly, often caused by exposure to wind and cold, and it is an incurable disease.

How could Jiang Xintong, at such a young age, suffer from such a serious and intractable disease?

Yu Jinxian straightened up, her clear eyes seemingly veiled in a thin mist. She first looked at Yu Jinzhao, then turned to her father, "Dad, Xintong did all this for me..."

“Brother Jinxian, don’t say…” Jiang Xintong hurriedly interrupted him, looking up with teary eyes, “No matter how much I do for you, it’s only because I care about you as a brother.”

"It's not just you; my heart is sincere towards the entire Yu family. Even if Uncle Yu misunderstands that I have ulterior motives, I don't want to gain recognition through external factors. I just want you all to purely feel my sincerity!"

Hearing her heartfelt and sincere words, Yu Jinzhao couldn't help but smile.

How could anyone who didn't know the truth not be moved by her words?

Upon hearing this, Yu Jinxian's self-reproach turned into guilt, which then spread like thick ink, covering her warm, tea-colored eyes with a thick fog.

Thinking of how Xintong braved dangers and worked tirelessly to get him the rare badge, and how such a delicate girl had fallen from the snow-capped mountain and developed rheumatism at such a young age...

It's all because of him!

He had never paid any attention to her before, and he certainly hadn't treated her like a younger sister.

But she bravely gave herself to him, ruining her health in the process. He owed her a lifetime of regret!

On the contrary, his own sister ignored him completely.

That's why Xintong was afraid that Chaochao would lose face back then.

Also afraid that outsiders would say that Chaochao, the young lady, was not as sensible as her stepdaughter, she took the initiative to ask him not to talk about how she had asked him for the rare badge.

To save face for Chaochao, he had never told his father about Xintong's contributions, including when Chaochao tried to steal credit from Xintong.

I'm so sorry to her...

Jiang Xintong refused to be helped up by Yu Jinxian, shaking her head and saying, "Brother Jinxian, let me kneel. I can hold it. I believe Uncle Yu will understand my innocence soon!"

Seeing Yu Jinxian's increasingly reluctant gaze, Jiang Xintong felt smug.

Especially considering that the pain she was showing was actually Yu Jinzhao's real feeling at this moment, yet Yu Jinzhao had no way to express her suffering...

Because of her preconceived notions, if Yu Jinzhao says anything else, Yu Jinxian will only feel that she is stealing her credit!

She raised her eyes, wanting to admire Yu Jinzhao's broken and helpless state, but only met his cold and aloof eyes.

So you don't care?

Jiang Xintong frowned, thinking that she must be faking it, and couldn't help but open her lips to speak silently.

Yu Jinzhao had studied lip reading in college and quickly read her moving lips.

"Your credit is mine. I will stay in the Yu family forever. Once the old man dies, I will be the eldest daughter of the Yu family..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yu Jinzhao strode up to her, grabbed her by the neck, lifted her up, and forcefully slammed her against a pine tree.