“Don’t bother with me, you’re on my brother’s side!”

Tina tried to shake off Ji Jiangyuan’s hand. Xia Xiaolan clicked her tongue, “Ji Jiangyuan is already overwhelmed with his problems, how would he have time to conspire with your brother?”

This girl was becoming increasingly difficult. Xia Xiaolan had completely lost her initial good impression of her.

Of course, the young girl probably disliked Xia Xiaolan just as much.

Tina was about to argue back but suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon.

Yes, her anger was unreasonable. Ji Jiangyuan had been busy lately dealing with Ji Ya’s situation, and they barely crossed paths at the hotel. Tina had even visited the hospital once with George – those mental patients who couldn’t control their behavior occasionally broke free from medical staff and ran wild, creating an extremely tense and depressing atmosphere throughout the hospital.

Ji Jiangyuan spent every day there – he must be under tremendous pressure.

Tina lowered her head: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be angry with you.”

Ji Jiangyuan shook his head, “It’s okay. Perhaps you need to talk – we’re friends, aren’t we? I’ve been too busy these past few days and don’t know what’s happened on your end.”

As Xia Xiaolan was about to leave seeing Tina willing to talk properly, Tina called out to her:

“Xia Xiaolan, could you wait? I have something I want to ask you.”

Xia Xiaolan raised her wrist, indicating it was getting late.

Tina pleaded, biting her lip, “Please! Just the time it takes to drink a coffee!”

“Xiaolan, let’s hear what she has to say.”

With Ji Jiangyuan also asking her to stay, Xia Xiaolan reluctantly closed her car door, “Fine, let’s have that coffee then. Big Brother, you’re looking out for me.”

Ji Jiangyuan chuckled, “My apologies, but I need you to look out for me first.”

Tina was too troubled to notice how Xia Xiaolan and Ji Jiangyuan had become so close they could joke around.

The three went to the café.

Tina looked at Xia Xiaolan:

“I saw you at noon today, you were having lunch with friends at the hotel. I’ve met one of them before, surname Du.”

Indeed, she had met Du Zhaohui on the cruise.

“And then?”

Tina gritted her teeth, “You must have heard our argument. You know about my brother wanting me to… wanting me to do a DNA test.”

Xia Xiaolan didn’t deny it: “Not only do I know, but at your brother Xu Changle’s request, I’ll be helping coordinate with the American side. I’m sorry if you’re unhappy about this, but I’ll be involved throughout the process.”

Sigh, getting involved in others’ business wasn’t pleasant at all.

If not for Grandmother Yu’s request, Xia Xiaolan really wouldn’t want to deal with Xu Changle.

“Why do we need to redo the DNA test? I don’t care about Xu-“

“Do you not understand why? Because your brother Xu Changle cares about you. He wants to give you a complete family with a grandmother and father. He doesn’t want you to feel lonely and without belonging, having to seek familial love and care from others, getting only half-true comfort!”

Was she truly not understanding, or just unwilling to understand?

How had DNA testing become an injury?

Xia Xiaolan was tired of accommodating Tina’s fragile feelings. Since she was sacrificing her beauty sleep to deal with this nonsense, she might as well speak plainly:

“You think the DNA test questions you? You’re wrong – it questions your mother Cui Yiru. No matter how much children try to beautify and understand their mother’s mistakes, it doesn’t change the fact that she had an affair while married. Just because someone has died doesn’t mean everything they did becomes right and above questioning! Her actions betrayed her marriage and caused a chain of subsequent harm. One moment of weakness changed several people’s lives. Because of her actions, Uncle Xu had to hide his identity for so many years, and Grandmother Yu couldn’t see her son despite having one – why should that be accepted?”

Why should they be accommodating, magnanimous, and forgiving?

Xia Xiaolan felt Grandmother Yu had every right to be dissatisfied.

What Cui Yiru did destroyed others’ trust in her, so questioning her words was justified.

If Tina felt the DNA retest was insulting, this insult didn’t come from Grandmother Yu but was caused by Cui Yiru.

Tina’s face turned pale at Xia Xiaolan’s merciless words.

Ji Jiangyuan gently shook his head, signaling Xia Xiaolan to show some mercy.

The coffee arrived just then, and Xia Xiaolan took a sip.

Tina slowly came back to her senses.

“…I can’t refute what you’re saying, but I don’t need this.”

Xia Xiaolan sneered, “Then you should tell your brother Xu Changle that – tell him you absolutely won’t do the DNA test. For this stance, you’re willing to give up even your brother. Whoever asks you to do the DNA test becomes your enemy! Are you willing to say that? You probably are, because you know clearly that no matter how much you throw tantrums, Xu Changle won’t give up on you as his sister. He believes he has a responsibility to care for and protect you, and you know this, which is why you act out so recklessly. You’re still wallowing in your sorrow, thinking no one in the world has had it as rough as you – if your circumstances count as difficult, what about your brother Xu Changle?”

How could Xia Xiaolan like such an overly spoiled young girl?

First, there was Ji Ya.

Then Zhou Yi.

And now Tina.

Overly emphasizing their own feelings, only wanting to receive others’ love, and unwilling to give equal love in return.

If Tina was suffering, wasn’t Xu Changle suffering too?

At such a young age, Xu Changle had to act in front of Zhang Jiangdong, acting for so many years – that took real strength.

Tina’s unwillingness to accept the Xu family hurt Xu Changle the most – caught between his birth father and grandmother on one side, and his beloved sister on the other. Xu Changle’s wish for family harmony wasn’t wrong either.

In Xia Xiaolan’s opinion, redoing the DNA test was a good idea. Getting clear results would remove doubts from everyone’s minds.

If Tina turned out to be Xu Zhongyi’s daughter, everyone would be happy. Their distant relationship could be cultivated slowly, and even if Tina threw little tantrums, Grandmother Yu would probably be willing to comfort her.

If the test showed she wasn’t a Xu family child… that would be fine too. No one would force Tina to accept the Xu family anymore, she could continue righteously “resenting” them, and she’d still be Xu Changle’s sister – different fathers but the same mother – still having her brother’s love.

Tina, this little princess who grew up in an ivory tower, infinitely magnifying her feelings while ignoring those who loved her most – it probably came down to that saying – the favored ones are always fearless!

Xia Xiaolan originally didn’t want to confront anyone, preferring not to get too involved, but Tina insisted on having coffee with her to discuss this.

Fine, have coffee then. Since evening coffee would affect her sleep, Xia Xiaolan might as well have some fun confronting people.

Tina’s face turned red.

She wanted to rage at Xia Xiaolan but couldn’t find words to refute it.

That anger bottled up with no outlet made her eyes turn red, tears falling in large drops as she stared at Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan turned her head away – cry if you want, that trick won’t work on her.

Tina realized this too!

How could Xia Xiaolan be so hard-hearted?

She turned her tear-filled eyes to Ji Jiangyuan, but he nodded, “I think what Xiaolan says makes sense. You should also think about your brother’s feelings, don’t put him in a difficult position in the middle. Wouldn’t it be better to resolve this matter cleanly and quickly?”

Tina burst into tears:

“You’re such a jerk, aren’t we good friends?”