The missed call was from an unknown number again. Since she hadn't answered, they followed up with a text message.
Based on the message, Yun Zijin guessed the number belonged to the biological mother she had never met.
Reading between the lines, Yun Zijin could just imagine the bitter, resentful expression on the woman's face as she wrote it.
This was the biological mother who hadn't raised her for a single day, yet the text was filled with a complaining tone. Yun Zijin deleted the message and blocked the number in one clean sweep.
They wanted her to attend the Xia Family patriarch's birthday banquet. To put Xia Jiajiao at ease, they wanted her to announce at the party that she was just a kind-hearted orphan they had taken in, and that Xia Jiajiao was the true and proper young lady of the Xia Family.
And on top of all that, they had the nerve to sound like she should be grateful. Yun Zijin had no idea what was going on in their heads.
'Do they really think I'm some pushover they can mold and shape as they please?'
Yun Zijin unblocked Xia Zhiyun's number from her phone and gave him a call.
The call connected quickly, but the person who answered wasn't Xia Zhiyun. It was... Xia Jiajiao.
"Yun Zijin? You're the biological daughter Mom and Dad found recently?"
"Oh, so you're that delicate little miss who faints at the drop of a hat? Your voice sounds pretty strong. You're not... faking it, are you?"
Yun Zijin was allergic to these white-lotus, green-tea-bitch types. Whenever she encountered one, she couldn't help but lash out.
Xia Jiajiao had walked right into her line of fire.
"You... I was in a car accident! It's normal for me to faint!
I know you don't like me. If you mind my being here, I'll tell Mom that I'll move out of the house after I'm discharged from the hospital. Mom and Dad are your parents. I... I shouldn't be fighting with you over them."
"Yun Zijin! What did you say to Jiao Jiao? Why would she want to move out of the house?!
As the older sister, you should be tolerant of your younger sister, not be so jealous that you want to drive her out of the Xia Family!"
Yun Zijin had no idea that Xia Jiajiao, hearing Xia Zhiyun's voice just outside the room, had deliberately steered the conversation toward her moving out of the Xia family home.
So when Xia Zhiyun came back in, he was met with the sight of a tearful Xia Jiajiao, tragically talking about moving out.
And with her phone still on an active call, Yun Zijin on the other end naturally became the prime culprit.
Yun Zijin: '...Fucking idiots!'
"Shut up! I only called to have you tell your mother to stop calling and texting me. It's annoying.
I will not be attending the Xia Family's birthday banquet, and I'd appreciate it if you all would stop looking for me.
As for Xia Jiajiao, she's your sister, not mine."
After saying her piece, Yun Zijin hung up decisively and blocked the number again.
Before Xia Zhiyun could say anything else, he found the call had been disconnected. When he tried calling back, it wouldn't go through.
Based on past experience, Xia Zhiyun knew that Yun Zijin had most likely blocked him again.
"Brother... my sister, she..."
After Xia Zhiyun hung up, Xia Jiajiao looked at him timidly. Tears welled up, shimmering at the corners of her eyes without falling, making her look all the more pitifully fragile.
"Just focus on recovering. Don't worry about anything else."
Xia Zhiyun rubbed the bridge of his nose, a clear look of exhaustion on his face.
Lately, he had been busy with the Xia family's business, searching for Yun Zijin, and on top of that, making time to visit Xia Jiajiao. He was so tired that his eyes were bloodshot.
Now, with the obvious rift between Xia Jiajiao and Yun Zijin, Xia Zhiyun felt both mentally and physically drained.
"Brother, is it because of me... that sister is unwilling to come home?
I know I'm not Mom and Dad's biological daughter. I'm the one who stole her place. I should be the one to give it back to her..."
As Xia Jiajiao spoke, the tears began to fall again.
"Nonsense! You've lived in our home for over twenty years. Even without blood ties, you are the young lady of our Xia Family, my, Xia Zhiyun's, sister. Nothing and no one can change that."
Xia Zhiyun was genuinely good to Xia Jiajiao. Even after learning she wasn't his biological sister, his attitude toward her had never changed.
His biggest headache was still Yun Zijin, who refused to return to the Xia Family.
"But my sister, she..."
"I know how to handle the matter with Yun Zijin. You just need to focus on getting better.
I brought you dinner from Qingjin Pavilion. Eat it while it's hot. I have a meeting to get to, so I have to go."
Xia Zhiyun raised the overbed table, placed the insulated food container on it, and after a few more words of instruction to Xia Jiajiao, he turned to leave.
Xia Jiajiao's eyes lit up when she heard the dinner was from Qingjin Pavilion, but when she heard Xia Zhiyun had a meeting, a flash of resentment crossed her eyes.
She hid it well, however. "Okay! Thank you, Brother! You're the best!"
Xia Jiajiao opened the food container herself and took out the stacked layers of dishes. Watching Xia Zhiyun's retreating back, she put down her chopsticks the very next second without having taken a single bite.
＊＊＊＊＊＊
[Mission Issued: Host is required to spend a minimum of ¥100,000,000.00 at tonight's Lu Family Charity Auction. No upper limit. Mission Reward: To be unlocked.]
[Auction invitation has been sent to the system inventory. Please check for it.]
At six in the morning again, Yun Zijin was awakened by the system's mission notification.
When she saw the required spending amount, her eyes widened.
A minimum spend of one hundred million, with no upper limit!
'Looks like Randomly Spend wants to go big this time!'
But, where was this Lu Family Charity Auction being held?
Yun Zijin took the invitation out of her system inventory and saw the address and time written in small, gilt lettering in the bottom left corner:
Address: Jinsheng Hotel, 9th Floor;
Time: July 4th, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM.
'Does this kind of auction require a formal gown?'
Yun Zijin was a bit troubled. In all her recent shopping sprees, she realized she hadn't bought a single formal gown.
Besides, aside from the gown, there was also makeup and hair... she couldn't manage all that by herself.
And if she needed to get styled, she probably couldn't go to work today.
At that moment, Yun Zijin finally made up her mind to quit.
Since she was going to quit, Yun Zijin no longer bothered with deliberately choosing affordable clothes and accessories.
The fruits of her shopping sprees over the past two days now came into play.
By the time Yun Zijin had herself all dolled up, it was already 7:30 AM. She grabbed her Ice Plum Powder keys and sped down to the underground garage to get her car.
After a frantic rush, Yun Zijin finally arrived at Dingsi Building at 8:30 AM.
This time when she entered, not only were the security guards beaming enthusiastically at her, but even the first-floor receptionists were all smiles.
Yun Zijin gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Arriving on the 20th floor again, Yun Zijin's mindset was completely different.
Sang Ying stared in amazement at the absolutely radiant Yun Zijin. "Whoa! What did you take today? You're in such high spirits!"
Although their company had good benefits and a great work atmosphere, during work hours, everyone was usually at least a little bit sluggish.
"I didn't take anything. I'm quitting."
Now financially independent, Yun Zijin's mood soared just thinking about the freedom she would have after resigning.