Departing in Disappointment

They were the ones who hit her first. Ruan Mengmeng had merely put up a bit of resistance, but now Ruan Jiaojiao was making her out to be the worst of villains.

Ruan Mengmeng really did not understand. How could there be anyone so good at manipulating the truth?

She turned her head slightly, ignoring Ruan Jiaojiao’s accusations and looking only at Ruan Zhaotian.

Half of her beautiful face was completely swollen, and the fresh blood flowing from the corner of her forehead added a layer of frost over her initially sweet and pure looks.

Ruan Mengmeng stared directly at Ruan Zhaotian. “Dad, tell me… The truth is, you’re already certain that I did it, aren’t you?”

Her father was not always like this.

Yes, he was a flirt, and he betrayed her mother as a partner. That was why her mother killed herself by jumping into the ocean eleven years ago.

Even so, he had truly been good to Ruan Mengmeng and her sister.

He used to listen to her explanations, hearing her words and understanding her thoughts.

When others teased her in the past, saying she was not as capable as her older sister and that she was a parasite living off the Ruan Family, her father had been the one who hugged and consoled her.

‘I’ll let Shishi handle Ruan Industries in the future, and then I’ll retire and be a parasite with you, Mengmeng. One day, I’ll be a parasite too, just like our Mengmeng. What’s wrong with being a parasite? That just means someone loves us enough to feed us. Parasites are the best, parasites for the win!’

His words from back then still resonated in her ears.

Now, however…

“Mengmeng, don’t think too much of it… I know you’re not that bad, I’m sure you just got a little carried away.”

As soon as Ruan Zhaotian said that, Ruan Mengmeng felt as though her brain exploded.

It was as though she could see all her memories of her reliable father shattering into pieces in her mind.

“No, you’re wrong…” Suddenly, she laughed.

Her laughter made her face contort, and the blood from the corner of her forehead flowed even more viciously now.

“I meant it, I totally meant to do it… I meant to push that Qin Fang woman down, I wanted to kill her and her baby! I’m just that stupid, I’m just that dumb… Instead of doing it any other way, I insisted on pushing her down the stairs at home, in front of other witnesses. I purposely left proof so you could accuse me!”

“You… You little ingrate! How… How dare you try to kill my grandson!”

Old Madam Ruan did not seriously listen to what Ruan Mengmeng said at all. All she heard was Ruan Mengmeng confessing to how she had purposely pushed Qin Fang down, and that was already enough to make her snap. She grabbed the sling bag from her daughter’s hands and swung it at Ruan Mengmeng’s head.

She was not alone, either. Even Qin Fang’s older brother and sister-in-law rolled up their sleeves, ready to join the fight.

Ruan Zhaotian looked at his daughter, his most beloved second daughter. Instead of her usual smile, her face held an expression of utter heartbreak and despair.

In that instant, he felt his heart twist in pain, as though it had abruptly stopped working.

Almost instinctively, he wanted to stop his mother. He wanted to stop Qin Fang’s brother and sister-in-law.

Just then, however, the door to the operating theater swung open.

Qin Fang and her child were pushed out on the gurney.

“Is Qin Fang’s family here?” The doctor’s words finally put an end to the drama unfolding outside the operating theater.

Everyone, even Ruan Zhaotian who had just felt his heart ache, even Madam Qin who was sitting on the floor and could not get up… All of them instantly forgot about Ruan Mengmeng’s very existence.

They surged toward the gurney and the doctor.

Just like that, Ruan Mengmeng remained rooted on the spot, watching as all of them — her father, grandmother, aunt, and the entire Qin Family gathered together.

They fussed over Qin Fang, who was still unconscious, and over the newborn child.

Not a single one of them cared about her, even though she had lost so much blood that her lips were white and her body was swaying.

That was when Ruan Mengmeng finally knew.

After her sister’s death, she had lost every last connection with this family.