6. You will no longer be a daughter of our family.

Liang Bo'an’s cold voice instantly drew a wave of attention, and the elders of both the Si and Liang families, who had been toasting nearby, naturally took notice.

Almost everyone wore a dark expression, save for Si Guancheng, in whose eyes a flicker of excitement danced.

"This Si Yun, she is truly devoid of any sense!" Si Guancheng remarked. That single sentence was enough to make the elders of both families view Si Yun with utter disdain. Du Meifen, the adoptive mother who had once cherished Si Yun most, allowed her extreme dissatisfaction to show and began walking toward her.

Meanwhile, Si Mianmian, seeing Liang Bo'an’s anger, stepped forward with a display of feigned grievance and tugged at his arm.

"Brother Liang, please, don't be impulsive. Big sister only brought someone else to our engagement party because she loves you so deeply it’s carved into her bones. Please, just forgive her. It’s my fault—guests are guests. If you flare up like this, it will put me in such an awkward position," Si Mianmian said, feigning an air of profound reason.

It was a masterfully crafted statement.

To everyone listening, it carried layers of implications. It subtly mocked the adopted daughter for coveting her own brother-in-law and lacking shame; it pointed a finger at Ji Hanxiao, suggesting Si Yun was deeply infatuated with another man; and it framed her presence as a deliberate, spiteful attempt to ruin the engagement and humiliate the true daughter of the house.

"Oh, give me a break. That is so infuriating..." Qin Yin felt sick to her stomach.

Si Yun, however, remained indifferent. It was precisely this nonchalance that further enraged Liang Bo'an.

"Si Yun, you have disappointed me beyond words. Bringing such trash here just to make me notice you? You’re wrong. The person I am getting engaged to today is Mianmian; she is the true daughter of the Si family. Your behavior only makes me look down on you," Liang Bo'an sneered. Hearing Si Mianmian’s words only solidified his conviction that Si Yun’s absurd behavior was a desperate breakdown caused by his engagement.

Si Yun curled her lips into a faint smile and looked up at the couple.

"I see. I understand now. In that case, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness," she said calmly. The tranquility in her eyes caused a flicker of panic in Liang Bo'an; he wondered when the gaze that had always chased after him had vanished from her eyes.

"Si Yun, don’t be so stubborn. You are, at the very least, an adopted daughter of the Si family. What do you think you are doing, smearing the family’s reputation like this?" Liang Bo'an tried to use the weight of the family name to suppress her.

Indeed, those closest to us are the ones who know exactly how to wound us.

Liang Bo'an knew exactly what she held most dear: the embroidery studio Grandma Si had entrusted to her on her deathbed, the meticulous care Du Meifen had once shown her, and her older brother, currently overseas... these had once been the people she could never bear to part with.

*Slap!*

A crisp, sharp sound rang out as a stinging blow landed unexpectedly on Si Yun’s cheek, drawing gasps and astonished stares from the crowd.

Stunned, Si Yun turned to look at Du Meifen, whose eyes were reddened with visible fury.

Seeing the distinct imprint of five fingers on Si Yun’s pale cheek, Du Meifen felt a momentary pang of panic, but it was quickly washed away by a wave of profound humiliation and anger.

"Si Yun, why must you be like this? Did I not beg you? Why can’t you yield to your sister, why can’t you just offer her your blessings? For all these years, I raised you as if you were my own flesh and blood. I thought you were a grateful child, but look at what you are doing now! You are hurting my own biological daughter! Have you no shame?" Du Meifen shrieked, her accusations painting Si Yun as an ungrateful wretch, a heartless creature.

It still hurt.

But it didn't hurt as much as it had a month ago. Beyond the physical pain, she couldn't even shed a tear. Si Yun looked at the woman before her; the ten-plus years of affection were like a shattered mirror, crumbling into fragments and slipping away, bit by bit.

"What makes you think she has no shame?" A firm, indisputable voice cut through the air. Si Yun looked at Ji Hanxiao’s face, momentarily dazed. The stern, profound expression on this university student’s face carried the weight of someone in power—an aura she had only ever seen in elderly leaders.

"And who are you?" Du Meifen demanded, feeling even more disgraced to see them holding hands, especially after hearing what her own daughter had said earlier.

"Someone, throw this insolent brat out! How are things being run here, letting any stray dog or cat wander in?" Du Meifen continued, shedding the gentle, motherly image she had once maintained in Si Yun’s heart. She had become a weapon wielded by her biological daughter, attacking anyone who might threaten her.

As security guards moved in, Si Yun rose with a bitter smile.

"No need to chase us; we will leave on our own," Si Yun said softly. She lifted her gaze to meet Du Meifen’s, a look of unfamiliarity in her eyes. For a split second, Du Meifen felt a jolt of alarm. Si Yun had always been the most obedient daughter, the one she took pride in. Even as an adopted child, she had brought good fortune to the Si family.

The family’s business, their luck, and their reputation in Su City had grown, and Si Yun had always followed her every command. Du Meifen had even thought that if she never found her own daughter, she would simply treat Si Yun as her own.

But.

"Stand where you are! What kind of attitude is that?" Du Meifen bristled at her reaction.

Si Yun felt a profound sense of exhaustion.

"Mrs. Si, what exactly do you want me to do to satisfy you? You told me not to come, and I truly did not want to. I was brought here against my will. I merely brought a friend to attend Miss Si’s engagement party, and for that, I have become the unrighteous, shameless creature you describe. I apologize. To ensure I no longer cause you grief, I am leaving. Is that wrong, too?" Si Yun asked coldly.

Every word made the attendees widen their eyes in shock.

Almost everyone present knew how intimate the mother-daughter relationship between Si Yun and Du Meifen had once been; Du Meifen had even donated to a temple to burn incense and pray for Si Yun’s well-being.

"Si... Mrs.?" Du Meifen repeated in disbelief.

Si Yun looked at her.

"You forbade me from calling you Mother. I haven't forgotten," Si Yun replied.

Deep disappointment and a resentment deeper than the sea welled up in Du Meifen’s eyes.

"Fine! You ungrateful wretch that I raised! Si Yun, are you trying to spite me? Is that it? You simply cannot tolerate my biological daughter, can you? You think it’s only right that the Si family gives everything to you! By acting this way, aren't you just trying to rebel against me, trying to force me to compromise, counting on the fact that I once loved you as a daughter? You are wrong. My real daughter is back. Know your place! If you continue to be so ungrateful, you will no longer be a daughter of the Si family!"

The cruel ultimatum was delivered, and the crowd watched the drama unfold.