Gao Min stared at Liu Yutong's face, which bore some resemblance to her own, her lips trembling slightly: "You...you're my..."
"Full-blooded younger sister."
Liu Yutong calmly finished her sentence: "Liu Lei was indeed incredibly selfish. He sent you away without our mother's consent—or perhaps he didn’t even know about it. Mother was depressed for years afterward. She always believed you’d been kidnapped by traffickers."
"After years of emotional turmoil, she chose to leave. By then, she was already pregnant with me. Later, at some point, she met my adoptive father."
"As a child, I never understood why adults called my mother mentally unstable, warned others to stay away from her, and labeled her a madwoman.
Later, when Mother silently left home, abandoning me in that place, I still didn’t know what had happened.
Now, I finally understand."
Though much of what Liu Yutong said was speculation, it was likely close to the truth.
Liu Jianyi had accused Mother of cheating on him, and in a way, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
But in reality, she’d already been pregnant with Liu Yutong before they even met.
Why Mother had been drawn to Liu Jianyi back then, Liu Yutong suspected, was because her mental state had already deteriorated.
One thing was certain, though: Liu Jianyi hadn’t known at the time.
The full truth would only come to light if they found Mother.
As for why Liu Yutong had suddenly asked Zhao Tianyi to draft that father-daughter severance agreement earlier—legally, blood relations couldn’t be severed under normal circumstances unless there was evidence of a crime, like child abuse.
Gambling alone wouldn’t be enough.
But with an adoptive father, it was different.
Liu Yutong now had ample proof that she wasn’t Liu Jianyi’s biological daughter, making the agreement possible.
Gao Min suddenly felt like all of this was absurd, as if she were trapped in a dream.
The criminal syndicate she’d infiltrated, the adoptive father she’d believed long dead, the biological father who’d suddenly appeared only to be revealed as deceased, and now this self-proclaimed younger sister—a mafia princess standing before her...
"You knew all along. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!"
"I’m telling you now, sister. Now that you know the truth, do you plan to keep being a cop, or...?"
"I’ll always be a cop!"
Gao Min stood abruptly, her voice fierce: "Even if Liu Lei was my biological father, even if you’re my...sister, I won’t cover up any illegal activities of yours!"
"My dear sister, you’re being unfair. I’m a law-abiding citizen."
"Our organization even has a cooperative relationship with the police. You gave us an award plaque, remember?" Liu Yutong reminded her.
"That was because I—" Gao Min faltered.
"Wanted to get closer to me and gather nonexistent evidence to put me away?"
"Sister, you’re stuck in a mental trap. Not everyone in black is a villain."
Liu Yutong pointed at Gao Min’s own black turtleneck sweater: "That looks quite nice on you, doesn’t it?"
Gao Min fell silent.
Had she really been blinded by prejudice?
Just then—
Thud!
A muffled impact came from outside the window as a frail figure crashed onto the ground.
Seconds later, Yun Cheng strode over, his expression icy as he hauled the person up. Even through the glass, his voice was razor-sharp:
"Talk! Who sent you? Not talking? I’ll execute you right here!"
Liu Yutong: "..."
"This must be a misunderstanding. Yun Cheng has a certificate for heroic deeds. He’s a good person."
Gao Min said nothing. In her current position, intervening would be awkward.
Soon, several men in black arrived and carted away the guy Yun Cheng had kicked.
As Gao Min remained silent, Yun Cheng entered the shop and glanced at her.
"Miss, that guy was sneaking around with a knife. I suspect he was an assassin."
His explanation only made it worse. Gao Min nearly retorted, "You look more like the assassin."
With that perpetually cold face of his, he’d sent the so-called "assassin" flying ten meters with one kick, making the guy seem utterly incompetent.
And why hadn’t he called the police?
Instead, he’d had his own people take the man away—wasn’t that just covering things up?
Absolutely unbelievable!
As Yun Cheng turned to leave, Liu Yutong called out: "Since you’re here, join us. We ordered too much food."
The conversation wouldn’t go much further. Gao Min needed time to process everything she’d just learned.
Yun Cheng nodded without hesitation: "Sure!"
The three of them then focused on eating hotpot in silence.
Liu Yutong occasionally placed cooked ingredients into Gao Min’s bowl. Noticing her daze, she softly chided, "Why so distracted? Eat while it’s hot—it’s no good cold."
Gao Min snapped out of it, staring at the heap of food in her bowl with mixed emotions. Still, she muttered,
"You don’t need to serve me. I can do it myself."
Liu Yutong added a slice of tripe: "I know. But I want to. Is that wrong?"
Gao Min opened her mouth but found no words.
Yun Cheng kept his head down, shoveling rice like a ghost.
Liu Yutong suddenly reached out, brushing her thumb against Gao Min’s lips: "You had sauce here."
The gesture was so natural that by the time Gao Min flinched, Liu Yutong had already withdrawn her hand, calmly resuming her meal.
Gao Min’s ears burned. Flustered, she picked up a piece of tripe and nibbled at it.
Liu Yutong smiled at her stiff demeanor: "Sister, you’re adorable when you’re shy."
Gao Min instinctively touched her cheek and glared: "Can’t you just eat properly?"
"I am eating properly."
Liu Yutong popped a stuffed lotus root into her mouth, mumbling, "This is delicious."
She moved to give Gao Min one, but Gao Min shielded her bowl: "I said I don’t want it!"
Liu Yutong redirected the chopsticks, dropping the lotus root into Yun Cheng’s bowl instead.
Gao Min: "..."
Yun Cheng: "Thank you, Miss!"
He devoured it in one bite.
The entire meal left Gao Min thoroughly unsettled.
Every time she finished what was in her bowl, more food appeared. She wanted to protest, but Liu Yutong’s unwavering gaze somehow disarmed her.
And so...
She ended up eating twice her usual portion.
That wasn’t the real issue, though.
The real issue was—she was supposed to be the older sister!
Even if she hadn’t acknowledged it yet, why did she feel like the pampered, clueless younger sibling in Liu Yutong’s presence?
This was backwards!
