Chen Zhenye was visibly moved upon hearing these words.
Yes, no matter what.
The girl before him was his own flesh and blood, a member of the Chen family.
But before he could speak, Wu Peihua beside him gently nudged his arm.
She shielded her mouth with her hand, leaned in closer, and whispered by his ear:
"Zhenye, if you bring her home, what about Ruanruan?"
"Ruanruan will be heartbroken if she finds out."
Although she deliberately lowered her voice,
the villa was large, spacious, and very quiet.
Chen Liuyue heard it too.
She curled her lips in a mocking smile.
Pretending not to have heard, she continued staring at her own worn-out canvas shoes.
Who would have thought that parents from an educated, intellectual family would only pay their daughter's tuition but refuse to give her living expenses?
Their reasoning was: "You're already an adult, you can work a part-time job."
"Everyone else can work part-time, why can't you?"
"You've just been spoiled since childhood, never experienced the harshness of society."
Meanwhile, Chen Zhenye finally remembered that their precious daughter, Chen Ruanruan, had been in a neighboring province these past few days participating in a dance competition.
Calculating the time, she should be back soon.
He spoke up:
"Liuyue, perhaps you... should go back for now."
"The house is too messy, we can't properly host you right away. Wait until we've sorted everything out and prepared your room, then you can move in."
These were all empty excuses.
Chen Liuyue knew that in the original storyline, the supporting female character didn't truly return to the Chen family until three months later.
Upon learning the news, the female lead, Chen Ruanruan, pretended to be magnanimous on the surface, but actually ran away from home crying the very next day.
The Chen parents and brother searched everywhere for her and spent nearly a month coaxing her before Chen Ruanruan finally calmed down.
Chen Haotian, the Chen family's brother, doted on this sister the most.
Overriding all objections, he persuaded his parents to wait another two months.
Only after organizing Chen Ruanruan's personal dance exhibition, giving her all the pomp and status befitting the Chen family's young lady, did they finally bring Liuyue home.
Facing everyone, he had said this too:
"In my heart, Ruanruan is my real sister."
Chen Liuyue would not let him have his way.
On the surface, she nodded obediently and hurt, saying 'okay,' but in reality, it was to buy time.
She then went on and on, pouring her heart out to Chen Zhenye and Wu Peihua,
saying things like, "For the first twenty years, I wasn't by your side to be filial. For the rest of my life, I will definitely take good care of you."
"I know you both feel very unfamiliar with me right now, but it's okay. I'm a straightforward person, I say what I mean."
"I'll tell you what I like and don't like, so you don't have to worry about me feeling wronged after I return to the Chen family."
The smile on Wu Peihua's face, that of a sophisticated lady, stiffened slightly.
She wasn't worried about Chen Liuyue feeling wronged; she was worried her precious daughter Ruanruan would feel a great sense of disparity and be hurt.
After all, this was their first meeting in nearly twenty years. To her, Chen Liuyue
was the most unfamiliar of relatives, one who also resembled the sister she had always been jealous of and loathed.
Ruanruan was the child she had painstakingly raised from infancy.
Like a beautiful flower, she had poured so much of her heart and soul into nurturing her to bloom so splendidly.
Although not biologically related, this bond forged through upbringing felt even more real than blood.
Chen Liuyue's stalling tactic worked perfectly.
Right at that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the main door.
Chen Zhenye and Wu Peihua exchanged a glance, both seeing a flicker of panic in the other's eyes.
Oh no!
Ruanruan is back.
Following the footsteps, the first to ring out was a clear male voice.
"Dad, Mom, I just picked Ruanruan up from the airport."
"You have to talk some sense into her!"
"This little girl is really something. She kept pestering me for a reward the whole way back. Just because she won another provincial award... she's won so many before..."
Although the man's words sounded like complaints, they were actually filled with laughter, overflowing with affection and closeness.
Immediately after, came a gentle, crisp, and sweet female voice.
"Brother, you're tattling on me again."
"Dad, Mom, don't believe him. I didn't force him for a gift; he insisted on giving it to me."
The siblings shared a close bond, talking and laughing as they walked into the living room.
They saw the Chen parents sitting on the sofa and a girl's figure standing facing them.
Chen Haotian was slightly taken aback.
"Do we have guests today?"
Chen Ruanruan, hiding behind her brother, remained silent, but her heart began to beat anxiously.
It felt as if something major was about to happen.
Chen Zhenye was just about to casually make up an excuse to send the visitor home.
Unexpectedly, Chen Liuyue reacted faster.
She had already turned around with a bright smile, nodding at the two.
"I'm not a guest."
"Brother, I'm your sister, Chen Liuyue."
After saying this, she even flashed a sweet smile at Chen Ruanruan.
The female lead Chen Ruanruan's face closely resembled that of her adoptive father, Tao Tian, who was a university professor.
The former was dignified and gentle, the latter refined and witty.
"Hello, sister. I'm Liuyue."
In the original storyline, Chen Liuyue thought being the elder sister was more prestigious, and it would make her the eldest Chen daughter, with Chen Ruanruan as the second.
But what use was the order of seniority?
The key was that the Chen family's hearts were biased.
So this time, she would still play the part of the most pitiful, innocent, and charming younger sister, appearing harmless while secretly stabbing them in the back.
That suited her style better.
As soon as the words fell,
both Chen Haotian and Chen Ruanruan were stunned, the latter unable to control a slight tremble in her body.
A moment later,
Chen Haotian snapped back to reality, glaring angrily at his father.
"Dad, you actually had an affair behind Mom's back!?"
"And now the illegitimate child has come knocking on our door!"
Seeing the weary expression on Wu Peihua's face, Chen Haotian quickly added,
"Mom, don't worry, I'm on your side. I would never support Dad letting this illegitimate child into our Chen family!"
He spoke with righteous indignation.
Chen Zhenye gave an awkward smile, while Wu Peiha slightly shook her head.
"Haotian, Liuyue is not an illegitimate child."
Chen Haotian didn't understand, frozen in place.
"What do you mean? Not illegitimate, so... she's your biological daughter?"
"But she looks about the same age as Ruanruan... Mom wasn't pregnant with twins back then..."
As he spoke, his voice gradually trailed off.
As if realizing the truth.
If his mother wasn't pregnant with twins back then, and this Liuyue isn't an illegitimate child, that means...
The Ruanruan beside him...
No!
Chen Haotian shook his head vigorously, unwilling to believe this fact.
Since the secret was already out,
Chen Zhenye no longer tried to hide it.
He stated directly:
"Haotian, Liuyue is your mother's and my daughter."
"Back then, at the hospital... the nurse mixed up the babies."
