Xuan Yu sneered darkly:

"Go back? Go back to whom? Huo Shao? Have you no shame? Do you know what decency is? To think that the Chu Family produced a daughter who, without even being married, was kept by a man for a year, I may not be your birth mother, but I’m embarrassed for your father! I will absolutely not let you leave through this door."

The fox’s tail finally revealed itself, and the facade was finally torn apart!

Jiayi stared intently at Xuan Yu.

She finally understood that Xuan Yu had tricked her into returning to the Chu Family!

Though she did not know what Xuan Yu’s intentions were, Xuan Yu definitely had ulterior motives!

Just then, Xuan Yu slowly walked forward, her expression becoming relaxed and her tone shifting, much softer: "However, if you agree to stay and stop making a fuss about seeing your mommy, obediently listen to my arrangements, I will definitely ensure your mommy is taken good care of."

This woman was making a deal with her.

But the bargaining chip of this deal was her own birth mother.

How could she not agree?

She clenched her fists tight, her lips curling up with a cold hue: "What do you want me to do?"

Xuan Yu conjured a smile: "In two days, there will be an evening banquet at the Ya Family, inviting the distinguished daughters of Nanga City. You will attend with us. At the banquet, just be good and listen to what I say."

The Ya Family’s evening banquet... S Country’s Royal Family?

Why was Xuan Yu getting her to attend a royal evening banquet without any good intentions?

It was certain that she had no good intentions.

Jiayi remained silent for a long moment before going upstairs.

Xuan Yu looked at the girl’s desolate figure, let out a sigh and her smile widened even more.

Just then, the respectful voice of the Chu Family butler came from the entrance:

"The master has returned—"

A tall man walked in.

Appearing to be in his forties, with handsome features, one could tell that he was a very attractive man when younger, dressed in an expensive custom-tailored suit with gold trim on the cuffs, his stately and commanding presence revealed that he was the owner of the villa, but now he looked very tired as if he had been busy outside for several days.

Xuan Yu put on a smile and said cordially, "Yanhan, you’re back. You must be tired from handling diplomatic affairs these past few days."

She then instructed the staff, "Why don’t you bring the master some hot tea and prepare his bathwater?"

Chu Yanhan glanced upstairs, he was busy with official affairs for the last few days but was aware of what was happening at home, and he knew Jiayi had come back.

He looked at his wife, and a hint of coldness flickered through his weary eyes: "Come to the study with me."

Xuan Yu felt somewhat uneasy, "Yanhan, you’ve just returned, go rest a while first."

Chu Yanhan strode swiftly over, grabbed Xuan Yu’s hand, and headed straight for the study.

The Chu Family butler and the servants had never seen the master treat the mistress with such an attitude and were all stunned.

The door to the study slammed shut. Silence settled inside.

Chu Yanhan flung off Xuan Yu’s hand.

Clutching her pinched wrist, Xuan Yu said, "Yanhan, what’s wrong?"

Chu Yanhan’s tone was ice cold, "You still have the face to ask me? When you brought Jiayi back to the Chu Family that year, didn’t you say that Tingxuan had died in a car accident? It turns out you lied to me! Tingxuan is not dead! She’s in a vegetative state, and you’ve been hiding her from me, haven’t you? You’ve been deceiving me all along! Why?"

That year, the Ya Family wanted to arrange a marriage with the Chu Family, who could not refuse the proposal.

Xuan Yu couldn’t bear the thought of her precious elder daughter marrying a severely disabled man, so she took Jiayi back and told Chu Yanhan that Xia Tingxuan had perished in a car accident, hence Jiayi was brought back to the Chu Family.

But the condition for accepting Jiayi as the daughter of the Chu Family was for Jiayi to replace Chu Xinyu and marry Ya Chen.

Otherwise, she would let Jiayi roll back and remain an unrecognized illegitimate daughter for life.

After Xia Tingxuan ran away pregnant, Chu Yanhan had been secretly searching for her for many years without success.

Upon hearing the news of Xia Tingxuan’s death, Chu Yanhan collapsed.

Seeing his lover’s only daughter again, Chu Yanhan couldn’t bear the thought of her returning to be an orphan, so he agreed to Xuan Yu’s suggestion to let Jiayi marry Ya Chen, so she could at least stay in S Country.

However, a few days ago, when he learned that his wife had brought Jiayi back from China, Chu Yanhan realized that Tingxuan might not be dead and could have been hidden by his wife.

How could he not be angry?

At this moment, Xuan Yu’s eyelashes trembled, her eyes reddened, and she bit her lower lip hard, "Why? You’re actually asking me why? Which wife would want her husband to keep another woman in his heart? If Xia Tingxuan died, you could also put to rest your feelings for her, so of course, I didn’t want to tell you she’s alive!"

Chu Yanhan’s gaze became focused, slightly guilty, knowing that he had hurt Xuan Yu’s heart just now, his tone softened, "Where is she now?"

Xuan Yu’s lips curved into a bitter cold, quickly concealed, her voice filled with grievance, "She’s become a vegetative person, and the doctors have declared that she will never wake up in this lifetime. She will have to lay in bed and rely on a ventilator to keep alive. But don’t worry, I haven’t mistreated her; I have arranged for her to be in the hospital these past few years, and she’s had caregivers looking after her."

Tingxuan wasn’t dead, but she had become a vegetative person, condemned to live her entire life in bed, relying on a ventilator...

The hope that had just kindled in Chu Yanhan was extinguished once again, his handsome face turning pale, his eyes even moistening at the corners.

A few seconds later, he gathered his wits, "Tell me, Xuan Yu, where she is. I... want to go see her."

Xuan Yu laughed desolately, the disappointment and resolve spilling out from her eyes, "She’s become an unresponsive vegetative person, what more do you want? Even if you find her, what can you do? Rekindle old feelings with her? Do you think there’s a wife in the world who would tell her husband where his mistress is? Rest assured, I will definitely ensure the hospital takes good care of that woman, at least allowing her a worry-free next life. Isn’t that enough?"

Chu Yanhan listened to her outburst, his face reddening slightly with even greater shame, and in that moment, he could not push his wife further.

Moreover, he understood that if Xuan Yu could take measures to find Xia Tingxuan and her daughter before he could, her methods were not to be underestimated as ruthless and fierce.

Her maternal family’s father is the greatest foreign minister of S Country, and she has been a well-respected noble daughter from a young age, with deep connections, methods, and influence.

Now, Xuan Yu was still offering to take care of Tingxuan.

If he insisted on seeing Tingxuan and angered Xuan Yu, she might covertly harm Tingxuan.

He finally sighed, temporarily giving up the idea.

Seeing that her husband was no longer insistent on seeing Xia Tingxuan, Xuan Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Yanhan’s eyes flashed again, "Do you still intend for Jiayi to replace Xinyu and marry Ya Chen?"

Seeing that her husband seemed to be reconsidering, Xuan Yu frowned,

"Two years ago, when I brought Jiayi back, hadn’t we agreed on this? It was all for this day. The Ya Family’s banquet is approaching soon, and when they bring up the Chu Family marriage, we can push Jiayi forward as the third young miss of the Chu Family... You’re not having second thoughts now, are you, Yanhan?"