TFRLTOP Chapter 105 Part 2

Ming Ming’s eyes widened.
He knew???

Yin Muyǎ stared at him in shock, struggling to process his words.

“I’m the real Xiao Xinxī…” she murmured urgently, her voice confused.

Xiao Yunmu cut her off. “The name ‘Xiao Xinxī’ was given by me.”

“What?”

“That’s right. I was the one who gave her that name, not the Xiao family giving it to some illegitimate child they’d never even met.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

Yin Muyǎ swayed slightly, as if she had understood something—but didn’t dare believe it.

“You think just because you’re an illegitimate child, you deserve to return to the family and enjoy wealth and status?” Xiao Yunmu looked at her like she was a joke.

“Why would I ever accept the product of my father’s affair?” He bent down to meet her eyes, his gaze cold and mocking. “What, were you planning to come back and split the family property too?”

“And there’s something else you should know,” Xiao Yunmu added. “I also knew that her biological mother adopted you. That woman tried to use you to make amends. Of course, not to me. She just wanted to make up for her little baby-swapping mistake. I didn’t care.”

“To be precise, whether you lived or died was never in my consideration.”

Yin Muyǎ’s face turned deathly pale. Each of his words hit her like a hammer, smashing apart all her pride and fantasies.

She really was an unacknowledged illegitimate child. From the very beginning, Xiao Yunmu had never intended to accept her back into the family. Xiao Xinxī’s place by his side had nothing to do with blood, or真假·千金. It wasn’t about real or fake daughters at all. It might have simply been that she suited his taste, and that was enough for her to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and favor.

In the end, Yin Muyǎ could only describe Xiao Xinxī with two words:
“She’s lucky.”

Yes. Just lucky.

Yin Muyǎ couldn’t forget every scene she had secretly watched between the two of them. She had always thought Xiao Xinxī had everything because she’d stolen the identity of a Xiao family heiress. But the truth was that Xiao Yunmu’s tenderness was directed only at Xiao Xinxī as a person.

Only because she was Xiao Xinxī.

If it had been anyone else, they wouldn’t even have been considered.

Crossing his arms, Xiao Yunmu said calmly, “I never cared about how you lived. But since you insisted on jumping right in front of me, I’ll give you one warning.”

Yin Muyǎ looked up in a daze and heard him say:

“Don’t let me find out that you’re getting close to Xiao Xinxī. Otherwise, I won’t go easy on you.”

His voice was quiet, but Yin Muyǎ felt a bone-chilling cold crawl down her spine. She shivered without realizing it.

As if remembering something, Xiao Yunmu narrowed his eyes and studied her.
“What did you say to her today?”

“I-I didn’t…” Yin Muyǎ answered, panic flashing in her eyes.

A dark, ruthless aura burst from Xiao Yunmu. His thin lips parted as he spat out a single word:

“Get lost.”

Yin Muyǎ’s eyes reddened. Having finally seen reality for what it was, she walked away in a daze.

Xiao Yunmu glanced at the time. School had ended a while ago, yet Ming Ming still hadn’t come out. He started to get anxious.

With a dark, stormy look on his face, he was about to go look for her when he lifted his head and saw Ming Ming hiding in the corner, staring at him timidly. She looked like she’d been frightened by his expression.

Xiao Yunmu’s expression softened instantly. He reached his hand out to her.

“What are you standing there for? Come here. We’re going home.”

Ming Ming carefully stepped out and walked over to him.

She was still trapped in shock.

So he knew. He knew from the very beginning. He knew I was fake, he knew the real one existed, and he still deliberately ignored everything.

Xiao Yunmu held her hand. “You heard all of it?”

“…Yeah.”

“This has nothing to do with you. Don’t overthink it.”

“…Okay,” Ming Ming replied dully.

She didn’t really know how to face Xiao Yunmu anymore.

Before, she’d shamelessly enjoyed the treatment of a true heiress and the pampering of a rich, powerful brother because she thought he didn’t know she was fake.

But he had known all along.

Xiao Yunmu suddenly asked, “Did you know about this before?”

Ming Ming was startled, but she decisively shook her head.
“No.”

It sounded like a casual question—he didn’t seem to care much about the answer.

Instead, he said, “Then now you know.”

Ming Ming: “…”
What was that supposed to mean?

As night fell, Xiao Yunmu drove down the road, but instead of heading home, he drove farther and farther into a remote area.

Ming Ming looked around nervously, curling up in the passenger seat.

“T…t…Brother, are you going to abandon me?” QAQ

Xiao Yunmu didn’t respond. This girl was pure drama from head to toe.

Ming Ming spun through a hundred worst-case scenarios in her head. But then she thought back on all the little things from the past years.

Why would someone be nice for no reason?

She leaned over and asked sincerely,
“Brother, have you been so good to me all these years because when you first saw me as a kid, you realized I was full of fine virtues and was worth investing in?”

Xiao Yunmu gave her a sidelong glance that clearly said: What nonsense are you talking about?

She kept going,
“And you also noticed I was naturally pretty, smart, quick-witted, and had a bright future, right?”

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

“That must be it! Don’t worry, brother, I won’t let your investment go to waste. When I go to college and get a good job, I’ll make sure you live a good life. As the saying goes: you raise me when I’m little, I’ll… chew on you when you’re old—ah, no—I’ll support you when you’re old! I’ll take responsibility for you!”

“…” Xiao Yunmu freed one hand from the steering wheel and pinched her cheek.
“When did your face get this big?”

“Where is it big?” Ming Ming rubbed her cheeks and muttered,
“It’s not big. It’s tiny. I have a delicate face. It’s a melon-seed face.”

Xiao Yunmu ignored her.

She quietly emphasized again,
“I’m a little beauty, you know!”

Hmph. You definitely softened up because I’m pretty.

The car stopped in a silent, deserted area. Neon lights flickered faintly in the distance.

Xiao Yunmu got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door for Ming Ming.

He leaned his arm against the car roof, the corner of his lips lifting into a half-smile as he looked at her.

“Come on, my little beauty. Get out.”

“Big brother’s taking you to see the night view.”

Ming Ming looked ahead.

On the empty ground in the distance, a helicopter was parked.