But now, a stepmother and a younger brother who needs baby formula... clearly, her stepmother must have married her father not long ago.
With a stepmother came a stepfather, especially after this stepmother had a son.
When talking about her family, Meng Zhaodi’s expression was quite calm.
Xia Chuyi furrowed his brow, "Since that’s the case, shouldn’t you be fighting even harder for your own interests?"
Meng Zhaodi shook her head and said, "It’s no use; my records have already been tampered with."
"Changing them would be extremely complicated."
Without connections, things would be very difficult.
"The most important thing is..." Meng Zhaodi spoke up, "My sisters, Meng Xidi and Meng Laidi, this time, because of my dad... that man, agreed to give them money, and they both helped him."
Meng Zhaodi paused for a moment, then continued, "I never knew they were so jealous of me."
"They think that my ability to get into Shangjing University, to have a good life, is all because of their sacrifice."
Xia Chuyi was at a loss for words.
Meng Zhaodi said, "Then I won’t go to Shangjing University. I’ll leave my hometown, find a job in the South, and start my life over."
"But before that, I can’t help but want to see Shangjing University."
That was her whole reason for coming to the Capital City.
Xia Chuyi remained silent.
Finally, Meng Zhaodi added, "When I got here, I discovered there’s a ’Youwei’ behind the school, and out of curiosity, I went in to have a look."
"I didn’t expect that the owner of ’Youwei’ here is the same person as the one in Ling County."
At the end, Meng Zhaodi suddenly changed the topic, "Xia Chuyi, I hear from Qian Qianqian that you enrolled her in night school?"
"Yes, what about it?" Xia Chuyi replied.
While Huo Shiqian was still around, she had quickly signed Qian Qianqian up for an accounting course.
"If possible, could you also enroll me in a night school?" Meng Zhaodi suddenly asked, "I can work for you, like Qian Qianqian does."
Xia Chuyi saw a spark in Meng Zhaodi’s eyes.
It seemed she did care about going to university.
After a long moment, seeing her hesitate, Meng Zhaodi continued, "I’ll write off the past as the greatest kindness I can offer my family."
"From now on, we’ll sever all ties."
The implication was clear: her family would no longer pose a threat to her.
Yet, Meng Zhaodi and she were so similar—aside from not having a younger brother and a stepmother, both had conflicts with their families and both had decisively left home...
"Meng Zhaodi, have you thought this through?" After a long while, Xia Chuyi asked.
"Yes," Meng Zhaodi nodded and said, "Have you thought it through?"
Xia Chuyi thought for a moment and said, "If you’ve truly considered this, I can agree to it."
At this, Meng Zhaodi smiled and said, "Thank you."
Xia Chuyi shook her head and said, "However, there will be a probationary period. If you don’t pass the probation, I won’t be able to help you."
For some reason, she felt a sense of familiarity towards Meng Zhaodi, finding her behavior quite appealing.
And so, Meng Zhaodi stayed.
On Saturday, when Xia Chuyi was taking Qian Qianqian to school, she also brought Meng Zhaodi.
When it came time to register her name, Meng Zhaodi suddenly said she wanted to change her name.
The name ’Zhaodi’ carried too much significance.
"What are you planning to change it to?" Xia Chuyi asked.
"Meng Xingmang," Meng Zhaodi replied.
Upon hearing this, Xia Chuyi choked a little.
"Meng, Meng Xing Mang?"