Ji Yu looked at her expression and knew she must have had a hard time during that period too.
She didn’t know how to talk about her own situation, but since things had come to this point, she could only hope that she would find some happiness in the future.
A person regretting their past can’t go back and change it.
So even if her heart feels bitter now, this can only be the outcome.
"Do you want her to go back?"
"Of course, I hope she can have some freedom. As for her future expenses, just put them on my tab." She was clearly quite concerned for her niece, though.
Ji Yu chuckled when she heard this. "You two really do think alike." No surprise, given they were aunt and niece.
But Ji Yu didn’t want to put too much pressure on them.
"Since I’ve already said I’ll take her in, let’s deal with the rest later. At the very least, she won’t be bullied here."
Hearing this, Zhang Yaohuan finally felt completely at ease.
Mostly because this matter had been too painful for her.
"There’s nothing to thank me for. As long as everyone understands that this doesn’t have to be so complicated, that’s enough." Ji Yu didn’t like seeing someone stray onto the wrong path, but she wouldn’t exhaust herself trying to help either.
Doing what was within her capabilities was already good enough.
Zhang Yaoyue was still considered quite obedient. Even if she felt upset inside, she was still performing decently at the company.
When Ji Yu was discharged from the hospital, she even brought roses as a gesture of thanks.
"Sister Ji Yu, thank you."
"You don’t need to thank me. Everything you have now, you earned yourself. Besides, wasn’t it you who came to me first?" Ji Yu said with a smile.
Clearly, Ji Yu was being rational about this matter.
After all, she hadn’t done anything out of line; time itself was her best safeguard in this case.
Everyone had been happy for a while, but then they ran into an uninvited guest at the door.
"Brother, why are you here?" Zhang Yaoyue instinctively tried to hide behind Ji Yu when she saw the man, clearly uncomfortable about the matter.
Ji Yu frowned, also not fully understanding the situation in front of her. "Is there something you need?"
"I’m here to take Yaoyue back. Thank you for taking care of her, but her affairs are my responsibility now." His tone was calm regarding the matter.
Hearing these words, Ji Yu immediately understood — they wanted to drag her back to discuss the arranged marriage again.
"If you’re here to take me back for an arranged marriage, then it’s not going to happen. I’m living happily now, and I don’t want to return to that kind of life. Stop coming for me!"
Only she knew what she had endured over this period of time.
Now that she had grown accustomed to this life, going back would feel like an insult.
Perhaps he hadn’t expected Zhang Yaoyue to resist at this moment, and his expression darkened. "Yaoyue, have you forgotten your place?"
"Her place?" Ji Yu asked curiously, looking at the man before her. It was clear she didn’t understand his words.
"She’s the daughter of the Zhang family, so she must help with the company’s affairs. This time, there really wasn’t another option. If she keeps resisting, things will only get worse."
Ji Yu burst into laughter at his words. "So, are you saying the rest of you are useless? The only solution is for her to marry into another family? You must lack some serious skills to even suggest that."
It was obvious Ji Yu found the entire idea beneath her dignity.
"Besides, everyone has the freedom to choose. Has she been using any resources from your family recently? Saying things —don’t you feel even a little guilty?"
Zhang Yaonian’s face turned visibly unpleasant. He looked to the side at Gu Qixiao, hoping Gu Qixiao would speak up for him.
But Gu Qixiao, surveying the situation, naturally stood on Ji Yu’s side.
"Let’s take this to the study and talk it through properly. Your sister is already rebelling in this way — haven’t you noticed it yet?" His tone carried a tinge of helplessness.
After all, he didn’t want the situation to get too awkward.
Hearing this, Zhang Yaonian stopped being so forceful. The two of them headed to the study while Ji Yu took Zhang Yaoyue to the living room.
She seemed extremely nervous, visibly terrified about being taken back.
"Actually, you don’t have to worry about being taken back today. If we had wanted to send you back, we would have agreed from the beginning. The fact that we didn’t means there’s no issue here."
Zhang Yaoyue looked at Ji Yu like she was her savior.
"Sister Ji Yu, I really don’t want to go through with the arranged marriage. It’s so horrifying. I know my aunt was miserable because of that, and that’s why things turned out the way they did."
Every time she thought about it, she couldn’t reconcile herself to the idea of an arranged marriage.
"Your aunt already told me. Just live your life peacefully outside, and if anything comes up, you can always reach out to her."
Zhang Yaoyue couldn’t hold back her tears. She leaned against Ji Yu, looking utterly helpless. "Sister Ji Yu, why are there such family members in the world? I always thought they would want me to be happy."
"Maybe they feel forced into it as well." Ji Yu could tell that, sooner or later, they would reconcile. Some things couldn’t be said too deeply. She just wanted Zhang Yaoyue to get through this on her own.
"Sister Ji Yu, I’ll reflect on myself properly. I do want to help my family, but I don’t want to sacrifice my freedom."
Imagining herself sharing a bed with a complete stranger in the future was unimaginable to her.
"What you’re feeling is completely normal. No one will call you selfish for it. It’s just that your family is probably feeling desperate right now, and they can’t understand how you feel. But situations are inevitable." Fınd the newest release on noᴠelfire.net
Ji Yu smiled at Zhang Yaoyue, clearly hoping she wouldn’t dwell too much on the matter.
"I understand. I can empathize with their difficulties. I just hope we don’t end up tormenting each other anymore. I really do love my family."
The two of them had talked things through, but it was clear Gu Qixiao wasn’t having much success on his end.
"Xiao, I’ve always seen you as a good friend. You know what kind of situation I’m in right now. So, what do you think I should do?"
He had already drained himself trying to fix this issue, but the outcome was far from satisfying.
"Have you ever considered whether forcing your sister to bear this burden is really the right thing to do?"
The matter only made him appear more incompetent.