Lixue’s fingers clenched around her glass, her eyes narrowing as she locked gazes with Yu Jia. The sudden vehemence in Yu Jia’s words sent a cold shiver down her spine, but she didn’t flinch.
Instead, she leaned forward slightly, her expression icy.
"You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You think I don’t see how you’ve been using me all these years?" Lixue’s voice was calm, but each word was a sharp cut. "I don’t owe you or the Yu family anything. You took advantage of my kindness, and now you think I’ll keep giving to you?"
Yu Jia’s face twisted in anger, but she quickly masked it with a sickly sweet smile. "You don’t understand, Lixue. You wouldn’t have anything without us. We gave you everything—gave you a place to stay, protected you when you had no one." Her voice grew colder, her grip tightening on her handbag. "And now, you want to take everything back? You wouldn’t even have the life you have now without us. You are nothing but a bastard child, who doesn’t have a father or mother to love you."
Lixue’s expression remained unchanged, though her heart beat faster. Yu Jia’s word cut deep. The threats were blatant, and she could hear the desperation in Yu Jia’s voice. But Lixue had made up her mind.
"I don’t need you nor do I need the Yu family," she said, her tone final. "I’m not writing you any more songs. You’ve already taken enough from me."
The tension in the air was thick, and for a moment, neither spoke. Yu Jia’s hands trembled slightly, but she quickly composed herself. She wasn’t used to being defied, let alone openly challenged.
"You think you can just walk away from this?" Yu Jia spat, her face flushed with fury. "You think Mo Ran will protect you when everyone knows your songs were never yours in the first place? When people find out the truth, your marriage won’t save you."
Lixue didn’t let her words phase her. She was done being afraid. "Shut up! I own those songs, you and your mother stole them from him, first it was for a talent show, then an audition. I’m done being your puppet, Yu Jia. If anyone’s career is at risk here, it’s yours. You should be more worried about your reputation than anything else."
Yu Jia’s eyes widened with panic as the weight of Lixue’s words hit her. Lixue had struck a nerve, and she knew it. She was in no position to threaten Lixue further—not when the truth could ruin everything she’d built.
"You wouldn’t dare," Yu Jia growled, her voice low and filled with venom. "You think you can just walk away from us, from the Yu family? You’ll regret this!."
Lixue stood up, her chair scraping against the floor. "I’ve already regretted far too much already. But this? This I won’t regret." She took a final glance at Yu Jia, her eyes hard and unwavering. "I suggest you leave my life alone, or I’ll make sure the truth comes out."
Yu Jia was seething now, but she couldn’t do anything to stop Lixue. As Lixue turned to leave, she opened her mouth to convince her, but it was too late. She was already out the door.
Yu Jia sat there, her hands trembling with fury as she watched Lixue’s back disappear through the door.
The nerve of her half-sister, thinking she could simply walk away from the grip of the Yu family, was infuriating. Yu Jia’s mind was racing, her emotions boiling over as the weight of the threat Lixue had made sank in.
The truth coming out would destroy everything she’d worked for—the fame, the success, all of it built on stolen songs.
She slammed her fist against the table, making the silverware rattle. The restaurant’s staff quickly averted their eyes, sensing the tension in the air. But Yu Jia didn’t care. The calm composure she had put on earlier had cracked, revealing the raw panic beneath it.
"She actually thinks she can do this," Yu Jia muttered under her breath, her voice thick with anger. "She thinks she can just walk away from us, from me... I’ll make sure she regrets this. She will definitely regret this."
Her mother’s words echoed in her head, the warning that Lixue’s marriage to Mo Ran wasn’t something to be trifled with.
But Yu Jia was beyond rational thought now. How could Lixue dare to defy her after all she’d done for her? How could she just take away the one thing Yu Jia needed to stay at the top?
"She’ll never get away with this," Yu Jia hissed, her fingers digging into the fabric of her dress. "I’ll make sure of it."
She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly across the floor, and stormed out of the room. As she walked, her thoughts whirred, plotting her next move. She wasn’t about to let Lixue ruin everything.
Her career was everything. The songs, the fame, the money—none of it would survive if word got out. She needed to regain control, and she needed to do it fast. If Lixue wouldn’t cooperate willingly, then she would have to make her.
Grabbing her phone, she dialed a number, she needed help and he was the only one who could help her.
The call came through and a lazy voice rang out.
"Yu Jia? What a surprise.."
"I need your help.." Yu Jia replied quickly as she got into the car.
"If you want my help, you know what to do, meet me at Continental hotel...we can discuss more there.."
Du! Du! Du! The called ended before Yu Jia could reply, she clenched her fists, whenever she met up with that bastard, her body ached.
But what more could she do, she was desperate and she needed his help.
"If it gets Yu Lixue to write more songs for me, opening my legs would be worth it. I won’t lose to that bitch!"