"That’s the Tang Family, what’s it got to do with me?"
Tang Yanqi’s words were subtle, and although Qi Cheng was playful, he wasn’t stupid and quickly caught the meaning. He cautiously asked, "You... you don’t get along with the Tang Family?"
Tang Yanqi didn’t hide it and nodded.
"Oh my gosh, you’re Miss Tang but don’t get along with the Tang Family. Wait a minute, that’s a lot to take in... So, are you adopted by the Tang Family? No, no, that seems unlikely. Ah, I know, are you one of those legendary illegitimate daughters of a wealthy family, and the Tang Family is afraid you’d compete with the legitimate wife’s kids for inheritance, so they suppress you in all sorts of ways?"
Qi Cheng spoke animatedly, and Tang Yanqi rolled her eyes: "Girl, have you been watching too many palace intrigue dramas?"
"Ahem, been watching it lately, indeed."
Qi Cheng was just joking, but Tang Yanqi responded: "Well, you actually guessed it right."
Qi Cheng emphasized he was really just joking, but looking at Tang Yanqi’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was joking at all.
Qi Cheng finally stopped being playful and sat down seriously: "Tangtang, what do you mean?"
Tang Yanqi took another sip of water, lowered her head, and chuckled lightly: "You guessed it mostly correct. My father is Tang Ruhai, no doubt, but my mother is not the current Mrs. Tang. My mother was just a maid at the Tang Family, later she was with Tang Ruhai, and then there was me. After being discovered, we were kicked out of the Tang Family, that’s all."
Tang Yanqi spoke calmly, but Qi Cheng listened with wide eyes. This was the kind of storyline only found on TV; if it were just watching TV, it would pass quickly, but happening in reality, it must be quite a blow to Tang Yanqi. How can she talk about it so stoically?
"I’m fine. When my mom was kicked out of the Tang Family, she didn’t know she had me. Later, she raised me all by herself, so I’ve never experienced the kind of storylines you see on TV."
"How did you end up back in the Tang Family then?"
"The Tang Family found me and brought me back. When I was six, the real Miss Tang had an accident, and to cover it up, they brought me back. Later, I became Miss Tang."
Qi Cheng marveled at this TV-like story, but suddenly realized something: "Hold on a second. That doesn’t add up. You went back, but what about your mom? Logically, a woman who could single-handedly raise you must have incredible perseverance; otherwise she wouldn’t return you to the Tang Family, or she might be using you to do something?"
Qi Cheng spoke very candidly, but Tang Yanqi didn’t mind, just smiled stiffly for a moment: "She didn’t want to, but she had no choice. She got sick, very sick. The Tang Family could save her; the condition was me."
Qi Cheng was shocked once again and took several seconds to speak: "Then... is she... now?"
"Her life is sustained by medication, but I don’t know where she is either; this is the leverage the Tang Family uses to control me."
At this point, Qi Cheng fully understood. No wonder Tang Yanqi was the daughter of the Tang Family yet lived a life no better than an ordinary university student like him. No wonder Tang Yanqi was from B City but never invited them to her home. No wonder Tang Yanqi clearly didn’t like her major but was still studying relentlessly. No wonder Tang Yanqi carried an aura of having seen through the joys and sorrows of the world that was both melancholic and indifferent. Both in their early twenties, Qi Cheng felt his life was vastly inferior compared to Tang Yanqi’s.