971 A New Chapter
“Do you think I care about any of that? I just wanted to make fun of you, that’s all. Bye, now.”

Meng Ling hung up before Yang Ming could say anything else. He could only growl at his phone and stamp his feet in frustration.

He sneered into the distance. He knew that he would never come in contact with Yao Ran again. There was no point, as she no longer held any value. Still, he wouldn’t mind it if she still tried to call him and beg for his attention every once in a while.

Meanwhile, at the Yao residence…

Qin Man and Yao Yuan paid a visit to Yao Tang, and Qin Man had especially brought a fruit plate over.

“Here, Tangtang, we heard that you like cherries. These are the fresh ones from the market. Go ahead and try some, see if they are delicious.”

Yao Tang swept a cold glance over them. “Haven’t you already disowned me? You said that you are not my mother. Why are you doing this now?”
Qin Man’s expression froze, but she still forced a smile. “I was wrong, Tangtang. But we’ve already kicked out Yao Ran. From now on, you are our only daughter, okay? Everything belongs to you.”

She paused before continuing, “I know that Jiang Wan is good to you, but she is not your real mother. Don’t you want to come home and stay with your biological parents?”

Qin Man’s gaze was filled with expectation. She had her own selfish motives for saying this, of course, but at the same time, she genuinely wanted Yao Tang by her side. They didn’t have any other children.

Yao Tang’s lips twitched into a smirk. “That’s not necessary. I only have one mother, and that is Jiang Wan. We don’t get along well, anyway, so let’s just continue treating each other as distant relatives. I do hope that you won’t cross the line, or I might refuse to acknowledge that we’re related altogether.”

After saying that, Yao Tang stood up and went upstairs to her room. She didn’t even touch the tea that Qin Man had poured for her.

Qin Man stood in a daze long after Yao Tang had left.

She turned to her husband, who seemed equally baffled, and asked, “Have we gone too far, Dear? But I truly regret it now. Why is our daughter still unwilling to forgive me?

The corners of her eyes turned red, and her nose stung. But Qin Man knew that it was too late.

Yao Yuan heaved a regretful sigh. “Just let it go. Since Yao Tang doesn’t want to return with us, let’s just keep things as they are. If it’s a daughter you want, we can look into adopting another one.”

As for Yao Tang, she couldn’t care less about the couple and their decisions. She still had much to do. She already had people to call family. Her chosen family.

Three days later, Yao Tang and Cheng Yan sat at their usual café.

Cheng Yan glanced at his phone and said, “Everyone on the Internet is practically singing your praises. Have decided on a university yet?”

Yao Tang put her coffee down and nodded. “Yes. I want to go to Qin University.”

Cheng Yan’s eyes lit up with surprised delight. “That’s in the same city where my family lives! Let me take care of your accommodations. I’ll make sure you have ample freedom, and that no one would meddle in your business.”

Yao Tang couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that. “I’m going there to study, not to dally around. Don’t misunderstand.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” He flashed her his debonair smile. “What I mean is that I will ensure that you are able to study in peace. In any case, I will support you, no matter what you do.”

Yao Tang looked deep into his eyes. She knew that he held her in his heart. She had known all this time.

“So… now that you are entering college, I suppose you’re free to fall in love… You know, have a romantic relationship. So…” Cheng Yan paused and cleared his throat. “Do you think I can hold your hand? We can go to the movies later, if you want.”

He leaned forward, drawing closer to her, and Yao Tang felt her heart pick up its pace. She had rarely felt this way. In fact, there were very few things in life that could make her heart race.

Even so, it wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling. Yao Tang realized that she didn’t want to miss a second of it.

She smiled at Cheng Yan. “Okay. You can be my boyfriend.”

He froze, visibly stunned. When he finally returned to his senses, he shot up from his chair and was about to tackle Yao Tang into an embrace. But then he noticed that the other customers were staring at them, so Cheng Yan could only sit back down and stifle his excitement.

He did grab her hand, though. “Yao Tang, I’m so happy.”

Yao Tang’s smile widened as she relished in the warmth of his hand. “Me, too. We will be together for a long time.”

It suddenly occurred to her how good it felt to have someone by her side. She was about to start a new chapter in her journey, and she couldn’t have asked for a better companion.