Yu Yao walked over to the corner of the stairs and didn't miss hearing Yu Jue's words.
The Yu family no longer trusted and doted on Yu Wan unconditionally. As Yu Wan's enemy, she should have felt happy, but at this moment, Yu Yao only felt a biting irony.
It seemed that the Yu family were not fools who were deceived by Yu Wan. They clearly knew Yu Wan's true colors, but they had allowed Yu Yao to be framed by her anyway.
To give Yu Wan a sense of security, they had mercilessly sent the innocent Yu Yao to the mental hospital.
Such cold and cruel kinship should have been thrown into the garbage already, and it should be classified as harmful trash!
Yu Yao's room was on the fourth floor of the villa. It had originally been a storage room.
Her belongings were pitifully few, too. Only a few sweat suits were hanging in her closet. She couldn't even fill up a small-sized suitcase.
Yu Yao remembered that there seemed to have been a plot about sportswear in the novel. When the heroine first returned to the villa, she had seen Yu Wan dressed like a doll in an exquisite long dress.
The heroine had wanted to become like Yu Wan, so she had started to imitate her style. However, Yu Wan felt that Yu Yao was provoking her, so she had mocked her for being a clown who imitated others and made her embarrass herself in front of the Yu family.
After that, the heroine had stuffed all of her beautiful long dresses and exquisite accessories into the bottom layer of her wardrobe. She then wore the sportswear that she always used to wear before around town.
Her packing was very basic and could be done in about ten minutes. However, Yu Yao searched the room but couldn't find her identification documents.
Yu Jue came to Yu Yao's door and saw the small suitcase in her room. Yu Yao was still rummaging through the drawers, looking for something.
Yu Jue panicked. "Yaoyao, why did you pack your luggage?"
It seemed like he didn't want to arouse Yu Yao's ire, so he didn't dare to use a questioning tone and doggedly followed Yu Yao like a golden retriever.
"Do you want to go somewhere? Do you want me to come with you? We could go to Yun Province. The scenery there is very good…"
Yu Yao felt her ears buzzing. She was annoyed and turned around to glare at this new follower.
"God, you're noisy! Shut up!"
Yu Jue shut his mouth aggrievedly, but he did not retreat in the slightest. He still followed her closely. It was really annoying!
Yu Jue discovered that Yu Yao seemed to be unable to find anything and was eager to help.
He started sniffling noisily.
Yu Yao looked at Yu Jue with disdain and said impatiently, "What are you doing?"
"Boohoo…" Seeing that Yu Yao didn't seem to understand what he was doing, Yu Jue said pitifully, "Yaoyao, you told me to shut up just now. I don't dare to disobey you. "
This shameless look was what made him star material.
As a popular idol, Yu Jue was very good at making use of his unique looks to his advantage. His tone was aggrieved and his eyes were moist. Even Yu Yao, who claimed to be cold-hearted and indifferent, could not deny that he looked pitiful.
Thus, Yu Jue discovered that although Yu Yao was still very impatient, her attitude had clearly softened.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I just wanted to ask what you were looking for. I can help you."
Yu Yao thought that her identification documents were probably being stored by the Yu family. Perhaps Yu Jue knew where they were hidden.
"Do you really want to help me?"
Yu Jue nodded. "Of course. As long as you need help, I'll do anything!"
"Alright then." Yu Yao opened her hand and stretched it out in front of Yu Jue. "Return my identification documents to me."
"So you're looking for your documents. I know where they are…"
Yu Jue had originally been excited that he could help Yu Yao, but he suddenly thought of something and asked nervously, "Yaoyao, why are you looking for them? Can you tell me where you want to go? I'll go anywhere with you."
"It's a pity that I just want to go to a place where no one from the Yu family is around." Yu Yao's eyes were cold, and she was unmoved by Yu Jue's hurt expression.
"Do you think that by hiding your documents, you can control my life, just like how you easily shipped me off to a mental hospital?"
"No, it's not like that…" Yu Jue stammered. "Yaoyao, we didn't mean that…"
Yu Yao interrupted him. "I don't want to know your thoughts, I just want to get what belongs to me and then go far away from you people."
Yu Jue stood there in a daze, looking crestfallen.
He really wanted to bare his heart and show her all the guilt and love he felt for her. However, he remembered the pain he had inflicted on Yu Yao in his previous life and thought that he was indeed not a worthy older brother. He couldn't blame her for not trusting him.
In the end, Yu Jue had no choice but to say, "We didn't want to hide your ID. We used it to request some time off from the university for you. Later, we put them in Big Brother's study."
Yu Yao sneered coldly. "Yeah, you guys were going to help the supposedly mentally-ill me get some time off. That's understandable."
Yu Jue's heart ached, but he could not explain any of it away.
Yu Lang's study was on the second floor. Some of the documents inside were confidential and were usually kept locked up. However, a few male members of the Yu family knew the password.
Even Yu Wan did not have the right to enter this study, but Yu Jue did not make Yu Yao wait outside. Instead, he took her in directly.
Yu Jue led Yu Yao over to a couch. "Yaoyao, wait there for a while. I'll help you find the documents."
Yu Yao did not sit down. Instead, she stayed standing and went over to the bookshelf, where she casually picked up a finance book and began flipping through it.
That afternoon, Yu Lang had received an investigation report regarding the mental hospital. The statements and photos in the report were shocking. That d*mn director made Yu Lang feel extremely disgusted!
Thus, Yu Lang, who had always enjoyed working late into the night, had retired early for the first time in his life.
When he returned home, Auntie Zhang was eagerly pouring water for him and taking his slippers as she rambled on.
In the past, Yu Lang hadn't minded Auntie Zhang's nagging. Instead, he had always been made to feel warm and at home by it.
But today, when he heard Auntie Zhang complaining and saying, "After Yu Yao came back, she went crazy and hit Miss. That mental hospital nowadays is too irresponsible. Releasing patients before they've been treated…"
Yu Lang immediately snapped. He waved his hand to stop Auntie Zhang from helping him take off his coat. He looked at the maid who had been taking care of him for more than ten years.
"Auntie Zhang, the eldest daughter of the Yu family is Yu Yao. Moreover, she's normal and not mentally ill."
Yu Lang lowered his gaze and paused for a moment before continuing, "You're not young anymore. Why don't you retire? But before you leave, I hope you'll sign a nondisclosure agreement to say that you won't mention anything about Yu Yao again."
Auntie Zhang was stunned for a while before she finally clocked what had just happened. She raised her voice in disbelief. "Young Master?! I've worked for the Yus for almost twenty years, but you want to fire me over a wild girl?!"
Even though Yu Lang had previously felt that he had a master-servant relationship with Auntie Zhang in his heart, it was completely gone now.
His expression was cold as he said, "You've been taking care of me for more than ten years, but you're only a servant of the Yu family. Yu Yao has only been back for a few months, and she's also my blood-related sister. What right do you have to speak like that about her?"
At this time, Auntie Zhang finally felt Yu Lang's determination to protect Yu Yao. Her face was pale, and she was somewhat regretful, but she was also angry and reluctant.
When Yu Lang got back, Auntie Zhang had notified Yu Wan so that she could inadvertently have Yu Lang see the injuries on her face. If Yu Lang hated Yu Yao even more because of this, then her beating today would not be in vain.
Yu Wan covered her face as she entered the living room, waiting for Auntie Zhang to coordinate with her. However, her luck today seemed exceptionally bad.
Auntie Zhang saw Yu Wan and ran over to take her hand. As she cried, she begged, "Miss, Miss Yu, please help me plead for mercy. I have a husband who's always sick and a useless son at home. I really can't lose this job…"
Yu Wan looked at Yu Lang in confusion. "Big Brother, what's going on? Are you firing Auntie Zhang? Did she do something wrong?"
Auntie Zhang cried, "Because I forgot to call Miss Yu Yao by her proper title. I even told Eldest Young Master that she hit you but he just wants to fire me. Second Young Miss, I'm doing this for you. Please help me…"
Yu Wan's heart sank. "Brother, is what Auntie Zhang said true?"
Yu Lang didn't intend to deny it. "That's right. In the future, if I find that the servants at home are gossiping and treating Yu Yao with disrespect, then regardless of whether they have worked at the Yu family for twenty or thirty years, all that will await that servant is a notice of dismissal."
Yu Wan felt more uneasy than shocked. She looked at Yu Lang in disbelief. "Big Brother, what happened to you and Third Brother today? What kind of drug did Yu Yao give you?"
Yu Lang looked deeply at Yu Wan. "Yu Yao is my parents' biological daughter and our younger sister. Is there anything wrong with our attitudes?"
Yu Wan broke out in a cold sweat when faced with the look in his eyes. She shook her head subconsciously and mumbled, "No, nothing's wrong."
Yu Lang walked into the study with a briefcase filled with evidence of crimes committed at the mental hospital. He saw Yu Yao casually flipping through a book in front of the bookshelf.
She didn't seem interested in any of the profound financial theories. Bored, she flipped through another one of the books. She didn't put it back where it had been. Instead, she casually piled it in an empty space on the shelf. Several of the neatly ordered shelves had been messed up.
There was a small room to the side of the study which contained a safe. Yu Jue walked out with a document envelope.
"Yaoyao, your documents are here."
Yu Yao walked over and wanted to take the envelope, but Yu Lang spoke faster than she could move.
"Third Brother, what are you doing with Yu Yao's ID?"
Only then did Yu Jue and Yu Yao notice Yu Lang standing at the study door.
Yu Jue immediately seemed to find his backbone. He retracted her hand and gripped the document file. "Big Brother, Yaoyao is running away from home!"
Yu Yao was speechless and couldn't help but complain, "How old are you? You're actually whining like a child?"
Yu Jue was not ashamed. "Yaoyao, I'm a good brother who can't steel my heart when it comes to you, but our eldest brother is different. He'll definitely control you!"
He ignored the murderous look in Yu Lang's eyes. "Big Brother, Yaoyao's rebellious phase is here. You have to control her!"
Yu Lang knew what kind of person Yu Yao was from his memories of his previous life. She had a headstrong personality and was a classic example of someone who was amenable to coaxing but not coercion.
If he really did as Yu Jue said and disciplined Yu Yao with a dignified attitude, he would only push her further and further away.
Thus, Yu Lang merely gave Yu Jue a look that said, "I'll deal with you in the future."
Yu Lang nodded at Yu Yao and gestured towards the sofa. "Let's not talk about the identification documents for now. I have some other things to discuss with you."
Yu Yao did not want to waste her breath on the Yu family and stood rooted to the ground. "I know what you want to talk to me about. Isn't it about Yu Wan? That's right, I admit that I hit her. So, are you going to help your precious sister now?"
The ridicule in her tone pierced Yu Lang and Yu Jue's hearts, causing them to ache at the same time. They didn't blame Yu Yao for speaking harshly, because both of them knew inside that their previous actions had deeply hurt Yu Yao, making her so vigilant towards their every move.
Yu Lang sighed softly. Then, he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he spoke, his entire manner became much gentler. "Yu Yao, you've misunderstood. What I'm about to say has nothing to do with Yu Wan. It's about that mental hospital."
"Mental hospital?" Yu Yao frowned. Although she was unwilling to have more interaction with the Yu family, the mental hospital was indeed a problem that she was very concerned about.
Yu Yao had originally planned to investigate the mental hospital after leaving the Yu family and bring the beasts in the hospital to justice.
The Yu family seemed to have also invested in the mental hospital. Yu Yao wanted to understand the Yu family's attitude. If the Yu family wanted to protect those criminals, then she would have to put justice before family.
Yu Yao sat down on the sofa and looked at Yu Lang calmly. "What do you want to talk to me about? You can tell me now."
Yu Lang took out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase. He had originally wanted to pass the documents directly to Yu Yao, but he remembered that she must have witnessed tragedies in the few days she had spent in the mental hospital. He couldn't bear to make her recall that painful experience, so he handed the documents to Yu Jue beside him.
"This is the information on the mental hospital I sent people to investigate. Yu Jue, take a look first." Then he said to Yu Yao, "What you told me before is all true, and there are even more dark and unbearable things going on in this mental hospital."
Yu Yao took a deep breath. She recalled the scene that had taken place in the hospital bed next to hers. She felt as if something was stuck in her throat. She felt so disgusted that she wanted to vomit, but she couldn't.
She looked at Yu Lang with a determined gaze. "I'm not as weak as you think. You can tell me directly how much darkness is hidden there on top of them using violence on patients and violating women."
Yu Lang, on the other hand, was unable to bear her gaze. He shifted his eyes away and hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice, "That mental hospital once took in patients who had not met the requirements to be admitted to a normal hospital. There were also some handicapped people who were abandoned by their families. During their stay in the hospital, some people passed away for various reasons. After investigation, we discovered that this mental hospital had been illegally selling human organs."
"What?! How could that have happened?" Yu Jue, who had just flipped through the contents of the investigation, felt his limbs go weak. He fell onto the sofa and the documents in his hands fell to the ground.
Yu Yao bent down and picked up a photo from the floor. It showed a boy who was only in his teens. He was lying quietly on the operating table. There was a fresh heart lying beside him in a sterile box. The heart, which was still bloody, seemed to be beating slightly.
In her previous life as a staff member of a special security organization, Yu Yao had been exposed to the dark underbelly of society more than others. However, this kind of situation where someone was directly taking someone else's life for the sake of making money still had a huge impact on her.
Yu Yao didn't realize that her eyes were already slightly red. She stared straight at Yu Lang and asked in a tense voice, "How do you want to deal with this mental hospital?"
In the face of Yu Yao's questioning gaze, Yu Lang could only reply with silence. Silence represented his attitude towards this matter.
"Alright, I understand." Yu Yao sneered and stood up.
She would feel disgusted if she were to stay in the Yu family, which was in cahoots with the devil.
"Yu Yao, calm down. Let's hear what my brother has to say first."
Yu Jue hurriedly grabbed Yu Yao's arm and turned to look at Yu Lang, who had yet to speak. "Big Brother, what are you hesitating for? Such a person should have been locked up in prison long ago."
Yu Lang shook his head and looked at Yu Yao worriedly. "I'm not trying to cover up for them. It's just that the director of the mental hospital threatened me with videos and photos of Yaoyao that are in his possession. If the Yu family tries to push him into a corner, he'll release them online."
Yu Yao knew that there were perverts in this world. They were passionate about challenging the bottom line of the law, and they liked to record their crimes for private collections or just to relive them repeatedly.
Among them, the majority were animals that violated women. Clearly, the director of the mental hospital was one of them.
Yu Yao carefully recalled the plot in the novel she had read in her previous life, as well as the condition of her body when she woke up in this life. She was sure that other than being beaten and drugged, she had not suffered any more serious assaults.
Probably because Yu Wan and the director of the mental hospital wanted to completely destroy Yu Yao's spirit, they hadn't been intending to hurt her while she was unconscious. Instead, they wanted her to experience the process of being tortured whilst fully awake.
However, Yu Yao couldn't be 100% sure that the photos and videos wouldn't harm her own reputation.
This was because the photos could have been taken while she was unconscious. The videos could also be used as a weapon, and through editing and other manipulation methods, they could ruin her reputation.
Once the photos and videos really leaked, Yu Yao was certain that her studies, work, and life would be greatly affected. And the Yu family, which was currently in the midst of a massive scandal, would also suffer huge negative public backlash.
Yu Yao understood all the advantages and disadvantages, but her mind was already made up from the start, so she didn't waver for even a moment.
The most important thing now was the Yu family's attitude and stance.
Yu Yao didn't say anything. She glanced at Yu Lang and Yu Jue, hoping to find some clues in their faces.
Yu Jue was obviously conflicted. He picked up the documents one by one, his hands trembling slightly. Yu Yao noticed that his eyes were even a little red.
Yu Jue suppressed his anger and said to Yu Lang, "Big Brother, we swore an oath together that night."
Yu Lang's expression flickered.
Fate had already given them too many gifts. In their past lives, they had lived the rest of their lives in regret. Even in death, they had wanted to return to the past to make up for the mistakes they had made and compensate their sister.
Fate had generously allowed them to fulfill their wishes. On the night they awakened with memories from their previous lives, the three brothers had set a common goal. They would do their best to make Yu Yao happy in this life.
Thus, apart from Yu Heng, whose movements were restricted, Yu Lang and Yu Jue had abandoned their work that night and rushed to the mental hospital to pick up Yu Yao, who had been put there by them.
Yu Lang thought to himself, Yes, we swore that we would never let Yu Yao get hurt again.
So he could only make a choice that went against his conscience but could protect his own sister.
Yu Lang rubbed his temples tiredly and said to Yu Yao, "Yaoyao, you don't have to worry. Big Brother will settle this matter properly. I won't let those disgusting animals hurt you."
Yu Yao was in disbelief. She looked at Yu Lang suspiciously. "You mean, in order to protect my reputation, you're prepared to accept the threat of that perverted director?"
Yu Lang nodded. "This is only temporary. I need to calm him down first. Then, I'll conduct a detailed investigation. When I get the photos and videos he mentioned, I'll make sure that he doesn't have anything that can be used against you. Then, I'll make him accept his punishment."
Yu Yao didn't know if these were his true thoughts or just his excuse to cover up for a criminal, but she thought that if she were the real Yu Yao, she would definitely be happy for the protection.
After a moment of silence, Yu Yao looked at Yu Lang and Yu Jue even more piercingly. "What if I say that I don't care about those photos and videos at all?"
Yu Yao lowered her head and looked at the photo in her hand. The boy who had died on the operating table might have been a mentally ill person without normal cognition, but he was still a living human being back then.
And life could not be measured by any value.
"When I woke up at the mental hospital that day, I saw a girl being violated. I hit the director and wanted to take the girl away, but she was like a two or three-year-old child who only knew how to cry and throw tantrums. She didn't know anything, only how to yell, 'Mommy, it hurts…'"
Yu Yao said slowly, "I don't know if those who have lost their lives are like that girl. When they lay on that operating table, maybe they only cried and called for their mothers. Perhaps they didn't understand what they experienced even when they died, but my own reputation shouldn't be factored into this. My sufferings cannot compare with the lives of those innocent people."
At this moment, Yu Lang could see a certain firm and noble quality in his younger sister. He had expected that this was indeed the decision she would make.
After a long period of silence, he let out a long sigh and gently said to Yu Yao, "I understand your attitude. I will do my best to reduce the damage this matter has done to you. I also hope that you'll remember that no matter what happens in the future, Big Brother will always stand behind you. So, don't be afraid, okay?"
Yu Yao smiled at Yu Lang. She thought to herself that regardless of whether Yu Lang was being sincere or not, he had at least made a satisfactory decision.
Yu Lang had Yu Jue put away all the papers related to the mental hospital. Then, he picked up another folder on the table, which contained all of Yu Yao's documents.
"Alright, we need to discuss another problem." Yu Lang handed the file directly to Yu Yao. "I understand that the atmosphere at home makes you uncomfortable. If you don't want to stay, that's fine too."
"Big Brother, what are you talking about?" Yu Jue hurriedly said. "Where can Yaoyao go if not home?"
Yu Yao took the folder and opened it. She rolled her eyes at Yu Jue speechlessly. "Don't make it sound like I can't live without the Yu family. I can go to the university dormitory or rent a room elsewhere."
"How can that be?" Yu Jue immediately asked worriedly. "How can living elsewhere be as comfortable as living in your own home?"
"Come on! Do you think I'm living comfortably at the Yus'?"
Yu Jue was speechless.
Yu Lang coughed lightly and said, "The two of you should stop bickering. Yaoyao, I don't recommend that you stay in the university dormitory or rent a room. If we take action against the mental hospital, you will receive even more malicious attention in the future. It might even threaten your personal safety, so you need to choose your living environment carefully."
Yu Yao knew that what Yu Lang said made a lot of sense, but no matter what, she didn't want to live with them anymore. One should know that Yu Yao could have a lot of fun by herself, so it was very annoying for her to have a disgusting fly like Yu Wan buzzing around her ears every day.
"I won't stay with the Yu family anymore. If I continue to live with Yu Wan, I won't be able to guarantee your precious sister's safety."
Yu Lang and Yu Jue fell silent when they recalled the things that had happened between Yu Wan and Yu Yao. These two people were indeed not meant to continue to live together.
Since they could not be as close and friendly as real sisters, he could only have them not disturb each other, just like distant relatives who only needed to see each other during the new year.
Yu Lang took out a deed and a key from the drawer and pushed them in front of Yu Yao.
"This is what our family has prepared for you. It's a house passed down to us. Your other two elder brothers and I own it," Yu Lang said. "The security on this estate is very tight, and the environment is not bad. If you don't want to stay with us, you can move there."
As if noticing that Yu Yao still had some doubts, Yu Lang added, "Yu Wan won't be there."
Yu Jue interjected from one side, "Yes, Yu Wan prefers to see the high-end sea-view houses around the central river. She doesn't like this overly green district, so when Yaoyao stays there, she won't have to worry about getting along with Yu Wan."
Yu Yao wasn't worried about that. She just didn't want to have any more entanglements with the Yu family. However, after thinking about it carefully, with them being tied by blood, how could she so easily sever relations with these people?
Therefore, she didn't force herself to reject Yu Lang's arrangement. She took the key but not the deed.
"Until the dust settles over the mental hospital, I'll be staying there temporarily."
"That's great, Yaoyao," Yu Jue said happily. "I have a house in that neighborhood too. It's very close to yours. I'll visit you often in the future."
Yu Jue felt that this was a good opportunity to get closer to his younger sister. However, Yu Lang looked at the property deed lying on the table and was not as optimistic as Yu Jue.
Yu Yao and Yu Lang and Yu Jue had reached an initial consensus on how to deal with the mental hospital. However, this was not just a matter between the three of them. Their subsequent actions might affect the reputation of the entire Yu family, and it might even damage the company.
So they needed to hold a family meeting and discuss it seriously.
For the sake of the family meeting the next day, Yu Yao didn't leave immediately and stayed at the Yu family's house for another night.
Yu Heng and his parents attended the meeting via video call.
Yu Wan was called to the living room by a servant. When she saw Yu Lang and Yu Yao sitting upright on the sofa, she sensed a solemn atmosphere.
She did not know what had happened and wanted to ask, but she did not dare to make a sound under her brother's business-like gaze, so she just obediently sat down in an armchair.
After the video call connected, the Yu family members greeted each other and asked about each other's wellbeing. Then, Yu Lang explained the purpose of the family meeting.
The matter was not complicated, and the evidence against the mental hospital was clear. The only thing worth discussing was the final solution.
Chen Lin and Yu Hong lived in Switzerland for their health. She was the first to raise an objection.
"No! I can't let Yaoyao get hurt like this." Chen Lin's mental state was obviously different from that of an ordinary person. Her eyes seemed to be out of focus as her gaze swept across everyone before finally landing on Yu Yao.
"Yaoyao, Mama's precious daughter! Don't believe them. They're all demons!"
Chen Lin suddenly stood up and rushed towards the screen. Yu Hong hugged her. "Shh… Shh… Don't worry. Yaoyao will be fine. With me and her three brothers around, she will be protected."
However, Chen Lin kept struggling and slapped Yu Hong's arm. "You're all bad people! You all say that I'm mentally ill and refuse to let me see my daughter. Now, you're saying that Yaoyao is sick too. You just want to make me and my daughter never see each other again! You bad people, you devils!"
Chen Lin's condition gradually worsened. Yu Hong quickly shuffled her away. The family doctor came over and gave her a tranquilizing injection. She, who had been making a ruckus just now, immediately fell asleep quietly.
Yu Yao blinked, forcefully suppressing the bitterness in her heart.
If there was anyone in the entire Yu family who would stand on Yu Yao's side unconditionally when she and Yu Wan had a conflict, it would be her biological mother, Chen Lin.
That year, when she lost Yu Yao, Chen Lin had suffered a huge blow to her spirit. In order to make her wife better, Yu Hong had found a girl who was about the same age as the lost Yu Yao and brought her home, telling his wife that their child had been found.
Chen Lin, who had been on the brink of collapse, slowly recovered. As her mental state gradually returned to normal, she discovered her husband's white lie.
She could not take out her anger on Yu Wan, but she could not treat her as her own daughter and dote on her. In order to help Chen Lin nurse her spirit and body, Yu Hong lived overseas with her all year round.
After finding Yu Yao, Chen Lin was ecstatic and her mental state started to become unstable again. Therefore, she could only return overseas for treatment after spending a short time with her biological daughter.
In the novel, even though Yu Yao had known of her mother's feelings for her, for the sake of her mother's health, she had never told her about the grievances and pain she had suffered at the hands of the Yu family.
She had never really enjoyed the time she spent with Chen Lin.
After taking his wife back to her room, Yu Hong appeared in front of the camera again. He was a little tired. Looking at Yu Yao on the screen, Yu Hong's mood was very complicated.
Yu Hong naturally felt guilty towards his daughter, who had led a wandering life for more than ten years. However, in the long time after Yu Yao had been lost, his wife had suffered from a severe mental illness and the atmosphere at home was always cold and awkward.
He had thought that his wife would recover after Yu Yao came back, never expecting her condition to worsen.
Thus, Yu Hong had always had a slight dislike for his biological daughter. However, he also believed that he should not treat her badly.
Therefore, he did not accuse Yu Yao of being too willful when dealing with the mental hospital. "Yu Yao, do you know what the consequences will be if you force someone like that into a corner?"
Yu Yao nodded. "Of course. I'm already mentally prepared to bear everything."
Yu Hong stopped talking to Yu Yao and looked at Yu Lang instead. "Yu Lang, the impact of this incident on Yu Yao is only on an individual level, so she can easily say that she will bear the consequences, but you are the successor of the Yu family. Are you sure that the Yu family can withstand such negative public opinion at this juncture?"
Yu Lang shook his head. "I don't know, Father."
"But I understand people being indecisive and causing chaos. All sins can only be buried, they don't truly disappear. Even if we hide the truth this time, there will be a day when it will be exposed in an even more unbearable way. At that point, I'm afraid that we will have to pay an even greater price to eliminate the adverse effects on us."
The three brothers, who had memories from their previous life, knew that all the evidence would later become rocks that would be used to crush them. They also lost the most precious thing in their lives.
At this moment, Yu Heng, who had been silent all this while, also spoke up. "This matter might not develop to the point where it threatens the Yu family. As long as we plan ahead and seek the cooperation of the police and online media, we will be able to prevent Yaoyao's bad reputation from spreading and minimize the losses."
Yu Yao had not expected that there would be someone in this family who shared the same thoughts as her. Only then did she seriously look at Yu Heng on the screen.
Yu Heng looked a bit like Yu Lang, and their auras were very similar. If she didn't know that they were two years apart in age, she would probably have mistaken them for twins.
Yu Heng was very sensitive. He almost immediately realized that Yu Yao was observing him. He suppressed the nervousness in his heart and nodded at Yu Yao. "Yu Yao, you made the right decision. I'm proud of you. I will do my best to shield you from the harm that might come. You can trust me completely."
Yu Jue keenly sensed that his second brother was secretly strengthening his relationship with Yu Yao, so he immediately expressed his stance: "Yu Yao, I support all of your decisions unconditionally! I will do better than Eldest Brother and Second Brother!"
To be honest, whether it was Yu Lang on the other side of the screen or Yu Heng, both of them felt their hands itch at the same time. They had to work hard to restrain themselves from killing their younger brother!
Yu Yao had not expected to receive the support of Yu Hong and the three Yu brothers so easily.
Even though she still held a grudge against them in her heart, at this moment, she was not stingy with showing them a smile and sincerely expressed her gratitude: "Thank you for supporting my decision, and thank you for being willing to take the risk."
At this moment, the three Yu brothers felt that everything they had done was worth it. Even if it was just for Yu Yao's happiness at this moment, they would still help her overcome all obstacles and achieve her goal!
But people's joys and sorrows were not always harmonious.
Unlike the three brothers of the Yu family, Yu Wan felt that this decision was ridiculous!
What was wrong with the Yu family? What was the benefit of destroying that mental hospital to them? Those mental patients would not be grateful to them at all. Instead, they hated the Yu family, as they were investors.
The public would not let them off either. They would not believe that the Yu family had sent those people from the mental hospital to prison out of their good conscience. They would only think that the interests of both parties no longer aligned and that the Yu family was taking revenge on the hospital.
And those media outlets would frantically dig up dirt on the Yus and spare no effort in defaming them, thus affecting the development of the family business.
Were they not worried that things would develop to an irreversible stage?
"Father, Brother…" Seeing that they were about to settle the matter, Yu Wan could not hold it in anymore.
"I don't understand why you've made such a decision! There are indeed many dark and sinful things happening in the mental hospital, but those victims are just some mental patients. Their families don't care about their lives, so why should we take the risk for them? This won't benefit us at all, right?"
For a moment, no one could react. The three Yu brothers had memories from their past lives, and they were mentally prepared for Yu Wan's selfishness.
However, Yu Hong was different from his sons. He would never have thought that Yu Wan would say something like that. How could the daughter who had always acted so cute and obedient since she was young have such a cold side to her?
Yu Wan seemed to understand from everyone's silence that she had said something wrong. However, she did not understand what she had done and could only change the topic in a panic.
"Elder Sister Yaoyao, I know that you've been through some unpleasant things in the mental hospital, and I support you taking revenge on them, but we don't have to use such an extreme method, do we?"
In her previous life, when she read the original novel, Yu Yao had known that she and Yu Wan did not see eye to eye, but this was also the first time she had truly witnessed the ugliness of her nature.
"Oh?" Yu Yao looked at Yu Wan with interest. "How do you think we should take revenge?"
"Uh…"
Yu Wan froze. What method did she have? She had never thought of taking revenge on her own uncle!
However, she had no choice but to say incoherently, "We can cut off their funding. As long as they don't have the support of the Yu family's funds, the mental hospital can't be run anymore. Wouldn't that achieve the goal of revenge?"
"Ha, I could never have dreamed up such an awful plan." Yu Yao sneered. "How did you get into a top university with your IQ? You should really thank the college entrance examination policy of City B."
"You!"
In front of the family, Yu Wan would never take the initiative to quarrel with Yu Yao. Even if her intelligence was being mocked, she could not show her anger. She could only look at her brothers with aggrievance.
"Dad, Brother, I just want to help my sister. Even if she doesn't like my idea, she shouldn't talk to me like that."
However, the Yu family did not comfort her as Yu Wan had expected. They could not comfort a person who only cared about their own interests and ignored the lives of others.
However, Yu Wan didn't know that her father and brothers' opinions of her had changed drastically. She only thought that the reason they weren't comforting her like before was because of Yu Yao's existence.
Yu Wan did not understand why the word 'blood relation' beat the time she had spent with them—time spanning over more than ten years.
Originally, Yu Wan had only hated Yu Yao, who wanted to take everything away from her, but from this moment on, she developed a trace of hatred towards Yu Hong, Yu Lang, Yu Heng, and Yu Jue too.
Of course, Yu Yao did not care about Yu Wan's feelings and would not let go of the chance to mock her. "Why are you acting coquettishly? Can't you see that they won't answer you? Do you want them to go against their consciences and say that your idea is good and not stupid at all? Wouldn't that be too difficult for them?"
"Sister, how can you say that about me?" Yu Wan looked pitiful. "I've never held a deep grudge against anyone since I was young. How could I think of a way to take revenge in such a short time?"
"Is that so?" Yu Yao smiled coldly and said faintly, "I thought you had a close relationship with the director of the mental hospital and couldn't bear to send him to prison."
In the book "The Fake Rich Lady Has Boundless Glory," no matter what difficulties the character Yu Wan faced, there would always be someone helping her.
Those who had helped Yu Wan before were either her family and friends who had grown up with her, or her admirers.
However, there were also some people who did not like Yu Wan and did not have much contact with her who still helped her unconditionally. When Yu Yao was reading the book, she had felt that these interactions were completely illogical. However, her colleagues said that this was the effect of the protagonist's halo, and there was no need to overthink it.
The director of the mental hospital was a person who had been influenced by Yu Wan's protagonist aura just by seeing her once and he had provided her with unconditional help.
If Yu Yao's tragic life had started in that mental hospital, then the conspiracy between Yu Wan and the director of the mental hospital was the cause of all the tragedy.
That was why Yu Yao couldn't help but ask about the relationship between Yu Wan and the director.
However, she did not know that just this sentence made Yu Wan's heart constrict and her entire body tense up.
What did Yu Yao mean by that? Did she know of the real relationship between her and the director of the mental hospital? Had her uncle accidentally said something that Yu Yao had overheard?
Yu Wan felt as if she could hear her own rapid heartbeat. Luckily, Yu Yao had only spoken casually and did not have any concrete evidence. She squeezed her palm to calm herself down.
Yu Wan's tone revealed a trace of panic that was hard to ignore. "Sister, you're thinking too much. How would I know that kind of person?"
"Just consider me to be speculating." Yu Yao shrugged indifferently. "Blame it on your suspicious actions, I guess? You can't blame me for this."
Yu Wan forced a smile. "Of course not."
Until the end of the family meeting, Yu Wan did not say another word. She thought that she had perfectly survived the crisis, but she did not know that all her reactions had been silently remembered by everyone.
Yu Wan cut off all contact with the mental hospital. She had discussed with her uncle previously that if anything happened, he would not expose her.
Through his work connections, Yu Heng handed the evidence regarding the mental hospital to the Special Case Department. The higher-ups consolidated and analyzed the incident and created a task force to distribute a plan to the Public Security Department, the Internet Safety Department, and the Discipline Inspection Department.
At this time, the task force was still conducting a deeper investigation into the mental hospital. Not only did they want to bring these people in charge of the mental hospital to justice, they also wanted to understand the entire industrial chain of human organ harvesting and the people behind it.
The Yu family's investment in the mental hospital had also gone through several rounds of investigations.
Yu Heng's work was slightly affected. The project he was working on was called off. After handing over his work, the research institute gave him a long vacation.
In the past, Yu Heng might have been angry that his research had been interrupted. But now, he was glad that he had time to go home and return to his biological sister's side to make up for his mistakes in his past life.
Although Yu Heng and the other two brothers were in the same state and wanted to repair their relationship with Yu Yao as soon as possible, they also understood that being impatient wouldn't bring them success. Facing Yu Yao, who had always been wary of them, they could only slowly approach her in a way that wouldn't disgust her.
After a discussion, the three brothers decided on a basic plan of attack regarding Yu Yao. Yu Lang and Yu Heng voted to reject Yu Jue's suggestion to throw all their passion at Yu Yao.
They believed that their sudden change in attitude towards Yu Yao would only arouse her suspicions and push her further and further away. Only by finding a way to make her life and studies interrelate with their own lives could they slowly gain her approval.
Yu Lang said, "Yaoyao is very concerned about the case at the mental hospital. I'll talk to her about the progress of the case in time. Yaoyao won't avoid talking about it."
Yu Heng had his own way too. "The research institute gave me a long vacation. I can accept Yaoyao's invitation to go to their university as a visiting professor for a few months."
Yu Jue was so anxious that he messed up his hair. "What should I do? I'm just a good-for-nothing celebrity. My work has no way of connecting with Yaoyao! Eldest Brother, Second Brother, quickly help me think of something!"
Yu Lang and Yu Heng ignored his plea for help.
The case in the mental hospital was handed over to the relevant departments and temporarily closed.
Yu Lang found an opportunity to talk to Yu Yao about her studies. Located in City B, Yu Yao's university wasn't bad, it was actually one of the top universities in the country. However, when she first applied for a college, she chose a relatively useless major—environmental engineering.
Yu Lang didn't think that this major would be of any substantial help to Yu Yao's future, but he had already learned to respect Yu Yao's choices. Thus, he didn't reject her specialization and instead asked for her opinion.
Yu Yao didn't have the memories of her original body, so she didn't have any relevant professional knowledge. She planned to first go to university to get a feel for things before deciding whether or not to transfer to another major.
She didn't know why, but by coincidence she bumped into Qiao Lian at the university campus.
At this moment, Qiao Lian was actually feeding stray cats in the university's woods!
A handsome man with a cold temperament, he was wearing a tailored suit. In everyone's imagination, he belonged in a high-level office, handling matters that could affect the interests of millions with ease.
Instead, he was opening a small box of canned cat food with a gentle expression and placing it in front of a stray cat.
Probably due to the contrast between his temperament and his current behavior, Qiao Lian seemed particularly attractive. The university students passing by couldn't help but cast curious gazes at him, including many young and beautiful female university students.
Yu Yao noticed that a few girls were fooling around with their friends, encouraging each other to ask Qiao Lian for his number.
Sure enough, people like Qiao Lian never lacked admirers wherever they went.
The girls who were pushing each other finally pushed out the prettiest one amongst them. The girl mustered up her courage and walked towards the man feeding the cat under the tree.
But before the pretty girl could open her mouth to strike up a conversation, Qiao Lian seemed to finish feeding the cat. He stood up, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wiped his slender fingers.
It was such an ordinary movement, but watching his unhurried motions, Yu Yao felt a little lecherous.
She thought that it was just her imagination, but when her gaze inadvertently landed on the faces of the girls beside her, Yu Yao noticed that their cheeks and ears seemed to be slightly red. Yu Yao also knew that there was definitely something wrong with this man. She didn't know what kind of demon he was, but every move he made was seductive.
After wiping his hands, Qiao Lian also noticed Yu Yao, who was two or three steps away. There were so many universities in City B, and there were so many students in each of them. The chances of them meeting each other by chance on campus were not high, but Qiao Lian was not surprised to see someone he knew.
After all, Qiao Lian knew very well that it was precisely because he had memorized Yu Yao's information and knew that this was her university that he had paid extra attention to this university when the company chose to work with him.
Qiao Lian smiled at Yu Yao. Although it wasn't a very wide one, such a smile was already very rare for him to do, as he was used to being expressionless.
"What a coincidence."
Yu Yao smiled at him. "What a coincidence. I thought you would be busy. I didn't expect you to have time to feed stray cats at university."
Qiao Lian dragged out his words meaningfully. "The stray cat that I wanted to keep at home escaped. I can now only give some love to the other cats."
"Let's not talk about the past." Yu Yao coughed awkwardly and changed the topic. "There's a beauty there who has been watching you. You should pay attention to her."
Not far away, the beautiful girl could no longer maintain the perfect smile on her face when she saw the two of them conversing and could only nod at them awkwardly. "Sorry for disturbing."
With that, she ran back to her friends. They still didn't understand what had happened and asked, "Why aren't you going over?"
The girl said in annoyance, "I was just about to go over when his girlfriend appeared. Luckily, I didn't have time to hit on him. Otherwise, it would have been so awkward!"
Yu Yao secretly glanced at Qiao Lian and immediately noticed the subtle smile on his face.
Yu Yao shouted in her heart: Beauty, you're not embarrassed now, I'm the one who's embarrassed!
She could only pretend that she had not heard the conversation between the girls and looked at the man with a calm expression. "By the way, I haven't asked you why you're here."
However, Qiao Lian didn't seem to realize that Yu Yao was desperately trying to find another topic to talk about. He had obviously heard the assumption about their relationship, but he didn't seem to be prepared to explain anything. Instead, he got closer to her.
As he slowly approached, Yu Yao could almost feel her body gradually stiffening. She knew that the distance between the two of them gave off mixed signals, but she also admitted to herself that she didn't want to avoid him deep down.
But Qiao Lian only took a yellow leaf from her hair.
He twirled the leaf in his slender fingers and chuckled. "You don't look like a sapling. Did you walk over with this leaf?"
Yu Yao's eyes widened, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. When she thought about how she had walked for such a long time in the crowded university campus with a leaf on her head, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole!
Yu Yao, who was too focused on her embarrassment, did not notice that the small leaf had not been thrown to the ground. Instead, it naturally slipped into the man's chest pocket.
A sense of compatibility is something difficult to describe in words, but it exists.
If you don't believe me, think of the couple standing in the forest on the university campus. One of them was handsome and tall, while the other was delicate and beautiful. Although the man looked like an elite who had just stepped into society and the girl was only an inexperienced student, who would say that they weren't compatible when there was a harmonious atmosphere as their eyes met?
At the very least, the students who were secretly taking photos from afar felt that the scene of a man helping a girl take leaves from her head was extremely beautiful. It was so beautiful that they couldn't help but take photos of it. They also couldn't help but upload the photos onto the university forum and let more single people like them enjoy the sight!
The student who had taken the main photo was a member of the university's photography association. His aesthetic standards exceeded the standards of most people. After the photo was posted on the forum, there were comments from other students.
Most of them said things like "Screw this PDA!" or "Get a room!". However, when some people saw this photo, they did not feel that this couple was compatible. Instead, they felt that things were going out of hand.
Gao Cheng had not been very busy recently. He didn't have a heavy course load in his third-year. After he found a more relaxed way of earning money, he had not gone to work for a long time. The girl he was pursuing was also taking a long period of sick leave, so he had more time to play games and browse the forums.
Hence, when someone posted the photo on the university forum, Gao Cheng saw it almost immediately and frowned.
Gao Cheng called You Yun.
You Yun had always had a bad temper, and she despised people like Gao Cheng, so she did not speak so politely. "Didn't I say not to call me if there's nothing?"
Gao Cheng was not angry about her attitude. In the past, when he had been working part-time and studying, he had encountered much worse criticism than this, so he knew very well how to deal with such people.
"Miss You, how would I dare to disturb you needlessly? Of course I have something important to tell you." Gao Cheng comforted her softly.
"Yu Yao has returned to university with a man by her side. Their photos have been posted on the university's forum."
"What did you say?" The woman on the other end raised her voice.
"Damn it! I already reminded you that Yu Yao might return to university in the next few days. Why didn't you take action and get another man to take advantage of her?"
"I'm sorry, I haven't been able to contact Yu Yao for the past few days," Gao Cheng explained. "She didn't pick up my calls or reply to my WeChat messages. I think she deleted all her contacts."
You Yun said impatiently, "Enough, there's no need to explain so much. Since you were about to succeed, you can't give up halfway now. You have to know that my money isn't that easy to earn!"
After hanging up the phone, Gao Cheng gritted his teeth. Two months ago, when university had just started, You Yun had approached him and asked him to deliberately approach a girl who had just entered university and find a way to become her boyfriend. Then, he was supposed to destroy the girl's spirit step by step while dating her.
This kind of thing was very heartless. At first, he had been hesitant, but he had no choice. You Yun had offered him too much.
He had also found out that his target, Yu Yao, was the biological daughter of the Yu family of B City. If he could be with her, he would be able to get as much money as You Yun.
Before Yu Yao applied for sick leave, Gao Cheng had been about to succeed, but he hadn't expected that in just half a month, someone would come to steal his victory.
Thinking of the money You Yun had sent over, Gao Cheng didn't dare to delay any longer. He quickly got up and put on his fashionable clothes. He had to meet the man who was with Yu Yao now!
You Yun was attending a gathering between friends, but in this circle of rich second-generation girls, the core figure was not You Yun, but Yu Wan, who had the best family background and was also the most outstanding.
You Yun gave Yu Wan a look, and Yu Wan found an excuse to leave the table temporarily. She left the room with You Yun and found a secluded place to talk.
After hearing You Yun's explanation, she saw the photo on the forum on her phone. When she saw the man's face clearly, her expression changed. She gripped her phone tightly, her fingers turning white from the force.
Meanwhile, Qiao Lian and Yu Yao, who were strolling on campus, were blocked by a boy who had appeared out of nowhere.
The boy's gambit was like a melodramatic love scene.
He looked at Yu Yao with a complicated gaze and said with deep affection and pain, "Yu Yao, I've been waiting for you while you were on leave. I sent messages every day to check on your health. You didn't reply to me once. I thought I did something wrong, but now I know that you've just fallen for someone else."