Madam Yan lay on the bed feebly, occasionally letting out a cough. Beside her sat Ruan Yufeng, who was feeding her traditional Chinese medicine, trying her best to care for Madam Yan.
As soon as she heard a sound, Madam Yan gulped down her bitter medicine, a glint appearing in her cloudy eyes. "Is that Yiren?"
Yan Yiren emerged behind Yan Shudan, smiling, "Grandma. It's me. I'm here to see you."
"Yiren, quick, come over. Let me take a good look at you."
Picking up the bowl, Ruan Yufeng stood up. "Mother, you have a nice chat with Yiren. I'll bring Shudan to the kitchen to whip up something nice for both of you."
As she finished her words, she turned her gaze to Yan Yiren. "Yiren, do stay to have lunch with us. I'll cook some of your favorites."
No wonder they were mother and daughter; their acting skills ran in the family.
Yan Yiren nodded silently. Once the mother-daughter duo made their way out, she closed the door, locking it.
She didn't want to be interrupted.
She went to the bedside, grabbing hold of Madam Yan's withered hand as she leaned her face on it. Yan Yiren said slowly, "Grandma, you need to get well quickly. Then, I won't be so worried about you."
"My child, it has been hard on you." Madam Yan's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "They both bullied you again, didn't they?"
"You don't need to lie for their sake. Grandma knows better than anyone else." Madam Yan caressed Yan Yiren's head, "Grandma is such an old hag now. I can't help you in any way, and God knows when I'll go..."
"Grandma!" Yan Yiren frowned, pulling a long face. "You'll live a long life, so don't say things like that. I don't like to hear it."
"Well.... All right, all right. I won't say it. I won't." Madam Yan took out a folder from the drawer and passed it to her.
Yan Yiren hesitated. "What's this for?"
"These are Grandma's savings. It's all for you. Your dad's scum, but I sure am not. My lifelong savings will be left for you, my obedient granddaughter."
Yan Yiren's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She felt herself getting choked up. "Grandma, I don't want it."
"Take it. If you don't want it, the mother-daughter duo will just claim it as theirs. Do you want to drive me to an early grave?" Madam Yan grabbed hold of her hand, fastening the folder tight. "Be good, Yiren. Take it."
Only when she made her way out of the Yan Family house did she pull out the folder she had been hiding under her clothes, feeling stunned.
Her mother had precisely been driven to an early grave by Yan Shudan and her mother. She was diagnosed with depression and died shortly thereafter.
Once the mother-daughter duo entered the family, they had always treated her well on the surface. But behind closed doors, they sought ways to torment her. And as the head of the family, Yan Ningkang chose to turn a blind eye to such acts, to his suffering daughter, all in the name of his love.
Yan Yiren took in a deep breath, holding tightly to the folder before leaving the villa.
Since she only took a half-day leave, she still had to report to work in the afternoon.
Returning to her single apartment, she took a nap for thirty minutes, wanting to have enough energy needed to get back to work.
...
With a knock on the table, the Director of Business Development dropped a message monotonously, "Yan Yiren, the president's looking for you."
There was an unspoken rule in the company. Those with great beauty were either idolized by the masses or isolated.
Yan Yiren belonged to the latter group.
From the very day she entered the company, she never took to heart the strange looks her colleagues sent her way.
Anyway, relationships among colleagues were only formed for the benefits. No use trying to form deep bonds.
And she wasn't so naive to think she'd be able to make a true friend in the company.
She wasn't interested in her female colleagues' gossip. On the other hand, her male colleagues were too enthusiastic, which was burdensome.
"I got it."
Putting aside her tasks on hand, Yan Yiren made her way to the president's office.