"My answer is still the same. I don't have money." Yun Yiyi picked up her handbag. She had already said what she wanted to say so there was no point in staying on any longer.
When Qiao Xi saw Yun Yiyi was about to leave, she stepped forward and grabbed Yun Yiyi's arm tightly. She said firmly, "You can't leave!"
Yun Yiyi furrowed her brows in pain. She struggled to free her hand but her mother only tightened her grip. "Let go, mom. You're hurting me!"
Yun Qiao looked at his sister, distressed, and hurriedly stepped forward to pull his mother away.
Song Zhuang, who was watching from the side, quickly stepped forward to stop him. She tugged him to the side and chided him, "This is between your mother and Yiyi. Stay out of it."
Yun Qiao looked at Song Zhuang with a dark expression and said, "This is our family's matter, how can I stay out of it? Let go of me, Xiao Zhuang!"
Song Zhuang refused to let go. She raised her voice and said, "I won't let go! I won't let you get involved in this matter today! You better stay here!"
Yun Qiao reached out to pry Song Zhuang's fingers open.
Song Zhuang released her grip and hugged him tightly, rendering him immobile.
"Xiao Zhuang!"
"I won't let go!" Song Zhuang said resolutely.
Qiao Xi looked at Yun Qiao and Song Zhuang who were arguing before she shifted her gaze back to Yun Yiyi whose face was contorted in pain. "Yiyi, I know you're rich. Can't you agree to my request?" Although she said it was a request, it sounded more like a demand coming out from her mouth.
Yun Yiyi looked at her mother helplessly. "I really don't have any money. I really don't! How many times do you want me to repeat myself?" Although she could ask her mother to confirm this with Gu Jingyan, she did not want her mother speaking to Gu Jingyan. After all, he would only stir up more trouble for her.
Qiao Xi realized Yun Yiyi was not going to yield. Although she had threatened Yun Yiyi with Yun Qiao's legs, Yun Yiyi remained unmoved. This was the first time such a thing had happened. It seemed like she had to come up with another way.
"Yiyi, I know you're rich. I am not greedy for your money. I will kneel and beg you. I beg you to buy a house for your brother so he can get married. I beg you." As she spoke, she made a move to kneel.
Upon seeing this, Song Zhuang cried out, "Aunt Qiao!" Then, she turned to Yun Yiyi and rebuked her, "Yiyi, how can you let your mother kneel in front of you?"
Yun Yiyi didn't need Song Zhuang's reminder. She would not let her mother kneel in front of her. She quickly held her mother up. She said with reddened eyes, "Mom, why don't you believe me? If I had the money, I would definitely buy it."
Qiao Xi sneered inwardly. How could she really kneel in front of Yun Yiyi? She let Yun Yiyi pull her up and began to sob. Then, she tried to use the same trick again and threatened to kneel. "Yiyi, just agree to mom's request. Just this once, as long as you agree, I won't bother you in the future."
Yun Qiao was so angry that his whole body was trembling. "Mom, why do you have to force Yiyi? She really doesn't have money. If we can't get a new house, then so be it. At most, I just won't get married!"
Song Zhuang looked at Yun Qiao in shock before she burst into tears. "Yun Qiao, what did you say? You won't get married? Yun Qiao, I've been with you for almost five years, and this is how you treat me?"
Yun Yiyi glanced at her brother and Song Zhuang who were arguing before she looked at her mother who was about to kneel. She felt suffocated. She held her mother to prevent her from kneeling as she said, "Mom, don't be like this. Don't force me... I really can't afford to buy a house."
Qiao Xi continued to sob pitifully. "Yiyi, how can you be so heartless? You don't even care about your brother who loves you the most!"
"I don't have any money. What can I do?" Yun Yiyi felt as though her world had gone completely dark at this moment.
Meanwhile, Song Zhuang said, "Yunqiao, you better give me an explanation. What do you mean by you won't get married? After so many years, is this all I am worth to you?"
Yunqiao said, "Xiao Zhuang, calm down."
Qiao Xi wailed miserably and continued to say through tears, "Yiyi, I'm begging you. I'm begging you. Please..."
This went on for more than half an hour before Yun Yiyi finally broke down. She screamed, "Alright, I'll buy it. I'll buy the house, I'll buy it! I'm begging you, can you stop this?"
In an instant, everyone fell silent.
When Song Zhuang regained her senses, she looked at Yun Yiyi with tears in her eyes. She was overjoyed. She would have a new house. It did not matter how Yun Yiyi was going to buy it, it had nothing to do with her. All she had to do was sit back and wait for it.
Qiao Xi who had been crying and begging a moment ago revealed a smile on her face. "Yiyi, I knew you have money. You should've just agreed to my request earlier."
Yun Qiao looked at Yun Yiyi anxiously. "Yiyi, I know you don't have money. I don't need you to buy a house for me. Just take care of yourself."
Song Zhuang glared at Yun Qiao. "Yiyi has already agreed to it. Why are you saying these words? Anyway, she owes you more than she can ever repay. It's just a house. It won't even make a dent in the divorce settlement she received from the Gu family."
"That's right, that's right." Qiao Xi looked at Yun Qiao happily. One could not even tell she was just crying and kicking up a fuss a moment ago. She said, "Yiyi, get it done as soon as possible. Renovate it as well. Then, your brother can get married before the new year."
Yun Yiyi shook off her mother's hand. Her wrist was already bruised. She gritted her teeth, and her mind was blank as she looked at her so-called family.
Qiao Xi wore a smug expression on her face, clearly delighted she was able to force Yun Yiyi to buy a house.
Her brother, Yunqiao, looked at her worriedly, but she could not hear what he was saying.
Song Zhuang's exquisitely made-up face was filled with joy and expectancy as though she could already see her beautiful new life in a new house.
Yun Yiyi felt as though she had been dropped into a frozen lake. She was cold to the bones. They did not care about her the slightest bit.
Her entire body was trembling violently. She did not if it was due to anger or sadness. Her hands were tightly clutching her handbag; her knuckles were white. Her eyes were devoid of emotion as she looked at her mother and tonelessly said, "Mom, I will buy the house! Even if I have to sell myself, I'll make sure my brother has a new house for his wedding..." Then, she inhaled deeply before she continued to say, "However, listen carefully, I didn't take a single cent from the Gu family! I will repay what I owe my brother, but from today onward, I have nothing to do with this family! Our ties are now severed!" After she finished speaking, she turned around and left.