Ye Xi returned to the car and didn't leave immediately.
Outside, the rain was pouring down, and as she stared at the car window blurred by the rain, tears rolled down her cheeks like broken strands of pearls.
Alone in the empty space, she finally leaned over the steering wheel and had a good cry.
Before leaving the hospital, she had received a phone call from her mother, Feng Qing.
Feng Qing's tone was cautious, tinged with a hint of trepidation, "Ye Xi, your sister Susu has finally found a new job, and our whole family is planning to celebrate for her. Are you available to come back now?"
Feng Qing was Ye Xi's biological mother, but her heart was filled with her adopted daughter, Ye Susu.
After all, for the first 20 years, Ye Xi was raised in the countryside.
Ye Xi and Ye Susu had been switched at the hospital, and since then, Ye Xi had been living with her adoptive parents in the countryside.
Although it was a coincidence that both families shared the surname Ye, with the switch of identities, their fates were completely different.
Feng Qing had raised Ye Susu like a precious princess.
And Ye Xi had to bear the burden of her adoptive parents' hefty medical bills until she had paid off all the borrowed medical expenses after graduating from university and finding work.
Regrettably, her adoptive parents passed away one after the other, leaving only the grandmother who had raised her.
When Feng Qing found out her daughter had been switched, she struggled for half a month but decided not to take her back, opting to keep Susu in the Ye Family instead.
The reason was supposedly the deep maternal bond, fearing it would hurt Susu's heart.
The only reason she later agreed to acknowledge Ye Xi was that she married Song Musen.
The Song Family was well-known and respected in Lincheng, and the Ye Family naturally wanted to call them in-laws.
Indeed, it was only after this union that Ye Kuiyun and Feng Qing started to show a bit more care for Ye Xi.
Ye Xi, with a nasal tone, said, "I'm busy with something else; you all go ahead and celebrate."
She didn't want to see Ye Susu at the moment.
But Feng Qing said, "Can't you postpone your plans? Your sister has prepared a big surprise for you and wants to give it to you."
Whether it was a surprise or a shock, Ye Xi knew all too well.
Since she couldn't hide from it forever, Ye Xi steeled her heart and said, "Alright, I'll be back."
Feng Qing's tone brightened, "Then hurry up; don't keep your sister waiting."
...
At the Ye Family's home, they were celebrating Ye Susu's new job with great pomp and circumstance.
Feng Qing had carefully prepared a gift for Ye Susu's first day of work: a pair of exquisite and luxurious brand-name pearl earrings, which Susu liked very much.
In contrast, in the more than two years since Ye Xi was acknowledged, she had never received any gift from her birth mother.
Even their birthdays were distinguished; Susu celebrated according to the solar calendar and Ye Xi followed the lunar calendar.
Feng Qing always remembered Susu's birthday well in advance and prepared gifts for her.
When Ye Xi's birthday came around, Feng Qing either forgot due to busyness or merely sent a red envelope through WeChat and that was all.
Looking at the table full of dishes Susu liked, Ye Xi had no appetite whatsoever.
Seeing Ye Xi not eating, Susu pretended to ask, "Sister, don't these dishes suit your taste? It seems like you don't want to eat."
Imagining herself and Song Musen in intimate moments even made Ye Xi feel nauseous.
Ye Xi's resentful expression went ignored by Susu, who smiled and asked, "Sister, both dad and mom have prepared gifts for my new job. What about you? Are you going to give me a gift?"
Ye Xi looked at her coldly, "What gift do you want?"
With a smile that curved her eyes, Susu took a pregnancy test report out of her bag and handed it to Ye Xi.
Laughing, she said, "Would you give me anything I want? Then how about letting me have your husband; is that okay?"