There it was, clearly listed in the auction brochure—the land on West Hill.
That was the ancestral land of the Yin family!
Her mother, Manni Yin, was buried there.
Zhenguo Qin had promised that if she went to meet the Chu family,
he wouldn't auction off that land. She had foolishly thought there was still a glimmer of warmth in his heart, but reality slapped her hard across the face.
Zhenguo Qin was startled by the intense hatred in her eyes.
But once he regained his composure, his pride as a patriarch was ignited, fueling his anger at this blatant challenge.
Unfilial daughter!
Did she really think she could confront him in public?
That land should rightfully be his. He could do whatever he wanted with it. Why should she, of all people, have a say? After all,
what profit could be made from guarding a dead person's grave?
Jasmine clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her lips pressed into a thin, hard line as if a dull knife were slowly slicing at her heart.
Zhenguo Qin's cold - bloodedness and Yun Shu's malicious glee were etched deeply in her mind.
She started walking towards Zhenguo Qin,
her steps slow and deliberate in her high - heeled shoes.
"Sir?" Yingyao was puzzled by Jasmine's actions. After all, she represented the image of the Chu Consortium.
The man merely glanced in her direction and then turned his attention back, saying indifferently, "It's fine." He lowered his head to flip through the business plan, his thumb rubbing against the paper.
There were only five minutes left until the auction began. Most of the people had already arrived, and many were still trying to network in the last few moments. So, Jasmine's actions didn't draw too much attention initially.
Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, but she forced herself to move forward, finally stopping in front of Zhenguo Qin. "Mr. Qin, did you submit the land on West Hill for auction?"
A tiny glimmer of hope still lingered in her heart. She needed to hear the answer from Zhenguo Qin's own mouth.
She wanted him to shatter the last remnants of her hope with his final act of .
Jasmine didn't even address him as "father."
Her tone was laced with barely - contained anger,
and a fierce fire burned in her eyes. She was like a tightly - wound spring, ready to explode at any moment.
"Jasmine, how dare you speak like this?" Yun Shu looked up with disdain. Who did this girl think she was?
It seemed that everything was already decided.
"Shut up. I'm not talking to you," Jasmine snapped back, her voice icy cold.
She had never shown any kindness to Yun Shu. The woman didn't deserve her respect. She was nothing but a despicable step - mother.
"You..."
"Jasmine, go back to your seat,"
Zhenguo Qin warned in a low voice. He didn't want to cause a scene, especially not one that would reveal Jasmine as his daughter. It had been five years,
and he'd finally managed to make people forget about her.
Jasmine let out a cold laugh. She felt the last thread of her self - control snap. Reaching out, she grabbed the celadon tea cup beside Zhenguo Qin and hurled it to the ground.
Bang!
Scalding hot tea splashed everywhere, pooling on the floor.
"Did you submit that land for auction?"
Her voice rose, but it was hoarse from the desperation that had pushed her to the brink. Her eyes were red - rimmed, and she seemed like a person at the end of their rope, desperately clinging to get an answer.
The hall fell silent, and all eyes turned towards them.
Zhenguo Qin's face alternated between red and white. He was in a difficult position.
"Isn't that Jasmine?
The one who was engaged to the Ji family five years ago."
"Yes, I thought she looked familiar.
She came in with Young Master Chu just now. What on earth is going on between this father and daughter?"
"Zhenguo Qin is really shameless. He got to where he is today all thanks to the Yin family. Now he's going to auction off the Yin family's ancestral land. What an ungrateful wretch."
"Well, it's just business.
Merchants always chase after profit."
Whispers and murmurs filled the air, reaching Yun Shu and Zhenguo Qin's ears. Yun Shu stood up, putting on a magnanimous smile. "Jasmine, dear, your father is doing this for the good of Huanyu Group. How can you be so impolite?"