Lu Yanbei was on a business trip, but Su He couldn't arrange for her best friend to visit.
This is because the girl had recently been whisked away by someone and was now on vacation.
Upon hearing this, Su He had to resort to her second plan: returning to her parents' home for free food and lodging.
Tang Jiaojiao was delighted to learn that Su He would be staying for a few days. "Your room is still ready for you. I'll have the cleaning staff tidy it up again shortly to ensure you have a comfortable stay."
Su He was the pampered darling of the family, and she was always warmly welcomed back.
And so, Su He, with a small suitcase in hand, headed to Huajing Garden.
Seeing the suitcase, Tang Jiaojiao assumed the young couple had argued and Su He had come home to cool off.
"Where's Yanbei?" Tang Jiaojiao asked, feigning ignorance.
"On a business trip," Su He replied, picking up snacks from the coffee table and crunching on them.
Seeing that there hadn't been a fight, Tang Jiaojiao breathed a small sigh of relief.
It was good they hadn't argued!
She honestly didn't know how she would have mediated.
"Ms. Tang, how is the security in this complex? I saw a few suspicious figures lurking around earlier. Should we notify security?" Su He chatted with her while eating potato chips.
Tang Jiaojiao glanced out at the balcony suspiciously and indeed saw a few people heading their way. One of them bore a slight resemblance to her and looked somewhat familiar.
"Is this the place?"
"I asked the property management, and they said the owner of this house is Tang Jiaojiao, so it must be right!"
"Once we get inside, you all behave. We've finally found her, so don't mess it up like last time and end up on bad terms."
"Got it! I've told you hundreds of times, stop nagging!"
The group clearly saw the door number and walked straight up to ring the doorbell.
"Who are you looking for?" the servant asked, answering the door.
"Excuse me, does Tang Jiaojiao live here?" The woman at the head of the group looked to be in her early fifties and was well-maintained. She was wearing a dark green qipao with a white shawl draped over her shoulders, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
Her face was wreathed in smiles, and her demeanor was polite.
The servant frowned, not daring to make a decision on her own. "Please wait a moment."
With that, she went inside to report.
Tang Jiaojiao had seen them from afar and recognized them, but she had no intention of engaging. "Go and tell them the owner is not home and ask them to leave."
The servant respectfully acknowledged, "Yes, Madam, I will send them away right now."
Before long, the entrance became noisy.
Clearly, those people did not accept the answer.
"How could she not be home? I clearly saw her!" The man who had come with them was less patient. Hearing the servant's words, he immediately became agitated.
"She's clearly putting on airs and refusing to see us!"
The woman in the qipao shot him a fierce glare. "Say less!"
"What, did I say something wrong?" the man grumbled indignantly. "She hasn't been back in over twenty years. It's obvious she doesn't want to acknowledge us relatives anymore. Why are we bothering?"
"No matter what, she's still your sister!" the woman sighed helplessly.
"I don't have such an unfilial sister! She didn't even come back to see us when our father passed away. So cold-blooded!"
"It's all in the past, why bring it up again! Now, Mother is seriously ill and wants to see her. It's the old lady's last wish..."
"She's still holding a grudge about what happened back then. How could she come back with us!"
"No matter what, we are blood relatives. She'll come around."
The group's noisy bickering at the door was incredibly annoying to Tang Jiaojiao.
These so-called relatives were merely trying to curry favor now that they saw she was doing well. Back when she was struggling financially, none of them had ever shown up. On one occasion, she had encountered them outside, and they had deliberately pretended not to know her and walked away.
Hmph!
She had no intention of associating with these snobs.
"Who are they?" Su He asked, looking out the window and finding them somewhat peculiar. Did these people know her adoptive mother?
"Just a bunch of unrelated people. Don't mind them," Tang Jiaojiao said, taking her hand and leading her back inside.
Unfortunately, she had underestimated the shamelessness of these people.
The next morning, as Su He went out to throw away the trash, she was cornered by them.
"Are you Jiaojiao's daughter?" The woman who blocked her path scrutinized her for a moment, smiling warmly. "I'm your maternal aunt. My name is Tang Sese."
Su He's mind was a bit foggy.
When did she acquire a maternal aunt?
"You must have the wrong person?" Su He pulled her hand away, stepped back a few paces, and looked at them warily.
"Oh, you child... but I can't blame you! After all, Jiaojiao and I haven't seen each other for many years, so it's understandable you don't recognize me." When the woman mentioned Tang Jiaojiao, she couldn't help but sigh. "Back then, she had a falling out with the family and ran away from home. She's been gone for so many years... It took us a great deal of effort to find out where she was..."
Su He shrugged dismissively. "But I've never heard my mother mention you."
Tang Sese gave an awkward smile. "Your mother has a rather proud personality. After leaving home, she went through a lot of hardship but always refused to yield... Alas, why did she bother! Father was just angry that she eloped without discussing it with the family. He was only worried she'd marry the wrong person and have a difficult life!"
"Oh, then you must be mistaken! My mother has been living very well all these years, wanting for nothing. My father dotes on her immensely, especially towards my mother. He's utterly devoted, willing to give her the moon and stars!"
"I believe you must have the wrong person."
"Excuse me!" Su He, unwilling to argue, tossed the trash into the bin by the door and turned to go back inside.
Tang Sese, with quick hands, grabbed her.
"Hey, what are you doing? If you touch me again, I'll call the police!" Su He shook off her hand and warned coldly.
"You..." Tang Sese, seeing that she was being stubborn, immediately darkened her expression. "I am your maternal aunt. How dare you speak to an elder like this?"
"Elder? Who can prove that?" Su He said shamelessly. "This is hilarious! In this day and age, people still go around claiming relatives they don't have!"
"Madam, I advise you not to harbor any ill intentions. My family keeps several wolfhounds, and they are very fierce towards strangers. If you follow any further, I can't guarantee they won't attack."
Su He's threat wasn't empty.
Tang Jiaojiao did indeed own several large, strong dogs for security.
The villa was simply too large, and sometimes she felt quite scared when she was home alone. So, Su Dazhi had brought home a few large dogs, ostensibly as pets.
The first time Su He saw those behemoths, she was quite frightened.
Other people's cats and dogs were cute and cuddly. Her pets, when standing up, were taller than she was, and their tongues lolled out, revealing their fierce appearances. Su He was nearly scared out of her wits.
After speaking, Su He slammed the door shut.
Having been denied entry, Tang Sese trembled with rage. "As expected, a daughter takes after her mother! The girl Tang Jiaojiao raised is just as ill-mannered as she is!"