The tension in the foyer was thick and palpable as Zhang Su and his family prepared to depart, their bags in hand and defeat etched upon their faces. As they made their way towards the door, Zhang Su turned to Mu Lingling, his eyes burning with resentment.

"This is how you treat your only family, just because you have struck some gold and your daughter married rich?" he spat, his words dripping with bitterness.

Before Mu Lingling could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the staircase, and Zhu Fengrui appeared, his expression steely and unwavering.

"Guards, what are you waiting for?" he called out, his voice ringing with authority. "Throw them out, right now."

Without hesitation, the guards surged forward, roughly seizing Zhang Su and his family, their grips unyielding. Zhang Su struggled in their grasp, his face twisted into a mask of outrage, but his protests were silenced by the sheer force of their presence.

Li Chen descended the stairs, his expression grim, with Zhang Mei by his side. His eyes locked onto the guards, and a silent understanding passed between them.

"Teach him a lesson," Li Chen declared, his voice low and menacing. "A lesson he will never forget."

The guards nodded, their faces etched with grim determination, and they began to drag Zhang Su and his family towards the doors, their struggles becoming more desperate with each passing moment.

In the midst of the chaos, Zhu Fengrui’s gaze fell upon Zhang Meixui, the youngest and most meek of the brood. With a gentleness that belied the intensity of the situation, he reached out and gently grasped her arm.

"Want some tea?" he asked, his voice calm and soothing.

The room fell silent, all eyes turning towards the unlikely pair, stunned by Zhu Fengrui’s unexpected gesture.

Lui Ying’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, her voice laced with venom. "Meixui, let’s go," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Zhang Meixui’s eyes flickered towards Zhu Fengrui, a silent plea etched upon her features. "I have to go," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Li Chen shook his head, his expression softening as he regarded the young woman. "No, you don’t have to," he countered, his voice firm yet gentle. "You don’t belong with them."

Zhang Su, still struggling against the guards’ iron grip, turned his fury towards his daughter. "If you dare ignore your mother, don’t ever set foot in my house again, understand?" he bellowed, his face twisted with rage.

Zhang Meixui shrank back, her eyes wide with fear, but Zhu Fengrui’s gentle hold on her arm anchored her, offering her a lifeline in the midst of the chaos.

"I really have to go," she whispered, her voice trembling as she met Zhu Fengrui’s gaze with pleading eyes.

Zhang Mei stepped forward, her expression softening as she regarded the young woman. "Stay with us, forget them, okay?" she urged, her voice laced with compassion.

Zhang Weijun, never one to miss an opportunity to inflict pain, sneered at his sister. "Dad, let this little tramp stay if she wants," he spat. "It won’t change the fact that she’s a good-for-nothing."

Zhang Meixui flinched as if struck, her brother’s words cutting her to the core. Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked towards Mu Lingling, seeking solace in the older woman’s gaze.

Mu Lingling offered her a reassuring nod, her eyes shining with understanding and acceptance.

In that moment, something shifted within Zhang Meixui, a flickering flame of defiance igniting within her soul. She straightened her spine, squaring her shoulders as she turned to face her family.

"I am staying," she declared, her voice quiet but resolute.

Lui Ying scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer of disdain. "I always knew you were not to be trusted," she spat. "I wonder why I even agreed to raise you."

The words hung in the air like a physical blow, their impact reverberating through the room. The guards tightened their grips on Zhang Su and his family, their faces etched with grim resolve, ready to usher them out at a moment’s notice.

The revelation hung heavy in the air, a weight so profound that it seemed to suck the very oxygen from the room. Zhang Meixui’s sobs echoed through the foyer, her anguish laid bare for all to witness.

Zhang Mei turned to Lui Ying, her eyes blazing with righteous fury. "What are you saying, Aunt Ying?" she demanded, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

Zhang Su, his face contorted with rage and shame, whirled on his wife. "Lui Ying, shut up!" he roared, his voice booming like thunder.

But Lui Ying was beyond reason, her own bitterness and hatred spilling forth like a poisonous torrent. Zhang Liying stepped forward, her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "No, Dad, let Mom tell the truth so we can finally get rid of her," she sneered, her eyes glinting with malice.

Zhang Meixui’s sobs grew louder, her shoulders shaking with the force of her anguish. "What is going on, Mom, Dad?" she pleaded, her voice thick with tears.

Lui Ying’s gaze was cold, devoid of any maternal warmth. "I am not your mother," she spat, her words cutting deeper than any blade.

Zhang Meixui recoiled as if struck, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "But Mom..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Zhang Su’s face was a mask of fury and shame, his eyes flickering towards the guards who still held him in their iron grip. "Shut up, Lui Ying," he growled. "Don’t say another word."

But Lui Ying was beyond reason, her bitterness and hatred spilling forth like a poisonous torrent. "You are nothing but a child your father had with some woman from the red light district," she snarled, her words cutting deeper than any blade. "Yes, your mother was nothing but a..."

Zhang Su’s roar of rage echoed through the foyer, a sound so primal and anguished that it sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it. "I told you to shut the hell up!" he bellowed, his face twisted into a mask of fury and shame.

Zhang Meixui turned to her father, her eyes pleading, desperate for him to deny the cruel words that had been spoken. "Dad, is this true?" she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of her anguish.

Zhang Liying’s cruel laughter cut through the tense silence. "Yes, it’s true," she taunted. "Now can we go and leave her? She always annoys me."

The truth, laid bare in all its ugliness, was more than Zhang Meixui could bear. She crumpled to the floor, her body wracked with sobs, her world shattered into a million pieces. The way Zhang Su remained silent, his gaze averted, was all the confirmation she needed – Lui Ying was not her mother, and the life she had known was built on a foundation of lies.

As the guards finally ushered the Zhang family out, their shouts and curses echoing through the foyer, Zhang Meixui found herself enveloped in the warmth of Zhu Fengrui’s embrace. Unknowingly, she buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking through the fabric of his shirt as he gently patted her back, offering her a solace she had never known.

Zhang Mei’s voice was laced with compassion as she regarded the broken young woman. "I always knew you were different from that woman," she murmured, her eyes shining with understanding.

Finally, Zhang Meixui’s sobs subsided, and she pulled away from Zhu Fengrui’s embrace, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about that," she whispered, her voice hoarse from the force of her anguish.

Zhu Fengrui’s gaze was kind, his eyes shining with a warmth that seemed to radiate from his very soul. "It’s okay," he reassured her, his voice soft and soothing.

Zhang Meixui sank onto the couch, her body trembling with the aftershocks of the revelation that had been thrust upon her. Her gaze fell upon Mu Lingling, and she found herself seeking answers from the older woman’s eyes. "Aunt Lingling, you knew about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Mu Lingling’s expression was one of sorrow and regret as she nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, all adults knew," she admitted, her voice heavy with the weight of secrets long kept.

The truth crashed over Zhang Meixui like a tidal wave, and she found herself adrift in a sea of lies and deception. "I have been living a lie for 20 years," she whispered, her voice trembling with the force of her anguish.

Mu Lingling’s gaze was filled with sorrow and compassion. "I am sorry," she murmured, her words carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken apologies.

But for Zhang Meixui, the apologies rang hollow, and she found herself swept away by the torrent of her emotions once more. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she contemplated the harsh reality of her existence – a child never truly wanted, denied the love and acceptance that should have been her birthright.

In that moment, as she wept bitter tears of anguish and betrayal, Zhang Meixui felt utterly alone, adrift in a world that had stripped her of her identity, her sense of self shattered like a fragile mirror.