Xie Changning’s words made Xie Changyi’s expression darken.

Yu Chunhe also asked tentatively, "Was your family that bad to you?"

"They were fine. Compared to other girls, I was lucky to be able to go to school for so many years. But my parents always said the family’s assets were for my brothers, and had nothing to do with me."

As she spoke, Xie Changning put on the same smile the original owner used to wear—a smile of contentment with her situation.

Without that smile, Xie Changning couldn’t have smiled at all.

The original owner had been kind-hearted, but the current Xie Changning was not. She knew her adoptive parents had been nothing but calculating, even hoping she would be married off somewhere far away.

So she would be out of their sight.

’Sometimes, Xie Changning really didn’t get it. If they despised the original owner so much, why did they agree to take her in for her parents in the first place?’

"What!?"

While Xie Changning was lost in thought, Xie Changyi finally snapped.

She demanded angrily, "They said the assets had absolutely nothing to do with you!?"

"Mm."

Xie Changning didn’t quite understand Xie Changyi’s sudden rage. ’As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter if they give me their assets or not.’

’After all, all their assets are in my hands now.’

"You... If your parents treated you so badly, why didn’t you go to the main family estate for help?" Xie Changyi asked, struggling to control her anger.

To be honest, even the current Xie Changning’s impression of the estate was simply that it was the center of the family’s affairs.

As for the original owner—

she knew even less about it.

Xie Changning shook her head honestly. "I don’t know where the estate is, and I don’t have any contact information for them. Frankly, I was just grateful my parents didn’t marry me off to that sixty-year-old man."

Xie Changyi was so furious she almost exploded on the spot.

Yu Chunhe knew why Xie Changyi was angry, but from the looks of it, Xie Changning held no resentment toward her parents whatsoever.

"Aren’t you angry? Don’t you feel it’s unfair?" Yu Chunhe asked curiously.

"Other families’ adopted daughters are just tools to bring a son into the family. They’re given names like Zhaodi, which means ’beckon a brother.’ The fact that my name is Changning is something I’m already very content with."

With that, Xie Changning revealed to them that she was adopted.

Xie Changyi was stunned; she had never considered that her sister would know she was adopted.

Director Zhao frowned. "Your parents are wealthy and have their own children. Why would they adopt you?"

"I’m not sure. I’ve had people look for my birth parents, but with no luck." Xie Changning didn’t elaborate.

From Xie Changning’s perspective, these were her superiors. It was normal for them to be concerned about her personal life, but she couldn’t tell them everything.

It was her own business, after all.

"Have you ever considered that if you contacted the main estate, you might find all the answers you’re looking for?" Xie Changyi said suddenly.

Xie Changning had never considered that possibility.

The main estate hadn’t featured prominently in the original owner’s memories. Since the original owner had never paid it any mind, the current Xie Changning had subconsciously overlooked its existence as well.

Then again, even if she had known, she wouldn’t have paid it any mind.

’In my view, the main Xie family would just be in cahoots with my adoptive parents.’

’I would never go to them for help.’

But now, hearing Xie Changyi, it seemed her identity might be just as Yue Yihan had suggested—the people at the main estate knew the details.

"Alright. I’ll look for the estate’s contact information later and try to get in touch with them," Xie Changning agreed with a nod.

A pang of pain shot through Xie Changyi’s heart at Xie Changning’s words.

She opened her mouth, desperately wanting to tell her that she was her biological sister.

But Xie Changyi didn’t know how she would answer when her sister inevitably asked her questions...

’Should I tell her I never even knew I had a sister?’

’If I do, wouldn’t she think our parents didn’t love her, since they never even told me she existed?’

Her own sister was right in front of her, yet Xie Changyi felt a wave of cowardice.

Sitting beside them, Yu Chunhe was getting exasperated.

She kept nudging Xie Changyi, gesturing for her to just say what she needed to say instead of bottling it up.

Xie Changning noticed their interaction and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Director Xie seems quite concerned with my family affairs. Director Xie... you wouldn’t happen to be a relative of mine, would you?"

Xie Changning’s question brought a conflicted look to Xie Changyi’s face.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, before finally speaking. "Is it possible... that I’m your biological sister?"

The smile on Xie Changning’s face froze instantly.

"She very well could be your biological sister," Yu Chunhe explained from the side. "Your... your parents—no, wait, your adoptive father is her paternal uncle..."

She proceeded to tell Xie Changning about her family’s situation.

Their parents might have disappeared, but Xie Changyi had no idea she had a sister, so it wasn’t her fault.

Xie Changning frowned slightly. "So, Director Yu, are you saying that right after my mother gave birth to me, she was called away? And she only had time to leave behind some money and a word of blessing, asking my adoptive father to take care of me?"

Xie Changning’s expression turned grim.

The reason for her grim expression wasn’t that her parents hadn’t told Xie Changyi about her. It was because—

’That old bastard from the Xie family took the original owner’s money to start his business, and let her starve to death!’

Xie Changning was furious. She struggled to rein in her anger and steady her voice. "Pardon me. I’m... skeptical of what you’re telling me, but—"

"—I’m a little angry right now."

"You have every right to be angry." Xie Changyi’s voice dropped, feeling that she, too, had wronged her sister.

Xie Changning shook her head. "This has nothing to do with you. I’m angry because if what you say is true, then the start-up capital for his business came from my birth parents. After everything he did to me all these years... I’m finding it very hard to forgive him."

’Sending them to the countryside was letting them off easy!’

Xie Changyi was relieved to hear her sister wasn’t angry with her.

’No wonder I felt such a sense of kinship the first time I met Xie Changning. So this is why...’

’She’s my sister!’

"I’m just glad you’re not mad at me. They are the ones who were in the wrong; you should be angry with them," Xie Changyi said with a nod, fully supporting Xie Changning’s stance.

Xie Changning then told Xie Changyi everything her adoptive parents had done to the original owner over the years.

Director Zhao and Yu Chunhe listened from the side, their anger growing with every word.

"That’s outrageous!" Director Zhao slammed his hand on the table. He had never met such shameless people!

Yu Chunhe felt the same way.

Xie Changning, however, remained relatively composed. After steadying her emotions, she asked Xie Changyi, "How did you find out I was your sister?"

"I contacted the main estate. Our great-uncle, the clan patriarch, is the one who told me."

Xie Changyi held nothing back, telling Xie Changning the entire story of how she found out.

With the main estate corroborating the story, its credibility increased dramatically.

Xie Changning sighed. "I never would have guessed... that we’re actually biological sisters."