Chapter 2 Marriage (2)

Lin Qingyuan's eyes were slightly red as she met Ye Liangyan's gaze. Gazing into her daughter's clear and bright black eyes, she felt a chill in her heart. Lowering her head slightly, she spoke softly with a faint voice, "Xiaoyan, you know as well that your second sister never wanted this marriage. Now that the young master of the Jiang Family has had a car accident, she must be furious and that's why she ran away from home. We think, since she's unwilling, we can't just disregard the agreed-upon marriage with the Jiang Family, or else how will our Ye Family maintain our stance in Shengjing, right?"

If there was any hope left in Ye Liangyan's heart, all that remained after hearing these words was a cold laugh!

If it had been Grandmother Ye or her father saying these things, perhaps she wouldn't have felt anything, but these words came from her own biological mother!

Facing this seemingly gentle persuasion, Ye Liangyan felt an increasing chill in her heart as she quietly stared at her mother.

Ye Licheng's first wife only had two daughters, which were her eldest sister Ye Xinjia and her second sister Ye Xinrong, whereas her mother, Lin Qingyuan, was just a mistress that Ye Licheng had kept outside, and until the age of five, she herself was an illegitimate daughter kept in the dark.

Perhaps it was luck for her mother, but Ye Licheng's first wife fell ill and passed away when she was five, and at that time, her mother was pregnant again. After finding out that it was a boy through examinations, and considering the Ye Family's traditional values and Grandmother Ye's preference for males over females, Grandmother Ye agreed to let Ye Licheng bring Lin Qingyuan back into the family as his wife, and just like that, she, an illegitimate daughter, became the third young miss of the Ye Family!

However, to the outside world, the only well-known members of the Ye Family were the eldest young miss, the second young miss, and the young master. As for her, the third young miss, many people only heard of her by name, and even the Ye Family itself seemed to intentionally "erase" her presence, so Ye Liangyan rarely appeared in front of others.

She herself was quite content with this, as at least outside of this family, she could have a bit more freedom and safety.

But—

Did they really think she was a fool?

The Ye Family in Shengjing could be considered an illustrious family, but compared to the Jiang Family, with a century of prestigious history, they simply didn't match up.

This marriage between the Jiang and Ye families was ultimately due to the deep friendship between Grandmother Ye and Grandmother Jiang, who had considered each other as sisters for many years and naturally wished for their grandchildren to marry and bring glory to both families.

But in Ye Liangyan's eyes, there was a deeper cunning in Grandmother Ye's intentions!

The Ye Family had its moments of glory, but ever since Ye Licheng took over the family business, for many years, the Ye Family had been in decline, while the Jiang Family, on the contrary, became richer and more prosperous.

Ultimately, this marriage was all benefit and no harm to the Ye Family.

So even if it meant sending her, the unloved third daughter, to marry in place of her sister, they were unwilling to lose the great support of the Jiang Family!

"What mother says is true," Ye Liangyan's mind raced, but she obediently agreed aloud.

Grandmother Ye's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and yet her lips curled with a trace of disdain, "Third girl, so about this marriage, do you agree, or do you disagree?"

Ye Liangyan glanced at her parents; expectation rose in her father's eyes, while her mother appeared somewhat timidly to lower her gaze. With a slight smile, she nodded her head, "I agree."

Four words, spoken very calmly.

Grandmother Ye and Ye Licheng smiled in satisfaction, visibly relieved. They took turns praising her with words like "good girl," "understanding," and "obedient," before leaving one after another.

Not until the living room was left with only Ye Liangyan and her mother Lin Qingyuan did Lin Qingyuan raise her tearful eyes to look at her daughter, "Xiaoyan, you..."

She got only halfway through her sentence when Ye Liangyan stood up emotionlessly, "Mom, I have classes; I'm going back to school now."