Drastic Change

As she spoke, Tan Xiuying's emotions welled up within her. Memories of her childhood and her late mother flooded her mind, mixing with the complex web of feelings she held toward her father.

"Father, I apologize for my unfilial behavior. Throughout all these years, I've carried an immense longing for my mother. And you, too, I've yearned to be near you, yet our interactions have been scarce. That longing forced me to suppress my feelings and endure many things in silence."

With a slight pause, she continued, "Madam Li Jiayi's influence in my life has been significant. She has cared for me and indulged my every whim, giving me whatever my heart desired. Unfortunately, her kindness, while well-intentioned, shaped me into a girl prone to mischief, tantrums, and obstinacy."

As she spoke, Tan Xiuying's gaze remained fixed on her father, an earnest plea shining in her eyes.

Li Jiayi found herself unprepared for the humiliation she received when Tan Xiuying mentioned her name in front of so many people. The girl's words felt like a sharp slap across her face, leaving her both embarrassed and furious.

Tan Jianjun's expression grew even more sour, and he shot a quick reproachful look at his wife, clearly holding her responsible for the situation.

Feeling the weight of everyone's attention on her, Li Jiayi quickly shot back, "Oh, is that what you're implying? Apricots don't stray far from the apricot tree, they say."

Li Jiayi's carefully chosen words served as a thin veil over the truth, skillfully redirecting the blame towards Tan Xiuying's parents to a certain extent.

"Your words do have a certain charm, Madam," Tan Xiuying said with a small smile on her lips. "Don't go blaming my parents' upbringing for all this. You're the one who took charge of shaping me during my father's absence. There are a lot of ways to teach younger people what's important in life. But it looks like you chose the worst one. To an outsider or someone who doesn't know me well, the way you treat me might seem kind and caring, but in fact, it's slowly eating away at my core."

Li Jiayi was quiet for a moment, thinking, when did this stubborn girl get such sharp wit and eloquence?

Tan Xiuying pressed on, her voice unwavering, "Remember what you said earlier about the apricot don't stray far from the apricot tree? You're not fooling me with that, you know? It's like, I'm onto your little metaphor game."

Observing the clash between her mother and stepsister, Tan Meixiu responded with a soft grin, "Sister Xiuying, you know, my mother's intentions are actually good. She's got this unique parenting style where she tailors things to each of us based on our personalities. I mean, she's so concerned that you didn't even want to trouble me with your complaints. But, you see, the whole 'educating you' thing? Well, father got roped into it because…"

Ignoring Tan Meixiu, Liu Meifeng finally chimed in, "Look, if we just hand our kids every single thing on a silver platter, they'll turn into extremely demanding and unappreciative little humans. And about self-control? Well, it'll be out the window. And you know what? Some kids end up spoiled, but it's not really their fault but more like their parents' fault for giving in. But let's not get all caught up in pointing fingers right now. We have more important things to figure out."

Li Jiayi was practically squirming in front of this whole crowd, the humiliation hitting her like a ton of bricks. And then, when Liu Meifeng dropped those truth bombs, she was basically left with her mouth hanging open. How could she even argue with that?

Her face turned redder than a tomato, and she was left totally tongue-tied. Deep down, though, she was cursing both the grandma and the granddaughter under her breath, because it was clear they were tag-teaming her–each with their own unique flavor of attack. It's like they joined forces to take her down, in their own sneaky ways.

Tan Jianjun frowned once more as his thoughts churned. Inside, he was doing a lot of deep thinking. He couldn't help but wonder if, while he was out and about taking care of things, he had missed something important.

Was everything fine back home, or is there a not-so-pretty truth hiding under the surface that is making people think everything is fine? It's like he's playing a little brain game with himself.

This time, Tan Jianjun's frown got even deeper as he thought about the situation very carefully. But right when he thought he had things figured out, he got hit with an even bigger surprise.

Tan Xiuying simply fell to her knees in front of him and clasped her hands in a respectful way. Every eye in the room was on her, waiting to see what she would do.

"Forgive me, Father. Because of what I did, everyone in our family has to swallow this hard truth. Even if it's a punishment, I'm ready for whatever comes my way even I'm willing to pack my bags and go into exile, no questions asked."

Li Jiayi let out a surprised gasp when she heard that. Even Tan Jianjun, Liu Meifeng, and everyone else looked puzzled with frowns on their faces. This was not what they saw coming.

Tan Xiuying, who's usually all about looking out for number one, was suddenly pulling a 180 and going all selfless? That's not the playbook they were expecting. Usually, it's all about doing whatever it takes for her own gain, so this? It's like a total curveball.

Liu Meifeng gently urged, "Take it easy, Xiuying. Don't rush into a decision." Her typically soothing voice quivered slightly as she added in a soft murmur, "Your dad's got things under control. No need to fret. Don't worry. Trust him."

Turning her head to Liu Meifeng, Tan Xiuying spoke up, "I'm really sorry, Grandma. I've thought things through. I hope nobody tries to stop me. This is my way of fixing the mess I've caused. It's also a way to honor my parents, especially my late mother, and let her rest peacefully in the afterlife."