Chapter 912: Facing the imposter

Bai Meiyue was speechless. She had seen countless shameless people, but she had never seen someone as thick-skinned as Bai Yi. This woman actually came to look for her and even said that she was family with her. Who was family with this fake daughter?

However, while Bai Meiyue was filled with disgust, Bai Yi was filled with delight. She was quite happy because she succeeded in making Bai Meiyue disgusted. Turning around, she turned to look at the guards behind her. "Bring in the gifts!"

A second later, the guards started to bring the gifts that the Bai family had packed for Bai Meiyue and her son.

"Some preserved fruits from our greenhouses, silk swaddles and vintage wine. And your son’s great-grandmother sends her blessings." Beside Bai Yi, the twenty-two-year-old Bai Murong clutched the small wooden carved box shaped like a sleeping songbird.

"I brought this for your son, Sister Meiyue." Bai Murong smiled at Bai Meiyue. His voice was much more genuine and free of his aunt’s snobbery. "It is a music box. It plays a soft melody from the world before it was destroyed. As long as you turn the dial—the melody will start playing." He paused and peeked at Bai Meiyue. "You are just like I imagined, cousin. I have been waiting for you."

Bai Murong looked at Bai Meiyue with some excitement in his eyes. His cheeks were flushed red from the heat, and unlike his aunt, his gaze did not wander around the safe base. Nor did he stare at the storeroom.

Bai Meiyue arched a brow. It seemed that even though he was from the Bai family, he was quite different from the rest of his family.

"Thank you." Bai Meiyue did not even glance at the silk swaddles that Bai Yi had brought with her; she had enough of them in her room. Instead, she took the music box. Her expression softened just a fraction as she said, "He is sleeping inside. My mother is taking care of him."

"Can I see him?" Bai Murong’s eyes brightened when he heard Bai Meiyue mention that her son was inside. He was excited because it was quite clear from Bai Meiyue’s tone that she wanted him to go inside and see her son. However, before he could even take a step forward, Bai Yi turned and glared at him.

"Later." Bai Yi interrupted smoothly, placing a heavy, possessive hand on her nephew’s shoulder. "Business first, Murong. Do not forget what your grandmother has asked you to do."

She then turned to look at Bai Meiyue and asked, "Are you going to invite us in, or are you going to let us stand in the sun all day long?"

Bai Meiyue arched a brow. She would have kicked the woman out of her safe base; however, she held herself back because of Bai Murong. "Follow me." She turned on her heel and walked toward the greenhouse, where she had arranged for her guests to sit and drink tea. As they sat down on the chairs, Bai Yi started to look around, her eyes turning bright when she noticed the many fruits that were hanging from the roof. One could see that she was mentally computing the sheer value of Bai Meiyue’s stronghold.

"Your grandmother sends her warmest regards," Bai Yi began, leaning back in her chair. "She acknowledges that...awkwardness occurred in the past regarding your mother."

Bai Meiyue curled her lips into a bitter and dangerous smile. So that was all her mother was to them? A piece of awkwardness that could not be solved.

"My mother suffered all her life; she was forced to wake up earlier than anyone in the village while she ate nothing but rice soup...you, on the other hand, lived a good life," Bai Meiyue started, her voice dropping into a dangerously quiet tone that was too hard to register. "You stole her name, her home, and her parents. Don’t talk about her when you don’t even have the basic respect for her."

Bai Yi did not even flinch. She simply adjusted her pearl necklace, her eyes glittering with cold malice. "Past is past, Meiyue. What matters now is survival. The matriarch of the Bai family is old, and our family is suffering from severe genetic degradation. Our livestock is mutated, our fish tanks are choked with black spot mould, and our meat has turned toxic."

Bai Yi then leaned forward over the table, her composure slipping into that of unabashed greed.

"Word on the market is that you have fresh, pristine meat. Unmutated salmon. Pure, uncorrupted beef. Fresh water that does not smell of sulphur." Bai Yi smiled tightly. "Your grandmother is willing to overlook your mother’s unfortunate and poor background. She wants to welcome you and your brothers to the Bai family; all she is asking in exchange is for you to redirect eighty per cent of your unmutated food supply to our central estate."

From the corner of the room, Bai Murong stopped drinking the tea that had been served and almost choked on it. He turned to look at his aunt, and his face turned red with shame.

Bai Meiyue let out a short, cold laugh that echoed off the glass walls. "Rejoin the family? You live in the house that belongs to my mother, and now that your precious family is starving on rotten meat, you come here offering me a seat at the table that you have stolen?"

"It is a generous offer!" Bai Yi insisted, her voice rising in sharp indignation. "You would have a noble title! The protection of the family."

"I have plasma shields, clean water and an army of ability users," Bai Meiyue said, leaning forward until her face was inches away from Bai Yi’s. "I run a safe base. I don’t need the so called protection. And I certainly do not need a grandmother who chose an imposter over her own flesh and blood!"

"Bai Meiyue, listen to me first—"