Chapter Seventy-Six: Unrelated

"Dad, are you troubled?"

Pan Mingyue, arm in arm with her father, tilted her head to look at his expression.

Pan Zihui smiled, reached out and gently pinched Pan Mingyue's nose, saying, "Dad's thinking about what to give our darling for her graduation gift."

"I want a car!"

"You want a car, sweetheart? Sure, Dad will get you a driver later."

"I want to drive myself."

"You'll have to wait until you're an adult."

Jiang Yin walked diagonally behind, watching the father and daughter chatting and laughing ahead. A smile appeared on her lips. Their family had always been happy, and she had never regretted lowering herself to pursue this man. It proved her efforts were worthwhile; Pan Zihui was a good husband and a good father. Therefore, she would never allow anyone to ruin their happiness!

"Hey? Isn't that Lina?"

Pan Mingyue's surprised voice rang out, "I saw her again! What a coincidence! Dad, let's go say hello!"

Without further ado, Pan Mingyue pulled her father quickly towards a certain spot.

"Lina, Lina!"

Hearing the call, Lin Na, who was talking to Sheng Jiaoyang, turned around and looked at him. She then turned back to Sheng Jiaoyang and said, "Your cheapskate father's whole family is here."

Sheng Jiaoyang looked over and, sure enough, it was the family, this time with one more person.

"What a coincidence! Lina, do you remember me?" Pan Mingyue said happily to Lin Na.

"Where are you going?" Pan Zihui asked, looking at Sheng Jiaoyang. They had originally planned to meet today to reveal their identities, but even fate had helped them meet in the waiting room.

Pan Mingyue glanced at Pan Zihui, whose tone was a little too intimate, and then chimed in, "Yes, yes, where are you going?"

"Work arrangements, it's inconvenient to disclose," Lin Na said.

Sheng Jiaoyang, however, was observing the woman walking behind the father and daughter. The woman was exceptionally well-maintained; although she was about the same age as Xu's mother, she looked much younger, and her clothes were quite sophisticated—she was clearly a pampered wealthy woman. How did someone who was originally a wealthy heiress end up entangled with a scumbag?

While Sheng Jiaoyang was sizing him up, he was also sizing her up.

In Jiang Yin's eyes, this girl with short hair and an air of nobility even more pronounced than her carefully cultivated daughter was like a tumor, something she wanted to remove immediately.

That lowly woman, that woman living among the weeds, actually had such an outstanding child—how could she be so lucky?

"Jiaojiao, can I speak with you alone for a few minutes?" Pan Zihui asked, his posture very humble.

"Dad?" Pan Mingyue looked at her father, who had become strange, with suspicion.

Jiang Yin's expression immediately changed. Knowing Pan Zihui as she did, how could she not know what he wanted? If he confessed, wouldn't it mean that the person she hated most would interfere in their family life?

"Zihui, let's not bother him. We can talk about it later. It's not like we'll never see each other again," Jiang Yin said, feigning composure.

Pan Zihui turned to look at Jiang Yin, his brows furrowing slightly. He didn't want to wait any longer. Ever since he learned that Xu Qing hadn't remarried and that Xu Jiaojiao was actually his daughter, his heart hadn't been at peace.

Many details he had deliberately ignored before surfaced from the corners of his memory. He remembered that Xu Qing had come to see him before he and Jiang Yin got married, seemingly wanting to tell him something but ultimately not saying it. He now understood; Xu Qing must have wanted to tell him about her pregnancy.

Xu Qing was truly a foolish woman. Of course, if she had aborted the child, she could have found another partner, but she chose to give birth to the child and raise her alone. Her deep affection for him deeply moved him.

"Excuse me, we need to board now." Sheng Jiaoyang knew what Pan Zihui wanted to do, but she didn't want to give in to him. Eighteen years of neglect, and now it was too late to make amends!

"Jiaojiao..."

"Alright, excuse me."

Sheng Jiaoyang left with Lin Na and Lin Na's assistant.

"He wants to acknowledge you," Lin Na said to Sheng Jiaoyang.

“But I don’t want to.”

“Have you thought about getting back what Xu Jiaojiao deserves?”

Sheng Jiaoyang turned to look at Lin Na. “There’s no need.”

Lin Na smiled and nodded, saying, “That’s right, there’s no need to get too involved with them.”

Once on the plane, while looking for her seat, Sheng Jiaoyang heard a voice: “It’s you?”

She turned around and was slightly surprised to see Lin Yu sitting next to her.

Lin Na, who was walking behind, leaned closer. When she saw Lin Yu, she froze, then turned to Sheng Jiaoyang and blurted out, “Who is he?”

Lin Yu was also taken aback when she saw Lin Na, finding her face somewhat familiar.

“He’s… cough, Jiaoyang’s ex-boyfriend.” Sheng Jiaoyang almost let slip.

“Not an ex-boyfriend, Jiaoyang and I didn’t break up.” Lin Yu corrected her.

Lin Na pulled Sheng Jiaoyang to the front and found her seat.

“I really thought you’d come to your senses the other day, but it turns out you just dug another hole for yourself.” Lin Na looked at Sheng Jiaoyang seriously.

“What other hole?” Sheng Jiaoyang looked confused.

Lin Na slapped her. "Don't play dumb with me! Tell me honestly, are you still hung up on Lin Yan?"

"Yes!"

Sheng Jiaoyang answered so frankly that Lin Na was stunned for a moment. She immediately said nervously, "Jiaojiao, I haven't told you yet, but Lin Yan is getting engaged."

Sheng Jiaoyang's eyes widened, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She pursed her lips, her feelings a little complicated.

"I'm sorry, Jiaojiao, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be sad, but now I have to remind you that Lin Yan isn't worth your affection." Lin Na held Sheng Jiaoyang's hand.

Sheng Jiaoyang chuckled, gently pinching Lin Na's cheek, and said, "Pretty girl, don't deliberately belittle your brother to persuade me to come back. If he weren't worthy of my affection, would I have been foolish enough to like him for so long? Don't worry, I've long since let go of that. Now, besides love, I have more important things to do, and I won't dwell on it anymore."

"Then what about your ex-boyfriend? He looks a lot like Lin Yan. Can you honestly say you weren't using him as a substitute?"

"A substitute? Probably. The most important thing is that he's Sheng Shiyun's crush!"

"Sheng Shiyun? Isn't that your half-sister? Oh, I remember, you did mention something like that. But this guy really does look like Lin Yan; people who don't know better would think they're brothers." Lin Na turned her head and glanced behind her, adding with a sigh.

Sheng Jiaoyang smiled, took out her phone, and turned it off. Watching the screen go black, she couldn't help but think of what the pretty girl had just said. Lin Yan is getting engaged… to whom? She no longer had the mind to know.

From now on, we'll really have nothing to do with each other.