As Yu He watched in shock, the roar of an airplane grew louder and closer. The man's rescuers had arrived.
She glanced at the helicopter hovering overhead.
The aircraft door opened, and a rope ladder dropped. A man in camouflage, just like the one before, descended. Yu He immediately turned and ran.
Qin Beiting pushed himself up, watching the receding figure with a joyful smile.
"So this is where you were hiding. I'll come back for you..."
—
At the foot of the mountain, in a dilapidated tile-roofed house.
Two black BMWs were parked in front of the house, and the yard was crowded with onlookers.
In the living room, Old Mrs. Yu was entertaining the Ye family from the city.
Ye Jianming, Cheng Lizhu, and the swapped young lady, Ye Zisu.
The trio, dressed in opulent jewelry and resplendent attire, stood in stark contrast to the rundown living room, cluttered with various herbs.
Ye Zisu glanced at the dirty, chipped teacup in front of her, a look of utter disdain in her heart.
She surveyed the living room again: the peeling, mottled walls, the haphazardly piled herbs, and the lack of air conditioning on this sweltering summer day, only a broken ceiling fan whirring with a squeaky groan overhead. Her disgust and revulsion grew.
How could she possibly be the daughter of such a poor and shabby family?
She was the Ye family's precious daughter!
"Dad, I'm so hot. Does Yu He not want to see me? Does she think I stole her parents?" Ye Zisu said, clutching Ye Jianming's arm, her face a picture of wronged innocence.
"What nonsense are you talking about? It's not your fault that you were swapped. How could she blame you!" Ye Jianming said sternly.
They had spoken on the phone before coming, arranging for Yu He to return to the Ye family. As Ye Zisu had been raised by them for 17 years, the emotional bond was strong, so the Ye family would continue to support her.
Ye Zisu's expression grew even more aggrieved. "Then why is she making everyone wait so long..."
She turned to Old Mrs. Yu beside her and said, "Um, could you go find Yu He? Hurry her up?"
She didn't use a proper title, and although it was a question, it carried the tone of a command to a servant.
Old Mrs. Yu had been observing Ye Zisu's actions. She sighed softly and was about to get up when Ye Jianming stopped her.
"No need to look for her. Let's wait five more minutes. If she's still not back, we'll leave."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Lizhu hurriedly put down her teacup. She had finally found her biological daughter and couldn't leave empty-handed. Just as she was about to persuade them, a clear voice rang out from outside.
"Grandma, I'm back."
Everyone turned to look. Standing at the doorway, silhouetted against the light, was a tall, slender girl. She exuded an air of cool detachment, projecting an aura that commanded respect.
As the girl walked in, Old Mrs. Yu, though old, had sharp eyes and was the first to notice that a significant portion of her qipao was missing.
"Hehe, what happened?" Old Mrs. Yu asked, stepping forward.
Yu He held onto Old Mrs. Yu. "Grandma, I'm fine."
As she spoke, she looked down at the qipao on her body. "The dress... I accidentally tore it..."
Only then did everyone clearly see that her qipao was not only dirty but also tattered.
Seeing this, Ye Zisu's inner resistance intensified.
This godforsaken place, they didn't even have a decent outfit!
She vowed never to return to this dreadful place again!
"If it's torn, Grandma will make you a new one," Old Mrs. Yu said, then turned to introduce them. "Come, this is your mother and father, and your mistakenly swapped sister."
Yu He's gaze followed. First, she saw Ye Jianming.
He wore a suit, his hair was dark and not thinning, his figure was slightly overweight, and he was nearly fifty but looked no older than forty, appearing youthful.
Ye Jianming had waited in this hot and shabby place for over half an hour, only to be met by a poorly dressed daughter who showed no manners upon their meeting. He grew more irritated.
He asked impatiently, "Why did you make us wait so long?"
"I accidentally fell down the mountain," Yu He said, lowering her eyes.
Her thick eyelashes obscured her once-cool gaze, making her look like a child who had done something wrong.
Seeing her delicate little face resembled Cheng Lizhu's, and her seemingly good attitude, Ye Jianming found it difficult to stay angry.
"So careless. Let's go, get in the car."
He uttered this and turned to leave, not wanting to linger any longer.
"Hehe, I'm your mother. Let Mom see if you're hurt."
Cheng Lizhu stepped forward, taking Yu He's hand, checking for injuries.
Yu He looked at the elegant woman before her, whose eyes were filled with concern as she looked at her. She thought of her kind adoptive mother.
Yu He: "I'm fine, thank you."
"Mom, let's go. Don't keep Dad waiting." At this point, Ye Zisu stepped forward and tugged Cheng Lizhu's arm, wanting to leave.
"Okay, okay, okay," Cheng Lizhu nodded repeatedly but didn't move, looking at Yu He. "Hehe, let's go home. Don't keep your dad waiting."
Yu He nodded and bid farewell to Old Mrs. Yu.
Ye Zisu, seeing that Cheng Lizhu's eyes were only on Yu He, felt a pang of unease. She deliberately tugged Cheng Lizhu harder, but without success. Dissatisfaction welled up within her.
Frustrated, she released Cheng Lizhu and was about to look for Ye Jianming when Old Mrs. Yu stopped her.
"Zisu, have you really thought about it? You're not staying?" Old Mrs. Yu looked at her sincerely.
Yu He then turned her attention to Ye Zisu. She had long, straight black hair and ordinary features, but dressed in designer clothes, she truly looked like a rich and beautiful young lady.
"No," Ye Zisu refused without hesitation.
A sneer of disdain was almost visible on her face.
Did she look foolish enough to abandon a life of wealth and luxury to suffer in this impoverished, remote place?
Old Mrs. Yu sighed softly. "Go back then. When you have time, come and see your father."
The mention of her biological father immediately darkened Ye Zisu's expression.
Before coming, the Ye family had investigated her background. Her biological father was a murderer!
He was serving a life sentence in prison.
"I only have one father, and his name is Ye Jianming," Ye Zisu declared, then forcibly pulled Cheng Lizhu away.
Yu He: "..."
Old Mrs. Yu watched her resolute back with a helpless shake of her head. She then turned to Yu He and said, "Let's go back, child."
"Mm." Yu He leaned down and hugged her grandmother, whispering in her ear, "I will go see my father. And his injustice, I will also help him achieve vindication."
With that, she didn't give Old Mrs. Yu a chance to dissuade her. She picked up her cloth bag and turned to leave.
Outside the yard, a single car remained, its driver waiting by the door.
She approached, and the driver opened the door for her. It was then she saw that there was another person in the back seat!