The Tang family all crowded around to look at the betrothal gift. It was indeed Tang Xiaomin's name on it.
"Young Master Ye, I only have one daughter, Tang Yiyi. This... the name must be mistaken!" Tang Zhongcheng said.
Even at this point, the Tang family could still deceive themselves into thinking the Ye family had made a mistake. It was both laughable and pathetic.
Ye Fengxing's lips curved slightly.
"My grandfather arranged the marriage by prenatal agreement. Therefore, the person I, Ye Fengxing, am to marry today is naturally the one born to Madam Tang later. The Ye family does not make mistakes."
The Ye family was so meticulous, investigating Tang Xiaomin's background so clearly. It seemed they wouldn't be easily fooled.
Tang Zhongcheng picked up the betrothal gifts and took a look. They were so generous they made his heart race.
No matter what, he'd accept the gifts first, and then find a way to have Tang Xiaomin give up the marriage to Tang Yiyi.
Tang Xiaomin, standing by, saw Tang Zhongcheng's every move and knew what he was thinking.
"Young Master Ye, who should the betrothal gifts be entrusted to?" Tang Xiaomin asked.
Ye Fengxing was slightly surprised.
"According to etiquette, they should be given to your parents."
Tang Xiaomin nodded and said something shocking.
"Young Master Ye, I only acknowledge my adoptive parents. They are not here. Perhaps it would be better if we went to my adoptive parents' home and presented the betrothal gifts to them in person."
Ye Fengxing listened to Tang Xiaomin's words, surprised.
She wasn't subservient to the Tang family for her birth parents' sake. Yet now she said this. Had she suddenly woken up?
"Alright, let's go to your home together."
Tang Xiaomin stood up with Ye Fengxing and walked towards the door.
At the same time, Butler Ye unceremoniously took the red book of betrothal gifts from Tang Yiyi's hand.
The entire Tang family was stunned. Tang Zhongcheng couldn't believe it.
"Young Master Ye... Young Master Ye... Don't go, Young Master Ye..."
The Tang family chased after them in a panic. Dozens of bodyguards were gathered outside. Tang Xiaomin and Ye Fengxing got into the car. The Tang family members couldn't get close and could only watch as they left together.
Tang Yiyi glared resentfully at the departing car and began to cry sadly.
"Why must sister come back and snatch everything that belongs to me? I can overlook other things, but this is my marriage, boohoo... It's too much of a bullying!"
"Yiyi, don't be sad yet. You still have your mother."
Zhang Meiyu hugged the crying Tang Yiyi, her heart aching. The change in the marriage plans had caught her completely off guard.
"Husband, think of a way quickly! We can't let that girl Tang Xiaomin snatch Yiyi's marriage."
Tang Zhongcheng hadn't expected the Ye family to come and present betrothal gifts so suddenly. Now that things had turned out this way, he was also troubled.
"Yiyi, don't rush. Trust your father. The one from the Tang family who marries into the Ye family will definitely be you."
...
In the back seat of the extended Rolls-Royce, Tang Xiaomin felt a burning aura emanating from Ye Fengxing. The feeling made her very uncomfortable.
She instinctively moved as far away from him as possible and even rolled down the window to let in the cool air. However, the discomfort did not lessen much.
In the old district of Haicheng, Tang Xiaomin led Ye Fengxing on foot through several dark streets, turning left and right multiple times before arriving at her adoptive parents' home, a dilapidated two-bedroom, one-living room apartment not exceeding fifty square meters.
Her adoptive mother, Zhou Xiaolan, a slender woman, was sitting by the door washing clothes. Seeing Tang Xiaomin return, she wiped her hands on her apron and came over.
She wanted to hug Tang Xiaomin, but seeing her in designer clothes, she hesitated. Her eyes welled up with tears, her emotions overwhelming.
"Xiaomin, you're back. I've missed you so much these past six months you've been gone."
"Mom..."
Tang Xiaomin choked back a sob and hugged her adoptive mother. No, she only had this one mother, and she only acknowledged this one mother.
Zhou Xiaolan's sharp eyes spotted the distinguished man behind her and became somewhat wary.
"Xiaomin, who are these people with you..."
"Mom, let's go inside and talk."
In the cramped living room, Tang Xiaomin brought two chairs for Ye Fengxing and Butler Ye. After Ye Fengxing sat down, he explained his purpose and presented the betrothal letter and gifts for Tang Xiaomin's adoptive parents to review.
Her adoptive parents looked at the generous betrothal gifts and at Ye Fengxing himself. After their initial surprise, they nodded in agreement to everything he said.
Afterward, Tang Xiaomin personally escorted them out of the alley.
It was strange. After Ye Fengxing left, that uncomfortable feeling disappeared. It was probably incompatible horoscopes.
Because of this engagement, the Tang family had gone to great lengths, forcing her to break it off.
But Ye Fengxing, for some reason, refused to break it off, and she had been pressured by the Tang family because of it.
In this life, she would let this marriage arrangement fall apart, but she would absolutely not let this rich and handsome Ye Fengxing be cheapened by that bitch Tang Yiyi.
Furthermore, what they owed her in their previous life, she would definitely make them pay back tenfold.
That evening, Tang Xiaomin ate dinner with her adoptive parents in the small living room. Her adoptive father, Li Changchun, had specifically bought beef to pan-fry steaks for Tang Xiaomin.
"Xiaomin, eat more. Look, you've even lost weight. Tomorrow, Dad will buy you a few more boxes of milk. Drink three bottles a day, quickly gain your weight back."
"Okay, thank you, Dad."
"What's this 'thank you'? It's only natural for a father to be good to his daughter."
Zhou Xiaolan had also specifically bought new sheets and pillowcases for Tang Xiaomin to use. They did their best to give her the best. Her adoptive parents had given her all their love.
She had always had family who loved her. In her previous life, she had insisted on caring about blood ties and neglected her adoptive parents. It was truly inexcusable.
Tang Xiaomin decided that in the future, she would properly honor her adoptive parents.
The house was an old building, decades old, dark, damp, and never saw the sun. Usually, the sun couldn't reach the rooms.
But Tang Xiaomin lay in her small room and felt a sense of comfort all over.
As darkness fell completely, Tang Xiaomin became more and more energetic, feeling not a trace of sleepiness. Unable to sleep, she went out for a stroll.
Turning a corner, she saw a car accident not far away. A small car had crashed into the guardrail and was smoking. An ambulance was there, lifting an injured person onto the vehicle and taking them away.
Beside the accident, a slightly spectral figure was watching the scene in a daze, muttering.
"What's going on? Can't you see me? Can't you hear me talking?"
"Hey..."
...
The ambulance drove away. The man clearly couldn't accept the fact that he was dead and had become a ghost. He was panicking in place, not knowing what to do.
Another ghost who refused to believe they were dead. Tang Xiaomin had seen many such cases in the underworld.
Some ghosts were unwilling to report to the underworld and wandered the human world. Before long, the two staff members, Black and White Impermanence, would come to enforce compliance.
Tang Xiaomin thought of something and stepped forward to speak to the ghost.
"Hey, you're already dead."
The male ghost looked up and saw the young girl in front of him, who was very beautiful with a delicate and pretty face. He was stunned.
"You... you can see me and hear me speak?"