Chapter 861: Mom Likes Her Very Much?

Editor: Henyee Translations

Tong Rao had a good night’s sleep, but Tong Jiayin could not sleep at all.

The next day, Tong Rao only woke up from her sleep when the butler called her to eat.

She lay on the bed and looked at the bright bedroom. Then, she picked up the phone beside her pillow and looked at the time. She was a little stunned.

She was self-disciplined. Even if she did not set an alarm clock, she would wake up at five in the morning every day.

And now, it was already nine o’clock.

Tong Jiayin was also there during breakfast.

She hadn’t been home for a while, so Tong Rao asked about her studies. Tong Jiayin replied absent-mindedly.

Tong Jiayin lowered her eyes and struggled internally for a long time. She couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, I saw Gu Yang coming to our house yesterday.”

Tong Rao nodded lightly.

When Tong Rao was investigating Gu Yang, she already knew that Gu Yang and Tong Jiayin were in the same dormitory, so she wasn’t surprised that Tong Jiayin recognized Gu Yang.

“Mom, do you know that Gu Yang is an adopted daughter? When she was young, she was mistakenly raised by the Gu family alongside her sister, Gu Jin, for more than ten years before her true parentage was discovered.”

Tong Jiayin had been observing Tong Rao’s expression as she spoke, but Tong Rao’s demeanor remained unchanged.

When Tong Rao glanced at her, Tong Jiayin quickly looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.

“She and her sister are in the same dormitory as me. They’re very close. Even after the Gu family found out she’s not their biological daughter, they continue to treat her just as well.”

Tong Jiayin’s tone carried a hint of envy. Then, in her typical manner, she playfully addressed Tong Rao, “Mom, if I weren’t your biological daughter like her, would you still want me?”

As Tong Jiayin posed this question, she felt immensely anxious but tried to appear nonchalant, fearing Tong Rao might detect any unusual behavior.

Tong Rao, known for her confidence bordering on arrogance, replied, “You were born right under my watch. There’s no way a mistake like that could happen.”

Tong Jiayin smiled and remarked, “I’m just speculating!”

She was keen to understand what mattered more to her mother than blood ties.

“That speculation doesn’t hold water,” Tong Rao replied, sounding a bit impatient. She found this line of inquiry tedious.

“Oh~” Tong Jiayin responded, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

She had hoped her mother would definitively affirm her status, which would then prompt her to reveal her father and brother’s schemes to seize the family assets, thereby returning them to the rightful heirs three generations later.

“You can’t judge things superficially. In the past, Gu Zhaoming was merely the head of a newly established noble family in Jin City. He could favor anyone he pleased,” Tong Rao continued, her tone becoming more serious.

“But if he were to ascend to the head of the Gu family in the capital, the elders wouldn’t tolerate an adopted daughter without blood ties suppressing the legitimate daughter. The Gu family won’t hand over their assets to an adopted daughter. Gu Yang may seem to be enjoying the limelight now, but she’s benefited from the Gu family’s wealth. Eventually, she’ll be pressured into accepting an arranged marriage orchestrated by the Gu family and be used as a pawn.”

Tong Rao’s tone remained cold as she regarded Tong Jiayin with a hint of detachment, as if observing an innocent child.

The room’s heater hummed softly, yet Tong Jiayin, despite wearing a fur coat, still felt a chill in her hands.

“Yes, there are also the family elders to consider,” Tong Rao continued, her voice now tinged with a calculating edge. “They wouldn’t allow anyone outside the Tong family bloodline to lay claim to our assets.”

She paused briefly, her gaze sharpening. “Your situation is even more precarious than Gu Yang’s. I will never relinquish your father and brother, nor that woman. She will not escape consequences.”

“But Gu Yang is quite capable,” Tong Rao’s tone shifted unexpectedly, now laced with admiration. “She’s someone worth cultivating.”

Tong Jiayin probed cautiously, “Do you like her very much?”

Tong Rao replied with conviction, “She’s exceptionally talented and quite charming.”

Tong Jiayin’s fists clenched involuntarily.

But she didn’t like Gu Yang.