A larger update.

“What's the matter with you, child?”

A sharp female voice lashed through the air.

When Ye Mian looked up, she lifted a brow.

Shards of glass littered the floor in a mess, along with an overturned dessert.

At the center of it all stood a woman nearing forty, pointing at a child of seven or eight and hurling abuse at him. She was not only shouting; her bright red nails were digging into the little boy's arm, frightening him into loud, desperate sobs.

Beside them, the round-faced Jiang Yuan stood wide-eyed, stunned by the sudden scene before her.

She was too close to the eye of the storm. The way back had almost been blocked by the two of them, so she could only hold a tray of Black Forest mini cakes and look helplessly toward Ye Mian.

Light and shadow shifted and blurred.

Yet Ye Mian's gaze was fixed entirely on the woman in the spaghetti-strap bodycon dress.

With heavy makeup and a perm of large waves, the woman glared impatiently at the little boy, cursing under her breath. “Can't you be a little more sensible? If you keep this up, I'll have your father send you back to your hometown.”

Looking at that familiar face, Ye Mian paused for two seconds before searching through her memories for the woman.

An acquaintance.

Wasn't this Dong Yulian?

Jiang Chen's stepmother, the one who loved nothing more than running after married men.

Only now, dressed up so lavishly, she looked a little less like a cheap, worldly woman. Ye Mian had almost failed to recognize her.

Her gaze shifted to the little boy. He was not exactly handsome, but he was cute enough, and not at all like Dong Yulian.

So...

Had Dong Yulian gone and become someone's stepmother again?

Heh.

Ye Mian's expression turned mocking.

Sure enough, she was just as she had always been: thoroughly unfit for the role.

The mall was bright and spacious, and everyone was staring at the scene. Ye Mian's face showed unmistakable disgust, with not the slightest attempt to hide it, her contempt plain for all to see.

Her prejudice against this woman had begun in the summer of her final year of high school.

It was only after hearing so much about Jiang Chen's miserable childhood that she understood this enchanting woman was far from innocent. Like that man, she was one of the despicable culprits.

“Why are you crying? What is there to cry about? You did something wrong and you still cry? Cry again and I'll deal with you when we get home!” People who had merely been passing by had stopped to watch the commotion, and Dong Yulian, feeling humiliated by the boy, raised her voice and cursed even more fiercely.

Unfortunately, that still could not drive the onlookers away.

A few shop assistants, worried that it would reflect badly on the store, came out from behind the counter and gathered around Dong Yulian, soothing her with polite assurances that it was nothing while cleaning up the mess on the floor.

Jiang Yuan was pushed a little farther inward.

She turned in the crowd, searching for Ye Mian.

At times she was startled by Dong Yulian's flailing, clawing fury, her little face all scrunched up, looking pitiful beyond measure.

Ye Mian's heart softened completely. She spoke quietly to Ye Qingqing beside her, then stood and walked over.

Forcing her way through the crowd, she ignored Dong Yulian's astonishment and went straight to Jiang Yuan's side. Gently taking the girl's hand, she led her out of the center of the argument.

...

Ye Mian remembered Dong Yulian.

Naturally, Dong Yulian remembered her too.

No one easily forgot such a strikingly beautiful girl.

Especially not Dong Yulian, who had lived in the old district for so long.

Under the mall's glaring lights, Dong Yulian looked somewhat embarrassed.

Truthfully, she did not want to run into anyone from the old district.

When she had left it behind, that disgraceful scene had been the most humiliating moment of her life.

Now that she had a better life, she was even less willing to face those people again.

She shot a glare at everyone present, then half-dragged, half-pulled the little boy away.

Their backs were hasty, fleeing in embarrassment.