Chapter 9: Declaration
Chapter 9
Granny Xu nodded and looked at Ling Yue with eyes full of pity. She was no fool. For the hospital to blacklist Miss Ling Yue, someone must have instigated it. If she guessed correctly, it should be Yang Xiner and her daughter. If the young miss was here, little miss wouldn't have been bullied like this.
They went to another hospital, but got the same result as the previous one.
"How could you reject patients like this? This is unethical behavior. I'm going to file a complaint against your hospital!" Granny Xu was both angry and upset. What she worried most now was Ling Yue's injury. What if her wounds got infected?
No matter how much Granny Xu reasoned with them, no one from the hospital came out to respond.
Ling Yue pulled the indignant Granny Xu out of the hospital. They went to several clinics, but always ended up with the same result.
When Ling Meng got the news, she laughed happily. This was the outcome she wanted. She wanted Ling Yue's wounds to become infected, hopefully painful enough to kill her.
The next day, the headlines of major newspapers were all about Miss Ling Yue of the Ling Family being blacklisted by major hospitals and clinics, refusing to change her dressings. Below were several photos. Some newspapers even ambiguously pointed out that Ling Yue was abandoned by the Ling Family because of her damaged appearance.
"Bang!" The Ling Family Patriarch angrily slapped the newspaper on the table. "Who did this?!" Although he didn't like this granddaughter Ling Yue, after all, she was still his granddaughter. Ling Yue being blacklisted by hospitals was equivalent to slapping their Ling Family in the face.
Ling Tianzheng's face was also very ugly. Recalling the pillow talk Yang Xiner had blown last night, after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Dad! Why don't we take this opportunity to announce breaking off relations with Ling Yue?" That daughter was of no use anymore. It would be better to give her position as Eldest Miss to Ling Meng. There might still be a chance to continue the marriage alliance with the Zhou Family.
The Ling Family Patriarch looked at Ling Tianzheng with a gloomy face, "Breaking off relations?"
Ling Tianzheng nodded, "Ling Yue is now disfigured. No decent family will be willing to marry her in the future. With her occupying the position of Eldest Miss, it will only make our family a laughing stock. We might as well break off relations with her. From now on, everything she does will have nothing to do with our Ling Family. Also, if Ling Meng becomes the Eldest Miss, we may still have a chance with the Zhou Family."
The Ling Family Patriarch raised his eyebrows and slowly took a sip of tea on the table. "To break off relations, we need an appropriate reason."
A trace of sinister flashed across Ling Tianzheng's eyes. "I already have a reason in mind." Since they had decided to break off relations with Ling Yue, he would not let others find fault with their Ling Family.
Old Master Ling nodded slightly. "I'll leave this matter to you then." He was still at ease about his son. Moreover, he also felt that Ling Meng was more suitable to be the Eldest Miss of the Ling Family. At least she was scheming. Although he didn't investigate, he could ascertain that the incident of hospitals refusing Ling Yue was related to Yang Xiner and her daughter.
Yang Xiner and Ling Meng were chatting and appreciating flowers in the garden. Seeing Ling Tianzheng come over, Yang Xiner gave him a charming smile. She stood up and took his arm. "Tianzheng, I made osmanthus pastry that you like the most. Come and try it quickly."
"Dad!" Ling Meng said with a faint smile as she stood up, looking at Ling Tianzheng with eyes full of reverence and admiration for her father.
Ling Tianzheng nodded with a smile. He sat down on the stone bench in the pavilion and said, "Let me tell you good news. I've decided to publicly announce breaking off relations with Ling Yue."
"Really?" Both Yang Xiner and Ling Meng had delighted expressions on their faces.
Ling Tianzheng stroked Ling Meng's head, "From now on, you'll be the Eldest Miss of the Ling Family."
"Dad! You really treat me well!" Ling Meng threw herself into Ling Tianzheng's arms coquettishly. Her eyes were full of excitement and smugness. From now on, she would be the Eldest Miss of the Ling Family. She had finally waited for this day.
The Ling Family soon announced a statement breaking off relations with Ling Yue, along with a paternity test report. The report showed that there was no blood relationship between Ling Yue and Ling Tianzheng.
Looking at the statement in the newspaper, Ling Yue sneered derisively. But this was exactly the result she wanted. What she wanted was to break off relations with the Ling Family so that she would have no worries dealing with them in the future.
She knew that the Ling Family cared deeply about face. So early in the morning yesterday, she had called the newspaper office and told them that by following the Eldest Miss of the Ling Family, they would be able to take sensational photos. She did this to force the Ling Family to break off relations with her. If the Ling Family didn't break off relations with her this time, she would continue to tarnish their reputation to coerce them into making the decision.
"This is too much! Little miss is clearly the old master's daughter. How could they distort the facts? No, I must go find them!" Granny Xu trembled with anger as she pulled Ling Yue to go out.
Ling Yue stopped Granny Xu and let her sit down. She poured her a glass of water. "Granny Xu, don't get angry. The Ling Family isn't worth it."
"But they went too far! The young miss had clearly never been with another man. How could they slander her like this? For Ling Tianzheng's sake, the young miss even gave up..." Granny Xu realized she shouldn't say the next words and stopped talking.
Ling Yue raised her eyebrows slightly. "Granny Xu, don't get angry anymore. When I have the ability, I will make the Ling Family pay the price for what they did today." Just to break off relations with her, the Ling Family didn't even spare the reputation of a dead person. It was utterly despicable.
Granny Xu also calmed down. She looked at Ling Yue worriedly, "But what about your injury? What if it gets infected?" What she worried most now was the little miss's injury.
Ling Yue smiled faintly, "Actually my wound has already healed. When I changed the dressing myself yesterday, I saw that the wound had formed a scab."
"Really?" Granny Xu didn't quite believe it.
Ling Yue undid the gauze wrapped around her hand. As the gauze was removed, a hand covered in scars appeared before Granny Xu's eyes. "See, I didn't lie to you, right?"
"Mm." Granny Xu's eyes reddened with heartache. Even though the injury had healed, the little miss would still be left with scars all over her body. What would become of her pitiful little miss?
Should she take the little miss there? But she soon dismissed the idea. When the young miss left, her attitude was very firm. She said that even if she died, she would not regret it. She would never go back to beg them in this lifetime.
Looking at the newspaper on the table, Granny Xu shook her head and sighed. She felt it was so not worth it for the young miss. The young miss had given up everything for that man's sake, but only got such an outcome in the end.
Zhao Yu angrily tore up the newspaper. "The Ling Family went too far! They actually smeared Zuan Zuan's innocence like this. Zuan Zuan loved Ling Tianzheng so much that she was willing to sacrifice her life for him, yet she got such a result in return. Ling Tianzheng is simply inhuman." She truly felt it was not worth it for Zuan Zuan to be blindly in love with a man like that.