Chapter Ten: The True Heiress and the False Heiress

Xu Xu no longer remembered how she left the small villa. She only recalled that when Huo Hanshen went to take a shower, she hurriedly changed her clothes and ran off without even having breakfast. It was utterly embarrassing.

She drove all the way to the headquarters of the Xu Corporation, and only then did the blush on her face gradually fade.

Staring up at the towering building, her emotions were complicated. “It’s time to make a clean break,” she muttered to herself.

With that, she decisively got out of the car and walked into the Xu Corporation’s building.

The company environment was quite pleasant, featuring dedicated lounges for employee relaxation and, on every floor, pantries offering free coffee, drinks, and snacks.

On her way to her office, Xu Xu passed by the pantry. She hadn’t intended to stop, but as she drew near, she caught her own name in the idle gossip.

Instinctively, she paused.

“...Have you heard about Vice General Manager Xu’s situation?” one voice whispered.

“Of course! I heard it was like a live matchmaking event—so scandalous!” another replied.

“They say she was switched at birth, not the real heir of the Xu family. The true heiress, Miss Xu Yaru, has returned, and out of resentment, she deliberately caused a scene at the wedding to embarrass the Xu family!”

“What? That’s so ungrateful! She was raised by the Xu family all those years!”

The three gossiping employees exchanged disdainful looks and shook their heads slightly.

Xu Xu’s expression turned cold.

Her assistant, standing behind her, looked furious and was about to intervene, but Xu Xu stopped him. She wanted to hear what else these fair-weather friends would say.

“Right? And now she wants to sever ties with the Xu family. Tsk tsk... what an ungrateful wretch! Miss Xu Yaru is so much better—beautiful and kind-hearted, unlike her, who’s always wearing a sour face!”

“Exactly! A fake is just a fake. How could she ever compare to the true heiress? I bet Miss Xu Yaru will eventually replace Xu Xu!”

At that, Xu Xu let out a cold laugh.

Still just a bunch of opportunists with narrow minds.

Slowly clapping her hands while clicking her heels, she strode into the pantry.

Seeing Xu Xu enter, the three employees were terrified, spilling their coffee in shock.

“Ms. Xu! M-Ms. Xu!”

Xu Xu cast a cold glance at the trio before sneering, “Why stop talking all of a sudden?”

The three immediately shrank back, silenced.

“Looks like you don’t have enough work to do if you’ve got time to gossip behind people’s backs,” Xu Xu chided with no trace of a smile. “Why aren’t you working?”

Frightened, they hurriedly fled the pantry.

“What a bunch of snobs!” the assistant grumbled, watching their retreating backs. “Ms. Xu, you’ve poured so much heart and soul into the Xu Corporation, building it to what it is today! They’re ungrateful enough, but to talk behind your back like that! And what has Xu Yaru done for the company? She’s stolen your hard work, and these bootlickers fawn over her!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Xu Xu sighed softly.

The assistant looked at her with concern. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Xu Xu smiled gently. “But don’t repeat those words. It’ll only invite trouble for you.”

“But—”

“There’s nothing to but about. Trust me, I’ll handle it.”

...

At that moment, inside the Xu Corporation’s conference room, representatives from Sunrise Group were dressed in perfectly tailored suits. They were top talents in their industry; otherwise, they wouldn’t be working for a company like Sunrise Group.

Both parties carefully reviewed the documents before them. The preliminary discussions about the project had been mostly settled; this meeting was essentially a formality before signing the contract.

Yet...

“If I’m not mistaken, Manager Xu was in charge of this project before. Why isn’t she here today for the signing?” the head of Sunrise Group asked, glancing at Xu Yaru and Xu Jianjun across the table with some puzzlement.

From previous cooperation, Xu Xu seemed a highly responsible individual who wouldn’t miss such an important occasion.

Before Xu Jianjun could respond, Xu Yaru eagerly interjected, “You mean my sister? She’s stepping down from the Xu Corporation. I’m taking over her position, so she didn’t come.”

The Sunrise Group leader frowned slightly, thinking this woman named Xu Yaru was rather impolite and brash.

But since the contract signing was imminent, and for the sake of future cooperation, he chose not to press further.

Xu Yaru beamed with pride and delight.

So what if Xu Xu had invested so much effort into this project? In the end, the credit would be hers.

Once the contract was signed, she could rightfully replace Xu Xu!

Anticipating this, Xu Yaru eagerly reached for the contract to sign her name.

But just as her pen was about to touch the paper, the conference room door suddenly swung open.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the entrance, only to see Xu Xu standing there with a smile, nodding slightly to the group.

“Sorry, everyone, I’m late.”

“Clack!”

Xu Yaru was startled, so flustered that she dropped her pen onto the table.

“S-sister, why are you here?” Xu Yaru swallowed nervously, forcing a smile. “I’ve already taken over this project. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to disrupt the signing ceremony now?”

Xu Xu looked at Xu Yaru, about to speak, but was interrupted by Xu Jianjun.

“What are you doing here?” Xu Jianjun’s face darkened as he glared at Xu Xu, his eyes full of irritation and impatience. “Don’t you have any manners?”

He never liked Xu Xu to begin with. A girl, no matter how talented, was of no use since she couldn’t carry on the family line. Especially after discovering Xu Xu wasn’t his biological child, his dislike only grew stronger.

Xu Xu remained composed. She walked calmly into the meeting room and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“This project has been mine from the start. Since it’s time to sign, isn’t it only natural I come?”

Leaning back lazily, she crossed her legs.

“Xu Yaru, what does this project have to do with you? How dare you sit here?”

She fixed Xu Yaru with a half-smile that was anything but kind.

Xu Yaru clenched her fists, her face pale. “You…”

The atmosphere in the conference room grew tense. The Sunrise Group delegates frowned in unison.

It seemed serious conflict was brewing within the Xu Corporation, and it even involved family matters.

The leader had no interest in such internal drama and didn’t want to be dragged into it.

So he looked directly at Xu Jianjun and bluntly asked, “Mr. Xu, we have no desire to get involved in your internal affairs. I just want to know—who is actually responsible for this project? Who will be signing the contract?”