Just like that, Ming Yue effortlessly stirred up in Jiajia a long-buried resentment that she had dared not mention or even think about for many years—resentment she had deliberately tried to avoid.

What was even more tragic was that this resentment was rooted in reality.

Over the years, at some point without her realizing it, she had begun to hear, whether intentionally or not, those cutting, bone-chilling words of mockery.

All these years, she had asked her parents more than once: “When will I finally be able to take the surname Ming? When will I be able to proudly tell the world that I have a father—my father’s name is Ming Shuo, chairman of the Huiqing Group?”

But…

Father remained silent.

Mother remained silent as well.

It was as if they had made an unspoken agreement to always respond with silence.

Under Ming Yue’s sharp sarcasm and taunts, Jiajia could no longer bear it. As soon as she saw her parents coming down from upstairs, she couldn’t wait to ask, “Dad, Mom, when are we going to change my surname?”

“What’s the point of bringing this up now? Your father is tired. Be sensible and stop bothering him.”

Liu Qinxin winked at her daughter, signaling her to stop talking and shut up.

Just like so many hours throughout the day, there was no real reason—she was simply told to keep quiet.

Jiajia really didn’t understand, so she decided to ignore her mother and went straight to ask her father, “Dad, you promised me—you personally promised me on my fifteenth birthday. Now I’m almost twenty-five. Are you still going to put it off? I’m your daughter! I’m your own flesh and blood! My surname is Ming, not Liu. I don’t want people calling me a stray kid with no father, and I don’t want to hear them insult me as an illegitimate child who can’t see the light of day!”

Two lines of tears streamed down Jiajia’s fair little face, her eyes gradually turning red with deep grievance.

Ming Shuo rubbed his sore forehead, but he didn’t lose his temper with his daughter—not even glared at her like he had with Ming Yue. Instead, he spoke with a hint of weariness, “Didn’t you hear what your mother said? Dad’s really tired right now. Let him rest a bit, and we’ll talk about this later.”

“Later? When exactly is ‘later’?”

“Jiajia, be sensible!”

Ming Shuo raised his voice considerably, clearly growing impatient—but he deliberately kept it under control in front of his daughter.

Jiajia still wanted to say more, but Liu Qinxin forcibly pulled her back into the room.

As Liu Qinxin was about to leave, Jiajia, still wiping away her tears, suddenly asked,

“Mom, does that mean if Dad never agrees to let me change my name, you’ll never help me either? Do you want me to be an illegitimate child for the rest of my life? Do you want me to stay hidden in the shadows forever?

You’ve been with Dad for over twenty years, and that crazy woman has been driven out all these years—so why haven’t you and Dad gotten married yet? Is it because you don’t want to, or because Dad doesn’t want to? Can’t you two think about me and Younger Brother, and give us a legitimate, recognized status?”

“Jiajia, why are you always dwelling on such trivial matters? Can’t you focus your mind on more important things?”

Instead of walking out, Liu Qinxin gently closed the door behind her, looking somewhat disappointed at the daughter she had cherished since childhood.

“She looks quite pretty. They’re practically cut from the same mold. A natural beauty. If only she knew how to use her head, her future would be bright.

But what’s wrong with Jiajia’s brain? It’s completely dull—nothing like her and Brother Shuo. The more I look at her, the more she resembles that scatterbrained, half-witted Ming Xia!”

No sooner had Liu Qinxin thought this than her daughter Jiajia, still wiping away tears, choked out, “The ‘right path’? What’s the ‘right path’?”

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

Liu Qinxin could certainly hear it, but since it was her own daughter, she chose to overlook it and instead earnestly asked her clueless daughter,

“What do you think? Don’t you realize that the very path to success Mom has worked so hard to secure for you is about to slip through your fingers? And you’re still completely unaware? All this talk about identity and changing your name—it’s all superficial. Does it really matter?

What you should be holding onto tightly right now is your father’s heart! You need to think deeply about what’s in his heart, do everything you can to win him over, and make sure he always loves and cherishes you. Not the other way around—making him increasingly disappointed and impatient with you.

Only then will he pour everything he has into paving the way for you; only then will he go all out to lift your life up; only then will your future be bright. Do you understand, Jiajia? When will you finally realize that what your name is or what your surname is doesn’t really matter at all—what truly matters is your father’s genuine love and care for you! It’s extremely important!”

“I don’t get it!”

Jiajia was still sulking.

Liu Qinxin frowned, wanting to scold this blockhead daughter, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she sighed softly, walked over to her daughter, and gently ran her fingers through Jiajia’s hair.

End of Chapter 23: Words Full of Sincerity