Mute Beauty

Chapter 112: Watching the Sea

A DNA report went public online with headlines like "Chairman Ran's Fifth Son Cuckolded for Over Thirty Years," "Eldest Daughter of Ran Long Not His Biological Child," and "The Ran Family's Eldest Daughter is an Illegitimate Child." These malicious titles spread rapidly, accompanied by vile language and shocking accusations.

Yu Ting glanced over the tablet Lan, her assistant, handed her. Shocked and distressed, she immediately dropped everything, rushing to the Ran family estate while repeatedly calling Ran Ling, but no one picked up.

[Baby, where are you?]

[Are you okay right now?]

[Why didn't you tell me about such a big issue?]

[I'm coming to find you]

Yu Ting kept messaging, but Ran Ling didn't reply. Every call went unanswered, and the half-hour drive from the Yu Corporation to the Ran residence felt like an eternity. When she arrived, she saw the living room in complete disarray. Ran Long was berating the servants, but he paused, stunned, when he saw her enter.

"What are you here for?" He no longer wore the usual flattering expression he once reserved for Yu Ting.

"Where's Ran Ling?"

Ran Long's face darkened. "How would I know where that bastard child ran off to?"

—Bastard child.

Yu Ting was stunned, her gaze narrowing. Her voice hardened, "Do you even realize what you're saying? Did you spread those rumors online?"

Ran Long sneered. "I'm not dumb enough to disgrace myself. Why would I make myself look like a fool?"

"But you, Miss Yu, you're the fool, aren't you? Fooled by her completely, tied up with some bastard child—how much damage has this done to the Yu Corporation's reputation?"

"What right does she have to stay by your side? What right does she have to even live? If she had any shame, she'd throw herself into the river!"

Yu Ting felt a sharp pain pierce her heart.

She couldn't fathom how such words could come from a father's mouth, nor could she imagine the anguish and abuse Ran Ling had likely endured before she arrived.

Where had she gone?

The word "river" planted itself deeply in Yu Ting's heart, filling her with a cold fear that made it hard to breathe.

Yu Ting contacted every person close to Ran Ling—her assistant Zhao Xin, the receptionist at Ran Ling's art studio, Su Nian, who was still in Yun City, even Pei Ya—but no one knew where she had gone in the wake of these terrible rumors.

Calls went unanswered, messages unreturned. Yu Ting couldn't imagine the state Ran Ling might be in. She blamed herself for not noticing Ran Ling's distress sooner, for not stepping in earlier to prevent things from spiraling to this point.

Ran Ling had faced so much, gone through such a horrendous situation. Why hadn't she confided in Yu Ting? Did she not trust her? Was she unwilling to rely on her girlfriend, to share any burden with her?

Where could Ran Ling have gone? Staring at her unanswered messages, Yu Ting's anxiety mingled with a growing sorrow and sense of abandonment.

At this moment, Yu Ting felt as though she had been discarded.

She didn't want her.

Why didn't Ran Ling want her?

Rooftop of the Art Studio