But now, any words are too late.
Julia Yu isn't a three-year-old who can be coaxed back with a few sweet words.
Julia Yu is now someone everyone wants, but she's already far beyond their reach.
"No matter what, you're still her real mother! It's only natural for a mother to visit her child," Mr. Ge gently coached his wife. "Just don't mention money, bring soup or clothes, show her you care—if you keep it up, maybe you'll win her back one day."
"Will that really work?" Mrs. Grace Ge asked, uncertain.
"Whether it works or not depends on you," Mr. Ge said sincerely. "Our son is almost grown. If he had a Chief Special Assistant for a sister, he'd never have to worry about connections."
Even if Mrs. Grace Ge didn't care much for Julia Yu, she absolutely cared about her own son.
Hearing her husband, she made up her mind. "I get it. Don't worry, for our son's sake, I won't let her get away!"
"No! Not about keeping her trapped—it's about making her soften!" Mr. Ge corrected.
Seeing his wife's confusion, Mr. Ge couldn't help feeling frustrated.
How did he end up marrying such a short-sighted woman?
She can't see the bigger picture at all!
She actually thinks she can use petty housewife tricks to control Julia Yu?
If Julia Yu were that kind of woman, how could she ever catch Max Mo's eye and become the fifth Chief Special Assistant?
How many Chief Special Assistants can be pushed around by anyone?
Seeing his wife still didn't get it, Mr. Ge had to break it all down: "Julia Yu has always been stubborn. When you divorced her father, she refused to touch family money, and she really meant it—she'd rather go hungry and work part-time than take a cent. What does that show? She only responds to kindness, not force! If you try to control her, she'll only push you farther away. But if you show vulnerability, let her see your struggles, she'll soften up. Remember your ex-husband's son? Julia Yu didn't care for that family either, but she still paid for his treatment. What does that mean? Julia Yu can't be forced, she can only be won over with warmth!"
Mrs. Grace Ge finally got it. "Right, right, you're absolutely right. I'll do as you say!"
Mr. Ge finally smiled, satisfied. "Of course, if she's willing to accept me as her stepfather, I'll be a good father to her. At least I'm better than your ex-husband."
A look of joy spread across Mrs. Grace Ge's face. "Naturally. All right, I know what to do now."
While Mr. Ge and Mrs. Grace Ge were busy scheming about Julia Yu, Julia Yu finally brought her boyfriend home.
Stephen Song stood downstairs, clutching the gifts nervously. He glanced at Julia Yu and whispered, "Do you think I'll be okay today?"
"You'll be fine, just go for it," Julia Yu reassured him, her lips twitching with amusement at his nerves. "You know my family's not like those fancy ones. As long as you look presentable, that's enough."
"Don't say that. He's still your real father—his love for you has never been watered down," Stephen Song objected. "You're all bark and no bite. If you really didn't care, you wouldn't have paid for your brother's treatment."
Julia Yu smiled, her gaze warm and gentle.
They climbed the stairs, and before reaching the door, a cheerful voice called out from inside: "You finally made it! Come in and sit down."
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie," Stephen greeted politely. Seeing Leo Yu's bright eyes, he ruffled his hair. "Hi, Leo."
Julia Yu's father and stepmother responded warmly, "No need to bring gifts next time, just come. Leo, say hello!"
Leo Yu finally piped up shyly, "Hello, brother-in-law!"
Stephen Song was overjoyed at being called brother-in-law. He replied enthusiastically, "Good, good! Look, I brought you a figurine. Your sister said you love One Piece, so I got you a One Piece figure—do you like it?"
"I love it!" Leo Yu's eyes sparkled with happiness. "Thank you, sis! Thank you, brother-in-law!"
"Come in and sit!" Julia Yu's stepmother beamed with genuine joy. "We've got some good tea at home—your dad's been saving it for a special day. Now that you're back, you can finally try it."
"Thank you, Auntie," Julia Yu replied, smiling and nodding.
"Sit, sit! I'll go cook." Her stepmother bustled off, cheerful as ever.
Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food, and the house—once cold—suddenly felt alive with warmth.
Lunch was ready, and everyone gathered around the table, just about to eat.
Suddenly, Julia Yu's phone rang.
Julia Yu glanced at the caller ID, her brows knitting together, but she kept her face calm. "You all go ahead and eat, I'll take this call."
Julia Yu stepped outside and answered, "Mrs. Grace Ge, what do you want?"
The voice on the other end paused, clearly thrown off. After a moment, she said, "After everything I've done, you won't even call me Mom?"
"I thought that villa proposal was enough to end things between us," Julia Yu replied, blunt as ever.
"Julia Yu, I know you resent me. I've done a lot of soul-searching lately," Mrs. Grace Ge recited her husband's advice, word for word. "I'm only calling to ask how you've been lately."
"I'm doing just fine. No need to trouble yourself, Mrs. Grace Ge," Julia Yu replied, keeping her tone distant.
"Julia Yu, what kind of attitude is that?" Mrs. Grace Ge finally lost her temper. "You can eat with your father, but not with me? What did I ever do to you? I gave birth to you, raised you..."
"I've already paid back your eighteen years of raising me with a billion-dollar proposal," Julia Yu cut her off. "If you're jealous of my dad, don't be. I know exactly what the Yu and Ge families are like. I'm not a kid—I'm not going to be coaxed with a few words. So don't waste your breath. You called because you're upset or the Ge family wants something. Whatever it is, I won't help."
"Julia Yu! This blood tie can't be cut!" Mrs. Grace Ge was growing furious.
"Biologically, that's true. But morally, it can be cut. I'm going to eat now. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up," Julia Yu replied coldly.
"Wait! Julia Yu! Can't we just talk calmly?"
"Sorry, we can't."
"You—"
Julia Yu didn't give her a chance to say another word—she hung up, turned around, and found Stephen Song standing behind her, looking at her with gentle affection.
"Did you hear all of that?" Julia Yu tried to look unfazed, but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear. But now that I have, I won't pretend otherwise," Stephen Song said, gently pulling Julia Yu into a hug. "You used to fight alone, but from now on, you have me. No matter what happens, I'll face it with you."
Julia Yu's eyes grew red as she hugged Stephen Song's waist. "Mm."
"Leave the Ge family to me," Stephen Song said with a soft laugh. "They're just bored, that's why they keep bothering you. I'll give them something to do."
Julia Yu raised an eyebrow, instantly catching his meaning, and gave him a playful pinch. "Don't go overboard."
"Relax, I won't," Stephen Song said with a smile.
Sure enough, Mrs. Grace Ge didn't trouble Julia Yu again, because the Ge family ran into a bit of a mess.
A paparazzo, while sneaking photos of a popular star, accidentally caught a revealing set—the man in the pictures was none other than the Ge family's patriarch.
So, news broke that Mr. Ge was keeping a mistress.
To keep her status as the main wife, Mrs. Grace Ge waged a fierce battle with the actress, and the whole drama made headlines.
With all that chaos, Mrs. Grace Ge had no energy left to meddle in Julia Yu's life.
Mr. Ge didn't want to divorce either. As long as they stayed married, Julia Yu remained his stepdaughter in name.
But Mr. Ge wouldn't give up his affair, so the whole situation was a tangled mess.
It gave the entertainment reporters plenty to talk about.
At first, the gossip columnists tried to drag Julia Yu into the mess, making drama out of her identity. But after a warning from the Mo family, they quickly deleted every post about her.
No matter how wild the scandals got, no one ever realized that Julia Yu, Chief Special Assistant to the president of Mo Consortium, was Mr. Ge's stepdaughter.
A year slipped by in a flash.
On this day, Julia Yu finally accepted Stephen Song's proposal—she was ready to put on her wedding dress and marry him.
The day before the wedding, Cecilia Grant and the others came to see her off.
"I remember someone swearing she'd never marry!" Sophie Mo teased Julia Yu, laughing.
"Oh, shut up!" Cecilia Grant shot Sophie a look. "Never get married, just keep working for your Mo family?"
Nora Mu flipped her wavy hair and said, "The toughest one among us is finally tying the knot. Our generation's all settled—next up, it's our kids' turn."
Sophie Mo replied, "You never know."
"Why's that?" Everyone turned to Sophie Mo.
Sophie Mo sighed, "I shouldn't bring it up on such a happy day, but things with Julian King aren't working out. The King family is getting more and more out of hand, and I'm seriously considering divorce. My brother will always have my back. Back home, I'm still Miss Mo."