Fang Liyun let out a slow, heavy sigh before speaking, her voice carrying a trace of bitterness she rarely allowed to surface. "If it were before," she said quietly, "my son could have easily beaten your husband in a contest of looks. But now…" She paused, her eyes dimming. "There's a scar on his face, and he can no longer walk. So compared to him, your husband would surely win."
Wu Qingyi fell silent. The playful light in her eyes vanished, replaced by a deep, aching stillness. Seeing her reaction, Fang Liyun frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked gently. After a moment, Wu Qingyi spoke, her voice soft but steady. "Actually… my husband also has a scar," she said. "And he can't walk either. He doesn't have anyone by his side." Her fingers curled unconsciously at her sides. "I can understand exactly how you feel," she continued quietly. "But your son is lucky as he has you with him." She looked up, her eyes clear and sincere. "My husband's family has already left him alone." The words fell like a stone into Fang Liyun's heart, sending ripples she couldn't immediately calm.
Fang Liyun was quietly stunned. The similarities between her son and Wu Qingyi's husband were too many to dismiss as coincidence. A scarred face. Legs that could no longer walk. Abandoned by family. Her heart softened unconsciously, and she found herself offering a silent prayer - that both young men might one day recover, stand tall again, and reclaim the lives fate had stolen from them.
Just then, Su Nian spoke up, breaking the heavy mood. "Boss, we should buy the gifts and leave soon," she reminded her carefully. "Otherwise, you might miss your chance to meet your son and daughter-in-law." She chose her words deliberately. Su Nian knew better than anyone that Fang Liyun has opposed her son's marriage to the mentally challenged girl. If they were late, and the marriage certificate was already issued, there would be no turning back. Before coming here, Su Nian had already received word that Young Master Wang Lingxuan had ordered the Civil Affairs Bureau to remain open until midnight. She had even arranged for someone to keep watch on Wang Hao and report the moment he headed toward the bureau.
Time was running out.
They had to move fast.
Fang Liyun was just about to respond when Wu Qingyi suddenly spoke, her clear voice cutting in before the words could leave Fang Liyun's lips.
Wu Qingyi suddenly looked from one woman to the other, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Boss?" she repeated slowly. "You both know each other? Pretty Sister, why is she calling you as boss?" The question landed like a bolt of lightning. Su Nian nearly cursed out loud. Damn it. She had slipped up and blown her boss's cover completely. Fang Liyun froze where she stood, her mind racing. How should she explain this? What could she possibly say? Before either of them could gather their thoughts, Wu Qingyi spoke again, her eyes lighting up with sudden realization.
"Oh…. I get it now!" she said earnestly. "Pretty Sister, you're working multiple jobs to earn money for your son's treatment, right?" She nodded to herself as if everything had finally fallen into place. "Just give me a minute." Without waiting for a response, Wu Qingyi turned and walked a short distance away, already pulling out her phone to make a call. Fang Liyun and Su Nian were left standing there, utterly stunned, staring at her retreating figure, speechless and alone.
Su Nian seized the moment while Wu Qingyi was away and turned to Fang Liyun, unable to hold back any longer. "Madam Wang, what is going on?" she asked in a low but urgent voice. "Why are you working as a boutique manager? And who exactly is that girl? She even thinks you're taking on jobs to save money for Young Master's treatment." Fang Liyun let out a helpless smile and briefly composed herself. Then, in a hushed tone, she told Su Nian everything - from the moment she stepped into the boutique, to the humiliation at the hands of the manager, and finally how she had been pushed into the absurd challenge of closing a ten-million sale.
When she finished, Fang Liyun suddenly remembered something and looked sharply at Su Nian. "By the way," she asked, "you're still paying off your home loan. How did you manage to afford that handbag?" Su Nian hesitated. After a few seconds, she finally confessed, lowering her voice even more as she told her about the thirty-million transfer and how Wu Qingyi had even insisted that she keep the handbag as a gift. For a brief moment, Fang Liyun was completely speechless. Then, to Su Nian's surprise, a trace of unmistakable jealousy flickered across her refined features. After all, she had met Wu Qingyi first, grown fond of her first yet it was her assistant who ended up receiving such an extravagant gift from the girl she liked so much.
Just then, Wu Qingyi returned, one bag in each hand, one held out toward Fang Liyun, the other toward Su Nian. "Here," she said brightly, as if she were merely handing over something ordinary. The moment they looked inside, both women froze. Inside Fang Liyun's bag was the very dress she had admired earlier, the one she had only glanced at for a second before turning away. Su Nian's bag held another dress, elegant and refined, worth around eight million. The air went utterly still.
By this point, Wu Qingyi had already spent eighty-eight million on them, thirty-eight million on Su Nian and fifty million on Fang Liyun. Fang Liyun and Su Nian exchanged stunned looks, their minds struggling to keep up. What kind of fate had they encountered today? What kind of luck was this, to meet a complete stranger who was willing to spend such an astronomical amount on them without hesitation? For the first time in years, both women were rendered completely speechless.
Wu Qingyi looked at Fang Liyun, her eyes clear and sincere, and spoke softly, as if afraid her words might be misunderstood. "Pretty Sister, you wanted to buy this dress to wear when you meet your daughter-in-law for the first time," she said gently. "But you didn't have enough money because you're saving it for your son's treatment. So, I bought it for you as a gift for our first meeting." She smiled, a little shy, a little earnest. "I don't know why," she continued, "but I just feel like we have a connection. Please accept it."
Then she turned to Su Nian, her expression just as warm. "You work so hard for your boss every day," Wu Qingyi said sincerely. "How could someone like you not deserve a beautiful dress? I hope you like it and that you'll accept it." Faced with such pure insistence, Fang Liyun and Su Nian could only exchange helpless glances. After several refusals that Wu Qingyi simply waved away with a smile, both women finally accepted the gifts, reluctantly, yet with hearts quietly stirred by her sincerity.
At that moment, the regional director returned, a few documents tucked under his arm, a lawyer following closely behind him. He stopped before Wu Qingyi and spoke respectfully. "Miss Wu, I've brought all the documents you requested," he said. "Shall we begin the procedure?" Wu Qingyi nodded lightly, then turned to Fang Liyun and Su Nian with a bright smile. "Pretty Sister Fang, Sister Su, please go with the regional director and complete the transfer procedure."
Both women froze. "Transfer?" they asked at the same time, confusion evident in their voices. This time, it was the regional director who answered, his tone calm yet reverent. "The transfer of shares of Royal Meridian Mall. Miss Wu has instructed that a portion of the shares be transferred. Naturally, I wouldn't dare ignore or go against her wishes." Fang Liyun and Su Nian were utterly stunned, their minds going blank for a moment. They only snapped back to reality when Wu Qingyi spoke again, already sounding a little rushed. "You two go ahead and finish the transfer first," she said cheerfully. "I still need to shop for my husband. I have to hurry, or I'll be late for registering my marriage certificate." She paused, then added warmly, "Pretty Sister, I'll get your contact later from Sister Su so we can stay in touch." With that, Wu Qingyi turned and walked back into the boutique, her figure light and unburdened as she resumed shopping, picking out things for her husband and stopping by other stores to buy necessities for their home, leaving behind two women standing in stunned silence, their hearts still racing from the shock she had casually delivered.
Fang Liyun instinctively took a step forward, wanting to stop Wu Qingyi, but before she could speak, Ma Rongde moved to block her path. "Madam Wang, please complete the transfer procedure," he said urgently. Fang Liyun frowned and replied calmly, "It's alright, Mr. Ma Rongde. I don't need these shares." Ma Rongde's expression changed instantly. His voice dropped, filled with barely concealed panic. "Madam Wang, please," he said hurriedly. "You must accept them. If you don't, I'll end up ruined. This is Miss Wu's request, no, her indirect order. If I fail to carry it out, I'll be as good as dead." He paused, then added almost pleadingly, "So this isn't about whether you want them or not. For my sake, Madam… please accept them."