Just then, the door swung open and Wu Qingyi stepped out, her expression gentle yet tinged with puzzlement. "Sister Fang, Sister Su, what's wrong? Why are you still standing outside?" she asked softly, a warm smile lighting her face. "Please don't feel shy. Treat this place as your own home." Fang Liyun and Su Nian exchanged a brief glance. They both knew that lingering outside any longer would only seem impolite. Without another word, they lifted their bags and followed Wu Qingyi inside, unaware that the moment they crossed the threshold, unseen eyes were already measuring their every step. Several bodyguards stood behind them, their positions carefully chosen. With their backs turned, Fang Liyun and Su Nian failed to notice anything amiss.
Under normal circumstances, Madam Wang's figure alone would have been unmistakable. But today, dressed in plain, worn clothes, her usual aura of prestige was deliberately concealed, making it impossible to recognize her from behind. However, for the bodyguards who caught a glimpse of Madam Wang's face and side profile, confusion struck first - why was the usually elegant and fashion-forward Madam Wang dressed so plainly? That confusion quickly turned into stunned disbelief. They had never expected her to appear here, let alone alongside the future Young Madam Wang. Then realization hit them like a thunderbolt. The so-called "possible scammers" Wang Hao had warned them about… were none other than Madam Wang herself and her assistant. They didn't know how to inform it to Wang Hao, so they just kept silent and pretended as they have never saw anyone with master's bride.
The moment Wu Qingyi's voice floated in from outside, guiding the guests toward the door, the air inside the house turned taut. Wang Lingxuan straightened. Wang Hao's expression sharpened instantly, his hand subconsciously tightening at his side and even Aunt Qiao felt her heart skip.
Who dares to approach the young madam with ulterior motives? Wang Hao thought grimly, already prepared to act when necessary.
Then they saw them…
Silence fell. Not the calm kind, but the kind that crushed the chest.
Shock. Stunned. Confusion tangled with disbelief, and beneath it all understanding was the only thing missing…
Wang Hao stared, his mind blank. Madam Wang…? Why is she here?
At the same time, Su Nian stood frozen, her thoughts screaming. Young Master Wang…? Why is he here?
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Wu Qingyi's bright voice cut through the suffocating stillness. "Pretty Sister Fang, Sister Su… this is my husband, Wang Lingxuan." She turned back to him, completely unaware of the storm she had unleashed. "Hubby, this is Pretty Sister Fang Liyun. Her son is also getting his marriage certificate today," she said warmly, before gesturing toward Su Nian. "And this is her assistant, Sister Su Nian." She smiled at both sides, bridging a chasm she didn't even know existed.
Wang Hao had multiple thoughts running in his minds… The scammers they thought to be turned Madam Wang and her assistant? Wait didn't young madam say that the pretty sister runs a small business and still takes extra jobs to save money for her son's treatment… And she got manager's job at some boutique…. Small Business??? When did Everstone Global Holdings become a small business??? Taking side jobs? Became a boutique manager??? Is the Wang family business and Everstone Global Holdings failing??? No!!! That's not possible otherwise we would definitely get the news… Just then when he was going through his internal confusion, Wu Qingyi spoke up.
Wu Qingyi said to Fang Liyun and Su Nian "Please, sit down in the hall." Then turning to Aunt Qiao, Wu Qingyi added gently, "Aunt Qiao, could you make some fresh fruit juice for everyone?"
No response came.
Aunt Qiao remained rooted to the spot, staring at Fang Liyun as though she were looking at a mirage. The dignified Madam Wang, standing inside this cramped little house?
Wu Qingyi waited a moment for Aunt Qiao to respond but seeing there was no reaction from her, she took the matters into her own hands, then smiled apologetically. "Forget it, I'll make it myself." She spoke to Aunt Qiao again, her tone caring. "You must be tired from packing. Please sit and rest for a while before we leave." If it were any other day, Aunt Qiao would have rushed forward to stop her anyone else from stepping into the kitchen let alone the future young madam. But now, exhaustion or making juice was the least of her concern as her heart was burning with so many questions. So, she stayed still in the hall, eyes never leaving Fang Liyun, waiting for the truth to unfold.
Fang Liyun and Su Nian sank into the chairs, frozen, still trying to process the surreal scene. For a long moment, the only sound was the soft creak of wood beneath their weight. Finally, someone dared to speak, slicing through the thick silence. Wang Lingxuan's voice, calm yet probing, broke the tension. "Pretty Sister Fang… how is it that you've come here with Qingyi?" Fang Liyun's lips curved into a sharp, playful smirk. "Oh, I just came to meet Wu Qingyi's kind, innocent, weak, and poor husband… Unfortunately, it seems the husband she described doesn't exist." Her words dripped with sarcasm, yet the hint of curiosity in her eyes betrayed her and she needed to find the truth.
Wang Lingxuan raised an eyebrow, replying with equal sharpness, a teasing edge threading his voice. "Oh, how unfortunate… just like me. My wife mentioned she would introduce me to a sister who works tirelessly, taking side jobs as a boutique manager, all to earn money for her son's treatment." Fang Liyun nearly choked on her own saliva, her mouth suddenly betraying her in the most inconvenient way. Quick as lightning, Aunt Qiao went into the kitchen and got a glass of water, then she stepped forward, carrying it towards Fang Liyun and "Madam Wang… please, have some water. It might ease you."
Fang Liyun didn't bother to look at her son as she knew that she will never get the answers in detail as the sight of hearing her son speak more than 4-5 words are so rare. So, her gaze fell instead on Wang Hao, sharp and demanding. "What's going on here? Why does Wu Qingyi have such a wrong… no… such an opposite impression of my son?" Wang Hao hesitated for a moment, then carefully recounted the entire chain of events - from the morning's commotion, to young madam's sudden departure to buy clothes and finally how she had ended up guiding them here.
Fang Liyun listened silently, her fingers lightly tapping on the chair's armrest, her expression unreadable. When Wang Hao finished, she gave a slow, measured nod. "I see… that explains a lot." Her mind worked through the details, each piece clicking into place. Just then, all three - Wang Lingxuan, Wang Hao, and Aunt Qiao, received a message from Master Wang. The text, crisp and urgent, read that Fang Liyun had escaped from the old house and was on her way to stop Wang Lingxuan's marriage. A ripple of tension passed through the room, but everyone's mind were elsewhere and for now, the message didn't matter as Fang Liyun didn't look like the one to stop the marriage at the moment.
Curiosity, long held in check, finally bubbled up from Aunt Qiao. She leaned forward, eyes bright with questions. "Madam… how is it that you met Miss Wu? And… why have you become a boutique manager?" Fang Liyun allowed herself a small, wry smile. It was her turn to reveal the story. She began from the moment she had learned of the replacement bride, the anger and worry that drove her to escape, the strange fortune that brought her to Wu Qingyi, and finally, how she had come to this house. By the time she finished, the room was steeped in understanding.
Just then, Wu Qingyi returned with a tray of fresh juice, the citrus aroma filling the room. Aunt Qiao quickly took the tray from her hands, moving to serve everyone. Wu Qingyi then turned to Fang Liyun, her bright eyes filled with expectation. "Pretty sister, you can call your son and future daughter-in-law now, so we can all go together to get the marriage certificates." A heavy silence fell over the room. Every pair of eyes turned to Fang Liyun, and unspoken questions hung in the air. How could she call her son… when he was sitting right here, mere steps away?
Fang Liyun opened her mouth, faltering, "Actually… I'm… I'm—" Her words trailed off, lost in the impossibility of explaining the truth. How could she tell her daughter-in-law that the young man she had come to bless was, in fact, her own son? Before the tension could suffocate the room, Wang Lingxuan's calm, clear voice cut through. "Actually… your pretty sister is my mother and your mother-in-law." Wu Qingyi froze, the words sinking in slowly. The air seemed to still and everyone else waited, holding their breath, to see how she would react to the revelation. Then they saw tears welled in her eyes and slipped silently down her cheeks, one by one.