No matter how much Granny Fang Yu tried to stop Granny Ai from following Lan Yi home, she refused to listen. Dragging her suitcase behind her, she snapped,
"Look at this old woman acting like she owns me. I came here for a reason; do you think I came to Beijing for nothing? You sit here doing nothing, just talking big and acting proud, and now you want to tear your own family apart with your words."
After Granny Ai stormed out, Aunty Marquis glanced at Granny Fang Yu, who looked visibly upset. Granny Ai was clearly determined to stay at Qiren's house. Aunty Marquis whispered softly,
"She'll leave with us, but we won't even spend an hour there. We'll come right back. It's not like it was before anymore."
Even Aunty Marquis herself felt a sting at those words. Lan Yi had remained silent in the sitting room, but she also clearly didn't want Granny Ai coming along. Her relatives didn't seem to understand how deeply hurt she was. What was there at Qiren's house worth impressing them? Why would Granny Ai even want to return there after everything that happened?
Yibo, meanwhile, ignored their discussion, staring down at his phone. He was tired of all the constant pressure from one side or the other.
Granny Fang Yu finally burst out angrily,
"What kind of foolishness is this? My sister wants to go back to Qiren's house... after everything he's done? If I said I was happy Ai came back to this town, I'd be lying. She has no sense, no self-respect, carrying that old suitcase of hers back there again. What are we supposed to do with her now?"
Aunty Marquis stood up with her bag. "Leave it to me, Mother. I know how to handle her."
Granny Fang Yu turned to Lan Yi. "Go on then, may you be safe."
Lan Yi rose quietly, carrying her small bag. "Thank you Ayi."
Yibo finally said goodbye and walked out of the sitting room. Granny Ai was already standing by the car, waiting.
"Are you putting my suitcase on top of the car, Yibo?" she asked.
He smiled faintly and opened the trunk. "This isn't Yantai. We don't tie suitcases on top of cars here."
Granny Ai scoffed. "Yantai isn't a village, you know."
He ignored the comment, lifted her metal case, and set it inside the trunk. He opened the rear door for her, then for Lan Yi, while Aunty Marquis sat up front. As soon as they left the street, Granny Ai let out a heavy sigh.
"Some people's action are so sharp—no kindness at all," she muttered. "Anyway, it's fine. May we just get there safely."
Nobody answered her.
As Yibo approached Qiren's house, his chest tightened. He had no idea how Lan Yi would take all of this or how she would react when she saw what awaited her. Even Aunty Marquis was lost in thought, determined to make sure Lan Yi wouldn't leave again no matter what. The only thing worrying her now was Granny Ai, who could easily make things worse if she caused drama.
Yibo parked the car as the gate opened. His heartbeat quickened. He didn't even want to stay....he planned to drop them off and leave. He was exhausted by everything happening. He shut off the engine, and Aunty Marquis stepped out, followed by Lan Yi. Granny Ai turned to Yibo and said, "Get my suitcase, Yibo. What's inside isn't children's play, they are the herbs of broken any spiritual charms"
He opened the trunk, lifted it out, and walked slowly behind them toward the entrance.
Inside, Aunty Marquis stepped into the sitting room and froze. Min and Shu were sitting there. She frowned slightly, but Lan Yi followed her inside anyway.
Min immediately stood up, bowing her head politely. "Welcome home, Mama."
Lan Yi smiled faintly and greeted her back. Min then greeted Aunty Marquis, who responded kindly, and Shu also gave her greetings.
Granny Ai entered next, scanning the room. "Is this even the same house? It looks completely different...new paint, new furniture… everything."
Aunty Marquis turned to Lan Yi. "Where's the key to your bedroom, Lan Yi Jie?"
Lan Yi handed her handbag over silently. Min kept darting glances, as though she'd been caught doing something wrong. Granny Ai tossed her scarf on a chair and said, "Where's Sabeera? She should bring me something to eat."
Aunty Marquis headed upstairs with Lan Yi following behind, while Granny Ai kept talking loudly. "Tell Sabeera to bring breakfast upstairs. Qiren really went all out with this renovation, didn't he? All because you're back."
Min quickly tried to follow them upstairs, but Yibo had just walked in with Granny Ai's suitcase. His face hardened.
"What are you doing here, Min? Who gave you permission to come?" he asked sharply.
Min turned, trying to stay calm. "I just came to help with cleaning, Yibo. Shu and I thought we'd make things easier for Mama."
His eyes narrowed. "Get out. Leave this house now before I lose my temper. Who told you to come here? You think you can just walk in without informing me, saying you want to 'help' clean? Nobody asked for your help. I'm giving you five minutes to leave before this gets ugly."
He was visibly angry as he spoke, his tone firm enough to make Min's smile disappear completely.
Min scoffed.
"I didn't come here because of you, Yibo. Honestly, if it were about you, I wouldn't even bother. I came because your mother has always been kind to me, like my own mom, and I just wanted to help her the way I would help mine. What's so wrong about that?"
Without waiting for his response, she hurried upstairs.
Shu stayed behind, chewing gum and listening quietly from the sitting room. Yibo, already boiling inside, rushed upstairs after Min—there was no way he was going to let her stay in this house.
Shu rolled her eyes. She couldn't even see the point of coming along in the first place; she didn't have money for transport back, and now she felt like she'd just wasted her time. They hadn't even been there twenty minutes, and the place was unusually quiet, with no one in sight.
Shu wandered upstairs too and gently opened Zhan's room door, even though she knew he wasn't home. She froze. The room had been completely refurnished with expensive furniture, the bedding alone was worth staring at, and a sweet fragrance filled the room. Everything looked brand new, like a newlywed's room, and there were new suitcases stacked neatly in a corner. She wondered whose room it was now. Just as she was about to step outside, she noticed a handbag lying on the bed, she wanted to step inside to steal something...then remembered seeing Hai Kuan's car in the parking space. Slowly, she closed the door and headed toward Lan Yi's part, but the door was locked.
She went back downstairs and told Min,
"Seems like only Hai Kuan and Uncle Qiren are around; those are the only cars parked outside besides Aunt Lan Yi's driver's car."
Min frowned. "And Lan Yi's room was locked?"
Shu shrugged. "Looks like it."
That didn't sit well with Min, but she stayed quiet, and the two of them sat waiting in the sitting room until Lan Yi and Aunty Marquis finally came home.... with Granny Ai following behind them.
Aunty Marquis opened Lan Yi's part, and they all walked inside. Granny Ai brushed off the chairs and sat down, muttering, "People can be so ungrateful."
The door opened again, and Min walked in with a forced smile.
"Is there any sweeper here, Mama?" she asked.
Granny Ai's face hardened. "And what if there is? Please, just leave. We can do our own cleaning....me alone is enough to handle this house."
Aunty Marquis, clearly not pleased with how Granny Ai spoke to Min, said gently,
"What's wrong with letting her help, Aunt Ai?"
Granny Ai snorted. "Do I look like I need it? She's not even family here. Nobody called her, nobody asked her to come. This is meddling, and I don't like meddling."
Min forced a small smile, pretending not to feel embarrassed.
Lan Yi intervened softly, "Min, go to the kitchen and bring a broom; it's in there."
Min quickly turned to leave but nearly bumped into Yibo at the door. She didn't even look at him, slipping past in a hurry. He dropped Granny Ai's suitcase in the room and immediately followed her out.
Granny Ai looked at Lan Yi with a frown.
"So, you'd rather embarrassed me in front of her? Well, I'll tell you one thing: since I said she won't clean, then she won't. I can handle this sitting room and all the rooms by myself."
She sat up straighter, lowering her voice.
"Let me tell you what happened in Yantai. I went to four different places and heard some very unpleasant things...things you wouldn't even imagine. But first, let me eat breakfast because you'll be shocked when you hear who's been stirring up trouble in this family. At one place, they even told me, 'If you don't go back to your home quickly, you'll find yourself with a co-wife!'"
Lan Yi froze; even Aunty Marquis felt a chill run down her spine as she turned to stare at Granny Ai.
Granny Ai, resting her hand on her knee, continued quietly,
"That was exactly a week ago. Since then, I've been struggling to gather money to get the charms that will cleanse all this bad energy around here. And don't you dare think I went to some witch doctor or con artist—no, these are respected elders who don't cheat people. Everywhere I went, they told me the same thing: If I eat to my fill, I'll still feel energy. And about Zhan…"
Lan Yi suddenly stood up, clearly unwilling to listen to more, grabbed her handbag, and unlocked her bedroom. Both Aunty Marquis and Granny Ai stopped talking, watching her in silence as she walked inside and closed the door.
Granny Ai glanced at Aunty Marquis.
"See? Her mother Yu Jie must have already filled her head with nonsense. They're all sitting comfortably in her mind now."
Aunty Marquis sighed and quietly followed Lan Yi.
Meanwhile, Granny Ai dug through her bag, pulling out packets of herbs and muttering under her breath,
"Ever since that girl Min came here all wrapped up like some saint, I haven't trusted her. And now the gossip about her is everywhere....turns out she's involved with those fake charm people. No wonder I kicked her out earlier. Just wait, let me finish breakfast and get some coal ready. There's going to be a showdown in this house today…"
It didn't take long for Aunty Marquis to step out of Lan Yi's room. Lan Yi had ignored her completely, acting as though she wasn't even there. Aunty Marquis sighed and decided to fetch the cleaning supplies to tidy up Lan Yi's wing herself.
Just as she reached the stairs, Min came rushing up. Her eyes welled with tears when she saw Aunty Marquis.
"Aunty, I only came to help with the cleaning, and Yibo insisted I go back home. He even said some hurtful things to me," Min said, sniffling.
Aunty Marquis frowned. "Why would you come without your husband's permission? Didn't he know you were coming? Honestly, you should just go home if that's what he told you to do."
Min didn't respond; regret washed over her for even stopping Aunty Marquis to talk. She should have gone directly to Lan Yi instead. Deep down, Aunty Marquis was glad Yibo had told her to leave. The matters in this house were private, and Min had only just married into the family... it was far too soon for her to be privy to every issue or to witness all that was happening. Yibo's judgment felt right to her. She had felt uneasy seeing Min and Shu sitting casually in the sitting room earlier; now she could finally focus on the work without strangers watching.
"You should go home and respect your husband's wishes," Aunty Marquis said firmly. "Besides, there isn't much work. I can handle it all by myself."
Just then, Xuxui emerged from Qiren's far-off wing of the house, appearing around the corner of the corridor. The sight of her made Aunty Marquis's heart sink...she instantly understood who it was. She glanced back at Min, who was now staring at Xuxui as well, curiosity written all over her face.
"Go home now, I said," Aunty Marquis repeated sharply. "We'll talk later."
Min hesitated. "Aunty, but..."
"No 'but,' Min," Aunty Marquis cut her off, irritated. "Just go."
Min turned reluctantly, though she was itching to know who this woman was coming from Qiren's quarters. Aunty Marquis couldn't stay either; something about seeing Xuxui stirred a bitterness inside her, almost like it wasn't even Lan Yi being hurt but herself. She quickly went downstairs before Xuxui could reach her.
Even Xuxui hesitated at first when she spotted Aunty Marquis but decided not to turn away...it would look wrong to avoid her. She didn't know who the woman was, and Qiren hadn't mentioned anyone visiting today, so she continued on. Eventually, she reached Zhan's room and knocked gently.
Inside, Zhan had been lying awake, staring at the ceiling. Since early morning, he had been hearing faint footsteps outside his door. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease in his chest, as though something terrible was looming. Now, the knock made his heart pound harder. Slowly, he got up and opened the door, heart throbbing...only to find Xuxui standing there.
He lowered his gaze politely and greeted her.
"How was your night?" Xuxui asked, smiling softly.
"It was… fine," Zhan replied quietly.
"I left breakfast for you in the kitchen," she said. "I was hoping we could cook together this morning, since Qiren told me you're quite the expert in the kitchen. But then I remembered you just finished your exams and probably need rest."
Zhan just looked at her, expression blank, saying nothing. Xuxui sighed and gently took his hand.
"Is it too early for you to warm up to me?" she asked softly. "I noticed you were hesitant yesterday too. I have two kids, Zhan...twins. They're just fifteen. Their father passed away, so it's just me and them. You're older than they are. Please, treat me like a mother, hmm?"
Zhan's chest tightened. He still couldn't believe this woman was Baba's new wife....his mother's rival. He didn't think he could ever like her. He just stared at her, face cold and distant.
Xuxui pulled him into a brief hug. "Take me as your mother, Zhan. You'll get used to me eventually."
At that moment, Zhan's stomach dropped... Lan Yi had stepped out of her room. She was staring straight at them. Zhan froze, unable to open his eyes for a second as his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Xuxui released him and looked up at him with a smile.
"Go have breakfast, son. Later, we can cook lunch together before your father wakes up from his nap…"
Lan Yi froze, her ears ringing as if she'd heard something unbelievable. Zhan swallowed hard, his legs feeling like they might give way.
Xuxui turned to leave but locked eyes with Lan Yi, who stood completely still, staring at her as if frozen. Lan Yi's chest tightened, her gaze never blinking. Xuxui looked back at her, slightly puzzled, because she didn't know this woman at all... Qiren had never even shown her a photo of his first wife.
"Good morning," Xuxui said gently.
Lan Yi didn't respond; she just continued to stare as though she were looking at a stranger from another planet. Xuxui stepped aside and continued toward Qiren's part, and Lan Yi's eyes followed her sharply, as though they could bore holes into her back.
Zhan wished all of this was just a bad dream. He felt weak, almost feverish, his chest tight with hurt and confusion. His body trembled, and he simply stared at Lan Yi without saying a word.
Lan Yi turned back toward him, her face pale, then quickly walked to her own room without a word. Zhan closed his door and slid down to the floor, burying his head in his knees as hot tears streamed down his face.
Granny Ai, who had been watching Lan Yi, was stunned by how fast she had stormed into the sitting room, as though she'd been chased. Lan Yi didn't even look at her; instead, she rushed into her room and immediately began hauling out her luggage—suitcases she hadn't even taken when she went to Granny Fang Yu's house.
Granny Ai's eyes widened. "What is this? Are those for cleaning? Or are you moving?"
It was then she noticed tears streaming down Lan Yi's face. Lan Yi didn't answer, just kept going in and out, carrying her things. Shocked, Granny Ai ran out to call Aunty Marquis.
They both returned quickly, and Aunty Marquis asked, "Lan Yi Jie, what's going on here?"
Lan Yi shook her head, tears flowing like a broken tap. "I'm done with Qiren. I'm done living in this house. He should sent me divorce papers while I was gone."
Aunty Marquis sat heavily on the couch. There was no doubt in her mind now... Lan Yi must have seen Xuxui. In a soft voice, she said, "You're not going anywhere, Lan Yi Jie. This is your home. No one... no one... has the right to chase you out or make you feel like you don't belong here. You're not leaving because of her." Her voice cracked, tears welling up in her own eyes as she shared in Lan Yi's pain.
Lan Yi sobbed. "After everything I went through for Qiren, after raising Zhan from birth all on my own, this is what I get? Yibo brought me back here, knowing what I'd find. He deceived me, letting me step foot in this house just to see this humiliation. If I had known what awaited me, I would have never come back. Never. I regret so much now. Every kindness I gave him has turned into my own heartbreak in the end."
Granny Ai gasped, clutching her head. "Qiren remarried? Where did you hear this? He married someone else?!"
Aunty Marquis couldn't speak; tears were slipping down her cheeks. Lan Yi continued packing her things, crying uncontrollably. Granny Ai exclaimed, "So Qiren really did this? We never knew he was capable of this!"
Then she began to cry herself. "This is all Fang Yu's fault. She pushed you to leave your husband's house and stay cramped in her little place like prisoners, barely able to breathe. I avoided that house every time I came to Beijing because it felt so suffocating. And now look... because of her, he's married someone else, and you're standing here stunned, ready to leave your own home for this stranger he brought in?!"
A knock came at the door. Aunty Marquis looked toward it, forced herself to her feet, and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Xuxui," came the reply.
Aunty Marquis frowned slightly. "Coming."
They quickly shoved Lan Yi's luggage back into the room. Lan Yi herself had already shut herself away. Granny Ai helped push the last suitcase aside even though she had no idea who was at the door.
When Aunty Marquis finally opened it, Xuxui walked in, smiling faintly.
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