Wang Hao exchanged a single, cold glance with his bodyguards - one silent signal, yet enough for them to know that the command to eradicate the Liu family was only a breath away. But before Wang Hao or any of his men could move, someone else stepped into the role of executioner. It was Wu Qingyi, swift, decisive, and fearless, the very woman who would soon be regarded as one of the Wangs.
A sharp, resounding crack split through the room…. unmistakably the sound of a slap.
The slap Wu Qingyi delivered landed not only on Liu Wuxin's cheek, but squarely on her pride, shattering what remained of her dignity.
No one had foreseen the slap, and even less the words that followed. Wu Qingyi's voice, cold and unyielding, carried a weight that would not only plunge the Liu family into disgrace but also stir a flicker of dread across Wang Hao's face and even the battle-hardened bodyguards felt their expressions tighten with unease.
"How dare you insult my husband!" Wu Qingyi's voice rang out like a blade drawn from its sheath - sharp, cold, and unforgiving. "I can endure any mockery you throw at me, but a single word against him… and you will not leave unscathed."
She took a step forward, her eyes blazing with a fury none had ever witnessed from her before. "He has never harmed you. When he stood at the peak of the business world, wealthy and untouchable, he still chose to support the Liu family only to repay a life-saving favour he didn't even owe, as Liu Grandpa had already asked for a marriage alliance as his price. Yet now, when he is no longer powerful, when he lives quietly and harms no one, you dare to look down on him?"
Her voice trembled not with fear, but with fierce devotion. "He is pure, innocent, and kind… living his life without disturbing a soul. But you not only belittle him but you also insult him."
Her gaze swept across the room, daring anyone to challenge her. "Remember this well: until now, he walked his path alone. But from this moment onward, he has me, his wife. I am there to love him, to care for him and to protect him. So be very careful with the next words you speak about my husband."
The young miss of the Liu family, who had never once been spoken back to, was now not only slapped, but scolded mercilessly and all this was done by a girl they had long dismissed as naïve and simple-minded.
On the other side, Wang Hao and the bodyguards stood frozen, their faces betraying the storm of thoughts raging in their minds. "Poor? Weak? Pure? Innocent? Harmless to all? Needs love… even needs care and protection? Nonsense! It's the others who should be careful around Young Master Wang, not the other way around!"
Yet, not a single word escaped their lips. They dared not speak, for fear that shattering this carefully built image of their master in his wife's mind would undo everything, the respect, the devotion, the trust she had just placed in him. So, they remained silent, hearts pounding, as Wu Qingyi's voice and presence reshaped the room.
Then Wu Qingyi turned toward the secretary, her expression returning to its usual gentle innocence as though the fierce storm from moments ago had never existed. With a polite smile, she asked softly, "Mr. Wang Hao… could you please have the dowry items loaded into the car? I would like to take them with me to the Wang residence."
Her tone was respectful, almost sweet, yet after what everyone had just witnessed, the request carried an authority none dared question.
Wang Hao straightened immediately, his earlier fury swept aside as he answered with unhesitating respect, "Yes, Young Madam."
With those three simple words, he firmly cemented Wu Qingyi's status and acknowledging her not only as the Wang family's young master's wife, but also declaring before everyone present that the dowry rightfully belonged to her. Whether Liu Wuxin accepted it or not no longer mattered as the items would be delivered to the Wang residence, and the Liu family had no room left to object.
The old lady had no qualms about parting with the items laced with hidden traps, but the truly valuable things - the genuine gold bangles and the precious herbs, were another matter entirely. Losing those would be a real pain to her heart. Yet she couldn't openly ask to keep them back, not with Wang Hao standing right there. One careless word and she would expose her own scheme, confirming that the rest of the so-called dowry was nothing more than a pile of problems waiting to explode.
So, the old lady quickly shifted tactics, softening her voice as she tried to coax the girl. "Qingyi," she said gently, "taking so many gifts back to that small house of yours might be risky. What if someone tries to steal them? Why don't you leave some of the gifts here at the Liu residence for safekeeping?" Her tone was sweet, but the calculation beneath it was razor-sharp.
Now Wang Hao's suspicions were fully confirmed, there was simply no way the Liu family would willingly allow Wu Qingyi to walk out with every piece of the dowry. Their sudden "concern" made their intentions painfully clear. Still, he remained outwardly calm. If Young Madam isn't allowed to take everything, he thought, then we'll simply buy her new gifts once we reach Wang residence.
At this moment, Wang Hao had already accepted Wu Qingyi as the true young madam of the Wang family. He had completely forgotten that the original plan was to pay the bride to leave. Whether Wang Lingxuan was ready to accept her or not no longer crossed his mind as Wang Hao had already chosen a side.
Wu Qingyi nodded with a look of pure sincerity. "Yes, Grandmother, you're right," she said softly. "In that case, I'll leave behind the gold bangles, the herbs, and… these two light raw jade stones." As she spoke, she calmly reached into the pile and picked out the exact two stones that actually contained true jade, her movements so natural that no one could tell whether it was coincidence or intentionally.
Seeing this, the old lady's heart bloomed with joy. It was as though a golden apple pie had fallen straight from the heavens into her lap. She had already resigned herself to losing the only two raw stones that actually contained jade. After all, leaving them behind would immediately expose the Liu family's scheme to the Wangs.
But now… now the heavens themselves seemed to favour her. The foolish girl had, by sheer luck or sheer stupidity, set aside the real jade stones for "safekeeping" at the Liu residence, taking only the hollow, worthless ones with her. The old lady could hardly hide her relief. With this, she could easily shift the blame later and just claim the girl was naïve, ignorant, and unfortunate. After all, who would doubt that Wu Qingyi, the so-called simpleton, had simply picked the wrong stones herself?
But the old lady's joy was short-lived. Just as she was inwardly celebrating her stroke of luck, Wu Qingyi continued softly, "Grandmother, I would also like to keep the maids in the Liu residence.
The words struck the old lady harder than any blow. Those maids were her eyes and ears, carefully arranged to monitor the Wang residence and pull information back to the Liu household. If Wu Qingyi left without them, her entire plan to gather insider details would crumble. Suppressing her rising panic, the old lady forced a gentle smile and tried to coax her again. "Dear child, these maids don't require any special safeguarding. They can serve you well, help you with your chores, take care of the household. You're still young and unused to managing a home… It's better to take them with you." Her voice was smooth, but beneath the surface, desperation churned. If those maids didn't leave with Wu Qingyi today, how would she ever keep track of the Wang family's movements?
Wu Qingyi pressed her lips together, her brows knitting as though she were wrestling with a difficult choice. Just when the room grew thick with her hesitation, Wang Hao stepped forward with perfectly timed assistance. "Young Madam," he said respectfully, "our Wang residence is going to have numerous maids assigned by the Old Master after your wedding as gift. Leaving these maids here at the Liu residence will not only lighten their workload, but they can also help protect and safeguard the dowry items you've chosen to keep here."
Wu Qingyi's eyes lit up, and with a delighted clap she beamed, utterly pleased by Wang Hao's suggestion. To her, it sounded like a perfect solution whereas the old lady's smile stiffened. She instantly caught the sarcasm hidden in Wang Hao's polite words. Protecting and safeguarding the dowry left here? He was clearly mocking them. Yet now that the Wang family's secretary had spoken, she could no longer insist that the girl take the maids. Forcing it would only expose her intentions. Still, she soothed herself. It's fine… it's only temporary. Even if today's scheme had failed, there would be plenty of opportunities later.