"Look at you, still being so particular with me. We only have one daughter—yours and mine, isn't it all for her in the end?" Liu Yun continued in a humble tone. "This villa, I kept it specially for you. You said it yourself, my name has the character 'Yun,' and yours does too, so this villa is called Shuangyun Manor. See, I even changed the villa's name to Shuangyun Manor."
Xu Yunxi snorted coldly. "Who cares."
Walking behind them, Shen Qi said quietly to Liu Yi, "Uncle really cares about Auntie. How did they ever agree to divorce back then?"
"Don't even mention it." Liu Yi sighed. "Back then, it seems a female subordinate took advantage of my mom going out to dance and gave my dad a set of underwear. But my dad, being a rough guy, didn't even notice what it was and just tossed it into the closet. When my mom came back and found it, she completely lost it. And then the two of them just..."
Shen Qi looked equally helpless.
The elders' matters were hard to meddle in.
The four of them entered the room, and Liu Yun kept pleading with Xu Yunxi to accept the villa. Finally, he brought up other reasons: "Look, the kids all love the environment here. Staying at your place is too noisy and not peaceful enough. For the kids' sake, just put up with it a little and take the villa."
Xu Yunxi glanced back at Shen Qi and Liu Yi.
The latter, catching Liu Yun's pleading look, could only silently nod.
"Fine, since this villa is decorated in a style I like, I'll reluctantly accept it." Xu Yunxi said with feigned arrogance. "But once this villa is mine, you can't come here."
"Alright, alright, as long as you don't agree, I won't set foot through this door." Seeing that Xu Yunxi had actually accepted it, Liu Yun beamed with joy. "The chef is already ready, just waiting for us to eat. How about we talk over dinner?"
During the meal, Liu Yi said to Shen Qi, "Don't let my mom's current high-and-mighty attitude fool you. She's actually tough on the outside but soft on the inside. My godmother is the opposite—soft on the outside, tough on the inside. Hey, godmother is a lot like you, isn't she? She looks gentle and weak on the surface, but when something happens, she's really determined."
"I can see that." Shen Qi replied quietly. "Even though Auntie always gives Uncle a hard time, if she truly let go, she wouldn't even bother with that."
"So I'm really troubled." Liu Yi sighed. "Those two have been like this for so long, and I have no idea what to do."
Shen Qi looked sympathetic. "Let's just stay out of it and watch from the sidelines."
While Shen Qi was enjoying a relaxing vacation, He Yining wasn't having it so easy.
Cui Yuelan had tracked down He Yining's location and came straight over, blocking his door for an entire day.
She seemed determined not to leave unless He Yining agreed to see her.
Just then, He Yining's mother called, asking him to give Cui Yuelan another chance.
Madam He had always been bold and straightforward, but this sudden shift to a gentle, pleading tone caught He Yining off guard.
"Yining, I've thought about that matter. Making a decision for you without asking your opinion was indeed rash of me," Madam He said emotionally. "Maybe it's because I've never met Shen Qi, and Lanlan grew up by my side, so I was biased. Now, can you give your mother some face and at least hear what Lanlan has to say before you decide?"
He Yining hadn't expected his mother to be so sincere, and his tone softened. "Mom, you know best how Dad pursued you back then. You also know the nature of the He family men. I've set my heart on Shen Qi, and it'll only ever be her. I've always seen Lanlan as a little sister—how could I have any other feelings for her? Mom, please stop pushing me, okay?"
"I understand, I know what you mean." Madam He continued. "But Lanlan has never been a He. She's different from He Yiqi. He Yiqi clearly changed his surname and became part of the He family. But your grandmother never accepted Lanlan and never allowed her to change her surname. Yining, have you ever thought about what happens if Lanlan marries out and faces mistreatment? Without her biological parents to protect her, anyone could bully her. How could your father and I feel at ease? After all, her parents died saving your father."
He Yining remained silent.
"I originally thought, since Lanlan grew up by my side, she's practically half a daughter to me. And she's always liked you since she was little—what's wrong with her being my daughter-in-law?" Madam He continued to persuade him. "If you and Shen Qi had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, I'd have nothing to say and would accept you two. But you didn't. Shen Qi was originally supposed to marry He Yiqi—she should have been your sister-in-law! And this twist of fate has ruined the happiness of several of you."
"You haven't seen Lanlan in years. Right now, Shen Qi has blinded you to her good qualities, which is why you're biased against Lanlan. With everything that's happened recently, you've assumed Lanlan is in the wrong without giving her a chance to explain. Your grandmother is clearly trying to show me who's boss by fully supporting Shen Qi. Yining, you're my son, and I see the effort you've put into reuniting our family."
"Out of filial piety, I can't go against your grandmother. I want to be a good daughter-in-law and a good mother. But you all need to give me a chance, don't you? Just like Lanlan now—she wants to be a good girl, but you all need to give her a chance!" Madam He sighed. "I'm not asking for much now, just that you see Lanlan and stop avoiding her. See if she's learned her lesson, if she's really grown a brain."
"Even if you can't be husband and wife, you're still siblings, still family. Avoiding her forever isn't a solution." Madam He sighed again. "Your grandmother has given me the exact news—we'll be able to return home in a while. I've had enough of wandering outside. As I get older, it's time to return to my roots. I just hope our whole family can be harmonious and stop fighting and hurting each other."
Since his mother had put it that way, what more could He Yining say?
He could only reply, "Alright, Mom, for your sake, I'll hear her out. Mom, when you come back and meet Xiaoqi, you'll see how wonderful she is."
Satisfied with the answer, Madam He smiled. "Good, we'll talk when we're back home."
After hanging up, He Yining had someone call Cui Yuelan in.
As soon as she entered, He Yining noticed she looked utterly haggard.
After all, she was a sister he'd cherished for years, so his anger gradually subsided.
"Brother." Cui Yuelan came in looking pitifully at He Yining. "I was wrong."
Cui Yuelan was unusually bare-faced, her small, clean face pale and bloodless, her eyes swollen from what seemed like a long cry.
Seeing her admit fault right away, He Yining couldn't muster any more anger.
"Sit down." He Yining pointed to the sofa. "Say what you need to say."
"Brother, I've truly learned my lesson this time. I shouldn't have targeted Shen Qi. I was just jealous and envious that she took my place. Before, you only doted on me. Now that Shen Qi's here, I felt my position was threatened, so I went after her." Cui Yuelan said tearfully, "I like you, brother, but I want you to be happy even more. I really didn't mean it."
"Growing up, both brothers spoiled and loved me. Whatever I wanted, they'd do their best to get it for me. If someone bullied me, my brothers would get revenge. I was treated like a princess, held in the palm of your hand. But then one day, someone else took that spot, and I got really jealous." Cui Yuelan sobbed as she spoke. "But I couldn't express how I felt, so I acted like a child and deliberately picked on Shen Qi. I'm not a bad kid, brother! Please don't ignore me."
"I promise I won't do those things anymore. I've truly learned my lesson—I've been punished enough!" Cui Yuelan was crying so hard she could barely control herself, and it softened He Yining's heart.
"Since you know you're wrong, make it right. I said we'd always be siblings, and that still holds." He Yining sighed. "Mom and Dad will be back soon. Go help them settle in first. When our family is reunited, I'll explain things to Xiaoqi."
"So, brother, you really don't blame me anymore? You're not still angry?" Cui Yuelan asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I forgive you." He Yining handed her a glass of water. "Wipe your tears and stop crying."
"Thank you, brother." Cui Yuelan took the water politely, drank a couple of sips, then stood up. "Brother, you go ahead with your work. I'll pack up and head over to Mom and Dad's place. I won't let you down from now on."
"Good, that's my girl." He Yining breathed a quiet sigh of relief, didn't keep her, and saw her out.
Watching Cui Yuelan's retreating figure, He Yining's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. No one knew what he was thinking.
Once Cui Yuelan left, she got into her car, pulled out a tissue, and wiped away every trace of tears from her face.
She opened her bag and started touching up her makeup.
She had practiced this act for a long time.
It seemed to have worked.
After her earlier failures, her priority now wasn't to keep targeting Shen Qi.
It was to regain He Yining's approval.
But openly going after Shen Qi would be difficult now.
So, she'd work from the shadows.
Finishing her lipstick, Cui Yuelan smiled coldly at herself in the mirror.
Shen Qi, did you think I'd give up so easily?
Everything that belongs to me, I'll take back, one piece at a time.
Everything in the He family belongs to me, Cui Yuelan, and no one else!