Xiaoxia nodded firmly, and Xiaochun was utterly stunned!
He Yining raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Xiaochun's mouth fell open, his face a mask of disbelief as he looked at He Yining. "President, I just got word... it's said..."
Phoenix eyes narrowed, his tone displeased. "What? After following me for years, you can't even speak properly anymore?"
Xiaochun quickly snapped his jaw back into place and hurriedly said, "No! The news just came in that Miss Shen has already arrived."
"Hmph, so she's here. What's so shocking about that?" He Yining grew even more annoyed. A gold-digging, brainless woman—what was there to be shocked about? With such a great chance to curry favor with the He family, it would be strange if the Shen family missed it!
"No, President! The one who came isn't Shen Yinyin, the eldest Miss of the Shen family, but... Shen Qi, Miss Shen Qi!" Xiaochun finally blurted out the words.
The man, who had been irritably drinking water, suddenly spat it out with a *pfft*!
He Yining spun around, staring hard at Xiaochun. "Do you know what you're saying?"
Xiaochun nodded weakly. "President, the one who came really isn't Shen Yinyin, but Miss Shen Qi!"
"Shen Qi? How is that possible?" He Yining froze, then turned and strode outside.
He had to go see—see if that person was really Shen Qi!
What on earth had happened in between?
Why had Shen Qi come instead of Shen Yinyin?
He Yining practically sprinted out of the villa, not even bothering to take the corridor, cutting straight through the garden.
He had to confirm it. He had to see for himself!
Was that person really Shen Qi?
In the distance, a familiar figure approached gracefully.
Under the dappled tree shadows, Shen Qi had her long hair lightly pinned up, wearing a standard cherry-red qipao that accentuated her figure, making her look elegant and poised.
Her cherry-red lips were tightly pressed together. Whenever she was nervous, she always unconsciously pursed her lips like that, yet it made people want to pull her into an embrace.
It was her!
It really was her!
It actually was her!
He Yining didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment.
Shock, surprise, relief—all of it mixed together.
He wanted to rush over, take her hand, and ask her what she'd been up to these past two days.
But just as he took a step forward, he abruptly stopped.
No rush. Not yet.
He needed to figure out what had happened first!
He Yining slipped away from the spot, dialing Xiaochun as he walked. "Find out what's going on. Now!"
Xiaochun immediately acknowledged the order.
In fact, while He Yining had been rushing out to confirm Shen Qi's identity, Xiaochun had already started moving.
Because this news was just too shocking!
Xiaochun worked fast—much faster than Feng Kexin.
Shen Qi's file was soon laid out on the desk.
He Yining picked up the documents, quickly scanned them, and raised a phoenix eye. "Hmm? Interesting..."
The file clearly stated that the original engagement with He Yiqi was not with Shen Qi, the stepdaughter, but with the Shen family's true eldest daughter, Shen Yinyin.
When it came time to fulfill the engagement, the Shen family forced Shen Qi to marry in her place, making her the He family's daughter-in-law.
When He Yining saw the line about Shen Qi marrying as a substitute, a small voice inside him cheered wildly.
Thank goodness it was you. Thank goodness it was you.
So... she probably still didn't know that her husband had been swapped too, right?
He Yining's phoenix eyes lifted, a charming smile spreading across his face. He flicked the file with his slender fingers and suddenly let out a mischievous laugh.
It seemed he had thought of an interesting game...
Shen Qi followed the butler into the main house.
As she entered, she was struck by the scene before her.
It wasn't the dazzling opulence she had imagined, but rather a quiet, dignified elegance.
All the furniture was made of huanghuali wood.
All the antiques were from the Song Dynasty.
Such understated luxury could only belong to and be used by the He family's matriarch.
Shen Qi looked up and saw an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties, with white hair, sitting in the seat of honor. The old lady was sharp-eyed and full of energy.
Clearly, this was the He family's grand matriarch—the highest authority in the He household.
Shen Qi followed the butler inside and immediately bowed. "Shen Qi pays respects to the老夫人 (Old Madam)."
"So you're Shen Qi?" The old lady looked Shen Qi up and down, a hint of approval in her eyes. "You're quite refreshing. Your manners and upbringing don't seem to come from the Shen family."
"In reply to the老夫人, I majored in aesthetics in university and minored in etiquette," Shen Qi answered respectfully.
"I see." The old lady nodded. "Have a seat."
"Thank you,老夫人." Shen Qi sat down properly in her designated spot, her gaze slightly lowered, adopting a posture of attentive listening.
"I didn't attend your wedding. It was truly too much on the Shen family's part. But the He family also has its faults toward you. Enough, let's not dwell on that. Since you're married now, no matter what happened at the ceremony, you are a member of the He family." The old lady glanced at Shen Qi. "The agreement between the Shen and He families still needs to be honored. As a woman of the He family, you must take on the responsibilities of the mistress."
Shen Qi pressed her lips together slightly, silently listening to the lecture.
"I've called you both here tonight to give you a chance as a couple. It's been days since the wedding, and you haven't even met once! How absurd!" The old lady's tone grew stern. "If you had tried and still couldn't conceive, that would be fate. But you two? You have the title of husband and wife, but not the reality!"
"Yes." Shen Qi listened quietly, her heart bitter as gall.
Though she had prepared herself, she still resisted the idea of being intimate with a stranger.
Tonight, was there really no way to avoid it?
Shen Qi clenched her fists, her body rigid with tension.
"Still, you've surprised me," the old lady continued. "If it were Shen Yinyin, I'd let her go after she bore a child. But you're different—you're more sensible than her. Manage your marriage well. If you give birth to a child, you might even become the future mistress of the He family."
Hearing the old lady's encouragement, Shen Qi smiled bitterly inside.
Could I just not be the mistress of the He family?
I never dreamed of marrying into a wealthy family.
I only wanted to live a simple, ordinary life.
Just then, the butler hurried over and said to the old lady with a smile, "老夫人, the young master has arrived."
The old lady's expression softened. "Finally here!"
With that, she turned to Shen Qi. "The opportunity is yours. Whether you can seize it depends on your own fate!"
Hearing this, Shen Qi's body tensed even more.
What? Was she about to face He Yiqi now?
Her so-called husband?