An Qing's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Beside her, Mrs. An pressed her shoulder, signaling her not to act rashly.
Suddenly, a ringtone sounded. An Ruo pulled out her phone, curved her lips into a smile, and pressed it to her ear to answer a few words: "I've already arrived at the An family home, but they're unwilling to give the money. Alright, send someone over."
The An mother and daughter were baffled. An Ruo abruptly handed them the phone. "Mrs. An, my husband wants to speak with you."
Mrs. An was a cautious woman, having supported An Deyu extensively in the business world. She was shrewd and dreaded psychological warfare the most.
Seeing An Ruo's smug expression, her suspicions were confirmed.
Although the eldest young master of the Shen family wasn't favored, he was still a member of the Shen family. Moreover, Old Master Shen's concern over his marriage showed how highly he regarded him.
Mrs. An reached out to take the phone. An Ruo lowered her gaze slightly, her heart racing.
This was a life-or-death psychological battle...
In the end, Mrs. An's over-cautious nature led to her defeat.
"It's just a small matter, no need to trouble the eldest young master of the Shen family." She forced a smile. "It's cold out. Madam Shen, come inside for some tea. I'll have the money prepared for you right away."
An Ruo retrieved her phone and calmly followed the servant into the living room.
An Qing was bewildered. "Mom, the eldest young master of the Shen family is blind. How could he possibly dote on her? That bitch must be lying."
"Better to believe it than risk it. Our An Group still relies on the Shen family in the future. There's no need to make a big fuss over something like this, lest we disturb them."
An Ruo took a deep breath. Fortunately, she had arranged with An Che beforehand for him to call her ten minutes after she arrived at the An home.
These were just small tricks, but they tested Mrs. An's inner resolve.
An Deyu never bothered with household matters, while Mrs. An always weighed pros and cons, ensuring she gained the most benefit before making any move.
An Qing was nothing to fear—she was a spoiled princess, used to indulgence, acting without thought, driven only by impulse.
An Ruo had been under their control before, unable to fight back, but now it was different. The An family wanted her gone for good. For An Che, for herself, and for their future normal life, she had to strike first!
A servant brought tea. An Ruo didn't stand on ceremony. Knowing Mrs. An's sensitivity and suspicion, she could exploit her weakness.
An Ruo took a small sip. An Qing shot her a haughty glare. "Well, never had such good tea before, have you? Oh, I forgot—you're just a servant, only fit to pour tea and water, not to enjoy it."
In the past, her status in the An family was just above the servants. She had to do everything herself and was ordered around to do menial labor without question.
An Ruo stared at her reflection in the cup. She hadn't forgotten the first time Zou Yikai visited the An home and saw her serving tea. The shock in his eyes had always been a thorn in her heart.
From the moment she stepped into the An family, An Qing had been against her—insulting her, beating her, and... when she met the dazzling Zou Yikai and fell in love with him, An Qing sabotaged their short-lived romance, leaving it unresolved.
When Mrs. Zou saw her no different from a servant, she angrily took Zou Yikai away, and they rarely saw each other after that.
---
An Deyu was helped downstairs by the butler. Seeing An Ruo sitting on the sofa drinking tea, he shed his usual cold demeanor and put on a fawning expression.
"I didn't know the young madam of the Shen family was coming today. No servant announced it. My apologies for the poor hospitality."
An Ruo raised an eyebrow slightly. What was An Deyu up to? Why was he suddenly so deferential to her?
She pursed her lips and spoke bluntly: "I've come to collect that five hundred thousand."
"My fault. The company's been busy lately, and then... there was an accident a few days ago, so I forgot about it." An Deyu was surprisingly agreeable. "I'll have it transferred to you right away."
He called the butler over and instructed him to transfer the money to An Ruo's account as soon as possible.
Though Mrs. An had also agreed to give her the money earlier, that was only because she had used a trick to scare her. Unexpectedly, even An Deyu had fallen for it.
It seemed marrying that unpredictable man wasn't so bad after all.
Mrs. An and An Qing sat to the side, watching An Deyu's ingratiating behavior with confusion and bewilderment.
Especially An Qing—seeing her father readily agree to An Ruo's terms, she fumed. That woman had really used the eldest young master of the Shen family to pressure them. Her seductive tricks were truly masterful!
She had only been married for a week and had already wrapped that notoriously violent and capricious man around her finger. How infuriating!
An Ruo looked at the transfer notification on her phone. Her goal was achieved, so she didn't linger.
As she left, An Ruo paused, then suddenly turned and bowed deeply to the family.
Setting aside the unpleasantness, no matter how much they despised her, she couldn't deny that the An family had given her a little warmth during her days of hunger.
But from now on, she was no longer part of the An family.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, only Grandma An had treated them as family.
An Ruo walked out of the An family's gate and glanced back. In her mind, she saw the scene of Grandma An bringing her and An Che into the An home...
Grandma, I might not be able to return to this place anymore.
If you still remember us, please watch over Xiao Che and me from heaven.