An Ruo released her coldly and said in a low voice, "You'd better tell me the truth, or I can't guarantee I won't do something irrational today."
Ye Feng glanced at her, secretly admiring the young mistress's boldness. That fierce streak just now had really startled him!
He slammed the table hard, rattling a few drops of coffee out of the cup. "Spill it!"
Fang Yingxue glared at him with angry eyes.
Now even a mere bodyguard dared to look down on her?!
An Ruo leaned back with a dark expression, completely unfazed by the onlookers in the café, staring straight at Fang Yingxue.
Fang Yingxue knew she couldn't escape today, so she steeled herself and told her the whole story.
"There are spies I planted in the villa. They report to me regularly about your and Shen Xiaohang's movements. A while ago... they noticed your recent eating habits leaning toward those of a pregnant woman, so I figured you must be pregnant. I bribed Butler Xu to put drugs in your food... That's how you miscarried without realizing it..."
Even though she had guessed that Fang Yingxue was the murderer of her child, hearing the truth aloud felt like countless knives stabbing her heart.
She had thought it was her own fault, spending days in guilt and regret.
Turns out her child was framed, and she was kept in the dark.
"So, Butler Xu was involved too?" An Ruo's eyes glistened with tears. She never expected that Butler Xu, who had treated her like a daughter, was also a killer!
"Ruoruo... I've told you everything. Your aunt was blinded by hatred. I just wanted to avenge Tingfeng..."
"You sacrificed others for your son—how noble of you!" An Ruo's eyes burned red. "But I was about to become a mother too. If not for this accident, my baby would have met me soon. Yet you made sure we'd never see each other!"
She had been so looking forward to that child's birth, so eager to make up for the love she had missed...
Now it was all gone!
"I know, it's my fault... Ruoruo, if you can forgive me, I'll do anything!" Fang Yingxue was a mother too, and she had hesitated when committing the act, but in the end, cruelty won over mercy.
She wept as she spoke, "I truly know I was wrong. Shen Xiaohang has already punished us. He teamed up with other companies to ruin your uncle. We're at our wit's end. Please, for the sake of family, forgive your aunt this time!"
What a family.
The couple even had the same lines, begging for forgiveness in exactly the same way!
An Ruo wasn't that magnanimous. She couldn't forgive the murderer of her child.
But what hurt her most right now was that Shen Xiaohang knew who killed their child and had lied to her, saying it was a natural miscarriage!
How could he deceive her again!
An Ruo clenched her fists and took a deep breath, her heart aching so much she could barely breathe.
She lifted her cold eyes. "Fine, I forgive you. You came to beg for my forgiveness just to get me to convince Shen Xiaohang to go easy, didn't you?"
Fang Yingxue's face lit up with joy. "You agree?"
"Yeah. But you'll have to come back to the villa with me. You'll only feel at ease if I persuade Shen Xiaohang in front of you, right?"
Her goal achieved, Fang Yingxue was overjoyed and kept apologizing to An Ruo.
An Ruo gave a faint smile, but a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes when Fang Yingxue wasn't looking.
They walked out of the café. As soon as they got in the car, Fang Yingxue suddenly let out a loud scream, but An Ruo, sitting in the front seat, showed no change in expression.
Fang Yingxue in the back seat was knocked out by Ye Feng. He closed the car door and asked, "Young mistress, what should we do with her?"
"I told you to do whatever I say. Do you know who she is?"
"The second madam."
"And you still dared to knock her out on my orders? Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the second branch?"
Ye Feng scratched his head sheepishly. "The young master told me to protect you with my life. I follow your orders. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do!"
An Ruo nodded slightly. "Thank you."
"Don't say that, young mistress. The young master saved my life..."
An Ruo cut him off. "Drive."
She didn't want to hear about that man right now.
...
Lin Zaozao greeted her with a smile. "Young mistress, you're back early today?"
An Ruo responded with a faint hum, walking steadily into the living room.
"Where's your young master?"
"He hasn't returned yet."
A servant brought out fruit and her favorite flower tea, but An Ruo had no appetite. She sat alone for a while, then got up and left the living room.
Lin Zaozao, noticing her unusual expression, followed her out worriedly.
An Ruo instructed Ye Feng to drive the car to the backyard, then had him carry Fang Yingxue and lock her in the garage. She stood nearby, watching coldly.
Her kindness wasn't meant for those who had hurt her.
When she returned to the living room, An Ruo happened to see the man's usual car pulling into the yard. Instead of greeting him warmly as she used to, she went back inside with a cold demeanor.
Shen Xiaohang had been busy these past two days, both with the project to bring down Su Yu and investigating Fang Yingxue's poisoning of An Ruo that led to the miscarriage.
At first, his gut reaction was that someone had framed her, and his suspicion naturally fell on the second branch. But on second thought, how did Fang Yingxue know about An Ruo's pregnancy?
He had already purged all the spies she had planted nearby. Now the entire villa was staffed with his people—servants, bodyguards, and drivers—all skilled martial artists.
It seemed there was more to this than met the eye. He needed to investigate thoroughly.
Another advantage of replacing his people was that he no longer had to pretend to be disabled when returning to the villa. His long, powerful legs strode in with the force of the wind.
He saw An Ruo when he got out of the car, but the girl walked away coldly, clearly throwing a little tantrum to pick a fight with him.
A faint smile tugged at Shen Xiaohang's lips. He slipped one hand into his pocket and walked toward her with a dashing air. "What's wrong, my Mrs. Shen? Who upset you this time?"
He sat down beside her with a smile, but An Ruo stood up in advance to avoid his approach.
The man paused, seeing her glare at him with angry eyes. He chuckled lightly. "Looks like I'm the one who upset Mrs. Shen."
"..."
"Sweet and lovely Mrs. Shen, could you give me a hint?"
That half-baked Huo Jinyan had said that when a woman is angry, you have to patiently coax her while guessing the reason—like defusing a mine. When would he ever figure it out?
Seeing him grinning and trying to soothe her, An Ruo said coldly, "You've known all along how the baby was lost. Why did you lie to me?"
She cut straight to the point, her voice dripping with icy detachment.
The smile on Shen Xiaohang's lips froze slightly. His eyes darkened as he locked onto her. "When did I lie to you?"
"I know everything!" An Ruo's eyes glistened with tears as she glared at him. "The baby wasn't a natural miscarriage. It was killed by Fang Yingxue and Butler Xu. Why did you hide the truth from me!?"
Shen Xiaohang knew he couldn't keep this from her. He had wanted to avenge the child without directly confronting the old man, to avoid blowing things up and her finding out. He just hadn't expected her to learn everything so quickly!
"Who told you?"
"Fang Yingxue!"
The man frowned. "Why would she tell you?"
An Ruo's voice was dark and cold. "Because I held a knife to her throat. She was afraid of dying, so she spilled everything."
"Where is she now?"
Shen Xiaohang softened his tone, knowing that if this girl had the guts to hold a knife to someone's throat, she definitely wouldn't let them go easily.