Old Master Shen slammed his cane hard against the floor. "How dare the An family resort to such a despicable trick as swapping people to deceive the Shen family! Do you think we have no one left to stand up for us!?"
His fury was so intense that An Ruo clutched the photo tightly, not daring to utter a single insincere word. As a titan in the business world, his pressure wasn't just talk—a single glance from his imposing eyes could crush her like dust!
An Ruo took a deep breath, trying her best not to show any stage fright.
"I'm not the real An Qing." With the evidence laid out before her, she couldn't spin lies to fool him. He was the shrewd Old Master Shen, not Shen Tingfeng, who could be easily dazzled by her batting eyelashes.
Fang Yingxue's sharp, sarcastic voice cut in, "Dad, you heard her—she admitted it herself! The An family passed off a fake, marrying off a lowly maid to us. That's a clear sign they don't take the Shen family seriously, treating us like fools!"
"..." Among them, she was the biggest fool!
Faced with the accusations, Lin Zhao hoped she'd at least argue back a little to appease the old man, maybe leaving room for a compromise. But instead, she immediately confessed she wasn't An Qing.
Lin Zhao worried she might get dragged into this mess...
In this age of advanced internet, impersonating someone else and marrying into a family could only be hidden for so long, not forever!
An Ruo had to voluntarily reveal the truth to make Old Master Shen lenient, at least sparing her for her diligent care of Shen Xiaoxing, allowing her to walk away unscathed.
"Concealing my identity to marry the eldest Shen son was indeed wrong on the An family's part, but... but you only said you wanted a daughter from the An family for the marriage alliance, not specifically the eldest daughter."
An Deyu had her replace An Qing precisely because, if exposed, he could argue that Old Master Shen hadn't specified which daughter—they still had an adopted one.
This was something An Ruo had overheard the night before the wedding, when she accidentally caught the cunning An couple's conversation and silently memorized it.
"Utter nonsense!" Shen Yu slammed the table in anger.
"So, you're saying you're the second Miss An?"
"Yes."
Old Master Shen shot her a cold glance. "If you're the second Miss An, why does this document show you as an adopted daughter? And from what I've seen, you've been doing hard labor—hardly the behavior of a young lady."
"I was taken in by the An family as a child. They treated me like their own, raising me as a daughter. I can never repay their years of nurturing. My sister An Qing had someone she loved, so marrying the eldest Shen son wouldn't have been right. That's why we resorted to this plan for me to take her place."
Her words were neither servile nor arrogant, logical and somewhat convincing.
Old Master Shen's anger stemmed mainly from An Deyu's deceitful substitution. In truth, who married Shen Xiaoxing didn't matter much.
The man was crippled, like a useless person. If a noble lady truly didn't mind, he wouldn't have stooped to begging An Deyu with investment offers—back then, his pride had led him to repeatedly reject An Deyu's marriage proposals.
He just wanted a gentle woman who would wholeheartedly care for Shen Xiaoxing. Her background wasn't the priority.
An Ruo had been attentive to Shen Xiaoxing lately, and his reports from the people he'd sent showed he was quite satisfied with this eldest daughter-in-law.
Besides, no one else would be as devoted as An Ruo. Since things had already settled, why bother the trouble of replacing her?
Fang Yingxue, after hearing An Ruo's explanation, quickly retorted, "Bullshit! You agreed to take An Qing's place to get the 500,000 yuan surgery fee for your sick brother. The An family never treated you as a second daughter, not even as an adopted one. You're just a servant fit for cooking and hard labor—what delusions are you having!?"
Shen Yu chimed in, "Dad, we can't just take this girl's word for it. The An family's actions clearly show they don't respect the Shen family. I say, before she gets pregnant with Xiaoxing's child, kick her out. As for An Deyu, end the partnership with Shen Corporation!"
Lin Zhao watched the couple's back-and-forth, sensing their hidden intent to remove An Ruo from caring for Shen Xiaoxing.
Old Master Shen's expression was unreadable, and Lin Zhao dared not plead for An Ruo, fearing she'd get caught in the crossfire...
"Dad, if she could pull off such a ridiculous stunt as a substitute marriage, can her words be trusted? Let's bring the real person here to confront her!" Fang Yingxue, seeing no objection from the old man, summoned the middle-aged butler with a gesture and a wink: "Go fetch her."
Shen Yu sneered coldly, thinking that without anyone to care for Shen Xiaoxing, his future moves would be much easier.
Anyone who showed kindness to Shen Xiaoxing was doomed to die!
An Ruo stood tall, resolved to prioritize her own interests no matter who she faced next—self-preservation was key.
Soon, the butler brought someone in. An Qing, maintaining her lady-like demeanor, gave a slight bow to everyone present and greeted them one by one.
"Grandpa Shen, Madam, Second Master, Second Madam, hello."
Hearing that voice, An Ruo's mind went blank, as if struck by a club. She turned around stiffly to see An Qing walking gracefully toward her.