When Gu Yanqing returned, Chu Shishi, who had been comforted by Madam Gu, started crying again.

Their family was the most powerful and renowned among the Gu family’s branches.

Despite not being the eldest of his generation, Gu Yanqing had the most authority due to his background and abilities.

Everyone feared him, and his words carried the most weight.

Chu Shishi clearly wanted him to take charge of their situation.

“What are you thinking now?” Gu Yanqing asked her.

Chu Shishi, sniffling, said, “I want a divorce, but I can’t stand the thought of that woman marrying into our Gu family, becoming the rightful Mrs. Gu, enjoying the honor, and her children becoming heirs to our family’s wealth. I’m very unwilling to hand everything over to her.”

In their family, Gu Yanze’s father had passed away early, and his mother, not being a local, had returned to her home country after her husband’s death and remarried.

Now, Gu Yanze was in charge of everything, and no one could stop him from marrying whoever he wanted.

“So, you don’t want a divorce?”

“I… but if I don’t get a divorce, I feel disgusted whenever I see him.”

“…” Gu Yanqing really felt he wasn’t skilled at handling other people’s domestic issues.

And the saddest part was Yuanyuan.

His only wish was to have a complete family, which now seemed impossible.

After briefly comforting Chu Shishi, Gu Yanqing went to Koukou’s toy room.

To accommodate all the toys, the housekeeper had cleared out a spare bedroom and temporarily turned it into a toy room.

This way, the living room wouldn’t be cluttered, and it would be easier to tidy up.

Qiao Wanqing was playing with the two kids when Gu Yanqing came back.

She pulled him aside and quietly asked, “How did it go?”

Gu Yanqing, looking a bit troubled, explained the situation.

After listening, Qiao Wanqing said, “Guess how I would handle this situation?”

“How would you handle it?” Gu Yanqing was interested.

Since Qiao Wanqing was close in age to Chu Shishi and both were women, she might have a good solution.

“If it were me, if I felt that divorce wasn’t a good option and I didn’t want to live with my partner, I’d move out with the kids. That way, if I’m not divorcing, the other woman would never be in a position to take my place.”

Chu Shishi’s family had influence, so there was no worry that Gu Yanze would mistreat her.

She’d continue living off his money and enjoy her rich life.

Qiao Wanqing knew that the woman would soon be elevated by Gu Yanze.

She remembered that the woman’s big break came from participating in a popular reality show.

Even though her acting was poor, her wealthy husband was willing to spend money, and with Jiang Yi managing her public image, she quickly gained fame.

Later, Qiao Wanqing planned to expose Chu Shishi’s affair at the peak of her success.

This would drag her down from her high position, label her as a mistress, and prevent any chance of recovery.

Otherwise, if she exposed Gu Yanze’s infidelity now, no one would pay attention.

In the current environment, the rich and powerful having affairs with mistresses was somewhat accepted.

Gu Yanze wasn’t a celebrity, and Jiang Yi was just a minor model.

Exposing them wouldn’t have much impact.

They’d continue their lives as usual, and once the fuss died down, Jiang Yi would still be able to marry into the Gu family.

Even if Jiang Yi became famous later, she could still whitewash her past.

As long as there was enough money to spend, any past issues could be covered up.

With a lawyer’s letter and some media manipulation, she could paint herself as a victim and have her fans believe the world was out to get her.

So, it was crucial to expose this situation at the height of her reputation.

This would be the most devastating, making her a public target and forever disgraced.

Under the pressure of public opinion, even if Chu Shishi divorced as a victim, she could secure as much property as possible.

Although it wouldn’t be possible to leave Gu Yanze with nothing, it would still deliver a fatal blow to them.

With Jiang Yi’s reputation ruined, her attempt to join the Gu family would be opposed by others.

After so many issues, it was uncertain if their relationship would withstand the test.

Gu Yanze might even abandon her to protect his own reputation.

The most important thing was that Chu Shishi was treating Yuanyuan well.

If she took him with her, he wouldn’t suffer abuse from a stepmother.

With Qiao Wanqing and others paying more attention to him, his upbringing could be assured.

However, Chu Shishi was already in her thirties, and wasting a few more years of her youth might not be worth it.

But if it were Qiao Wanqing, she would definitely do this.

This kind of revenge would be the most satisfying and advantageous for her.

She wouldn’t let the mistress marry into the family gloriously.

After some thought, Qiao Wanqing said, “Why don’t I talk to her?”

“Huh? Do you have a solution?”

Qiao Wanqing said mysteriously, “You can tell her I know a bit about fortune-telling and can predict her future.”

“…” Gu Yanqing was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “You’re resorting to your ‘superstitions’ again, aren’t you?”

“I’m saving her from disaster.”

Since Qiao Wanqing had a plan, Gu Yanqing was willing to try.

He conveyed her idea to Chu Shishi and arranged for them to meet at a café with private rooms, promising to keep it a secret from Madam Gu.

Madam Gu hoped that they could continue living harmoniously.

With her experience and age, she had seen many men who strayed.

She knew that unless a man truly remained faithful, such issues would often arise.

People in high positions, with their power and opportunities, were more susceptible to temptation.

Qiao Wanqing told Chu Shishi that she could foresee a bit of the future, especially for Jiang Yi.

Her career was on the rise in recent years.

She mentioned this to Chu Shishi when she was upset hearing about Jiang Yi being a mistress but still thriving in her career.

She shared her thoughts on how to handle the situation.

Whether Chu Shishi took her advice was up to her.

Chu Shishi, clearly intrigued, asked with some concern, “Are you sure she’ll become famous?”

What if Jiang Yi didn’t become famous and instead strengthened her own position, possibly even blaming Chu Shishi for moving out and causing her husband to stray? Chu Shishi feared she’d end up worse off.

“It’s fine,” Qiao Wanqing reassured her, patting her hand on the table. “Even if I’m wrong and she doesn’t become famous, we can make her famous. It’s all about taking action.”

Indeed, it was all about taking action, which lifted Chu Shishi’s spirits.

The next day, Chu Shishi returned to City X.

She decided to leave Yuan Yuan with Gu Yanqing for a few days until she had things settled on her end before bringing him back.

Yuan Yuan was reluctant to be away from his mother.

He was sensitive and worried that his parents might abandon him again, just like before, leaving him with Gu Yanqing.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Chu Shishi said, lifting up Yuanyuan.

Although Yuanyuan, at six years old, was quite heavy, she managed to hold him with some effort.

She kissed his cheek and said, “Mommy will come and get you in a few days. I won’t leave you here.”

In the past, when Chu Shishi had no feelings for Gu Yanze, she also neglected Yuanyuan.

But after living in a dream woven by lies for nearly a year, she had become a dedicated wife and mother.

Now, even though she had fallen out with Gu Yanze, she couldn’t let go of her feelings for the child.

Yuanyuan was smart, cute, and sensible, making it hard not to love him.

However, things were chaotic at home, and taking Yuanyuan back might lead to more arguments with Gu Yanze.

It was better to wait until she sorted everything out and moved to another house before bringing Yuanyuan home.

Yuanyuan wiped away his tears and held out his hand to Chu Shishi, saying, “Pinky promise.”

…

Having resolved a major issue, both Qiao Wanqing and Gu Yanqing felt relieved.

Even a wise official finds it difficult to resolve family matters, let alone them.

At the same time, they set their wedding date for before the new year.

The location would be on an island abroad, which was warm in winter, like summer back home, making it perfect for a wedding and vacation.

Gu Yanqing asked for her opinion, and Qiao Wanqing said, “I don’t have any objections, but my relatives from my side, though not many, will definitely want to attend. I’m afraid they might not be used to traveling abroad, especially since some of them have never been out of the country.”

Even Qiao Wanqing herself had never been abroad and felt a bit uneasy.

She understood that Gu Yanqing had his reasons for choosing an international location.

With the status of the Gu family, they even spent New Year’s abroad to avoid visitors, let alone for a wedding.

To have the wedding with the relatives and friends she wanted to invite and enjoy it, Qiao Wanqing had to plan it abroad.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. Just focus on being the bride,” Gu Yanqing reassured her. “Leave the rest to me, it’ll be perfect.”

Qiao Wanqing smiled and nodded.

She trusted Gu Yanqing completely.

At that moment, the family was driving back to Dongyang Village to look for a suitable place to set up a small vegetable processing workshop.

Qiao Wanqing had started working on her Taobao store.

Since dried fruits and vegetables required a lot of processing, she first needed to set up a small workshop.

Currently, they didn’t have many vegetables to process, so the workshop didn’t need to be very large.

If the business grew, they’d need to increase production, and since their own vegetables might not be enough, they would have to purchase regular dried fruits and vegetables from elsewhere.

Once the brand was established, even ordinary dried fruits and vegetables would sell well as long as they were tasty and of good quality.

It wasn’t necessary for them to be exceptionally delicious.

Qiao Wanqing planned to use a limited-release strategy for the tastier products.

The idea was to create a sense of scarcity with “first come, first served” promotions.

This could potentially make them more popular, while the regular products would be sold long-term.

This way, she could drive sales and avoid running out of stock.

Thinking about the bright future made her a little excited.

In the car, Yuan Yuan, who had been playing with Koukai, heard the word “bride” and eagerly said, “Uncle and Auntie are getting married? I want to be the best man.”

He had been a best man at someone’s wedding before, so he knew the role was fun.

At Yuan Yuan’s age, being a best man was indeed suitable.

Qiao Wanqing patted his head and said, “Okay.”

Upon hearing this, Koukou eagerly said, “Me too, me too!”

Yuanyuan replied, “No, there can only be one boy and one girl as flower children. Brother, do you want to wear a dress and be a girl?”

Koukou nodded enthusiastically, smiling, “Koukou likes dresses.”

Yuanyuan: “…”

Qiao Wanqing, worried that Koukou might remember his desire to wear a dress and cry for one, quickly said, “There can be more than one flower child. Yuanyuan and Koukou can both be flower children. You’ll both wear handsome little suits, okay?”

“No~ Koukou wants a dress,” Koukou said, kicking his little feet and getting upset when he wasn’t allowed to wear one.

Yuanyuan was just teasing Koukou and didn’t expect him to really want to wear a dress.

He said, “Brother, boys shouldn’t wear dresses. It’s embarrassing.”

“Not afraid~” Koukou said in his baby voice, starting to act spoiled, “Want~”

Qiao Wanqing covered her face.

She knew this would happen and tried to persuade him, “How about you wear a dress when Daddy and Mommy get married, okay?”

With more than two months to go, she hoped he would forget by then.

Koukou, somewhat appeased, said, “Can’t, can’t trick Koukou.”

Qiao Wanqing thought for a moment and said, “If Mommy tricks Koukou, Koukou can sleep with Daddy and not with Mommy, okay?”

Koukou believed that not sleeping with Mommy would be the biggest punishment for her, finally smiled, and said cheerfully, “Okay.”

Gu Yanqing: “…”

So, what did he do wrong again?