Chapter 10 – Come and Apologize to the Young Madam

Lian Minfang looked at Auntie Wang suspiciously.

“Didn’t I tell you to notify Shuhui at seven o’clock?”

Auntie Wang shrank her head, not daring to look up, avoiding her gaze.

Shuhui immediately understood—Lian Minfang had been kept in the dark again, played like a fool by Auntie Wang.

Most of the stupid and vicious things Lian Minfang had done in the past were inseparable from Auntie Wang’s instigation and coaxing behind the scenes.

In her previous life, Shuhui had gone to great lengths to expose Auntie Wang’s true face and have her dismissed from the mansion.

But instead of being grateful, Lian Minfang later nostalgically recalled Auntie Wang and even secretly resented Shuhui for being “too ruthless.”

In this life, Shuhui would not let Auntie Wang off either. She wanted Lian Minfang to see clearly with her own eyes the wolf she was harboring.

When the wolf bit her and she tasted real pain… would she still dare to reminisce about her then?

But now wasn’t the time. Today’s visit was to sound the alarm—so that Lian Minfang would stop thinking Shuhui was someone easy to push around.

Shuhui slid her phone across the table. The lit-up screen, with a clear stock chart, reflected in Lian Minfang’s eyes.

Lian Minfang blinked in confusion. “Why are you showing me this?”

“The stock trend of Hongxing Group.” Shuhui tapped the screen, breaking it down into simple terms for her.

“After that interview, when I publicly declared before the media that my marriage with Qin Yushen was loving and stable, only then did the stock price of Hongxing rebound from the whirlpool of public opinion.”

Public opinion that had all started because of you and your daughter, Shuhui thought.

Lian Minfang frowned unhappily, just about to complain, when Shuhui preempted her.

“Don’t be so quick to pin the blame on me. What I’m about to say, I’ll only say once—and it’s the last time I’ll explain.”

“That night on the graduation trip, I was drunk and ended up with Qin Yushen. Afterwards I returned to the mainland. Until the media came knocking three years later, I didn’t even know the name or identity of Ningning’s father.

“If I had truly wanted to use my child to climb up, wouldn’t it have been more reliable to show up pregnant at your doorstep and threaten Grandfather Qin? That would’ve been far safer.”

“You people in Hong Kong have ruthless, cutthroat media. They’ll dig into anything, expose anything. Ningning and I were dragged into this unwillingly. Even now, my mother’s noodle shop is surrounded by reporters every day, she can’t even operate normally.”

This was the first time Lian Minfang had ever heard Shuhui’s side of the story.

Her lips trembled. She wanted to say something.

But Shuhui lifted her hand to cut her off.

“Yes, the Qin family can indeed provide Ningning with a better environment to grow up in.

“As things stand now, in front of the cameras I will cooperate with Qin Yushen, play the part of a loving wife, stabilize the company and its stock price. At home, as long as things can stay peaceful, I will of course respect you as an elder.

“But if you insist on constantly stirring up trouble, I don’t mind blowing everything up. I don’t think Grandfather Qin or Qin Yushen would enjoy that outcome.”

“I…I…” For once, Lian Minfang found her voice, but she had no idea what to say.

This daughter-in-law’s brain and tongue were both so sharp—succinct, precise, saying so much in one breath. She herself could never manage it in a lifetime.

No wonder the internet had praised Shuhui. That interview had indeed won face for the Qin family.

Still… could she really believe everything she said? What if it was just lies?

Qin Ying had scolded her as stupid for decades. Even she had a bit of self-awareness—she knew she wasn’t very smart.

As her thoughts flew wildly, Shuhui was already standing up to leave. On her way out, she added one last stinger:

“Oh, and about that racket at four in the morning? Please don’t let anyone do that again. It scared Ningning into crying for hours.

“Fortunately Qin Yushen wasn’t home to hear it, or who knows how angry he’d have been. As for filial duties, let the daughter-in-law you truly approve of take care of those.”

With that, she walked away, leaving Lian Minfang stunned in place.

Yes, her temper was bad, even a bit nasty—but she wasn’t one to hold grudges.

When it came to Qin Yushen, she was always one hundred percent attentive. Not even her husband could compete with her son’s importance. Now with her granddaughter added into the balance…

That long speech from Shuhui had already dispelled most of the knot in her chest.

She wouldn’t say she had a full change of heart, but at least, regarding little Qin Suining, she felt no resentment whatsoever.

And the parting warning gave her pause. If she wanted to lash out at Shuhui again, she’d have to think twice.

That was exactly Shuhui’s goal for today. Auntie Wang had just been an extra target to strike.

How Lian Minfang would deal with her disloyal maid afterwards—wasn’t Shuhui’s concern.

Shuhui walked out. The servants, who had come quietly to eavesdrop, all watched her departing figure with awe.

So strong! Other than the Young Master himself, she was the only one who could talk Madam Lian into silence, without even making her lose her temper.

There were no secrets in the estate. By noon, the entire affair had spread across every villa.

Old Master Qin stroked his beard when he heard, smiling without comment.

Yao Shanshan was desperate, running around trying to find out the full details.

The other two sisters-in-law, however, stayed quiet.

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Two days later, in the afternoon, the doorbell rang outside the Bamboo Pavilion courtyard.

Inside, the big screen TV was playing Peppa Pig.

On the sofa, little Qin Suining bounced up and down: “Mama, muddy… muddy puddles!”

Sitting cross-legged on the rug, Shuhui smiled faintly. She paused her electronic brush on her tablet and looked up, wondering who it could be.

Before she could guess further, Liu Ma had already led the visitor in.

It was none other than a familiar face—Auntie Wang.

This time, gone was her arrogance. She was hunched over, face full of humble pleading.

“I’ve come to apologize to the Young Madam. It was foolish of me that day. Please, forgive me this once.”

“Alright, you can go.”

Shuhui answered casually, already lowering her head back to her sketching. Her tone couldn’t have been more perfunctory.

So it was just her. Auntie Wang’s apology was no more than background noise—two-faced people weren’t worth her emotions.

It seemed there really was a rift now between Lian Minfang and Auntie Wang. Otherwise, given her pride, how would she ever allow Auntie Wang to lower herself like this?

Auntie Wang: “……”

The cold indifference was harder to bear than scolding.

Having already tasted Shuhui’s methods, Auntie Wang dared not cross her again.

She bowed her head lower, speaking with forced deference:

“Madam says, she’d like to invite you and the young miss to dine at the main house this evening. Would that be convenient?”

Shuhui lifted her head once more, fixing her eyes on Auntie Wang. The look alone made the woman’s knees shake.

Then she turned to her daughter with a smile.

“Sweetheart, would you like to go have dinner with Grandma tonight?”

“Grandma?”

Qin Suining slid down off the sofa and toddled over. She didn’t quite remember who “Grandma” was—probably the one who was always scowling? She hesitated, half-curious, half-wary.

Shuhui pinched her chubby cheeks.

“Liu Ma can go with you. If you don’t like it, she’ll bring you right back.”

“Mama’s not coming?”

“Mama has work to do. If you want to go, you’ll have to go on your own.”