Song Yao couldn't shut her mouth the moment she got into the car. "Did you notice, Qiqi? That old woman's face completely turned green just now."

Wang Qiqi nodded emphatically. "Yeah, she took quite the internal blow today." After joking for a while, the smile slowly vanished from Wang Qiqi's face. "Sigh, I wonder what my mother-in-law will think when she finds out."

Although Luo Hongjuan didn't have a good impression of Old Mrs. Han, today when Wang Qiqi brought Song Yao over to visit the old lady, what Song Yao said might make it seem like Wang Qiqi brought her own family to fight her battles. If Luo Hongjuan took it well, it would be fine, but if Luo Hongjuan started thinking about whether she might be treated the same way in the future, then... Wang Qiqi let out a soft sigh. Being a daughter-in-law was completely different from being a daughter.

Song Yao had initially been wondering why Qiqi had suddenly stopped smiling, her face drawn tight. Then she heard the sigh. "What's wrong?"

Wang Qiqi sorrowfully poured out her worries, leaving Song Yao speechless. "Sister, you’re overthinking. Don't you think you’re worrying about this and that now, nothing like your old carefree self? I guarantee you, if your mother-in-law hears what happened at the hospital today, she absolutely won't be angry. She might nag you a bit, but I promise you, she’s probably laughing her head off internally."

Wang Qiqi could only listen to Song Yao’s optimism. "Alright, I was going to ask you to dinner, but perhaps we should skip it now."

As Song Yao’s car was just pulling into the complex, they spotted a familiar figure. She pouted. "Qiqi, look, isn't that Wang Rui?" She was walking quite intimately with a man. Song Yao first assumed it was Wang Rui's boyfriend, but the guy seemed somewhat familiar to her.

Wang Qiqi followed Song Yao's gaze outside, and the sight made her jump, her mouth gaping wide. "It's Gao Kai!" Good heavens, hadn't they broken up ages ago? And wasn't Wang Rui supposedly hooking up with some wealthy prospective boyfriend elsewhere? How could she be entangled with this guy again? Wang Qiqi found it very strange.

Gao Kai? Song Yao's hand twitched on the steering wheel, and the car stalled immediately. The cars behind them began honking incessantly, urging Song Yao to move forward. No matter how many questions she had, Song Yao had to first drive into the parking area. "Didn't they break up?" This girl really had some nerve, still trying to keep one foot in two boats. Did she think because her boyfriend was far away in the south, he wouldn't find out about her scandalous behavior?

Wang Qiqi didn't know if Wang Rui had spotted them, but for a moment, Wang Rui’s grip on Gao Kai’s arm seemed to loosen. "She’s got some nerve." Wang Qiqi couldn't understand why the current Gao Kai didn't fit Wang Rui's usual selection criteria for a partner, nor could he meet her daily needs, yet she was still sticking with him. "Could it be true love?" Wang Qiqi murmured in confusion. If that were the case, it might explain why, in her previous life, Wang Rui remained involved with the down-and-out Gao Kai even when she had plenty of wealthy suitors.

Song Yao also found it odd. She parked the car downstairs from Wang Qiqi's building and immediately slumped over the steering wheel. "Could it really be true love?" In Song Yao's view, Wang Rui had targeted Gao Kai only to prove she was superior to Qiqi, plus Gao Kai used to be rich. But the problem was, everyone in this small town knew that the former young master of the Gao family, Gao Kai, was essentially a kept man living off women. Yet Wang Rui was back here involved with him? "Didn't Uncle have anything to say about it?"

Song Yao thought that given Wang Da Gui's personality, he would never allow Wang Rui to be with Gao Kai again. After all, Gao Kai brought them no benefit, only constant expense.

"Do you think Wang Da Gui has any control over Wang Rui now?" Wang Qiqi thought that if Wang Rui could brazenly appear with Gao Kai in this complex, it meant Wang Da Gui was powerless in that matter. Alas, "I just hope she can have a decent life. What if the other party finds out..." Wang Qiqi truly admired Wang Rui. Did she think that just because her boyfriend was in Guangdong, she could do whatever she wanted here?

"That’s what she deserves..." Song Yao was speechless regarding Wang Rui and didn't want to comment further. She was also eager to get home and tell Wang Da Mei what she saw, letting her see what kind of niece she thought so highly of truly was.

Luo Hongjuan looked at Wang Qiqi quietly eating across from her and felt very strange. Qiqi had gone to see the old lady today, so what was the outcome? Had the old lady scolded her? Thinking of this, Luo Hongjuan hesitantly opened her mouth. "Qiqi, when you visited the hospital today, she didn't give you too much trouble, did she?" Perhaps the old lady wouldn't resort to physical action in front of so many outsiders, but her mouth certainly wouldn't hold back.

Wang Qiqi had been wondering when to bring up the hospital incident with Luo Hongjuan. Now, there was no need to consider the timing. Wang Qiqi directly recounted everything that happened at the hospital. "Song Yao was actually planning to ask me out today, but when she found out she was sick, she drove me to the hospital, bringing some fruit and supplements. I never expected things to escalate like this." Wang Qiqi explained repeatedly.

Luo Hongjuan hadn't expected that Wang Qiqi would come out completely unscathed today; instead, it was the old lady who got scolded by Song Yao. Seeing Wang Qiqi looking at her nervously, she smiled. "That’s just how she is. But it’s good. If it weren't for your older sister, maybe you would have given her a proper lesson today on what a daughter-in-law should be."

Wang Qiqi stared at Luo Hongjuan. No way, did her mind not even register any negative thoughts?

"Don't worry, your sister did something I never dared to do my whole life." Luo Hongjuan felt quite relieved just thinking about it. Even though she hadn't witnessed the scene, the mere thought of the old woman being disciplined by a young girl felt immensely satisfying. "Relax. If she has any sense, she won't mess with me. Besides, if she pushes me too far, I won't bother with her; she needs to understand her current situation." Luo Hongjuan didn't think much of Han Ximing either; that boy wasn't much better than Xue Hong. If he hadn't been stirring things up behind the scenes, Xue Hong alone couldn't have escalated things this far. It was a pity that to curry favor with Old Mrs. Han, he handed Han Tao over to the old lady's care. Although he gained significant benefits, Luo Hongjuan felt that Han Ximing must regret it now, as he had lost much more.

While Luo Hongjuan and Wang Qiqi, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, were cheerfully discussing Old Mrs. Han's miserable state today, Old Mrs. Han, at the hospital, was weeping to Han Ximing, who brought her food. "Ximing, you have no idea! I was actually disciplined by a mere girl right in front of so many relatives."

"That Qiqi girl, from the look of her, isn't someone who takes nonsense. Hmph. The way her cousin spoke so fluently, I bet Wang Qiqi only knew so much because her older cousin briefed her beforehand."

"She just came here to anger me today," Old Mrs. Han kept patting her chest to emphasize how furious and wronged she felt.

Han Ximing looked at his mother, who was constantly complaining, and then thought of Xue Hong on strike at home to express her own grievances. He felt he was about to break down too. "Mom, just calm down. Do you think complaining will make them listen to you? I think what they said is true. You can’t expect your eldest sister-in-law to cater to you. The division agreement explained everything. Even if you wanted to give them the house now, they wouldn't take it. Do you know that Sister-in-law has bought three houses here, and she owns property in Beijing too? Do you think she cares about your small family fortune?"

Han Ximing hadn't slept all night in the hospital yesterday; he had been thinking about these matters. Many people had once said that the eldest brother's line was finished, and there was a high chance Sister-in-law would remarry with Han Tao. But unexpectedly, this frail woman persevered and raised Han Tao so well. What she earned herself was far more than what he managed through painstaking efforts to please the old lady.

Old Mrs. Han knew that her eldest daughter-in-law’s life had improved, but she hadn't imagined it would be this good. Her eyes blinked repeatedly, hoping her younger son would tell her this was all a joke he was playing with his mother, but her son was feeding her with a serious expression. She forced herself to swallow the food in her mouth. "Your sister-in-law’s life is that good now?" Han Ximing nodded. "Yes, otherwise why would she be generous enough to visit you? But don't expect it in the future." Relationships were ruined one instance at a time. No matter how much the old lady regretted it, she was a person concerned with maintaining appearances, so she said haughtily, "Even if they have no money, I don't need their help. It's their business if they're rich. Right, why are you here again today? Where is Xue Hong?" The old lady shifted her attack towards her younger daughter-in-law. In her view, since the eldest daughter-in-law was difficult to handle and probably needed appeasement, she might as well punish Xue Hong. If she, as the mother, hadn't failed to educate her son, she wouldn't have ended up hospitalized. Furthermore, her choice of daughter-in-law was terrible. All of this was Xue Hong’s responsibility as a mother-in-law.

While Old Mrs. Han and Han Ximing were figuring out how to mend relations with Luo Hongjuan, and Old Mrs. Han was simultaneously planning how to scold Xue Hong, Wang Da Mei at home was staring with wide-open eyes after hearing Song Yao's account. "Ah, no way! You didn't misidentify her?" Heavens, what was that Wang Rui girl doing? Was it truly because she lacked maternal guidance?

Song Yao shrugged, patted Tao Tao, who had run over demanding to be held, and told him to find his father. Seeing his mother's stern face, Tao Tao could only pout and go find Gong Peixing instead of arguing further. "Your daughter might be mistaken, but Wang Qiqi also said it was Wang Rui. Mom, you need to figure something out about these matters, think carefully about whether certain people deserve your help." Song Yao knew her mother privately kept subsidizing Wang Da Gui and his daughter. Song Yao had no issue with that; after all, she wasn't counting on her mother's meager savings to live on. But the money given should at least yield some return, right? If it turned out to be...

After Song Yao left, Wang Da Mei placed her hands on the stovetop to steady herself. She was clearly lost in thought, her mouth moving slightly as she pondered something. [To be continued]