As for Elder Xia's anger, Madam Xia was not at all surprised. Given how much importance Elder Xia placed on reputation, it would have been strange if he wasn't furious.

"My Lord, please don't dwell on your anger for now. We must first figure out what to do. We can't just let this drag on!" Madam Xia inquired.

"What to do? Is that even a question? We should shear her hair and send her off to serve the Buddha immediately. Our Xia Manor has no room for such a shameless daughter! As for changing the betrothal, that young Master Fu is irrelevant. If he wishes to change brides, he should send his father to talk to me. Otherwise, Ting'er will marry him as planned," Elder Xia declared.

"My Lord, Wan'er is the daughter you have always doted on. Can you truly bear to see her constantly accompanied by the cold light of the lamp? Furthermore, that young Master Fu has now expressed a wish to switch brides and marry Wan'er. If you insist on marrying Ting'er off, the young Master Fu will surely treat Ting'er poorly in the future!" Madam Xia pleaded.

"Then what do you suggest we do!" Elder Xia vented in frustration.

"I was thinking, since Wan'er plotted against Ting'er's marriage, she must be displeased with the match I, her legitimate mother, arranged for her. Since that is the case, I shall grant her wish. It wouldn't be right to let down the bond between mother and daughter, after all," Madam Xia said mournfully.

"Madam, she is only a concubine-born daughter. How could she possibly marry into the Fu family? Even if we agree, the Fu family itself would never consent! Moreover, if Wan'er marries into the Fu family, what becomes of Ting'er? And what of the engagement we already secured for Wan'er?" Elder Xia questioned.

"My Lord, getting Wan'er married into the Fu family won't be difficult. All I need to do is formally acknowledge Wan'er as my own daughter. Then she will be a legitimate daughter, and I trust the Fu family will not object. As for the previous engagement arranged for her, that will be even easier to handle. I will certainly take care of it," Madam Xia stated.

"Madam, are you saying you intend to adopt Wan'er as your legitimate daughter?" Elder Xia asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

It was well known that over the years, Xia Wan'er had frequently curried favor with Elder Xia, often prompting him to ask Madam Xia to recognize her as her own. Yet, Madam Xia always found excuses to deflect. Elder Xia was stunned that Madam Xia was now proposing it herself; this was truly surprising to him.

"Yes. Isn't this what she has desired all these years? Now I will fulfill her wish, hoping only that in the future, she will conduct herself with more thought for our Xia Manor and not ruin our family's reputation," Madam Xia replied.

"But what about Ting'er? What will happen to Ting'er down the road?" Elder Xia also asked.

"My Lord, after this entire affair, do you think any respectable family in the capital will still wish to propose to our Ting'er? No. You must remember, while others may not know the full details, all the families we associate with are perfectly aware of what has transpired. I am considering finding a match for our daughter from a family of lesser standing in the future, one where we can still provide support, allowing her to escape the endless gossip from her in-laws," Madam Xia laid out her plan.

"Madam, wouldn't that be too much of a sacrifice for you and your daughter?" Elder Xia took Madam Xia's hand.

"Who told you that Wan'er is not also your beloved daughter? I must consider things from your perspective. Moreover, this concerns the reputation of our entire Xia Manor. I must look out for that, I cannot simply abandon everything for my own sake or my daughter's!" Madam Xia said softly.

Upon hearing this, Elder Xia said no more aloud, but the hand holding Madam Xia's tightened its grip. At the same time, he reflected that it was fortunate his wife was so magnanimous and virtuous; otherwise, dealing with this mess would have been truly difficult. He cursed that wicked creature for not showing filial piety to such a wonderful legitimate mother, instead constantly stirring up infuriating trouble.

The first order of business for Madam Xia was to break off Xia Wan'er's original engagement. Since the intended groom's family was not a powerful household and was not overly concerned with propriety, Madam Xia simply sent her son over with a message. He conveyed that Xia Wan'er had been persistently ill lately, receiving medicine without improvement, and that a renowned high monk from a temple had declared their horoscopes incompatible. Thus, the Xia family hoped the other party would not take offense at the annulment.

The scholar's family, being modest and not well-versed in the affairs of great houses, readily believed the explanation and offered no resistance, cooperating fully with the annulment. They even refused the compensation funds the Xia family offered.

Xia Wentao observed the scholar. Although his family was not wealthy, he appeared upright. If his half-sister Wan'er had truly married him, she would likely not have suffered hardship. It was evident that his mother had put considerable thought into Xia Wan'er's marriage, but alas, the match was not favored.

Not long after, Madam Xia summoned Xia Wan'er and informed her of the intention to formally adopt her.

Upon hearing the news, Xia Wan'er immediately realized her scheme had succeeded. Undisguised joy flooded her face. She even speculated that perhaps Fu Lan had told the Fu family about his desire to marry her, leading Fu Elder to discuss the matter with Elder Xia, forcing Madam Xia to adopt her under pressure. With this thought, Xia Wan'er looked triumphantly at Xia Wan'tíng and Madam Xia. See, she thought, Father still stands by me. I will be a legitimate daughter soon, and no one will dare look down on me. It must be said, Xia Wan'er had read too many folk tales.

Madam Xia, seeing the smug look in Xia Wan'er's eyes, nearly laughed in frustration, but remembering her own plan, she said nothing more, simply waving her away dismissively.

After Xia Wan'er departed, Xia Wan'tíng looked at her mother with confusion. "Mother, why would you suddenly decide to adopt Eldest Sister as your own?"

Madam Xia looked at Ting'er with deep affection. She had intended to wait longer to tell her daughter, but now she felt it was better to disclose the matter sooner. Thus, she carefully chose her words as she explained everything to her daughter.

The only young man Xia Wan'tíng had interacted with over the years was Fu Lan. Coupled with Fu Lan's pleasing appearance, Ting'er held a genuine fondness for him. Since they were already engaged, she had always considered herself Fu Lan's future wife. Now, for Madam Xia to tell her that Fu Lan wished to change his betrothal to her older half-sister was a considerable blow.

"That can't be, Mother. How could Brother Fu suddenly wish to marry Eldest Sister? Mother, no, it isn't true, is it?" Xia Wan'tíng choked out.

Madam Xia pulled her daughter into a comforting embrace. "Ting'er, don't blame your mother for doing this. It is simply that Fu Lan is not a man worthy of entrusting your life to. If he can fall for your concubine-born sister before even marrying you, imagine how unrestrained he will be once you are wed! Your mother fears you will suffer later! Listen to me, forget him. Your mother will certainly find you a much better match in the future."

"But Mother, I truly love Brother Fu. How could he suddenly reject me? Did I do something wrong?" Xia Wan'tíng wept into her mother's arms.

"No, it wasn't that you did something wrong. It is that Fu Lan lacks vision. My Ting'er is the best in this world. Fu Lan's lack of vision is why he chose that wicked... your concubine-born sister!" Madam Xia comforted her.

But no matter how Madam Xia tried to console her, Xia Wan'tíng could not accept the reality—she was being rejected by the man she loved, Fu Gege did not want to marry her.

Madam Xia naturally understood that it would be difficult for her daughter to accept such a reality all at once. She instructed the servants to watch over her daughter diligently, allowing no mistake.

Xia Wan'tíng returned to her room in a daze. She skipped her meal and instead stared at the wedding dress she had been making. She recalled how, while sewing it, she had intended to embroider the most beautiful patterns and craft the most exquisite gown, to wear it when marrying the man she held in her heart. Now, looking at the dress, she knew she could never wear it for Brother Fu; his bride would be her half-sister, Xia Wan'er, not Xia Wan'tíng.

Thinking this, the tears that had just stopped flowed once more, transforming uncontrollably into a torrent of sobbing.

The maids, seeing their mistress weeping bitterly, rushed to console her while sending someone to inform Madam Xia.

Madam Xia hurried over upon receiving the news. Seeing her daughter clutching the unfinished wedding gown and weeping, her heart ached, unsure how to proceed.

Madam Xia went and held Ting'er tightly. "Ting'er, seeing you like this is tearing my heart out! Stop crying, and let's put this wedding dress away. That boy isn't worthy of you wearing a wedding dress for him."

Saying this, Madam Xia snatched the gown from Xia Wan'tíng's hands and commanded a maid to take it out and burn it.

When Xia Wan'tíng heard Madam Xia intended to burn her dress, she immediately struggled. "No, Mother, you cannot burn my wedding dress. I worked on it for so long; it's almost finished! This is the fruit of my labor!"

"Take it out and burn it quickly!" Madam Xia shouted at the hesitant maid, then turned to her daughter. "Mother knows you cannot accept this fact right now, but later you will realize he is not worth remembering so fondly."

Xia Wan'tíng only wept sadly in response.

Madam Xia gently stroked her daughter's head. "Ting'er, do not grieve. You must know that you still have your mother. You are my only daughter in this life, and I will place everything good before you. In the future, Mother will find you someone who cherishes and loves you even more than he does; only then can I rest assured in handing you over to him."

"But who could be better than Brother Fu?" Xia Wan'tíng asked with a distant gaze.

"There are many, many men better than Fu Lan. You are young and don't know, but your mother does," Madam Xia asserted confidently.

"But..." Xia Wan'tíng tried to say more, but Madam Xia gave her no chance.

"They will cherish you even more and ensure you live even better than your concubine-born sister," Madam Xia declared with firm conviction.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.