Xu Qing was someone with a big mouth, a wide network of friends, and a love for sharing. So when he realized that the sister-in-law he saw in person was completely different from the one described in rumors, he couldn’t help but start talking about it within his circles.
He was connected to various groups of wealthy young elites and socialites, and once the news spread through a few WeChat groups, it quickly multiplied and circulated widely.
Some people didn’t believe it, thinking Xu Qing must have been paid to speak well of that arrogant Jiang family heiress.
But Xu Qing was always prepared. When he saw people questioning him, he immediately sent over a photo.
It was a family photo he had taken earlier, after the dishes were served, with the consent of Wen Mochuan and Jiang Yiyan. In the picture, the couple sat facing each other, both turning slightly toward the camera with gentle smiles.
The man was refined, the woman graceful, their expressions warm and calm. Together, they made a strikingly well-matched and pleasing pair.
With a little girl in the middle cupping her face and striking a playful pose, the family of three looked harmonious and enviable.
As soon as Xu Qing posted the photo, the group chat exploded with messages.
“Damn! Is this really Jiang Yiyan? The Jiang family’s young lady? She looks completely different.”
“The face is the same, but the aura is totally different.”
“I saw Jiang Yiyan just a few days ago, heavy makeup, a red dress, all cold and glamorous. How did she turn from an evil queen into Snow White in just a few days?”
Gradually, some people even started speaking up for her.
“She’s a socialite heiress to begin with, of course she looks good in anything.”
“But honestly, she looks even better like this. This outfit suits her face perfectly.”
Amid his busy schedule, Xu Qing took a moment to glance at the lively discussion and couldn’t help but type: “The rumors are wrong. She’s really beautiful, even more so in person. And our brief interaction today was quite pleasant.”
“Are you sure you weren’t paid? @Xu Qing praised her like this. 😁”
“Get lost! Do I look like that kind of person?” Xu Qing shot back.
“Mr. Xu isn’t short on money~”
“Let’s bring a few friends to your place for dinner sometime, maybe five or six of us. Save a private room for us. @Xu Qing”
“Yeah, how’s business lately, Mr. Xu? Want us to come support you?”
“@Wei Jing Bro, just say the word, I’m always ready,” Xu Qing replied, then tagged the ones teasing him. After tossing in an eye-roll emoji, he retorted, “My business is doing just fine, I don’t need your support. If you want to eat, just come, stop talking nonsense.”
“OK @Xu Qing,” Wei Jing replied.
“Gotta get back to work,” Xu Qing typed, then put his phone away and returned to his tasks.
News spread quickly within the circle. Overnight, it reached Jiang Cheng and Jiang Xu.
And both of them saw that photo.
Jiang Xu and Xu Qing were of the same generation and moved in similar circles, so the photo reached him first. Jiang Cheng only saw it because his son showed it to him.
After all, they were father and daughter, bound by blood. The reason for their strained relationship in the past was largely due to their equally stubborn personalities, neither willing to give in. On top of that, the original Jiang Yiyan had blamed her mother’s death on her father, deliberately opposing him at every turn.
She had even disregarded her status as the Jiang family’s daughter in public, bringing disgrace upon the family.
Jiang Cheng was not a patient man, and seeing his daughter behave so recklessly had naturally angered him.
For years, the father and daughter had remained at a stalemate. Whether at home or outside, neither bothered to pretend harmony, and outsiders all knew of their strained relationship.
But now, the daughter in the photo appeared gentle and composed, standing alongside her husband and daughter in a warm and harmonious family portrait. Seeing this version of her, Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.
Thinking back to her attitude during her recent visit home, he became even more convinced that she had truly changed for the better.
“It seems Yiyan has really grown up,” the old father said, unable to hide the smile on his face.
Jiang Xu was in his father’s study at the time. He was glad to see his sister turning over a new leaf.
But…
Something still felt off to him.
“If she’s truly come to her senses and is willing to change, that’s naturally a good thing,” Jiang Xu said, a faint trace of concern in his expression. “I’m just worried that might not be the case.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng asked, sensing something behind his words. “Have you noticed something?”
Jiang Xu’s brows remained furrowed. “Think about it, Dad. How can someone just change overnight for no reason? It’s not logical.” Then he brought up Shu Yao. “Yao Yao’s flight is early this morning, and she’ll arrive in Shenzhen by this evening.”
Jiang Cheng fell into thought. After a moment of silence, he said, “You mean… your sister’s sudden change because Yao Yao is coming back?”
Jiang Xu nodded and explained, “Ever since Yao Yao posted about returning, Yiyan started changing. I’m not saying this as her brother to criticize her, but I really can’t trust it so easily. What if she has some ulterior motive? Yao Yao might end up being wronged again. You know why she went abroad back then. Now that she’s finally returning, you wouldn’t want her to suffer again, would you?”
Jiang Cheng considered his son’s words and found them reasonable.
Of course, he hoped his daughter had truly changed and that the family could live in harmony. But if Jiang Xu was right and her behavior was intentional, then he couldn’t show favoritism.
Yao Yao might not be his biological daughter, but she was well-behaved, sensible, intelligent, and capable. He couldn’t let her be wronged.
After Jiang Xu’s reminder, Jiang Cheng became more cautious.
However, he did not continue the topic and instead brought up another matter.
“With Yao Yao returning, we should first host a welcome banquet for her. Besides inviting Yiyan and her family, your Aunt Cai also wants to invite Wu Jingmeng. You’re fairly familiar with that boy from the Jiang family, right? Invite him as well. With more people, it’ll be inconvenient to host at home, so we might as well book a private room at a hotel. You handle the arrangements.”
Jiang Xu took note of everything and said, “Understood, I’ll take care of it.”
The next morning, since Meimei didn’t wake her up, Jiang Yiyan slept until she woke up naturally.
As soon as she came downstairs, Feng Ma told her that there had been a call from the Jiang family earlier that morning. There would be a family dinner the next evening, and they hoped the three of them would attend. The location had not yet been decided and would be announced later.
“Who called?” Jiang Yiyan asked.
“It was the Jiang family’s housemaid, Sister Zhang,” Feng Ma replied.
Jiang Yiyan nodded in acknowledgment.
After dinner the previous night, the family of three had gone to the mall to buy the paintbrushes and paints they had promised Meimei.
So starting today, Jiang Yiyan had taken on a new task: teaching her daughter how to paint.
It had been a long time since she last held a brush, so she felt a little rusty at first.
But with her strong foundation, after practicing a few pieces, her old touch quickly returned.
On the first day, Jiang Yiyan even showed off a little, painting several pieces in one go. Meimei was an enthusiastic little supporter, praising her mother with boundless enthusiasm after each completed painting.
She truly thought her mother’s work was amazing, though if it had been someone else, she probably wouldn’t have praised it quite so extravagantly.
“Mom is amazing! Mom is my goddess, I love my mom so much!”
As she spoke, Meimei ran around her mother, dancing with excitement.
“How can my mom be so incredible? If she keeps being this amazing, I’ll start thinking Dad isn’t good enough for her. Sigh, Dad needs to work harder.”
This remark happened to be heard by the father, who had come home early.
The father: “…”
But Meimei was quick-witted. Sensing danger, she immediately bounced over to her dad.
“Dad! I missed you so much, why did you come back so late?”
The father: “…” Did she really miss him? It didn’t look like it. When he wasn’t home, she had been happily circling around her mother.
Still, Wen Mochuan didn’t mind. He bent down and caught the little bundle rushing into his arms.
“Look at Mom! Mom’s paintings are really beautiful,” Meimei said as soon as she was picked up, shifting her attention back to her mother.
Jiang Yiyan knew her husband had returned but remained immersed in her work, continuing to paint.
Wen Mochuan carried their daughter over to her.
Jiang Yiyan had studied traditional Chinese painting since childhood, particularly skilled in meticulous brushwork. During her school years, she had passed certification exams and won numerous awards.
With such a solid foundation, even when painting other styles, she was more than capable.
Teaching Meimei was effortless for her.
In a burst of inspiration, Jiang Yiyan had painted many pieces in various styles.
Spread across the table, they caught Wen Mochuan’s eye. Even with a casual glance, he couldn’t help but look at his wife with surprise.
He had never known she possessed such artistic talent.
Seeing that she was still deeply focused, he refrained from interrupting. Only after she finished another piece and set it aside did he speak.
“I never knew you had this kind of skill.”
After a full day of painting, Jiang Yiyan was indeed tired.
She set down her brush and stood up.
“It’s nothing impressive, just a hobby,” she said modestly.
Although Wen Mochuan had never studied painting, it didn’t mean he knew nothing about it. His grandfather had always been fond of such arts, collecting many famous works and often inviting renowned artists to discuss painting at home.
Growing up in that environment, he had picked up some understanding.
Even as a layman, he could tell that her work was quite remarkable.
He couldn’t help but see her in a new light.
“You’re being modest,” Wen Mochuan said, clearly interested. “I don’t remember you learning this when you were younger. Who taught you?”
Jiang Yiyan had no intention of discussing it further. The more she said, the more likely she was to slip up.
So she brushed him off coolly. “I don’t need to tell you everything. If you cared, you’d know. If you didn’t, even if I told you, you wouldn’t remember.”
Wen Mochuan fell silent.
But Jiang Yiyan wasn’t trying to complain. She just wanted to move past the topic quickly. After leaving him momentarily speechless, she immediately changed the subject.
“Oh right, tomorrow evening my brother has booked a private room at Xingyun Hotel for Shu Yao’s welcome dinner. It’s at six-thirty. We’ll go together.”
Wen Mochuan glanced at her, showed no particular reaction, and simply nodded. “Alright.”