"You said you want to break off the engagement?" Liu Ye's voice unconsciously rose, her face filled with disbelief as she looked in astonishment at Yan Jianguo beside her.
No matter how one looked at it, this marriage was Xu Xiaoyue climbing up the social ladder, so Liu Ye never expected the young girl before her to take the initiative to break it off.
Yan Jianguo's expression remained unreadable. "Comrade Xu, breaking off an engagement is no joking matter. I know you must resent us for not contacting you all these years…"
Xu Xiaoyue shook her head, biting her lip as she carefully took out the jade pendant she had preserved from her bosom.
Yan Jianguo focused, his gaze fixed on the jade pendant. He recognized it as belonging to the Yan Family. In those years, all the valuable items of the Yan Family that should have been smashed or burned were gone. He had only seen this jade pendant once as a child, and now, decades later, it was surprisingly preserved so intact.
"This was originally handed by Elder Yan to my mother. Now, I return it intact to its rightful owner."
With these final words, Xu Xiaoyue handed the jade pendant to the man. This pendant had served as a token of their childhood betrothal, and Mother Xu had kept it in excellent condition all these years.
"As for breaking off the engagement, it is no joke. Moreover, Comrade Yan Shuli excels in both literary talent and family background. Xiaoyue knows she is not worthy and will not force the issue." Xu Xiaoyue spoke these last words with neither humility nor arrogance.
These words resonated with Liu Ye, and her expression softened considerably. What she feared most was that this girl from the countryside, upon entering the compound, would think she had seen the world and refuse to leave no matter what.
Since Xu Xiaoyue's arrival, Liu Ye had been discreetly observing her. Facing the powerful and wealthy Yan Family, she remained composed, her eyes never wandering aimlessly.
Furthermore, the jade pendant left by the old master was something even those ignorant of its value would recognize as precious. Yet, the girl had taken it out without hesitation to return it. This showed she was not someone who sought to climb the social ladder by attaching herself to the powerful.
Liu Ye's initial dissatisfaction completely dissipated upon meeting her. She thought to herself that she had truly wronged her father-in-law; perhaps there had been consideration of the Xu Family's character when this marriage was arranged back then.
"Look at the sweat on your forehead. You must be exhausted from coming such a long way. Have some water." With that, Liu Ye personally stood up to pour water.
Xu Xiaoyue quickly accepted it, biting her lip with a hint of hesitation on her face. She opened her mouth and said, "Uncle Yan, Aunt Liu, besides resolving the marriage matter, there is one more thing I need to ask for your help with this time."
Liu Ye's heart skipped a beat, thinking this was not good. Could it be that the girl's offer to break off the engagement was just to placate them? She forced a smile onto her face. "No need to talk about help. If you have something to say, just speak freely."
Xu Xiaoyue gathered her emotions, tears welling up in her moist almond-shaped eyes, as she recounted how the Xu Family had forced her to marry the butcher.
"Aunt Liu, Xiaoyue asks for nothing else, only to temporarily stay with the Yan Family and find a job to make ends meet."
After she finished speaking, only the sound of the girl's bowed head and sobbing could be heard in the Yan household.
Liu Ye's cheeks flushed with shame. She had thought so poorly of the young girl, who had been forced to nearly marry a butcher, yet she had not tried to cling to the Yan Family through the marriage. Instead, she only asked for a place to stay.
"They always say country folk are simple and honest, but who would have thought the Xu Family would bully an orphan and a widow like that!" Liu Ye, straightforward by nature, felt a surge of pity in her eyes after hearing all this.
Even the usually serious and stern Yan Jianguo offered rare words of comfort: "Good child, just stay here. It's only an extra pair of chopsticks—treat the Yan family as your own home."
"Don't talk about borrowing a place to stay. When Aunt Liu was young, what she wanted most was to have a fair and delicate little girl. Who would have thought fate wouldn't comply? Now that you're here, you've fulfilled your aunt's wish."
Liu Ye gently stroked the girl's jet-black, glossy braid. Her words were not meant to deceive—if she really had such a beautiful and outstanding daughter, the Yan family's doorstep would likely be worn down from all the visitors.
Xu Xiaoyue clenched her palm, finding it damp with sweat. Calling off the engagement was her way of easing and bridging the relationship, but her ultimate goal was still to secure a place to stay. If she had brought it up right away, the Yan family wouldn't have driven her out, but they would inevitably have felt some reluctance in their hearts. What Xu Xiaoyue wanted was for the Yan family to genuinely accept her.
Fortunately, the final outcome was satisfactory.
While the atmosphere in the Yan household was harmonious, Yan Shuli at the train station was nearly frantic searching for her.
He had only thought it wouldn't take much time to grab a meal, but halfway through, Zheng Jiaojiao suddenly complained of a stomachache.
Clutching her stomach and squatting down, she seemed too pained to speak, her face pale.
"Brother Shuli, maybe the meal we just ate wasn't clean, and it's upsetting my stomach."
"Why don't you go ahead and pick up Sister Yue without me? I wonder if Sister Yue has arrived yet…"
Yan Shuli had initially hesitated, but after a moment of thought, he said, "Jiaojiao, can you still walk? Let me carry you to the hospital."
With that, he bent down and hoisted her onto his back.
"Brother Shuli, put me down quickly. Sister Yue is still waiting for you to pick her up. It's just an old problem of mine—no need to go to the hospital."
As she finished speaking, she couldn't help but let out a couple of pained groans.
At this point, Yan Shuli was in no mood to pick anyone up. He even began to resent his fiancée from the countryside inwardly. Ever since learning of her existence, even before her arrival, she had caused quite a bit of trouble.
If it weren't for having to pick her up at the station today, they wouldn't have eaten unclean food.
After arriving at the hospital, several doctors took turns examining her, concluding that it might have been gastrointestinal spasms caused by heatstroke. After receiving two IV drips, it was already seven in the evening by the time they returned to the Yan household.
"Weren't you supposed to pick someone up? Well, you've done a fine job—Xiaoyue has been back for quite some time. Where have you been?" Liu Ye frowned, questioning him.
Just as Yan Shuli was about to explain, he felt a tug on his clothes. Rubbing his nose, he looked at his mother and replied unhappily.
"I was about to ask the same thing. Wasn't she supposed to arrive at four in the afternoon? Jiaojiao and I waited at the entrance the whole time and never saw her come out. Maybe… maybe she left through another exit."
Xu Xiaoyue stood at the corner of the staircase and raised an eyebrow. She had deliberately avoided these two, yet they still tried to pin such a big blame on her.
She walked down the stairs into everyone's line of sight. "I'm sorry, Comrade Yan. I didn't expect the train to be delayed. When I exited the station, I didn't see you outside and even searched for you for a while, thinking you might have left first. So, I found my way here alone."
Xu Xiaoyue explained in a soft voice, then bowed to Yan Shuli and Zheng Jiaojiao. "I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long for me."
Yan Shuli tugged at his hair, his eyes darting away, unable to meet the gaze of the young woman before him.
First, he never dreamed that this "fiancée" from the countryside would be so stunningly beautiful. Second, all the lies he had told were heard by the young woman standing before him.
There were only two exits at the station—she must have known he wasn’t there at all, yet she hadn’t exposed him.
Yan Shuli had intended to confess the truth, but on the way back, Zheng Jiaojiao burst into tears, worried that going to the hospital so soon after arriving at the Yan Family would make her seem delicate and unable to endure hardship. She pleaded with him not to mention the hospital visit.
Liu Ye narrowed her eyes. Having raised her son from infancy, she knew his every move like the back of her hand—she could tell he was lying.
In front of outsiders, Liu Ye didn’t expose him, only remarking calmly, "Be smarter next time."
Meanwhile, Zheng Jiaojiao’s heart was in turmoil. She stole a glance at Xu Xiaoyue beside her, utterly bewildered—in her previous life, things hadn’t been like this at all…