Ruan Nianzhi left with a smug look of triumph. Ruan Xining was so furious that her entire body went weak, and she collapsed to the ground before suddenly coughing up a mouthful of blood that splattered across the floor.
She hated them. She hated Ruan Nianzhi and her mother, hated her scumbag father Ruan Jianwei even more, and hated herself most of all for being so blind as to fall for that scumbag.
Her true family? What true family? Was she talking about her biological sister?
Ruan Xining did not even get the chance to witness those two shameless women’s weddings. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found herself drifting before the man whose future had been ruined because of her. Only then did she believe that when a person died, their soul really could leave their body.
Following Huo Tingyuan, she saw the tombstones of her maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, and mother. She also saw her once spirited uncle become stooped with age, even losing the use of one leg. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
Countless times, she tried to rush forward and embrace her uncles, but each time, she passed straight through them. All she could do was silently remain by their side.
“Mom, I missed you.”
The moment she saw Wen Yunru, Ruan Xining’s nose stung, and she threw herself into her mother’s arms, greedily savoring the embrace she had longed for.
“You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? You see me every day, so how could you miss me?” Wen Yunru said with a coquettish smile.
Ruan Nianzhi thought Ruan Xining was merely trying to stall for time. Ignoring the pain, she struggled to her feet and was about to enter the house.
Ruan Xining immediately stretched out a hand and blocked her path.
The more Ruan Nianzhi was stopped, the more delighted she became. She was now certain that Huo Tingyuan was inside the room.
“Sis, Dad and I just heard a man’s voice coming from your room. Is he your classmate? Why don’t you come out and let Dad and Mom meet him?”
“What is going on, Xining? Even though you’re grown up now, what kind of behavior is it for a man and a woman to be alone together so late at night?” Ruan Jianwei’s voice was furious, and he raised his voice several decibels, attracting the surrounding neighbors, who all poked their heads out to look toward the Ruan family’s courtyard.
As he spoke, he ignored Ruan Xining’s attempts to stop him and violently kicked the bedroom door.
Bang!
The door flew open. Ruan Jianwei stormed inside with the air of a man catching someone in the act, while Ruan Nianzhi wore a falsely concerned expression and impatiently searched every corner of the room with her eyes.
She could hardly wait to drag “Huo Tingyuan” out and let all the surrounding neighbors know that Ruan Xining was a shameless woman who had seduced her “brother-in-law.”
The two of them immediately began rummaging through the room, turning everything upside down and leaving no corner unchecked.
“How could this be? I clearly saw Huo Tingyuan enter your room with my own eyes. Where did you hide him?” The triumphant smile on Ruan Nianzhi’s face instantly froze, replaced first by disbelief and then by anger.
She had clearly seen Huo Tingyuan enter the room with her own eyes and had even heard voices coming from inside, so why was there no sign of him now?
Ruan Jianwei was equally stunned. The anger that had filled him suddenly caught in his throat, leaving his expression awkward and ugly.
“Xining, we’ve already come this far. Are you still going to hide it from your father and mother?”
Ruan Xining looked at all of this with amusement. How had she failed to see through their terrible acting in her previous life?
Back then, she had genuinely believed that her father and younger sister were concerned about her. If they really cared about her, wouldn’t they have kept something like this hidden instead of making such a scene?
Yet Ruan Jianwei seemed determined to make sure everyone nearby heard him, raising his voice even louder.
“Jianwei, did Huo Tingyuan come to your house today? Isn’t he Nianzhi’s fiancé? Why would he enter Xining’s room?” An older woman watching the commotion from the doorway could not help asking.
“Sis, did Huo Tingyuan bully you? If he did, just tell Dad. Dad definitely won’t let him off,” Ruan Nianzhi said with red-rimmed eyes, feigning concern.
“Could it be that the brother-in-law took a liking to his sister-in-law, and the two of them got together?” someone in the crowd shouted.
The crowd immediately erupted into discussion.
“That’s possible. Xining has been a beauty since she was little. There probably isn’t a prettier girl for dozens of miles around here. It isn’t strange that the young man who came from the countryside would take a liking to her. But isn’t Xining already dating Little Su? Did the two of them break up?”
Although Ruan Xining and Ruan Nianzhi were sisters, their appearances were worlds apart.
Ruan Nianzhi took after Ruan Jianwei’s side of the family. She was petite and pretty enough, but compared with Ruan Xining, there was a considerable difference.
Ruan Xining was strikingly beautiful, with a pair of alluring peach blossom eyes that seemed capable of captivating the soul. Her natural charm made her look like a true temptress, so it was hardly surprising that a young man from the countryside would take an interest in her.
Listening to the surrounding gossip, Ruan Jianwei was secretly pleased. There was not a trace of sympathy in his eyes as he looked at Ruan Xining.
“Xining, hurry up and have your brother-in-law come out. If he really did bully you, Dad absolutely won’t let him off. And if you like your brother-in-law, at worst, your sister can give him to you.”
“That’s right, Sis. Whatever you want, I’m willing to give it to you,” Ruan Nianzhi said, putting on an understanding expression.
Ruan Xining sneered inwardly, then suddenly changed her tone. Her voice carried a sob as she said, “Dad, I don’t understand. I was simply sleeping in my room, so how did this turn into me seducing Nianzhi’s fiancé?
“A girl’s reputation is so important. As my family, how could you and Nianzhi accuse me of something like this?
“Could it be that the two of you actually want me to end up with Huo Tingyuan?”
Her almond-shaped eyes glistened with tears, and tears streamed down her cheeks, making her look pitiful and utterly heartbreaking.
If pretending to be pitiful and well behaved was all it took, then who said she could not do the same?
“I know my sister doesn’t like Huo Tingyuan because he comes from the countryside. She has told Mom more than once that she wants to break off the engagement.
“But even if you don’t want to marry him, you can’t accuse me of something like this. Sob, sob…
“You’re my biological sister. If you truly don’t want to marry him, you could have just told me. I would have been willing to marry him in your place, but you can’t scheme against my reputation like this.”
Ruan Xining was already beautiful, and once she began to cry, she looked even more delicate and pitiful.
“I knew Xining couldn’t possibly give up such a good match as Zhixu and go seduce her younger sister’s fiancé. So it turns out Nianzhi doesn’t want to marry him and deliberately framed her own sister. Who would have thought? That girl always looks so well behaved, but she certainly has quite a few tricks up her sleeve.”
The mood among the crowd instantly shifted.
“No, that’s not it! I saw Huo Tingyuan enter your room with my own eyes,” Ruan Nianzhi said, her face turning pale. She could not understand why things had not developed according to her plan.
“Enough, Nianzhi. Your father and you searched your sister’s room for so long just now. Did you find even a single person inside? If you really don’t want to marry Little Huo, then just cancel the engagement.”
Wen Yunru’s eyes were filled with both anger and disappointment.
Unlike the others, she knew that Nianzhi did not want to marry Huo Tingyuan. Her daughter had told her more than once that she wanted to break off the engagement. Wen Yunru herself had never been optimistic about the marriage either. She could not understand why her father had arranged a marriage for his granddaughter with someone from such a distant rural area.
But even if Nianzhi was unwilling to marry him, she could not use such a despicable method to slander Xining.
Hearing this, Ruan Nianzhi clenched her teeth tightly and suppressed her fury.
As expected, she was not her biological daughter. That wretched woman was always biased. Ever since they were children, she had believed everything Ruan Xining said.
If that damned old man had been willing to let her break off the engagement, why would she have needed to take such a risk and drug Ruan Xining?
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Su Zhixu standing among the crowd. He was wearing a white Dacron shirt and glasses, looking as refined as a gentleman.
Ruan Nianzhi’s eyes immediately lit up.
She lunged at Ruan Xining and frantically reached for her collar.
She had planned this for so long, all for this very day. Once Ruan Xining’s reputation was ruined, Brother Zhixu would finally realize who was truly the most suitable woman for him.
“Xining, watch out!”
Wen Yunru was startled and immediately moved to shield her daughter.
Ruan Xining was also caught completely off guard by Ruan Nianzhi’s sudden outburst. Instinctively, she took a step backward.
Just as Ruan Nianzhi’s hand was about to grab her collar, a tall figure suddenly rushed into the scene.
Huo Tingyuan’s dark eyes were as cold as a thin layer of ice. His posture was straight and imposing, and in an instant, he swept forward and appeared right in front of them.
His large, well-defined hand shot out and firmly seized Ruan Nianzhi’s wrist. His strength was restrained yet impossible to resist.
“Huo Tingyuan is right here! Look, everyone! He must have slipped out while no one was paying attention.”