“Alright then. After all, there’s no overnight feud within a family. Tomorrow, Mom will cook a meal and call her back. We’ll sit together as a family and clear things up.”
Wen Rou forced out a smile.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Mrs. Wen stayed with her for a while longer. Only after Wen Rou’s emotions had stabilized did she stand up and leave.
The moment the door closed, the smile on Wen Rou’s face slowly disappeared.
She leaned against the bed, her eyes turning dark.
Wen Xiayue…
Why?
Why are you the real daughter, and I the fake one?
The person engaged to Qi Lanzhou was supposed to be me. Why is the one who married him you?
You’re not as good as me in anything, so why would Qi Lanzhou stand up for you and break Su Yan’s leg?
Su Yan.
She had originally been hesitating whether to agree to be with him.
She looked down on Su Yan’s illegitimate status, but the Su family’s status was still far beyond ordinary wealthy families—even an illegitimate son was a hundred times better than most rich heirs.
But now Su Yan had his leg broken.
By Wen Xiayue’s husband.
If she got together with Su Yan at this time, it would be the same as telling everyone that her man was inferior to Wen Xiayue’s man.
She couldn’t accept that.
Su Yan was already useless.
A crippled illegitimate son would never be allowed to inherit the Su family business.
The Su family had legitimate heirs—that was the real successor.
It seemed she would need to find a way to get close to the Su family’s heir instead.
……
That slap from Su Yan had been heavy.
Wen Xiayue’s skin was sensitive. Although the swelling had gone down, the red mark was still clearly visible.
She sat in front of the vanity table, looking at herself in the mirror, trying to cover the mark with concealer.
Qi Lanzhou appeared in the room at some point, standing behind her, casually taking the concealer from her hand.
“Who told you to cover it?” he asked.
“…I don’t want you to see it.”
“But I already have.”
Wen Xiayue paused, then looked up at him.
“I heard you beat Su Yan?”
She had learned about Qi Lanzhou’s actions from Ning Yao.
She found it surprising.
Wouldn’t there be trouble for the Su family if someone hit their heir like that?
After all, she had already pushed Su Yan off a ship in front of everyone, which was enough to make the Su family hate her.
And now Qi Lanzhou had broken his leg.
Wouldn’t this cause serious trouble?
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Qi Lanzhou frowned slightly.
“What? Feeling sorry for your little lover?”
“Who? Who is my little lover?” Wen Xiayue froze, then quickly reacted. “Qi Lanzhou, what nonsense are you talking about? Su Yan is not my lover. I have nothing to do with him.”
“Mm.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I actually know about the money you once spent on him.”
“…That’s my darkest history!” Wen Xiayue’s already red face grew even hotter. “I really have nothing to do with him. I won’t like him again. Believe me, okay?”
Qi Lanzhou looked at her, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Wen Xiayue grew anxious and muttered softly, “He’s not like you—you’re not exactly clean with women in your company either…”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” She quickly lowered her head.
Qi Lanzhou reached out and lifted her chin.
“Turn around.”
Forced to face him, she met his gaze.
Those eyes were deep, unfathomable.
His fingers gently brushed over the red mark on her face.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
Her heart softened slightly.
“It hurt when I was slapped, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Still, I threw those two people off the ship later. They were way more miserable than I was.”
“You’re even proud of it now?”
“Sorry… I caused you trouble.”
She knew she had acted impulsively.
“This isn’t trouble,” Qi Lanzhou said. “I’m your husband. Whether you’re wronged or cause trouble outside, I will stand up for you.”
“Outside, only you get to show others a cold face. No one else has the right to do that to you. Understand?”
This man, who always seemed cold, spoke with overwhelming dominance—but his gaze made her feel safe.
Once again, she felt the original owner had been blind.
Such an excellent man was discarded, yet she chased after Su Yan, that scumbag.
……
The next day.
Mrs. Wen arrived at the Qi residence, visibly furious.
She had messaged Wen Xiayue, asking her to come home for dinner, only to discover she had been blocked.
Unable to contact her, she had no choice but to come in person. Only to be told that Wen Xiayue was still asleep and she had to wait.
What kind of mother comes to invite her daughter home for dinner and has to wait?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She drank cup after cup of tea, barely holding back her temper.
But no matter how angry she was, she had to endure it.
This was the Qi family—the most powerful family in the capital. The Wen family couldn’t afford to offend them.
While she sat anxiously, footsteps came from the staircase. Thinking it was Wen Xiayue, she was about to speak sharply—but saw Qi Lanzhou instead.
Her expression immediately changed.
“Lanzhou!”
“What brings you here?” Qi Lanzhou asked lightly as he sat on the sofa opposite her.
Mrs. Wen forced a smile.
“I came to see Xiayue. She hasn’t been home in a long time. Her father and I miss her, so we wanted her to come back for a meal.”
Qi Lanzhou lowered his eyes and gave a faint smile.
“If you just want her to come home for dinner, a message would’ve been enough. Why come in person?”
Mrs. Wen felt awkward.
“This child has been upset with us and blocked me. I couldn’t reach her…”
“Oh?”
“I forgot—I was the one who told her to block you.”
“……”
Mrs. Wen’s smile completely froze.
She hadn’t expected Qi Lanzhou to say that.
“Wen Xiayue is your biological daughter, yet in your home she’s treated worse than an adopted daughter. If that’s the case, then you might as well cut ties.”
“Cut ties?” Mrs. Wen’s face turned pale. “How could that be? Xiayue is my daughter—my biological daughter! We can’t sever ties!”
Qi Lanzhou looked at her.
“When have you ever treated her like your biological daughter?”
“After she returned to the Wen family, her room was the maid’s room. Her food and clothes were leftovers from Wen Rou. Even her allowance was less than a maid’s salary.”
“If she hadn’t married me, she would’ve probably been tormented to death by now.”
“You favor Wen Rou and dislike your own daughter. In such a family, it’s better to cut ties. If you can’t raise her properly, I will.”
Mrs. Wen’s eyes widened, her vision going dark.
At that moment, Wen Xiayue came downstairs, wearing simple home clothes, her hair loose, eyes still sleepy.
She looked completely half-awake.
“Wang Ma, I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast today?”