Chapter 161

Fu Zhiqing was so jealous that her eyes turned red.

Her palms slowly tightened, and her beautiful eyes stared at the bracelet on Ruan Liuzheng's wrist, her eyes dark as ink.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to suppress the jealousy in her heart, and said with a little dissatisfaction, "Grandma! Ruan Liuzheng is a fickle bitch, how can you recognize her so easily!"

Fu Zhiqing was emotional, "And she is just a bitch from the slums, what qualifications does she have to enter the Xie family, don't you worry that she will disgrace the Xie family in the future?"

She looked at Ruan Liuzheng with disdain and coldness, and her originally sweet voice sounded extremely vicious at this moment.

If it was anyone else, Fu Zhiqing would certainly not object like this, but that person was Ruan Liuzheng.

A woman who had been stepped on by her, she simply could not bear to see Ruan Liuzheng stand in a position more noble than her. She

simply could not tolerate herself being inferior to Ruan Liuzheng.

Fu Zhiqing's eyes flickered, her clenched palms trembling faintly. Her face was tense, a hint of anger etched in it.

There was even a hint of viciousness in it, making her look ferocious and terrifying.

Zeng Shuwan was the person closest to Fu Zhiqing, and the first to sense the shift in her aura.

Her brows furrowed slightly, "Zhiqing! One's birth isn't determined by oneself. A noble son was born from a humble family. How can you, based solely on your feelings, tarnish someone's reputation without any reason?" Zeng Shuwan

's expression grew solemn. She pursed her lips, her gaze deep. "Let alone the fact that Liu Zheng is your uncle's wife today, even if she were just an ordinary visitor to the Xie family, she would still be a guest of the Xie family."

"People are not divided by status. Your wealth and prosperity today is the result of the hard work your ancestors have fought for you."

She sighed softly, looking at Fu Zhiqing's face, which resembled Xie Qingshu's, but she couldn't bring herself to lecture her.

She closed her eyes and spoke earnestly, "If you weren't born into a wealthy family, if you were facing Liu Zheng's current situation, are you sure you could do better than Liu Zheng?"

Fu Zhiqing caught Fu Yanci's eye and belatedly realized what she had just done.

Facing Zeng Shuwan's not-so-stern lecture, she slowly trailed off.

It wasn't that she'd realized her mistake, but rather that today was her and Fu Yanci's first time at the Xie family, and she had to make a good impression on Zeng Shuwan. She absolutely couldn't act like a spoiled brat again, otherwise…

Fu Zhiqing pursed her lips. She gently raised her eyes to glance at the silent Fu Yanci, her brows furrowing in a knot.

Although she didn't understand why Fu Yanci chose to endure, he was the brother she had respected since childhood.

Fu Yanci had always been intelligent, and he had his reasons.

Fu Zhiqing's heart sank, and her clenched fists suddenly loosened. She nodded, but the jealousy in her eyes didn't dissipate in the slightest.

She curled her lips and feigned sweetness, saying, "Grandma, I'm sorry. Zhiqing was just too worried about you and my uncle. But Zhiqing trusts Grandma's judgment. I won't be so reckless again."

Zeng Shuwan smiled with relief. She raised her hand and gently stroked Fu Zhiqing's long, smooth hair, her eyes flickering.

After all, this was her daughter's only bloodline; she had no choice but to trust.

Zeng Shuwan's compromise, however, didn't satisfy Xie Qingcen. He wasn't a sick cat, nor was he a weakling.

Before he met Ruan Liuzheng, he could let Fu Zhiqing spin the truth as she pleased, knowing it had nothing to do with him.

He could have simply stayed out of it.

But unfortunately, he met Ruan Liuzheng, and Fu Zhiqing was actually harming Ruan Liuzheng's interests.

Now, he couldn't remain indifferent.

Ruan Liuzheng seemed to sense something, and she frowned. Her eyes, slightly deep, glanced at Xie Qingcen, and she shook her head slightly.

She didn't approve of Xie Qingcen speaking out. If Fu Zhiqing and Fu Yanci held an average position in Zeng Shuwan's heart, she would never have stopped them.

But the truth was, Fu Yanci and Fu Zhiqing clearly held a significant place in Zeng Shuwan's heart.

She didn't want Xie Qingcen to cause any unnecessary family strife over her.

There were plenty of opportunities to teach Fu Yanci and Fu Zhiqing a lesson; there was no need to dwell on this moment. Xie Qingcen was still Zeng Shuwan's biological son, after all. No mother would want to see her son go against her will for a woman.

Besides…

Ruan Liuzheng pursed her lips, her cold, almond-shaped eyes gazing intently at Zeng Shuwan, a hint of sadness flickering in their depths.

She was destined to never experience the warmth of family again, so how could she possibly destroy Xie Qingcen's?

…

Xie Qingcen looked at Ruan Liuzheng, whose mood was clearly off. His heart darkened, and his grip on her slowly tightened.

If he obeyed, if he watched Ruan Liuzheng ignored and slandered right under his nose, then he wouldn't be Xie Qingcen anymore.

Xie Qingcen slightly curled his lips, and a soothing look flashed in his dark eyes.

He crossed his legs and spoke slowly, "Do you agree with what you said? And, there's someone else you should apologize to, right?"

His eyes were deep, and the corners of his thin lips seemed to be smiling, but his attitude was unusually strong.

Ruan Liuzheng still couldn't stop Xie Qingcen. She sat beside Xie Qingcen, and a hint of helplessness flashed across her beautiful eyebrows.

But she wisely kept silent. She was Xie Qingcen's wife, and now that her husband was standing up for her, how could she be so ungrateful as to undermine her husband's efforts?

Moreover, all her kindness was to avoid destroying the mother-son relationship between Xie Qingcen and Zeng Shuwan, and not wanting them to become enemies.

But since Xie Qingcen didn't care, why should she think too much about it.

After Ruan Liuzheng figured it out, she raised her head slightly, and a hint of chill passed through her cold almond eyes.

Her face returned to its usual coldness.

Elsewhere, Fu Zhiqing, who had thought she'd escaped unscathed and was about to flirt with Zeng Shuwan, attempting to beg for something, froze at the news.

She glanced at Xie Qingcen, whose expression was stern, then slowly lowered her eyes, unconsciously tightening her grip on Zeng Shuwan.

She was acutely aware of her current supporter.

Fu Zhiqing bit her lip, her eyes slightly red. "Grandma..."

She gently shook Zeng Shuwan's arm, her head lowered, revealing only a shaggy crown. She looked remarkably aggrieved.

She wisely chose not to confront Xie Qingcen directly.

Everyone present knew what Fu Zhiqing had done; she hadn't hidden it from anyone.

Zeng Shuwan stared silently at the little girl beside her, her eyes vacant. She seemed transported back to those afternoons when Xie Qingcen was little.

Whenever she made a mistake, she'd hide by her side, whispering for protection.

...