Mrs. Shi was a woman who had weathered many storms; although she was ill and frail, her mind was not muddled. With just one sentence from Ling Yunshu, she immediately understood the whole situation.
"So, Che’er never agreed to it, did he?"
Ling Yunshu, feeling guilty towards Mrs. Shi, did not dare to look up at her and simply nodded silently, "I acted on my own."
Mrs. Shi’s expression immediately darkened. No wonder she always felt that Shi Che was particularly cold toward Ling Yunshu, not at all like someone about to be engaged. She thought it might just be a temporary adjustment, but she never expected it all to be a sham!
Mrs. Shi seemed to recall something, her gaze suddenly sharpened. She looked at Ling Yunshu and spoke sternly, "Isn’t Che’er in love with you? Why wouldn’t he want to get engaged to you?"
Everyone had seen how Shi Che used to treat Ling Yunshu; Shi Che, who was usually detached, was different with Ling Yunshu. Wasn’t that love?
Naturally, Ling Yunshu would not tell Mrs. Shi that Shi Che did not like her. Her eyelashes trembled lightly, and a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. Her voice, inevitably carrying a sobbing tone, said, "Madam, three years have passed, certain things can change, and moreover, Shi Che had a marriage of three years with Xiaxia. Humans are not plants; who can be heartless? Moreover... they once had a child together, I think... perhaps Che’ hasn’t moved on yet."
Ling Yunshu knew that Mrs. Shi’s greatest hatred now was for Ling Chuxia, and her greatest heartache was for that grandson. Strike the snake where it hurts—she knew exactly where to hit!
Sure enough, upon hearing her words, Mrs. Shi’s face rapidly flushed with anger. "What? Is Che’er still not planning to divorce Ling Chuxia? What is there to hold onto in such a woman?"
As she spoke, a wave of anger surged up in Mrs. Shi, heavily pressing on her chest, causing her face to turn even paler, and she started coughing heavily.
Ling Yunshu, frightened, immediately stood up from the ground and hurriedly reached out to support Mrs. Shi, "Madam, please don’t be angry. It was my mistake, I shouldn’t have brought this up at such a time. Please don’t be angry, look after your health!"
Ling Yunshu’s hand patted Mrs. Shi’s back gently, her face full of worry and urgency.
Mrs. Shi took deep breaths continuously, closed her eyes, and after a while, the coughing subsided. Her pale cheeks were tinged with an unusual flush, making her look even more feeble.
She leaned back against the headboard, her eyes betraying a storm of thoughts. It seemed she had truly underestimated Ling Chuxia’s position in Shi Che’s heart. Although it appeared Shi Che had no feelings for Ling Chuxia, she hadn’t realized how stubborn he was about the divorce.
No, she couldn’t allow Che’ to make the same mistake again.
"Yun Shu, don’t worry, I will never let Che’er mistreat you. Even if your engagement was fake, I’ll make it real!"
Ling Yunshu had been pretending for so long, seeking this very assurance from Mrs. Shi. As her words reached Ling Yunshu’s ears, her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes involuntarily brightened, but she knew she had to restrain her excitement at this moment.
Her hands clenched tightly, forcibly suppressing her inner thrill, yet her voice still betrayed a tremor, "Madam, do you mean... you really want me to get engaged to Shi Che?"