Fu Hua frowned. "Xining, are you sure Xiaonan is still in contact with her now?"
Cheng Xining nodded. "Auntie Fu, she definitely has contact with Brother Nan. With such a strong backer like him, she wouldn’t give up so easily. Without Brother Nan, even if she got accepted into this school, she wouldn’t have the money to attend."
Shen Mianmian was becoming more and more beautiful, and she was growing up as well. Since Brother Nan treated her so well, to prevent anything from happening between them, it was essential to involve Fu Hua.
Seeing that Fu Hua didn’t look too pleased, Ruan Lingyu added, "Xiaonan probably supported her because she felt pity for her and because she’s a child who loves to study. Xiaonan is a child with his own mind; there might be something we don’t know about."
How could auntie speak up for a stranger?
Cheng Xining was somewhat unhappy inside and deliberately made the situation sound more serious. "Brother Nan was simply fooled by her appearance. I went to Licheng twice and saw her both times. She just stays at Brother Nan’s place and won’t leave, clinging to him to rent her a place right across from his house. She was only sixteen or seventeen at that time, and she was already so scheming. Now, it goes without saying."
"What? You never mentioned this before?" This time Ruan Lingyu frowned. Her thinking was rather traditional; she thought it inappropriate for a young girl to cling to an older man, and it didn’t sound good no matter where it was discussed.
Besides, her niece liked He Nan, and it seemed inevitable that the two families would become related by marriage. Such an incident was indeed not good.
"I was worried about making you anxious, and Brother Yiqian didn’t let me speak rashly," Cheng Xining said with some grievance.
Before, she had never taken Shen Mianmian seriously, but after seeing her in Beijing this time, she suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.
Hearing this, Fu Hua had lost the mood for shopping, so she said, "Xining, accompany your aunt for a bit of shopping. This place is conveniently close to Xiaonan’s company. It’s been a long time since I last saw him, and I think I’ll drop by to see him."
"Of course, Auntie Fu." Knowing that Fu Hua was going to talk about this matter, Cheng Xining felt a bit of joy inside.
Uncle He had passed away a long time ago, and He Nan was brought up by Fu Hua and Grandpa He. He had always been filial, so surely if Auntie Fu stepped in, Brother Nan would listen.
"First get things clear before taking action. Xiaonan is a sensible kid; have a good talk with him," Ruan Lingyu urged worriedly, fearing the mother and son would get upset with each other.
Fu Hua nodded and turned to leave the mall.
As soon as Fu Hua left, Ruan Lingyu began to question Cheng Xining. "Xining, tell me the truth, how much of what you just said was real?"
"Auntie, you still suspect that I’m lying?" Cheng Xining stomped her foot in frustration. "I admit, because I like Brother Nan, I don’t like Shen Mianmian. But everything I said is true. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Brother Yiqian when we get home. He knows all about it."
Shen Mianmian was an orphan with no money after all. She dressed so nicely; it must all be Brother Nan’s money.
Seeing she didn’t appear to be lying, Ruan Lingyu let out a sigh of relief. "Xining, I know you like Xiaonan, but it seems that Xiaonan doesn’t think of you that way. You..."
"I won’t give up," Cheng Xining interrupted her. "Auntie, marrying Brother Nan has been my dream since I was little. If my cousin hadn’t gone missing, or if she had been found, I would willingly step aside for her, but not for anyone else." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
At the mention of the lost daughter, Ruan Lingyu’s eyes reddened. "Xining, over the years, I’ve regarded you as my own daughter. Even if we find your cousin one day, I won’t let her compete with you."