Yan Xi bit her lip, her eyes fixated on Fu Yan Ting and Shi Wen Wen.
"Sister-in-law, I've been looking for you everywhere. So you're here."
At some point, Fu Hao reappeared behind Yan Xi.
Fu Hao wasn't scary, but Fu Yan Ting was.
Yan Xi remembered how Fu Yan Ting had tormented her just moments ago, and she couldn't go through that again. Thus, the best course of action was to flee.
Without looking back, Yan Xi strode away quickly.
Fu Hao seemed to have anticipated Yan Xi's attempt to escape. The moment Yan Xi turned, Fu Hao abruptly grabbed her wrist.
Yan Xi frowned, turning to face Fu Hao, her eyes filled with anger and fear.
"Sister-in-law, why the rush to leave?" Fu Hao asked with a wicked grin, raising an eyebrow.
Yan Xi inwardly scoffed. Did Fu Hao really not know why she was in such a hurry to leave?
Yan Xi remained silent, but Fu Hao was unfazed. He casually said, "Sister-in-law, don't you also think Shi Wen Wen is very beautiful? She and my elder brother..."
Before Fu Hao could finish speaking, he saw Fu Yan Ting approaching. Frightened, Fu Hao quickly shut his mouth and fled.
Yan Xi didn't understand what Fu Hao had intended to say. However, the fact that he had brought up Shi Wen Wen and then fallen silent upon seeing Fu Yan Ting made Yan Xi certain that there was a connection between Fu Yan Ting and Shi Wen Wen.
But Yan Xi couldn't understand, didn't Fu Hao and Fu Yan Ting not get along?
Why did he stop speaking halfway through?
As Yan Xi was lost in thought, Fu Yan Ting walked up to her. Seeing her standing there motionless, and from her angle, she could clearly see Shi Wen Wen still standing in place.
Fu Yan Ting showed no sign of fluster at being caught red-handed. He spoke in a cold, distant tone, warning Yan Xi.
"What you saw today, not a single word is to be spoken."
Yan Xi desperately wanted to question him, to ask why. She was the young mistress of the Fu family, so why did she feel like a mistress, having to hide and sneak around in her own home?
Even if she saw Fu Yan Ting with another woman, she couldn't say anything.
"Unwilling?"
Fu Yan Ting looked at Yan Xi's defiant eyes and sneered.
Such an ungrateful woman.
So many women dreamed of becoming the young mistress of the Fu family. If it weren't for the time he pretended to be a vegetative state, and his grandmother, anxious for his well-being, had taken it upon herself to find him a wife, would Yan Xi really believe that with her looks and capabilities, she could have become the young mistress of the Fu family?
She was indeed unwilling, but Yan Xi thought of her critically ill younger brother lying in the hospital bed.
Yan Xi swallowed all her grievances and humiliation.
She had to secure her position as the young mistress of the Fu family and prioritize her brother's safety and well-being.
While Yan Xi was talking to Fu Yan Ting, Shi Wen Wen, in her sky-high heels, walked up to Fu Yan Ting. She gave him a faint smile and said softly, "Yan Ting, then it's settled. I'll come to your house tomorrow evening to see you."
After uttering these ambiguous words, Shi Wen Wen nodded to Yan Xi and turned to leave.
Yan Xi watched Shi Wen Wen's retreating back, her brow furrowing.
Shi Wen Wen should know her identity.
Yet, she could greet her so politely. Had she been mistaken?
Was the relationship between Shi Wen Wen and Fu Yan Ting not what she imagined?
Or was Shi Wen Wen a master manipulator, a "high-level green tea," deliberately acting as if she didn't care?
Regardless of the possibility, Yan Xi knew she couldn't be used by her and had to clarify her relationship with Fu Yan Ting.
One couldn't blame Yan Xi for being suspicious. Having grown up in the Yan family, constantly engaged in a battle of wits with Yan Xiao and Kong Ya Lan, Yan Xi's edges had been worn smooth, and she trusted no one.
As the banquet neared its end, Mu Qing Xiang, holding Fu Yan Ting and Yan Xi's hands, slowly walked onto the stage.
Smiling warmly, she introduced Yan Xi's identity to the outside world.
It was Yan Xi's first time attending such an event as the young mistress of the Fu family, and she still felt a bit uneasy.
Yan Xi didn't notice that in a corner of the audience, Yan Xiao clenched her fists tightly, her face contorted with a ferocious expression.
She looked at Kong Ya Lan and roared indignantly, "Mom, look! I'm the one who was supposed to be engaged to Fu Yan Ting, and now this little slut has gotten everything."
"Darling, don't be like that. So many people are watching."
Kong Ya Lan quietly admonished her.
"What can I do? Others might not know, but don't you know, Mom? I was engaged to Yan Ting. If Fu Yan Ting hadn't been in a vegetative state before, I would be the one standing next to him now. I am the young mistress of the Fu family."
"Keep your voice down. Don't let anyone else hear that."
As Kong Ya Lan spoke, she pulled Yan Xiao into a corner.
However, Yan Xiao's gaze never wavered, remaining locked onto Yan Xi.
If looks could kill, Yan Xi would have been utterly annihilated by now.
"Old Madam Fu despises women who are promiscuous. And Fu Yan Ting is a very filial child. As long as you visit Old Madam Fu often to chat and keep her company, and I arrange for someone to deal with that wretched Yan Xi, do you think her position as the young mistress of the Fu family can remain secure?"
Hearing Kong Ya Lan's words, Yan Xiao seemed to regain some reason. She shifted her gaze from Yan Xi to Kong Ya Lan and asked softly, "Mom, what are you waiting for? Hurry and arrange it."
"Silly child, why the rush? Haste makes waste."
Seeing Yan Xi standing beside Fu Yan Ting as the young mistress of the Fu family made Yan Xiao uncomfortable. However, thinking of Kong Ya Lan's words, Yan Xiao forced herself to suppress her feelings.
Since Mu Qing Xiang had an early bedtime, the banquet concluded shortly after it began.
Even though the banquet had ended, the news of Fu Yan Ting's awakening had reached everyone's ears.
However, Fu Yan Ting's recovery had indeed surprised the public, given the severity of his previous injuries which had left him in a vegetative state.
Meanwhile, the directors of Fu Corporation, who outwardly pledged loyalty to Fu Yan Ting, had secretly begun aligning themselves with Fu Yan Ting's second uncle, Fu Wen Hai.
Now that Fu Yan Ting had awakened, these directors were starting to feel uneasy.
They were even strategizing ways to salvage the situation.
As the young mistress of the Fu family, Yan Xi was deeply favored by the Old Madam. Furthermore, she was a young lady from the Yan family. This led the directors to shift their focus to the Yan family.
Perhaps, by seeking the Yan family's help, the Fu family would grant them face.
After the banquet, Kong Ya Lan was surrounded by these directors. Yan Xiao gave Kong Ya Lan a look and then headed towards Mu Qing Xiang's room.
Upon returning to her room, Mu Qing Xiang was about to close the door when she heard someone calling from outside, "Wait a moment."