"Ying'er... Ying'er..."

Zhu Qianying, who went straight to bed after returning home, vaguely heard her mother's voice in her drowsy state.

So annoying!

Why can't you even leave yourself alone in your dreams?

I'm her daughter, not her savior. Can you please stop bothering her with all these trivial matters?!

The incessant chatter persistently reached Zhu Qianying's ears, "Ying'er... wake up!" This time, her mother's voice was accompanied by the sound of knocking on the door.

Zhu Qianying finally regained some clarity; it wasn't a dream after all.

"Mom, I'm not hungry, you guys eat, don't worry about me!" Zhu Qianying assumed her mother had come to call her for dinner.

"No, Ying'er, Mr. Yan, Mrs. Yan, and Young Master Yan have arrived and are now sitting in the living room."

Startled by the sudden news, Zhu Qianying jumped out of bed, her aching body throbbing with pain as she strained.

"Mom, what did you say?"

Zhu Qianying thought she was just confused from sleep and had misheard.

"The Yan family of three is sitting in the living room. Hurry up and wash up, then come down and greet them. Your father hasn't returned yet."

Chen Jing's voice was clearly filled with panic.

It's not entirely her fault. She's always been timid and fearful, and even after more than twenty years, she still hasn't learned how to deal with the Zhu family's concubines. Besides, the three members of the Yan family each have a strong presence; it would be strange if she didn't panic.

After quickly washing up, Zhu Qianying changed into a light blue casual top and capri pants before going downstairs.

Hello, Uncle and Aunt!

After greeting Yan Bo and Madam Yan with a smile, Zhu Qianying was pulled over by Madam Yan, who gestured for her to sit down next to her.

Yan Shao, who was originally sitting next to Old Madam Yan, was forced to move and sit next to Zhu Qianying.

Only then did Zhu Qianying have time to look at the wall clock, whose hands were pointing exactly to two o'clock.

So, she slept all morning after she came back?

"Are you alright?" Yan Shao suddenly asked, despite being deliberately ignored by Zhu Qianying.

Zhu Qianying turned her gaze away and smiled slightly at him. In front of others, she naturally had to be more amiable towards him.

"It's nothing, what could possibly be wrong with me?"

What are you doing here at my house in the middle of the day? A surprise inspection? Or do you suddenly feel that I, the fifth young lady of the Zhu family born to your concubine, am not good enough for you, Young Master Yan?

Despite having a bellyful of questions, Zhu Qianying maintained a hospitable demeanor and got up to serve some tea to the two elders of the Yan family.

When Madam Yan heard her son ask that question, she stared intently at Zhu Qianying and scrutinized her closely.

"Ying'er, are you feeling unwell? You look so pale." He reached out and took her hand, patting the back of it.

Sitting opposite Zhu Shaofen, whether she was greeting guests or watching the commotion, she interrupted Zhu Qianying before she could answer.

"Don't worry, Madam Yan. I can't say anything else about Ying'er, but her health is top-notch. She eats a lot and sleeps well."

Zhu Qianying raised her eyelids and gave Zhu Shaofen a cold look. Just as she was about to retort, Old Madam Yan patted the back of her hand, signaling her to keep quiet.

Then, she slowly and deliberately said to Zhu Shaofen, "Ying'er is certainly in good health. With a mother like A-Jing who is an excellent cook taking care of her, of course she's healthy. However, judging from what Madam Zhu is saying, are all your children in poor health? Or are they eating poorly and sleeping poorly?"

Upon hearing these words from Madam Yan, Zhu Shaofen's expression immediately changed.

She, the wife of a man married through proper channels, was used to being arrogant and domineering both at home and outside. She had never heard such direct ridicule before.

But right now she didn’t dare to say a word of no, because the other party was not only the wife of the Yan family, but also the old head of the Tong family. How could Zhu Shaofen afford to offend such a person?

"Hehe, Madam Yan is absolutely right. Jing's cooking skills are truly excellent. She has made all of us Zhu family members plump and healthy."

She dared not offend Madam Yan, but could she not vent her resentment on Chen Jing?

This time, before Madam Yan could speak, Zhu Qianying said, "Auntie, you're really overestimating my mother. It's as if the Zhu family would starve to death without my mother."

Zhu Shaofen's face darkened further as she frowned and stared at Zhu Qianying. "Ying'er, how can you speak like that?"

Normally, Zhu Shaofen would have already started cursing, but this time, out of consideration for the Yan family of three, she didn't dare to be too outrageous, though her tone was full of questioning and dissatisfaction.

"Madam Yan, my Ying'er is too young and sometimes speaks without thinking. Please forgive her." After questioning Zhu Qianying, Zhu Shaofen put on the face of a matriarch and apologized to Old Madam Yan.

How could Madam Yan possibly care about her superficial skills?

“Madam Zhu, I think Ying’er is right. In the Zhu family, Jing is of the same status as you, right? She serves Ying’er because she is Ying’er’s mother. It doesn’t make sense for her to serve you! Does this mean that the Zhu family can’t even afford a cook and needs Madam Zhu to cook for them? If this gets out, won’t Mr. Zhu lose face?”

Madam Yan's words were like an invisible slap across Zhu Shaofen's face.

Zhu Qianying finally understood that Madam Yan's words of support for her were not just empty promises, but a concrete action to back her up.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved.

However, in front of so many people, even if she was moved, she couldn't show it. So she just used her fingers to tickle Old Madam Yan's palm while her hand was being held.

Madam Yan winked at her, then said to Chen Jing, "Jing, we all know that it wasn't easy for you to raise Ying'er, but Old Yan and I really like Ying'er. So, we've taken the liberty of coming to your door today to humbly request that you agree to Ying'er's marriage to my son, Xiao Han."

When Madam Yan said this, not only Chen Jing and Zhu Shaofen, but even Zhu Qianying were startled.

Originally, Zhu Qianying should have been happy. After all, she had gone through so much trouble to participate in the selection process, all so that she could marry Young Master Yan and allow her and her two daughters to escape the misery of the Zhu family.

What should have been a cold and indifferent transaction was made full of human warmth by Madam Yan's righteous actions.

A sense of guilt suddenly welled up in Zhu Qianying's heart.

It didn't matter to her and Yan Shao how far things went, because they both knew it was a transaction.

But Madam Yan was different; she seemed to have other expectations for herself.

Zhu Qianying felt unworthy of such expectations and affection.

"aunt……"

Zhu Qianying opened her mouth to say something, but was hurriedly interrupted by Old Madam Yan, who had been staring at her.

“Ying’er, your aunt knows you’ve been wronged, and she also knows this is very abrupt. Marriage is such a big event, and Xiao Han should have proposed to you first, but Lao Yan and I couldn’t wait, so we took the liberty of coming to propose.”