Chapter 150 A Big Misunderstanding

"Mom, don't stand there, sit down and eat. Don't just keep talking. The dumplings smell delicious, they're piping hot. They won't taste good when they're cold. Try one and see if the saltiness is to your liking."

Song Yazhi and Fang Wanyu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with anger and helplessness.

Halfway through the meal, Fang Wanyu suddenly feigned concern.

“Sister Wanyin, I saw... on the street yesterday, I ran into that boss from Hong Kong. He was wearing a smart suit, glasses, and was tall. He spoke politely and seemed like a worldly person.”

"Yeah?"

Qiao Wanyin raised her head, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Sister Wanyu, you've fallen for her? Look at you, your eyes are practically sparkling. Could it be that you're starting to succumb to romantic feelings?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Fang Wanyu immediately frowned, her cheeks flushing red.

"How could I possibly be interested in someone like that! I'm not after his money or his background. I was just mentioning it casually, and you're already making things up about me?"

"Then why do you keep bringing him up?"

Qiao Wanyin slowly picked up a dumpling and blew on it to cool it down.

"Outsiders might think you're interested in him, talking about him every day, describing every detail, even remembering what brand of shoes he wears? That doesn't seem like an ordinary passerby, does it?"

Song Yazhi suddenly glared at her and turned to Fang Wanyu.

"Wanyu, you saw Wanyin meeting with a man at the teahouse yesterday. What do you have to say about that? Didn't you say it to my face? You said she was behaving intimately and suspiciously? Now you're making excuses for her?"

Qiao Wanyin slowly put down her chopsticks, her eyes clear yet shockingly cold.

"Sister Wanyu, did you really see me?"

"certainly."

Fang Wanyu's eyes darted away, instinctively avoiding Qiao Wanyin's gaze.

"It's in a private room on the second floor of Shengli Teahouse, by the window. I took a second look, so it shouldn't be wrong."

"That's strange."

Qiao Wanyin slowly took out a red work ID card and slammed it on the table.

“The day before yesterday, I spent the entire day at the mutual aid center for training, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The attendance record, the training list, and the presence of more than 30 women all prove that I never left. As for ‘yesterday’ you’re talking about? I also participated in community volunteer activities yesterday, and the whole thing was recorded on video. Do you want to check it?”

Fang Wanyu's face froze instantly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Well... I might have mistaken you for someone else. Your back view looked like yours, and I couldn't see your face clearly... It was just a misunderstanding."

"You misread it?"

Qiao Wanyin's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undisguised question.

"You described it so clearly just now, even the location was right, you even mentioned 'second-floor private room' and 'window seat' in detail, how could you have made a mistake? You even remember the back view so clearly, your eyes are really sharp."

She turned to look at Song Yazhi, her tone calm yet imposing.

"Mom, you heard that too, right? She was absolutely certain it was me, right in front of you, every word she said was so firm. Now she's denying it. Does she think I'm easy to bully, or does she think you're deaf and blind?"

"Alright!"

Song Yazhi slammed her hand on the table and glared sternly at Qiao Wanyin.

"Say less! Wanyu is just worried about you, that's why she asked a few more questions. Do you have to be so angry?"

"You're worried about me, so you have to make up lies and say I met with someone in private?"

Qiao Wanyin sneered, "Which of her words are true? Doesn't she know in her own heart? I don't care for this kind of 'concern,' and I don't need it."

The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly turned cold, as if the air had frozen.

Just as they were at an impasse, the door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang.

Fu Lian walked in, enveloped in the cold wind. The dew from the night still clung to his epaulets, gleaming faintly under the lamplight.

When Song Yazhi saw that it was her son returning, the gloom on her face instantly disappeared.

"Li An is finally back! Come on, come on, sit down and try the dumplings Wan Yu made, the chive filling, you used to love this flavor the most."

Fang Wanyu had already deftly ladled out a bowl of steaming dumplings, a gentle smile on her face.

“Brother Li An, I added extra dried shrimp because I know you like that fresh and savory flavor. Eat it while it’s hot.”

Fu Li'an didn't take the bowl, but walked straight to Qiao Wanyin's side.

He leaned close to her ear, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible to the two of them: "Didn't you say you don't eat chive fillings? They'll upset your stomach. Why are you still eating them?"

Qiao Wanyin's eyes curved into a smile, and a playful arc appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh dear, Mom and Wanyu have been busy all day, I have to cooperate, right? I can't exactly flip the table in front of them, can I?"

Fu Li'an frowned almost imperceptibly, then turned to look at his mother.

"Mom, Qingqing gets a stomachache from eating chives. Don't make chive-filled dumplings anymore. Try some other fillings instead."

Upon hearing this, Song Yazhi's anger flared up instantly.

"What...what did you say?! Wanyu and I spent the whole afternoon making these, kneading the dough, rolling out the wrappers, and filling them. Our fingers are aching from exhaustion, and you just dismiss us with a single sentence? So all our work was for nothing?"

Fang Wanyu felt a pang of sadness, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

She hadn't expected that Fu Li'an would always protect Qiao Wanyin at the first opportunity, as if she were the one who had been wronged by the whole world.

But she still had a gentle smile on her face.

“Brother Li An, Auntie has been busy all day and her back is so sore. You shouldn’t say things that make her sad.”

She paused, her tone gentle yet unyielding: "Besides, when we were wrapping the vegetables, Sister Wanyin didn't say she didn't eat chives, so how can you blame Auntie? We're all trying to make you happy, why fuss over such a small thing?"

Fu Li'an frowned slightly, but his tone remained calm.

"I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just reminding you. I need to take care of Qingqing's health."

Seeing her son so protective of his wife, Song Yazhi felt as if a stone was pressing on her chest.

"I think you've lost your mind!"

Song Yazhi was so angry that she trembled all over, pointing her finger fiercely at Fu Li'an.

"You'd abandon your own mother for a woman! Are you trying to drive me crazy? Huh? Tell me!"

Fang Wanyu immediately echoed softly.

“Brother Li An, who doesn’t make chive dumplings often? It’s not a rare thing. How were we supposed to know that Sister Wan Yin was so particular that she couldn’t even touch chives? It’s really… I never expected it to cause such a big misunderstanding.”

Just as Fu Li'an was about to speak in his defense, Qiao Wanyin gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Mom, calm down."

She stood up and reached for the plate of steaming dumplings.

"Li An is probably too tired today and isn't in good spirits. Let me reheat it for you; it might taste even better that way."

"You don't need to pretend to be kind here!"

Song Yazhi snatched the plate away abruptly, her movements so rough that she almost dropped the porcelain plate on the ground.

“My son used to love my dumplings. He could eat two bowls in one meal. But now? Now he has to watch your face even to eat a bite. Do you want me to kneel down and beg you before he'll eat?”

Just as Qiao Wanyin was about to explain, she suddenly felt a wave of nausea and vomiting.