She paused, as if organizing her thoughts, "But after your uncle arranged for her to marry abroad, the marriage was not smooth. She had a child, left him with her foreign husband abroad, and came back on her own... Her personality changed a bit. She became sharp-tongued and had many boyfriends, but she was unable to remarry."
Ning Yuan recalled Ning Manfei's exquisite yet mean face, and the undisguised resentment in her eyes when she looked at her.
She narrowed her big eyes: "Ning Manfei's hostility towards me is really strange. Her marriage is unhappy, but it wasn't my fault. Why is she picking on me? I didn't steal her man."
Madam Ning gracefully put down her teacup, her exquisite makeup unable to conceal a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
She was silent for a moment before saying cryptically, "Bing'an grew up with Manfei, and Manfei values Bing'an very much."
"Value it?" Ning Yuan scoffed.
"She values the son of a mistress who caused her mother's divorce? To put it bluntly, Ning Bing'an's very existence is an insult to her mother. What kind of logic is Ning Manfei using? Is she the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary?"
Madam Ning sighed and rubbed her temples: "My dear daughter, the grudges of adults have nothing to do with children. Manfei was alone at home all day back then, while Man'an, who was several years older than her, was already in high school and living at school."
“She lives alone, and your uncle is busy and rarely has time for her. Only Bing’an was brought back, and the two of them grew up together. Although Bing’an came from a poor background, he was really good to Manfei. He even saved her once when she was little, and the two siblings became very close, even closer than biological siblings.”
Ning Yuan's heart stirred; she had a gut feeling that Madam Ning the Second wouldn't bring these things up for no reason.
She put down the snack in her hand and asked casually, "Mom, do you think... Ning Manfei might like Ning Bing'an? They're not related by blood..."
Madam Ning paused on the other end of the phone: "I didn't say that, you child..."
“If that’s really the case,” Ning Yuan interrupted her, “then Ning Manfei’s hostility towards me makes perfect sense. My father wants me to marry Ning Bing’an, which means he’s stealing her sweetheart!”
Madam Ning coughed lightly: "You mustn't say anything to outsiders, Manfei and Bing'an... they are siblings..."
"Siblings who are not related by blood, this kind of forbidden love is not uncommon in wealthy families, is it?" Ning Yuan corrected meaningfully.
She recalled the scandalous news in some gossip magazines from her past life, and she was already seven or eight parts certain in her heart.
Madam Ning had originally intended to offer Ning Yuan a word of advice, but seeing that Ning Yuan understood immediately, she sighed.
“In wealthy families, some things are open secrets, and everyone turns a blind eye and pretends not to know. But there are indeed not many people who know about this matter. This was partly the reason why your uncle sent Manfei to marry into a powerful family.”
Who would have thought that after all these years, Manfei's obsession would still remain?
Ning Yuan toyed with the pen in her hand, twirling it into a flower shape between her fingertips: "What about Ning Bing'an? Does he also like his sister who isn't related to him by blood?"
"This..." Madam Ning paused—
“I’m not quite sure either. Bing’an has been quiet and reserved since he was little, and no one can figure out what he’s thinking. Your uncle protected him very well, and a few years ago he even sent him to the United States, supposedly for further studies, but who knows…”
Ning Yuan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I knew it! I'm destined to be plagued by men! I'm always inexplicably dragged down by these messy men and bad romantic entanglements!"
"Alright, my dear girl, you go ahead with your work. I'll keep an eye on Manfei for you, so she doesn't cause any trouble." Madam Ning shook her head helplessly, her tone tinged with affection.
Ning Yuan looked out the window and said seriously, "Mom, you have to keep an eye on this for me. This batch of goods is no ordinary stuff. If anything goes wrong, we'll be in deep trouble."
Madam Ning thought for a moment and said, "Although Manfei is a bit spoiled, she is still quite sensible. At the last banquet, someone deliberately provoked her to make trouble with you, and she immediately retorted. In the end, the interests of the Ning family are the most important, and she knows that."
Ning Yuan narrowed her eyes: "Mom, do you remember when I told you about Ning Bing'an coming into my room one night and asking me if I would like to marry him?"
She paused, then said coldly, "If Ning Manfei finds out about this, it's hard to say whether she can still maintain her 'properties.' But if she causes trouble, I'll skin her alive!"
"This child, Bing'an..." Madam Ning hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
She finally sighed, "Fine, I'll keep a close eye on Manfei's movements. You be careful too, don't let her find any leverage against you."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Yuan rubbed her aching lower back: "What kind of mess is this! Men are all trouble, especially handsome men!"
She trusted her mother's methods, but...
She turned to Ah Heng and said, "Help me make an appointment with Ning Bing'an. Tell him I need to talk to him."
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