Mr. Xiao, can I borrow your wedding invitation?

Chapter 27 Making insinuations
The old residence of the Xiao family.

"Madam, the flowers you cut are so beautiful! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a professional!"

The crystal vase was filled with pruned flower branches: pink roses, yellow daisies, and yellow sunflowers. The colors were vibrant and harmoniously arranged. Nothing particularly outstanding, just pretty. The flowers themselves were beautiful; there was absolutely no skill involved in the arrangement, yet...
The maid showered her with praise.

Chen Wanru chuckled, "What's the big deal? It's just something to pass the time!"

"How could that be? Madam is intelligent, kind-hearted, and skillful!"

"You're so sweet-talking!" Chen Wanru retorted.

The maid changed the subject, looking very expectant, "Once the young mistress enters the family, she will surely become even more outstanding under the madam's influence, and even more worthy of the young master!"

Mentioning Nan Wu, Chen Wanru's expression changed slightly. "She's all looks and no substance. It's enough that she can stay at home and take care of my husband and children!"

Chen Wanru never took a liking to Nan Wu, or rather, she never took a liking to the Nan family at all. Not to mention that they were from a poor family, and with Nan Dongxue's history of romantic escapades, what use was it for a girl from such a family to be beautiful?

As a wealthy and noble family, the first requirement for the Xiao family when looking for a daughter-in-law must be a strict family style and a clean family background. Look at the Nan family, it's a complete mess. If it weren't for Old Master Xiao speaking up, she would never agree to her son marrying such a woman.

"Madam, Miss Nan is stunningly beautiful and has an elegant demeanor. She's quite popular with men. I think the young master is quite fond of her!"

"Good with men?" Chen Wanru frowned and glanced at her.

The maid belatedly realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth in fright. "I'm sorry, Madam, I... I just heard it from other people. I... I won't say it again..."

Chen Wanru pressed for details, "What else did the others say?"

The maid bit her lip, struggling desperately, "This...I...Madam, please don't be angry if I tell you."

"Say!"

"They all say that Miss Nan has a messy private life, often goes to nightclubs, and some people have even seen her with her arm around strange men, she..."

"Enough! Stop talking!" With a bang, Chen Wanru threw the scissors on the table and interrupted with a dark face.

Just then, Xiao Jiayang came downstairs half-awake, his clothes crooked and his coat casually hanging on the wall.

"mom!"

"Jiayang, come here, Mom has something to ask you!" Chen Wanru waved everyone away.

The maid took out her phone and made a call as soon as she left the house. "Hello, Miss Jiang, I've done everything you asked me to do!"

On the other end of the phone,

Jiang Rourou pressed further, "What was your wife's expression like?"

"I was so angry that I was too scared to say another word!"

"Very good, I'll transfer your payment to you later!" Jiang Rourou put away her phone, a triumphant smile appearing in her eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong? I have a meeting at work!"

She hadn't noticed before, but as soon as Xiao Jiayang walked in, Chen Wanru saw him clearly and exclaimed in surprise, pointing at him, "What happened to your mouth?"

There was a red, swollen spot on his lower lip, with a trace of dried blood. Xiao Jiayang was a beat slow to react, feeling incredibly guilty. He immediately covered his mouth to avoid his mother's gaze, "I just... accidentally bumped it. What bad luck!"

As someone with experience, Chen Wanru saw through it all at a glance. She sighed helplessly and then scolded, "Jiayang, you're not a child anymore. Don't always act like a child and make your father and me worry about you. It's fine for you two to be affectionate, but there needs to be some restraint. How are people supposed to see you, the eldest son of the Xiao family, looking like this? Huh? Is a woman more important or your future? Remember, you can't let women lead you by the nose. You can't be the one enslaving them..."

"Alright, alright, I already said it was from an accident. Can you please stop making things up? Besides, I'm a human, not a Buddha. It's better to find a woman at home than to go out and have fun, right?"

Xiao Jiayang's impatient and self-righteous tone left Chen Wanru speechless for a moment.

Seeing that he was about to leave, she called out to him again, "Wait a minute!"

"There's something else I need to ask you. What are your true feelings for that Nan Wu? Let me be frank with you. I've heard that she's of questionable character in private, and I'm worried that she might negatively influence you in the future. Our Xiao family can't accept a woman like that. If you don't like her, we can still cancel the engagement!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiayang immediately retorted, "Don't listen to those people's gossip. I know what kind of person Xiao Wu is!"

Cancel the engagement?

What a joke! He hasn't even had a sip of soup, let alone any meat. Letting her go like this would be too easy for her.
Once he got his hands on her, he would chain her up at home like a dog and torture her in all sorts of ways, making her wish she were dead. That was what made it exciting.

"But……"

"Alright, alright, it's almost time, I need to hurry up and go!"

Chen Wanru opened her mouth, but her son was too stubborn to listen to reason. She sat on the sofa and took a breath. She decided to start with Nan Wu and subtly probe her.

Nan Wu had just finished lunch when she received an afternoon tea invitation from Chen Wanru.

She really didn't care to go to the Xiao family, but since her future mother-in-law had spoken, she had to give them face whether they wanted to or not. So, she went there dressed in her business attire.

The off-white silk shirt had two straps casually tied into a bow, hanging loosely at the neckline. Although the black skirt was below the knee and the cut was formal and professional, she still managed to exude a certain charm.

Today, Nan Wu wore her hair in a low bun at the back, with two wisps of hair framing her face. She wore no heavy makeup, just the right amount of naturalness, which, combined with her fox-like eyes, made her look both dignified and alluring.

There's no way to hide it; her charm comes from her very being.

Chen Wanru's gaze swept over Nan Wu several times. As a woman herself, she had to admit the charm Nan Wu exuded; her appearance was a perfect match for her son.

She physically accepts this future daughter-in-law, but psychologically rejects her.

The servant was right. With such a beautiful face, who knows what kind of romantic entanglements she might have gotten into outside?

At Chen Wanru's prompting, Nan Wu sat down properly.

The servants brought out tea and refreshments.

Chen Wanru first exchanged a few polite words, then got to the point, "Miss Nan, I'm not trying to be mean, but you come from a prestigious family, and your behavior reflects your upbringing. Do I, your future mother-in-law, have to tell you what you should and shouldn't do?"

These words were pointed at her, and Nan Wu's heart skipped a beat. She thought that her affair with Xiao Shen had been discovered before she had. She remained calm and asked, "Madam, what do you mean by that?"

Chen Wan gripped the cup lid, stirred the tea foam on top, and sneered, "You bit Jiayang's lips like that, and you still have the nerve to ask me? For a girl, excessive indulgence is harmful to her health. Jiayang is a man and couldn't control himself, so can't you either?"

After saying that, she gave Nan Wu a cool glance.

Just look at those fox-like eyes, they're so alluring. How can my son's body possibly withstand this?
(End of this chapter)