Miss Si's feigned innocence went too far, and the aloof Mr. Bo was easily swayed.

After the surgery, Si Yuan went to the mall, bought a set of clothes, changed into them, and returned to the Si family home.

Because she hadn't come home all night, when she walked into the living room—

Mrs. Si, dressed in a black cheongsam, sat on the sofa, her face as gloomy as if her husband had died.

Xiang Mingche was sitting on the sofa opposite.

After what happened last night, seeing him again caused Si Yuan's heart to ache terribly.

She and Xiang Mingche were childhood sweethearts. Xiang Mingche was always there for her, whether she was happiest or saddest.

She was very dependent on him and felt that he was the one for her in this life.

To everyone's surprise, what he wanted more than her was the Si family.

Deliberately ignoring the dull pain in her chest, she looked at Si Qingwan, "Mom..."

Si Qingwan stared coldly at Si Yuan, "Where did you go last night?"

Si Yuan calmly replied, "Xingzhu is drunk and insists that I go keep her company."

Xiang Mingche stood up and walked to Si Yuan, taking her hand with concern. "Since you went to be with Shen Xingzhu, why didn't you answer your phone?"

Even though she already knew his true colors, Si Yuan still couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

It must be admitted that Xiang Mingche's acting skills are very good.

For so many years, she has been deceived by his deep affection.

She casually withdrew her hand. "My phone died."

Xiang Mingche smiled gently, "I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried about you because you didn't come home all night and didn't answer your phone."

Xiang Mingche emphasized the words "didn't go home all night."

Si Yuan's heart sank slightly, and sure enough, the next second...

Si Qingwan's face darkened. She turned to look at the woman beside her. "Shu Qing."

He Shuqing nodded, and after a short while, a screen opened up the living room, and He Shuqing walked up to Si Yuan.

"Miss A-Yuan, please come with me."

Si Yuan seemed to have anticipated what they were going to do, and walked in with her fists clenched.

Si Yuan allowed the maid to help her take off her clothes, and mechanically lay on the bed, letting He Shuqing examine her body.

Looking out through the screen, one can see the figures of Xiang Mingche and Si Qingwan.

She bit down on the soft flesh inside her lip and closed her eyes tightly.

She must remember that the humiliation she suffered today was inflicted upon her by Xiang Mingche.

A few minutes felt like an eternity to Si Yuan.

After it ended.

The servants helped Si Yuan put on her clothes. He Shuqing walked around the screen to Si Qingwan's side and spoke respectfully.

"Madam, Miss A Yuan is still a virgin."

He Shuqing is the teacher who teaches the women of the Si family how to serve men. She has been in the Si family for more than 20 years, and Si Qingwan trusts her very much.

Upon hearing this, Si Qingwan nodded in satisfaction and looked at Xiang Mingche with a sense of relief.

Xiang Mingche's expression was somewhat complicated.

How could this happen?

Li Jiale has coveted A Yuan for many years and will not let her go.

How could she still be a virgin?

If one didn't know how ignorant, conservative, and stubborn Si Qingwan was...

Xiang Mingche even suspected that Si Qingwan might be deliberately protecting Si Yuan to save face for the Si family.

Is it...

In order to save her first time for him, Ah Yuan escaped from that good-for-nothing Li Jiale and went to the hospital.

Thinking of this, Xiang Mingche felt a secret joy in his heart.

Ah Yuan is wonderful, excellent in every way, and he naturally likes her very much. From the first time he saw her as a child, he wanted to marry her.

But more than his wife, he wanted power. Only by marrying the true daughter of the Si family could he bring the entire Si family under his control.

She can only blame her bad luck; she wasn't the true daughter of the Si family.

At worst, he can marry Si Yingying and gain control of the Si family, then make A Yuan his woman.

Ah Yuan loves her so much, she definitely won't refuse.

The phone suddenly rang; it was Li Jiale calling.

Xiang Mingche's eyes flickered slightly. He glanced behind the screen and said to Si Qingwan, "Madam, A-Yuan took care of Shen Xingzhu all night and looks very tired. Let her rest well. I will come to see her again when I have time."

Si Qingwan: "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Xiang."

When Si Yuan came out from behind the screen, Xiang Mingche had already left.

She thought the matter was over, but to her surprise, Si Qingwan had no intention of letting her off the hook.

"Someone, bring 'Shuijian' up here."

Upon hearing this, Si Yuan's expression changed.

"Shui Jian" is a method used by the Si family to punish disobedient daughters.

It's basically just putting ice cubes into a rectangular wooden bucket and having people stand in it barefoot.

Such punishment leaves no visible wounds, yet inflicts immense torment and pain.

"One hour."

Si Yuan took a deep breath and stepped into the wooden tub. In an instant, the cold started from her feet and spread throughout her body.

"Do you know why you're being punished?"

Si Yuan endured it with difficulty, her pale face devoid of any expression.

He didn't come home all night.

"Anything else?"

"We shouldn't let Mingche worry."

"wrong!"

Si Qingwan stood up and slowly walked to Si Yuan.

"As a woman of the Si family, the most important thing is to consider the Si family's reputation. You didn't come home all night and didn't answer Young Master Xiang's calls, which led him to come to the Si family to confront you—"

"Fortunately, you didn't make a big mistake, otherwise you would have lost face for the Si family, and the consequences would have been something you couldn't have afforded."

The chill gradually spread to her chest. Si Yuan gently admitted her mistake, "I know I was wrong. Thank you for your teachings, Mother."

"Mother--"

Si Yingying ran down from the second floor, lifting her skirt, and Si Qingwan's originally serious face instantly lit up with a smile.

As Si Yingying nestled into her arms, she affectionately patted her head. "Have you been sleeping well these past two days?"

"It's wonderful. My home smells like my mother's. I'm so happy to be back with my mother again."

Si Yuan watched the two of them quietly. From childhood to adulthood, Si Qingwan had always been strict with her. In her memory, Si Qingwan seemed to have never smiled.

Not to mention touching her head like this.

Sure enough, your own children are different.

"Mom, I just heard you say that Young Master Xiang, is Brother Mingche here?"

Si Yingying searched the living room but did not see Xiang Mingche.

"Yes, he's already gone."

"Oh, they're leaving already..."

Si Yingying was a little disappointed. If she had known that Brother Mingche was coming, she wouldn't have slept in.

Seeing Si Yuan standing in the wooden tub, Si Yingying walked over curiously: "Mom, what is my sister doing? Is she cooling herself down?"

"Your sister made a mistake and is being punished."

"ah."

Si Yingying seemed startled. "If I make a mistake in the future, will you punish me like this?"

"Yes, so you must listen and not make mistakes."

Si Yingying buried her head in Si Qingwan's arms, "Yes, I listen to my mother the most."

Si Qingwan took the bird's nest from the maid and said, "Here, eat the bird's nest and nourish yourself properly."

"Thank you, Mom."

Si Yingying ate her bird's nest soup, glancing sideways at Si Yuan, who was standing motionless on the ice.

Si Yuan has a face that makes people feel unique and independent. Her skin is so white that it glows, her figure is tall and her back is straight. She has a good temperament and is beautiful.

Even though she was pale and looked terrible because of the punishment, she was still so beautiful that it made people jealous.

Thinking about how Si Yuan had been a wealthy heiress for over twenty years while he himself was dealing with a bunch of uncultured country bumpkins in that remote and impoverished place every day, he was furious.

If it weren't for that damned old couple swapping them, she would be prettier and more elegant than Si Yuan.

"Mom, it's so pitiful for my sister to be standing there like that. Why don't you just let her go?"

Si Qingwan: "Family rules cannot be broken, but since Yingying has pleaded for mercy—"

Si Qingwan gave Si Yuan a cool look and said, "Then go and kneel in the ancestral hall."

Upon hearing this, Si Yingying started plotting something. "Mom, isn't my sister a member of the Si family? Wouldn't it be inappropriate for her to kneel in the ancestral hall?"