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

When Si Yuan returned home, she learned from Si Qingwan that Xiang Mingche's mother, Wang Congrong, wanted to see Si Yuan.

Send Si Yuan to the Xiang family.

When Wang Congrong was mentioned, Si Yuan's feelings were somewhat complicated.

After she met Xiang Mingche, Wang Congrong treated her very well.

Sometimes, things that Si Qingwan couldn't get, such as affectionate hugs and generous praise, Wang Congrong would do for her.

Now that things have come to this point between her and Xiang Mingche, she doesn't know how to face Wang Congrong.

But there's no use running away from this; we still have to face it.

"Understood, Mother."

"Yes, Mrs. Xiang likes you very much. When you see her, you should mention your marriage to Mingche. We need to set a wedding date as soon as possible so I can feel at ease."

Si Yuan's eyes flickered slightly; her mother probably didn't know about Xiang Mingche and Si Yingying's affair.

If I tell her, will she take my side?

"Understood, Mother."

That evening, Si Yingying was overjoyed to learn that Wang Congrong had also invited her when she got home.

She immediately went back to her room to try on clothes, trying to figure out which outfit would leave a good impression on Wang Congrong.

The next day.

The Xiang family's driver came to pick up the two.

Si Yingying wore a white Chanel-style suit, and her hair and makeup were specially styled by a professional stylist, making her look intellectual and elegant.

Si Yuan was wearing a white wool sweater, a plaid belted straight dress, a white wool coat, and a fine cashmere scarf. Standing there, she looked like a celebrity.

The golden pearl earrings added a touch of vibrancy and sophistication, making her appear less aloof.

Along the way, compared to Si Yuan's heavy mood, Si Yingying seemed very happy and nervous, and would take out a mirror from time to time to see where she still needed to tidy up.

She looked like an ugly daughter-in-law about to meet her in-laws.

Having not visited the Xiang family for some time, Si Yuan stood at the entrance of the Xiang family home, looking at the ginkgo tree at the gate whose leaves had almost all fallen off, and felt as if she had been in another world.

"Ah Yuan, you like ginkgo trees, so I'll plant one in front of my house. In the summer, you can enjoy the shade under the tree, and in the autumn, I can make bouquets for you with ginkgo leaves."

Si Yuan saw Xiang Mingche at seventeen, wearing a white T-shirt and casual trousers, looking so sunny and warm.

She was fifteen years old at the time.

Together, the two placed the ginkgo tree in the pit, filled it with soil, and watered it.

Seven years later, the ginkgo tree has grown up, but their relationship, like the ginkgo tree in winter, has withered away.

Taking a deep breath, Si Yuan entered the Xiang family home.

The Xiang family hadn't changed much since she last visited; familiar faces could be seen everywhere.

"Ah Yuan... Yingying, you've come..."

Wang Congrong came out to greet her. Si Yuan looked at the smiling and gentle Wang Congrong and subconsciously went over to hug her.

Si Yingying was even faster, rushing over to affectionately grasp Wang Congrong's hand. "Aunt Wang, I've long heard Brother Mingche say that he has a gentle and beautiful mother. Seeing her today, she is indeed extraordinary."

Wang Congrong looked at Si Yingying and smiled slightly, "Yingying is as beautiful, poised, and eloquent as the rumors say."

Si Yingying winked playfully, "I'm telling the truth, right, sister..."

Si Yuan smiled and nodded. "Mm."

Wang Congrong took Si Yuan's hand and pulled the two of them into the room.

The servants had already prepared tea and snacks. After Wang Congrong invited the two to sit down, she noticed Si Yingying looking around the house with curiosity and couldn't help but compare her to Si Yuan.

One conclusion can be drawn: she is not as good as A Yuan.

Wang Congrong sighed, looked at Si Yuan, and thought, "What a pity..."

"Ah Yuan, what have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you in a long time, I miss you so much."

Seeing Wang Congrong holding her hand, Si Yuan felt a painful tug at her heartstrings.

Si Yingying was very unhappy to see that Wang Congrong cared about Si Yuan but not about her.

She interrupted Si Yuan to answer first, "My sister went through a lot of bad things recently. She finally recovered, but now she's busy with her thesis. Aunt Wang, please don't blame my sister."

Wang Congrong frowned slightly, her complexion not looking good.

Logically speaking, Si Yingying has been in the Si family for almost half a year, and Si Qingwan should have taught her a lot of manners.

How could you be so rude?

Si Yuan was also speechless. Si Yingying was too eager to show off in front of Wang Congrong, which backfired.

"How could I blame A-Yuan? A-Yuan is like my daughter; I cherish her dearly."

Wang Congrong's words made Si Yuan feel even more upset, while Si Yingying became even more jealous.

"I heard about what happened a while ago, Ah Yuan, you've suffered."

Si Yuan shook her head. "It's all in the past."

"I heard it was Ninth Master Bo who saved you?"

Hearing Bo Yusen's name from Wang Congrong's mouth, Si Yuan felt a strange sensation.

She nodded. "Yes, Li Jiale did something bad to Master Bo's niece before. Master Bo has been keeping an eye on Li Jiale to protect his niece, which is why I was lucky enough to be saved by him."

"Sigh... I still feel scared thinking about it..." Wang Congrong patted Si Yuan's hand, "Luckily you're alright."

Si Yingying sat to the side, her teeth almost grinding to powder.

What's wrong with Wang Congrong? She's the real daughter of the Si family, and Si Yuan is just an imposter.

Not only did she not blame Si Yuan, and never thought of making Si Yuan and Xiang Mingche break off their engagement, she was even so good to Si Yuan, while ignoring herself.

Humph--

If they dislike her so much, wait until she marries Brother Mingche, and see how she deals with her.

"Aunt Wang, this is a gift I specially picked out for you. I hope you like it."

Si Yingying learned from Xiang Mingche that Wang Congrong liked perfume, so she went to the store and bought a bottle of perfume that was specially made for wealthy women.

When Wang Congrong saw that it was an orange-scented perfume, a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, but she smiled and said, "Thank you, Yingying, I like it very much."

"This smells wonderful..."

Si Yingying opened the perfume and sprayed it twice at Wang Congrong.

"Cough cough..."

Wang Congrong felt uncomfortable from the citrus scent of the perfume and coughed a few times while covering her nose.

"Aunt Wang, are you alright?"

Seeing this, Si Yingying looked at Wang Congrong anxiously and nervously.

Wang Congrong waved her hand, "I'm fine..."

Si Yuan was so disgusted by Si Yingying's stupidity that she almost cried.

She immediately took the perfume bottle from Si Yingying's hand and whispered to her, "Aunt Wang doesn't like orange-scented perfumes."

"What?"

Si Yingying's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, Aunt Wang, I didn't know you didn't like orange-scented perfumes."

At this moment, Xiang Mingche returned.

Upon smelling a citrus scent in the house, Xiang Mingche frowned. "Where is this citrus scent coming from?"

When Si Yingying saw Xiang Mingche, it was as if she had found a backer. "Brother Mingche, didn't you say that Aunt Wang likes the smell of perfume? I bought a bottle of orange-scented perfume, but I didn't expect Aunt Wang to feel so uncomfortable."

Fearing that Wang Congrong would be unhappy, Si Yingying immediately shifted all the blame onto Xiang Mingche.

Last night, Si Yingying called Xiang Mingche, but Xiang Mingche was extremely busy.

He mentioned that Wang Congrong liked perfume, and then hung up the phone.

Unexpectedly, there are so many different perfume scents, and Si Yingying unfortunately made a mistake by buying the citrus scent that Wang Congrong hates the most.

Xiang Mingche immediately understood and smiled to defuse the situation, "It's my fault... I didn't explain clearly..."

Wang Congrong's face was as bad as it could possibly be. "I'm going back to my room first. A-Yuan, stay with me for a bit."

Si Yuan nodded, and as she was helping Wang Congrong upstairs, Xiang Mingche called out to her.

"Ah Yuan..."

Si Yuan turned to look at him.

Xiang Mingche seemed to have a thousand words to say, but after Si Yingying called out "Brother Mingche" with a hint of jealousy.

In the end, he only said one sentence: "I'm leaving my mother in your care."