The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Qi Lingling paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, I'll go back after my parents return safely."

"No!!!"

Qi Weiwei shook her head, her tone resolute, her eyes filled with fervor.

"Don't go back! Stay here, stay here forever, don't go back! Promise me! You must promise me, okay?!"

Qi Lingling looked at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "Weiwei, you..."

Qi Weiwei suddenly reached out and grabbed her second sister's arm, then—rolled up her sleeve!

The action was quick and sudden.

Qi Lingling tried to dodge, but couldn't.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his battered arms underneath.

The purplish-blue bruises, a mix of old and new.

Some have faded to a yellowish-brown; others are still very fresh and are a deep purple.

There were also several scabbed wounds, as if they had been cut by some sharp weapon.

The room fell silent instantly.

Everyone stared at the arm, stunned.

Qi Chun Chun was the first to react. He jumped up, his eyes wide: "Second Sister, what... what happened? Chef Tang attacked you?!"

Qi Maomao also stood up, her face flushed red: "He dared to hit you?! I'll kill him!"

Qi Lingling hurriedly pulled down her sleeve to cover the wound.

She lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "It's because my second sister has bad luck... bad luck..."

"What do you mean by bad luck?!" Qi Maomao roared. "It's Tang Yuzhu who's inhuman! Second sister, how long has he been beating you? Why didn't you tell us?!"

Qi Lingling just cried and didn't say anything.

Qi Weiwei looked at her, her eyes also reddening. She walked up to her second sister, squatted down, and gently took her hand.

"Second sister," her voice was soft but firm, "that letter... I didn't write it."

Qi Lingling suddenly raised her head, her eyes widening.

"What...what letter?" Qi Chun Chun asked in confusion.

Qi Weiwei looked into her second sister's eyes and said, word by word, "The letter that Tang Tiantian and Tang Aijun took to find you, the one that advised you not to report to the police and to marry Tang Yuzhu—it wasn't written by me."

The room fell silent again.

Everyone was looking at Qi Weiwei.

Qi Zhuangzhuang: "What letter? Why report it to the police?"

Qi Lingling's lips trembled, her voice shaking: "But...but the handwriting..."

"Handwriting can be imitated," Qi Weiwei said. "I used to help Tang Aijun copy materials often, and I could imitate his handwriting. As someone who practices calligraphy, it would be even easier for him to imitate my handwriting."

She paused, then continued, "Second sister, I'm sorry... Tang Aijun only let it slip recently, and that's how I found out."

She couldn't continue speaking, and tears fell from her eyes.

Qi Lingling stared at her blankly for a very long time.

Suddenly, she burst into tears and threw herself into Qi Weiwei's arms.

"Weiwei... even if you wrote that letter, your second sister wouldn't blame you..." She sobbed uncontrollably, "Weiwei, your second sister has never blamed you... your second sister just... just hates her own miserable fate..."

The two sisters hugged each other and wept bitterly.

Qi Chun Chun and Qi Maomao stood to the side, their eyes also red.

Qi Lingling finally broke down in tears and told the whole story.

The courtyard fell silent.

Everyone finally understood—why Second Sister was so obsessed with marrying that country cook.

My second sister has had a harder life than they could have imagined.

Grandpa sat in the chair, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

His face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with anger and heartache.

Grandma came over, hugged both her granddaughters, and tears streamed down her face.

"My children... my two children... they have both suffered..."

Dandan and Qianqian also came out of the inner room and saw their mother and second aunt hugging and crying. They were at a loss.

Sisi walked over to Qi Weiwei and gently tugged at her sleeve: "Mommy, don't cry..."

Qi Weiwei wiped away her tears, hugged Qianqian, and then pulled Dandan over.

"Second sister," she looked at Qi Lingling, her tone firm, "from now on, don't go back. Stay here with Grandpa and Grandma. If Tang Yuzhu dares to come, the men of our Qi family aren't all dead yet."

Qi Chun Chun immediately said, "That's right! Second Sister, you'll stay here! Let's see if Tang Yuzhu dares to come!"

Qi Maomao also said, "If he dares to come, I'll break his legs!"

Grandpa coughed once, and the room fell silent.

"Lingling," Grandpa looked at his second granddaughter with heartache in his eyes, "you can stay here. Don't be afraid, with Grandpa here, no one will dare to bully you."

Qi Lingling nodded through her tears.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Qi Xing and Qi Yang returned carrying a bunch of oil paper packages, all filled with steaming hot buns.

"Great-Grandpa, the steamed buns are back..." Qi Xing stopped mid-sentence, noticing the strange atmosphere in the room.

Qi Yang noticed it too and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Grandpa waved his hand: "It's alright. Put the buns down, and you take your sisters to the inner room to eat."

Qi Xing and Qi Yang nodded obediently and led Dan Dan and Qian Qian into the inner room.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Grandpa sighed and looked at Qi Weiwei: "Weiwei, the most important thing right now is to get your parents out. The Tang family... won't let this go."

Qi Weiwei nodded: "I know. Grandpa, I've thought it through. We'll wait for Brother Heping to come back and see how things go. If we can get Mom and Dad out first, that would be best. If not..."

Her eyes turned cold: "I'll confront Tang Qu directly."

"A showdown?" Qi Chun Chun frowned. "Weiwei, what cards do you have in your hand?"

Qi Weiwei said softly, "That guarantee. The guarantee that Tang Aijun wrote to Tang Tiantian. It admitted to their adultery, and also indirectly admitted that Yaozong and Yaozu were their illegitimate children, and admitted that they switched my child."

"This letter," Qi Weiwei patted the spot where the guarantee was placed, "is irrefutable evidence. If it's made public, Tang Aijun and Tang Tiantian are both finished. Tang Qu will have to think twice before trying to protect his son."

Grandpa pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Weiwei, you're thinking too simply. A man like Tang Qu would do anything to protect his son. He might just destroy your guarantee and then turn around and accuse you of fabricating evidence to slander his son."

Qi Weiwei had considered this possibility: "I won't bring anything with me; I'll return it to Wang Dong. It's best to let this matter come out from within the military. He's a soldier, and breaking up a military marriage is a serious crime. No matter how powerful the Tang family is, they wouldn't dare to go head-to-head with the military."

Grandpa's eyes lit up: "Wang Dong found out? What did he say?"

"He agreed to cooperate with me," Qi Weiwei said. "Once my parents are released, I'll talk to him again, and he'll report this to the military."

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

With the military involved, things became much easier.

"But," Grandpa was still worried, "Weiwei, it's too dangerous for you to be taking care of two children right now. What if the Tang family acts desperately..."