Chapter 290: Forcing the Unwilling, Giving No Face

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Forcing the Unwilling, Giving No Face

Wang Liwen smiled. "How could this be an extravagance? It’s the least I could do."

Tang Ying looked at Han Xiaorui. "Ms. Han, congratulations. Aunt Wang came all the way from Beijing just to see you. Aren’t you going to invite her inside to sit down?"

Han Xiaorui nodded. "Please, come in. However, I may only have half an hour, as my ship has returned to port and I have business to attend to. Please forgive me if my hospitality is lacking."

Tang Ying frowned. "Ms. Han, Aunt Wang is your elder. Isn’t it rude of you to act this way?"

"Xiao Ying, don’t speak out of turn. Xiao Han is busy with work. It was presumptuous of me to visit unannounced, and for that, I am very sorry. Since this is our first time meeting, there might be some misunderstandings. I was hoping to use this visit to explain things to you."

Han Xiaorui smiled. "There are no misunderstandings. Everything is fine."

Han Xiaorui led them inside, and they all took their seats.

Wu Yao poured them tea, then left to attend to her duties.

The atmosphere was a little strange, and a bit awkward.

Wang Liwen smiled. "I am Ye Feng’s stepmother. There’s been a misunderstanding between us, and I’ve never found the right opportunity to talk to him about it. If you could, please pass a message to him for me. Beijing will always be his home, and he’s welcome to return anytime."

Han Xiaorui nodded. "Okay."

Wang Liwen then asked, "And your two children?"

Han Xiaorui replied, "They’ve gone to school."

Wang Liwen thought for a moment and said, "When you have time, bring the children to Beijing for a visit. I’ll host you all."

"Thank you!" Han Xiaorui couldn’t figure out what Wang Liwen was really thinking, so she answered with the briefest possible replies.

’Ye Feng’s mother is no longer in Beijing, so it’s not his home anymore.’ Han Xiaorui had no expectations for that place; instead, she cherished the Xus all the more.

Han Xiaorui hoped to uncover Wang Liwen’s true intentions as quickly as possible.

Seeing Han Xiaorui remain composed and calm, neither obsequious nor arrogant, Wang Liwen was the one who began to feel a little awkward. She took a sip of her tea, using the movement to shoot Tang Ying a meaningful look.

Tang Ying had come today to act as Wang Liwen’s mouthpiece.

"Ms. Han, the Ye Family has considerable connections in Beijing. Holding the engagement in Shencheng and the wedding in Beijing would be beneficial for both you and Ye Feng."

Han Xiaorui was surprised, but she just smiled. "Thank you for the kind thought, but my home is here, and so are my friends and family. I don’t plan on settling anywhere else in the future, so getting engaged and married in Shencheng is more suitable."

Tang Ying smiled and added, "As the old saying goes, ’All pursuits are lowly, only scholarship is noble.’ With the Ye Family’s connections in Beijing, you could operate without obstruction anywhere in the country. It would make doing business much easier."

Han Xiaorui smiled. "The government here in Shencheng has already shifted its mindset to better serve private enterprises. The policies aren’t as favorable in other places. This is my home, and this is the place I know. Thank you for your kind intentions, Aunt Wang, but Ye Feng and I have no plans to move anywhere else."

Seeing that she couldn’t tempt Han Xiaorui, Tang Ying glanced at Wang Liwen, her eyes asking if she should continue pressing the matter.

Wang Liwen set down her cup and said, "The truth is, there’s a misunderstanding between Ye Feng and me. He’s always believed that I stole his father from him and took his mother’s place. But the situation back then was dire. We had no choice but to do what we did."

"Because Ye Feng misunderstands me, his relationship with his father has also been strained all these years. I feel incredibly guilty about it. I originally wanted to take the opportunity of his marriage to come and clear the air, but his father said he didn’t want me to attend your engagement."

"I’ve been his stepmother for so many years, yet now I don’t even have the right to attend my own stepson’s engagement. It’s a huge loss of face for me in Beijing, and it also affects the Ye Family’s reputation. Some people are even making a big deal out of it, claiming the Ye and Xu Families are on bad terms."

"Now, Xiao Han, you’re about to become part of the Ye Family, and you’ll have to face many things in the future. I hope you’ll consider the bigger picture and persuade Ye Feng to prioritize family harmony. Don’t let us become a laughingstock for others to exploit."

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui finally understood.

If Wang Liwen had come just to give a welcoming gift, perhaps Han Xiaorui would have thought more highly of her for not having any ulterior motives.

But Wang Liwen was clearly not that kind of person. Even after Ye Feng and the Xu family had made their stance clear, she was still trying to force the issue.

Perhaps from Wang Liwen’s perspective, she felt it was undignified to be treated this way by her stepson.

But from the Xu family’s point of view, their daughter’s premature death, which separated them forever, was already a source of immense grief. They had no desire to see the woman who had swooped in and taken their daughter’s place so soon after she passed away.

From Han Xiaorui’s perspective, no matter how good a person Wang Liwen was, it had little to do with her.

She was engaged to Ye Feng, not Wang Liwen’s son.

She was closer to the Xus, so naturally, she felt more aligned with them.

"Ms. Wang, I’m very sorry, but I cannot grant your request." Han Xiaorui refused her outright. "Ye Feng has told me about his family situation before. After you and Uncle Ye remarried back then, he went to join the army."

"To be honest, while you may be his stepmother in name, there’s no real emotional bond between you. Ye Feng might have been upset that his father remarried so quickly, but he holds no prejudice against you, nor does he resent you."

"The last time Uncle Ye visited, he and his son had a frank and open conversation about many things, including the hidden circumstances behind his remarriage to you, Ms. Wang. When Ye Feng learned that Ye Ling is not the biological child of you and Uncle Ye, he was able to let everything go."

"As for not wanting you at the engagement, that’s out of consideration for the two elders of the Xu family. They are getting on in years, and they lost their daughter in their old age. For white-haired parents to bury their black-haired child... it’s a worldly tragedy. Ms. Wang, I hope you can understand."

When Wang Liwen heard this, she was instantly dumbfounded.

She... she never imagined that Ye Feng would have revealed all the secrets from back then, including the fact that she was pregnant before marriage—and that the child wasn’t even his father’s!

Tang Ying was stunned. She hadn’t expected to hear such a private matter about Mrs. Ye on this visit.

Wang Liwen quickly came up with an excuse. "How is that possible? Ye Ling and Ye Chen are both members of the Ye Family! That Ye Feng is really something else, trying to appease the Xus by making a joke of my reputation."

Tang Ying was half-convinced, half-skeptical.

Han Xiaorui was starting to get annoyed. She had laid everything out so clearly, but Wang Liwen was still trying to argue her way out of it. It was simply dishonest.

’Perhaps at first, Wang Liwen married Ye Feng’s father for the sake of reputation. But after she and he became a real couple, she started getting other ideas.’

"What’s real can’t be fake, and what’s fake can’t be real. Blood types can be tested, and there’s also a method from overseas that can determine parentage."

"Ms. Wang, I understand your position, but I can’t help you, and I don’t think you should force the issue. Hua Country is a big place. You’re in Beijing, we’re in Shencheng, a thousand miles apart. It’s best if we just live our own lives in peace."

Wang Liwen sucked in a sharp breath. ’How could I have forgotten something so important?’

’What a miscalculation. I came here only to be humiliated.’

"I’m sorry to have disturbed you." Wang Liwen stood up. With her secrets exposed to her face by Han Xiaorui, it was obvious she could no longer use her status as a stepmother or the Ye Family’s name to ask for help.

Han Xiaorui gave a small laugh. "It’s no disturbance at all. In fact, thank you for the welcoming gift, Ms. Wang. When I visit Beijing in the future, I will also be sure to express my goodwill. I hope you won’t refuse it then."

"Of course!" Wang Liwen forced a smile, said her goodbyes, and left.

Tang Ying followed close behind. Just before leaving, she turned her head to look back at Han Xiaorui, her gaze full of meaning.