Enemies Meet on Narrow Roads

Over the past few days, Tang Miannian hadn't seen Long Yejue's shadow, which made sense. After all, he was her husband, and it was only natural that he'd want to keep her for himself, both logically and emotionally. But now, when she actively brought up going shopping, it threw her off.

"Stop wasting words, let's go!" Tang Miannian said, feeling free as a bird out of its cage, enjoying her new-found freedom.

Fu Ranran, affected by her cheerful mood, grabbed her bag and said, "Alright, let's go, madam! But I'm making it clear now—when we eat, you're paying!"

"Madam…" Tang Miannian was caught off guard. "Fine, I'll pay! Consider it treating my godson to a meal."

"Tch, what if it's a daughter instead?"

"Then it's the same," she said with a laugh.

The two women left the building and headed straight to the mall.

Tang Miannian had initially only wanted to get some fresh air, but since she needed to buy a gift for Long Yejue, she symbolically started looking for something. Yet, she had no idea what to get him. He was so wealthy, so extravagant, and the heir to the wealthiest family in Jiang City—he must have everything.

It seemed like the only way to impress him was with something unique.

But "unique" was the hardest thing to choose.

As she pondered, Fu Ranran, full of enthusiasm, was busy picking out baby items. "How about this?" she asked, holding up a newborn baby outfit. "It feels so soft and comfortable."

"It does feel nice," Tang Miannian said, agreeing after touching it herself.

"Good eye, ladies! This is one of our best-sellers," a saleswoman chimed in.

"Then we'll take it," Fu Ranran said with a decisive nod, picking out several colors.

Tang Miannian immediately reached for her wallet, intending to pay.

"Hey, what's this? Did I say you could buy this?" Fu Ranran grabbed her arm. "Don't think just because you're a madam, I'll give in. I'm not giving in."

Tang Miannian was speechless.

Fu Ranran was always so outspoken, and by now, she was used to it.

Just then, a mocking voice interrupted their conversation, "Oh? Who's this? Tang Miannian? Am I seeing things? This is a baby store, right?"

Tang Miannian immediately felt a surge of irritation upon hearing that voice.

Fu Ranran's expression also darkened as she turned to glare at the person who spoke—Yan Youlan.

Behind her stood two middle-aged women. When Tang Miannian spotted Zhu Wenyi, her heart tightened with unease.

Qin Siyue, linking arms with Yan Youlan, gave a sneering smile. "What a coincidence. You're buying baby clothes too? I really wonder if some people have ulterior motives. Are they still clinging to our Shijie, or is this just a coincidence?"

Zhu Wenyi, who had originally been indifferent and hadn't planned to greet Tang Miannian, now wore a darker expression.

Tang Miannian didn't want to say anything because of Zhu Wenyi's presence, but Yan Youlan was clearly trying to provoke her, taunting her with every word. "Mom, you don't know, but back in school, Tang Miannian just wouldn't let go of Shijie. She did all sorts of despicable things. This behavior now? It's already restrained."

Fu Ranran had been waiting to see just how shameless Yan Youlan could be, and she wasn't disappointed. Her lips curled into a cold smile. "Who's really shameless here? You stole someone else's boyfriend, slept with him, and now you're here acting all righteous? Yan Youlan, don't you have any shame?"

Yan Youlan didn't expect Fu Ranran to respond so harshly, and her face turned pale with fury. "Fu Ranran, you better show some respect when you speak to me!"

"Respect? Hah, respect is for people, not animals," Fu Ranran replied sharply.

Yan Youlan's body trembled with anger. She pointed at Fu Ranran and yelled, "You're slandering me!"

"Slandering? Want me to bring Su Shijie over to confront you?" Fu Ranran wasn't afraid of her.

Tang Miannian, worried about things escalating, quickly pulled on Fu Ranran's arm, not wanting to make a scene, especially with Zhu Wenyi here—after all, she was Long Yejue's mother.

If this led to Su Shijie being dragged into it, it would bring up past relationships and ruin her image further.

But Fu Ranran was as stubborn as ever. Once she got riled up, even ten oxen couldn't pull her back.

Yan Youlan, who had originally been the guilty party, became nervous when Fu Ranran mentioned bringing Su Shijie into this. Still, she tried to maintain composure. "So this is your goal? You want to drag Shijie out and try to cling to him again? I knew it—you all have hidden motives."

Fu Ranran had never seen anyone so shameless. To turn a blatant lie into an accusation—was there no limit to how low Yan Youlan would go?

Furious, Fu Ranran retorted, "Yan Youlan, could you be any more shameless? Do your parents know what you've been up to? Oh, wait, I forgot—you don't even have parents. You're just a white lotus who came from an orphanage."

Yan Youlan didn't expect Fu Ranran to hit where it hurt, and her face turned pale. She nervously glanced at Qin Siyue, clearly shaken.

The Enemies' Narrow Paths

At one point, Yan Youlan had told Qin Siyue that her parents were business tycoons, and that her family owned their own company—essentially pretending to come from a wealthy background in order to win Qin Siyue's favor.

But now, as her facade was exposed by Yan Youlan, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

Qin Siyue, clearly hearing this, asked Yan Youlan in surprise, "Lanlan, why did she say you don't have parents?"

"Mom, don't listen to her nonsense. She's just trying to provoke me to get Shijie out, to stir up trouble. You've met my parents, haven't you?" Yan Youlan hurriedly tried to calm things down.

Though Qin Siyue was somewhat puzzled, she remembered meeting Yan Youlan's parents before, so she naturally assumed it was just Tang Miannian spreading lies about her daughter-in-law.

With a cold laugh, she sneered, "A seductress is a seductress. To even make up such a lie... How ridiculous. Do you really think I'll fall for this?"

Fu Ranran seemed to understand the situation now, a smirk appearing on her face as she looked at the flustered Yan Youlan. "So, some people are not just shameless, but utterly without dignity, huh?"

"Who are you talking about?" Qin Siyue, misunderstanding, thought Fu Ranran was talking about her. Enraged, she charged at her, ready to settle the score.

Fu Ranran wasn't one to back down either. She swiftly slapped Qin Siyue's hand away and snapped, "You're all the same, just trash!"

"Ranran, Ranran, let's go. Don't argue with them," Tang Miannian said, her anxiety rising as she noticed Zhu Wenyi's increasingly dark expression.

Though she was furious and wanted to retort, the sight of Zhu Wenyi, Long Yejue's mother, made her hesitant. If things escalated, it would only bring trouble to Long Yejue, and she didn't want to cause him any more problems.

But Yan Youlan, who always took advantage of weaker people, thought Tang Miannian was afraid and shamelessly taunted her, "What, did I hit a nerve? Tang Miannian, are you really that shameless? Back in school, you clung to Shijie no matter what. Now that he's married, you're still hoping to marry into a wealthy family? Dream on! Shijie was just playing with you, and now that he's married, you should leave. Your chance is gone."

Her words hit Tang Miannian like a blow.

She had never imagined that Yan Youlan could be this malicious.

Fu Ranran, whose temper was already on edge, was infuriated by Yan Youlan's shamelessness. Without thinking, she slapped her across the face.

The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the baby store, leaving everyone frozen in shock.

The stinging pain made Yan Youlan cry out, covering her cheek and running to Qin Siyue, crying, "Mom, look, she hit me..."

"Don't cry, I'll make sure she pays for this!" Qin Siyue cursed furiously as she moved to confront Fu Ranran.

Tang Miannian, worried about Fu Ranran being pregnant, rushed forward to intervene. She couldn't bear to see her friend hurt.

In the midst of the chaos, however, Yan Youlan slapped Tang Miannian across the face, and that was the final straw.

Though Tang Miannian was usually gentle and docile, even a lamb had its limits. With a burst of anger, she grabbed Yan Youlan by the arm and kicked her hard.

Yan Youlan stumbled to the ground, unable to fight back, but just as Tang Miannian was about to regain control, she noticed Qin Siyue had raised her foot, aiming a kick at Fu Ranran's stomach.

"No!" Tang Miannian screamed in panic, throwing herself at Qin Siyue.

But Qin Siyue's sharp high heels landed squarely on Tang Miannian's back. It felt like being stabbed by a knife, and she cried out in pain.

Was this it? Was she going to die here?

"Stop!" A cold voice rang out, cutting through the chaos with a chilling edge. "What are you all doing?"

That voice… it sounded familiar.

Tang Miannian turned around in a hurry, and standing behind her was none other than Long Yejue's close friend, Qi Yunmo.

With a stern face, Qi Yunmo exuded a dangerous aura as he pushed past his companion and marched over, shoving Qin Siyue aside.

Caught off guard, Qin Siyue stumbled and fell, landing in an embarrassing heap on the ground.

Meanwhile, Qi Yunmo quickly pulled Fu Ranran into his embrace.

Fu Ranran looked up in shock, realizing who had saved her. Her face fell slightly when she saw it was Qi Yunmo. She tried to push him away, but his grip on her waist was firm, and his possessive strength was undeniable.

Yan Youlan, who didn't know Qi Yunmo, was furious and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you push my mother? I'll make you regret this!"

"Oh?" Qi Yunmo's eyes narrowed, an ominous gleam flashing in his gaze. His lips curved into a smile that was both mocking and dangerous. "Well, then I'll be curious to see how you plan on making me regret it."

Seeing her daughter-in-law lying on the ground, Qin Siyue stood up and rushed to pull Yan Youlan back. "Lanlan, don't do anything rash!"

Yan Youlan stared at her mother-in-law in disbelief, unable to understand why she, who had always been vengeful, was now suddenly backing down. Moreover, she was clearly afraid of this man.

Could it be… that this man had some major background?

Zhu Wenyi, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, her tone calm yet filled with an unmistakable undertone. "Yunmo, why are you so impulsive?"

"Ah, Aunt Zhu, I didn't realize you were here too," Qi Yunmo said, still with that strange, almost knowing smile. "It's odd though… You're watching these two women bully your daughter-in-law, yet you're not stepping in to help?"

Zhu Wenyi had intended to mediate and calm things down, but she hadn't expected Qi Yunmo to confront her so directly.

Tang Miannian, unsure of how to handle the situation, felt flustered by Qi Yunmo's words.

Zhu Wenyi's expression turned cold as she shot Tang Miannian a sharp glance before speaking, "I don't like getting involved in other people's business. Besides, whether she's really my daughter-in-law… I haven't confirmed that yet."

Qin Siyue, being quick-witted, immediately caught the implication of Zhu Wenyi's words and asked, "Mrs. Long, are you saying that Qi Yunmo is talking about someone else? It almost sounds like he's referring to your daughter-in-law?"

Yan Youlan's eyes flickered, and she glanced suspiciously at Tang Miannian.

Could it be… that Qi Yunmo was talking about her?

Impossible!

She had just broken up with Su Shijie. She should be at her lowest point right now. How could she possibly have married into the Long family?

It had to be a misunderstanding.