had already instructed them to prepare the anesthesia.The operating table was so cold, as soon as she lay down, goosebumps popped up all over her body and her legs started to tremble. She could hear...Her brother was gone, and her father had sided with Rong Ling. Her mother had stirred things up again, leaving her in this predicament. The only person she could rely on, the only one who would earn the respect of those high society women, was her husband's official position. Therefore, his position, no matter what, must not be compromised in any way. Besides, she had to think about the children. If things went too far with her husband, he would end up behind bars. How could their children live with such a father They wouldn't even have a place in society! And as for herself, she couldn't bear the shame.

On official grounds, bribery and corruption are common knowledge, happening throughout all levels. Everyone participates in this practice. In general, as long as one is careful, nothing will happen. But the danger lies in being targeted by someone powerful. If evidence falls into the hands of political rivals, things will certainly go south.So-called "falls from grace" of corrupt officials are mostly the result of power struggles between factions. Only a very small number fall due to other reasons.A husband's actions are usually kept secret. In such positions, one move can have widespread consequences. Therefore, no one betrays another. But who knows how Rong Ling managed to obtain such detailed information Every single detail, from specific dates and bribery amounts to the exact location, is laid bare. This is simply astonishing, and it naturally inspires fear.

She shuddered, even thinking about it. Before, she thought Rong Ling had only grasped the surface, but who knew, he was so detailed, he didn't even need to investigate further. It was like a ready-made case file.

So, this apology, it's a must!

"Mom, you have no idea how ruthless Rong Ling can be!"

Du Caiyi scoffed inwardly. "I've been at odds with him for years, and you've only been at odds with him for a fraction of that time. When it comes to understanding him, I know him far better than you!"

Róng Qī Xiāng was instantly stimulated and blurted out.

"You know him so well, how could you let your brother end up in such a situation, only to die tragically in Africa!"

Du Caiyi's pupils contracted sharply, her whole heart shrinking in pain. She couldn't help reaching out to press against her chest, her face also faintly revealing a painful expression.

As soon as Rong Qixian uttered the words, she felt a twinge of regret. Seeing Du Caiyi's expression, her heart pounded with anxiety.

"Mom..."

She murmured and moved closer.

"Are you alright"

He reached out to help Du Caoyi, but Du Caoyi "slapped" him away.

"Get out!" she roared from her throat, scaring Rong Qixian half to death.

"Mom!" she bit her lip, grabbing Du Caili's hand tightly. "Don't be angry with me! What I just said was unintentional!"

"Well, spilling out words like that just proves it's her subconscious thoughts, her true feelings."

Du Caiyi's heart was filled with immense anger. "Get out!"

She still opened Rong Qixiang's hand. Rong Qixiang felt wronged. "Mom, I was wrong. I apologize to you, okay Please don't be angry, don't be angry!"

Du Caiyi's face twitched violently, and she let out a choked growl. "Get out! I need some time alone!"

Saying that, he once again shook off Rong Qixiang's hand and fell down, closing his eyes immediately. It was a silent rejection of Rong Qixiang. Rong Qixiang stood by the bed watching, several thoughts flashing through her mind, but in the end, she could only say softly.

"Mom, you should rest first. I'm going out now!"

Seeing Du Caixin remained unchanged, Rong Qixian simply slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to leave. When she had walked out, Du Caixin only then opened her eyes. But in those eyes, a faint disappointment was visible. The empty ward suddenly left her alone again, a desolate loneliness gripping her heart like an icy hand, making her intensely uncomfortable.

Does the water get cold when people leave

In her mind, the absurd thought flashed by, but she quickly suppressed it!

It's ridiculous, she's Du Caixin! She will get back up! One mistake doesn't mean anything. When she was the mistress of the house before, she wasn't without her share of hardships and storms. Maybe just this little storm will knock her down! Just wait, after this period passes, when things calm down, she'll rise again!

A faint sense of loss was quickly driven away from her heart by a resolute spirit in her eyes. However, no matter how hard she tried to build up her inner strength, she couldn't dispel the emptiness that filled the room, nor could she shake off the loneliness of being alone.

Some things are not nonexistent just because she chooses not to acknowledge them!

*

Leaving the ward, Rong Qixiang thought for a while and called her husband, Cao Shijian, to explain her current situation. (..tw no pop-up ads) Upon hearing this, Cao Shijian was somewhat unhappy, but after all, Du Caiyi, his mother-in-law, still held considerable weight, so he didn't speak too harshly.

An apology is a must, I can't ruin my own career because of your mistakes!

"Yes, yes, yes!" Rong Qi Xiang accompanied with careful consideration, and spoke her own thoughts.

After hearing this, Cao Shijian's tone softened, and he sighed with emotion towards Xiang.

“Xiangxiang, we do this for the family, for the children, and actually, also for our mother-in-law. Big brother just left like that, and our mother-in-law is old. She still needs to rely on both of us. So, we must do well and in the future, we can also properly filial piety to our mother-in-law. Otherwise, if I have an accident, everyone in the family will suffer. Ah, I’m sorry to ask you to do such a thing!”

Rong Qixiang was immediately touched by the coaxing and kept saying, "Woe is me, woe is me!"

Cao Shijian was a man who had spent his life in the officialdom, working at the land bureau. He was naturally gifted with words, able to speak appropriately to anyone, be it human or ghost. How could Rong Qixiang possibly match him With a little flattery and encouragement from Cao Shijian, Rong Qixiang went to visit Rong Ling's house.

All the gifts were prepared by her in advance. Today's apology was something she had discussed with Cao Shijian at home, so she had to go, regardless of whether Du Caiyi agreed or not. After the incident of being reported, it was important to clarify things and let Rong Ling put aside any grudges. This was something that needed to be done sooner rather than later.

Rong Qixian was smart and knew that Cao Shijian had humiliated her. She deliberately chose this time, when Rong Qi and the others were likely at Rong Ling's place conspiring with Rong Ling for the company's affairs. She figured that Rong Ling wouldn't stop her from entering, and with so many people present, witnessing her sincere apology, Rong Ling shouldn't make things difficult for her anymore. Otherwise, if he did, she could seek help from the elders of the clan and ask them to intervene on her behalf.

When she arrived at Rong Ling's doorstep, she was indeed stopped. When the gatekeeper reported, she felt a little uneasy, afraid that she wouldn't be able to get in. In that case, she could only resort to her last option, which was to wait at the door for Rong Qi and Rong Qifeng to come out. However, luckily, her luck was pretty good. The gatekeeper informed her that she could enter, and at the same time, he opened the door.

She let out a breath of relief, smiled slightly, and gestured for the driver to pull the car in. Unbeknownst to her, as soon as the gatekeeper called Rong Ling, he, after just a moment's thought, guessed Rong Qixiang's intentions. Therefore, with a mind to watch the show, he let her in and didn't deliberately avoid Rong Qi and others, directly allowing Yu Ma to lead Rong Qixiang upstairs to the study.

Rong Qi felt a secret thrill as everything went smoothly, but it was precisely then that he fell into Rong Ling's trap.

Upon Rong Qi Xiang's arrival, she feigned surprise at the presence of Rong Qi and the others.

Rong Qi and the others looked at the large and small bags they were carrying, mostly food. Most of them guessed what was going on, but they didn't say anything. Rong Qi even said kindly,

"Xiangxiang, are you looking for Rongling Maybe we should step aside first"

"Oh, no need for that. It's nothing big. I came today to see Aunt [Name] on behalf of my mother and also to apologize."

She almost impatiently blurted out the words, afraid that she would be too late. Rong Qi was really polite and even gave way to her.

Rong Qi's heart skipped a beat, he shook his head silently, and stopped talking. He had already offered help, but the girl refused. What else could he do! This kind of apology, she would avoid it even if she bumped into people, yet she said it so openly, as if deliberately letting everyone hear. This couldn't be Du Caiyi's intention, right He still understood Du Caiyi; she was proud deep down. Unless someone held a knife to her throat, she would never easily beg for mercy or apologize proactively!

This little girl!

Rong Qi lowered his head and started looking at the files, not intending to pay attention anymore. Rong Qifeng and the others saw this and fell silent, learning from Rong Qi and looking at the files.

Yongqi Xiang let out a sigh of relief in her heart. This was good, very good. With everyone not staring at her, she wouldn't feel too embarrassed. After all, apologizing was always awkward to do.

"Rong Ling, is Aunt okay now My mom just had surgery, so she can't come out. I'm here to visit her on her behalf."

He said nothing, only looking at her coldly and distantly.

Rong Qi Xiang was accustomed to this sort of thing and had anticipated this situation, so she didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, she continued as planned.

"Yesterday's incident was my mother's fault. I hope you'll be magnanimous and let bygones be bygones. Look, my mother has also been taught a lesson. We are all family, so don't hold grudges. What do you say"

After finishing, he forced out a smile and looked at Rong Ling flatteringly.

Rong Ling finally spoke, but her tone remained icy.

"As for the apology, you should talk to my mother. As for whether there is a grudge or not, I don't understand what you're talking about!"

He pretends to be clueless when he actually understands!

Rong Qi Xiang's smile almost couldn't hold up. After thinking for a moment, he put on a friendly face again and said.

"Rong Ling, I came here this time with sincerity and a genuine apology. You see, I'm not avoiding anyone, Uncle Qi and the others are all watching, which speaks volumes about my sincerity. Here, I can also assure you that since my mother sent me to apologize, she will naturally not offend your family again in the future. Uncle Qi and the others can all vouch for me. So, Rong Ling, please let go of what happened. We're all intelligent people, there's no need to pretend to be oblivious; you know what I'm talking about. This is my request, I came here first to apologize, second to make peace. Setting aside everything else, we are all members of the Rong family, why must we harm each other"

Rong Ling sarcastically said, "Is this what your mother meant"

"Receive the order calmly,

Xiangzhen. "Yes!"

"

Rong Ling narrowed her eyes, feigning a thoughtful expression.

Rong Qixiang's heart was racing, her eyes fixed on Rong Ling. After what felt like an eternity of internal turmoil, she finally heard Rong Ling speak.

"Apologize to the right person. You should find my mom. Dream, take her there."

Lin Meng, who had been sitting on one side, let out an "Mmm" and stood up.

Rong Qixiang immediately asked, "What about that matter――"

Although Rong Qi was staring at the document, he couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this. How could this girl be so clueless Rong Ling had made his intentions clear, how come she still hadn't figured it out!

Alright, she's his niece after all. He might as well help her out; he just couldn't stand watching her be so clueless any longer.

"Xiangxiang, go ahead! We still have important business to attend to here!"

Rong Qi Xiang was stunned for a moment. This time, she wasn't that naive and quickly reacted. Her face flushed instantly, and she simply said "oh" before hurriedly following Lin Meng away.

Those left in the house didn't rudely ask Rong Ling what he had done to bring about such a low fall for this once-princess of the Rong family. After all, they knew Rong Ling's abilities very well; if you want to avoid trouble, don't provoke him! Just look at what happened to the He family, the Liu family, and other families who crossed him - they didn't fare well!

This man, ruthless and incredibly skilled!

The only one who could hold him down was the one who just went out!

But then Lin Meng led Rong Qixiang to find Rong Mama. Rong Qixiang, having done this once before, spoke more fluently when apologizing. Moreover, Rong Mama wasn't like Rong Ling; she didn't have that intimidating presence. Rong Qixiang wasn't afraid and only needed to be as conciliatory as possible, lowering her posture a bit was enough!

Mom Rong was definitely surprised, but she wasn't the type to hold on or put on airs. Rong Qixian had already made her stance clear in front of her son, and for her, it was just a formality. So Mom Rong quickly accepted the apology and sent Rong Qixian away.

Rong Qixiang could be considered relieved when she came out of the Rong family. Sitting in the car, after thinking for a while, she rushed back to the Rong family's main house and found several relatives she got along well with, and they were all people who spoke their minds. She told them about today's incident. Since she had already put down her face and apologized, naturally, she wanted to maximize the benefits. At that time, when a few relatives spread the word about today's event, everyone would know that she had apologized on behalf of her mother and that Rong Ling agreed not to have anything more to do with their family. That way, Rong Ling would be forced into a corner!

Rong Qixian felt that she had done the right thing today and was quite proud of herself. After finishing everything, she ran home. Looking back, she called her husband, who also praised her. She was overjoyed. As for Du Caixin's place, she didn't dare to go. If she went today, she would definitely be scolded. She had to wait until her anger subsided before she went over to apologize. After all, she was her daughter; as a mother, how could she really do anything to her daughter!

Rong Qixiang was at ease, and she indeed had a good grasp of her relationship with Du Caiyi. When Du Caiyi heard about this from someone else, she was so angry that she almost destroyed half the ward, but she didn't even call Rong Qixiang to come see her!

What are you going to make her do, beat her, scold her!

That reckless idiot, she's thrown away her dignity! To brazenly claim she was representing me to apologize, without even trying to be discreet. Then, she ran off to tell everyone else that she had apologized, as if she wanted the whole world to know. Does she have any shame left Does she even care about my reputation as a mother Is there any honor in such a public apology

That fool, an apology would completely change the nature of the whole thing. It would truly make her in the wrong, turning it into her who maliciously went looking for trouble. Even if her nose was cut by Zhu Xiaodan, it would be seen as self-inflicted. No one would sympathize with her or stand on her side. This would completely solidify her reputation as "unreasonable and provoking." Her statement would plummet even further! And she is the legitimate wife of Rong Fei Wutang – how could she apologize to another woman If this got out, it would be a huge joke. Furthermore, she was once the mistress of the house, not just an ordinary wife, she held prestige. For her to apologize and bend over like this, where did she put the dignity of the mistress!As the mistress, she must always be proud. Unless it's a matter concerning the entire clan, how could she easily yield! This would make everyone in the clan look down upon her!

That fool, how could he be so self-willed! He ruined her life.

In the final step, does she think she's clever Can she suppress Rong Ling from moving! Stupid! Stupid! So stupid, she doesn't even resemble her daughter, Du Caiyi. Stupid like a pig. Is Rong Ling someone who values reputation Is he someone who would be afraid of others pointing fingers at him, who would care about the interference of his clan He wouldn't! That kind of person is utterly fearless, as long as he wants something, nothing can stop him. Even if the entire clan stood before him, they couldn't stop him.She thinks she's so smart, using the power of her clan to hold back Rong Ling She's completely delusional!

This apology, besides making the mother and daughter the laughingstock of everyone, doesn't get them any benefit!

Enough is enough!

Thank you, thank you!

She's gone silent, just like that. Disappearing without a trace until she gets discharged!

So the daughter came, but she didn't see her. There wasn't much to say anyway. Just let her be, let her come to her senses!

She's so independent and strong-willed today, it really hurts her heart. As her mother, was she not good to her before Why is she so guarded against her, refusing to discuss things and going ahead with that kind of thing without even considering her as a mother’s feelings...

The more Du Caiyi thought about it, the angrier and more upset she became. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to find any peace.

As soon as she thought about what Rong Ling might look like, she couldn't lie still any longer. She was so embarrassed that she started punching the bed with her hands.

Rong Ling must be pleased, surely laughing at the joke!

Zhu Xiaodan must be proud, probably laughing her head off right now. Perhaps she's even holding onto Lin Meng, reminiscing about the past and weaving tales about her, who knows how she'd spin it...

She just thought about it, and her head pounded. She pounded the bed with all her might, hating to tear it apart!

Rong Ling wasn't particularly pleased either. They weren't the kind of people who took pleasure in seeing others' misfortunes. Madam Rong was a strong-willed woman, and after Rong Qixian apologized, she wouldn't bring it up again. The matter just passed like that. As for Lin Meng, she quietly mentioned to Rong Ling when no one else was around, expressing surprise that Rong Qixian had come to apologize, representing Du Caixin. She felt that Du Caixin wasn't the type of person who would do such a thing!

Rong Ling was very familiar with Du Caiyi and knew in his heart that she wouldn't do such a thing, so he analyzed it for Lin Meng. After Lin Meng heard it, he was stunned.

"So you're saying Rong Qi Xiang acted recklessly! But what she did... it's a bit... not right, is it Du Cai Yi is her mother, and she didn't even consider that!"

"She's dumb, isn't she!" Rong Ling stated bluntly. "She's being used by her husband and doesn't even know it!"

"Huh" How is her husband involved too!

“This must have been Cao Shijian's doing. He's clever and would understand this was just a warning, but he's ruthless. He went straight for the jugular and had Rong Qixiang do this, directly creating a rift between her and her mother. This way, he distances himself from Du Caìyì, and does everything he can to protect his own family.”

Lin Meng immediately frowned.

"How could this be" she murmured, expressing her disbelief. "We're all family, why would you do this!"

Rong Ling then embraced her tightly, pressing her against his chest.

"Human nature is complex, for the sake of profit, they can do anything!"

"As for me, I would never do such a thing." she stated firmly. "But if it were my mother --"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she paused for a moment. The term "mother" caused a slight twinge in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.

“—I would definitely not do that. I would persuade my mom. But if my mom really made a mistake and fell down, I would definitely stand by her side, accompany her, support her, and protect her through it!”

He chuckled softly, lightly kissing her little ear. "I know, my darling, you're not that kind of person, they don't deserve to be compared to you!"

She blushed slightly and lowered her head.

He continued, "Cao Shijian's actions will surely keep Du Caiyi quiet for at least half a year. But our original plan remains unchanged. What Cao Shijian is doing is just minor disturbance. To get to the root of the problem, we still have to rely on ourselves!"

"Hmm."

"Cao Shijian was a bit hasty this time." He commented further, because she was his wife and he was willing to tell her what was on his mind. She heard it, it was her gain and also his gain. Because she would treasure his words carefully, because she brought him closer.

This is what marriage is, the good, the bad, the long, the short, all of it laid out. Within the everyday details and squabbles, two people are bound together by an invisible force!

Then she lifted her head, opened her bright eyes, and looked at him curiously.

He continued, "As long as he remains married to Rong Qixiang, he can't escape this entanglement. He wants to distance himself from Du Caiyi, but what he has done isn't enough. Instead, by doing this, he has put himself at a disadvantage. There are many smart people, and slowly, many will see the hand behind this. Then Cao Shijian will become a cold-hearted character. He wants to estrange Du Caiyi, yet he also wants to rely on the Rong family's power. There is no such easy thing in this world. The Rong family is kind within, but ruthless outside. Cao Shijian has done something underhanded this time, so his official career has basically come to an end!"

"Well, is it really that serious"

"He could climb so fast, he couldn't have done it without Rong Jia's support..."

Slowly, Rong Ling explained to Lin Meng. Lin Meng nodded occasionally, sometimes asking questions.

Sunlight streaming in from the window illuminated the two figures, stretching them tall yet intertwining their shadows together, as if they had become one.

That was warm and beautiful!

--- Aside ---

PS: Join our group purchase QQ group 【233784008】 to purchase. Please contact the administrator for details.es up. Because Lin Meng has always used an encouraging style of education, he dares to think, speak, and act. When his mommy said she wanted to hear him tell a story, the little boy immediately beame...