The next day, the main house looked less like a living room and more like an exclusive high-end boutique.
Old Dong and the grandmother were practically on top of each other, surrounded by glossy velvet boxes, designer shopping bags, and bespoke jewellery cases spread across every available surface.
"No, no, no. The platinum set is far too cold," the old woman insisted, waving off a velvet box containing a diamond-and-platinum necklace. "Yin has warmth in her tone. The 18K rose-gold emerald piece shows far more thought and sincerity."
Old Dong frowned as he picked up a sleek leather briefcase containing the deeds to a prime beachfront property.
"She doesn't need more jewellery, darling. A private villa with total privacy and a few new-model cars would do."
"And who says she can't have both?" she argued, quickly tossing a rare vintage Hermès purse onto the growing pile. "She needs things that show status. Things that make it crystal clear she is the revered daughter-in-law of the Dong family."
"Look who's suddenly so willing to spoil her daughter-in-law," Old Dong retorted, rearranging two limited-edition watches so they sat perfectly in the centre of the table.
She paused and looked Old Dong dead in the eye.
"Well, you never stopped me when I was being hard on her."
Old Dong went silent.
I sat quietly, observing everything.
Of course, I was enjoying every second of this.
Finally, those two witches who had set up the rumours would know their place.
Sitting on the couch nearby, seven-year-old Zhong had his chin resting heavily in his hands. He looked back and forth between his grandparents as they bickered intensely over rare pearls, title deeds, and luxury accessories.
Eventually, he let out a long, heavy sigh and shook his head in complete disbelief.
Yesterday they were calling her a fortune hunter, Zhong thought, watching his grandfather argue that a gold bar set was "too subtle."
And today they're competing over who can buy her whole life.
I watched as little Zhong reached over, picked up his little sister, and settled her onto his lap. Little Ran simply giggled away, completely amused by the spectacle their grandparents were making of themselves.
After loading all the luxury packages into the car, they drove straight to the main Dong mansion.
"Mom, Dad," Yin greeted with a polite, gentle smile as she opened the door.
Even though she kept her composure, she was secretly terrified inside. She knew all too well that her mother-in-law had never liked her, but she was determined to try everything in her power to ensure she earned her place in this family.
"Please, come in," she said, stepping aside to make way for the elders.
"Mommy."
Before she could even process the elders' expressions, little Zhong ran up and threw himself right into Yin's arms. Her smile immediately brightened, all her anxiety vanishing in an instant.
"My baby boy. I missed you so much," she cooed, gently and playfully biting his cheek.
Zhong giggled happily as the nanny carried little Ran inside behind him.
"Mamma."
Ran managed to squeak out the word with a bright smile.
"Awww, my baby girl."
Yin's heart melted as she set Zhong down to scoop up her daughter.
"Mommy missed you. Did you miss me?" she asked, pressing a tender kiss to her chubby cheek.
In response, Ran leaned in and pressed a sweet, slobbery kiss right back onto her mother's cheek.
"Ah, right. Come over here, dear," Old Dong said, breaking into the moment.
Yin paused, freezing in place.
Did he just speak to her in a calm, gentle tone?
She slowly turned to face him, instinctively bracing herself for a reprimand or a harsh word.
Seeing her stiffen, the grandmother stepped forward, a soft, genuine smile gracing her lips.
"Are you scared of us now, child?"
"No, Mom."
Yin smiled, setting Ran down and subtly signalling to the nanny to take the kids away.
Clever Zhong understood and didn't throw a tantrum.
But I stayed back.
If I left, how would I know what to tell you?
I found a place to sit, curiously watching the drama about to unfold.
"We found out that we wronged you in the past," the old woman said. "It's all this old man's fault. We're sorry."
The old man in question was dumbfounded. He had just been framed right in front of everyone, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Yin could only smile.
"I was never mad at you," she said warmly.
Both in-laws embraced her.
"Ah, before I forget," Old Dong started.
He ordered the guards to bring in the mall they had bought for her.
Yin's mouth fell open as she saw all the gifts.
"These are the car keys," one of the guards said with a bow, placing five expensive car keys on the table.
Yin looked from the gifts to her in-laws, completely speechless.
"Don't you like it? Is it too cheap?" her mother-in-law asked nervously.
"See? I told you she only needs the property deeds," Old Dong bragged, dragging the papers closer so they would be clearly visible.
"No, no, it's not like that. All these things are just so expensive," Yin managed to say.
"The daughter-in-law of the Dong family must never say something is too expensive," the old woman said, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Yin had no choice but to accept her fate and do what they wanted.
Shortly after, Jingye rushed in like he was being chased.
Oh right, I forgot to tell you. He had gone to work earlier, and I overheard a maid calling him on the phone to give him the gossip that his parents had arrived.
But he didn't know the full details.
He rushed straight to his wife, pulling her into a protective embrace behind him.
"I'm sorry I came late," Jingye whispered, anxiously searching his wife's face for any sign of hurt.
"What? We're not so petty as to hurt her physically," his mom said.
He narrowed his eyes, but Yin gently touched his arm.
"I'm really fine. I'm just not used to this," Yin said with a small smile.
"We just came to say sorry," Old Dong added, trying his best to sound nonchalant.
"If you want to apologize, do it properly. You sound like you're being forced," Jingye shot back.
Old Dong swallowed hard, then sighed.
"Yin, dear. I know that even though I didn't directly do anything to you, my silence still counted as hurting you. I'm truly sorry."
"It's okay, Mom, Dad. Let us not worry about the past. Let's focus on the present," Yin said with a warm smile.
"What present?"
A malicious voice sneered from the doorway.
I froze.
How long had it been since I last saw this witch?
I hissed aloud, but of course, none of them could hear me.
Yeah.
It was none other than that witch, Fu Shao.
And judging by the look on her face, she hadn't come here to congratulate anyone.
---
Author's Note
Thank you so much for making it this far with me.
I know my updates haven't always been as fast as I would have liked, and I genuinely appreciate everyone who kept reading, waiting, commenting, and supporting the story despite the long gaps.
Every reader who has stayed with these characters from the beginning has contributed to this journey in one way or another. Whether you comment, vote, recommend the story, or simply keep reading quietly, I appreciate you.
If you're enjoying the story, keep supporting it and sharing it with other readers who might love it too. It helps the story reach more people and gives me even more motivation to keep writing.
And now that Fu Shao has appeared again, you already know we're not getting peace anytime soon.
Thank you for reading.
See you in the next chapter.
- Zorry Sunblaze