On the other side of the city, Su Nian's car sputtered twice and then died abruptly in the middle of the road. She pressed the accelerator again but nothing. Her heart sank, they could, of course, call a mechanic, but repairs would take time and the time is the only thing they didn't have right now and calling for another car from the Wang residence was out of the question. If word reached the old house that Madam Wang had slipped out, someone would undoubtedly rush over and stop her from meeting her son.
Fang Liyun frowned, her fingers tightening around her handbag. "We'll take a taxi," she decided without hesitation. "I need to see my son before he goes to register his marriage." Su Nian nodded and was about to step out of the car to flag one down when her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen and froze. Wu Qingyi. She quickly answered. "Hello?" "Hi, Sister Su," Wu Qingyi's cheerful voice came through the line. "It's me, Wu Qingyi. Could you please send me Pretty Sister Fang's contact number? I want to invite both of you to lunch tomorrow, with my husband."
Su Nian hesitated for a split second before replying honestly, "Miss Wu, could I send it a little later? We've run into a small problem. Once things settle down, I'll send it right away." Wu Qingyi's tone immediately changed, the brightness dimming with concern.
"What happened? Is everything alright? What about Pretty Sister, she's okay, right?" Su Nian glanced at Fang Liyun, who was already scanning the road anxiously. "It's nothing serious," Su Nian said quickly. "My car broke down. We're just trying to get a taxi."
Wu Qingyi paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Where are you right now?" "We're about five kilometres away from Royal Meridian Mall," Su Nian replied. "On the road that leads toward Back Willow Alley." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the call. "Back Willow Alley?" Wu Qingyi exclaimed in surprise. "You're going there too?" Su Nian was momentarily stunned by her reaction, but she answered honestly, "Yes, Miss Wu. That's our destination." Wu Qingyi's voice instantly brightened, carrying unmistakable delight. "That's perfect! I'm only about three hundred meters away from the mall where we met. I'm just leaving now. I can come pick both of you up and we'll go to Back Willow Alley together. Would that be alright with you and Pretty Sister?"
Su Nian turned to Fang Liyun and quickly relayed Wu Qingyi's offer. Without a moment's hesitation, Fang Liyun nodded. Spending a little more time with that gentle yet extraordinary girl was something she welcomed wholeheartedly. "Yes," Su Nian replied into the phone and continued, "That would be great. Thank you, Miss Wu." Wu Qingyi laughed softly. "Then wait for me. I'll be there very soon." As the call ended, neither of them noticed how naturally the threads of their lives were tightening, each coincidence pulling them closer to a truth yet to be revealed.
About fifteen minutes later, Wu Qingyi arrived at the location where Su Nian's car stood stranded by the roadside. As Su Nian and Fang Liyun waited, a luxury vehicle slowly came to a stop ahead of them. It was a Mercedes-Benz V-Class, its presence impossible to ignore, yet what truly captured their attention was how it had been dressed for a wedding. Snow-white roses and pale blush peonies adorned the front grille, delicately intertwined with slender strands of golden ribbon that fluttered softly in the breeze. A sheer veil of tulle was draped gracefully over the bonnet, flowing toward the windshield like a bride's trailing gown. At the center, the iconic silver emblem gleamed beneath the sunlight, framed by fresh blossoms and a tiny crystal charm that sparkled with every subtle movement. Satin bows were tied neatly to the door handles, their long tails swaying gently, as though whispering blessings meant only for the couple inside. Along the sides, understated floral garlands traced the smooth contours of the vehicle, luxurious yet restrained, elegant rather than ostentatious, wealth expressed through taste. Su Nian and Fang Liyun exchanged a glance, both momentarily stunned.
Just then, they saw Wu Qingyi step down from the decorated vehicle and walk toward Su Nian's car, stopping by the driver's side. She bent slightly and knocked gently on the window. "Sister Su, Sister Fang," she said with a bright smile, "Let's go. I'll drop you at your destination." Su Nian and Fang Liyun quickly got out of the car, transferring the shopping bags from the broken vehicle into Wu Qingyi's. Soon, both of them were seated comfortably inside the spacious cabin. Once they had settled in, Wu Qingyi started the engine, the car gliding smoothly back onto the road.
After a brief silence, she spoke again, her voice soft, almost hesitant. "Sisters… since we're all heading to the same area, if you have a little extra time, could you please stop by my husband's place first?" She paused, gathering her courage. "Just to bless us on our marriage." Her fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. "We don't really have anyone from my side of the family," she continued quietly. "And my husband's side, his family has already left him alone. If the two of you could stay for just a few minutes, it would feel like we've received blessings from elders." Then, as if afraid of imposing, she quickly added, "But Sister Fang, if you're getting late for your son's marriage, that's perfectly fine. You can bless us another day, whenever you are free and can come to have lunch at our place, maybe tomorrow?" The words were simple. Yet they carried a loneliness so sincere that it made the car fall into a brief, heavy silence.
Fang Liyun hesitated for a moment before replying, her brows knitting slightly. "Actually, my son is still at his place, waiting for his future bride. I don't know when she'll arrive," she said. "More importantly, I don't even know his exact address right now. Let Su Nian send you the location. You can check whether it's close to your husband's place. If it is nearby, then we'll come over for a few minutes." Su Nian immediately unlocked her phone and forwarded the location she had received from the insider. In truth, her insider hadn't dared to get too close to Wang Hao or Young Master Wang as doing so would have raised suspicion and if young master discovers the insider for secretly keeping tabs on him, even under Madam Wang's instruction, would have been disastrous for the insider. As a result, the location shared by the insider was roughly 350 to 400 meters away from the actual house the young master is currently in.
But when Wu Qingyi received the location, she didn't doubt it in the slightest. Instead, her eyes lit up. "Oh!" she exclaimed happily. "Sister Fang, what luck! Your son's place is so close to my husband's house!" Her joy was genuine, almost childlike. "It seems I really am fortunate," she continued with a bright smile. "I can receive your and sister Su's blessings after all. I'll take you to meet my husband first, and then you can call your son and your future daughter-in-law over. After that, we can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau together." She paused, then added casually, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, "My father-in-law has given my husband several cars for travelling here and there, so transportation won't be a problem." The car continued forward smoothly, unaware that with every meter it covered, two destinies long thought separate were quietly converging toward the same door.
Fang Liyun found it increasingly difficult to believe that so many coincidences could exist between her son and Wu Qingyi's husband. One or two similarities might have been chance, but this many? It left her heart unsettled. Yet what troubled her more was something else entirely. How was she supposed to bring her son over to Wu Qingyi's husband's place? Lingxuan didn't even know she had slipped out today under the old man's watch. If he discovered her sudden appearance, he might misunderstand or worse, he might think she had come to interfere with his marriage and chase his bride away which might somewhat be true after all no mother wants to get their child married to a wrong partner. As these thoughts weighed heavily on her mind, Wu Qingyi had already moved the car towards the entrance of Back Willow Alley.
The vehicle moved steadily through the streets, and soon the three women fell into light conversation, casual chatter about trivial things, as though none of them were standing at the edge of a life-altering revelation. While Wu Qingyi focused on the road, Fang Liyun quietly sent a message to Aunt Qiao, asking for the exact location of the house where her son was currently staying. Not long after, her phone vibrated. The precise address came through. She glanced at it, then calmly forwarded it to Su Nian. The moment Su Nian saw the new location, her fingers paused mid-air. She lifted her eyes toward her boss and one look was enough. No words were exchanged, yet she understood perfectly - navigate it.