Mistress, I Was Wrong

Chapter 206

The conversation between the two ended on a sour note.

Qian Yiling had already admitted in her heart that Yu'er had fallen in love with Little Ninth, but the words that came out of her mouth somehow changed their tone.

She was not a domineering mother; on the contrary, she had grown quite fond of Little Ninth over the past few days.

Qian Ziyan had thought she could smoothly resolve the deadlock between her and Qian Wanyu, but seeing Wanyu's cold expression and Lingling's dejected look just now, she knew things had gone awry.

"What did you say to her?"

"I—" Qian Yiling waved her hand weakly, "Big brother, I need some time alone."

"Alright."

Qian Wanyu's face was tense, but Dongfang Minghui, who knew her well, could see that she was in a bad mood, seemingly angry.

Thinking about the last person Seventh sister had seen, she was also troubled.

She really didn't know how to get along with her future mother-in-law regarding this coming-out issue, especially when facing someone like Qian Mama, who was just like Seventh sister…

She hugged Little Fatty tightly, not knowing how to find a breakthrough.

As she pondered, the group found an open space.

Dongfang Minghui shivered.

Despite having spiritual power to protect her, she still felt cold.

Little Fatty, nestled in her arms, timely transmitted some warmth to her, making her feel much better.

She patted Little Fatty's big head, "Little Fatty, you're the best."

Little Fatty climbed up her arm and rubbed its flattened belly, "Ah."

Toothless rolled its eyes helplessly.

Seeing the two staring at each other, it couldn't stand it anymore and acted as a translator, "She wants to eat."

"Oh."

Dongfang Minghui suddenly understood and brought a fire lotus seed to Little Fatty's mouth.

Little Fatty took it in its hand and quickly devoured it in a few bites.

After finishing, it looked at her with a face full of longing, "Toothless, you're so smart."

"Little Fatty, if I keep feeding you like this, I won't be able to afford you."

She didn't have many fire lotus seeds left in her space.

Although Little Fatty wasn't greedy, the fire lotus seeds were limited.

Dongfang Minghui felt a bit helpless.

She was most afraid of fire-related things, and finding more for them seemed impossible.

The fire lotus seeds, along with the fire lotus, were something Toothless had fought hard to get, but now, Toothless didn't seem to care about them anymore.

Toothless was stunned for a moment, a soft murmur flashed through its mind, as if someone had once said such helpless words to her.

She tried to recall, but her memory was empty, and she couldn't remember anything.

"Toothless, prepare the dragon pill."

"Okay."

Toothless tossed the dragon pill into the air, and the fiery red light it refracted covered everyone's heads, changing the color of the sky for miles around.

Dongfang Minghui even felt a sudden warmth on her body.

She hugged Little Fatty and stepped aside.

Leen drew his bow and arrow, surveying the surroundings.

They had already scouted the area when they arrived and hadn't seen a single person.

"Ah."

Little Fatty pointed at Qian Wanyu, who was using spiritual power to wrap the True Eye in mid-air.

Dongfang Minghui followed her gaze and saw the True Eye in Seventh sister's hand slowly opening, but it was shedding blood-red tears, drop by drop, looking even more eerie against the fiery dragon pill.

Toothless widened its eyes, "The True Eye can't hold on anymore?"

Dongfang Minghui also knew that there was still a long way to go to the landmark on the map.

Without the subsequent fifth map, they would be like blind people feeling an elephant, unable to find the way to the dragon clan's land.

In other words, the efforts of the past two months would be in vain, "Seventh sister."

"This isn't the real Eye of Truth, get out of the way!" Qing Mo roared in the soul sea.

"No."

Qian Wanyu's forehead veins throbbed as she held the Eye of Truth aloft with five streams of spiritual power.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating today.

Just a moment ago, the bright moonlight had hidden behind the clouds as if playing hide and seek.

Dongfang Minghui glanced at the sky, her heart sinking.

This was too unlucky; even the heavens weren't helping.

"Please, moonlight, come out."

"Ah, ah."

Little Fatty strained her neck to look at the two objects above.

Naturally, her gaze was more drawn to the enticing Dragon Pill, and she secretly licked her lips.

In this tense half-stick of incense time, everyone held their breath, staring at the Eye of Truth.

They waited until the moonlight once again bathed the earth.

Only then did Qian Wanyu carefully adjust the Eye of Truth's position so it aligned with the Dragon Pill.

Dongfang Minghui quickly took out her drawing book, watching anxiously.

"Sigh, the person who set this up is truly cunning. From the beginning, they laid out an unsolvable trap for you all to fall into," Qing Mo sighed.

"You knew this from the start, so why keep it from everyone and push forward? If you had stopped that day, none of this would have happened."

Qian Wanyu remained silent, not releasing a single thread of spiritual power.

The Eye of Truth shattered even faster until the fleeting image they had in their minds was reflected.

Dongfang Minghui quickly sketched the terrain map.

Strangely, the image that usually dissipated in a few breaths didn't vanish immediately this time.

Instead, a shadow of a person appeared.

She was about to identify the figure when she heard Seventh Sister's stern voice, "Take the Dragon Pill."

Toothless reacted swiftly, a ball of golden flame in her hand severing the connection between the two objects.

With a bang, Qian Wanyu and Toothless both staggered back as the Eye of Truth exploded.

"Seventh Sister, Toothless."

Toothless clutched the Dragon Pill, her chest heaving.

She watched the fragments fall to the ground and cursed angrily, "What a vicious human. Was that last shadow taunting us?"

Usually, Toothless was always aloof, constantly reminding them that she was a dragon, different from these humans.

It was unclear when she started using the term "we."

It should have been a cause for celebration, indicating that Toothless had developed a sense of team spirit.

But at this critical moment, no one cared about the subtle meanings in her words.

Qian Wanyu's cheek had been accidentally scratched by the container holding the Eye of Truth.

She wore a grim expression.

"Be patient for a few days. We'll meet them sooner or later."

Dongfang Minghui frowned, not quite understanding Seventh Sister's meaning.

When she turned Seventh Sister's face to examine the wound, she gasped.

"Seventh Sister, your face needs immediate treatment."

"Mm."

"What did you mean by ‘sooner or later'? Did you find out something?"

Toothless leaned in and noticed the strange wound on Qian Wanyu's cheek.

The cuts were tiny and easy to overlook, but they contained traces of other spiritual powers, neither purely fire nor purely dark.

Dongfang Minghui bit her own finger and let a drop of her blood cover the wound on Qian Wanyu's face.

As the blood washed over it, the surface wound disappeared, revealing the true nature of the injury.

A black thread was burrowing into Qian Wanyu's cheek, writhing and twisting menacingly.

Dongfang Minghui angrily muttered, "These damned things again."

She quickly applied the potion she had prepared to Qian Wanyu's face, even disinfecting herself to avoid contamination.

Seeing the unsightly scars on her Seventh Sister's beautiful face, she asked, "Seventh Sister, does it hurt?"

Qian Wanyu's eyes lowered, her gaze falling on Dongfang Minghui's bitten finger.

Fortunately, the wound had already healed, showing no signs of injury.

"If you do this again, Ninth Sister, be prepared for a beating."

"Huh?"

Dongfang Minghui was momentarily stunned, but then she remembered the last time Seventh Sister had hit her.

Her face turned red, more effective than any blush.

But thinking about the scars on Seventh Sister's face, she became both angry and worried.

"Seventh Sister, don't change the subject. Once this heals a bit, you need to apply flower dew twice a day until the scars completely disappear."

Toothless, watching from the side, rolled its eyes.

"Why do the wounds look different each time I see them? And what was that black thread? It looked really annoying."

Qian Wanyu waited until Ninth Sister finished applying the potion before speaking slowly, "It's just an illusion. As for that black thread, you've experienced its power before."

Toothless looked confused, but Dongfang Minghui laughed, "Indeed, it's no wonder Toothless hates it."

Back then, the black mist had tormented Toothless for months, rendering its front limbs immobile.

When in pain, it could only whimper like a small beast, seeking comfort from her.

Dongfang Minghui warned, "Whenever you see that thing, stay as far away as possible. I don't even know if your true fire can burn it clean."

Toothless was left bewildered by their conversation.

She had—right, she had forgotten many things.

Toothless suddenly fell silent, realizing those memories must be important to her…

Dongfang Minghui handed a page from the drawing book to Seventh Sister.

"The Eye of Truth is destroyed. Seventh Sister, what should we do next?"

Qian Wanyu glanced at it, confirming it matched her memory, and then gently ruffled Dongfang Minghui's hair.

"We'll follow the map. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten. Don't worry."

The more the other reassured her, the more uneasy she felt, but she didn't ask any more questions.

Leen took the opportunity to scout the surrounding area.

"The further we go, the colder it gets. The group behind us can't withstand the sudden drop in temperature. The further we go, the harder it will be for them."

Qian Wanyu gathered some useless branches, piled them together, and started a fire.

Everyone huddled around it for warmth.

"Indeed, do you have any ideas?"

Dongfang Minghui looked at Leen.

Throughout the journey, Leen had impressed her with his decisiveness.

In the year they had been away, he seemed to have grown significantly.

If she hadn't confirmed it with Sister Zilan, she would have doubted whether this Leen was still the same boy who once only thought of revenge.

"Send back those who can't keep up."

His words were somewhat arrogant.

Qian Wanyu nodded in agreement.

"That's a good idea. When they come tomorrow, I'll mention your suggestion to Mother and Uncle."

Dongfang Minghui looked Leen up and down, making him so embarrassed that he ran off to another place.

"Seventh Sister, why not just let Mother and Uncle go back? The road ahead—besides, it's all for helping Toothless find the land of the dragons."

"No, Mother won't go back," Qian Wanyu said meaningfully.

"She won't give up until she finds that person."

"Find someone…?"

"Yes."

Dongfang Minghui looked confused.

She knew that Qian Wanyu's mother cared a lot about the True Eye, but she didn't know what she was actually trying to do.

It turned out she was looking for someone.

"The person she's looking for—"

"A Night Fox clan member named Lance."

"……"

Seeing her silence, Qian Wanyu continued frankly, "I suspect that this Lance from the Night Fox clan is my father."

Dongfang Minghui: "……"

Qian Wanyu beckoned her over, pulling her close and gently pinching her rosy cheeks.

Seeing her dazed and silly expression was amusing.

"What, did you think Seventh Sister was a child without a father?"

"Of course not."

Dongfang Minghui quickly waved her hands and shook her head.

"I'm just really surprised."

"Yes."

Qian Wanyu was also a bit surprised when she first found out.

"Mother didn't say anything, so I just pretended not to know."

Dongfang Minghui wanted to comfort her but didn't know how.

"Seventh Sister, maybe she has her reasons. When she hasn't found the person, she must be worried about the worst outcome. The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The pain she would endure then would be the greatest. She probably didn't want you to be disappointed."

"Maybe."

Qian Wanyu's lips curled into a smile.

Her not-so-good mood seemed to improve a lot after this explanation.

She pulled Dongfang Minghui into her arms, not avoiding any intimacy, and kissed her hair, murmuring, "Luckily, Ninth Sister has always been by my side."

Even if Mother didn't acknowledge her, even if she couldn't find her biological father, as long as this person stayed by her side, it was enough.

Dongfang Minghui simply lay on her knees, watching the dancing flames.

"Seventh Sister, I will always stay by your side."

Even if one day you don't want me anymore, I will shamelessly follow you.

Qian Wanyu tightened her grip on her and softly responded.

——

The next day, when the others caught up, Qian Wanyu repeated Leen's proposal from the previous day.

"The further we go, the colder the climate. Staying here is a dead end for them."

Qian Yiling nodded lightly and summoned Zilan, "Go gather everyone. I have an announcement to make."

"Yes, my lady."

Qian Ziyan looked at the injury on her face and said softly, "Wanyu, I have something important to discuss with you. Come with me."

Qian Yiling wanted to ask about the injury on her face, but before she could speak, her elder brother interrupted.

She watched them walk away before turning her gaze back to Dongfang Minghui.

"Little Ninth."

"Ah!"

Dongfang Minghui was so startled that she almost spilled the spiritual liquid she was feeding Little Fatty.

Seeing Qian Yiling standing in front of her, she felt as nervous as meeting her in-laws for the first time, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.

She glanced around but couldn't see Seventh Sister anywhere.

Toothless, unable to bear her flustered state, took the spiritual liquid from her hands, "Give it to me, I'll feed Little Fatty."

Qian Yiling smiled gently at her, "Little Ninth, I'll still call you Little Ninth."

Dongfang Minghui didn't know what to call her in return.

When they were close, she could call her mother, but now it felt awkward to call her anything.

After some hesitation, she asked softly, "My lady, is there something you need?"

"Actually, there's nothing much. I just wanted to chat with you."

Dongfang Minghui's heart skipped a beat.

Chatting… she was terrible at chatting, especially with Qian Mama.

Qian Yiling walked to a large tree about three meters away, taking a different path from Qian Ziyan.

Dongfang Minghui nervously clutched her clothes and trembled in her soul sea, "What should I do, what should I do?"

Since Seventh Sister came out, Qian Mama had never been kind to her.

Coupled with Seventh Sister's displeased expression yesterday, Dongfang Minghui had already imagined a thousand-word drama of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts and scenes of the mother-in-law breaking up the couple.

Little Colour had just managed to grow a small vine on its head, which was now swaying precariously, "What's there to be afraid of? At worst, just leave."

Dongfang Minghui rolled her eyes, not expecting Qian Yiling to catch her expression as she turned back.

This was awkward.

"Little Ninth, I just wanted to ask if Yu'er's facial injury is serious?"

"Huh?"

Dongfang Minghui was confused.

If Qian Mama really wanted to ask this, she could have done so earlier without walking so far, "It's nothing serious. I won't let Seventh Sister have any scars on her face, my lady, please don't worry."

"That's good."

Qian Yiling originally wanted to ask about their relationship, but Dongfang Minghui's nervousness made her unsure of what to say.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Dongfang Minghui thought of many things: Seventh sister's determination to burn the boats, Seventh sister's recklessness, and all the things Seventh sister had done for her.

She suddenly felt a surge of courage and said excitedly, "Lady, everything Seventh sister told you before is true. I am in love with her and want to spend my life with her. I seek your blessing. Even if you don't like me or accept me, I will not part from Seventh sister."

Qian Yiling was stunned, taken aback by her loud declaration, especially when she saw her eyes redden with emotion, as if she had suffered a great grievance.

"Do you know that you are holding her back? She is a rare Five Elements Spiritual Body. In all these years, I have never seen another Five Elements Spiritual Body. With Yu'er's talent, she has the potential to become the only Spiritual God on this Seven-Colored Continent."

Dongfang Minghui felt deflated, her grand declaration halted by the accusation of holding Seventh sister back.

"Don't be discouraged. Although she is a Five Elements Spiritual Body, if she hadn't dual cultivated with you in the early stages, her dark spiritual power would have been exposed long ago. How could she have grown?"

Little Colour had never seen such a scene of breaking up a couple and was now witnessing it firsthand.

"Yes."

Dongfang Minghui didn't want to say that she didn't want to show Seventh sister's pain to Qian Mama to prove her importance.

Her relationship with Seventh sister shouldn't be tied together just because of dual cultivation.

Their love was the purest form of love.

Initially, she did have the intention of using Seventh sister, but without that, there wouldn't have been the love that followed.

"Lady, no matter what you say, I will not give up on Seventh sister. Seventh sister feels the same. We hope to have your blessing. If not, it's okay. Once this matter is resolved, Seventh sister and I will leave first."

Qian Yiling almost laughed in anger, especially since both of them spoke in the same way, avoiding the main issue.

"Mother."

"Seventh sister."

Qian Wanyu and Qian Ziyan's conversation was much simpler, mainly because of the True Eye.

Qian Ziyan guessed that there must be a problem with the True Eye, so he pulled her aside to explain clearly.

"Ninth Sister, come here."

Dongfang Minghui glanced at Qian Yiling and saw that her expression was normal, without any displeasure.

She said softly, "Lady, if there's nothing else, I'll leave with Seventh sister."

Qian Yiling smiled and nodded, which was a promise.

Dongfang Minghui felt relieved, like a wild swan set free, flying to Qian Wanyu's side.

She let her gently hold her hand and led her away.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing, it was Little Ninth who left me speechless."

Qian Yiling smiled bitterly, "I don't know if it's because they've been together for too long, but they speak in the same way."

Qian Ziyan watched the two of them with their heads together, not knowing what they were talking about.

But from his angle, he could see the most sincere and happy smiles on their faces.

"As far as I can remember, they've always been together. It's been a long time."

"Big brother never mentioned them. Would you be willing to tell me about them?"

Qian Ziyan lost his mind once and hurt them.

He even despised himself for it.

"Lingling, I just want to tell you that my life was saved by her. I owe her my life."

Qian Yiling touched her face, recalling how that little person in the Beast Tribe tried many ways to win her favor on behalf of Yu'er.

She now understood her place in Yu'er's heart.

"Big brother, I no longer oppose them being together."

"Mm."

——

"Do you know the price of deceiving me?"

Qian Wanyu pressed someone against a tree, her domineering aura unmistakable.

Dongfang Minghui felt many eyes on them, feeling both angry and anxious.

"Seventh sister, I already told you, she didn't say much, just asked if the injury on your face was serious."

Qian Wanyu snorted lightly, her smile somewhat chilling.

She leaned closer, their noses touching.

"I heard your last words, Ninth Sister. Do you need me to repeat them?"

Dongfang Minghui immediately became as obedient as a quail.

"Seventh sister, since you already heard, what more do you want me to say?"

Qian Wanyu slightly lowered her head, lightly licking her lips.

"Fool, you can tell me anything. There's no need to hide it for her."

"Mm."

Soon, they heard Qian Yiling summoning them, mentioning the recent events.

"Anyone who wants to challenge, stand aside."

"Lady, our Night Fox Tribe only brought five people this time. Do we also need to compete with that young man?"

Lahan asked after Qian Yiling finished speaking.

His gaze lingered on Leen.

It was strange; a year ago, Leen was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy.

A year later, he had grown taller, his skin darker, and his face had lost its childishness, looking no different from someone in their twenties.

Thus, Lahan referred to him as a young man.

Qian Yiling didn't argue much, thinking for a moment.

"Since our Night Fox Tribe has a good relationship, I naturally don't want you to suffer many losses. Go and compete. If you can defeat Leen, you can stay. If not, I will send someone to escort you back to the Night Fox Tribe. You can rest assured."

"But, Lady, we want to—" Lahan wanted to say more.

Zilan, following Qian Ziyan's orders, interrupted, "Lady, the duel has started. Do you want to oversee it?"

Qian Yiling naturally wanted to oversee it, so she said, "Lahan, I consider you the smartest among them. You should understand my meaning."

Lahan lowered his head slightly, hiding the expression in his eyes, and commented, "You are very thoughtful, my lord. I will go and talk to them right away."

Leen was a Wind Spiritual Master.

His weapons were just a bow and a quiver of sharp arrows.

The challengers were all dissatisfied people, most of whom were beastmen.

One of them, a large fellow, roared twice and transformed into a grayish lion, charging at Leen aggressively.

Leen's running speed on foot was faster than the beastified lion.

His steps were so swift that it was hard to see where his feet landed.

Dongfang Minghui sighed and tugged at Seventh Sister's sleeve, "So many people, Seventh Sister, aren't you worried that Leen might not be able to handle them all?"

Having not seen him for a long time, she didn't know to what extent Leen had grown.

She guessed that Seventh Sister agreed so quickly this time because she wanted to test Leen's level.

Qian Wanyu, however, was uncharacteristically calm.

She gently placed her fingers on her lips and rubbed them twice, "Don't speak. If you keep worrying about him, I won't like it."

Dongfang Minghui belatedly realized the meaning of Seventh Sister's words.

Was she… jealous?

But she hadn't done anything.

She had to secretly watch Seventh Sister's expression while observing Leen's situation in the field.

After subduing six or seven people in a row, Leen still looked calm and composed, as if the person who had been running around the field non-stop wasn't him.

"Isn't he tired?"

Dongfang Minghui asked helplessly, discussing with Little Colour in her soul sea, "Can you tell what level Leen's awakened wind spiritual power has reached?"

"Strange, how can a beastman awaken wind spiritual power?"

Little Colour said inexplicably, "Also… I can't even see his level."

Dongfang Minghui was shocked, "Impossible."

But she said what was in her heart out loud.

Qian Wanyu looked at her in confusion, "Ninth Sister, what's impossible?"

Dongfang Minghui was helpless but afraid of Seventh Sister's jealous remarks.

She shrank her head and said, "Little Colour said it can't see Leen's depth…"

"Well, it's normal not to see it."

"Sigh, does Seventh Sister know something?"

Dongfang Minghui immediately perked up and leaned over, looking at her with curiosity and eagerness, hoping to get some answers.

Qian Wanyu reached out and touched her soft hair, "Keep watching. You'll understand after it's over."

The elimination match lasted from dawn until midnight.

Dongfang Minghui watched until she was visually exhausted and almost fell asleep.

As for Toothless and Little Fatty, the two of them just stayed on the tree, lazily lying around all day.

Xiao Miao wanted to climb up but didn't dare, so he ended up sitting under the tree guarding them.

Qian Wanyu watched all day and finally saw something, "I underestimated him before."

Qing Mo praised in the soul sea, "This kid's growth rate is the fastest I've ever seen, he's even faster than yours!"

Dongfang Minghui had no idea that Qing Mo had given Leen such high praise.

She always knew Leen was talented, even Seventh Sister had praised him, but she was still surprised at how quickly he had grown.

"Did he have some new opportunity after we left?"

Maybe he had taken a powerful master who gave him some pointers?

"Although he performed well all day, he still has many shortcomings. If it were as your Ninth Sister said, he wouldn't have shown so many flaws."

Qing Mo was puzzled.

"Yes."

Qian Wanyu crossed her arms with one hand and supported her chin with the other, watching Leen's next match intently.

Qian Yiling and Qian Ziyan frequently glanced at the arena.

It was Qian Ziyan's first time seeing Leen, and he wasn't familiar with his condition, but after watching him all day, he saw a lot.

"This person has good talent, do you know him?"

"He came with Yu'er and Little Ninth. He seems to be a beastman that Little Ninth casually saved."

Qian Yiling wasn't clear about Leen's situation, but Zilan, who was beside her, added, "He always wanted to revenge against Cyril for his parents' death, but Cyril was killed by someone else first. So he insisted on following us to Darray City. The adults thought the journey was unsafe and refused. Who knew he would sneak over alone and luckily met the people of the Cass tribe."

"You said he's a beastman?"

Qian Ziyan suddenly asked.

"Yes."

Qian Ziyan shook his head, "He looks more like a human, and he can speak the human language?"

Zilan laughed and explained, "You misunderstood, my lord. Leen learned the human language to repay the shaman, Little Ninth. He asked the guards to teach him, and he learned it in just over half a year."

"I see."

In an elimination match, about thirty people were eliminated.

Almost all the people Qian Yiling brought were eliminated, leaving only Zilan to take care of her.

The rest were all defeated by Leen, including two out of five people from the Night Fox tribe.

Lahan was lucky to win against Leen.

"Leen, are you okay?"

Dongfang Minghui saw his pale face and heavy steps, unlike his usual light-footed walk.

She took out a bottle of spiritual liquid from her space, "Drink this, it will restore some of your spiritual power."

"Okay."

Leen's dark eyes fixed on her, "Wizard, don't worry. I'll rest for a while and won't hold you back."

"Rest well. If you don't recover from spiritual power exhaustion, it will backfire in the future."

Qian Wanyu patted his shoulder lightly, "It's okay to stay another day. Mother needs to properly arrange these people."

Leen, unable to move under her hand, obediently sat down and began to meditate after drinking the spiritual liquid.

Qian Wanyu took Dongfang Minghui's hand and walked to Qian Yiling, "Mother, please arrange for them to depart tomorrow morning. Choose someone capable of making decisions to lead them. I'll draw a map for them to follow back."

"Okay."

Qian Yiling saw the two holding hands, and thought of Little Ninth's story.

She suddenly laughed, realizing that everything had been evident all along.

It was just that she was too focused on recognizing Yu'er at the time, completely ignoring the deep affection in their eyes.

"Although I don't oppose it, you should still be a bit more reserved in front of others."

Qian Ziyan nodded in agreement.

Ever since they started traveling together, the sweetness between the two had been almost unbearable.

Mu Sheng, on the other hand, was grinning foolishly on the side, as if it wasn't Wanyu and Minghui together, but rather him getting married.

"Let's go."

Qian Ziyan took Mu Sheng away directly.

Mu Sheng kept looking back every few steps, "Uncle, did Wanyu's mother really mean it? Did she really agree?"

Given Qian Ziyan's understanding of Qian Yiling, once she came around, she wouldn't obstruct them anymore.

"Yes."

"That's great."

Mu Sheng grinned, genuinely happy for the two of them.

Qian Ziyan was somewhat affected by his emotions.

"In the future, if you like someone, bring her back for us to see. Although you have no parents, mother has said that you should consider the Qian Family as your own home. From now on, the Qian Family will be your support."

Mu Sheng didn't expect the topic to shift to him so suddenly.

His eyes widened like copper bells, and he was too stunned to react.

Qian Ziyan smiled, found a spot, and took out the wood carving again, patiently carving the face to make it more lifelike.

"Mother told me long ago that if you meet someone you like, you should seize the opportunity. Otherwise, you might regret it forever."

He had missed his chance.

Mu Sheng stood there in a daze, feeling warm inside from his uncle's sudden words, and recalled the days when he was well taken care of in the Qian Family.

After the unrelated people left, the three of them stood face to face, speaking calmly for the first time.

Qian Yiling pulled their hands together.

"Although I don't oppose you being together, there are still a few things I need to say. Since you love each other and are determined to be together, no matter the obstacles, I hope you can keep your vows to each other and be together for life."

Qian Wanyu's expression softened considerably, probably because the other party had compromised first.

"Mother, rest assured. No matter what happens in this life, I, Qian Wanyu, swear to the heavens that I will never let go of Ninth Sister's hand."

"Seventh sister."

Dongfang Minghui's eyes suddenly felt sore.

How long is a lifetime?

None of them knew.

"That's the best."

Qian Yiling said with relief.

"One more thing, you must not let the old lady know about this for now. I heard from your elder brother that the old lady intends for you to take on the responsibilities of the Qian Family. After this matter is settled, we will return to the Qian Family. Once we understand the situation, I will decide whether to inform her."

Speaking of the Qian Family, Qian Wanyu's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She hadn't forgotten the incident of killing Qian Zhuoqian in the back mountain of the Qian Family.

If Qian Zihang found out, he probably wouldn't be able to let it go.

Would they really be able to return to the Qian Family as they wished?

"What's wrong, Yu'er? Do you have a different opinion?"

"Not at the moment."

Qian Wanyu shook her head.

It would be better to discuss this matter before returning to the Qian Family.

"Mother, what is the third thing?"

When it came to the third matter, Qian Yiling felt a bit troubled.

But remembering her elder brother's advice, that the more you fear something, the more you should face it bravely, she decided to speak up.

If she didn't, it would become a mental burden over time.

She looked at Qian Wanyu with a complex expression, "Yu'er, I have never told you about your father. Are you upset with me, and that's why you haven't asked?"

"Is the person you're talking about Lance from the Night Fox clan?"

Qian Wanyu wasn't avoiding the topic for the reason Qian Yiling thought.

When they first reunited, they had missed the chance to talk about it.

Later, seeing her mother's frail health, she guessed it might be due to some old memories and was afraid to touch on it.

So, she carefully probed during their daily interactions.

But then many things happened, and the matter was delayed and never brought up again.

"You know?"

Qian Yiling's heart almost leaped out of her mouth in excitement, but then she thought, "No, you can't possibly know."

Qian Wanyu nodded, "I indeed don't know, so I've been waiting for you to tell me personally."

Dongfang Minghui stood beside them, feeling extremely awkward as she listened to the mother and daughter discuss the future father-in-law.

She wanted to pull away from Seventh Sister's tight grip, but the more she tried, the stronger the grip became.

It was clear she couldn't escape.

Seeing Dongfang Minghui's uneasy expression, Qian Yiling said, "Since I have accepted you and Yu'er, you are family now. Yu'er's father will also be your future father. It's fine for you to listen in."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ninth Sister, don't call her ma'am, call her mother," Qian Wanyu whispered.

Dongfang Minghui's ears turned red, and her cheeks flushed as well.

Both Qian Yiling and Qian Wanyu were looking at her, waiting for her to address her.

She shrank her neck, feeling cornered by the two, and finally, with great embarrassment, she called out softly.

The voice was as soft as a mosquito's, delicate and faint.

"Mother."