“Hmm… to think that he would come here to confirm that Liu Jinfei is working with you. What is that man afraid of?” Lu Xinyi asked as they looked at the retreating figures of the Liu family. “And his daughter! How annoying?! If we weren’t here at a banquet, I would have dug her eyes out and fed it to the dogs.”

“We just arrived, and this is what I would hear as soon as I came to see you? My, my, Lu Xinyi. You haven’t changed at all.” A familiar voice caught the mother and daughter’s attention.

As they turned their heads, they saw Sun Feiyan dressed in a light-purple halter gown, with her hair pinned in a meticulous bun on her head. Beside her stood her son, Ye Xingchen, who was looking dashing and handsome in his black suit.

“Aunt Feiyan.” Shen Lingqing rose to her feet and greeted her aunt politely.

Sun Feiyan moved closer to the younger woman and placed a chaste kiss on Shen Lingqing’s cheek. She had to admit that her cousin’s daughter had grown up into a fine young woman.

“I heard from Jiewen that you’ve come back and opened a new restaurant. Congratulations, dear. You did well.” She said before eyeing her cousin, who was still busy muttering to herself about Liu Xiaotong’s annoying attitude.-.

“And you, Xinxin. You’ve been a madam of the Shen family for years, and yet you still don’t behave according to your status?” She reprimanded her cousin.

Years had passed, and Lu Xinyi remained the same. Wasn’t she afraid of making more enemies for the Shen family?

“Spare me from the talk, Feiyan. It’s not like that young woman is behaving well in front of us.” Lu Xinyi frowned. “I can sense a bitch when it’s close. I’m allergic to them.”

“But you didn’t have to act like that, either. Don’t teach your daughter such vulgar words that are inappropriate for her standing.” Sun Feiyan sighed and took a seat next to Shen Lingqing, while her son chose to sit next to Lu Xinyi.

“Qingqing, don’t be like your mother,” she told Shen Lingqing.

“Alright. I’ll listen to you, Mother.” Lu Xinyi conceded, knowing she wouldn’t be able to win against Sun Feiyan’s nagging. She initially thought that when Sun Feiyan married Ye Xingjie, she would somehow warm up to the people around her. Alas, that wasn’t the case, as Sun Feiyan strictly followed the etiquette expected of a madam of the Ye family.

Anyway, after the fall of the Sun family, she and Sun Feiyan agreed to patch up things between them, since they only had each other as a family member from the Sun family. Lu Xinyi felt like she had gained an elder sister she never had in Sun Feiyan, but they still argued most of the time due to Lu Xinyi’s straightforward attitude and sharp tongue.

“But don’t brainwash our Qingqing with your anti-mother doctrine, Feiyan. It’s bad enough that my little girl took after a lot from her father.” Lu Xinyi pouted in disappointment.

“Mom, Aunt Feiyan is just concerned about us. Don’t be like this.” Her daughter gave her a small smile.

“Oh, my darling daughter! You are so sweet.” Madam Shen pulled her daughter into a hug. “It’s understandable why that Liu Xiaotong hates you. You are such a darling.”

Shen Lingqing fought the urge to roll her eyes at her mother’s words. If people hear her saying those words, they would never believe Madam Shen.

“So what’s with you and the Liu family, Qingqing? Did they do something to you?” Sun Feiyan asked the younger Shen, wondering what made her cousin annoyed at the Liu family.

“Not to me, Aunt Feiyan, but to Liu Zhongyi’s nephew. Liu Jinfei is currently working as a sous chef at the restaurant I’m managing. He came to see and confirm if Liu Jinfei was really under my wing.”

Sun Feiyan nodded in understanding. One didn’t need half a brain to realize what was going on between the members of the Liu family. It had been two decades since Liu Jinfei lost his parents in an accident, and there had been rumors circulating within the capital about it.

Still, the Shens and the Yes had nothing to do with it. However, if the Liu family came knocking at Shen Lingqing’s door to ask for trouble, then… they would offend not only the Shen family but also the Tang and Ye families that were closely related to Shen Lingqing.

“All bark but no bite. Disappointing.” Lu Xinyi scoffed. She would love to trample them under her own feet if she had a chance. How dare they look down on her beautiful daughter in front of her?

“You shouldn’t compare them to the dogs, Xinxin. That’s disrespectful to those innocent animals.” Sun Feiyan corrected her.

Lu Xinyi stared at her cousin with bewilderment before she burst into laughter behind her hand, her eyes stung with tears.

How could Sun Feiyan say that her cousin never changed when she hadn’t, too? If people thought Madam Shen was too straightforward with her words, Madam Ye didn’t mince words when it came to giving her opinion.

“Right. Right. My mistake. I shouldn’t have compared them to the dogs.”

Shen Lingqing remained silent and swirled her drink in her glass. The Liu family truly saw Liu Jinfei as a threat to them, because if they didn’t, they would have left Liu Jinfei in peace. After all, it was hard to sleep at night, knowing one had done something wrong to others.

Shen Lingqing wouldn’t think of it as guilt. Liu Zhongyi merely would never feel at peace so long as Liu Jinfei’s presence was there to remind him. He could still lose everything he had if the younger man chose to fight for his inheritance.

“How’s your new restaurant, Qingqing?” Her Aunt Feiyan’s question brought her out of her trance.

“It’s doing well, Auntie. Thank you for your concern,” she said in response.