So, is the truth finally out this time?

The Marquis of Huainan’s face shifted between shades of pale and livid before he cast a ferocious glare at Meng Xingzhou.

What kind of riffraff had he brought forward when tasked with finding a husband for Qingyue! Even if he cared nothing for her, could this unfilial son not at least consider the reputation of the Marquis’s estate?

Meng Xingzhou pursed his lips, his conscience stinging, and remained silent.

Madame Meng sobbed as she gave her son a shove. "She is a young lady of unsullied reputation! Even if you are careless, you cannot treat her with such indifference!"

Seeing Madame Meng effortlessly minimize Meng Xingzhou’s deliberate actions by rebranding them as mere "carelessness," Meng Qingyue sighed in silence. She had nothing left to say to the members of the Meng family, who took turns performing their hypocritical roles.

She returned to her room in silence. Less than a quarter of an hour later, Madame Meng followed closely behind.

"Qingyue..." Madame Meng’s expression was awkward as she looked at her daughter with caution, seemingly terrified of offending her.

Even now, Meng Qingyue could not bring herself to treat her mother with cold words. Yet, a rift had undeniably formed. She turned aside to gesture for her mother to enter, though her own expression remained distant and indifferent.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Madame Meng heaved a long sigh. She stroked her daughter’s hand and lamented, "I scolded your brother just now. Honestly, since Changle returned, that child has truly changed so much..."

As she spoke, Madame Meng paused, pointlessly recalling the day of the fall from the cliff, when Xingzhou had chosen to save Changle without a moment’s hesitation. When one tallied up every incident and every grievance, it was no wonder Qingyue felt so wronged.

Her guilt toward her daughter deepened. "Your brother is so doted on Changle that he inevitably neglected you. Do not be sad. To me, Yue’er will always come first."

As Madame Meng spoke, her eyes turned red. She had witnessed the child’s coldness these past few days, but as a mother who had raised her daughter from infancy, how could she not feel the sting of pain?

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in Madame Meng’s words, Meng Qingyue felt a flicker of emotion. Seeing this, Madame Meng pulled her daughter into an embrace. Feeling the warmth and softness of her mother’s presence, Meng Qingyue finally let her armor fall, a sob catching in her throat.

"Mother..."

Madame Meng patted her daughter’s shoulder gently, just as she had in her childhood—tender, pitying, and filled with affection.

Meng Qingyue could no longer suppress the repression and grievance in her heart; she buried her face in her mother’s arms and wept. The cowardice of being left to kneel at the Qiao estate as punishment, the panic of being pushed into the lake, the terror of falling from the cliff—a thousand tangled thoughts surged forth. She held her mother tightly, unable to stop her tears.

Born with a natural filial devotion, she found it all too easy to forgive her mother. Even a simple embrace seemed enough to soothe the deep wounds of these past few days. This was her mother, after all! The mother who had loved, cherished, and protected her since she was a child, holding her at the very center of her heart! No matter how her father and brother treated her, she believed her mother still cared for her. She lingered in her mother’s arms, craving this long-lost warmth, unwilling to pull away.

Seeing this, Madame Meng couldn't help but smile. She stroked her daughter’s cheek, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "But Qingyue, as long as you remain unmarried, your sister’s heart will remain uneasy. If you do not like the men who came today, Mother will pick even better ones for you tomorrow, how about that?"

As Madame Meng spoke, she felt Meng Qingyue’s trembling shoulders suddenly stiffen. Then, she slowly rose from her mother’s embrace and looked at her steadily.

"What is wrong..." Perhaps because Meng Qingyue’s gaze was too unfamiliar, Madame Meng felt a surge of panic. She scrambled to justify herself. "Qingyue, I am doing this for your own good. You will have to marry sooner or later—what difference does a day or two make?"

"So..." Meng Qingyue’s tears still hung on her lashes. When she spoke, her tone was cold. "In order for Meng Changle to have peace of mind, you must marry me off as quickly as possible, is that it?"

Madame Meng felt these words were skewed. She wanted to retort, but upon reflection, she found herself unable to speak. Subconsciously, that was exactly what she had been thinking.

To mask her own guilt, she adopted an even more righteous air. "Qingyue, that is an unfair thing to say. A marriage is a matter of parental decree. To push back and stall like this—is that not an act of rebellion?"

The nursemaid standing nearby felt her heart leap to her throat and frantically signaled the Madame with her eyes—rebellion was a grave crime in the eyes of the court; how could she say such things to the Second Miss!

But clearly, Madame Meng did not notice the warning and continued to pour out her grievances. "Although I did not give birth to you, I have treated you as my own for all these years. Even after Changle returned, I still allowed you to remain in the estate. Qingyue, humans are not made of wood or stone; you should know how to be grateful."

Listening to Madame Meng’s earnest, nagging advice, Meng Qingyue’s expression turned cold inch by inch. The remaining remnants of hope and fantasy she had clung to were extinguished in this very moment.

So... even her mother... was no longer truly her mother.

Her heart felt heavy, as if it had lost the ability to feel pain—numb, a pervasive, chilling numbness. In the depths of her ultimate disappointment, Meng Qingyue felt a strange sense of release. She looked at Madame Meng and said, "Very well."

"Don't say that Mother is biased; I love you and Changle just as one loves both the palm and the back of one's hand..." Madame Meng was still rambling on, but when she realized Meng Qingyue had suddenly relented, she was stunned, followed immediately by a surge of great joy. "Qingyue, you have agreed?"

Seeing the undisguised joy on Madame Meng’s face, Meng Qingyue sighed and said "Yes" once more. "You are right. I must marry sooner or later. If this can fulfill a wish of yours, Mother, then it can be considered my final act of filial duty."

Madame Meng’s expression turned awkward, especially when she caught the knowing look in her daughter’s eyes. She finally felt a sense of shame, like the embarrassment of a secret intent being suddenly exposed.

Even after she left the room, she was still heaving heavy sighs, complaining to the nursemaid. "I find this child Qingyue increasingly unfathomable... sigh..."

"They say that harmony in the home brings prosperity, yet why must she constantly stir up trouble? How has our Meng family wronged her? How has her sister ever done her a disservice?"

Madame Meng concluded, "In the end, because there is no blood tie, how could Qingyue ever truly understand us? My greatest mistake was adopting her all those years ago!"