Chapter 206: Chapter 206: A Hard-Won Opportunity

Zhang Yuqing had said so much, and Xu Qingsui finally understood. It was exactly as she had thought when she first met the woman.

This was the classic case of a wealthy lady assuming her son had fallen in love with a woman from a mismatched background. Unwilling to let such a woman enter her family, she stepped in personally to drive her away.

However, novels were just novels. In reality, wealthy mothers wouldn’t just throw money at the problem. Instead, they would do exactly what Zhang Yuqing did—investigate the person’s background and create a sense of inferiority to force them to back out on their own.

As for whether they would resort to throwing money if this tactic failed, Xu Qingsui had no idea. Since her relationship with Shen Yan was purely platonic and she had no desire to play mind games with Zhang Yuqing, she wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

Having made her stance clear, Xu Qingsui had no wish to stay any longer. She stood up, ready to leave.

But Zhang Yuqing caught her arm. "Don’t get so worked up. I’m not belittling you. On the contrary, I actually admire you."

With that, Zhang Yuqing stood up, walked behind Xu Qingsui, and pressed her hands onto her shoulders, pushing her back down into her seat.

"What I’m trying to say is that everything you’ve enjoyed today can be yours. In fact, the you of today is just like the me of the past. Back then, the Zhang family and the Shen family were also a mismatch in social status, but I still managed to reach the position I’m in today." Leaning forward, Zhang Yuqing whispered into Xu Qingsui’s ear as she held her down.

"It’s precisely because you resemble the past me that I like you so much. After confirming your character, I want to help you. I want to turn you into the current me!"

Zhang Yuqing had laid all her cards on the table. Although it wasn’t what Xu Qingsui had expected, it still made her frown. She had never once thought about becoming Mrs. Shen!

"Even though Shen Yan has already rejected Liang Xiaoxiao, the elders on both sides still have some objections. Add to that your background—even if Shen Yan agrees, those old fogeys will never let you cross the Shen family’s threshold.

"But I can help you. As long as you listen to me, I guarantee you’ll become the young madam of the Shen family. And when Shen Yan’s father and I pass away, you will be the official Mrs. Shen."

Xu Qingsui looked at her in surprise. She couldn’t believe Zhang Yuqing had planned things so far into the future. For her to say such things, there had to be more to it. Right now, it wasn’t about whether she wanted to be Mrs. Shen, but rather that Zhang Yuqing wanted her to be Mrs. Shen. She certainly didn’t believe Zhang Yuqing’s nonsense about how they were so alike. There had to be a much bigger reason behind all this.

Genuinely curious about the underlying motive, Xu Qingsui couldn’t help but ask, "I don’t understand. What do you get out of making me Mrs. Shen?

"Since we’ve already come this far, I think we can afford to be completely honest with each other. If we are, I might actually consider it."

Driven purely by curiosity and wanting to lure her in deeper, Xu Qingsui took a step back in her stance. Seeing Xu Qingsui relent, an indescribably complex emotion flickered in Zhang Yuqing’s eyes.

She pondered for a moment before speaking. "Because of Liang Xiaoxiao! There’s a faction within the family that still hopes Shen Yan and Liang Xiaoxiao will end up together. They want to keep playing matchmaker, but I don’t like her. I will never allow that woman to marry into the Shen family! Never! No matter who..."

When touching on the root cause, a hint of ruthlessness crept into Zhang Yuqing’s tone. Especially toward the end, Xu Qingsui vaguely sensed that there might be another, far more crucial figure involved. Xu Qingsui narrowed her eyes, watching Zhang Yuqing closely as she weighed whether to dig deeper. But Zhang Yuqing truly lived up to her title as Mrs. Shen. She recovered quickly, instantly reverting to her usual elegant and poised demeanor as she looked at Xu Qingsui with a smile.

"There’s no need to waste time discussing such trivial matters. I only have this one goal, and as long as you listen to me from now on, I will absolutely make you the next Mrs. Shen."

Clearly not wanting Xu Qingsui to probe further, Zhang Yuqing tried to cut the conversation short. However, the more abnormal her behavior was, the more it gripped Xu Qingsui’s curiosity, making her yearn to uncover the truth.

"Mrs. Shen, I appreciate your good intentions. But I really don’t have much interest in the position of Mrs. Shen. Perhaps you could tell me something that might pique my interest."

Given her current status, Zhang Yuqing was naturally no fool. She knew exactly what Xu Qingsui was trying to pry into. But as certain images flashed across her mind, she secretly clenched her fists. Words filled with hatred hovered on the tip of her tongue, yet they remained unspoken. She took several deep breaths, fighting to calm the turbulent sea of resentment building inside her.

"I’ve made myself perfectly clear today. Whether you choose to cherish this opportunity is entirely up to you. After all, there are plenty of women vying for this position; you aren’t my only option.

"I’m willing to back you, and I have only one requirement: obedience. If you listen to me now, the entire Shen family will listen to you in the future.

"That being said, I don’t particularly appreciate your little mind games, so I won’t say any more. Think it over carefully and give me an answer as soon as possible. But remember my condition—if you agree, you must obey me."

Zhang Yuqing’s repeated emphasis on the word "obedience" made Xu Qingsui realize that she was merely looking for an easily manipulated puppet. She made it sound wonderful, but the prerequisite was acting as her marionette. And when Zhang Yuqing finally passed away, who could guarantee that the dark clouds would truly part to reveal a clear sky as she claimed? Her scheme of dangling a massive carrot to catch a willing lackey was far too obvious. Fortunately, it had nothing to do with Xu Qingsui. Since Zhang Yuqing’s true motives were fully exposed, Xu Qingsui couldn’t be bothered to entertain her any longer.

"Mrs. Shen, my answer is already very clear. I really have no interest in this position. So, I wish you the best in finding a puppet who meets your satisfaction."

Xu Qingsui didn’t like mincing words, and her blunt remark instantly made Zhang Yuqing’s face flush red. Even so, the older woman restrained herself, clinging to her last shred of dignity.

Feigning composure, she said, "I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m giving you time to think this over carefully. Opportunities like this are rare, and not just anyone can get them."

Xu Qingsui chuckled. "Then I suppose I just don’t have the fortune to enjoy it. Thank you for your hospitality today, Mrs. Shen. I’m sure you don’t really want to look at me right now, so I’ll just vanish from your sight."

Without giving Zhang Yuqing another chance to speak, Xu Qingsui turned and walked straight out of the private room.

The moment she stepped outside, the sound of plates and bowls shattering rang out from within the room—CRASH! SMASH!

Listening to the noise behind her, the corners of Xu Qingsui’s lips curled up. She thought, "Can she really not even handle this much?" Since the woman was Shen Yan’s mother, she had held back and left her with some dignity this time. Otherwise, given that Zhang Yuqing had investigated her background and plotted to turn her into a marionette, Xu Qingsui would never have let the matter go so easily.

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