Mama's Princess is Daddy's Beloved

"Mrs. Zhang, listen to me first. Don't take the relatives to be that easy. They would definitely make a way for Xiaotong. They know her and favor her. No matter what Li Xue does, they won't simply come to her rescue." Taking her last chance to make Zhan Qian Lan agree with her, Zhen Qinrous desperately tried. But little did she know that she was just having false hopes for even fate had decided to make her lose in her every ill motive.

Zhan Qian Lan laughed on the other side of the call. "You know well to bluff people, Qinrou. I might have believed you for an instance now, but then I remembered that the greatest favor that woman, Li Xue has is not patriarch or the other main members of the family but Feng Shufen himself. With him around, I would not hesitate to accept that my daughter has no hope in his life."

She said and her words were the truth that could make anyone speechless. Zhen Qinrou wanted to stand on defense again but before she could, the woman added on to say, "Qinrou, just because I didn't make it clear in my words that doesn't mean that I don't know what game Shufen has played to make the relatives willingly agree to his relationship. Do you think that was easy? Not just was he steps ahead of everyone, but he was all known to the things happening in the background. With him around, things you are showing as easy are simply too tough to imagine, let alone think of them happening in reality. So, it would only be better if you check the depth before walking into the water. It would save you your life for once."

She said and at her words like that, Zhen Qinrou felt her heart booming in irritation. Feng Shufen's quick responses like this hurt no one more than her. No matter how she tried, she simply could not succeed in ruining things for him. Be it his career before or his love life this time.

"Didn't you always want to get him as your son-in-law? Would you just step back from your set plan at the appearance of some girl? You were right, I never took you this weak." Zhen Qinrou instigated and her attempt like that only made Zhan Qian Lan leave a flutter of laughter.

"Haha … Qinrou! Qinrou! This is where you differ from us. If you have been rich blood like us then you would have known when you should keep your hopes high for attacking your enemy and when you should concede for harmony. But I can't expect high grade knowledge from you. I bet in place of you if it had been the late matriarch of the family, she might have understood my say. After all, you can never be like her."

Zhang Qian Lan said purposefully targeting the nerve that she knew would hurt the woman a lot. "Anyway, let's not discuss that now. I can understand that you lack certain learning but I need you to know that I still hold them in my books. So, I would say it once more – I no longer want the same as before."

"Feng Shufen has been the man that I planned for my girl once in the past years but I no longer have the same plans. He might be the best choice any girl would have but to have him, I would never want to see my girl losing her essence of personality. After all, she is our sole one and has a lot of responsibilities to look after. I will find her someone else more suitable. So, let's end whatever deal we have signed before."

She said before taking a moment to disconnect the call. Zhen Qinrou held the phone still on her ears. The beeps of disconnection sounded very clear to her ears but she was there standing still as if registering every word, she got to hear on the call.

After a while, her fingers clenched tight around the phone in aggression before she thrashed it hard on the floor. "Argh!! It's again her. Isn't she dead already? Then why is she still so vivid in others' memory? Why do I still need to get adapted to her attitude to gain recognition?" She yelled like crazy before walking to look at herself in the mirror. Although she had tried her best to take the same poise look as Yun Yuchun, only her inner self knew how much she hated this look of hers. Just because of this perfect look of that woman, all her life she has looked imperfect to every other eye.

"Yun Yuchun, just stare up from the heavens. I will definitely let you witness your children's misery, sooner or later. Just wait for it." She said, staring deep at the look of Yun Yuchun she held in the mirror.

***

While on the other hand, just after Zhang Qian Lan disconnected the call, her eyes matched with her daughter's pair, who was standing not too far distance. With proximity, she was sure that although she had spoken things softly, in the silence of darkness, she must have been still very audible.

"Xiaotong, you are here. Was there something you wanted to discuss?" she asked. The awkwardness was very clear in both her words and tone. "Come in. Why are you standing there?"

She asked as she saw the girl walking inside to her slowly. Her expression was very much disappointed. And looking at her like that, it wasn't too hard for her to guess that all this while her talks with Zhen Qinrou had been heard by her.

"Xiaotong, that earlier on the call, I was just thinking for you …" Reaching out to hold her by her shoulders, Zhan Qian Lan thought to explain herself first. But before she could say more her words paused seeing the girl's lips tugging up on the corners in a smile of understanding.

Zhang Xiaotong reached out to caress the hands of her mother over her shoulders before saying, "It's okay, Ma. I understand your concern. I believe that you must have thought of me before making the decision.." She said and her tone was laced with a very unusual nonchalance that for a moment even felt odd to her mother's ears.