After Ru Yin Yue got dressed, she exited the room, only to find both Si parents waiting for her outside.
"I'm very sorry." She bowed her head immediately, feeling ashamed. She harbored some suspicions, but she couldn't openly voice them. Not to the two elders. "I don't know how this happened, but I promise that I won't appear ever again. And don't worry, I will not ask for money or anything…"
"No, no. We are the ones who should apologize." Mom Si placed a comforting hand on Ru Yin Yue's shoulder. The younger woman glanced up, feeling her heart drop.
It was true then.
"Did you…?"
"Yes. I'm sorry for setting you up, but it's the only way."
"Only way?" Ru Yin Yue furrowed her brow. "I've probably just earned Si Zha Nan's ire…he will definitely want to take revenge on me. How does that justify you doing this to me?"
"Calm down and listen to my explanation." Mom Si gestured for her to take a seat in the living room. Her husband sat beside her silently, and several maids came forward to serve tea. At Mom Si's signal, a maid placed a small cup of steaming chrysanthemum tea in front of Ru Yin Yue.
She stared at the cup, but didn't touch it. She still remembered what had happened last night, after she had accepted the wine from the Si parents, and she was wary of it happening again.
"We are very sorry about last night, but I assure you, the tea isn't drugged. We are drinking from the same teapot." Mom Si made a show of drinking a cup of tea. Then she leaned back against the chair. "Again, I apologize, but it was the only way to make Zhou Ni Yao give up."
"Give up?" Ru Yin Yue was astonished. "You mean give up on the marriage? But why?"
"Honestly, we don't like Zhou Ni Yao." Mom Si shook her head, revulsion filling her usually serene expression. "When Zha Nan insisted that he wanted to marry her, we conducted several background checks. Her father is a compulsive gambler who racked up a massive amount of debt…and continues to pile up more debts even today because he is unable to stop. Zha Nan has spent a large sum of money to pay off his debts ever since he dated Zhou Ni Yao. Not that the money particularly matters to us, of course. But Zhou Ni Yao is simply unsuitable to marry into the Si family. She is dishonest, arrogant, condescending and looks down on others."
As if your Si family is one to talk, Ru Yin Yue thought, but she wisely did not voice that out.
"You are much more suited to be the young mistress of the Si family. You are cultured, refined and polite. Unlike Zhou Ni Yao, who only knows how to waste money on branded products or her father's gambling, you have an excellent music background. We would rather have you as our daughter-in-law. That's why we arranged for…this incident. Hopefully, they will give up on each other."
"Even if that's the case, you did not have to involve me at all." Ru Yin Yue's tone was cold. "Do you know how much trouble I will be in? As I said earlier, Si Zha Nan will definitely seek revenge for this. And unless you tell him the truth, which I doubt, I will be the target of his anger. He will utterly destroy me."
"How is that possible?" Mom Si laughed dismissively at what she considered was exaggeration on Ru Yin Yue's part. "You and Zha Nan have been classmates since high school. Your relationship has always been pure. As long as you desire it, the position of Mrs. Si will be yours."
Mom Si had never liked Zhou Ni Yao ever since she met the girl when her son first entered high school and brought her back home. Perhaps it was woman's intuition, but she could see through the green tea's façade and tell just how dishonest and scheming she was. Instinctively, she understood how dangerous Zhou Ni Yao was, and that she would potentially become the downfall of the Si family. She could not afford to allow Zhou Ni Yao to marry into the Si family. She would never accept her as her daughter-in-law.
Unfortunately, Si Zha Nan had been blinded by love, and against his parents' wishes, he had insisted on being in a romantic relationship with her for so many years. In his mind, Zhou Ni Yao was the only girl for him, his soulmate and one true love. No other girl could replace her in his heart.
Unable to delay and deny the marriage any longer, Mom Si had resorted to the same trickery that she abhorred Zhou Ni Yao for. It might be hypocritical, but she considered it a necessary evil. Ru Yin Yue was more suitable to be her daughter-in-law. She was honest, pure and humble, unlike Zhou Ni Yao. Even the servants detested her because of how she threw her weight around in the Si household and looked down on them.
However, none of Mom Si's concerns mattered to Ru Yin Yue.
Shaking her head, she sighed. She knew more than anyone else how much Si Zha Nan loathed her, and that hatred and resentment would only grow exponentially now that he believed that she was the cause of his breakup with Zhou Ni Yao.
Ru Yin Yue couldn't imagine getting married to him. In fact, she dreaded seeing him again. He would definitely have some caustic words for her. Perhaps he would find a way to make her life a living hell. As the CEO of the Si Corporation, he certainly had the resources to do so. And she had heard stories of how ruthless he could be, particularly when he crushed other companies to climb up the economic ladder.
"Auntie, if you don't like Ni Yao, then you should have discussed this directly with Zha Nan."
"Did you think I already didn't try that?" Mom Si scoffed. "Ten years. For ten years I've been trying to persuade him. His father too. He refused to listen to either of us."
"Be that as may be, but you shouldn't have involved me in this matter. I am not a tool to be used and sacrificed like this. I understand your misgivings against Ni Yao, but perhaps you could have tried introducing Zha Nan to another girl, one who is better and more suited to being Mrs. Si. Unfortunately, I am not that girl. I cannot and will not marry Zha Nan."
"Dear, don't you like Zha Nan?" Mom Si sounded disappointed. She was aware that Yin Yue was in love with Zha Nan, which was why she came up with this plan in the first place.
"I do like him, but it's one-sided." Ru Yin Yue clenched her fists tightly. "A relationship will only work if the feelings are mutual."
The fact remained that Si Zha Nan did not like her at all. Even if he was forced to marry her, that fact would not change.
Mom Si helplessly clasped Ru Yin Yue's hands, looking at her pleadingly. "I know that it's selfish, but please accept my request. If you do not seize this opportunity to drive away Zhi Rou, then Zha Nan will definitely be ruined by her."
"I'm sorry. Even so, I cannot do this." Ru Yin Yue withdrew her hands from Mom Si's grasp. She glanced at Dad Si, who was shaking his head in disapproval.
"Yin Yue is right. You cannot force this on her. It's not fair to her."
"Thank you for understanding, uncle."
"This…" Mom Si wore a helpless expression. Then she sighed and nodded. "Don't give me an immediate answer. Take some time to consider my proposal, okay?"
"No matter how long you give me, my answer will be the same."
"No, that's…" Mom Si glanced around the house warily, as if half-expecting somebody to be spying on them. She lowered her voice. "I'll pay you a visit later. I'm not sure if I can tell you about this here, but there is more information regarding Zhou Ni Yao that you must know about."
"Why can't you just tell me now?" Ru Yin Yue frowned. Mom Si stared down at her knees, unable to meet her gaze.
"It's…a sensitive topic."
"The walls have ears," Dad Si said. Ru Yin Yue narrowed her eyes, but understood that it was useless to pursue.
"Even then, I doubt my answer will change."
"Don't be too hasty in your reply. Take some time to think about it, please."
"In the meantime, please allow you to treat you to breakfast…I know it's not much in the way of an apology, but we would like to give you something for all the trouble we've caused." Dad Si rose to his feet and nodded at a maid, who swiftly disappeared toward the direction of the kitchen.
"No need for that…" Ru Yin Yue dearly wanted to leave the Si family villa, but she trailed off, not knowing how to politely refuse their offer.
Fortunately, her smartphone chose that time to ring. She exhaled softly in relief when she saw that the call was from her agent.
"What's up, Ning Xue?"
"Aren't you supposed to contact me in the morning? What happened?" Xia Ning Xue's annoyed voice blared from the other end. "We arranged to visit auntie, remember?"
"Yes, I'll reach the hospital shortly." Ru Yin Yue hung up and bowed her head in what she hoped was a regretful manner. "I am very sorry. I'm due to meet my friend in the hospital to visit my mom, so I have to get going."
"We'll give you a lift." Dad Si was already calling a butler.
"That's…" Ru Yin Yue protested, but Dad Si wasn't taking no for an answer. The butler showed up in a few seconds, the car keys jangling from his gloved hands. She squirmed uncomfortably when the middle-aged man led her out. "I would prefer a more discreet mode of transport."
"Oh, you won't be able to find much transport here," Dad Si said with a shrug. "Our villa is on the outskirts of Cheng Shi City. The buses and trains don't come here, and you'll find it difficult to call for a taxi to such a remote area. It's best if we just send you there. You don't want to be late for your appointment with your friend, do you?"
"…then I will thank you in advance." Ru Yin Yue bowed. Trying to avoid eye contact with both Si parents, she hastily followed the butler out of the house and toward the gargantuan garage beside the massive villa.