He would rather Yan Qianyi had never returned.
That way, not only would they avoid returning the bride price, but the Mu family would also owe him compensation.
The dining room fell into a long, tense silence.
Han Yarong, who was always the one to advise Yan Hong, was now at a loss for words.
After pondering for a while, she finally said, "You can only turn to your son now. With his current status, that amount of money is nothing to him."
Yan Hong shook his head in despair. "He won't help me."
"He's still your son. There's no lasting grudge between a father and son. Talk to him sincerely; surely, he won't stand by and watch us perish…"
"Don't mention him!" Yan Hong interrupted her sharply.
He knew all too well that even if he knelt and begged, it would be futile with that ungrateful child.
"By the way, Qianyi's husband is called Mu Yunlie, isn't he?" Yan Hong suddenly remembered, turning excitedly to Yan Ruyi. "Ruyi, check online immediately—see if there's anyone by the name of Mu Yunlie in the Mu family!"
If Mu Yunlie truly belonged to the Mu family, they wouldn't have to return the bride price!
"How could it be so coincidental? Besides, I've never heard of anyone named Mu Yunlie from the Mu family." Han Yarong rolled her eyes, thinking her husband had lost his mind.
What kind of people were the Mu family?
Yan Qianyi had only just woken up; how could she have possibly known anyone from the Mu family?
If it hadn't been for them publicizing Yan Qianyi's S-grade fertility rating, they wouldn't have even gotten close to the Mu family.
Even last night, when they were presented with such a large sum of money, Mu Zicheng, that notorious playboy, couldn't be bothered to attend in person.
"Just check!" Yan Hong insisted.
Yan Ruyi quickly searched the internet, and the result was exactly as Han Yarong had expected.
There was no one by the name of Mu Yunlie in the Mu family—not even in the extended branches.
"Mom, that man could very well be a robot. I've heard that nowadays, some humanoid robots are made so lifelike that you can't tell the difference unless you look closely," Yan Ruyi remarked.
Even now, her mind was still haunted by that flawless face.
Mu Yunlie's features were so exquisitely chiseled, like they had been carved by the hands of a master, each detail refined to perfection, utterly devoid of any flaws.
How could a real person look like that?
Han Yarong wasn't paying attention to her daughter's musings; her mind was racing for a solution.
She had worked so hard to secure her and her daughter's place in the Yan family.
They had only been enjoying the good life for two years—she couldn't allow the Yan family to go bankrupt now.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Husband, I have an idea!"
Yan Hong jumped up in excitement. "Quick, tell me!"
"She must divorce that man. She still has to marry into the Mu family."
"But the divorce can't happen for a year—how will we explain that to the Mu family in the meantime?"
"That's easy. We'll tell the Mu family that after Qianyi woke up, we conducted a medical examination and found that, due to her current health condition, any child she bears could have health issues. We'll say she needs a year of recuperation and promise to deliver a perfectly healthy bride in a year. Women with S-grade fertility are hard to come by; the Mu family shouldn't mind waiting a year."
Yan Hong nodded, but there was still a trace of doubt in his expression. "But after the divorce, her personal records will show that she's been divorced. How will we explain that to the Mu family?"
"We'll deal with that later. Right now, securing that sum of money and saving the company is the most urgent task."
Yan Ruyi chimed in, "By then, we can probably find a way to erase the record of her divorce."
Han Yarong smiled faintly but said nothing.
Tampering with the system to alter personal information was indeed one option.
But it wasn't that simple, and the Mu family wasn't easily deceived.
Still, none of that concerned her.
All she cared about was keeping the bride price and preserving her life of luxury.
As for what would happen to Yan Qianyi once she married into the Mu family—whether she lived or died—was of no concern to her.
"For now, this is our only option," Yan Hong sighed in relief. "Yarong, you always know what to do."
Han Yarong smiled smugly. "I told you, with me by your side, everything will only get better. Now we just need to find a way to make that man leave Qianyi."
Yan Hong nodded. "Alright, I'll get Qianyi to invite him over to the house, and I'll find an opportunity to speak to him privately."
(End of Chapter)