"Only Silian had the opportunity. After Yutong exposed her feelings for Jiang Lulian and her schemes against Yutong, did she really come to terms with her mistakes? And even after Jiang Lulian continued to pursue Yutong, could she really be content?" Ming Jingshui said, his face darkening with anger.
"If the news about Yutong's infertility gets out, Jiang Lulian will be out of the picture. Look at him now, still hanging around Yutong. Who else in the family would accept Yutong?"
"It's not just about cutting off Yutong's chance with Jiang Lulian. It's also about closing off all her future possibilities. Silian must still harbor resentment against Yutong!" Ming Jingshui's face turned a deep shade of anger.
Though he had no concrete evidence, he was convinced that Ming Silian was behind it.
"Don't be so quick to think the worst of Silian. This is just your speculation," Fang Qian'an said, sounding nervous but also privately inclined to believe Ming Jingshui's theory.
"I don't want to think badly of her. She's my daughter too. Who wouldn't want their child to be well? Not only to live well and be happy but to be upright, kind, and righteous. Not to scheme and harm their own family. Moreover, without Yutong, she might not even have returned home!"
"It's one thing to repay kindness with malice and to plot against one's own family. But it's even worse to be so thoughtless that she can't even see the bigger picture."
Ming Jingshui was increasingly enraged. "What good will come to her by ruining Yutong's future? Yuqian was supposed to inherit the family business. With only Yutong and Silian left, Yutong's capabilities are clear to all. As long as she's well, the Ming family will thrive. Regardless of who she marries, she could unify both families for mutual benefit. But now, that possibility has been shattered."
"Are we supposed to count on Silian to complete this? Just look at her intellect—can she do it?" Ming Jingshui said, his frustration evident.
Fang Qian'an sighed heavily, "It's because she didn't grow up with us and didn't receive our education. Had she been with us, exposed to different teachings from a young age, she wouldn't be like this."
Ming Jingshui frowned and sighed in resignation, his expression softening. He was still upset with Ming Silian, but Fang Qian'an's words also stirred feelings of guilt.
Ming Silian's disappearance when she was young was a failure on their part as parents. If they had taken better care of her, she wouldn't have gone missing, and she wouldn't have spent over twenty years away from them.
Although born into privilege, Ming Silian had endured hardship outside and ended up an orphan.
Fang Qian'an was right.
Ming Silian's lack of education and early exposure to different values had led to her current situation and estrangement from the family.
"Regardless of whether it was Silian or not, we need to keep a close watch on her," Fang Qian'an said.
"Didn't we keep an eye on her before? She's an adult now. Are we supposed to follow her around 24/7 to prevent her from making mistakes?" Ming Jingshui said with a sarcastic laugh. "That's just not feasible."
"Then from now on, we need to teach her well," Fang Qian'an said with a motherly concern for Ming Silian.
"We didn't understand her well before, given the long time she was missing. But now that we know, while she's still young, we should correct her behavior. It's not too late."
Ming Jingshui moved his mouth and finally said, "That's the only way."
"So... should we tell Yutong about this?" Fang Qian'an asked nervously.
Despite her gratitude toward Ming Yutong, Fang Qian'an had her own concerns and wanted to protect Ming Silian.
Ming Jingshui saw through her thoughts. "Right now, we don't have evidence. It's all just speculation. Even if it might be Silian, making such accusations without proof could unjustly hurt her and damage her relationship with Yutong."
"Have you considered what might happen if Yutong finds out the truth, and it really is Silian? She worked hard to bring back our daughter, only to have her daughter repeatedly harm Yutong. What if this causes a rift between them and affects our relationship with Yutong?" Ming Jingshui said, his voice tense.
"But do you have proof? Without evidence, how can you accuse her? You could say you suspect Silian, but if you have no proof, I can't let you just blame her. Even if it's wrong to Yutong, what about Silian?" Fang Qian'an argued. "If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, you'll be wronging Silian, too."
"You're right," Ming Jingshui said. "I don't want to falsely accuse Silian. I just want Yutong to be cautious and stay away from her."
As he spoke, Ming Jingshui's expression grew stern.
"No, we can't say anything!" Fang Qian'an said, gripping Ming Jingshui's arm. "Jingshui, just pretend you don't know anything. It's not lying or hiding the truth—it's that we don't have evidence. If Yutong finds proof that it's Silian, then I will personally take Silian to apologize to Yutong and accept any punishment."
"But until then, no. Silian is our daughter. We need to teach her, and she will change."
Ming Jingshui looked at Fang Qian'an deeply, took a deep breath, and his shoulders sagged. "Alright. But this is the only time. Even if she's our daughter, she can't plot against her own family. Today, she might scheme against her sister, and tomorrow, she could turn against her elder brother, sister-in-law, parents, or even us."
"Today's small schemes might lead to worse things in the future."
"I know. I know," Fang Qian'an said repeatedly. "We'll teach her properly. She's still young and can be guided."
Ming Jingshui slumped onto the sofa, feeling as if by concealing the truth, he was betraying Ming Yutong's help.
He wasn't sure how to face Ming Yutong now.
Fang Qian'an, too, was deeply remorseful for betraying Ming Yutong in her attempt to protect Ming Silian.
They sat silently on opposite ends of the sofa, each lost in their own thoughts and emotions.
After a while, Ming Jingshui rose and walked to the window to look outside, trying to assess the situation.