Mother Ren had just finished speaking when, in a moment of distraction as she turned her head, she caught sight of the necklace around Meng Ying's neck. It looked familiar.
Her expression darkened as she demanded sharply, "Where did you get that necklace?"
Meng Ying instinctively covered her neck, her eyes darting away. She muttered a weak excuse, "No, it's mine. This necklace belongs to me."
But Mother Ren remembered clearly. Meng Ying had come back penniless—how could she possibly have had this necklace before? And the design, it was unmistakable. It was the one Lan Jin had gifted her before her wedding.
Years had passed, and that particular style was no longer sold anywhere.
Heart pounding, Mother Ren rushed to her room and opened the safe. Just as she feared, one necklace was missing. And the one missing was exactly the one now around Meng Ying's neck.
She didn't need any more clues. Everything clicked instantly in her mind.
Outside the room, Father Ren whispered anxiously, "Why didn't you take it off before coming back? Do you remember what you promised me when you first wore it?"
Meng Ying scrambled to defend herself. "I forgot, okay? How was I supposed to know she'd notice so fast? She's way too sharp."
Before she could finish, Mother Ren stormed out of the room, gripping a porcelain vase. The moment she laid eyes on Father Ren, she smashed it right over his head.
She wasn't stupid. The safe couldn't be opened without the password. And only two people knew that code—her and Father Ren. That meant it had to be him who opened it. Now that the necklace was around Meng Ying's neck, there was no doubt in her mind.
The vase was thin and shattered instantly on impact. Though the blow left Father Ren's head aching and red, there was no visible bleeding. But he wasn't young anymore. With that one hit, he slumped to the floor, dazed and dizzy.
And it wasn't over.
The true culprit, Meng Ying, was still standing nearby. This woman had seduced her son, and now her husband. Every bit of this was karma—retribution, plain and simple.
Mother Ren's gaze fell on the fruit knife on the coffee table. Her eyes narrowed. She strode forward and snatched it up without hesitation. In one swift turn, she lunged straight at Meng Ying.
But Meng Ying had long been ready.
She'd been a mistress for years. She'd developed instincts. The moment trouble arose, she knew to get herself out first. She didn't need anyone else. She had already started inching toward the door the moment Mother Ren picked up the vase.
By the time the fruit knife was in Mother Ren's hand, Meng Ying was already at the front door. The instant she saw that glint of metal, she flung the door open, slipped outside, and slammed it shut behind her. Then, with her entire weight, she held the door shut with both hands, bracing herself in case Mother Ren came after her.
But Mother Ren had lost all sense of reason. She pounded on the door with both fists, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Meng Ying! What did I ever do to deserve this? I took you in because of your relationship with Ah Xing. Otherwise, why would I ever have brought you into this house? Even when it came to Lan Jin and Qiao Qiao, I said nothing. And this is how you repay me?"
Meng Ying showed no sign of guilt. Her voice came through cold and sharp.
"You old hag. Don't think I don't know. You never liked me. From the start, you've always looked down on me. You only hated Lan Jin because she was better than your useless son. You brought me back for your own reasons, not because you cared. Now that Ren Xing is missing and Lan Jin doesn't care about you anymore, you're sucking up to me. You think I'm stupid?"
Mother Ren hadn't thought of it that way. When she brought Meng Ying back, it was out of pity. The girl had been crammed into a run-down shared rental. After all, she had been Ren Xing's girlfriend. If he ever returned and found her living like that, what would he think of them?
But sometimes, good intentions really do lead to disaster. And now, here it was—retribution, real and swift.
Still gripping the knife, Mother Ren refused to give up. But Father Ren, now recovering from the blow, shakily got to his feet. He stumbled over and grabbed her tightly from behind.
If he'd stayed out of it, maybe she would've tired herself out. She wasn't young anymore, and her stamina wasn't what it used to be. But by stepping in now, he had only made things worse.
She turned on him in rage.
"You're still protecting Meng Ying? Now? You must have a death wish."
Meanwhile, Meng Ying seized the opportunity and ran for the stairs. She wasn't coming back.
Not a chance.
As for Father Ren, he'd never truly planned to take Meng Ying's side. To him, she was a passing fling. All the valuable assets—gold, properties, stores, and contribution points—were in Mother Ren's name. Even if currency meant little now, those resources would be enough to ensure a comfortable life. There was no way he'd throw it all away for some woman.
His only intention had been to calm Mother Ren down. He just happened to pick the worst possible moment.
What followed was a chaotic mess of apologies and punches.
And as he sat there rubbing his aching head, he couldn't help but grumble inwardly. "Why did my timing suck so much? And why the hell did Lan Jin have to give her that necklace in the first place?"
Lan Jin: ... "What did I even do?"
Later.
Father Ren didn't get off easy.
After venting her rage, Mother Ren collapsed into a chair, glaring daggers at him.
Father Ren, knowing better than to talk back, obediently pulled out the washboard. He knelt on it for two full hours. When his knees gave out, he finally dropped onto the floor, sighing miserably.
"It was just that one time. Really. You're always home, so how could I possibly do anything more? It was only that once, I swear. I know I was wrong. And I thought you didn't want that necklace anymore. I figured it was fine to give it away."
"That necklace was from Lan Jin. She gave it to me before she got married. You gave it to that woman, and what if Lan Jin sees it? What do you expect her to think?" Mother Ren clutched her chest, trying to calm her breath.
"She won't see it. And anyway, you don't even like her. You've never worn the necklace either."
He still wouldn't admit he was wrong.
But was that the point?
Mother Ren inhaled deeply, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. "Meng Ying went to visit Lan Jin this morning."
"So what? That was years ago. She can't possibly remember the necklace."
"She remembers everything. Our relationship was never good, and that necklace was the only one she ever gave me. Lan Jin's too sharp. The moment she sees it, she'll know you slept with Meng Ying. You want to know why I never liked Lan Jin? Because she's too smart. Our son's an idiot. He could never keep anything from her. How could he possibly win against someone like that?"