Chapter 3: Is there anything wrong with this second aunt? Let me zone out for a bit.

At six in the evening, the car departed from the Xu residence and headed toward the estate in the suburbs.

Xu Yanwen was driving himself. While waiting at a red light, he glanced into the rearview mirror at his wife and children in the back seat.

His two daughters sat obediently on either side of his wife. Yinyin had her head turned, gazing out the window. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with curiosity, and the smile on her lips hadn’t faded since they got into the car.

The reserved and quiet Yaoyao was also gazing out the window, her expression soft with a gentle smile. Seeing such a well-behaved daughter, it was hard to imagine linking her to the mischievous “little thief” Yinyin had mentioned in her thoughts.

Was Yaoyao truly Zhou Xinyi’s child? With so many enemies around him, who could her real father be?

Argh, this half-answered mystery is so frustrating! He couldn’t ask outright either—if he did, it would lead to awkward silence.

Still, on second thought, ignorance was probably for the best. If the girls realized their thoughts could be overheard by others, Yinyin would likely be too scared to ever speak again. That would make uncovering anything even harder.

An hour later, the car arrived at the estate where the old master lived.

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By the time the Xu family’s car arrived, Second Uncle Xu Yanrui and his wife, Tang Wan, were already seated in the living room, sipping tea.

“What time is it already? Why haven’t they arrived yet? Showing up late on the first visit to the old master—so disrespectful. Big Brother really should’ve taught them better.”

“Yinyin was only brought back yesterday. What could they possibly teach her in a single day? You’re just looking for trouble,” Tang Wan retorted.

Xu Yanrui chuckled derisively, his tone mocking. “And if you were really so calm, why would you have canceled such an important engagement to come here? Don’t tell me you’re not anxious.”

“What’s the point of me being anxious? I don’t even have a say in these matters.”

Tang Wan crossed her arms and leaned back, her frustration evident.

Right now, it was the critical period when the old master was drafting his will. And at this moment, the eldest family branch had suddenly found their biological daughter—it was hard not to overthink it.

After all, another person meant another share of the inheritance. Regardless of whether Xu Yao was actually blood-related or not, she had been raised in the Xu family for over twenty years. Even if she turned out to be “fake,” there was no way they could kick her out.

The Xu family’s wealth was vast—taking care of a handful of “strays” was hardly an issue.

Tang Wan attempted to reassure herself. “No matter what happens, of Father’s three children, only our family has a son. Passing the inheritance to sons and not daughters has always been the family rule. What’s meant to be ours will stay ours. We just have to stay steady.”

Tang Wan shot a nervous glance around and hissed under her breath, “Are you crazy? Do you think this is something you can just say out loud? Haven’t you ever heard of walls having ears?”

Her annoyance with her husband’s carelessness was almost palpable.

Xu Yanrui, however, remained nonchalant. “It’s just the truth. What’s there to hide? The old master has already had a brush with death once—he probably sees things much more clearly than we do. That’s why he’s in such a hurry to sort out his will. What’s mine, no one can take away. And what isn’t? No matter how much you fight for it, you won’t get it. Understand?”

Tang Wan rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone to distract herself.

A short while later, a servant announced the arrival of the eldest son’s family.

Tang Wan sprang to her feet, eager to size up the long-lost daughter who had suddenly gone from “ugly duckling” to “swan princess.”

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law,” she greeted, her smile warm and ingratiating. After exchanging pleasantries with Xu Yanwen and his wife, her attention shifted to Yinyin.

“Oh my, so this is Yinyin? Look at this lovely girl! She looks just like her mother—such a beauty! Two sisters, both stunning. You’d think they were twins! Big Brother and Sister-in-law, you’re so lucky!”

“Hello, Second Aunt,” the sisters said in unison.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is this woman blind? Where exactly do I look like Yaoyao? Saying this kind of thing is just begging for rumors to start. If people hear that we look alike and that I grew up outside the family, they’ll immediately jump to the conclusion that I’m an illegitimate child. Wow, you really just want to stir up trouble, don’t you?”

“Knowing how suspicious Grandpa is, you just had to poke the hornet’s nest. What an expert at sowing discord!”

Hearing her thoughts, Xu Yanrui and Tang Wan were utterly stunned: What?!

Tang Wan tried to retort but found herself unable to get a word out.

“What’s wrong, Second Aunt?” Yinyin blinked innocently, her wide eyes filled with confusion.

“Oh, nothing. You two are so well-mannered. Come, come, sit down,” Tang Wan said, swallowing her frustration as she led them to the sofa.

Xu Yanwen and his wife exchanged knowing glances. Judging by Tang Wan’s and Xu Yanrui’s expressions, it was clear they could also hear Yinyin’s inner thoughts.

For years, Tang Wan had taken jabs at Xu Yanwen, both subtly and overtly. She frequently hinted to the old master that Xu Yanwen lacked ambition, suggesting that he should be pushed out of the family company to make way for her husband. Xu Yanwen, being straightforward and mild-mannered, had always struggled to hold his ground against them.

Now, seeing Tang Wan caught off guard, Xu Yanwen and his wife couldn’t help but feel vindicated.

What happened to your sharp tongue? Can’t talk now, huh?

Tang Wan, furious but helpless, guided them to the sofa. Just as she was about to launch into a series of probing questions under the guise of concern, she was interrupted by another inner thought from Yinyin:

“Ugh, I bet the next part is going to be more of the same boring questions, pretending to care but really trying to dig for information. Hey, Xiao Qi, does this Second Aunt have any juicy melons? Let me zone out for a bit.”

Tang Wan froze in shock.

Melons? What does she mean by melons? What is she up to now?!

“Oh, absolutely. Your Second Aunt has several toy boys outside, all with eight-pack abs.”

“Wow, is that because Second Uncle can’t satisfy her? Tsk, tsk. No wonder he looks so pale and weak—classic kidney deficiency. As they say, women in their thirties are as fierce as wolves, and by forty, they can suck the dust off the ground.”

Tang Wan’s face turned crimson as she clenched her teeth in fury.

“Oh no, your second uncle’s kidney deficiency was caused by indulging in other women. It’s not just her. Your Second Uncle has a mistress too. Theirs is a mutual cheating arrangement—total equality of the sexes.”

“Pfft—cough, cough, cough!” Xu Yanwen spat out his tea in laughter. Good man, it turns out that your usual affection is fake.

His wife, Jiang Xin, hurriedly grabbed some tissues, her gaze darting between the flustered couple on the opposite sofa.

She had no doubt that the pair were close to exploding with frustration at this point. She knew very well the feeling of hearing something but not being able to refute it.

“Is this what they call an open marriage? Then what’s the point of them getting married?”

“To have a son and fight for the inheritance, of course. When your Second Aunt was pregnant with her son, your Second Uncle even gifted her a young wolf cub as a thank-you.”

“Oh my, rich people really know how to play! But wait—how does he know the kid is even his?”

“Easy. During the ‘preparation phase,’ no one was allowed to leave the house. Once pregnancy was confirmed, only then were they ‘released.’”

“Good grief. They really closed the mountains to Plant trees?”

“Pfft—cough, cough!” This time, it was Jiang Xin choking on her tea. “Sorry, sorry!” she said, barely suppressing her laughter.

Xu Yanwen quickly helped his wife, but the two of them were grinning ear to ear. Using the excuse of going upstairs to change clothes, they made a hasty retreat before they burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Xu Yao, who had been pinching her thigh to keep from laughing, nearly lost her composure. Listening to other people’s melons is just too entertaining!

As for the embarrassed couple in question, they were trembling with rage, yet there was nothing they could do.

Scandals are called scandals because they cannot be revealed. Forget about the fact that they couldn’t even speak up—if they were to openly confront these issues, could they still save face?

Ahhh! Is Xu Yinyin a jinx that the main branch brought back just to mess with us?

So hateful!

“Is there more? Come on, give me more! I love hearing this stuff!”

“There’s more—”

“Yinyin, don’t just sit there. Have some tea and snacks. Grandpa should be coming down soon,” Tang Wan interrupted with a forced smile, cutting off the entertaining internal monologue.

“Yaoyao, you too, have some.”

Tang Wan might not be able to refute Yinyin’s thoughts, but at least she could try to block her chatter.

“Thank you, Second Aunt. I was just feeling a bit thirsty,” Xu Yinyin replied sweetly.

Tang Wan, gritting her teeth internally, thought bitterly: Thirsty, huh? Hope you choke on it!

“So, what else? Come on, there’s gotta be more tea—”

“Every time your second aunt meets her young boy toys, goes for a full-body firming and rejuvenation treatment, pretending to be a youthful maiden. She really goes all out like a cucumber painted green!”

“Wait a second. Are those guys blind? She’s in her forties. No matter how much technology she uses, she can’t turn back into an 18-year-old.”

“What’s wrong with being in her forties? Imagine any young man just starting out in life—how many could resist the double allure of money and beauty? Besides, your second aunt’s makeup skills are phenomenal. She can switch between looking like a young girl, a mature lady, or an elegant beauty. She’s got these guys completely captivated. Here, take a look at these pictures.”

Images of Tang Wan in various styles appeared on the system’s screen.

Xu Yinyin picked up the teacup and looked at the images, and silently compared:
“Uh… is this makeup, or is she peeling off her face?”

Tang Wan clenched her fists under the table, utterly speechless.

“Third Miss is back!”

The butler’s announcement drew everyone’s attention to the front door.

Xu Yanyan appeared in an over-the-knee red dress, her delicate and fair face glowing. She walked with an elegant grace, exuding a subtle yet captivating charm, like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

“Wow! Auntie is so beautiful. She must have studied dance. What amazing elegance—swoon!”

Xu Yanwen paused momentarily, looking toward Xu Yinyin and Xu Yao.

She recognized Xu Yao’s voice, but neither of them had spoken. Was it Xu Yinyin’s internal voice?

Although perplexed, Xu Yanwen didn’t show it. Smiling, she approached her two nieces.

“Yaoyao, Yinyin.”

“Auntie!” they greeted in unison.

Xu Yanwen’s gaze lingered on Xu Yinyin, confirming it was her thoughts she had heard earlier.

“Auntie is so gentle, and her voice is lovely too. Ahhh, beautiful people really have everything going for them. I’m so envious!”

Everyone likes to hear compliments, and Xu Yanyan was no exception.

She smiled warmly, gently patting Yinyin’s head. “Are you settling in well at home?”

“Yes, very well. Dad, Mom, and my sister have all been very kind to me. Thank you for asking, Auntie.”

Xu Yanyan found her niece sweet and polite, genuinely likable.

“That’s good. Take it easy. Yaoyao, you too, sit down and relax.”

“Okay.”

“Auntie seems nice. Doesn’t look like there’s any dirt on her, right?”

Xu Yanwen hesitated for a moment. Dirt? What dirt?

Meanwhile, Xu Yanrui and Tang Wan’s eyes lit up with anticipation. Finally, someone else was on the spot—get to the juicy parts already!

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Sansukini: I don’t know why but the author gave Yinyin’s dad and aunt the same name, Xu Yanwen. It’s really confusing. So I changed the aunt’s name to Yanyan instead. With regards to a 40 year-old woman looking so much younger, 40 is not old, especially if you have the money to maintain your beauty, plus, being Asian is a natural advantage when it comes to looking younger. But I guess, if you’re just in your 20’s, your perspective will be that 40 is old.