Fu Tingyi and Fang Ru exchanged glances, their eyes meeting.
"Don't cry yet," Fang Ru said softly, "I've already looked into this. It's really not a big deal, just some minor squabbles between the children..."
"Then why did you send the person to the police station? If there was a misunderstanding, it could have been cleared up. If the child did something wrong, you could discipline them. This way, I'm truly..." Shu Youqing's tears streamed down, crying bitterly.
"Stop crying, you're making me feel uneasy too," Fang Ru glared at Fu Tingyi. "I told you it wasn't a big deal and there was no need to send people to the police station. All our children are spoiled by you!"
Fu Tingyi sighed, "Alright, don't you two worry. I'll handle this for you. I'll bring the child out as soon as possible."
"I'll go find Shen Qingqing. All she needs to do is go to the police station and sign the letter of understanding."
The mention of Shen Qingqing's name filled Fang Ru's face with disgust. She didn't know if it was a past-life grudge, but she simply couldn't stand that woman.
"Then you go. I'll entertain them," Fu Tingyi had a project he wanted to discuss with Lin Gong. After seeing Fang Ru off, he asked the servants to prepare a meal.
The moment Fang Ru stepped out, she regretted it.
Shen Qingqing was not someone easy to negotiate with, and their relationship was like fire and water. However, since she had already promised, she couldn't back down now.
She braced herself and went to find Shen Qingqing.
As expected, the moment she opened her mouth, Shen Qingqing refused without hesitation.
"Impossible. Don't even think about it. Please see yourself out."
Not only did she refuse, but she immediately showed her the door!
Fang Ru took a deep breath and said, "Shen Qingqing, even if not for yourself, you should do it for Jing Shu."
Shen Qingqing looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"My family and Minglan's family have been friends for generations. If you ruin Minglan's future because of this, our two families will inevitably fall out. This is not good for Jing Shu!"
Fang Ru advised earnestly.
If Shen Qingqing wanted to be with her son, she had to consider her son. Therefore...
"I don't agree."
Fang Ru momentarily doubted if she had heard correctly. "What did you just say?"
"I said, I don't agree," Shen Qingqing repeated patiently, as if afraid she couldn't hear clearly, even enunciating each word. "Do you understand now? I will not go to sign any letter of understanding. Since I sent her to the police station, I will not let her out, at least not anytime soon."
To escape without any punishment and emerge unscathed, how could that be possible?
Such wishful thinking was better off as a dream!
Fang Ru placed her hands on the table, her anger rising. "You truly don't consider Jing Shu at all! With your attitude, do you still expect to marry into our family?"
"Who said I want to marry?"
Seeing her overconfident demeanor, Shen Qingqing felt like laughing. She didn't hold back and let out a laugh, which left Fang Ru a bit bewildered.
"What are you laughing at? What did you mean by your words just now? You don't want to marry my son anymore?"
"Given that he has parents like you, anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't want to," Shen Qingqing, when she was sharp-tongued, could absolutely make King envious.
Fang Ru's face turned ashen with anger. "You really think highly of yourself. I was just saying it casually. You've already broken off your engagement with my son. Even if you knelt and begged me, I wouldn't agree to you marrying into our family again!"
"That's great!"
Shen Qingqing held up her fair hands and clapped.
Her expression was serious and sincere, genuinely happy that she didn't have to go through with the marriage. Fang Ru didn't want her as her daughter-in-law, but seeing her attitude made her uncomfortable.
"What exactly do you mean?! How dare you look down on my son?!"
Shen Qingqing didn't want to waste time on such a meaningless topic. She lowered her head to look at her phone; an email had just arrived, and she opened it to process it.
Fang Ru slammed the table. "Are you listening to me?"
Shen Qingqing ignored her, diligently replied to the email, and then slowly looked up. "The engagement with your son ended long ago. As for Lin Minglan, if you want her to come out, figure it out yourself. I won't be going."
Fang Ru's face contorted, and just as she was about to speak, Shen Qingqing preempted her. "If you don't leave now, I'll call the security downstairs."
"How dare you!" Fang Ru had been embarrassed by her repeatedly and finally lost her patience. "Shen Qingqing, don't think I can't deal with you. Don't forget that your two children are Fu family stock."
Shen Qingqing's smile instantly vanished.
Feeling vindicated, Fang Ru was no longer angry and said slowly, "If you don't go to the police station, we'll take legal action to send the two children back home, and you'll never see them again!"
If legal proceedings were initiated, Fu Jing Shu, with his reputation and assets, could undoubtedly provide a better life for the children and would naturally be more suitable to raise them.
"How dare you!" Shen Qingqing said, word for word.
"Try me," Fang Ru wasn't afraid of her. Even though there had been some unpleasantness with Fu Jing Shu before, he was still her son. She would never allow others to bully him.
This 'others' included Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing stared at her with extremely cold eyes, making Fang Ru's skin crawl. Just as she began to feel a desire to retreat, Shen Qingqing slowly spoke.
"Fine. Since you're so insistent on me going to the police station, I'll go."
She relented, and Fang Ru almost couldn't believe it. Was the daughter-in-law this easy to talk to?
"You're actually going?"
"Didn't you ask me to go? Or have you changed your mind now?" Shen Qingqing put down her phone, relaxed her tense back, and leaned back on the sofa. "If that's the case, I haven't gone to the police station yet. It's not too late."
"I haven't gone back on my word," Fang Ru felt it must be because the two children had threatened her. "I warn you, you'd better not play any tricks. Go to the police station honestly and sign the letter of forgiveness, or you'll never see the two children again!"
"Mmm hmm."
Shen Qingqing gave her a look of unknown meaning.
Even after Fang Ru left, that look made her feel strange, but she couldn't pinpoint why. She shook her head and got into the car.
Unbeknownst to her, after she left, Shen Qingqing immediately went to the police station.
However, she wasn't there to sign a letter of forgiveness, but to deliver a lawyer's letter.
She also specifically went to see Lin Minglan and, smiling at her through the glass, said, "I was wondering whether to forgive you. But now, thanks to Fang Ru, I will definitely pursue this to the end."