The engagement was with the younger brother, but I've fallen for the older brother.

Si Yimian sat on the sofa, picked up the cup of tea, and took a sip.

The tea was Tieguanyin, and its fragrant aroma, along with the steam, enveloped my face.

Suppress your laughter; you can't laugh.

She recalled that in the original story, Si Ningyou also used this trick to steal the marriage contract from the original owner and marry into the He family.

The original owner of the baby didn't get any reversal and chose to jump down.

The overall plot remains unchanged, and Si Ningyou has followed the same old path.

But this time there was a variable; it wasn't her who was thrown into the air by fate.

This plot point was the last straw that broke the camel's back for the original owner, and the final dessert of a grand feast for her.

Is this just the inertia of the original plot?

It has to make this happen, no matter how it twists and turns in the middle, it will eventually roll back to the original track.

Si Yimian raised her head, her gaze sweeping back and forth across her parents' faces.

Ruan Qiutang twisted her fingers together, her eyes filled with caution and trepidation as she looked at her, as if afraid that she would smash the cup on the spot.

Si Congshan also frowned, looking guilty and embarrassed.

When she first transmigrated, the two members of the Si family were caught in the middle, one favoring the adopted daughter and the other trying to smooth things over.

Now that they've switched places, they're sitting opposite her, feeling indignant on her behalf, feeling wronged on her behalf, and trying to figure out how to get justice for her.

"Mianmian?"

Seeing that she was holding the cup and not saying anything, Ruan Qiutang thought that she was deeply hurt, so she tightened her grip on her hand.

"Don't try to be brave, Mom's here."

"If you're feeling down, just say it. Don't bottle it up."

Si Yimian put the teacup back and looked up.

"Mom, I'm not feeling bad."

She pulled her hand out of Ruan Qiutang's palm and patted the back of her hand with her other hand.

"This isn't actually that bad for me."

Ruan Qiutang was stunned: "What do you mean?"

"I want to cancel the engagement."

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Si Congshan stopped holding the teacup.

Ruan Qiutang stared at her face for a long time, trying to make sure she wasn't just putting on a brave face.

"Mianmian, are you serious? And it's not just because you're being stubborn?"

"Don't hold a grudge."

Si Yimian shook her head, picked up her teacup, took another sip, and moistened her throat.

"In the end, it's because Nanxian and Si Ningyou didn't uphold their principles."

He got drunk at a bar, was taken away, woke up and ended up at the police station. Every step he took was his own doing.

"If he doesn't want to, Si Ningyou can't force him."

"If he's willing, it means that the place in his heart has never been completely cleared."

She put the teacup back and looked up at Ruan Qiutang.

"I won't marry someone who still has feelings for someone else, nor will I clean up someone else's mess."

"Besides, he's already impure. What kind of relationship is it to have had with my cousin and then marry me?"

"The annulment of the engagement is a relief for me."

Ruan Qiutang looked at her and remained silent for a while.

She had prepared a whole host of comforting words, but found that Si Yimian was much calmer than she had imagined.

"Mianmian, didn't you used to like Nanxian a lot?"

"The past is the past."

Si Yimian smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth.

"People mature eventually; once you're mentally mature, you'll understand."

"Once you figure it out, you'll realize that some things aren't worth clinging to."

Si Congshan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Mianmian, if you don't want to continue, then don't continue."

He paused.

"Now that this has happened, the He family is losing face, but the He family's face should not be the most important thing to consider."

"It's you."

Looking at Si Congshan's expression as he said this, Si Yimian suddenly felt that the indecisive Si Congshan from the original story seemed to have disappeared.

At least in front of her, they were no longer there.

Ruan Qiutang added from the side, "Mianmian, you don't need to worry about anything else."

"Your father and I will talk to the He family."

She nodded obediently: "Thank you, Mom and Dad."

"There's no need for thanks among family members. You were the one who suffered injustice in this matter."

Si Congshan stood up and patted his trouser legs.

"Go back to your room and rest. We'll depart at six o'clock tonight."

Something gently fell from Si Yimian's chest.

This script has deviated from the original story's path leading to the rooftop.

……

The dinner was held at Puyuan.

The ultimate private dining experience in Beijing is hidden deep in a hutong (traditional alleyway), with a facade as unassuming as a residential house.

Entering reveals a hidden paradise: artificial mountains made of Taihu stones, winding streams and corridors, with lights hidden in the bamboo shadows.

The door to the private room opened, and everyone had already arrived.

He Huaipu sat in the main seat, with He Jian'an and Zhou Wanqing on his right, and three empty seats on his left, reserved for the Si family.

He Nanxian sat next to Zhou Wanqing, with a bandage on his forehead.

When he saw Si Yimian come in, his back straightened unconsciously.

He Sichen was sitting diagonally opposite He Huaipu, pouring tea.

The cuffs of his white shirt were rolled up twice, revealing a section of his wrist bone. His fingers rested on the handle of the purple clay teapot, and he didn't look up even when he heard the noise.

Si Ningyou stood next to the food preparation cabinet in the corner of the private room, like an ornament placed on the edge.

She had lost weight, her cheekbones had become sharper, and her once-fitting dress hung loosely on her shoulders.

But women with exquisite makeup and new nails, who have staked everything on their appearance, are less likely to go out without makeup the poorer they are.

"Dad, Mom."

Si Ningyou came forward, her attitude gentle, and reached out to take Ruan Qiutang's handbag.

Ruan Qiutang did not hand it to her.

She proactively reached out and grabbed the bag strap.

Snapped.

The slap was swift and clean, the wind from the palm slicing across Si Ningyou's left cheek.

Si Ningyou's face was turned to one side by the blow, and a few strands of her hair came loose.

"This slap is for Mianmian."

Ruan Qiutang withdrew her hand, her knuckles still red.

"The night you plotted against Nanxian, did you ever consider that she was your sister?"

Si Ningyou covered her face, her eyes reddening, her lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak.

Zhou Wanqing put down her chopsticks, about to speak up to smooth things over, but was stopped by a look from He Huaipu.

Ruan Qiutang stared at Si Ningyou.

"The Si family has raised you for so many years, and in what way have they given you not more than they have given Mianmian?"

"You were enjoying yourself when she lost her things, and now you're trying to take them back when she comes back."

"Now you're even trying to steal her engagement? Do you really think you're a member of the Si family?"

Si Ningyou's tears fell and landed on the back of her hand.

"Mom... I didn't mean to..."

"Don't call me Mom."

Ruan Qiutang withdrew her gaze and turned to walk to her seat.

"You are not my daughter, not before, and certainly not now."

Si Congshan pulled out a chair for Ruan Qiutang and sat down next to her, without glancing at Si Ningyou once.

Si Yimian sat down and took a sip of tea.

Oh my god.

Ms. Ruan is going all out today; her fighting spirit is so strong that she could survive to the finale in a palace drama.

He Nanxian's gaze passed over the table and landed on Si Yimian.

She hasn't looked at him once since she walked in.

"Mianmian".

He called out, his voice low and hoarse.

Si Yimian lowered her head and drank her tea, as if she hadn't heard.

He Nanxian's remaining words were stuck in his throat.

Looking at her indifferent profile, he suddenly realized that she really didn't intend to have any further interaction with him.

They weren't even angry; if they were angry, at least they still cared.

His hand, which was resting under the table, slowly clenched.

He thought for a long time about how to use the video card.

If He Sichen takes the opportunity to change the engagement later, he will project the video onto the screen right at the dinner table.

Let's all stop trying to be dignified.

Anyway, he has nothing left to lose.