Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

Grandma Ji's expression softened a bit.

She sat back down on the sofa, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and her gaze fell on Lin Qingmian as if she were examining an object waiting to be sold: "Okay, if she really has that ability..."

She paused, her voice still composed: "The Ji family will naturally not take its anger out on the Lin family again."

Lin Qingqing smiled, as if she had expected this outcome.

She turned around and walked up to Lin Qingmian.

The woman reached out and naturally wanted to hold Lin Qingmian's hand.

Lin Qingmian took a half step back before Lin Qingqing touched her. The movement was small, but enough to make Lin Qingqing's hand miss its target.

I won't try to persuade him.

Ask her to persuade her legal husband to pretend to be in a relationship with another woman?

She must be crazy to willingly put on this green hat for herself.

Lin Qingqing's smile remained unchanged. She reached out again, wanting to take Lin Qingmian's hand: "Don't be so agitated..."

"I said I disagree."

Lin Qingmian took a step back, dodging her hand, her eyes icy: "This matter has nothing to do with me."

"How can it be no problem?"

Lin Qingqing sighed and put on an understanding look: "Mianmian, today's incident was caused by your dinner with Mr. Ji. If you can help resolve it, it will be a way of making amends."

"The Ji family won't pursue your past actions any further. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Lin Qingmian sneered: "I said, I disagree."

"Mianmian."

Lin Qingqing brushed a stray hair behind her ear, turned her head and smiled at Old Madam Ji: "Old Madam, please don't mind her. Mianmian was in a bad mood today and was just saying things in anger."

After she finished speaking, she turned back to look at Lin Qingmian, her voice softening even more, as if she were coaxing a sulking child: "Mianmian, I know you're upset, but you also need to think about everyone else. Someone has to resolve this, right?"

As she spoke, she put her arm around Lin Qingmian's shoulder and pulled her aside, saying, "I'll talk to Qingmian alone."

Madam Ji snorted coldly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip: "Then I'll give you ten minutes."

Lin Qingqing smiled and nodded, then pulled Lin Qingmian to a corner of the office.

"What do you want to do?"

Lin Qingmian frowned, trying to shake off her hand again.

Lin Qingqing's smile vanished. She leaned close to Mianmian's ear and whispered, "Mianmian, do you want me to tell everyone right now that you've married Ji Linzhou?"

Lin Qingmian's body froze instantly.

"If the Ji family finds out about this..."

Lin Qingqing's voice was light and airy, yet it sounded like a venomous snake's tongue: "Do you think you can walk out this door today?"

The woman's heart sank.

"you……"

Lin Qingmian turned her head, stared at Lin Qingqing, and asked in a hoarse voice, "What exactly do you want?"

"I told you, I'm doing this for your own good."

Lin Qingqing reverted to her gentle and considerate demeanor. She reached out and straightened Lin Qingmian's collar, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear: "Mianmian, you need to know your place."

"Even your marriage to Ji Xingye didn't please the Ji family."

"If they find out you married Ji Linzhou... do you think you can still live a peaceful life?"

Lin Qingmian clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palms, causing a slight stinging sensation.

She knew that what Lin Qingqing said was true.

The Ji family has always looked down on the Lin family, and even more so on her.

When she was with Ji Xingye, Old Madam Ji once said to her in front of her, "The Lin family's daughter is not good enough for our Ji family's young master."

Now that she has married Ji Linzhou, the Ji family will only think that she has climbed to a higher position, and they will look down on her even more, and may even try to deal with her.

After a moment of silence, Lin Qingmian closed her eyes, her voice weary: "Okay, I promise you."

Lin Qingqing's lips curled up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it again: "This is my sensible little sister."

She released Lin Qingmian, turned and walked back into her office, smiling at Madam Ji: "Madam Ji, Mianmian has figured it out."

Madam Ji put down her teacup, glanced at Lin Qingmian, and asked, "Have you figured it out?"

Lin Qingmian took a deep breath and walked up to Madam Ji: "I can give it a try."

"However, I have conditions."

Madam Ji frowned: "What are the conditions?"

"If I could persuade Ji Linzhou..."

She paused for a moment, then changed her words: "If I can persuade Mr. Ji to continue acting with Ms. Su and quell this public opinion storm."

"Then, the Ji family must not make things difficult for me or the Lin family anymore."

Madam Ji snorted coldly: "You certainly know how to negotiate."

"If you can do that, the Ji family will no longer pursue the matter of you drugging me, nor will they make things difficult for you and your family."

She paused, then added, "But if you can't do that..."

Lin Qingmian interrupted him, her voice calm: "I'll do my best."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

"Mianmian."

Lin Qingqing quickly followed and affectionately took her arm, saying, "I'll see you off."

She turned to look at Lin Jianzhong and Zhang Yuzhu: "Mom and Dad, you go back first, I'll take Mianmian there."

Lin Jianzhong and Zhang Yuzhu exchanged a glance and nodded.

Zhang Yuzhu even gave Lin Qingmian a rare smile: "Mianmian, it's good that your sister is giving you a ride. You two sisters can have a good chat."

After saying that, she followed Lin Jianzhong and left the office one after the other.

After the Lin family of four disappeared through the gate, the smile on Old Madam Ji's face instantly vanished: "Overestimating themselves."

Chen Qiu scoffed, "She thinks she can persuade Linzhou?"

"That Lin Zhou guy, even I, as his sister-in-law, can't control him, what can she do?"

Madam Ji narrowed her eyes and said in a calm voice, "Let her give it a try. If it works... it will help Tingwan solve her problem."

"If she can't do it, we have reason to continue investigating her for drugging her."

"Too."

Chen Qiu nodded and turned to Su Tingwan: "Tingwan, don't be too sad. Our Ji family will handle this for you."

Su Tingwan forced a smile: "Thank you, sister-in-law, thank you, auntie."

She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.

For some reason, she always felt a vague unease in her heart.

The relationship between Lin Qingmian and Ji Linzhou... seems to be more complicated than it appears.

The woman's eyes, and the way Ji Linzhou looked at her...

She frowned, suppressing the slight unease in her heart.

Perhaps she's overthinking it.

Ji Linzhou is already married, and the person he married is definitely not Lin Qingmian.