"I'm sorry to interrupt, but if your cousin is truly a virtuous woman, as you say, then why would you try to marry her off to a man you think isn't good enough? Do you hate your cousin that much?" Qin Lian asked coldly.
Gu Lin turned to her husband in a panic and tried to save her face."You… Of course not! Why would I hate my cousin? I was just saying—"
But before she could finish, Qin Lian's voice rang out again, sharp and clear. "Then maybe you hate Xu Yinchen? Your cousin is divorced and five years older, yet you act like she'd be doing him a favor by marrying him?"
"Xu Yinchen hasn't even been married once. In what way was he gaining anything here?"
Xu Yinchen was surprised by Qin Lian's words. He hadn't expected her to stand up for him. They had just met, knew almost nothing about each other… and yet, she defended him.
What's more, how did she know he hadn't been married before? Did the Mu Family girl tell her about this?
Qin Lian didn't notice his gaze following her and continued, "And the children? So what? Having kids doesn't make him less of a man. It only proves he's more responsible than many people."
Gu Lin's face turned beet red. She hadn't expected this young, pretty girl to have such a poisonous tongue.
She couldn't believe she humiliated her for Xu Yinchen, who is nothing but a worthless man. A man who already has three children to take care of, how can he be better off than her cousin?
"You sharp-tongued vixen! Who are you to question my intentions? Are you trying to fight me? I'll show you-" She shouted and was ready to pounce on her.
"Sister-in-law!" Xu Yinchen's voice thundered across the path.
His sharp tone made Gu Lin shrink back in fear. She had never seen him raise his voice like that before.
Even her husband was startled. Seeing the tension rise, he stepped forward awkwardly.
"Xu Yinchen, calm down. Let's not get into women's fight. My wife was out of line. I'll scold her later. Don't take her words to heart."
Xu Yinchen's jaw tightened, his glare icy. "You'd better control her. Otherwise, next time I won't hesitate to take action."
Seeing him holding back and swallowing his anger, Qin Lian raised an eyebrow. She understood that it wasn't appropriate for a man like him to argue with a woman in public.
But… she could.
Unlike Xu Yinchen, who stood there silently with a glare sharp enough to kill, Qin Lian smiled coldly, "Well, thank you for the compliment," she said with a faint sneer.
"After all, not everyone has the looks and charm to be called a vixen. But since you're so insistent, I'll take it as praise."
She shamelessly added, "I know I'm pretty. You really don't have to praise me so much."
The man blinked in surprise. No one had ever talked back to his wife like that, not even him.
Yet this girl...she was fearless.
"You…Do you think I was complimenting you? You're nowhere close to my cousin, who is…." The woman's face grew redder, and shouted like a maniac.
Qin Lian sneered at the woman and said coldly, "If you're so eager to play matchmaker, go do it somewhere else."
"But don't you dare try to introduce another woman to my husband right in front of me. That's not matchmaking, it's being a hooligan in public."
Xu Yinchen froze. His cold expression turned into surprise.
The other man was just as shocked. "H-Husband?" His eyes widened in disbelief. "You… You two are married? But….what about the Mu family girl?"
Xu Yinchen looked conflicted, but before he could answer, Qin Lian answered with a smile.
"I am the Mu family's daughter," she said. "Mu Ruoyu and I were switched at birth. She's returned to her biological parents, and I've come to fulfill the engagement. From today onward, I'll be living here as his wife. Please take care of me."
She ended with a polite smile to the man, her words clear and composed. She knew this matter could not be hidden; it's better to say things clearly than let rumours brew in the village.
Gu Lin stood there, stunned. So much drama? And worst of all, Xu Yinchen actually ended up with someone better than Mu Ruoyu!
How did a man like him get a girl like that? Young, pretty, and sharp-tongued.
But this time, Gu Lin didn't dare utter another word.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she was forced to mumble a half-hearted apology before her husband hurriedly dragged her away.
Qin Lian watched as they disappeared down the road. She sighed, and when she turned back, she caught Xu Yinchen staring at her.
She blinked, instinctively touching her face. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked, her voice quiet and gentle, softer than the cold tone she had used just a moment ago.
Xu Yinchen snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "Nothing."
He quickly looked away, hiding his embarrassment. "Let's go," he said, before turning and striding ahead.
However, he couldn't help but feel strange in his heart as the scene kept replaying in his head.