"This matter doesn't concern you. Just take me there," Zhang Wan'er said coldly. She then went to Qin Yue's side and grabbed her collar, preparing to drag her away.
Qin Yue had no chance to struggle and could only obediently lead Zhang Wan'er to Chen Lishu's room. When she saw Zhang Wan'er push open Chen Lishu's door with a blank expression, she started to break down.
She lowered her voice and hoarsely yelled at the person inside, "What are you doing? Hurry and get out! Someone could appear in this house at any moment. If you get caught, our entire plan will be exposed!"
However, Zhang Wan'er didn't listen to Qin Yue and instead walked towards Chen Lishu's desk with a cold gaze. After searching through the drawers, she finally found what she was looking for.
Meanwhile, in the monitoring room.
"Second Young Master, something's wrong!" Xiao Ci shouted while sending people to Chen Lishu's room, attempting to create a diversion to prevent Zhang Wan'er from succeeding in her scheme.
But as soon as these people walked out, they were stopped. Seeing a familiar face, everyone urged them with confusion:
"Sister Xiao Nian, what are you doing? Miss's competition entries have been stolen, and you're still here, blocking us leisurely!"
"Yes, please move aside. This matter concerns Miss's reputation and China's honor. Please don't cause trouble here!"
"..."
Seeing how worried everyone was, Su Nian couldn't help but chuckle. She then reached out and lightly tapped their heads, saying exasperatedly, "Alright, I am loyal to Madam, how could I do anything to betray her?
This was all instructed by Madam herself. If Zhang Wan'er steals the design drafts, let her. Your main task now is to record this scene and not alert her.
You must know that this is all part of Madam's plan. If you interfere now, it would truly be harming her! Alright, alright, don't dawdle here. Be careful that people outside don't discover you. Hurry back to your respective posts and do what you need to do!"
After hearing Su Nian's explanation, everyone finally calmed down and went about their tasks. Su Nian looked at He Zinian's wide-open door, shook her head helplessly, and then turned to explain the situation to He Zinian.
----
Meanwhile, at the entrance to Chen Lishu's room.
Seeing Zhang Wan'er directly steal the design drafts, Qin Yue's eyes widened, and her lips trembled as she said, "Are you out of your mind? You're stealing the drawings so openly, aren't you afraid the people in this house will suspect you?
If you wanted to see the design drafts, you could have just memorized them or taken pictures. Why use such a risky method? Do you think that once the drafts are stolen, Chen Lishu won't be able to design the competition outfit? Wrong, utterly wrong. Don't forget that this outfit was designed by her. The drafts are not on paper, but in her mind!"
After finishing her furious words, Qin Yue took a deep breath and reached out to snatch the drawings. Just as she was about to grab them, Zhang Wan'er's grip tightened. Qin Yue dared not move, fearing that any trace left on the drawings would be discovered by Chen Lishu, leading them back to her.
As the two remained in a stalemate over this matter, Zhang Wan'er spoke, "I understand. Give me the drawings first, and I'll take pictures."
Hearing Zhang Wan'er say this, Qin Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief and handed the drawings to her. While cautiously surveying their surroundings, she urged, "Hurry up! It will be bad if someone passes by!"
Zhang Wan'er silently took out her phone and took pictures of the design drafts. Under Qin Yue's watchful eyes, Zhang Wan'er managed to leave without anyone noticing their movements.
About half an hour after Zhang Wan'er left, Chen Lishu returned home. Before she could even check her results, she was pulled into a room by Li Xiulan.
"Lishu, you and your husband have been arguing these days, and I haven't interfered. It's mainly because I didn't want to bring up old issues and provoke your displeasure. But I've found that your relationship hasn't improved as I imagined; instead, you're drifting further apart.
Originally, Mother wasn't this anxious. But today, Zhang Wan'er found Qin Yue and came to me to probe. Her words and actions clearly indicate she wants to be with Gu Xingdong. You always tell Mother, don't you like to live a settled life?" After speaking, Li Xiulan stared intently at Chen Lishu's expression, afraid of missing her true thoughts.
Chen Lishu's heart skipped a beat. Li Xiulan didn't know about their plan because the more people who knew, the more fake the act would be. If Li Xiulan believed Zhang Wan'er's slander, the situation would become dire.
Thinking of this, Chen Lishu tentatively asked, "So what are your thoughts on this matter, Mother?"
"My suggestion is that you get a divorce," Li Xiulan said solemnly, then firmly grasped Chen Lishu's arm. "I can help raise the children. Let's kick Gu Xingdong out. Out of sight, out of mind. That way, that little vixen won't find excuses to see him every time!
I know you're unhappy, possibly out of consideration for me, so you're just putting on a brave face. What Gu Xingdong has done is unforgivable, even if heaven and earth were to strike him with lightning! Child, even if you want to be angry, you shouldn't neglect your own well-being. If there's anything making you unhappy, tell me clearly, and Mother will support you!"
Chen Lishu had expected Zhang Wan'er to use her and Gu Xingdong's conflicts to sow discord and make Li Xiulan unhappy with her. However, she never imagined that while Li Xiulan did dote on her son, over the years of living with Chen Lishu, her personality had also become more principled, just like Chen Lishu. Right is right, and wrong is wrong!
She clearly understood that if Chen Lishu hadn't managed the household so impeccably, how could they have come to the capital to broaden their horizons? How could they have eaten well and been warmly clothed? They even had such lovely grandchildren and granddaughters. Rather than calling Chen Lishu her daughter-in-law, it was more fitting to call her her own daughter.
After Chen Lishu processed this, she couldn't help but lower her head and chuckle, "Mother, I haven't argued with Gu Xingdong. We're doing very well. He's been busy with his own matters lately, and I have my own things to handle, so we've been spending less time together. Please don't worry."
Hearing Chen Lishu's reply, Li Xiulan paused, then asked blankly, "Really? Are you just saying that to appease me?"