"Lengshuang."
At this moment, Madam Sheng entered with her maid, smiling kindly at Tao Lengshuang. "May I offer you some advice, child?"
Tao Lengshuang helped Madam Sheng to sit and said softly, "I am always willing to listen to you, my godmother. What is it you wish to discuss?"
Madam Sheng patted her hand and advised, "This standoff between you and Prince Mingrui is not sustainable. Moreover, what you believe to be right might not be. Perhaps it would be best to return and see."
"If it truly isn't the life you desire, it won't be too late to discuss divorce with Prince Mingrui. I believe he will let you go then."
She looked at Mo Lingxi. "Your Highness Prince Mingrui, is that not so?"
Mo Lingxi did not wish to agree, but he knew very well that if he refused, Tao Lengshuang would not return with him and would insist on a divorce.
"...As my godmother has said."
Tao Lengshuang could see his insincerity and frowned with concern. "Godmother, this matter..."
"I understand your concerns and worries," Madam Sheng said, signaling for her not to worry too much. "If you don't go back and try, how will you know if life in Prince Mingrui's manor isn't what you desire?"
Tao Lengshuang understood this logic, but... "Godmother, I dislike living in Prince Mingrui's manor. That place makes me uncomfortable, too oppressive. I prefer living in the village."
She disliked always having people around her, needing others to attend to her every need, even dressing and washing, all to display her nobility and status.
Mo Lingxi stated, "We don't have to live in the manor. You can live wherever you like; it doesn't matter."
"You see, Prince Mingrui has agreed. You can't always have everything your way; sometimes you must yield to him too," Madam Sheng said with a smile.
Tao Lengshuang knew Madam Sheng meant well and understood she couldn't stubbornly resist forever, nor would Mo Lingxi always yield to her.
"For now, let's stay in the original residence. I don't want too many people serving me."
Seeing her relent, Mo Lingxi repeatedly agreed. "We'll move to the residence, and everything will be as you say."
As long as Tao Lengshuang didn't mention divorce or avoid him, everything was negotiable.
"Let's make three conditions," Madam Sheng said with a smile. "First, you two try to get along. During this period, you are not to mention divorce. Is that acceptable?"
Tao Lengshuang glanced at Mo Lingxi and indicated her agreement. "Godmother, for how long should we try to get along?"
Madam Sheng said it depended on them. After all, they were the ones living their lives, and they were the best judges of whether it was good or not. She was merely offering reasonable suggestions and ideas.
Tao Lengshuang looked at Mo Lingxi, who was gazing at her expectantly, and softly hummed in agreement.
Madam Sheng then stated the remaining two conditions: first, mutual understanding; Tao Lengshuang should not always think from her own perspective regarding Mo Lingxi and should discuss matters more. Second, if Mo Lingxi were to take a concubine or a secondary consort one day, he would have to divorce Tao Lengshuang, provided she wished for a divorce.
Both Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi agreed to these three conditions.
"Grandmother is so amazing!" Little Feng threw himself into Madam Sheng's arms, looking at her with starry eyes. "It turns out Grandmother is the most amazing. Even Mother has to listen to Grandmother."
Madam Sheng affectionately pinched his nose. "You're the only one who knows how to say nice things to make your grandmother happy. Unlike your mother, who is so grown up yet still needs her grandmother to worry about her."
Tao Lengshuang: "..." Fine, it was all her fault.
Little Feng chuckled. "Grandmother, you can't blame Mother for this. You have to blame Father. Father is useless; he can't coax his wife, so Mother ran away."
Mo Lingxi: "..." It wasn't the first or second time his son had shown disdain for him; he was used to it.
The family chatted and laughed for a while before leaving the restaurant to return. Unexpectedly, they encountered Sheng Li at the restaurant's entrance.
Sheng Li looked much thinner and more haggard, appearing like a common woman in her thirties, a stark contrast to her previous arrogant and noble demeanor.
Mo Lingxi immediately shielded Tao Lengshuang and the other two behind him, his gaze sharp as he looked at Sheng Li. "Scram!"
Sheng Li retreated a few steps in fear, then suddenly burst into manic laughter. "Madam Sheng, Madam Sheng, I am not your daughter."
Madam Sheng looked puzzled and did not intend to pay Sheng Li any further attention. "Lengshuang, let's go back."
Tao Lengshuang sensed something was wrong. She helped Madam Sheng towards the carriage and gave Mo Lingxi a meaningful glance.
Just as Mo Lingxi was about to throw Sheng Li far away, Sheng Li voluntarily revealed a shocking secret.
"Madam Sheng, I am not your biological daughter. When you gave birth all those years ago, your real daughter was swapped!"
Sheng Li's frenzied roar attracted a crowd, and it also left Madam Sheng stunned in place.
"You, what did you say!?" Madam Sheng's body went weak, and she almost fell to the ground.
"Godmother, don't listen to Sheng Li's nonsense," Tao Lengshuang said, supporting Madam Sheng, knowing this was the scheme of the mastermind.
"I am telling the truth. Tao Lengshuang is an insider; that's why she schemed to become your adopted daughter," Sheng Li said with a mad laugh. "Madam Sheng, didn't you expect that after raising me for so many years, I am not your biological daughter?"
"I am really curious, where is your biological daughter? Is she still alive?"
"Madam Sheng, you are truly pitiful. You raised a non-biological child for years, doting on me, yet you didn't know I wasn't your own."
She laughed gleefully, but tears streamed down her face. If Tao Lengshuang hadn't ruined her life, she would still be the coveted Miss Sheng.
She would not let Tao Lengshuang go; she would drag her down with her even in death.
The onlookers gasped.
"Is it true? Sheng Li isn't Madam Sheng's biological daughter? This sounds so unbelievable."
"I think this is mostly true. Sheng Li has no reason to deliberately say she isn't Madam Sheng's daughter. Besides, Sheng Li doesn't resemble Madam Sheng at all, especially her temperament. How could she be Madam Sheng's daughter?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Some people said a long time ago that Sheng Li didn't resemble General Sheng and his wife. No one thought much of it then, but now we know Sheng Li isn't General Sheng and his wife's daughter at all."
"Wow! Who could be so wicked as to maliciously swap Madam Sheng's daughter?"
Tao Lengshuang received Sheng Li's challenging gaze and understood her meaning. Without concrete evidence, she could not reveal that she was her godmother's biological daughter.
If it were in the past, she might have spoken, but now, with such an incident, without solid proof, it would only cause her godmother more pain.
The mastermind's intentions were truly malicious.
"Godmother, take a deep breath, a deep breath," she said, pinching Madam Sheng's philtrum and comforting her softly. "Godmother, don't just listen to Sheng Li. She's saying this to provoke you."
She glanced at Mo Lingxi, helped Madam Sheng and Little Feng into the carriage, and instructed the driver to return quickly.
Sheng Li tried to stop the carriage but was sent flying by a palm strike from Mo Lingxi.
"You, very good."