King shrugged, "It's impossible to shake me off. I'm unmarried, childless, and don't plan to marry in the future. I don't want to tie myself down to the grave of marriage, so I'll have to rely on my godson and little apprentice to support me in my old age."
Though he was only in his early thirties, his words sounded like they came from an old man close to eighty.
Everyone burst into laughter.
At the same time, their doubts finally vanished. They even felt that some of their earlier conjectures were rather distasteful.
Congratulations poured in.
"Then congratulations, Mr. Fu. You have no idea how worried we were when we heard you were ill."
"That's wonderful. Your illness has recovered, and your family of six, four generations together, is truly enviable."
Old Mrs. Fu had been sitting on a sofa not far away. Upon hearing this, she stood up, and Fu Tingsheng immediately went to support his mother.
The two children also obediently went to help.
Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing were a perfect match, standing there like a painting.
Everyone looked at their family and felt nothing but envy.
This was the life everyone dreamed of.
An elder in good health, parents alive and well, and a pair of obedient, sensible, and good-looking twins at home.
Everyone was filled with envy, jealousy, and a hint of resentment.
Amidst the warmth and joy, everyone thought the previous drama had concluded.
Unexpectedly, Shen Qingqing suddenly said, "Things are not over yet."
Everyone was taken aback.
"What else needs to be clarified?"
Only Ning Su felt a jolt in her heart.
Shen Qingqing said to Shen Jinxi, "Go and call your two little friends out."
"Okay!"
Shen Jinxi, with his short legs, walked upstairs and soon returned with two children. On the left was a little girl in a princess dress, and on the right was a little boy.
Ning Su's face changed upon seeing the little girl. Before she could say anything, the little girl also spotted her and her eyes lit up as she ran over.
"Auntie! Auntie!"
Ning Su's expression was a bit stiff. She still patted her head.
Ning Xin, however, didn't think much of it. She picked up the little girl and kissed her. "Zhizhi, why are you here? Did you come to the birthday party without telling Auntie?"
"A classmate invited me," Ning Zhizhi replied honestly. "Why are Auntie and you here too?"
"Of course, we received an invitation."
Ning Zhizhi glanced at Ning Su, then at Shen Qingqing, appearing hesitant. Her round little face was filled with a dilemma.
Ning Su was filled with trepidation, afraid the child would say something she shouldn't.
Fortunately, the little girl didn't speak.
Shen Qingqing saw her expression clearly and knew she was guilty. This was just the beginning, and she was already afraid.
The main event had just begun.
"Ning Su, since everyone is here today, I have something I want to ask you. I hope you can answer truthfully."
Ning Su felt a sense of unease.
"Whatever I know, feel free to ask. I will tell you everything."
Shen Qingqing pinched Zhao Yixin's cheek. "You tell her."
Zhao Yixin felt a little flustered facing so many people and admitting his past misdeeds. He took a deep breath and said, "I wasn't nice to Chenchen before, and I bad-mouthed Auntie Shen."
"Why did you say that?" Shen Qingqing asked.
"Because someone told me that you were promiscuous and seduced others..." Zhao Yixin found it difficult to utter the rest of the words.
Before he knew Auntie Shen, he thought these were facts. But now, after spending so much time with Auntie Shen, he deeply felt that those words were an insult to Auntie Shen.
Those words were not fitting for Auntie Shen at all.
Shen Qingqing patted his shoulder, encouraging him to continue as they had planned.
Zhao Yixin continued, "But there was a reason for me to do so. Ning Zhizhi told me these things. I used to really like playing with Ning Zhizhi, so I believed what she said was true. Because of this, I even got into a fight with Chenchen."
Everyone instinctively looked at Ning Su.
How could a child say such vulgar things? Someone must have taught her.
Ning Su felt everyone's gaze like she was being roasted on a fire, her face burning hot.
Just then, the little girl in her arms angrily accused Zhao Yixin, "Why are you treating me like this? How could you lie to me!"
Zhao Yixin was taken aback. "What did I lie to you about?"
"You told me you forgave me, and then you invited me to the birthday party, and I agreed to come," Ning Zhizhi said indignantly. "You also promised me you wouldn't tell anyone about this. Why are you going back on your word now?!"
If some people still thought it was a staged act to frame Ning Su, the child's words were equivalent to solid proof.
Ning Su must have felt the contemptuous glances from others and quickly covered Ning Zhizhi's mouth, "Don't say it!"
She finally understood the setup for today.
In a flash, she figured everything out. First, she had Zhao Yixin trick Ning Zhizhi into coming to the party, and then she hid the two children upstairs.
After she made her move, they would be called down to settle the score.
Shen Qingqing was indeed skilled!
Ning Zhizhi didn't understand why Ning Su didn't let her speak. She was also spoiled at home. As soon as her mouth was covered, she started to act up.
Under everyone's gaze, Ning Su couldn't cover her mouth too forcefully, as that would only make her look more guilty.
So the child really struggled free.
She stood on the ground, hands on her hips. "Why won't Auntie let me speak? They lied to me, and you should help me deal with them!"
The little girl's face was full of spoiled arrogance.
A trace of impatience arose in Ning Su's heart, but she maintained her outward composure, coaxing, "Okay, Auntie will definitely not let anyone bully you. I will stand up for you."
She shielded Ning Zhizhi behind her and looked sternly at Shen Qingqing and Zhao Yixin.
"Miss Shen, did you need to get our permission to invite Zhizhi to the birthday party?"
"I have already obtained the consent of the child's mother."
She had intended to use the reason of not obtaining her consent to trouble Shen Qingqing, but she didn't expect Shen Qingqing to be so well-prepared.
"Moreover, I personally visited their home. Both the parents of these two little ones agreed to let them attend my son's birthday party, and even said that if they played too late at night, they didn't have to go home."
When Shen Qingqing set up this plan, she had immediately sent people to investigate Ning Xin and Ning Su's background and quickly discovered a relative they had been hiding.
It was their eldest sister.
However, this eldest sister was not married into a wealthy family, and her life was only modest. Therefore, she entrusted the care of the two children to the Ning sisters, as Ning Xin was wealthy.
When Shen Qingqing revealed her identity, Elder Sister Ning immediately agreed to let her take the children, and didn't even mention coming to see them off in person.