Xia Ziyu’s pupils constricted.

Second Madam knew, the Du family knew her identity!

What would Second Madam do? Would she send her back to the mainland to be arrested by the police?

Xia Ziyu struggled to maintain her composure, lowering her head to conceal her panic. After a while, she casually picked up her teacup as if nothing had happened.

“Second Sister, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“You think I’m trying to trick you into confessing? Xia Ziyu, I sympathize with you, I pity you, that’s why I’m speaking to you directly.”

Second Madam knew.

If Second Madam knew her identity, shouldn’t she have first reported it to Du Chengrong?

Yet she came to find her first. Xia Ziyu told herself not to panic – perhaps there was still a way out. She had survived so many storms before, surely she could do it again!

After this self-encouragement, her fingers stopped trembling.

She lowered her head and sighed, “Whatever you’ve learned, many people who come to Hong Kong are those who couldn’t survive on the mainland. If we had even the slightest hope, why would we risk smuggling ourselves here? Second Sister, you don’t need to threaten me with this. I will confess my identity to Master Du myself… If he can forgive my deception, I’ll be happy. If he wants to drive me away, that’s my fate.”

Would Du Chengrong drive her away?

Xia Ziyu didn’t think so.

At this point, whoever exposed her identity wouldn’t be seen as a righteous person, but would instead earn Du Chengrong’s contempt!

After all, she was the “Fifth Madam” whom Du Chengrong had just officially married with a grand banquet. If someone immediately revealed that she was a fugitive from the mainland, where would that leave Du Chengrong’s face?

Du Chengrong was a man who cared deeply about face. Once Xia Ziyu understood this, she wasn’t afraid of Second Madam’s threats anymore.

Even if just to save his face, Du Chengrong wouldn’t send her back to the mainland. Instead, he would protect her and help establish her current false identity.

While Xia Ziyu appeared calm when answering Second Madam, she was ecstatic inside: how had she not thought of this before? Second Madam couldn’t use this to threaten her, and Du Zhaohui similarly had no more leverage.

If others exposed her identity, Du Zhaohui couldn’t blame her for it.

As for Du Chengrong… who knew what he would think? Maybe he wouldn’t even care!

If she hadn’t been sitting so close to Second Madam, Xia Ziyu would have laughed out loud in joy!

Second Madam coldly observed her:

“You’re not afraid of Master Du knowing your identity. It seems you are in league with Du Zhaohui, willing to sacrifice so much for him. Du Zhaohui gives you a taste of worldly riches, and you work for him – quite a beautiful tale… and you believe it?”

Second Madam nearly knocked over her teacup as she spoke, laughing.

She had always been an elegant wealthy madam, but now she was losing her composure.

Xia Ziyu ignored her. She didn’t need Second Madam to tell her what kind of person Du Zhaohui was.

“Ah, Xia Ziyu, I saw how you defeated Liu Keying and thought you were clever. But you clever person probably doesn’t realize that when Du Zhaohui wins his competition, that’s when you’ll be discarded like a used chess piece. After all, if he must choose between the Xia sisters, your cousin would bring him more advantages.”

Second Madam clicked her tongue in sympathy.

Cousin?

Xia Ziyu gritted her teeth – this Second Madam knew quite a lot.

But Xia Ziyu had grown.

She was more patient than before.

“I don’t want to discuss the past. Thanks to Master Du’s favor, I am now his officially recognized Fifth Madam. What’s the point of dwelling on the past?”

“How magnanimous of you! You smuggled yourself to Hong Kong, and abandoned your parents and young brother, so heartless and cruel – no wonder you successfully climbed your way up. According to the investigation records, your parents are still in prison, and your brother was adopted by someone… Most people who make it big first help their families, like how Liu Keying helped Liu Tianquan. But you? You completely disregarded your closest relatives, wearing gold and silver, living in luxury in Hong Kong while leaving your parents and brother to suffer on the mainland!”

Even if they were to cooperate, Second Madam wouldn’t trust such a woman.

Xia Ziyu’s eyes reddened.

“Second Sister, why are you pressing me so hard? I’ll go confess to Master Du right now.”

As Xia Ziyu stood up, Second Madam grabbed her wrist: “Let’s stop pretending. I have no intention of exposing your past. I’m telling you all this so you know that I know more than you imagine! So listen carefully to what I’m about to say, don’t miss a single word.”

Second Madam was usually a mild person.

At least in others’ eyes, among the Du family’s three concubines, Liu Keying had always been the most high-profile.

But now this mild-mannered person exuded such a strong presence, holding Xia Ziyu’s hand firmly, forcing her to sit back down.

“That’s better. You’re working for Du Zhaohui, surely not out of love for him. Hong Kong’s great families are both the most and least rule-abiding. Master Du held a banquet to marry you in, and you’ll forever be only his Fifth Madam, impossible to have any further involvement with Du Zhaohui. If Du Zhaohui were to touch his own father’s woman, people’s spittle alone would drown him, and the company elders wouldn’t submit to him… But of course, that’s not the point. Perhaps you’re working for him for money, promised certain benefits. Now I’m telling you it’s all false – Du Zhaohui’s real partner is your cousin Xia Xiaolan!”

Du Zhaohui and Xia Xiaolan?

Impossible!

Du Zhaohui and Xia Xiaolan didn’t get along – that’s exactly how she had managed to connect with Du Zhaohui.

Or perhaps Xia Xiaolan had reconciled with Second Uncle, and thus improved relations with Du Zhaohui?

Xia Ziyu had many theories.

Second Madam carefully observed her expression, guessing at her thoughts:

“Times change. How long have you been in Hong Kong? During this time, so many things happened on the mainland that you don’t know about – Du Zhaohui deliberately kept you deaf and blind. Let me tell you just one thing: why is your cousin qualified to work with Du Zhaohui? After her mother remarried, she married the mayor of Pengcheng. She’s now the mayor’s daughter and Du Zhaohui’s projects are in Pengcheng. Isn’t it natural for them to help each other?”

Second Aunt married the mayor of Pengcheng?!

No matter how composed Xia Ziyu tried to be, she wanted to curse at the absurdity.

It was too absurd, how could it be possible?

Liu Fen was just a downtrodden woman who would spend her whole life under her Second Uncle’s control. Even if Xia Xiaolan was capable, with such a mother holding her back, she would always be a joke.

Liu Fen and Xia Dajun should have stayed entangled until old age.

A divorced countryside woman, marrying the mayor of Pengcheng… Xia Ziyu’s heart pounded. Many things had deviated from their original course – where had it all begun?

She had always focused her attention on Xia Xiaolan, overlooking Liu Fen.

All the changes started when Liu Fen actively left the Xia family and asked their Second Uncle for divorce!

Could it be that heaven’s favor wasn’t bestowed upon her alone? Had Liu Fen encountered something similar?

“Impossible…”