Chen Lishu clasped Madam He’s wrist and then leaned closer, smiling as she asked, "So, godmother, are you angry with me now?"
Madam He snorted, "Angry? Of course, I'm angry!"
Chen Lishu rested her head on Madam He’s shoulder and whispered into her ear, "If you're truly angry with me, then you'll be playing right into Zhang Wan'er's hands!"
"What do you mean?" Madam He looked down at Chen Lishu, a little confused, and waited quietly for her explanation.
Chen Lishu sat up straight and began to analyze with a serious expression, "Godmother, haven't you noticed that Zhang Wan'er has been trying to please you these past few days? And Qin Yue keeps praising Zhang Wan'er, trying to leave a good impression on you! Xingdong has been dealing with private matters lately, so when she couldn't target him, she shifted her focus to those around me. If she can gain your favor, her status in the capital will soar! Most importantly, if she can sow discord between us, it might affect my mood during the competition. Then, not only would I lose my esteemed position, but I would also lose the competition and the company would suffer. Under such a double blow, how could I have the energy to fight her for Xingdong?"
"If you say so, then her plan is quite clever, one step after another! But how is she so sure that our relationship is so easily broken?" Madam He, being well-traveled and experienced, grasped the crux of the matter after hearing Chen Lishu’s analysis. When Chen Lishu heard this question, her expression gradually became silent.
"I'm not sure why she's so certain that our relationship will break. Regardless of what happens next, we must stick together as a family and not let outsiders sow discord. Oh, there's one more thing I don't know if I should say." Chen Lishu's expression turned hesitant as she mentioned this. She licked her lips, unsure how to bring it up.
Madam He gently reached out and stroked Chen Lishu’s head, softly comforting her, "Just say it. Didn't you just say we must stick together as a family? Why are you being so reserved now? Or do you not trust me that much?"
Chen Lishu shook her head, saying with a heavy heart, "It's not a matter of trust, but this matter lacks concrete evidence. I fear that if I speak of it, it will still affect our relationship."
Madam He chuckled softly, her gentle voice carrying infinite strength, "Just say it. We've been together for so many years, how can I not trust you? I treat you like my own daughter. I can't say I understand everything about you, but I understand most of it!"
"Then I'll say it directly." Chen Lishu took a deep breath, then tightly gripped Madam He’s clothes, and said, "I suspect Meng Lei might have joined forces with them!"
Upon hearing this, the smile on Mother He's face gradually froze. "Meng Lei grew up in Country M and doesn't have much connection with Zhang Wan'er. Why would he collude with Zhang Wan'er? Is there some misunderstanding here? After all, Meng Lei's parents are very intelligent, and logically, their son wouldn't be that foolish! He knows what he should and shouldn't do. Besides, I've been very kind to this child; he has no reason to betray me. If you say it's for love, I don't see it. His attitude towards Qin Yue is very casual. If he really liked Qin Yue that much, he should be with her all the time, considering they're a couple in the honeymoon phase. But Meng Lei is busy with something outside every day, and when he comes back, he's drunk and smells of other women! Tell me quickly, why do you feel this way?"
Chen Lishu frowned tightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "I don't know if I saw it wrong, but I always felt that Meng Lei's eyes held a hint of resentment towards you, albeit fleeting. It might be that I didn't see it clearly in a flash. Precisely because there's no evidence, I can't speak too definitively. If Meng Lei truly resents you, there must be some unresolved misunderstanding. We can only wait for his next move. Once we catch him red-handed, we can ask him in detail what happened. If you drive them away, who knows what tricks they'll play on us behind our backs? It's better to keep them under our watchful eye, especially since there are cameras here!"
"If that's really the case, then things are indeed a bit troublesome. We can only proceed according to your plan. If necessary, I might cooperate with their actions. Only by infiltrating the enemy's ranks can we obtain more valuable information!" Mother He gave Chen Lishu a heads-up.
The two looked at each other, and a plan began to form in their minds. Meanwhile, Meng Lei and his companion in another room were unaware that their plan had been largely discovered.
----
"Useless! You can't even handle such a small matter! You almost got kicked out of the courtyard and implicated me!" Meng Lei furiously drew his belt, about to lash out, when Qin Yue tearfully pleaded, "Don't get agitated yet. Our plan is already more than halfway complete! For the next few days, you just need to whisper in her ear that Chen Lishu is eyeing the He family's power, and coupled with Zhang Wan'er's actions, diverting all the conflict to Chen Lishu, I believe it will take at most three days for Chen Lishu to be ousted!"
Hearing Qin Yue's words, Meng Lei's emotions stabilized somewhat. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, questioning, "What did you conspire behind my back while I was away? Don't forget, you are my woman, and you should obey my orders. Who told you to obey Zhang Wan'er's commands?!"
Qin Yue said somewhat aggrievedly, "Didn't you tell me to cooperate with her actions?"
Hearing Qin Yue dare to retort, Meng Lei glared at her ferociously. Qin Yue cowered a little in fear and then recounted what had happened in the past few days to Meng Lei. However, she didn't tell the whole truth, deliberately mentioning that Zhang Wan'er refused to follow the original plan and that she had insulted Meng Lei, saying he was nothing now. After embellishing the story, she told it to him. Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Meng Lei's eyes, but remembering that Zhang Wan'er was still useful here, he could only snort coldly without saying anything more.