Those two figures—one old, one young—were both women.

The older one was dressed in lavish attire, yet it did not suit her temperament at all.

Her silver hair and the wrinkles etched across her aged face revealed her advanced years; she looked rather listless as she stared curiously at Zhang’s elderly parents.

The younger woman wore simple clothes and had her hair tied carelessly behind her head, leaning slightly on the older woman for support.

As the old woman scrutinized Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, the younger woman also turned to look at them.

Seemingly sensing that her own grandmother wanted to step forward and strike up a conversation, she beat her to it, smiling warmly as she addressed the Zhangs, who were looking around nervously as if searching for something.

“Uncle, Auntie, are you looking for someone? We’re residents here—if there’s anyone you’re trying to find, we might be able to help.”

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang had also been sizing up these two for quite some time.

Upon confirming that the people before them were no one from the Liu family, Mrs. Zhang let out a sigh of relief and mustered the courage to step forward with a smile, replying, “That’s wonderful! Young lady, elder sister, to be honest with you, we’re here to look for the Liu family.”

“The Liu family? Which Liu family?”

At the mere mention of the Liu family, the old woman’s expression instantly darkened.

Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang felt uneasy and initially planned to say no more. But then she thought: since they’d already come all this way, they couldn’t just turn back now. It would be better to get a clear answer.

So she politely replied, “Liu Qingqing’s home. Do you two know her?”

“Liu Qingqing? What’s your connection to her? Why are you looking for her?”

The old woman’s expression grew even more grim, as if someone had stepped on her tail.

Mrs. Zhang watched closely, her heart beginning to race. Yet she wasn’t ready to give up just like that. Summoning her resolve, she said, “Don’t laugh at us, elder sister. My husband and I came all the way from Ancheng City next door.”

“Ancheng?”

“Yes. Our niece is dating Liu Qingqing, and they’re about to get married soon. But so far, the Liu family hasn’t sent any representatives to talk with us. My sister worries that something serious might have happened at their home, but she can’t leave herself. Since we happen to be free, she asked us to come take a look. After all, they’ll soon be relatives—if there really is trouble at their house, shouldn’t we lend a hand?”

As Mrs. Zhang spoke, her heart was pounding uncontrollably. She thought to herself: What on earth is going on? I’m someone who always keeps my word—never in my life have I told so many lies or done so many things against my own wishes, let alone sneaking around like a spy, rummaging through other people’s belongings…

And now, acting like a scout, I’ve even snuck into someone else’s home to pry into their private affairs…

Hearing this, the old woman’s expression softened slightly, her eyes crinkling ever so slightly as she cast a sidelong glance at Zhang’s elderly parents. “Relatives? Helping out? I’d say you two are actually Liu Qingqing’s future in-laws! You claim you came to see if there’s anything needing help at her home, but really you’re just here to snoop around, aren’t you?”

No sooner had she finished speaking than three pairs of eyes turned toward her—all of them belonging to Zhang’s parents and the young woman by her side.

Mrs. Zhang hastily waved her hands and said, “Elder sister, really, we…”

Meanwhile, the young woman whispered in the old woman’s ear, “Elder sister, are you serious? How did you figure that out?”

Instead of answering the young woman, the old woman let out a snort at Mrs. Zhang, who was trying to cover up. “No need to beat around the bush with me, nor to spout empty platitudes. It’s unnecessary, because I’m not even from the Liu family.”

End of Chapter 218: Counterattack 145