The elderly couple had no idea what entanglement this person before them might have with the Liu family.

But they were not fools; it was obvious at a glance that something must be going on—and certainly nothing good. So even though they had been doused with water, and didn’t want to make a big scene or embarrass themselves here, the couple quietly apologized and stepped back, without making a fuss.

“Honey? Shall we keep asking?” Zhang Mama asked Zhang Papa.

Zhang Papa sighed several times in a row. “If one person says something, it may not be believable—but when so many people say the same thing, how could it possibly be unbelievable?”

“What about the Liu family? Should we still go see them?” Zhang Mama asked again.

Zhang Papa shook his head. “Why bother? Let’s not stir up any more trouble. We’d better hurry back to An City and figure out how to get our son to break up with that pest once and for all!”

“I agree,” said Zhang Mama. The two of them quickly reached an agreement, with no further thoughts or desire to linger in this wretched place—every extra second felt like an embarrassment.

Their own fine son, such an outstanding young man—how could he have ended up with such a worthless piece of trash!

Yet some things seem as if Heaven itself is playing a joke.

Whether it was the chill in their hearts from being splashed with water, or the cold dread brought on by everything that had just happened, as the elderly couple supported each other and walked toward the exit of the residential compound, Zhang Mama suddenly stumbled. Losing her balance for a moment, she carelessly lurched forward.

Although Zhang Papa caught her in time,

and she managed to steady herself, she still couldn’t fully regain her footing and accidentally bumped into an elderly woman walking straight toward them.

Zhang Mama couldn’t make out the woman’s face clearly, but instinctively hurried to apologize.

Zhang Papa also steadied his wife and, together with her, offered an apology to the other party.

However, the woman was no easy customer.

She immediately brushed off her clothes with a look of disgust, took two steps back, and snapped, “Ugh, how disgusting! Where did this pauper come from? Coming here to jinx me? You’ve ruined my whole outfit!”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Zhang Mama felt deeply guilty and instinctively apologized, then raised her eyes to take a closer look at the woman—only to freeze in shock right there.

The woman looked quite old, similar to the Ming family matriarch the couple had encountered earlier, but much younger and more refined in her appearance. She was dressed entirely in black, her mouth drooping downward, and exuded a strong, cloying scent of makeup.

Looking at her face, even without the photos provided by the private detective Zhang Papa had hired, Zhang Mama and Zhang Papa could clearly tell from this elderly woman’s striking resemblance to Liu Qingqing that she was indeed Liu Qingqing’s maternal grandmother—the very Liu Old Lady!

The couple recognized her at the same moment and exchanged a glance, both feeling a sudden pang in their hearts.

But Liu Old Lady didn’t recognize them.

First, she really wasn’t familiar with them. Even though Liu Qingqing had once sent her photos of Zhang’s parents, she hadn’t paid much attention to observing—or remembering—those two rather unremarkable, even somewhat ordinary-looking elderly folks. On the other hand, she remembered the young Zhang Yang very clearly.

Second, before leaving home, Zhang Mama and Zhang Papa had deliberately put on makeup. It wasn’t heavy or flashy, but it did alter their appearance. Moreover, they tried to look as ordinary and unassuming as possible, blending in so seamlessly with the bustling neighborhood that they could almost pass unnoticed. And after being splashed with water, Zhang Mama looked rather disheveled—enough to make this well-to-do, pampered Liu Old Lady assume they must be some poor relatives who had come calling.

End of Chapter 224: Counterattack 151