Lin's mother paused, shook her head, and said, "No, I just came to buy some things and happened to run into you, so I thought I'd say hello. Oh, this is my daughter, Si Nian. Nian Nian, this is Dongdong."
Liu Dongdong finally noticed Si Nian standing behind Lin's mother. Of course, she had heard of this person before—living in the military compound, the name often came up.
But seeing her in person was a first.
At first glance, she was stunned.
Even after spending so much time in the city, this was the first time she had ever seen such a beautiful woman.
A face unforgettable at first sight.
For a moment, questions swirled in her mind as she discreetly observed Si Nian's appearance and clothing.
Then, with a shy smile, she said, "Hello, my name is Liu Dongdong."
"Hello," Si Nian replied.
Si Nian was no fool—she could easily read the look in Liu Dongdong's eyes. She smiled knowingly. No wonder this girl outlived the second female lead—her unassuming appearance isn’t without reason.
"I heard you and Si Si are very close?" Si Nian asked with a smile.
Lin's mother glanced at her daughter in confusion.
She just said they weren’t familiar earlier—why is she asking this now?
Liu Dongdong hesitated, her eyes flickering before she nodded. "Yes, we’re classmates."
Si Nian nodded in response.
"No wonder. When the police mistakenly suspected Si Si of being involved in the disappearance of the three-thousand-yuan betrothal gift, you helped clear her name. My sister-in-law mentioned that Si Si went to see you that morning despite the heavy rain and came back with a cold. You two must really be close."
Zhou Suisui, standing nearby, looked bewildered. Did I ever say that?
Liu Dongdong thought carefully. It did rain that day, but Lin Sisi never came to see me. I have no idea if she caught a cold.
But with the whole family staring at her, she could only smile and nod. "Yes, Si Si told me she was heartbroken about not being their biological child. She said she didn’t want to leave Auntie and the family..."
Lin's mother froze at these words. Back then, her daughter had been eager to leave, and though she hid her disappointment, it had hurt.
But how could she stop her from pursuing a better life?
Hearing this now stirred up old emotions.
Still, with her real daughter back, it didn’t seem to matter as much anymore.
Lin's mother gazed at Si Nian affectionately, feeling a happiness she had never known before.
Si Nian sighed inwardly, watching her mother and sister-in-law’s oblivious expressions.
If I hadn’t suspected Lin Sisi, they’d probably never figure out where that three thousand yuan went.
"How is Si Si doing now?" Lin's mother asked. "Is she doing well?"
Liu Dongdong seemed to hesitate, glancing at Si Nian before replying, "I heard Si Si is getting married soon. Didn’t you know?"
"What?" Lin's mother gasped in surprise.
Si Nian studied Liu Dongdong’s expression.
The girl continued, "Since I live in the city, I ran into Si Si once. She told me herself. I thought you already knew. Maybe she just hasn’t had the chance to tell you yet."
Noticing Si Nian’s sharp gaze, she added, "I heard the groom is an officer. How enviable!"
Lin's mother instinctively looked at Si Nian.
She knew her daughter had once been engaged to someone from the military compound—a man from an exceptionally well-off family.
Could it be...?
Sensing the family’s tense atmosphere, Liu Dongdong knew her goal was achieved. "The wedding is on the twelfth, just a week away. I’m sure you’ll attend, right? Well, I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave now."
She bid them farewell and walked away.
Lin's mother was still reeling from the news.
Si Nian, however, remained unfazed. After all, in the original plot, the male and female leads had married early due to misunderstandings. The male lead had already developed feelings for the female lead and didn’t refuse.
Liu Dongdong had witnessed this but dared not interfere under Lin Sisi’s watchful eye. So, she turned her attention to the original female lead—Si Nian, who had once been infatuated with Fu Yang.
By provoking Si Nian with these words, she hoped to push her into disrupting the wedding.
And indeed, the original Si Nian had fallen for it, storming into the military compound to confront Lin Sisi, making a scene that tarnished her reputation forever.
Looks like today’s encounter was just the plot’s doing. They had to make sure the villainous second female lead found out.
"Nian Nian, are you okay?" Lin's mother asked worriedly.
Si Nian snapped out of her thoughts and chuckled. "Why wouldn’t I be?"
Lin's mother had expected her to be upset, but her daughter’s amused expression left her puzzled.
"Then why were you so quiet just now?"
"Because I was wondering why she lied," Si Nian said.
Lin's mother blinked. "Lied?"
Her heart ached for her daughter. Is she really in denial about her ex-fiancé marrying Lin Sisi, insisting it’s all a lie?
Si Nian met her mother’s pitying gaze and nearly facepalmed.
We are completely on different wavelengths.
Rubbing her temples, she explained, "Mom, do you remember that when you came to see me that day, only Sister-in-law and Lin Sisi were home?"
"Of course I remember."
That day, eager to meet their biological daughter, the couple had woken up early, dressed in their finest clothes, and brought gifts along with their sons.
They arrived at the military compound gates, laden with packages, only for Si Nian to ignore them.
Then came the heavy downpour, triggering her husband’s leg pain for days.
When they returned, the three-thousand-yuan betrothal money had been stolen. That day had been the darkest in the Lin family’s history—she remembered it all too clearly.
But she didn’t understand why her daughter was bringing it up now.
"Mom, recall what Liu Dongdong just said—that Lin Sisi ran all the way to her, crying about not wanting to leave you. And when I mentioned the morning rain, she didn’t react. But the rain that day didn’t start until the afternoon."
Zhou Suisui chimed in, "Right! I was just wondering why you said that, Auntie. I thought maybe the rain in the city was different from the countryside."
After all, sometimes it rained in one place while the sun shone elsewhere.
Lin Sisi hadn’t been drenched that day, but she had caught a cold. Overwhelmed with guilt after the money went missing, she fell ill, and the whole family had pitied her...
That’s why Zhou Suisui hadn’t corrected Si Nian earlier.
But she definitely hadn’t told Si Nian about Lin Sisi’s illness.
Did Auntie misremember?
Lin's mother was still confused. "Wait, what? I don’t get it."
"The police investigated the missing money, right? Lin Sisi claimed she went to see a classmate, so they checked her acquaintances. None of them knew anything about it. Only after questioning did they learn she’d gone to Liu Dongdong, who confirmed her alibi."
