Tang Bingyun had some business to take care of at her company, so she left earlier. Wang Haoran decided to go find Zhen Li because he planned to visit Ma Hongsheng together with her.

In Wang Haoran’s absence, Zhen Li had already spoken to the nurse and found out which ward Ma Hongsheng was in. She led Wang Haoran to the most luxurious convalescent ward at Tianhui Clinic.

Just as Zhen Li was about to knock on the door, she heard some commotion inside. Out of politeness, she decided to wait, since it sounded like an argument among family members. As an outsider, it was inappropriate to intervene, so she pretended not to overhear.

Wang Haoran, however, used his X-ray vision to see what was happening inside. There were three people in the ward. Ma Hongsheng lay on the bed, eyes closed, breathing evenly — clearly asleep.

Besides Ma Hongsheng, there was a young man and woman, both appearing to be in their twenties. The young man was unremarkable in appearance and bore a strong resemblance to Ma Hongsheng, but his expression and demeanor were filled with arrogance and pride, quite unlike the calm Ma Hongsheng. This young man was undoubtedly Ma Hongsheng’s son, Ma Weicai.

The young woman was strikingly beautiful with a delicate figure, exuding a fragile and pitiable aura. She sat by the bed, gently holding Ma Hongsheng’s hand, her face full of concern. She was clearly Ma Hongsheng’s second wife, Cheng Rui.

“My dad doesn’t need your care. If I tell you to leave, you should leave. Don’t you have a son to look after? Hurry up and go!” Ma Weicai said, his tone unfriendly.

“The housekeeper is looking after him, so there’s no need to worry. I’d rather stay and take care of Hongsheng,” Cheng Rui responded softly, her voice soothing.

“My dad isn’t even awake right now. Stop pretending,” Ma Weicai sneered.

“I… I’m not pretending. I genuinely care about Hongsheng and wish to stay and take care of him,” Cheng Rui replied, her voice fragile.

“You really are something, woman. My dad might be old and foolish, but I’m not. Why did you marry my dad at such a young age? Isn’t it for our family’s wealth?”

“I’ve told you many times, I like Hongsheng for his maturity and steadiness, not for his money. Besides, when we got married, we signed a prenuptial agreement, which you know about.”

“Signing a prenuptial agreement is exactly where your cunning lies!”

The mention of the prenuptial agreement made Ma Weicai angry. He had strongly opposed Cheng Rui joining the Ma family, but she had voluntarily signed a prenuptial agreement that ensured she wouldn’t receive anything in a divorce. Seeing her seemingly sincere demeanor and the agreement, he initially believed her and didn’t think much of it.

But he soon regretted it. Cheng Rui quickly garnered Ma Hongsheng’s affection, and within a year, she was pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ma Hongsheng became even more protective of her.

Despite the prenuptial agreement, Ma Hongsheng was a sentimental person. If something were to happen to him, would he really leave Cheng Rui and her son with nothing? It seemed unlikely!

“You really misunderstand me,” Cheng Rui sighed deeply, then noticed Ma Hongsheng’s hand move slightly. Her eyes flashed with a peculiar light, and she promptly got up to pour a glass of water, offering it to Ma Weicai gently. “We’re a family and should get along. Have a glass of water to calm down.”

“Get lost! Stop pretending to be nice!” Ma Weicai pushed the glass away, causing it to shatter on the floor, leading Cheng Rui to stumble and fall.

“You brat, what are you doing!” Ma Hongsheng woke up, disturbed by the commotion, and seeing Cheng Rui on the floor, attempted to help her up.

As he helped her, he noticed her hand was covered in blood from the broken glass. Wang Haoran, observing everything through his X-ray vision, was stunned by Cheng Rui’s tactics. When she fell, she hadn’t been cut by the glass; she deliberately pressed her hand onto a shard after Ma Hongsheng had fully awakened, intentionally injuring herself to deepen Ma Weicai’s guilt and provoke Ma Hongsheng’s anger.

To be so ruthless to herself, this woman…

“A’Rui, are you okay?” Ma Hongsheng asked with deep concern.

“I’m fine, truly,” Cheng Rui, her face pale, shook her head to reassure Ma Hongsheng.

“You unfilial son!” Ma Hongsheng, unable to hold back his anger, intended to slap Ma Weicai.

“Hongsheng, it wasn’t his fault. I fell accidentally,” Cheng Rui frowned but forced a smile, holding onto Ma Hongsheng, explaining the situation.

“Dad, you heard her, right? She said it was her own fault, not mine,” Ma Weicai, noticing his father’s fierce demeanor, reluctantly stepped back, speaking in a subdued tone.

“Do you think I’m blind? I saw you push her!” Ma Hongsheng, still furious, freed himself from Cheng Rui’s grip and slapped Ma Weicai.

From an angle where Ma Hongsheng and Ma Weicai couldn’t see, Cheng Rui, with her pitiful demeanor, briefly let a terrifying and sinister smile slip, which quickly vanished. Wang Haoran noticed this chilling expression. Cheng Rui was indeed a terrifying woman.

As the wealthiest man in Qingling, Ma Hongsheng surely had many beautiful women vying for him, but Cheng Rui was the only one to marry into the Ma family and bear him a son. Her achievements were not by sheer luck; Cheng Rui was truly extraordinary.

After the slap, Ma Hongsheng calmed down slightly and then started to carefully bandage Cheng Rui’s wound.

“You brat, don’t just stand there. Go get a doctor!” Ma Hongsheng shouted at Ma Weicai.

Feeling wronged, Ma Weicai dared not disobey his father and headed towards the door. Zhen Li, having heard the commotion inside, had no choice but to knock on the door, pretending she had just gotten there.

“What do you want?” Ma Weicai opened the door, glaring at Zhen Li and Wang Haoran.

“I’m Zhen Li, president of National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance Cosmetics Group, and this is my son. We’re here to visit Mr. Ma,” Zhen Li stated politely.

“National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance? Never heard of it. Seems like anyone can claim to be a president these days. You think you can see my dad? Get lost!” Ma Weicai, still fuming, spoke sharply, trying to push them away.

Zhen Li bristled with anger. If it weren’t for her intent to visit Ma Hongsheng, she might have slapped Ma Weicai herself.

“You brat, how dare you speak to guests like that! Invite them in!” Ma Hongsheng, hearing the voices at the door, scolded Ma Weicai.

Pretending he did not hear his father, Ma Weicai brushed past Zhen Li to fetch a doctor. As he passed by, he even bumped her shoulder, causing her to yelp in pain.

Wang Haoran frowned, watching Ma Weicai leave, his eyes narrowing. He hadn’t been sure about whom to support, but now he knew. Ma Weicai’s good days were numbered.

However, Cheng Rui was an ambitious woman, and controlling her wouldn’t be easy. Making her a puppet to obediently follow his commands would be challenging.