Was it because Tang Moyu had returned from her exile or was she just imagining things? Xing Yiyue wondered. It also didn't help that her mother-in-law, Wang Ruoxi, was constantly breathing down her neck, attempting to manipulate her into submission.

  Feng Tianhua had been spending more time at work than being at home with her. She understood that he was busy with work, but Xing Yiyue couldn't help but be upset by his absence.

  They were married for about five years now, but somehow she felt like her husband wasn't truly there for her. Apart from that one time when he defended her in front of Tang Moyu, his treatment towards her was lukewarm no matter how hard she tried to keep up with the expectations of being Young Madam Feng.

  Why? What was so wrong about her being an actress and married to a wealthy man?

  It was Tang Moyu who stepped between her and Tianhua, so why the hell did all these people, the same ones who condemned the fallen empress, made it sound that she was the evil villain between the two?

  If she hadn't done what she did five years ago, she was sure that Feng Tianhua wouldn't leave Tang Moyu for her. But what else could she do? She'd already done her best to learn the ways of the noble upper class,?but Xing Yiyue felt that her efforts were futile.

  She could only lower her heart and grit her teeth in frustration whenever someone dared to compare her to the fallen empress, whom Feng Tianhua should have married instead of her.

  She was startled the moment Wang Ruoxi slapped the newspaper on top of the desk between them.

  "Why didn't you listen when I told you to be wary of the people you get acquainted with? You and Xia An are the talk of the town right now. Why the hell did you make a scene? In front of Tang Moyu of all people! I keep reminding to avoid her, why did you ignore my advice?!" Wang Ruoxi's voice boomed and resounded within the study they were in.

  "Mother, this is just a misunderstanding. I didn't even know that Tang Moyu would be there. Xia An didn't intentionally slander The Black Nightingale. I didn't know that she was wearing an imitation." Xing Yiyue winced before defending herself. Damn Xia An for dragging her into this situation. She had been very careful these five years, trying to build her image and status as Young Madam Feng.

  Xing Yiyue simply couldn't accept being reprimanded like this by her mother-in-law. She hadn't even done anything to offend The Black Nightingale, so why did she also have to suffer because of Xia An?

  "Mother? Don't call me Mother! I shouldn't have let my son marry a bimbo like you!" Wang Ruoxi yelled again, this time throwing the newspaper right at Xing Yiyue's face.

  Xing Yiyue's eyes stung with tears as she lowered her head, refusing to give the older woman the satisfaction of bullying her whenever Tianhua was around. She'd never thought that her mother-in-law would be like this when she married her husband.

  Feng Tianhua didn't even care about how his mother treated her and had only told her to try to understand Wang Ruoxi, much to Xing Yiyue's disappointment. She was his wife, damn it! Why couldn't he stand up for her against his mother?

  "I-I'm really sorry, Mother. This won't happen again…" She muttered in between her sobs.

  "Yes, you won't! You idiot! Stay at home for the meantime and don't release any statements until the public forgets about the issue!" Wang Ruoxi slumped back on her seat and rubbed her aching temple.

  For the love of God, she couldn't even understand why her son chose someone like Xing Yiyue to be his wife. For the longest time, she and Zhang Wuying had planned for her son and Tang Moyu's betrothal, but this little bitch ruined all her hard work by seducing her son.

  Had she known that Xing Yiyue would ruin the plan she had laid out for years, she would have insisted on uniting Tianhua and Tang Moyu as soon as she graduated or right after she started working for Feng Conglomerate. Alas, nothing could be changed now.

  Even though Wang Ruoxi knew that Xing Yiyue's status in her son's life was nothing more than a wife in public, she still had to rein her displeasure for this woman until her son decided he had enough playing with Xing Yiyue. By then this bimbo would easily be cast aside for good, because they did not have any legal papers binding them.

  It was unfortunate that Tang Moyu was pregnant with a stranger's child before they could hold the wedding. She was raised to become the perfect wife, ideal for a businessman. However, her off-putting attitude was something that Wang Ruoxi had never liked about her. Back then, though Wang Ruoxi knew that having Tang Moyu around would help their business and social standing, she was also hesitant because Tang Moyu wasn't a person she could control.

  "I understand, Mother…" Came Xing Yiyue's weak response before she excused herself, leaving Wang Ruoxi alone in the study.

  Wang Ruoxi followed her daughter-in-law's retreating figure until Xing Yiyue closed the door behind her. She scoffed and tilted her seat to face the family portrait hanging on the wall.

  The portrait displayed her deceased husband standing next to her seat. She had her young son on her lap while her husband's firstborn son was standing on her right, with a deep scowl on his face.

  It reminded her of the reason she did everything in her power to secure her son's position. Wang Ruoxi knew that if she didn't fight for her son's rights, Tianhua would have to live in the shadows of his older brother, eating the crumbs he might leave behind. As if she would let something like that happen.