"This child was so well-behaved when she was little. How come she's learned to lie as she's grown up?"
...
Voices overlapped, all suspecting that Xuan Yang was deliberately lying to avoid marrying Chen Xingyue.
Finally, Xuan Yao asked a few key questions: "Sis, since you say you're married, who is my brother-in-law?"
"If you really are married, why haven't you brought him home to meet Mom and Dad?"
"Marriage is such a big thing; you can't just brush it off with empty words."
Hearing this, the elders calmed down.
Mother Xuan looked sharply at Xuan Yang: "Yao Yao's right. Since you say you're married, tell us who you married. How come your father and I never heard about it?"
"Since you're married, why haven't you brought him home to meet us?"
Saying this, Mother Xuan became more convinced Xuan Yang was lying: "Xuan Yang, you've never lied before, so you don't even know how to lie properly, do you? Let's see how you cover this lie!"
Xuan Yang frowned, feeling troubled.
Zhou Dang was probably still at the Zhou Family Old Mansion dealing with his elders. She wasn't sure if she could get him to come right now.
After thinking it over, she relaxed her brow and looked at her adoptive mother: "He probably can't make it today, but Mom and Dad, I'm not lying about being married, and I have no reason to lie."
Her second aunt, Chen Yinrong, snorted and chimed in: "Why no reason? You don't want to marry Xingyue, so you fabricate a lie to make us, including your parents, have to give up the idea."
"Too bad no one believes you. I don't know if you're smart or stupid."
Mother Xuan: "What important person can't even spare a moment for a meeting?"
"What's his name? You have to make up at least that much."
Xuan Yang: "..."
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke before her adoptive mother could lose her temper again: "Zhou Dang."
The name came out of nowhere.
The large dining room fell into a brief dead silence.
Everyone who had been chattering was stunned.
Xuan Yang looked at her adoptive mother, afraid she hadn't heard clearly, and slowly repeated: "My spouse is Zhou Dang. Zhou of 'Xia Shang Zhou,' Dang of 'rippling.'"
"You all know him."
Finally, someone snapped out of their stupor amidst her calm narration.
Xuan Yao: "Impossible! You're crazy to want to get married!"
"How dare you tell such a lie?!"
The others also snapped out of their shock and shared Xuan Yao's view.
Chen Yinrong: "You sure have guts to make that up. I just came from the Zhou house. If Zhou Dang were married, how could I, his third aunt, not know?"
Chen Yinrong had married into the Zhou family's third branch, so she was Zhou Dang's aunt by marriage. Her words naturally carried more weight than Xuan Yang's.
Mr. and Mrs. Xuan increasingly felt Xuan Yang was recklessly using Zhou Dang as a shield.
Especially Mother Xuan, who was certain Xuan Yang wanted to climb up to the Zhou family and compete with Xuan Yao.
Even when Xuan Yang presented facts and evidence, offering to go upstairs and get the marriage certificate to show them,
Mother Xuan didn't believe her at all: "Who knows if that marriage certificate is real or fake?"
"To avoid marriage, you can come up with a story like marrying Zhou Dang. What wouldn't you dare to do?"
Chen Yinrong also said, "Our A Dang is supposed to marry the Huo family's girl. If you say these things in the Xuan house, that's one thing. But if it gets out, be careful you don't cause trouble for your parents."
Xuan Yang fell into a brief silence.
She was at a bit of a loss.
Even with facts and evidence, no one would believe her.
She couldn't actually call Zhou Dang and ask him to come specially to confirm that she was telling the truth.
Just as Xuan Yang's mind was racing, the butler suddenly announced.
"Sir, Madam, the Third Young Master Zhou is here."
Xuan Yang was slightly stunned, her eyes showing surprise.
Chen Yinrong immediately smiled, looking like she was expecting a good show: "Well, now that A Dang is here, let's see how you keep making up lies."
Xuan Yao also curled her lips, looking forward to what would happen next.
Chen Yinrong continued, "Xuan Yang, it's not too late to admit your mistake now."
"Although lying is shameful, we elders won't make it too hard on you."
"As long as you correct your mistake, straighten out your attitude, and marry Xingyue peacefully, I believe your parents won't blame you."
After a pause, Chen Yinrong couldn't help but lecture her: "But you need to fix this lying habit. Xingyue can't have a lying wife; it would bring shame to our old Chen family."
Her repeated words of 'not blaming' and 'lying and cheating' made Xuan Yang's expression darken.