Zhu Qing picked up the marriage contract from the wooden box and gently stroked its surface.
It was only a tiny marriage contract, yet it had decided her fate.
But starting today, things were different. Her fate would be decided by her own will.
The corners of her eyes suddenly grew hot, and a few tears slipped uncontrollably down, splashing onto the marriage contract and spreading into a faint patch of dampness.
Seeing this, Liu Yuerong hurried over and pulled her into a tight embrace, her voice filled with barely concealed sobs:
"Silly child, why are you crying? The engagement has finally been dissolved. You should be happy."
Zhu Qing buried her face in her mother's warm embrace and wrapped both arms tightly around her waist, as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances and insecurity she had accumulated over the years.
Her voice was thick with tears, yet carried the lightness of finally being relieved:
"Mom... Mom... The engagement has finally been dissolved!"
"Mm, Mom knows. Mom knows everything."
Liu Yuerong gently patted Zhu Qing's back, her voice as gentle as a pool of spring water.
"All these years, I've seen all the suffering you endured, Zhu Qing, and kept it in my heart."
She raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, then turned her gaze toward Su Yu. Her eyes held a mother's cherishment for her daughter, along with a hint of solemnity:
"Xiao Yu, Zhu Qing may seem cold by nature, but her heart is actually very soft."
"Because of that engagement, she forced herself to shoulder too much and endure too many grievances..."
At this point, Liu Yuerong's throat tightened slightly. In the end, she swallowed the rest of her words and stared intently at Su Yu, her