At Sun Lixia’s opulent villa, the afternoon tea gathering amongst the matriarchs of the families was a serene affair. Madam Tang, Li Yanyan, Mu Lingling, and the ever-gracious hostess Sun Lixia savored the tranquility, their laughter echoing through the lavish halls in the absence of the menfolk, who had ventured out on an errand.

Mu Lingling’s remark about her pregnant daughter’s constant slumber elicited a chorus of amused understanding. "Let her rest, she is carrying the heirs of the Li family," Sun Lixia said, her tone brimming with anticipation.

Li Yanyan couldn’t contain her excitement. "Oh yes, I can’t wait for her to give birth so we can finally meet the twins. It will be lively to finally have babies here."

Madam Tang, ever the voice of reason, tempered their eagerness. "Well, it’s still a long way to go. She is still three months pregnant."

"Yeah, if only we could speed up time," Sun Lixia mused wistfully, her eyes sparkling with the promise of grandchildren.

Li Yanyan turned to her sister-in-law, her expression one of disbelief. "Sister-in-law, we will be grandparents. Feels like a dream."

Sun Lixia’s smile radiated warmth. "Yes, our family has been through a lot. These babies will be cherished."

Not one to be left out, Mu Lingling chimed in, "Well, ladies, we would have to share them because they will be my grandbabies too," prompting a chorus of laughter from the assembled women.

"As a bonus grandma, I am also laying claim on them," Madam Tang declared, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

Sun Lixia shook her head in amusement. "I can already imagine how spoiled they will be."

"And no one can blame us," Li Yanyan quipped, her tone resolute.

The conversation took a turn as Mu Lingling addressed Li Yanyan. "Li Yanyan, your son should consider settling down too. He is turning thirty this year."

Li Yanyan’s expression betrayed a hint of exasperation. "I don’t know why that boy is so slow. Why can’t he tell that Zhang Meixui likes him?"

Madam Tang offered a sympathetic perspective. "I am sure he can tell. He is just taking his time. That girl has been through so much."

Sun Lixia, ever the concerned matriarch, shifted her gaze to Madam Tang. "Speaking of which, Madam Tang, your sons have to get married too."

Madam Tang waved her hand dismissively. "Junjie is just too focused on pursuing his music career."

Sun Lixia’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, he can sing?"

With a proud smile, Madam Tang declared, "He is the best."

Li Yanyan’s eyes gleamed with calculation. "Hmm, you should have said so. He would be famous by now."

Madam Tang’s expression softened, touched by the unwavering support. "Oh, don’t worry. You guys have done so much for our family already."

Sun Lixia’s voice carried a warm, maternal tone. "We have been through so much together. Junjie took a bullet for Zhu Fengrui. We are now practically one big blended happy family."

Their laughter filled the air, a testament to the unbreakable bonds forged through hardship and triumph. However, their jovial gathering was soon interrupted by the arrival of the butler, his face etched with concern.

"Madam Li, there is a woman outside who demands to come in," he announced, prompting frowns from the assembled women.

Sun Lixia’s brow furrowed. "Who is it?"

The butler’s response only deepened the mystery. "She won’t say, ma’am."

Li Yanyan wasted no time in taking charge. "Get Ding Chengxi close by, just in case she is here to cause trouble. Tell the guards to be alert, then let her in."

The butler nodded and swiftly departed to carry out the orders, leaving the women in a tense silence, their curiosity piqued by the unexpected visitor.

The sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor heralded the arrival of an ostentatiously dressed older woman, her excessive makeup and gum-chewing demeanor clashing with the refined ambiance of the villa.

Sun Lixia rose to her feet, her tone calm yet guarded. "Can we help you, ma’am?"

The woman’s response sent shockwaves through the room. "I came here for my son."

Exchanging bewildered glances, the women found themselves in a quandary, their minds racing to decipher the woman’s cryptic declaration. Without invitation, she made herself at home, crossing her legs to reveal her thighs beneath her short dress.

"My son," she reiterated, her gaze sweeping over the stunned matriarchs. "Which one of you has a child that doesn’t belong to them... that is my son."

With those ominous words, the Chapter ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the women to confront the unexpected claim and the potential upheaval it could bring to their closely-knit family.

The woman’s presence was as jarring as her audacious claim. She sat before them, legs crossed in a provocative manner, utterly unbothered by the weight of her words or the scandalous image she projected.

Her attire, a garish combination of designer labels and excessive embellishments, seemed to mock the understated elegance that pervaded Sun Lixia’s villa. The plunging neckline of her dress left little to the imagination, while the hemline rode perilously high, daring the matriarchs to avert their gaze.

Beneath layers of garish makeup, her face betrayed the ravages of time, the once-youthful features now etched with the lines of a life lived in excess. Her heavily lined eyes, rimmed with kohl, surveyed the room with a brazen indifference, as if challenging the women to question her audacity.

Crimson lipstick, applied with a heavy hand, formed a garish pout around the wad of gum she nonchalantly chewed, the smacking sounds amplified by the stunned silence that had descended upon the gathering.

Her jewelry, an ostentatious display of wealth, glittered and jangled with every movement, the oversized rings adorning her fingers catching the light in a gaudy spectacle. A heavy chain, dripping with oversized gemstones, adorned her neck, the centerpiece an obscenely large diamond that seemed to wink mockingly at the refined sensibilities of her hosts.

Despite the opulent surroundings, the woman carried herself with a brash nonchalance, her body language exuding an air of entitlement and disregard for the social graces that governed such settings. She was an unapologetic force of nature, a living embodiment of excess and disregard for propriety.

As she leveled her accusation, her eyes narrowed, daring the women to challenge her claim or dismiss her presence. The tension in the room was palpable, each matriarch grappling with the implications of this unexpected visitor and the potential upheaval her words could unleash upon their closely-guarded family.

With that haunting declaration hanging in the air, the Chapter remains suspended in a precarious cliffhanger, leaving the readers to ponder the identity of the woman’s alleged son and the repercussions that could unfold in the wake of her brazen arrival.