Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  On the way to their new residence, Fu Huai’an made a detour to the Lin residence.

  Lin Nuan got out of the car, then opened the trunk and wrote on the presents’ packaging whom each of the presents was meant for. She then picked them up and pressed on the doorbell of the Lin residence.

  The new door guard at the Lin house came out. He didn’t recognize Lin Nuan.

  However, seeing the grand car behind Lin Nuan, and the man with a brooding demeanor standing next to the vehicle, he inevitably spoke in a more courteous manner with Lin Nuan…


  “May I know who you’re looking for, Miss?”


  Lin Nuan smiled and handed the presents to the door guard, then told him her name and asked him to call the manor. Someone would come out and get the presents if he told them they were from Lin Nuan.

  Since her surname was Lin, she was naturally related to the Lin family. The door guard nodded politely. “Why don’t you wait for a little? I’ll call the manor now. Perhaps you want to go in and have a seat?”


  Lin Nuan smiled and shook her head. “I’ll pass. I have to get going, so I’ll take my leave now!”


  It wasn’t that Lin Nuan didn’t want to enter when she was already at the door. It was just that, even though Lin Ran had stood out to defend her today and they had buried the hatchet, Lin Nuan didn’t feel that it was a good idea to so anxiously cling to the Lins. There was a chance this action might unintentionally drive a knife into Lin Ran’s heart.

  The more her relationship with Lin Ran started to warm up, the more careful Lin Nuan felt that she had to be, for she was afraid that she might accidentally destroy this hard-obtained peace between the two of them.

  …


  Lin Ran had also just entered the house.

  Because her blind date with that Mr. Fei didn’t turn out so well, Lin Ran was afraid that Liang Mulan might nag at her when she came back, so she deliberately met a friend for lunch outside before returning home.

  Once Lin Ran entered the house, Liang Mulan pressed her about how her blind date went, asking her if she had eaten lunch with Mr. Fei for her to have returned at this hour.

  She took off her high heel shoes and changed into slippers, unable to show a dark face when faced with her mother’s loving questioning. She hooked her arm around Liang Mulan’s and walked into the house with her.

  Lin Ran said helplessly, “It didn’t feel quite suitable, so we went our own ways after coffee! Mom… in the future, can you stop arranging blind dates for me? I know you’re concerned that I’m still thinking about Young Master Gu, afraid I might split hairs, but you can’t force love through blind dates!”


  Liang Mulan sighed but didn’t reprimand her. “You stay at home all the time. When I asked you to attend those gathering functions, you refused to go. Without the avenues to meet more friends of the opposite sex, how are you going to find the one that makes your heart flutter?”


  Just then, the housekeeper said that someone called looking for Liang Mulan—it was a Mrs. Fei.

  That should be Mr. Fei’s mother, whom Liang Mulan came to be acquainted with through playing mahjong together. Since they hung out in the same circles, the Feis shouldn’t be too bad off…


  Although the Lin family felt like they were too good for the Feis, she had heard that the Fei child had elegant manners and an easy-going personality. Liang Mulan single-heartedly wanted to find a man who knew how to dote on Lin Ran and thus didn’t so much mind his family background. Hence she agreed with Mrs. Fei for the two kids to meet.

  Liang Mulan gave up on nagging Lin Ran and was going to pick up the call. Feeling like she was granted a great pardon, Lin Ran started to go upstairs to change her clothes. However, she was held by her wrist by Liang Mulan and dragged into the living room. She had no choice but to sit opposite Liang Mulan and watch while Liang Mulan gracefully answered the call.

  Lin Ran was speechless.

  Liang Mulan was clearly not done talking and was forcing Lin Ran to stay, planning to finish her words after she was done with the phone call.

  Lin Ran took out her phone in boredom and swiped through that day’s news. When she saw that someone had booked all of the movie showings for “The Exorcist” across all movie theaters in Haicheng that day, she thought to herself, what an idiot. Wasn’t a movie filmed for others’ viewing pleasure? For one person to book all of the movie showings at all the theaters, was he able to finish watching it all himself?

  Just as she was secretly wondering if this was the doing of Lin Nuan’s husband, Fu Huai’an, she looked up to see a sullen-faced Liang Mulan.

  “That would be too much trouble for Mrs. Fei! We don’t need an outsider to teach us how to run our Lin family’s business!” Liang Mulan couldn’t conceal the sarcasm in her voice. “Lin Nuan is our Lin family’s daughter too. For my daughter to speak out and defend her, it’s because they have close sisterly ties. I feel that my daughter is the most wonderful and bravest lady in the world! As for your son… I rather agree with what my daughter said. To put it in more awful terms, he’s wimpish and doesn’t have a bit of masculinity in him. Is someone like that still considered a man? I shall call up the vice-director of the Province Department of Public Security and ask him when their department started recruiting sissies! It’s too damaging to the image of the Department of Public Security!”


  Liang Mulan then angrily hung up the call.

  Seeing the usually elegant Liang Mulan say so much without her face turning red or her breathing getting heavier, Lin Ran started clapping for her.

  At the thought of how she had made her daughter go on a blind date with a weirdo, Liang Mulan’s eyes reddened due to how apologetic she felt.

  Before Lin Ran could console her, the door guard called and said that someone called Lin Nuan had sent a bunch of things, then asked if he should bring them in or throw them away.

  Lin Ran guessed those were Christmas presents, but she didn’t feel upset about it. She had prepared a Christmas present for Ji Yun as well and was planning on visiting her after taking a hot shower and changing clothes.

  Putting herself in Lin Nuan’s shoes, since Lin Ran missed Ji Yun, Lin Nuan would miss the Lin family too!

  Now that Lin Ran was more open-minded, she did feel that she was more blissful than she felt in the past. She not only had the love of her kin in the Lin family, but she was also wholeheartedly doted upon by her other mother, Ji Yun. She earned an extra share of motherly love compared to Lin Nuan, so she should be considered more blissful than Lin Nuan.

  Seeing the housekeeper come in with many big and small bags, Lin Ran ran her fingers through her scalp. “Mom… then I’ll go upstairs and take a shower first!”


  Noticing how Lin Ran didn’t appear to be upset about this, Liang Mulan nodded and reminded, “Don’t forget to visit your mother. It’s Christmas today!”


  By mother, she was referring to Ji Yun.

  Lin Ran nodded and smiled, a joyful look in her eyes. “En, I’m going over after taking a shower and changing my clothes. I’ll come back tonight and accompany you and Dad for dinner!”


  Ever since Lin Ran came back from visiting Ji Yun, she had transformed completely in a short period of time. She became so wonderful that it surprised Liang Mulan, so wonderful that Liang Mulan felt that no man in this world was good enough for her wonderful daughter!

  Liang Mulan smiled, feeling heartened.

  After coming out of the shower, Lin Ran wiped her wet hair with a towel. Perhaps because her family was poor when she was young and couldn’t afford a hairdryer, up until now, Lin Ran couldn’t get used to using one. Instead, she preferred to wipe her wet hair with a towel, then let it dry naturally.

  Lin Ran was about to head to the dressing room to pick out her clothes when, in her peripheral vision, she saw the paper package on her bedside cabinet. Lin Ran paused, then slung the towel around her neck before walking over to pick it up…


  Lin Ran’s name was written in delicate handwriting on top. Lin Ran recognized it as Lin Nuan’s handwriting!

  In the past, Old Madam Lin always said that Lin Ran’s handwriting looked like dogs crawling on it, and she would take out Lin Nuan’s past writings for Lin Ran to see. She told Lin Ran that this was the kind of handwriting that proper ladies of prominent families should have.

  At that time, Lin Ran detested Lin Nuan’s handwriting, so she naturally remembered the way Lin Nuan wrote more clearly than even her own. It was as if Lin Nuan’s handwriting was engraved upon her heart.

  Inside the paper bag was a gift box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. Lin Ran’s lips parted slightly…


  Lin Nuan actually prepared a Christmas present for her?