"Don't tell me you're preparing to let my mother in!" Fu Tianci's countenance looked terrible.

  "You… don't want to let your mother in?" Lin Nuan gazed at Fu Tianci, a smile in her eyes. There was an indulging look in the depths of her eyes. She was clearly treating Fu Tianci as a child.

  Fu Tianci's eyes grew hot. After he hesitated for a moment, he said, "It's not that I don't want to let my mother in, it's just that with her temperament, if she comes in, she's going to flip the house over looking for me. I think it's not a good idea. It's better… better to not let her in…"

  It wasn't that Fu Tianci was unfilial. It was just that he knew Lu Qingmei's character all too well. If they were to let Lu Qingmei in, if she didn't see him anywhere, she would search the entire house for him. If she saw him, she would scold Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan for abducting him! Fu Tianci truly didn't want to bring Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan trouble because of his own matter.

  Lin Nuan extended a hand and tugged at Fu Huai'an's sleeves, but before she could speak, she heard Fu Huai'an calmly say, "We don't have to postpone the trip to Green Mountain Villa. We'll just go out and tell Fu Tianci's mother that Fu Tianci isn't here before leaving! Don't let Mom wait…"

  With Ji Yun's mental condition, Lin Nuan knew that she likely wouldn't know who she was even if she went. Still, upon hearing Fu Huai'an's words, Lin Nuan felt a warmth in her heart.

  Lin Nuan nodded. "Alright!"

  …


  When Lu Qingmei saw the black iron gates open, she thought that she could enter and was preparing to get her driver to drive in. It was then that she saw a car coming out from inside.

  The black iron gates slowly closed.

  Lu Qingmei narrowed her eyes. The car stopped beside hers, and the windows to the back row were lowered down, aligned with Lu Qingmei's spot. Seeing Lin Nuan, who had a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips, Lu Qingmei's face darkened. As she lowered the car window, her eyes met Lin Nuan's.

  Through the lowered car window, Lu Qingmei could see that Fu Huai'an was sitting next to Lin Nuan, lowering his head and seemingly browsing through his email.

  "Is Miss Lu here to look for Tianci?"

  Lin Nuan didn't address Lu Qingmei as Mrs. Fu like outsiders. Ever since Fu Huai'an addressed her in this manner, Lin Nuan selfishly felt that the title "Mrs. Fu" belonged to her alone.

  Lu Qingmei paused in surprise when she heard Lin Nuan addressing her this way, fury surging inside of her. She felt that Lin Nuan was ridiculing her…


  Seeing the dark expression on Lu Qingmei's face, Lin Nuan said, "Tianci did come this morning, but he left after setting down his luggage. Miss Lu can try calling Tianci and asking him where he is so you can pick him up."

  When the door guard called to say that Lu Qingmei was there to fetch Fu Tianci, Lin Nuan knew that she couldn't hide the fact that Fu Tianci was at her place from Lu Qingmei. She might as well just admit to it, with a mix of truths and lies in her words.

  Treating her as a goon? The GPS in Fu Tianci's wallet indicated that he was still in the Fu residence, and yet Lin Nuan was telling her that Fu Tianci had left.

  Fu Tianci was used to spending extravagantly all these years, so how could he leave home without a wallet? As Fu Tianci's mother, how could Lu Qingmei not understand her own son?

  But since Lin Nuan put it that way, Lu Qingmei couldn't very well barge in by force. "That's fine… I'll just wait for Tianci to come back! I can't get through to that child's phone…"

  Lin Nuan merely nodded and didn't reply. Lu Qingmei's peripheral vision swept over Fu Huai'an, lightly laughing…


  "Are Mr. Fu and Mrs. Fu heading out?" Lu Qingmei smiled insincerely.

  "Right!" Lin Nuan nodded. "So, we won't be inviting Miss Lu inside!"

  Lu Qingmei almost couldn't hold up the smile on her face. She nodded. "Okay!"

  Lin Nuan rolled up the car window, truly not planning to say anything else to Lu Qingmei. Lu Qingmei very nearly snapped her nude-colored nails.

  Lu Qingmei's driver saw that Fu Huai'an and Lin Nuan's car had gone far off in the rearview mirror. The driver felt awkward for Lu Qingmei. She had said that she was going to wait for him, but they didn't even have the intention to invite her in…


  The driver asked Lu Qingmei, "Madam, are we going to just wait here?"

  "Wait!" Lu Qingmei clenched her teeth.

  She didn't believe that Fu Tianci could really bear not to come out when he knew his mother was waiting.

  …


  When Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an got to Green Mountain Villa, they didn't expect to see Gu Shaoting, who was leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. At a height of 1.86m, he looked leggy, tall, and broad!

  When Gu Shaoting saw a car stopped next to his, he straightened his body. He kept one hand in his pocket as he tapped the cigarette ash away, looking aloof.

  He had always maintained a cold disposition. Even his appearance, with those cold and handsome features, made one feel like he wasn't one to be trifled with.

  He was unlike Fu Huai'an, who looked slim with clothes but muscular without. In comparison, Gu Shaoting looked thinner.

  Seeing Lin Nuan get out of the car, Gu Shaoting nodded at her and put out his cigarette with his foot. He spoke first. "I came here with Lin Ran."

  Fu Huai'an also got out of the car. Gu Shaoting nodded at Fu Huai'an as a form of hello.

  "Not going in?" Lin Nuan didn't zip her down jacket after getting out of the car, merely wrapping herself firmly with it.

  Lin Nuan and Gu Shaoting were considered old acquaintances. Although they used to be engaged, they were distant towards each other!

  Now that Lin Nuan was married and they were no longer engaged, they got along more comfortably than they did before.

  "I came out to get the gloves that Xiao Ran brought for Auntie, and also to take a puff!" Gu Shaoting then pulled open the car door and took out a paper bag from the backseat. In it was a pair of gloves that Lin Ran had personally knitted. Although they didn't look very pretty, the knitting was dense, so one could tell that she had put effort into it.

  "Then let's go in together!" Lin Nuan then naturally held Fu Huai'an's hand, walking in with him.

  You Nainai took out the bird's nest and e-jiao they brought for Ji Yun, then headed into the villa after locking the car.

  Inside the villa, Lin Ran and Ji Yun were sitting before the warm fireplace. Lin Ran was attentively feeding Ji Yun bird's nest porridge, wiping the corners of her mouth from time to time. It was a warm scene to behold.

  "Have you got it?"

  From her peripheral vision, she saw someone enter, so Lin Ran looked up and spoke. Unexpectedly, she saw Lin Nuan, Fu Huai'an, and Gu Shaoting coming in together. Her ears turned red in an instant, and she felt like she had let the cat out of the bag without being pressed.

  "Got it…" Gu Shaoting walked towards Lin Ran, then set the paper bag on the sofa. "Place it here?"

  Lin Ran nodded, her face and neck turning red.

  Gu Shaoting and Fu Huai'an sat on a sofa not far away. Both of them were men of few words, and when they spoke, it was mostly to do with the economy.

  When You Nainai came in after changing her shoes, Lin Nuan had taken over the task of feeding porridge to Ji Yun. Lin Ran was sitting on the sofa armrest by the side, peeling chestnuts. "I want to discuss something with you…"

  "Mm, go ahead and say it…" Lin Nuan replied.

  Lin Ran put the plate of peeled chestnuts by Lin Nuan's hand and said, "I'd like to take Mom overseas on holiday during the Chinese New Year!"

  Lin Nuan looked towards Lin Ran, her peripheral vision sweeping over Gu Shaoting.