She cleared her throat and gave him an awkward smile. She hadn't expected that she would see him right now. Was this why she was feeling a little restless earlier? Was her instincts telling her that she shouldn't lower her guard?

  "Beixuan." She gave him a curt nod before hoisting up Little Star who was tugging her hand.

  "Hi, darling. Did you miss me? Did you and your brother behave at school when Auntie wasn't around?" She asked before giving the girl a sloppy kiss on her cheek making Little Star giggle in her arms.

  "En! Little Star behaved! Yu Gege did too. And I miss my Auntie Meili too!" Little Star responded. "But I also miss Auntie Qian and Miss Elaine." She pouted.

  Li Meili laughed at that. Elaine Wu had returned to her home country weeks ago while Lin Qianrou had been to be subjected to a complete bed rest due to spotting she had a week ago. Xu Wenyang, who had been worried sick about his wife and their first child had chosen to work from home so he could look after her.

  "Really? I'm sure they are missing you too. Your Auntie Qian needs to stay at home though. She needs a lot of rest to take care of her baby." Li Meili answered before sauntering towards the dining area, placing the girl on her high chair before taking a seat next to the girl.

  "I hope I wasn't too late," she told her best friend and the devil.

  "No, you are just in time, Miss Li." Feng Tianyi said.

  The dinner started and Li Meili was unusually silent throughout the course. Tang Moyu gave her a questioning look but she only shook her head in response, assuring her friend that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

  She had decided to stay away from Moyu's brother for years, intending to forget what happened in the past, pretending none of it happened. However, now as she sat here at the dining table with him, Li Meili could feel his eyes on her.

  Why was he looking at her like that? Shouldn't he know by now that there shouldn't be more for them?

  Li Meili didn't want to complicate things between them and certainly didn't want her friendship with Tang Moyu to be affected negatively just because of her 'accident' with her younger brother, which shouldn't have happened in the first place.

  She should have treated it like a one night stand and not catch any feelings for him after his confession.

  So why the hell was he making it hard for her to move on completely? If Tang Beixuan wanted a friendship with her, sure. So long as he knew how to draw the line between them. Life would be easier for them if they stayed away from each other.

  "Meili, are you alright? You don't seem like yourself tonight. Is something bothering you?" Tang Moyu cornered her after their dinner.

  "Everything's fine, Moyu. I might be too exhausted from work, but I'm fine." She assured the empress, who only gave her a pointed look.

  "Really, Moyu. I'm fine." And stressed, she added mentally.

  Seeing that her best friend still insisted that she was fine even though it was obvious that she was not, Tang Moyu could only sighed inwardly. She cannot force her.

  "Alright. But promise me you'll take care of yourself, Meili. Don't push yourself too hard. You also deserve to take a break once in a while. I know Yaoyao wouldn't want you to get sick because you are trying your best to finish her dress on time." She reminded Li Meili.

  Li Meili only smiled, grateful that someone was truly concerned about her welfare.

  "Thanks, Moyu. You're the best." She grinned before clinging on the empress's arm, acting like a spoiled child to her.

  This might be the reason why the two got along despite their contradicting personalities. Li Meili's sunny disposition and no nonsense attitude complimented the empress' cold and intimidating personality.

  People might be wondering why Li Meili preferred Tang Moyu's company when it was clear that they were opposites, but the Black Nightingale didn't mind. Li Meili could be herself and didn't need to pretend to be anything in front of Tang Moyu. The empress knew her better than her own parents and brother anyway.

  "Five years since we left the country together. Didn't think there would be a day that you'll be able to come back and kick the asses of those who bullied you." Li Meili commented as they spent time alone at the gazebo. They could hear the twins laughing over something Tang Beixuan said.

  "You know very well that I didn't come back for revenge, Meili. I initially thought that I was being a filial granddaughter when I agreed to come back, only to be slapped by reality that I've been tricked for the second time." The empress replied.

  Had she known that this would happen, she wouldn't have returned, bringing her twins with her. The two deserved to lead a peaceful life, away from her backstabbing family. Alas, if she hadn't returned, she and the twins would never be able to meet Feng Tianyi in this lifetime.

  Li Meili shrugged.

  "Still, if you think about it. It's unthinkable that all of this would happen when the three of you returned. I'm really glad that you are able to start a new life without your mother interfering in it."

  Tang Moyu slowly nodded her head and watched her children from afar. They were smiling, eyes sparkling as they listened to her brother's stories while sitting next to Feng Tianyi.