Shen Xiyun sat at the dining table, her expression wavering when she saw the plates of carrots and spinach Yuan Xi brought out. She opened her mouth slightly, her gaze turning doubtfully toward Aunt Zhang.

Carrots and spinach were among the vegetables Fu Yunzhou despised the most. Yet, Yuan Xi had not only cooked them but served them at the table. This made Shen Xiyun start to question whether Yuan Xi truly understood her son.

Aunt Zhang noticed Shen Xiyun’s expression but maintained her gentle smile. However, a trace of schadenfreude flickered in her eyes.

Before long, Fu Yunzhou came downstairs, having changed into fresh clothes. He took his seat at the table, his brows twitching slightly when he noticed the spinach and carrots.

Shen Xiyun had been closely observing Fu Yunzhou, worried that he might express his displeasure and abruptly put down his chopsticks. However, her concerns were evidently unnecessary. Although Fu Yunzhou’s face showed a hint of annoyance, he still obediently sat down beside Yuan Xi.

As Aunt Zhang finished serving the dishes and placed them before everyone, Yuan Xi took the lead by picking up his chopsticks. Without hesitation, he placed several pieces of carrot into Fu Yunzhou’s bowl, mumbling softly as he did so, “Eat more carrots—they’re good for your health. I forgot to make them for you the past few days, but these ones in the fridge looked really fresh today. So, eat up.”

Shen Xiyun opened her mouth, ready to warn Yuan Xi that carrots and spinach were Fu Yunzhou’s sworn enemies. Just as she was about to act, Aunt Zhang discreetly stopped her, signaling her to wait and watch.

Aunt Zhang subtly shook her head at Shen Xiyun and gestured toward the utensils in front of her, urging her to focus on eating instead of interfering.

Shen Xiyun frowned, preparing to say something, but the words caught in her throat when she noticed Fu Yunzhou frowning as he ate every last piece of carrot in his bowl. Stunned, the reprimand she had been about to voice was swallowed back, leaving her wide-eyed and speechless as she stared at the now-empty bowl.

“This… this…”

She gawked at the empty dish, utterly at a loss for words to express the shock surging through her.

Fu Yunzhou glanced up at his mother’s expression, completely unfazed. Ignoring her disbelief, he calmly served Yuan Xi a few pieces of greens and then resumed eating with quiet focus.

Throughout the meal, Shen Xiyun remained in a daze.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the absence of the carrots, her mind racing with incredulity. Images of tiny llamas seemed to gallop through her head as she grappled with the reality before her.

The thought that her son—her notoriously picky son, who had rejected every attempt she’d made to get him to eat even a single bite of carrot—had cleared his plate tonight was almost too much to process.

Oblivious to Shen Xiyun’s turmoil, Yuan Xi seemed entirely at ease. After dinner, he and Fu Yunzhou sat side by side on the sofa—Fu Yunzhou engrossed in financial news, while Yuan Xi idly scrolled through his phone.

Though they weren’t interacting much, their relaxed companionship exuded a serene and harmonious atmosphere.

Shen Xiyun finally snapped out of her shock, only to be greeted by the warm scene of Fu Yunzhou and Yuan Xi sitting together. Though the two were engaged in completely separate activities, they would occasionally lean toward each other, exchanging quiet words.

Observing the dynamic between the two, Shen Xiyun couldn’t help but grow suspicious. With such a close and natural interaction, how could Fu Yunzhou still claim there had been no progress in their relationship?

She glanced at her son, then stroked her chin thoughtfully. Perhaps her son had been single for so long—over twenty years—that it had dulled his ability to recognize a relationship when he was in one.

By the time the latest news broadcast ended, more than half an hour had passed. Yuan Xi got up and went to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of freshly cooked congee. He placed it in front of Fu Yunzhou.

Fu Yunzhou glanced at the bowl, then picked it up and began sipping the congee slowly.

Yuan Xi had used a small clay pot to prepare the congee, just enough for one person.

One person served, and the other ate, their movements so fluid and practiced that they seemed like an old married couple.

It wasn’t until Yuan Xi remembered that Shen Xiyun was still there that he looked over, only to meet her gaze filled with a strange, doting affection. Yuan Xi blinked in confusion, then glanced at Fu Yunzhou beside him. Reaching out, he poked Fu Yunzhou’s arm.

“Yunzou, why is your mom looking at us so strangely?”

Fu Yunzhou gave Shen Xiyun a brief glance, then casually looked away, pretending not to notice.

Yuan Xi: …

After meeting Yuan Xi’s gaze, Shen Xiyun smiled gently, and Yuan Xi awkwardly returned a smile.

Yuan Xi quickly turned his attention elsewhere, distractedly looking down at his phone, feeling uneasy. His meeting with his male god’s mother had completely caught him off guard, and Shen Xiyun’s attitude had made him feel even more flustered.

He stared at his phone for a while without really seeing anything, his mind wandering as his eyes scanned the room. When he noticed the fruit bowl on the table, he picked out a plump, shiny apple and held it out to Shen Xiyun, offering a sincere smile.

“Auntie, would you like an apple?”

Shen Xiyun smiled as she took the apple, still looking at Yuan Xi with affectionate eyes.

Yuan Xi shifted uncomfortably, leaning closer to Fu Yunzhou in an attempt to redirect Shen Xiyun’s attention toward him. However, this had little effect. When Shen Xiyun saw Yuan Xi and Fu Yunzhou together, her smile only grew wider.

Fu Yunzhou had been focused on the news, but Yuan Xi’s closeness distracted him, and his mother’s gaze made him feel uneasy all over.

Unable to ignore the situation any longer, Fu Yunzhou cleared his throat and glanced at the time. “Mom, it’s getting late. Let me take you home. If we wait any longer, Dad will start to worry.”

As he spoke, he began gathering his things. Shen Xiyun had originally planned to stay longer, but seeing her son get up, she reluctantly followed suit, unable to argue.

Before leaving, Shen Xiyun took Yuan Xi’s phone number and WeChat contact details, insisting that they must keep in touch regularly.

Yuan Xi stood there, still in a daze, realizing that he had successfully exchanged contact information with his male god’s mother, and it seemed like Shen Xiyun had a pretty good attitude toward him.

After managing to get his mother into the car, Fu Yunzhou sat down in the driver’s seat, only to meet his mother’s curious gaze.

“Yunzhou, you told me there was no progress between you two, but you ate the carrots! You told me there was no progress, yet he’s been making you porridge every day. Don’t you feel touched? Also, your health has gotten much better recently. You used to cough often and feel dizzy, but I heard from Aunt Zhang that you’re not having those issues anymore…”

Fu Yunzhou focused on driving, while Shen Xiyun kept talking seriously from the passenger seat.

By the time they reached home, Shen Xiyun hadn’t stopped talking.

“We’re here.”

Fu Yunzhou said as he pulled into the driveway. Shen Xiyun looked at the house, nodded, and obediently got out of the car.

As she walked a few steps away, Shen Xiyun turned back to the window, her face showing a hint of displeasure. “Yunzhou, I really like this kid, Xiao Xi. When he looks at you, his eyes are so bright and he never minded your health problems, even making you porridge. You need to make sure you don’t let him slip away.”

Seeing that Shen Xiyun was about to start rambling again, Fu Yunzhou quickly drove off.

Watching the car drive away, Shen Xiyun pouted in displeasure. “Ugh, kids grow up and they’re so hard to manage. I’ve only said a few words, and he’s already upset. If it weren’t for the daughter-in-law and your health, I wouldn’t bother!”

“However, since things aren’t working out with my son, maybe I should try with my daughter-in-law?”

After a moment of thought, Shen Xiyun felt this idea might actually work. If things weren’t progressing with her son, why not try approaching it from Yuan Xi’s side?

From her observations today, Shen Xiyun noticed that Yuan Xi’s feelings for Fu Yunzhou didn’t seem one-sided.

It seemed like both of them were new to love and didn’t fully understand their emotions, which made their time together warm yet slightly awkward.

Thinking about the daughter-in-law who might help her son change his habits, Shen Xiyun couldn’t help but smile fondly.

When they first brought Yuan Xi into the Fu family’s main house, they had done a background check on him. Shen Xiyun knew that Yuan Xi was an orphan, without many relatives, and had never received much care growing up.

After finally securing a stable job, he was suddenly brought into a life of luxury by her son.

It was fortunate that Yuan Xi’s nature was pure and kind. If he were a more easily influenced child, he might have been led astray long ago.

Thinking of Fu Yushen’s actions, Shen Xiyun’s expression became slightly uncomfortable, and a sense of resentment grew in her heart.

If something went wrong with Yuan Xi, wouldn’t her eldest son remain single forever? And his health, which had improved, might not have been as strong—he might not even live as long as he should have.

Just the thought of that scenario made Shen Xiyun unconsciously mutter a few more curses at her second son in her mind.

Sometimes, parents were just this biased. Her eldest son was considerate, smart, and capable—handling company affairs with ease. But her second son?

He was skilled in eating, drinking, and having fun, though he could control himself when it came to crossing certain boundaries.

However, compared to the obedient, capable eldest son, and considering that the eldest son was also in poor health, it made her heart ache even more for him.

Meanwhile, Fu Yushen, still working late into the night, struggled to keep his eyes open as he focused on the documents in front of him, trying hard to stay awake.

A sudden sneeze brought him a moment of clarity. Rubbing his nose, he quickly used this brief moment of alertness to skim through a few lines of the paperwork.

“Big Brother, when are you coming back? I’m really done with this life. I just want to be a rich heir, living off others!”

=^_^=