Chapter 26

Before Song Si could say anything, Lu Yancheng’s voice was heard—

“Mom!”

Clad in a green military overcoat, Lu Yancheng looked at his mother, He Yunzhen. Under the glow of the 60-watt incandescent bulb, there was a certain coldness in his gaze that hadn’t been there before.

He Yunzhen’s breath caught. She looked at her son, never expecting him to side with someone else—he was actually standing up for Song Si!

In the past, because of the Song family’s kindness to their family, she had held her tongue.

But now…

“Yancheng…”

Lu Yuanzheng, standing to the side, reached out to pull He Yunzhen back.

She shook off his hand, just about to speak, when the old matriarch of the Lu family, who had been unconscious, suddenly woke up.

Lying in bed with her eyes still closed, she raised a trembling hand and said weakly, “A-Cheng, is that you? Did you come to see your grandma?”

Lu Yancheng felt a wave of heat rush through his chest. “Grandma, it’s me!”

Instinctively, he tightened his grip on Song Si’s hand, walked over to the bedside, bent down, and spoke softly with a warm tone, “Grandma, I came with Si-Si to see you.”

Si-Si?

The Lu matriarch struggled to sit up.

Lu Yuanzheng quickly stepped forward and helped her. “Mom, you’re finally awake.”

The old lady beamed with joy, her gaze fixed in the direction of Lu Yancheng and Song Si. Unable to see clearly, she reached for her reading glasses.

Lu Yuanzheng propped up a few pillows behind her and handed her the glasses.

Once she put them on, she got a clear look at Song Si. “Oh my, it’s been so long. Our little Si-Si is becoming more and more beautiful.”

Song Si responded sweetly, “Thank you for the compliment, Grandma.”

The old lady patted the space beside her. “Si-Si, come sit with Grandma.”

Song Si walked over and sat beside her.

Holding Song Si’s hand, the matriarch said, “Good child, you rushed over here overnight—must be tired, huh?”

Song Si answered gently, “Grandma, we’re young and healthy. It’s really not that tiring.”

The old lady nodded, clearly pleased.

This granddaughter-in-law was really growing on her the more she looked.

She had been worried ever since hearing that Yancheng and Si-Si’s marriage wasn’t going well. But seeing them so harmonious now, she could finally feel at ease.

Even if she closed her eyes forever now, she’d have no regrets.

Lu Yancheng pulled a small stool over and sat beside the bed, close to Song Si.

The old lady glanced at the setup and was absolutely delighted.

A-Cheng had always been so cold and distant—everyone said he was like a block of ice. But now he was finally sticking to his wife like glue!

Wonderful. Truly wonderful!

Song Si glanced at Lu Yancheng and whispered, “Grandma, he took turns driving with Xiao Liu all the way here. He’s the one who’s actually tired.”

The old lady immediately patted the bed and shifted over. “A-Cheng, if you’re sleepy, come lie down here and nap a bit.”

Lu Yancheng said, “Grandma, I’m fine. I’m not tired.”

She chuckled dotingly. “Stubborn as ever.”

Then she looked at Lu Yuanzheng. “Did you book a hotel room for Si-Si and A-Cheng yet?”

He paused. “Mom, not yet. I didn’t expect them to arrive so soon.”

The old lady said gently, “Then go quickly. And pick up some breakfast too—they must not have eaten after traveling all night.”

Lu Yuanzheng said, “Alright, Mom.”

He picked up his light gray wool coat. “Yancheng, you and Si-Si stay here with Grandma. I’ll go out with your mom to get some food.”

Lu Yancheng said, “Okay.”

Lu Yuanzheng glanced at He Yunzhen, who looked visibly upset, and dragged her out of the hospital room.

They had barely walked a few steps when she shook off his hand and snapped, “Lu Yuanzheng, what are you trying to do?”

He replied, “Yancheng didn’t grow up with us. You two were never that close. With your temper, I was afraid you’d say something impulsive and get into a fight again.”

At those words, He Yunzhen’s expression softened slightly. Her eyes turned red—full of grievance and sorrow.

The corridor was empty at this hour. Lu Yuanzheng looked around and gently put an arm around her. “Yunzhen, I understand how you feel. But don’t rush this. Let’s just wait and see.”

She turned back toward the room and said tearfully, “Did you see Song Si? She didn’t even greet us when she came in!”

Lu Yuanzheng replied, “That’s just a small thing.”

“A small thing?!” she hissed. “She found out she wasn’t the Song couple’s biological daughter and now she’s panicking—so she rushed to reconcile with Yancheng overnight, and now she’s trying to butter up Mom? How manipulative!”

“Keep your voice down.”

“What? She dares to do it but I can’t talk about it?”

Fuming, she intentionally raised her voice, as if afraid Song Si wouldn’t hear her.

“Yunzhen, Mom’s not in great health.”

“She’s old, she can’t hear me. I’m saying this for Song Si to hear. She better understand—if she has any shame left, she should just divorce our son already!”

—

Inside the hospital room:

Both Song Si and Lu Yancheng heard everything outside. Only the old matriarch didn’t.

Lu Yancheng looked at Song Si. “Si-Si, my mom, she…”

Song Si softly replied, “Your mom is your mom. You’re you. I’m married to you, not her.”

[As long as you’re not a mama’s boy who joins her in insulting me, then what’s the big deal?]

[She doesn’t like me? So what—I’ll still be the one sharing your bed every night. She can just watch and fume, not like she can do anything about it.]

Her sparkling eyes gazed at Lu Yancheng, full of a charm he couldn’t quite name.

Lu Yancheng: “…”

Suddenly, he realized he had been worrying too much!

She wasn’t an ordinary girl—her thoughts were totally different from the girls of this era.

Still…

He glanced at the old matriarch, worried that she might have heard something shocking.

But she was hard of hearing. “Si-Si, what are you whispering to A-Cheng about? You’re afraid I’ll hear it, so you’re talking so softly?”

Lu Yancheng was finally relieved.

Even Song Si hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

[That line I said to Lu Yancheng earlier—I deliberately kept my voice down. I didn’t want Grandma to worry.]

[She’s been kind to me and she’s not in great health. Of course I have to be considerate.]

[As for people who don’t like me—I’m not going to go out of my way to be warm to their coldness. Even if they’re Lu Yancheng’s parents, I won’t make exceptions. We can just live peacefully without stepping on each other’s toes.]

Lu Yancheng: “…”

He looked at Song Si, his black eyes filled with complexity.

Her eyes were clear and bright.

[Thinking it through, I guess I can’t really blame his mom. If I were her, I wouldn’t like the original me either. So be it. Whether we get along as in-laws or not is up to fate. As long as she doesn’t make trouble for me, I won’t stir things up either. It’s perfectly fine to coexist politely without crossing boundaries.]

Lu Yancheng suddenly thought: girls from the future really have advanced thinking!

She must’ve lived in a much better time than this.

Would she want to go back?

Meanwhile, the old lady watched the scene and assumed the two were whispering sweet nothings. She was so happy she could burst. Holding Song Si’s hand, patting it again and again, she couldn’t help but say—

“Si-Si, when are you and A-Cheng going to have a baby? Grandma’s getting anxious. Look at my poor health—I’m scared I might suddenly pass in my sleep and never get to see your child with A-Cheng.”