Chapter 6

Meng Pingting was evidently surprised by her brother’s reaction. She followed Meng Zhengrong and asked with a hint of disbelief, “Brother, don’t you mind at all? She actually got angry over her ex-boyfriend!”

As they were about to enter the main hall, Meng Zhengrong suddenly stopped and turned to look at his younger sister. He said in a stern tone, “First of all, you should address my wife as ‘sister-in-law’ and not by her name. This is the last time I’ll remind you. Don’t let me hear it again.”

Meng Pingting felt somewhat resentful and wanted to say something, but when she saw the cold look in her brother’s eyes, she quickly fell silent.

She was always a bit afraid of her brother, so she reluctantly nodded and said, “I understand.”

“Secondly, Pingting, if I remember correctly, you’re in a relationship now, right? Can you guarantee that you’ll marry him? If your future husband happens to be your first love, then you can talk to me about this again.”

Meng Zhengrong’s tone softened as he continued, “You’re still young, and there are many things you don’t fully understand yet. But remember this, she is your sister-in-law, she’s family. In situations like this, you should show concern rather than suspicion or doubt.”

Meng Pingting responded with an uneasy, “I didn’t mean any harm…”

It was difficult for her to say this because, upon reflection, she realized that her actions had been aimed at sowing discord.

She didn’t really dislike Xu yuan, but she couldn’t stand Xu yuan’s haughty attitude. Meng’s family was not inferior to Xu Yuan, so she couldn’t understand why Xu Yuan acted like she was doing them a favour by marrying into their family.

Meng Zhengrong reached out and gently patted Meng Pingting’s hair. “I know, but others might not see it that way. Pingting, regardless of what outsiders say, at least treat your sister-in-law as your own family.”

He paused for a moment and added, “Before I came back, your sister-in-law even reminded me to buy you a gift.”

Of course, this was something that Meng Zhengrong made up, but he felt it necessary to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.

Meng Pingting finally felt satisfied. She thought, maybe her brother did buy her a gift this time because her sister-in-law had reminded him. The joys of a young girl were easily won, and she was starting to find Xu Yuan more pleasing.

The two siblings returned to the main hall. Only a few servants were busy around, and when they inquired, they learned that Xu Yuan was in the courtyard with Meng’s parents, enjoying the sun.

Meng Zhengrong and Meng Pingting went to the courtyard, where they found Xu Yuan playing chess with Father Meng. Mother Meng was sitting nearby, observing.

Xu Yuan, having been influenced by her time with the emperor, had developed some skills, and while she might not have played chess extensively, she had enough aptitude to hold her own in a game. She had to be cautious though. Playing too well might arouse suspicions. So, she found a balance that allowed her to make a game of it without winning too easily.

Meng Zhengrong had been taught to play chess by his father in the past, but he disliked the game and found it rather boring. Now, watching Xu Yuan sit so composed and confidently play chess with his father, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Wow, sister-in-law, you can play chess?” Meng Pingting, feeling a bit uncomfortable, decided to strike up a conversation.

Xu Yuan simply smiled in response but didn’t say anything.

If it hadn’t been time for lunch, Father Meng might have continued playing chess with Xu Yuan, as he was genuinely enjoying himself. 

Father Meng is typically a man of few words and somewhat stern, was unexpectedly in high spirits today, all thanks to the chess game. Meng Pingting was starting to find this quite puzzling.

In the past, she had been the most pampered daughter in the family. Even though her father could be strict at times, he had never raised his voice at her. Her mother was even more indulgent. Her relationship with her brother had always been good, despite the age difference. Now, Xu Yuan’s presence was disrupting this balance.

Though Meng Pingting tried to console herself, reminding herself that she was now a grown woman and couldn’t act like a child, she couldn’t deny that her heart felt sour.

As she silently pondered her conflicting emotions, a plate of chicken wings suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up to see Xu Yuan calmly retracting her chopsticks, as if nothing had happened. Xu Yuan casually said, “Have some more.”

Xu Yuan’s tone was so nonchalant, her expression so calm, that it almost felt as if she hadn’t just placed chicken wings on her plate or spoken those words. There was no hint of trying to please anyone.

Meng Pingting blinked, looked at Xu Yuan, then back at the plate of chicken wings. She felt somewhat uneasy as she replied, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Meanwhile, Meng Zhengrong coughed once again. This time, Mother Meng reacted immediately, as if it were an explosion.

The others didn’t react much, but Mother Meng quickly summoned a servant. “Quickly call Dr. Chen and ask him to come over right now! Your throat isn’t comfortable, is it? Is there anything else bothering you? Don’t go anywhere after we finish eating, just stay home!”

Meng Zhengrong chuckled and said, “It’s nothing serious, just a slightly sore throat. It’ll be fine in a couple of days. There’s no need to trouble Dr. Chen.”

Mother Meng wasn’t convinced. “It’s no trouble. You’ve been away on business for so long, and you’ve lost weight. Dr. Chen should check to see if you need any tonics. Let me make that call. After all, I’ll feel better knowing you’re taken care of.”

Xu Yuan had remained mostly silent throughout the meal, as if she were invisible. However, her behaviour was intentional. 

She remained unaffected and allowed Mother Meng to shower her husband with motherly concern. Later, when Mother Meng remembered this incident, she would likely just think that Xu Yuan was a bit careless and not particularly attentive. And that, in Xu Yuan’s current role, was precisely what she wanted.

Xu Yuan didn’t want to appear too eager to care for Meng Zhengrong and arouse Mother Meng’s suspicion. So, she intentionally didn’t intervene too much, allowing Mother Meng to feel she needed to take care of her husband.

If just now, she wanted to take care of Meng Zhengrong, filled the soup with care. What will Mother Meng feel like?

In the minds of all mothers, even if a child is in his thirties or forties, he is still a child. Meng Zhengrong has just returned from a business trip. Mother Meng is all concerned about him now, so there is no need for her to be sensible.

She would rather bear a careless title than being ignorant.

After finishing her meal, Meng Pingting retreated to her room and began a phone conversation with her boyfriend.

On her princess-style bed, Meng Pingting hugged a large pillow, her fair fingers twirling a lock of her hair. She said, “Um… I think I may have misunderstood my sister-in-law.”

Her boyfriend replied with something, and Meng Pingting sat up abruptly, a mix of embarrassment and frustration on her face. “No, I haven’t! It’s just that… I don’t think she’s as bad as I thought. Of course, I didn’t say I like her or anything!”

If Xu Yuan had shown even a hint of trying to please her when serving food earlier, Meng Pingting would have continued to disapprove of her. However, since Xu Yuan had not given her any reason to dislike her, Meng Pingting was starting to feel uncertain about her feelings toward her sister-in-law. She decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach for now.