Chapter 51

Xu Shijia could hardly eat a bite during this meal.

He hadn’t expected that what was supposed to be a quiet meal with Lin Shu would suddenly include his mom as the ultimate third wheel.

With Xu Mingmei present, Xu Shijia could only discuss work topics with Lin Shu. He sat there watching as Lin Shu gently guided Xu Mingmei to expand her social circle as a potential source of new clients. His mother was listening with such rapt attention that he felt as if he’d stepped into an alternate reality.

The woman who’d never worked a day in her life was now discussing career advancement with Lin Shu. When Lin Shu talked about methods for developing skills as a lawyer, Xu Mingmei even took a notebook from her purse and eagerly jotted things down like a schoolgirl. She was so engrossed that she took all of Lin Shu’s attention, leaving Xu Shijia on the sidelines, hardly noticed.

He’d never imagined that his mom, beyond her usual topics of handbags and gossip, could hold such an animated conversation about professional matters, leaving him unable to get a word in edgewise.

After he’d taken out four bags of trash, picked up the takeout, and barely spoken to Lin Shu, his reward was cleaning up the table afterward and tossing yet another bag of trash. Other people get a prize for buying a drink. Xu Shijia? He throws out one bag of trash only to be “rewarded” with the chance to toss out another.

By the time Xu Shijia realized it, he was outside Lin Shu’s building, trash bag in hand, walking beside Xu Mingmei.

Yet, despite Xu Shijia’s displeased expression, Xu Mingmei seemed utterly oblivious.

In fact, she even took a jab at him for the first time, saying, “So you’re ‘thoughtful, like doing housework, and are a down-to-earth, practical person’? Little treasure, when have you ever thrown out a single bag of trash at home? But now with Lin Shu, you’re eagerly doing it, practically tripping over yourself! At least she kept a straight face; you, though—why, you couldn’t be happier to take out her trash! You’re being way too obvious with Lin Shu!”

“And you even told Lin Shu that no one came to see you in the hospital, and that no one truly cares about you in the family! You purposely painted yourself as pitiful just to get Lin Shu to take care of you!” Xu Mingmei gave him a shrewd look. “Little treasure, don’t think I don’t see through your tricks. As your mother, I know exactly what you’re up to.”

Xu Shijia’s stomach dropped—did his mom really see through his subtle feelings for Lin Shu?

But just as he struggled over whether to admit or deny it, Xu Mingmei continued—

“All you’re after is Lin Shu’s favor and workplace resources, right?”

Xu Shijia: “…”

Xu Mingmei was emphatic. “Finishing up work quietly after hours, then going to the boss’s place to take out her trash and pick up her takeout—you’re deliberately making yourself look pitiful to get Lin Shu’s sympathy and a meal with her, so you can get insider information for work. You even ‘sold’ your failed first love story to her to create a personal bond, hoping it would bring you closer as friends and make her more likely to favor you at work. And you lied about no one visiting you in the hospital so Lin Shu would feel obliged to care for you. Now you can use that debt to keep helping her under the pretense of repaying a favor. Smooth work, kid.”

She went on proudly, “Who knew you’d mastered the intricacies of office politics so well! I read about these high-level techniques in *Essential High-EQ Skills for Professionals,* but here you are, already putting them into practice! I didn’t think you’d go to these lengths to get in Lin Shu’s good graces!”

Xu Mingmei shook her head in mock disappointment. “Clearly, there’s no mother-son loyalty in the workplace. Here you are, sneaking over to Lin Shu’s house without even telling me. And when you saw me show up, that sour look on your face was so obvious.”

She added smugly, “What’s the matter? Thought you could win Lin Shu over, but I couldn’t? If I really try, I won’t lose out to you in the workplace or at networking!”

Great.

The very thing Xu Shijia feared most had happened.

“Mom, Lin Shu has totally brainwashed you. Just stop; you’re not cut out for this.”

Xu Mingmei not only didn’t realize her mistake but even scowled at him. “I only criticized Lin Shu because I didn’t know her well. Now that I’ve interacted with her myself, I think she’s really talented. Don’t try to drive a wedge between us; I’m not falling for it.”

You’re not falling for my tricks, but you’re totally falling for being Lin Shu’s eager assistant!

Xu Shijia was speechless.

Yet Xu Mingmei was entirely absorbed in her own world. “You’re just scared to have your mom as your competition, afraid of losing face if I outshine you. Yes, I’m still sharp and skilled, but little treasure, you need to broaden your perspective and stop being so envious. There’s always someone better, after all. Even if you push me out, there will be other capable newcomers. You have to embrace competition and be bold enough to take on challenges!”

Honestly, Lin Shu’s “brainwashing” techniques are quite impressive.

Xu Shijia felt that his mom was completely taken in by it, beyond saving.

Xu Mingmei, however, was absolutely delighted and full of energy. “Lin Shu suggested today that I try tapping into my circle of friends for potential clients. I think she’s absolutely right! Plus, I heard that a lot of young women these days don’t want their mothers-in-law to be stay-at-home wives. They think these full-time moms have too much free time and meddle in their kids’ lives, which is annoying. So, I’m going to make it clear to the world: I’m a career woman with a legitimate job.”

Then Xu Mingmei turned to Xu Shijia. “That first girlfriend of yours—since I know her too, she must be on my WeChat, right?”

Xu Shijia didn’t want to lie about this, so he nodded reluctantly. “Yeah.”

Isn’t she on your WeChat? You’re even in the same work group chat.

This news made Xu Mingmei even more excited. “Perfect! I’ll post on my WeChat moments. Not only can I promote our law firm and attract potential clients, but I’ll also subtly let my future daughter-in-law know that I’m far too busy to meddle in her life!”

Right—like you’re not the one being managed by her.

“Then I’ll follow Lin Shu around like a sponge, soaking up professional knowledge, and quickly become her right hand. As for you, you’ll need to work harder on that first-love situation while we’re working together.”

No way!

Xu Shijia was getting anxious. If his mom followed Lin Shu around every day like a massive third wheel, how could he possibly make any progress with her?

Head pounding, Xu Shijia blurted, “Mom, please stop following Lin Shu!”

Unfortunately, Xu Mingmei was unmoved. “Oh, I’ll be just fine with her. But you, on the other hand, should make time to go out with that first love of yours. Spend some one-on-one time with her instead of staring at Lin Shu all the time. Even in the pursuit of career development, there’s a limit, you know. Everything in moderation.”

Then she added, “Your childbearing years are dwindling, my dear. Sperm quality plummets after a certain age. If you don’t resolve this issue while you’re still young, your future child’s quality could suffer too.”

Xu Shijia: “…”

Xu Mingmei pressed on. “Besides, Lin Shu is still young, yet she has no private time because of thoughtless employees like you. She doesn’t even have time to go on dates!”

Fuming, Xu Shijia shot back, “And aren’t you constantly hovering around her? Doesn’t that make you the same kind of employee?”

Xu Mingmei replied confidently, “I’m a woman, so men won’t hesitate to approach her. But you’re a big guy constantly hanging around, which makes people assume you’re her boyfriend. Who would dare approach her then?”

What kind of twisted logic is this?

“Mom, you’re a woman, yes, but you’re also of an age where they’ll just assume you’re her mom! And you think men would still approach her with you tagging along?”

Xu Mingmei was indignant. “I might be old enough to be her mom, but I take good care of myself! I’ve got a good figure, a pretty face, and a refined look. We look like sisters when we’re out together!”

“Sure, sure, you look like sisters. With your beauty, great figure, and elegance, the men around Lin Shu would be so distracted by you that she’d still end up alone.”

“Forget Lin Shu! Let’s talk about you. When are you finally going to get things sorted with that first love and bring her home to meet me?”

This topic made Xu Shijia visibly uncomfortable. “You don’t need to worry about that; it’s close. Anyway, if you care about Lin Shu, then please stop following her around in the evenings!”

Xu Mingmei couldn’t believe it. “My dear, are you mocking your own mother just to get more time with the boss? Work has really changed you! You should focus on finding a partner instead of obsessing over work. You’re young; there will be plenty of time to work later. I, however, am getting older, so give me a turn at the career ladder!”

Xu Shijia: “…”

The New China had transformed even the most downtrodden souls into people, but Lin Shu had somehow turned them back.

—

Xu Mingmei was frustrated. Her little treasure had never been overly obedient, but he’d never argued with her at every turn like this! Now, he was practically dueling her with words, all to push her away so he could get more one-on-one mentoring time with Lin Shu.

The workplace truly had no room for family bonds!

A mother’s love only goes downward; it doesn’t extend up. She’d entered the workforce for her son’s sake. And now, finally inspired with a bit of ambition, her heart was still set on helping him rekindle his first love. But instead of being grateful, he couldn’t return even a fraction of that affection.

With a sigh, Xu Mingmei lamented, “Little treasure only thinks of himself; he’s so selfish!”

Yes, Lin Shu was a captivating boss, but little treasure was so narrow-minded. The workplace is about fair competition, not hoarding all the resources to get ahead. How could he not see that? In the workplace, everyone strives for a win-win situation, and keeping everything to himself wouldn’t work as well as sharing.

For the first time, she started to understand why Wang Yannian had imposed financial restrictions on Xu Shijia.

Her youngest did, indeed, need a little tough love.

Xu Mingmei ended her silent treatment of Wang Yannian and called him. “Honey, I was wrong. I think we should extend the financial restrictions on little treasure. In fact, let’s make it stricter. I’ve spoiled him too much, but that changes now!”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but praise Lin Shu. “She’s wonderful—diligent, kind, perceptive. By the way, are there any respectable young men at your company who are particularly family-oriented?”

“She has to be good-looking, tall, and come from a family without burdens. The in-laws must be understanding, and it’d be best if the man has a job with flexible hours and can do housework, so he can take care of the household…” Xu Mingmei rattled off a list of requirements.

Previously, when Xu Mingmei impulsively went undercover at Tian Hao’s office without consulting anyone, Wang Yannian was strongly opposed. He thought she was being reckless and worried she’d disrupt Lin Shu’s work. However, after a few days, everything went smoothly, and today, Xu Mingmei’s opinion of Lin Shu had drastically changed.

Now, she was genuinely determined to find a match for Lin Shu.

Hearing Wang Yannian’s question over the phone, Xu Mingmei was forthright: “Who am I matchmaking for? Of course, it’s for Lin Shu! Xiaobao has her to thank for his newfound ambition. She’s a wonderful person and has been so helpful to me, so of course, we should return the favor. She works late every day, barely has time to date. She’s genuinely treated me as family and confided her desire for a relationship and marriage. So how could we not help her? With so many talented young men at Xinhe Group, can’t we find one who meets her standards?”

“For our own son? Absolutely not!”

Xu Mingmei quickly rejected Wang Yannian’s suggestion: “Lin Shu is such an ambitious lawyer; she’ll definitely be busy with work in the future. She needs someone who will prioritize her and take care of the household. Both our sons are unsuitable. Yizhou has to take over the family business. Once he’s married with kids, the family responsibilities will mostly fall on his wife. I’d be thrilled for Lin Shu to be my daughter-in-law, but it would stifle her talent. She’s an eagle; she can’t be confined like a house sparrow! Besides, Yizhou is a bit old and not romantic. Lin Shu hasn’t even been in a relationship yet; she should be with a young man who can surprise her and make her life exciting! As for Xiaobao, he still has feelings for his first love. How could I set him up with Lin Shu when his heart’s still with someone else?”

Ending the call with Wang Yannian, Xu Mingmei felt quite pleased with herself.

All that was left now was to focus on her own career and encourage Xiaobao to pursue love boldly!

Smiling, Xu Mingmei opened her social media. Sure enough, her high-profile post about joining a law firm had already garnered dozens of likes and comments.

Just as she was about to reply to each one, she received an unexpected message.

It was from Lin Yiqing, one of Xu Mingmei’s friends. Despite being called a “friend,” Lin Yiqing was over ten years younger than Xu Mingmei and only about five or six years older than Xu Shijia. In fact, she and Xu Shijia were schoolmates, both graduates of Rong City High School No. 3.

Xu Mingmei had become friends with Lin Yiqing purely because Lin’s ex-husband was a friend of Wang Yannian. He was also a CEO of a listed company, and the two families used to be close. Unfortunately, Lin Yiqing was unable to have children, which reportedly caused constant arguments between the couple. Eventually, her husband moved on and filed for divorce.

Apparently, feeling guilty after his affair, her ex-husband gave Lin Yiqing a generous financial settlement. So, despite her ordinary background, she became a wealthy and carefree divorcée. With no children, she gradually drifted away from the social circles Xu Mingmei frequented with other affluent mothers.

Why had she suddenly reconnected after two years?

Surprised, Xu Mingmei opened Lin Yiqing’s message and was stunned.

“Mingmei, I’m pregnant, and you have to take responsibility for it.”

These few words completely floored Xu Mingmei.

Lin Yiqing had been divorced for two years, yet she was now pregnant, and she wanted her to take responsibility?!

Why would something like this involve her?

Unless… unless…

A bold, startling suspicion flashed through Xu Mingmei’s mind.

Lin Yiqing had graduated from Rong City High School No. 3, and Xiaobao’s first love was also from there. Because of her, Lin Yiqing and Xiaobao knew each other well and were even quite familiar.

According to what Xiaobao had revealed, not only did Xu Mingmei know his first love, but she was also one of her social media friends. If the girl were an ordinary, age-appropriate match, Xiaobao wouldn’t have hesitated to reveal her identity. But he had stubbornly refused to tell her his first love’s name. If his first love was indeed Lin Yiqing, it would make perfect sense…

Lin Yiqing was older than Xu Shijia, had been married before, and was once close enough to Xu Mingmei to call her “sister.” Given her rumored infertility, Xiaobao might have been afraid of Xu Mingmei’s disapproval, so he’d kept it a secret.

Remembering that Xiaobao had hinted he was close to a breakthrough with his first love, could this “good news” be the baby now right in front of Xu Mingmei?

Was this “happy ending” actually this pregnancy bombshell?

Since Lin was pregnant, Xiaobao probably felt the relationship was secure enough to come clean with his mother.

The more Xu Mingmei thought about it, the more everything fell into place.

She urgently called Lin Yiqing, wanting to clarify matters, but to her shock, Lin had dropped this bombshell and then seemed to vanish, refusing to answer the phone as if she’d disappeared from the face of the earth.

Helpless, Xu Mingmei left Lin a message, asking her to come by her house that evening to talk face-to-face. She then called her son to confirm. Straight to the point, she asked Xu Shijia, “Is your first love one of your older schoolmates?”

And sure enough, Xu Mingmei was right!

Xu Shijia was taken aback: “How did you know?”

Feeling proud, Xu Mingmei replied, “Xiaobao, I’m not just your mom; I’m also a future brilliant lawyer. It was easy to figure out from the details. And this schoolmate of yours—her surname is Lin, right?”

On the other end of the line, her son’s voice revealed a hint of panic, his tone dropping slightly as he grew tense and hesitant: “You know about it?”

With her son’s reaction, she knew she had guessed correctly!

Of course!

The only eligible woman in her social circle, an alum of Rong City High School No. 3, slightly older than Xu Shijia, and surnamed Lin, was none other than Lin Yiqing!

Who else could Xiaobao’s first love be?

Suppressing her surge of emotions, Xu Mingmei composed herself and said, “I know now. Come home tonight. I’ll discuss it with your father, and we’ll go over everything. But don’t worry—I’m a very open-minded mother. I support you two being together; I won’t stand in the way. Coming home is just to talk about your future together.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, Xu Mingmei immediately called Wang Yennian, “Honey! Stop the financial sanctions on Xiaobao!”

“Why? Because you’re about to become a grandfather!” Xu Mingmei exclaimed excitedly, “Our Xiaobao has a child on the way!”

…

Who would have thought their younger son would get there first, beating his older brother to it.

After ending the call with Wang Yennian, Xu Mingmei was still thrilled. She felt that Xiaobao had seriously underestimated her.

She was such an open-minded person—every relationship, as long as it was healthy, naturally deserved support!

Xiaobao falling in love with Lin Yiqing—wasn’t that a romantic miracle?

The young boy, in his first budding encounter with love, fell for his older “sister.” And when she was left wounded from a failed marriage, that boy had grown into a man, able to provide a safe haven for his exhausted “sister.”

If you hold onto your feelings, they will be returned!

This was truly a beautiful love story!

Before Xu Shijia got home, Xu Mingmei quickly called her personal event planner to come and set up something at the house. She wanted to give the soon-to-be dad a big surprise when he walked in!

Once all was arranged, she thought it over and decided to message Lin Shu as well—

“Attorney Lin! Xu Shijia just shared some good news with me! He and his first love are back together! She’s already pregnant! His parents have given their blessing! He’s going to be a dad!”

“From now on, any business trips or meetings, please leave them to me! After all, Xu Shijia will be busy preparing for the wedding and adjusting to being a new dad, so he might not be able to keep up.”

“And since he’s starting a family and having a child, his family has also decided to lift the financial sanctions. Money won’t be an issue for him anymore! Any chance to earn or learn alongside you—leave it to me!”

After sending this, Xu Mingmei happily hummed a tune and began arranging flowers.

Everything was falling into place perfectly.

Soon, she would get exclusive opportunities for private coaching from Lin Shu—wasn’t that just the right timing, the right place, and the right people?

Xu Mingmei thought to herself, Xiaobao, don’t blame your mother for being ruthless.

The workplace is nothing if not full of schemes and rivalry.

In the legal field, there’s no such thing as family ties; only the swift, merciless pace of “strike while the iron’s hot”!

Xiaobao, go take care of your child with peace of mind—the cases and career-building opportunities will go to your mother for now!