Chapter 16 : Meeting the Elders

Mu Qianqian obediently fastened her seatbelt and asked, “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you back to the old residence to meet the elders.”

Mu Qianqian exclaimed, “But I haven’t prepared anything.”

It’s her first time meeting the elders, and she hadn’t even bought a gift. Plus, she came straight from class and wasn’t mentally prepared at all.

“No need to prepare anything. Just being here is enough.”

With Mr. Fu’s reassurance, Mu Qianqian felt much more at ease.

The car smoothly drove to the Fu family’s old residence.

This was a family banquet, so there wasn’t any elaborate preparation. They simply set up a few tables by the lakeside pavilion and invited only the Fu family members.

Mu Qianqian didn’t notice the plaque at the entrance and thought she was at some park.

After all, which family has such a large lake and so many pavilions and towers? It looked like a royal residence from ancient times.

“Qianqian’s here,” Old LadyFu called out warmly.

Mu Qianqian recognized the old lady’s voice and softly said, “Grandma, how’s your health?”

“Much better. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, and I’ve missed you a bit,” Old Lady Fu said with a smile. “How have you been at Mingyuan? My grandson hasn’t been giving you trouble, has he?”

Mu Qianqian blushed and lowered her head. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Mr. Fu has been very kind to me.”

When she was ill before, Mr. Fu had taken care of her the entire night.

“That’s good to hear. As long as you two are living well, this old woman can rest easy. Don’t just stand there, sit down. The feast is about to start.”

Mu Qianqian and Fu Sichan sat beside Old Lady Fu.

The family gathered harmoniously, and since it was a family banquet, no one mentioned business matters.

Fu Sichan was the only son of the third branch of the family, and his parents had passed away in an accident years ago.

He did have a few younger cousins, but none of them were interested in or capable of shouldering the Fu family’s responsibilities.

Since such an outstanding cousin was supporting them, they were more than happy to enjoy themselves and live comfortably.

Fu Sichan had a pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins, a niece and nephew, who were very fond of Mu Qianqian and kept circling around her.

The little niece looked up with eyes like black grapes and asked, “Sister, aren’t you scared living with uncle?”

Mu Qianqian’s face turned red.

The other elders laughed and teased her, “Mianmian, you should call her Aunt, not Sister.”

Fu Wenmian pouted, “I want to call her Sister. Calling her Aunt sounds too old.”

She climbed onto a stool and whispered in Mu Qianqian’s ear, thinking her voice was very soft, “Both my brother and I are really afraid of uncle.. Sister, you’re so brave to marry him.”

“He’s really nice,” Mu Qianqian said.

“No one dares to marry my uncle, he’s very scary, and we’re all afraid of him.”

After saying that, Fu Wenmian suddenly shivered.

She glanced back, realizing that Fu Sichan was standing right behind her, looking at her with a half-smile.

“Ah! Uncle’s here!” Fu Wenmian jumped off her chair and ran away with her short legs.

She quickly hid behind her twin brother, “Brother, protect me!”

The elders burst into laughter at the sight.

Mu Qianqian, caught up in the cheerful atmosphere, couldn’t help but smile as well.

In her previous family, she had never experienced such a warm atmosphere. Her memories were filled with harsh scolding and insults, with no trace of laughter or joy.

Fu Sichan placed his long hand on her fluffy head and gently ruffled it.

“Qianqian, don’t believe her nonsense. Mianmian is quite clever, even adults fall for her tricks.”

His niece’s disparaging remarks only deepened her misunderstanding of him.

In her mind, he was probably a fierce and cold man.

Mu Qianqian playfully said, “I think Mianmian might be right. You must be quite fierce if even children are afraid of you.”

Fu Sichan could only laugh helplessly.

After dinner, he took Mu Qianqian and left.

Once they had gone, Old Lady Fu and her daughter whispered to each other.

“Did you see how Qianqian and Sichan interact? Since Sichan’s parents passed away, he rarely smiles and is always focused on work. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

Indeed, Fu Sichan used to be taciturn and unsmiling, making the younger generation afraid to approach him.

“Yes, I’ve noticed Sichan has become more cheerful than before. Perhaps he hasn’t even realized it himself. Mom, you chose the right wife for Sichan.”

Old Lady Fu smiled with satisfaction. “You don’t know how long I’ve lived, but I still have some ability to judge people. I hope Qianqian and Sichan can stay together. Otherwise, when I go to the afterlife, I’ll be too embarrassed to face Sichan’s parents.”

Her aunt’s eyes filled with tears. “Mom, don’t say that. I’m sure brother and sister-in-law would be very happy to see Sichan married now.”

On the way back, Mu Qianqian, exhausted, leaned against the car window and fell asleep.

Last time, when she leaned on Fu Sichan’s shoulder, he had coldly pushed her away.

But this time, as she leaned against the window, Fu Sichan, seeing her sleep restlessly, put his hand under her head to support it.

He wasn’t doing it out of pity for her; it was just that she had performed well today, so he was being a bit kinder. After all, he married her only to appease the elders, and if she could make them happy, it wasn’t a wasted marriage.

With this soft cushion, Mu Qianqian slept especially soundly.

When she woke up, she found Fu Sichan’s hand resting near her face and blushed with embarrassment.

“U-Mr., did you help support my head the whole time?”

Fu Sichan hadn’t managed to pull his hand back in time and didn’t expect her to notice.

His expression stiffened momentarily but quickly returned to his usual aloof demeanor. He said coldly, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just afraid you’d damage the window.”

After saying that, Fu Sichan didn’t wait for Mu Qianqian and got out of the car.

Mu Qianqian puffed out her cheeks in frustration and followed Fu Sichan out of the car.

She walked slowly, and by the time Fu Sichan was almost at the elevator, he turned around to see her still dawdling by the car.

“Are you coming or not?”

“Oh, coming!” Mu Qianqian quickly sped up.

As she was about to reach the lobby, she tripped and stumbled forward.

Fu Sichan frowned. His body reacted faster than his mind, and he stepped forward to catch her firmly. “How can you be so clumsy? Can’t even walk on flat ground without tripping?”

Mu Qianqian rubbed her sore nose and said pitifully, “Mr. my eyesight isn’t very good.”

She really didn’t know what Fu Sichan’s body was made of, his chest was so hard that she almost cried from the impact.

Fu Sichan said disdainfully, “If you can’t see, just hold onto my hand.”

“Oh.”

Mu Qianqian carefully took hold of his two fingers. She didn’t dare to touch him too much and only gently grasped his ring finger and pinky, walking like a child being led by him.

Mianmian was right, sometimes Mr. Fu really is quite fierce.