Chen Hongyan quickly waved her hand and said,
“Anxin, you and Yichen should go eat something. Anyang can take care of things here. Don’t worry.”

Thinking of how Bai Yichen had been here all morning, Anxin figured he must be hungry by now. Without refusing, she told Chen Hongyan,
“Alright, we’ll go grab something to eat then. Mom, take care of yourself.”

Then she turned to instruct Anyang,
“Anyang, take good care of Mom. If anything happens, come tell us immediately.”

Since Chen Hongyan had just come out of surgery, if something went wrong, Anyang, as a child, wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Anyang, acting like a little grown-up, waved his hand at Anxin and Bai Yichen.
“Alright, sister, don’t you trust me? Take brother-in-law and go eat!”

The two left the hospital. Just as they were walking out, three people approached from the opposite direction. Anxin didn’t pay much attention—after all, hospitals were always busy places.

Then someone called out loudly,
“Anxin, what are you doing here?”

Hearing the voice, Bai Yichen and Anxin turned around, only to see three familiar faces approaching. The one calling out was none other than An Ling’er.

An Ling’er walked briskly toward them, dragging Zhang Fan along. In no time, the two of them were standing in front of Anxin and Bai Yichen.

“What are you two doing at the provincial hospital?”

Anxin glanced at the curious expressions of An Ling’er and Zhang Fan. She initially wanted to retort with, What business is it of yours?
But after some thought, she changed her approach,
“Oh, we’re just visiting a friend who works here.”

She didn’t want An Ling’er to know about Chen Hongyan’s surgery. Matters like a family member being hospitalized weren’t things she wanted to spread around, especially not to people like An Ling’er and Zhang Fan, who would undoubtedly take the opportunity to kick her while she was down.

Bai Yichen clearly shared her sentiments. Hearing her response, he simply lowered his head in silence, trusting Anxin to handle the situation.

However, before Anxin could relax, Zhang Fan’s mocking tone cut through the air.
“Oh, really? I didn’t think you’d have friends working at a provincial hospital.”

“You…”

Anxin’s temper flared at his condescension, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. After a few moments, she simply said,
“Alright, we’ll be on our way now.”

She thought, It’s important to pick your battles. Letting a dog bite you doesn’t mean you have to bite back—it’s not worth it.

An Ling’er, who had been waiting for a heated exchange, was disappointed. The post-marriage Anxin was clearly not the same fiery woman she had been before. Now she knew how to restrain herself and walk away from unpleasant conversations.

But An Ling’er wasn’t about to let her go so easily. After all, she’d been waiting for a chance to flaunt her recent success in front of Anxin. She quickly stepped forward to block their path.

“Hey, cousin, are you leaving already? We don’t run into each other often.”

Anxin: “…”

An Ling’er was up to no good. The sudden use of “cousin” after all this time was a clear sign she had ulterior motives. Anxin eyed her with a smirk.

“It’s lunchtime, and you wouldn’t want to keep my husband and me from having luch. Or… are you inviting us to lunch?”

Feigning excitement, she continued,
“That’s perfect! I heard from Uncle that your business in the county is thriving. Since we’ve bumped into each other, it’s only fair for you to treat us, right?”

Anxin exchanged a glance with Bai Yichen, whose lips twitched as he struggled to suppress his laughter. He lowered his head to hide his amusement, thinking, My wife really knows how to turn the tables.

“You…”

An Ling’er was caught off guard. Did Anxin really expect her to pay for lunch? Was this woman crazy because of poverty?
Besides, in An Ling’er’s belief, the person she treated to a meal must bring her benefits. An Xin was a country girl. Even if she treated her to ten meals, it would be in vain. She wouldn’t waste that money.

Zhang Fan’s expression darkened. His cold glare seemed capable of burning Anxin and Bai Xuanchen to ashes.

But Anxin pretended not to notice, a hint of scorn flickering in her eyes. She thought, “You little brat, you dare to fight me with your low rank!”

Seeing An Ling’er at a loss for words, Anxin smirked and grabbed Bai Yichen’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Spending any more time with these people would surely ruin her appetite.

“Wait…”

An Ling’er called out, unwilling to let them leave.

But before she could do more, a middle-aged woman who had been silently standing by stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

“Ling’er, stop wasting your time on such country folk. Let them go do whatever they want. You’re a boutique owner now, and mingling with women like her only drags you down. What if someone sees and laughs at you? Even if you don’t care about your own reputation, think about Zhang Fan’s standing. He’s a provincial government employee now—he’s not someone just anyone can associate with.”

Her disdainful tone left no doubt about her opinion of Anxin.

Anxin immediately recognized the woman as Pu Linrong, Zhang Fan’s mother. She was a postal worker in the county, known for her arrogance despite her limited education.

Back when Anxin and Zhang Fan were dating, Pu Linrong had made no secret of her disdain, frequently belittling her as a “country bumpkin.”

Now that her son had graduated from university and was working in the provincial government—and had a businesswoman like An Ling’er as his fiancée—her contempt for Anxin was even more palpable.

Anxin smirked at Pu Linrong’s words and turned to An Ling’er.
“That’s true. Auntie is absolutely right. As a provincial official’s wife, you should be careful about who you associate with. You wouldn’t want to tarnish your image by mingling with us lowly country folks.”

With that, she walked off, leaving behind the stunned trio.