Chapter 2

Standing at the entrance of the Xu family’s mansion, a car stopped in front of Xu Yuan.

She was no longer amazed by cars, as she often saw her father and elder brother come out of them from the balcony. She also learned from television that this was a means of transportation, much like the carriages in her era. Of course, these cars were more comfortable.

Now, Xu Yuan felt grateful more than once for her experiences over the years. If she were still the naive little girl who had just entered the palace, she would probably be shocked by everything.

Mrs. Xu spoke with emphasis, saying, “When you go back, make amends with Zhengrong. It’s fortunate that you have this time on your hands. Spend more time with your mother-in-law. I know your mother-in-law well. She’s not a bad person, and she’s easy to talk to.”

The role of a mother-in-law in a family is significant, and Xu Yuan understood that. She nodded and found the information provided by Mrs. Xu useful.

“Your car is still being repaired, and it will probably take some time. These days, let the driver accompany you. I’m worried about you.” As if afraid that her daughter wouldn’t heed her words, Mrs. Xu emphasized, “During this time, you shouldn’t drive. You gave me such a fright a few days ago. Thankfully, you’re unharmed.”

Xu Yuan vaguely knew that before she became the real Xu family’s young lady, the original owner had nearly been in a car accident. Fortunately, she was unharmed, but the car was damaged.

She wondered if her arrival and the departure of the original owner were related to this car accident.

Mrs. Xu’s worries were unnecessary, as Xu Yuan had no ability to drive now even if she wanted to. She obediently nodded and said softly, “Mom, I understand. You can rest assured.”

“I owe you and your brother a lot in my lifetime. I really want to feel at ease, so be good to Zhengrong.” Mrs. Xu looked at the sky, which was getting late, and quickly opened the car door for Xu Yuan to get in.

Perhaps due to her novice mentality, Xu Yuan actually felt reluctant to leave Mrs. Xu. Since she arrived in this unfamiliar era, although she knew her current situation was quite good and free from life-threatening concerns, she was about to enter a completely new environment and face a completely unfamiliar husband. While Xu Yuan wasn’t exactly panicking, she did feel some resistance.

Xu Yuan obediently got into the car, extended her hand to wave goodbye to Mrs. Xu, and watched as the Xu mansion became more distant. She then withdrew her gaze.

Since coming to this era, she had never been outside. The sky was getting dark, and all the streetlights in the city were on, creating a bustling scene. She couldn’t find a trace of her own era in all of this.

From the driver’s perspective, Xu Yuan appeared to be looking at the scenery outside the car window without any particular expression.

However, only Xu Yuan knew how astonished she felt at the unfamiliar and fresh surroundings before her. In the past, the emperor had complained more than once about the dim palace lights, saying that it was uncomfortable for his eyes after reading for a long time. Xu Yuan had secretly considered finding a bright and stable lamp to bring back. Now, looking at these lights, she thought that it would be nice if she could take one back. The emperor would surely be delighted. But then she thought of the emperor’s passing, and she suddenly felt inexplicably sad.

She didn’t know how long it had been, but the car entered a villa area and stopped in front of a villa. Xu Yuan hadn’t gotten out of the car yet when two people came out of the yard and stood respectfully to the side.

One of the men swiftly went to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and took down Xu Yuan’s luggage.

The older woman, who seemed to be of a certain age, opened the car door and, with a smile, asked, “Madam, have you eaten? The food is ready.”

She looked at the villa; it was about the same size as the Xu mansion. “I haven’t eaten yet.”

The woman nodded, paused for a moment, and cautiously asked, “So, madam, are you waiting for the master to come home to have dinner together, or would you like to eat now?”

From the woman’s tone and expression, it seemed that she hoped Xu Yuan would wait for Meng Zhengrong to come home for dinner.

However…

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and said, “I won’t wait for him.”

She hadn’t met Meng Zhengrong yet, and considering her previous behaviour, which could be seen as “willful” in the eyes of others, she didn’t want to rush into the role of a good wife at this moment. Besides, Meng Zhengrong had even sent her a message asking her not to wait for him, so there was no need for her to go hungry to please him.

The woman, upon hearing this, was disappointed, but she still nodded warmly and said, “Alright, the dishes in the kitchen are all your favourites. You can have dinner now.”

Following the woman, Xu Yuan entered the villa. She maintained a calm demeanor, not showing any curiosity about the surroundings. She managed to resist the urge to inspect her future bedroom and headed straight to the dining room.

Xu Yuan had a good appetite. She had a bowl of soup, followed by a bowl of rice. When she checked the time, it was already 8:30 pm. She had no trouble reading the time in this era, thanks to her body’s instincts.

Meanwhile, Meng Zhengrong sat in the car, only about ten minutes away from home. His phone rang, and he saw that it was a call from his mother.

Meng Zhengrong felt a headache coming on, but he answered the call, his voice softer than when he spoke to Xu Yuan earlier. “Mom.”

Mother Meng asked with concern, “Zhengrong, have you landed? Have you eaten?”

“I’ve landed, and I’m on my way home now. I’ll have dinner at home,” Meng Zhengrong replied.

“Will you come back for dinner tomorrow?” Mother Meng was concerned about this, as she hadn’t seen her son in a long time and was worried about him.

“I’ll come back for both lunch and dinner tomorrow,” Meng Zhengrong replied. He understood that his mother wanted to see him, and he wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflicts between his wife and mother.

However…

Mother Meng’s tone turned less pleasant when she thought of Xu Yuan. “As for Xu Yuan, even though you were busy with work right after your marriage, she shouldn’t have gone to her parents’ home for almost half a month. People who don’t know might think we’re mistreating her!”

Meng Zhengrong’s main concern was to ensure that there would be no irreparable conflicts between his wife and mother. In business, he was the problem solver, and at home, he was the son and husband who needed to solve problems.

With this in mind, Meng Zhengrong said, “Mom, it was my idea for her to go back for a while.”

This statement caught Mother Meng by surprise, and she reacted with disapproval: “You suggested it? Why are you so thoughtless? Who goes back to their parents’ house right after getting married?”

“I’m going on a business trip, and I didn’t want her to be alone at home, so I suggested it. If I had known about this tradition, I wouldn’t have proposed it. Mom, can we apologize to her tomorrow?” Meng Zhengrong explained. After all, Xu Yuan was his wife, and he didn’t want to create any conflicts between them.

“Why apologize? Just be more considerate next time. And don’t mention this to Xu Yuan again when you go back tomorrow. Let’s just have a meal together as a family,” Mother Meng tone softened a bit.

“Alright,” Meng Zhengrong agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Meng Zhengrong breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Yuan’s decision to go back to her parents’ house was not something he had discussed with her, and he didn’t want to argue about it. He knew that it was his responsibility to ensure harmony between his wife and his family.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of their villa. Meng Zhengrong got out of the car and instructed the driver to take the assistant home. He didn’t have much luggage, just a small suitcase. The butler had already come out and efficiently took the suitcase from him.

The butler, along with another servant, noticed the situation and discreetly retreated, giving the newlyweds some private space.

Meng Zhengrong was a bit hesitant as he walked up the stairs to their bedroom. They were still considered newlyweds, and no matter how lacking their emotional connection was, he thought it was essential to have a private conversation with her. He reached the bedroom door and knocked gently before entering.

Xu Yuan had just finished dinner and was in the bedroom. She hadn’t had the chance to examine their bedroom properly since their marriage, so she was in the process of tidying up a bit. She heard the knock and assumed it was Meng Zhengrong, so she began to adjust her appearance.

As she was about to open the door, Meng Zhengrong entered without waiting for her response. Xu Yuan was taken aback and looked at him in surprise.

Meng Zhengrong noticed Xu Yuan’s peculiar expression. Xu Yuan had been calm and composed, but when she saw his face, her eyes widened, and she looked at him with disbelief.

Xu Yuan’s legs gave way, and she knelt down on the thick woolen carpet, trembling, and exclaimed, “Your Majesty?”