The car drove all the way onto the Third Ring Road, and the traffic gradually grew heavier.
It was not an exaggeration to say that a person’s status and power were defined by which ring road they lived in in the Capital City.
Watching the line of cars advance slowly, Mu Chenyan glanced at the time and realized that she was caught in rush hour.
She panicked a little and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry that I dragged things until now…”
She had been in the Capital City for a few days, but she had not paid her mother-in-law a visit.
Just yesterday, Guo Jingze suddenly mentioned that he had a meeting to attend, so he came over with her from City A.
Guo Jingze’s company was in City A, which was very close to the Capital City. Usually, he would bring his son here to see the Old Mistress, but Mu Chenyan rarely went with them.
Guo Jingze saw her apologetic look. He knew that there was not much to talk about between her and his family. If he himself did not go back, how was it possible for her to go alone? The well-educated man immediately comforted her. “It’s alright. You’re here with your professor to learn, not to travel. Even if you don’t go home, Mom won’t blame you anyway.”
Guo Jingze was concerned for her. He reached out to hold her hands, but Mu Chenyan hurriedly withdrew her hands and pretended to do her hair.
“Mom sounded worried on the phone earlier. She was afraid of interrupting your work…” Guo Jingze spoke honestly.
Hearing that, Mu Chenyan was slightly relieved. She had met her in-laws several times and had always felt that they were very approachable. She believed that her mother-in-law was a reasonable person and the family did not have the kind of superior air common to powerful households.
Perhaps because Mu Chenyan and Guo Jingze’s marriage happened so suddenly, her mother-in-law had been very tolerant and often deferred to her judgement.
While the Old Mistress missed her grandson, she would cautiously give Mu Chenyan a call to get her permission before asking Guo Jingze to bring the kid home.
Regarding her in-laws, Mu Chenyan had always felt inexplicable guilt towards them.
What she had with Guo Jingze, it was only a pact…
Their journey on the road had been delayed by an hour. Only after that, did they manage to reach the military compound.
This was the residence of retired veteran cadres. Mu Chenyan had been here a few times, but she could not remember the roads. She only knew that this was the gathering place of the Capital City’s bigwigs.
The security was extremely strict, and one had to go through one checkpoint after another. There were never smiles on the guards’ faces. They were equipped with live ammunition, and only ever showed grim faces when interacting with outsiders.
This was one of the reasons why Mu Chenyan did not want to come by herself.
Besides, she was afraid of bumping into Shao Yibai.
Generally speaking, this was a vast area filled with single-family small villas as well as guards. All residents went in and out by car, so it was unlikely for them to bump into each other easily. However, Mu Chenyan somehow still felt uneasy.
Guo Jingze had not returned for a long time, so when he entered the main gate, his face did not hide his excitement.
He asked the driver to slow down, wanting to take a good look at the military compound where he had spent decades of his life.
Mu Chenyan did not have any sense of closeness for this solemn place. In the first half of her life, one-third of it was spent in Xi Fan; another one-third in Luo Hai; while the rest of her life could be described as drifting about.
She had visited the UK, been to prison, and in the few months, after she fled from Luo Hai, she had passed through many cities before finally meeting Guo Jingze in City A.
…
Guo Jingze brought her back to the Capital City and to the military compound for the first time. He introduced her to his mother. “This is my girlfriend. She is pregnant with my child!”
…
“Finally, you’re back. The Capital City is still under martial law these few days. Many roads are still not accessible, so the traffic should’ve been quite heavy, I suppose?”
Wu Meiyun warmly held Mu Chenyan’s hands and ordered the maid, “Prepare a bowl of the ginseng soup for the Young Mistress!”
Wu Meiyun then asked Mu Chenyan, “Would you like to take a shower first? You can have the soup later on. Dinner is in half an hour, so you still have time!”
Mu Chenyan cast an eye over at Guo Jingze as she felt somewhat uncomfortable. She hurriedly answered in a low voice, “Mom, don’t keep yourself busy. I’m just here to chit-chat with you…”
Guo Jingze also chimed in, “Mom, Yan Xiao is not staying over tonight…”
After getting to know Guo Jingze, in order to not expose Mu Chenyan’s true identity to the Guo Family, the two had decided, after much discussion, on using the name, Yan Xiao.
Fortunately, Old Master Guo was in politics, while Guo Jingze was a businessman, so the marriage review was not strict. All her accounts and her ID card were registered under the name Yan Xiao. Guo Jingze only called her Mu Chenyan in private.
When Wu Meiyun heard that, her expression changed a little, but she quickly concealed it and responded with a smile. “Well, I know that Professor Shen is very strict with his students. It’ll be fine once Xiao Xiao graduates.”
Mu Chenyan felt indescribably touched. The Guo Family had always been this forbearing of her.
During dinner, Wu Meiyun wished for nothing more than to have Mu Chenyan taste every single dish on the table. While Mu Chenyan was a foodie, this was an occasion where she could not stuff herself anymore.
Her belly was bulging, but Wu Meiyun was still worried that she was not full.
Guo Haisheng, the Old Master who was sitting by the side, could not stand to watch anymore. He reprimanded his wife softly. “You can’t make a thin person grow fat in just a day!”
Wu Meiyun laughed embarrassingly and asked in a low voice, “Is Xiao Xiao full?”
Mu Chenyan nodded. She was more than just full.
After dinner, the Guo father and son went to the study room to play chess, while Mu Chenyan and her mother-in-law sat down at the veranda to drink a soup that helped with indigestion.
In front of the Guo’s villa was a moderate-sized garden, and the courtyard was filled with climbing roses that bloomed in the spring.
Autumn in the North was rather dreary, but in the season of the heady fragrance of osmanthus, there would be a sweet taste in the air.
Mu Chenyan noticed that the tall pomegranate tree in the corner of the courtyard had tilted to one side, and she recalled that in the Yuan Family Mansion, there were also two such trees…
She would intentionally or unintentionally recall the moments in Luo Hai, as if she had walked away with the memory from Luo Hai and wandered around the world. Everything before her eyes now could not give her any emotional experience. All her emotions had been buried in Luo Hai…
“Xiao Xiao, there’s something I want to discuss with you…”
Wu Meiyun suddenly spoke up, her gaze was somewhat hesitant. In fact, with the status and identity of the Guo Family, there was no need for this noble and respectable wife to be this polite to her. Mu Chenyan was overwhelmed and replied softly, “What can I do for you?”
“You see, you’ve been married to Ze Ze for three years. Back then, you were pregnant, and we respected your decisions when you got married. Everything was to be done in a simple manner, and only words of congratulations were accepted. There wasn’t even a decent wedding, and you two went to Hawaii to get married. Even now, your kid has grown up so much, so I’m thinking of introducing you to my circle of friends in the Capital City…”
Mu Chenyan was taken aback when she heard that. The cup of tea in her hand spilled a little.
Wu Meiyun was afraid she would scald her hand and quickly brought a paper towel to help wipe her hand.
Mu Chenyan took the paper towel and dared not look up at Wu Meiyun. She only whispered, “What does Mom have in mind?”
Wu Meiyun let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Let’s take it slow. Since you happen to be in the Capital City currently, a few of my sisters would love to meet you in person. There’ll be a small party in a few days’ time. Mom hopes that you can come and join…”
Mu Chenyan’s gaze turned slightly cold, her fingertips trembled, and her voice was hoarse. “What does Jingze think…”
“Initially, I was worried that you wouldn’t agree, and he’s always on your side, so…”
Mu Chenyan understood. Wu Meiyun knew that Guo Jingze had always sided with her, so if there was anything Wu Meiyun wanted to do, she must get Mu Chenyan’s approval first.
“Rest assured, there won’t be too many people. It’s just a few of my sisters and a couple of Ze Ze’s childhood playmates! Look at you, Ze Ze has protected you too well, and you’ve never appeared in public, so rumors are spreading around on the outside…”
Wu Meiyun no longer continued her words!
A lot of gossip about Guo Jingze had been spread around the Capital City for many years. Wu Meiyun wanted to take this opportunity to put things straight for her son!
Mu Chenyan nodded softly and replied blandly, “I’ll follow Mom’s plan!”
The Capital City was quite far away from Luohai; such a coincidence should not occur…
The car drove all the way onto the Third Ring Road, and the traffic gradually grew heavier.
It was not an exaggeration to say that a person’s status and power were defined by which ring road they lived in in the Capital City.
Watching the line of cars advance slowly, Mu Chenyan glanced at the time and realized that she was caught in rush hour.
She panicked a little and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry that I dragged things until now…”
She had been in the Capital City for a few days, but she had not paid her mother-in-law a visit.
Just yesterday, Guo Jingze suddenly mentioned that he had a meeting to attend, so he came over with her from City A.
Guo Jingze’s company was in City A, which was very close to the Capital City. Usually, he would bring his son here to see the Old Mistress, but Mu Chenyan rarely went with them.
Guo Jingze saw her apologetic look. He knew that there was not much to talk about between her and his family. If he himself did not go back, how was it possible for her to go alone? The well-educated man immediately comforted her. “It’s alright. You’re here with your professor to learn, not to travel. Even if you don’t go home, Mom won’t blame you anyway.”
Guo Jingze was concerned for her. He reached out to hold her hands, but Mu Chenyan hurriedly withdrew her hands and pretended to do her hair.
“Mom sounded worried on the phone earlier. She was afraid of interrupting your work…” Guo Jingze spoke honestly.
Hearing that, Mu Chenyan was slightly relieved. She had met her in-laws several times and had always felt that they were very approachable. She believed that her mother-in-law was a reasonable person and the family did not have the kind of superior air common to powerful households.
Perhaps because Mu Chenyan and Guo Jingze’s marriage happened so suddenly, her mother-in-law had been very tolerant and often deferred to her judgement.
While the Old Mistress missed her grandson, she would cautiously give Mu Chenyan a call to get her permission before asking Guo Jingze to bring the kid home.
Regarding her in-laws, Mu Chenyan had always felt inexplicable guilt towards them.
What she had with Guo Jingze, it was only a pact…
Their journey on the road had been delayed by an hour. Only after that, did they manage to reach the military compound.
This was the residence of retired veteran cadres. Mu Chenyan had been here a few times, but she could not remember the roads. She only knew that this was the gathering place of the Capital City’s bigwigs.
The security was extremely strict, and one had to go through one checkpoint after another. There were never smiles on the guards’ faces. They were equipped with live ammunition, and only ever showed grim faces when interacting with outsiders.
This was one of the reasons why Mu Chenyan did not want to come by herself.
Besides, she was afraid of bumping into Shao Yibai.
Generally speaking, this was a vast area filled with single-family small villas as well as guards. All residents went in and out by car, so it was unlikely for them to bump into each other easily. However, Mu Chenyan somehow still felt uneasy.
Guo Jingze had not returned for a long time, so when he entered the main gate, his face did not hide his excitement.
He asked the driver to slow down, wanting to take a good look at the military compound where he had spent decades of his life.
Mu Chenyan did not have any sense of closeness for this solemn place. In the first half of her life, one-third of it was spent in Xi Fan; another one-third in Luo Hai; while the rest of her life could be described as drifting about.
She had visited the UK, been to prison, and in the few months, after she fled from Luo Hai, she had passed through many cities before finally meeting Guo Jingze in City A.
…
Guo Jingze brought her back to the Capital City and to the military compound for the first time. He introduced her to his mother. “This is my girlfriend. She is pregnant with my child!”
…
“Finally, you’re back. The Capital City is still under martial law these few days. Many roads are still not accessible, so the traffic should’ve been quite heavy, I suppose?”
Wu Meiyun warmly held Mu Chenyan’s hands and ordered the maid, “Prepare a bowl of the ginseng soup for the Young Mistress!”
Wu Meiyun then asked Mu Chenyan, “Would you like to take a shower first? You can have the soup later on. Dinner is in half an hour, so you still have time!”
Mu Chenyan cast an eye over at Guo Jingze as she felt somewhat uncomfortable. She hurriedly answered in a low voice, “Mom, don’t keep yourself busy. I’m just here to chit-chat with you…”
Guo Jingze also chimed in, “Mom, Yan Xiao is not staying over tonight…”
After getting to know Guo Jingze, in order to not expose Mu Chenyan’s true identity to the Guo Family, the two had decided, after much discussion, on using the name, Yan Xiao.
Fortunately, Old Master Guo was in politics, while Guo Jingze was a businessman, so the marriage review was not strict. All her accounts and her ID card were registered under the name Yan Xiao. Guo Jingze only called her Mu Chenyan in private.
When Wu Meiyun heard that, her expression changed a little, but she quickly concealed it and responded with a smile. “Well, I know that Professor Shen is very strict with his students. It’ll be fine once Xiao Xiao graduates.”
Mu Chenyan felt indescribably touched. The Guo Family had always been this forbearing of her.
During dinner, Wu Meiyun wished for nothing more than to have Mu Chenyan taste every single dish on the table. While Mu Chenyan was a foodie, this was an occasion where she could not stuff herself anymore.
Her belly was bulging, but Wu Meiyun was still worried that she was not full.
Guo Haisheng, the Old Master who was sitting by the side, could not stand to watch anymore. He reprimanded his wife softly. “You can’t make a thin person grow fat in just a day!”
Wu Meiyun laughed embarrassingly and asked in a low voice, “Is Xiao Xiao full?”
Mu Chenyan nodded. She was more than just full.
After dinner, the Guo father and son went to the study room to play chess, while Mu Chenyan and her mother-in-law sat down at the veranda to drink a soup that helped with indigestion.
In front of the Guo’s villa was a moderate-sized garden, and the courtyard was filled with climbing roses that bloomed in the spring.
Autumn in the North was rather dreary, but in the season of the heady fragrance of osmanthus, there would be a sweet taste in the air.
Mu Chenyan noticed that the tall pomegranate tree in the corner of the courtyard had tilted to one side, and she recalled that in the Yuan Family Mansion, there were also two such trees…
She would intentionally or unintentionally recall the moments in Luo Hai, as if she had walked away with the memory from Luo Hai and wandered around the world. Everything before her eyes now could not give her any emotional experience. All her emotions had been buried in Luo Hai…
“Xiao Xiao, there’s something I want to discuss with you…”
Wu Meiyun suddenly spoke up, her gaze was somewhat hesitant. In fact, with the status and identity of the Guo Family, there was no need for this noble and respectable wife to be this polite to her. Mu Chenyan was overwhelmed and replied softly, “What can I do for you?”
“You see, you’ve been married to Ze Ze for three years. Back then, you were pregnant, and we respected your decisions when you got married. Everything was to be done in a simple manner, and only words of congratulations were accepted. There wasn’t even a decent wedding, and you two went to Hawaii to get married. Even now, your kid has grown up so much, so I’m thinking of introducing you to my circle of friends in the Capital City…”
Mu Chenyan was taken aback when she heard that. The cup of tea in her hand spilled a little.
Wu Meiyun was afraid she would scald her hand and quickly brought a paper towel to help wipe her hand.
Mu Chenyan took the paper towel and dared not look up at Wu Meiyun. She only whispered, “What does Mom have in mind?”
Wu Meiyun let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Let’s take it slow. Since you happen to be in the Capital City currently, a few of my sisters would love to meet you in person. There’ll be a small party in a few days’ time. Mom hopes that you can come and join…”
Mu Chenyan’s gaze turned slightly cold, her fingertips trembled, and her voice was hoarse. “What does Jingze think…”
“Initially, I was worried that you wouldn’t agree, and he’s always on your side, so…”
Mu Chenyan understood. Wu Meiyun knew that Guo Jingze had always sided with her, so if there was anything Wu Meiyun wanted to do, she must get Mu Chenyan’s approval first.
“Rest assured, there won’t be too many people. It’s just a few of my sisters and a couple of Ze Ze’s childhood playmates! Look at you, Ze Ze has protected you too well, and you’ve never appeared in public, so rumors are spreading around on the outside…”
Wu Meiyun no longer continued her words!
A lot of gossip about Guo Jingze had been spread around the Capital City for many years. Wu Meiyun wanted to take this opportunity to put things straight for her son!
Mu Chenyan nodded softly and replied blandly, “I’ll follow Mom’s plan!”
The Capital City was quite far away from Luohai; such a coincidence should not occur…
