-At Xu Residence-
"Li Man, why didn't you bring Xiao Qian with you?" Hearing He Susu's question, two people in the living room stiffened. One was Xu Cheng while the second was Fan Bingbing who shifted her gaze towards Xu Cheng to check his expressions.
"I haven't even seen Xiao Qian since morning. How was I supposed to bring her with me?" Li Man's tone wasn't like her usual self and He Susu could feel it herself. She had seen this pair of sisters-in-law to have a stronger bond than real sisters. But right now, He Susu could feel that Li Man was vexed for some reason.
He Susu thought that Xin Qian was upset about seeing her husband and that's why she was avoiding Li Man. But she didn't know that Li Man was displeased over the fact that Xin Qian dared to actually hide such huge news from her. How can a mother leave her daughter behind? Can any reason or excuse justify her actions?
For Li Man, it was sure that Xin Qian would never be able to justify what she did. Abandoning her own flesh and blood was akin to a crime for Li Man.
But never in her wildest dreams, she could have fathomed that the daughter Xin Qian left behind was Xu Mey. She was one of the people who had seen the way Xu Mey suffered at the hands of Fu Lan. And she was also one of the people who despised Xu Mey's mother for leaving her alone to fend against a vicious step-mother.
"But I brought Xiamu with me," Li Man switched to another topic since just the thought of Xin Qian was enough to spoil her mood right now. Turning back, she called out, "Xiamu, why are you standing there? Just come inside."
Seeing a tall young man entering the living room, Xu Cheng found his eyes oddly familiar. When Xu Cheng's gaze clashed with Xiamu's, he felt like there was a strange emotion of longing in the young man's eyes.
What Xu Cheng couldn't think was that Xiamu was actually really nervous at the moment. It was his first time seeing his father up close. He was scared of whether his father would like him or not. Seeing that Xu Cheng's gaze shifted from him to someone behind him and there was immediately a twinkle in those aged eyes, Xiamu was disappointed.
"Auntie Manman," Xu Mey, who was the reason for a proud glint in Xu Cheng's eyes, called out to Li Man.
Li Man's sulky mood was immediately lifted up at the sight of Xu Mey. She engulfed Xu Mey in her arms happily. "Aiyoh, I haven't seen my Xiao Mey for a couple of days and look at this girl... The way you're glowing is going to make me blind."
Xu Mey giggled at this comment and said, "I should be saying our Auntie is turning younger by the day."
Li Man touched her own face before grinning widely. "My little baby girl, your Auntie is even feeling younger from the time I heard that my son is getting married."
Fan Bingbing snorted scornfully at the side. "Just because you feel young doesn't mean you have aged backward. If you kept gloating like this karma will catch up to you."
Li Man glared at Fan Bingbing before a sly smile appeared on her face. "Someone is surely drinking vinegar."
Fan Bingbing was about to pounce on Li Man when Xu Cheng held her wrist saying, "Little sister, I need some water." Fan Bingbing got the real message from Xu Cheng's eyes that she was not here to mess up. She twisted her mouth before walking away with a huff.
Xu Mey was amused by these ladies bickering. Suddenly she caught sight of Xiamu and surprise flashed through her eyes. "Kaden? What are you doing here?"
Xin Xiamu awkwardly scratched the back of his head and Li Man answered Xu Mey's question, "I called Xiamu. But Xiao Mey, how do you know Xiamu?"
"You are Xin Xiamu? Qiao Ge's cousin?" Xiamu nodded his head and Xu Mey was stumped. "Woah! It's really a small world."
Before she could continue on, He Susu interrupted them. "Kaden, aren't you gonna say hello to auntie?"
Xiamu looked at He Susu and smiled. "Sorry Aunt! I didn't see you there." After greeting her politely, he turned to Zhu Chen with the same enthusiasm. "Uncle Chen, I didn't know you guys are here as well."
Zhu Chen patted Xiamu's shoulder and said, "It's all right, son. You should stick around, your little puppy is also gonna be here soon to wag her tail behind you."
Xiamu arched his brows. "You mean Zelie is also coming?" Zhu Chen nodded to confirm. "When did she come back from her 'world tour'?"
"She came back a couple of months ago." He Susu answered his question as she took his hand and sat down.
"Did she tell why she was out of reach? You guys must have gone easy on her again."
Zhu Chen placed his hand on Xiamu's shoulder saying, "Now that you're here. You ask her yourself. She won't lie to you."
Xu Mey who was looking at all this was a bit lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly, her mind had wandered off to the time when she told Xiamu in the hospital that his fiance might not love him otherwise why wouldn't she know that her fiancee was allergic to something.
Now thinking back, she realized she might have been the one who planted a seed of suspicion in Xiamu's mind. Recalling how he looked the night he got to know that his fiancee loved his cousin, Xu Mey pressed her lips together. This cycle of a game that fate played was really vicious.