Mu Lan saw the agreement document and there were both Mu Liang and Mu Lan's signature. She raised an eyebrow. He forged her signature. She chuckled. Then, she looked at the nun and said, "I'm sorry that you had to come so far for the admission of our sons. But I've changed my mind and came to tell you that I don't want my children to go abroad to study so soon. However, since my husband wants to sponsor you, I won't stop him from doing that. It's a good deed to do charity once a while. Right, hubby?" She gazed at her husband with a smile.
Mu Liang didn't dare to look at her face. He nodded. "Yes, as long as you want it."
Sister Augustine was satisfied as long as she could get sponsorship. She didn't mind if the children came to her school later. After she had lunch with the couple, she left.
Mu Lan calmly wiped her mouth and stood up from the chair. When she wanted to leave, Mu Liang caught her hand. "Lan I-"
Mu Lan looked at him. She wasn't smiling anymore. "I'm listening." She came here to hear his explanation about forcing his sons to study in a boarding school. She was doubtful when Assistant Ju Long was acting suspiciously. However, she didn't think that she had to face a nun.
Mu Liang took a deep breath and guided her to the sofa. They sat beside each other. Mu Liang was still holding her hand. He said, "I wanted this for our sons. It's for their good. They need to study."
Mu Lan blinked. "If you knew that it was for their good, why did you keep it a secret from me? Do you think I don't want what's best for my children?"
Mu Liang started to panic. "It's not like that-"
"You even forged my signature. Did you think I wouldn't be able to stop them from going to school just because you forged my signature? Just how powerless do you think I am?" She wanted to laugh. Did he think that she wouldn't understand what he's thinking in his mind?
Mu Liang was sweating. "I don't think you are powerless. I started studying when I was three. There is nothing wrong with them studying now."
Mu Lan took a deep breath and said, "Liang, we both had parents but couldn't get familial love and warmth from our parents. Do you want our sons to grow up with the same misery? Do you want them to distance themselves?"
Mu Liang instantly replied, "I don't mind…. What I mean is they won't be like this. Didn't we go to school? We didn't become like this, did we? Ans school is important. It will raise their status."
"Liang, are you telling me that you look down on me?" She looked at her husband in surprise.
It was time for Mu Liang to blink. "What?"
Mu Lan elaborated, "I didn't go to school when I was a child. I indeed got admitted but it wasn't favorable. My first ever school was Beijing University. Are you telling me that I'm illiterate and you don't respect me?"
Mu Liang was dumbfounded. There were too many things he didn't know about his wife. "How did you pass the entrance exam?"
Mu Lan shrugged. "It was normal."
Mu Liang sighed. 'Of course, only she would say something like that.' He remembered the time when she went to take exams. Whenever he asked about her exams, she always answered the same sentence.
He said, "You are brilliant, Lan. I wouldn't dare to disrespect you."
Mu Lan looked at his ocean blue eyes. "Liang, before I'm a mother, I'm your wife. I have a duty towards you and our sons. I'm trying my best to give you all whatever you need. If I see that my husband doesn't love our sons whom I gave birth to, how do you think I will feel?"
Mu Liang's expression changed. He hugged her closer. "I can never hate them. I don't dislike them either. How can I when I saw how hard you tried to give birth? You nearly died and I couldn't do anything to ease your pain. They were so small. If they knew that you almost lost your life to give birth to them, they would be heartbroken. That much they love you. I can never discard someone who loves you. They are so cute when they call me 'papa'. I bathed them, fed them, changed their clothes and diapers. There is no way that I don't love them."
Mu Lan put her head on his right shoulder. She knew that he was telling the truth. She said, "But you get jealous so easily. I cannot give them their father's love. If you don't give them fatherly love, how painful will it be for them? I cannot bear to think that way."
Mu Liang's grip tightened around her. Truthfully, he didn't care what his sons thought. They were a bunch of little demons, always snatching away whenever he wanted to have some alone time with his beloved wife. They spend most of the time with her and the time he had to spend with someone, he wanted to be with his wife. If he spent that time with his sons, he would be able to have time for his wife at al. However, seeing his wife's sad expression, his heart broke.
He truthfully said, "I will spend time with them from now on, but if I do that, I won't be able to have free time for you. What will I do?"
Mu Lan understood that as well. She rubbed his broad back. She said, "You have too much pressure. I've already completed my study. How about I work with you? It will lessen your workload and we can have more free time."
Mu Liang paused before asking, "When do you want to work?"
Mu Lan thought about it and then said, "How about after lunch I come to the office and work with you at work? Rice balls take naps after lunch. They can play with Oscar and the butlers if they want to."