Upon arriving at the old mansion, Xie Wantang had just stepped out of the car when a little boy wrapped his arms around her legs. His hands, still covered in mud from playing and not yet washed, rubbed against her pants.
“Uncle Lu, you’re finally back,” the little boy said in a sweet, sticky voice.
“…”
The address “Uncle Lu” made Xie Wantang realize the boy had mistaken her for someone else.
“Sorry, little one, I’m not Uncle Lu,” Xie Wantang replied. She guessed whose child he was, but she wouldn’t take out the grievances between adults on an innocent child.
The little boy seemed to realize only then that he was hugging an aunt.
He stepped back and looked up—sure enough, it wasn’t his Uncle Lu.
Just then, Xia Meng, hearing the sound of the car, rushed out from inside. She had intended to speak to Lu Yanshen, but her son had caused trouble.
Xie Wantang’s freshly changed clean clothes had been ruined by her son.
Both sides of her thighs were covered in dark, wet mud, impossible to ignore or escape.
“Sorry about that, Wantang,” Xia Meng offered a perfunctory apology to Xie Wantang before putting on a show for her, pretending to scold her son. “Dongdong, why are you so naughty? You played in the mud and hugged someone without washing your hands?”
At that moment, Mrs. Lu emerged and saw the scene. Already displeased with Xie Wantang for turning the family upside down, she now felt Xie Wantang was making a big deal out of nothing by fixating on Xia Meng and her son.
“Xie Wantang, Dongdong isn’t even three yet. If your pants are dirty, just go inside and change. Do you, as an adult, really need to make such a fuss? Mengmeng and Dongdong are guests in our home.”
Mrs. Lu criticized Xie Wantang without holding back.
Xie Wantang was so angered by her mother-in-law that she tilted her head and let out a cold laugh.
Lu Yanshen, seeing her reaction, was about to step in as a peacemaker when Xie Wantang cut him off without giving him the chance.
She crouched down and put on an angelic smile. “Dongdong, right? Come here, let Aunt Wantang give you a hug, okay?”
Little Dongdong, seeing that Xie Wantang wasn’t angry with him, toddled over on his short legs and threw himself into her open arms.
Then, Xie Wantang picked him up, walked over to Mrs. Lu, and set him down. While everyone watched in confusion, she took Little Dongdong’s mud-covered hands and rubbed them against Mrs. Lu’s new dress.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Finally, Mrs. Lu screamed, “Ah—! Xie Wantang, this is my new dress! What are you doing?”
“Hah—”
Xie Wantang stood up and let out a disdainful chuckle.
“So, when something doesn’t happen to them, bystanders think it’s only natural for the person involved to be more tolerant. Now, my dear mother-in-law, do you still think it’s no big deal?”
“Xie Wantang, you…”
Mrs. Lu was so furious her face turned pale, but Xie Wantang acted as if she didn’t notice, held her head high, and turned to walk into the main house.
Lu Yanshen, standing not far away, witnessed the entire scene.
Now, he finally understood what she meant when she said, “You’d better not regret it,” after he used the terms of their contract to make her return to the old mansion with him.
Was she determined to keep stirring up trouble, unsatisfied with the chaos she had already caused?
Coming to the old house to cause trouble?
She really has some nerve!
“Lu Yanshen, has your wife lost her mind?” Mrs. Lu was furious, shouting at Lu Yanshen.
“Sorry, Mom. I’ll go discipline her right now.”
With that, Lu Yanshen strode off with his long legs to chase after Xie Wantang.
“Lu…” Xia Meng and her son Xiao Dongdong tried to call him, but Lu Yanshen swept past the mother and son like a gust of wind, not even sparing them a glance.
After Xie Wantang entered the main house, both of Lu Yanshen’s parents were there, along with his elder brother and sister-in-law, and her stern father-in-law.
After greeting each of them, she excused herself from the living room, saying her pants were dirty and she needed to go change.
She and Lu Yanshen had a bedroom in the old house.
The last Friday of every month was the Lu family’s designated family day, when she and Lu Yanshen were required to stay overnight.
So, Xie Wantang kept a few spare sets of clothes there.
Their room was on the third floor. Lu Yanshen caught up with her just as she reached the second floor, on her way to the third.
Xie Wantang heard the familiar footsteps. In the past, she would have stopped to wait for him, then affectionately linked arms with him to return to their room together.
But now, she remained completely calm, not the least bit excited. Her steps were steady, as if it made no difference whether he came or not.
Seeing her indifference, Lu Yanshen grew angry.
He took two steps up and blocked Xie Wantang’s path.
The phrase “a good dog doesn’t block the way” nearly slipped out, but thankfully, Xie Wantang held it back in time.
When he blocked one side, Xie Wantang turned slightly, preparing to go around the other.
However, Lu Yanshen seemed to anticipate her move and blocked that side too, leaving a gap so narrow she couldn’t possibly squeeze through.
Fine…
If he wouldn’t let her pass, then she wouldn’t.
“What do you want, Lu Yanshen?” Xie Wantang finally looked up, meeting his gaze directly.
“Go apologize properly to Mom later.”
“…”
Xie Wantang knew Lu Yanshen was a mama’s boy. He was filial to his elders, and in the past, for his sake, she had endured countless humiliations in front of his family.
If her adoptive parents and her adoptive brothers knew that the little princess they had cherished and spoiled was living such a life in the Lu family, they probably wouldn’t believe it even in their dreams.
“Mom? Oh, you mean my mother-in-law? Why should I apologize? What did I do wrong?” Xie Wantang widened her innocent eyes, asking with an air of naivety.
“Xie Wantang, don’t play dumb with me.” Lu Yanshen’s voice dropped lower, thick with warning.
“Play dumb? Oh, you mean when Dongdong got mud on your mom’s dress? That was Dongdong, not me. If anyone needs to apologize, shouldn’t there be an order to it?”
“Besides, your mom… oh, I mean my mother-in-law, said it was no big deal. Kids don’t know any better. So even if he committed murder or arson, it wouldn’t matter—there are parents around to clean up after him anytime.”
“…”
Lu Yanshen said nothing, his gaze turning even colder.
However, Xie Wantang was not afraid. After silently counting to five and seeing that Lu Yanshen still said nothing, she reached out and pushed him. “Lu Yanshen, don’t block the way. I need to change my clothes, or else I’ll be scolded again for not understanding the rules of your Lu family.”
This time, Lu Yanshen did not continue to block her path. Footsteps echoed from downstairs again. Xie Wantang glanced back and saw Xia Meng following with Xiao Dongdong.
Xie Wantang didn’t give that vixen a chance to speak. With a stronger push, she shoved Lu Yanshen aside and hurried upstairs.
Sound travels faster, after all.
As she turned the corner, she heard Xia Meng cooing to Lu Yanshen, “Ah Shen, is Wantang angry with Dongdong? Dongdong is still young. Let me apologize to her on his behalf, okay?”
“No need.”
“…”
Xie Wantang had no interest in hearing the rest. She walked to the bedroom she shared with Lu Yanshen, pushed the door open, and slammed it shut with a loud bang.