At six-thirty in the morning, Qin Ruoyao forced herself out of bed.
She had set an alarm before going to sleep because she was afraid of oversleeping. She wanted to make a good impression on her elders.
“Honestly, you don’t need to be this nervous,” Mo Junlin said as he lay on his side watching her. “My family is really easygoing. They’re more worried about scaring you away.”
In truth, he had already said this countless times the night before.
But she was still nervous.
She had even turned down his advances.
How could that be acceptable?
Now that he had finally tasted married life, how could he possibly be content going without? In the end, he had gotten his way, and the memory still left him feeling pleased. The only regret was that he had only managed it once.
Qin Ruoyao forced her eyes open and ignored the man beside her.
She wanted to go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on her face to wake herself up.
The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
“Oh my…”
Before she could fall, Mo Junlin was already sitting on the edge of the bed waiting.
Seeing her stumble gave him a fright, and he quickly moved to support her.
Then he scooped her up in a princess carry and brought her into the bathroom.
Looking at herself in the mirror while leaning against him, Qin Ruoyao immediately became annoyed again.
“It’s all your fault!”
The woman in the mirror had slightly swollen lips.
And visible red marks decorated the fair skin exposed by her dress.
Furious, she smacked his arm.
“You’re impossible.”
“I told you not to leave marks, but you wouldn’t listen.”
She was genuinely embarrassed.
Yet what sounded like a complaint came across more like playful sulking.
And that only made Mo Junlin even happier.
He loved seeing her like this.
“I already promised not to leave any marks on your neck,” he said with a grin.
The closer he got, the more difficult it became to behave himself.
“N-no…”
“We have things to do today…”
Qin Ruoyao tried to stop him.
Unfortunately, the more flustered she became, the more adorable he found her.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ll be quick.”
“You won’t be late.”
…
By the time they got into the car, it was already past nine o’clock.
Qin Ruoyao sat there refusing to even look at him.
Mo Junlin found it amusing, but he didn’t dare laugh.
“Alright, alright. Don’t be angry.”
“It’s my fault.”
“How about I tell you more about my family?”
He coaxed her gently.
Under his patient reassurances, Qin Ruoyao’s anger gradually faded.
Before long, she was talking to him normally again.
The atmosphere improved considerably.
About forty minutes later, the car arrived in front of a grand entrance.
The security guard recognized the license plate from a distance and immediately unlocked the electronic gate.
The massive doors slowly opened.
The Mo family estate covered an enormous area.
Many years ago, after retiring from military service due to injury, Old Master Mo had used his savings and inherited family wealth to purchase this land, the surrounding forested hills, and several properties in the city.
At the time, none of it seemed particularly valuable.
But after development transformed the region, those investments became the foundation of the family’s fortune.
Whenever people mentioned Old Master Mo, they praised his foresight.
The old master had two sons.
The elder, Mo Haochen.
And the younger, Mo Haoran.
The elderly couple didn’t live with either son.
As a result, three separate three-story villas stood within the estate.
One belonged to the grandparents.
The other two belonged to their sons.
The car had barely stopped when an elegant, well-dressed woman hurried over.
It was Lin Meng—Mo Junlin’s mother.
Before the vehicle had even fully parked, she had already opened the passenger-side door and eagerly taken hold of her precious daughter-in-law’s hand.
How could she not be excited?
Her daughter-in-law was so beautiful she looked like a fairy descended from heaven.
At the wedding, all those wealthy socialites who had once envied her had been left speechless.
One after another, they had asked where she found such a perfect daughter-in-law.
It had made her absolutely delighted.
Of course, she would never tell them that she had fallen in love with Qin Ruoyao at first sight during the matchmaking process.
She freely admitted she was obsessed with good looks.
Qin Ruoyao was touched that her mother-in-law had personally come out to greet her.
She already liked this warm-hearted woman.
“Mom, you could have waited inside. Why come all the way out here to meet me?”
Mother Mo smiled brightly.
“It’s nothing.”
“I was free anyway.”
“I just wanted to see you sooner.”
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
“Your grandparents have been waiting.”
With that, she took Qin Ruoyao’s hand and led her away without even glancing at her son.
“Mom, aren’t you going to wait for me?”
Mo Junlin called after them while unloading the gifts from the trunk.
Mother Mo spared him a brief glance.
“You’re a grown man.”
“You know how to walk, don’t you?”
Then she continued escorting her beloved daughter-in-law inside.
Mo Junlin could only shake his head helplessly.
His mother’s obsession with attractive people was acting up again.
Fortunately, his cousin Mo Junjie came out to help him.
“Big Brother, I thought you’d already gone back to C City.”
Mo Junjie was currently the county magistrate of a county under C City.
He rarely had time off.
“It’s the weekend.”
“And today’s an important day for you.”
“Of course I had to be here.”
“I can head back tonight.”
The thirty-five-year-old patted his cousin’s shoulder.
Looking at the younger man beside him, Mo Junjie felt emotional.
The mischievous little boy he remembered had grown up and gotten married.
Their family had always been close.
Mo Junjie and his father worked in government.
Mo Junlin’s father had pursued a military career.
There was also a younger cousin currently attending university.
The enormous Mo family business ultimately rested on Mo Junlin’s shoulders.
The family itself was remarkably united.
Unlike many wealthy clans, they had none of the constant power struggles and infighting.
Old Master Mo had long understood that unequal inheritance could destroy a family.
As a result, company shares had been distributed fairly.
Both sons received equal portions.
The grandchildren all held shares as well.
Only Mo Junlin possessed a larger stake because he was responsible for managing the company.
Greater responsibility naturally required greater authority.
Still, being the president of the Mo Corporation was hardly easy.
The workload was exhausting.
If someone else could take over, Mo Junlin would happily hand over the position.
After all, he had other businesses of his own.
The women who married into the family also came from good backgrounds.
Many maintained financial interests through their own families.
As a result, none of them objected to Mo Junlin leading the corporation.
They understood perfectly well that as long as the company thrived, everyone benefited.
And under his leadership, the Mo Corporation had flourished.
Why would they sabotage that?
The Mo family’s values were also excellent.
There were no scandals involving mistresses or secret families.
The household was refreshingly straightforward.
When they entered the house, everyone was already gathered in the living room.
Grandfather and Grandmother.
Uncle Mo Haochen and Aunt Wang Xuya.
Father Mo Haoran.
Cousin-in-law Lu Zihan and her son Mo Xingchen.
And young cousin Mo Ling.
Old Master Mo had once been a stern business leader.
Age had softened him somewhat, but he still carried an air of wisdom and authority.
Grandmother Mo had been raised as a proper young lady and remained graceful and kind.
Mo Haochen was now the mayor of W City.
Tall, upright, and imposing, he had specifically cleared his schedule for the family’s newest member.
His wife was a warm and pleasant woman.
Lu Zihan was also strikingly beautiful.
Their six-year-old son looked like a doll and was adorable beyond words.
As for Mo Ling, she was nineteen and currently a university freshman.
By the time Mo Junlin entered, Qin Ruoyao had already greeted everyone.
Her nervousness had largely disappeared.
The men of the Mo family all looked rather intimidating at first glance.
Years in positions of authority had given them serious expressions.
Yet their eyes were warm.
Mo Junlin set down the gifts and sat beside Qin Ruoyao.
He glanced at her with concern.
She responded with a bright smile.
Everyone watched the newlyweds with amusement.
Their relationship seemed genuinely affectionate.
Mo Ling teased them.
“Second Brother, are you worried we’re going to bully your wife?”
The room filled with laughter.
“You’re talking too much.”
Her mother lightly smacked her.
Qin Ruoyao stood and distributed the gifts.
“These are presents from both of us. We hope everyone likes them.”
“Wow! Disney Lego!”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
Little Mo Xingchen cheered excitedly.
Lu Zihan smiled as well.
“Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
After the greetings, there was still plenty of time before lunch.
The men were summoned to the study by Old Master Mo for family discussions.
The women occupied themselves elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Mo Ling enthusiastically volunteered to show her new sister-in-law around the garden.
Mo Junlin immediately approved.
The weather was beautiful.
Flowers bloomed everywhere throughout the gardens.
The sight was breathtaking.
Green lawns stretched across the grounds.
An artificial stream flowed gently nearby, with small fish swimming through the water.
Beyond it stood forested hills covered in lush greenery.
“The air is amazing.”
“It’s so beautiful.”
Qin Ruoyao couldn’t help closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
Mo Ling, youthful and radiant at nineteen, smiled constantly.
“Second Sister-in-law, look over there.”
She pointed toward the foot of the hill.
“Those are fruit trees.”
“And there are strawberries growing underneath them.”
“They’ll be ripe in about two months.”
“We can pick them together.”
“Really?”
Qin Ruoyao brightened immediately.
“Strawberries are my favorite.”
Mo Ling also showed her Old Master Mo’s vegetable garden, which was thriving.
After wandering around and seeing everything, Qin Ruoyao gained a much better understanding of the estate.
Finally, the two sat down in a pavilion to rest.
“Second Sister-in-law,” Mo Ling asked curiously, “how did you and my second brother meet?”
“Hm?”
Qin Ruoyao looked surprised.
“You don’t know?”
Mo Ling shook her head.
“We met through a blind date.”
Qin Ruoyao smiled.
“Half a month ago.”