Pei Xi’s appetite was especially good today, and with Liu Ma’s excellent cooking, she was eating happily.
She thought to herself that marrying Si Ruohan was absolutely the right choice. If she hadn’t married him, she might never have experienced such a leisurely, comfortable life.
Even though she had lived two lives, she didn’t have much ability of her own. To live such a carefree life, she would have had to struggle her whole life—and might still never achieve it.
So, she decided to enjoy it fully while she could. If someday she and Si Ruohan parted ways and she returned to taking care of herself, she wouldn’t regret the present. After all, it was her own money—she wouldn’t begrudge hiring a helper.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps and looked up to see Liu Ma arriving, accompanied by an elegant, dignified elderly lady.
Pei Xi realized this must be Si Ruohan’s family.
“Fourth young master’s wife, Grandma has come,” Liu Ma announced.
Si Ruohan’s grandmother smiled even more broadly upon seeing Pei Xi in person—she looked even better than in the photos.
“My youngest son really has good taste!” she thought.
Pei Xi felt slightly embarrassed. She had never met Si Ruohan’s elders before and hadn’t yet earned their recognition. How could she call herself the young mistress?
Normally, Liu Ma’s casual addressing would be fine, but in front of Si Ruohan’s elders, it made Pei Xi feel awkward.
She quickly stood and greeted politely: “Hello, Grandma.”
The grandmother, smiling warmly, came over and held Pei Xi’s hands, gently patting the back of them.
“Call me Grandma, not ‘Old Madam.’”
Seeing Pei Xi’s nervousness, she reassured her:
“Don’t worry, Grandma is very pleased with you. My youngest son really has good taste.”
Relieved, Pei Xi smiled back: “Hello, Grandma.”
The grandmother nodded approvingly:
“As long as you treat my youngest son well, Grandma will be happy. If he ever mistreats you, tell me, and I’ll teach him a lesson.”
Pei Xi quickly waved her hands: “No, no! He’s very good to me and hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Grandma then naturally started chatting with Pei Xi about her background. Pei Xi knew that with the Si family’s resources, they could easily find out about her past if they wanted.
So she didn’t hide the fact that she was an orphan. It was better for them to know early. If they thought she was unworthy of Si Ruohan, it would be better to find out now and prepare herself emotionally.
But Si Ruohan’s grandmother, upon hearing Pei Xi’s story, didn’t look down on her at all. Instead, she felt pity for Pei Xi, thinking her biological parents were truly cruel for abandoning such a good girl.
Grandma spent about an hour with Pei Xi at Si Ruohan’s home before receiving a call from Grandpa, signaling it was time to leave.
Before departing, she held Pei Xi’s hand and told her to visit the old residence with Si Ruohan when she had the chance.
Pei Xi could only smile and nod. She was nervous about meeting Si Ruohan’s elders but didn’t want to disappoint the kind grandmother. Perhaps she could choose a time when only Grandma was at home, so she wouldn’t have to worry about others.
That evening, Si Ruohan had a business engagement and couldn’t have dinner with her. Pei Xi didn’t mind—after all, the CEO of such a large company would naturally have social obligations. She just reminded him to drink moderately.
After dinner, she went for a walk with Liu Ma, and when it was about time, they returned home. Pei Xi had Liu Ma prepare a hangover soup so that when Si Ruohan came back, he could drink it and avoid a headache the next day.
When Si Ruohan returned around 9:30 p.m., Pei Xi had already showered and was lying in bed.
Seeing him, she got up: “You’re back. I had Liu Ma prepare some hangover soup for you. Wait, I’ll go get it for you.”
Before she could leave, Si Ruohan reached out and held her.
“No need. Liu Ma had me drink some already. I didn’t drink much—smell it for yourself. You’ll see there’s hardly any alcohol taste.”
Pei Xi sniffed and confirmed—there really was no smell at all. She was pleasantly surprised, expecting that such business engagements might involve other women for appearances.
“Then hurry and take a shower! Do you want a bath? I can fill the tub for you.”
Seeing Pei Xi so concerned about him, Si Ruohan was happy.
“No need, I’ll just shower. When I’m done, we can talk. Wait for me, it’ll be quick.”
Earlier, downstairs, he had heard from Liu Ma that his grandmother had come by that afternoon. Pei Xi wanted to tell him about Grandma’s visit and had been urging him to hurry.
Usually, Si Ruohan helped Pei Xi with her hair, but this time, she finally returned the favor.
Si Ruohan sat confidently, smiling as Pei Xi stood behind him, drying his hair—the first time a girl had ever done that for him.
His hair was short, so it didn’t take long.
Afterward, he pulled Pei Xi into his arms, letting her sit on his lap.
“Liu Ma said Grandma came today. You weren’t scared, were you?”
Pei Xi held onto his shoulders and shook her head: “No, Grandma’s very kind and gentle.”
Si Ruohan nodded: “Good. You weren’t scared. There may be others from my family visiting in the future.”
“What?!” Pei Xi looked at him in surprise. “Why? Do they know I exist?”
She guessed someone must have told them.
“Who told them? Your friends?”
Si Ruohan hugged her tightly, nodding:
“Yes. Guan Xinyue called my mom. After seeing a photo of you, my mom shared it in the family group. Now everyone in my family knows about you.”
Pei Xi widened her eyes and asked nervously:
“Th-then, are they coming here tomorrow? Should I move? I’m a little scared… what should I do?”
Her heart raced—tomorrow she would meet Si Ruohan’s parents. What should she do?
Seeing her anxiety, Si Ruohan hugged her tighter and patted her back:
“Don’t panic. My parents are still traveling abroad. I told them not to rush back. They won’t disturb you. When they do return, I’ll bring you to meet them.”
Pei Xi breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: “You scared me! I thought I had to meet your parents tomorrow!”
Si Ruohan noticed her action. With her wearing a camisole, her chest was exposed, and the sudden pat made it quiver slightly.
He bent down and nuzzled her.
“I’m here! You don’t need to be afraid. Leave everything to me.”
Feeling the unusual attention, Pei Xi pushed him gently:
“Just talk! Why are you like this? How can we have a conversation like this?”
Si Ruohan didn’t answer. He raised his head and silenced her with a kiss, showing he didn’t want to talk right now.
What needed saying had already been said; now it was time for something else.