Chapter 76 - Brief Encounter (1)
Some time after lunch, Ah Mo and Li Si arrived before the young couple got to finish their cup of tea on the sofa.
Ah Mo was a handsome, young man. He had stayed by Mu Yuchen’s side for many years as his bodyguard and driver with pretty impressive skills. He had grown up in the Mu family because he was an orphan back then and Mu Yinan had picked him up from the orphanage and raised him under Mu Tangchuan. Mu Yinan even arranged for him to stay in his own place when he grew up and moved out.
Mu Yuchen treated Ah Mo like his brother and even the servants from Mu Residence called him Master Ah Mo.
“Master Ah Mo, Elder Madam asked you to take these into the car first.”
The housekeeper led the servants to transfer a bunch of gifts into the car. The gifts were meant for the Shen family and there were also some for Xi Xiaye.
Ah Mo opened the trunk and put the gifts inside. Soon, the whole trunk was filled up.
“It’s done. Are the Master and Missus here?” Ah Mo asked the housekeeper as he was done putting the stuff into the trunk. He then heard voices from the front.
“Xiaye, Chen, come and visit when you have the time. I know you youngsters would like to spend time with each other since you’ve just gotten married. I don’t expect you two to move back here. I just hope that you guys can visit us more. After all, we’re not that far away from Maple Residence, so you guys can even drop by for dinner after work before going home.”
Wang Hui seemed to miss them already and she always felt a little lonely after retiring. Mu Tangchuan and Zhuang Shurong were busy and usually not home. Sometimes, they would also work outstation and have even lesser time to spend with the elders. Mu Yuchen had been abroad only until recently, and he had just taken over Glory World, making him very busy. Most of the time, he was quiet at home anyway.
Their only hope now was Xi Xiaye, to whom the elders were not strangers anymore, especially Mu Yinan. Mu Yinan also happened to know that Xi Xiaye was talented at Chinese chess and knew a thing or two about tea as well, so it would be great if she could visit them often.
Xi Xiaye halted her steps at the entrance. She glanced to the side at Mu Yinan and the bunch that had ushered them out. She felt immensely grateful that they had really genuinely accepted her. An unexplainable warmth swelled within her.
She nodded lightly and said in a soft tone, “We will. It’s pretty cold outside. Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, please go back in.”
Mu Yinan nodded with a smile as Mu Tangchuan said kindly, “Come back whenever you have the time. Chen is busy. Just let him be.”
“Be good. Don’t forget about what I said before,” Zhuang Shurong reminded.
Xi Xiaye nodded with a smile. As she wanted to bid them farewell, the man beside her pulled her impatiently into the car.
“Drive,” he told Ah Mo as he just sat down and the latter quickly started the car.
The car traveled swiftly on the street with the couple at the back staying silent. As usual, Mu Yuchen turned on his laptop and was looking at some company documents. Beside him, Xi Xiaye was flipping through a magazine.
“Mu Yuchen?” After a while, Xi Xiaye’s voice broke the peaceful silence within the car.
“Mmm?” Mu Yuchen replied without looking away from the laptop, his fingers still typing away on the keyboard.
“I feel that Grandfather, Grandmother, and your parents are all pretty nice…” Xi Xiaye paused before saying. She tilted her head and looked at him with envy in her eyes.
“They’re your family as well. If you don’t dislike them, you can go back anytime to visit.”
“Do you rarely go back to the Mu Residence?”
She suddenly felt that he was slightly similar to her. Although she missed Shen Yue and the others dearly, she rarely went back to the Shen Residence especially earlier when her relationship with Shen Wenna was severely strained. At that time, she would feel pressured every time she went back. Preferring to live a more carefree life, she avoided them.
“I was abroad for the past several years and rarely came back. Right now, I’m busy too. If you have the time, go and visit them more. Take it as helping me do my part too. As for work, you can stop if you want to and do as you wish.”
“You’re their son and grandson. Why should I do your part for you? I’m just their granddaughter-in-law. There’s a big difference!” Xi Xiaye looked at him in disagreement.
Mu Yuchen stared at her and said, “Xi Xiaye, I really think you have some problems. You do get it that you’re their granddaughter-in-law, don’t you? Your actions count as my actions. Otherwise, what do you think I married you for?”
Xi Xiaye’s expression darkened as she glared at him and asked in a cold voice, “So, you’re saying that you’re treating me like a cheap maid to take care of these things for you?”
Mu Yuchen raised his eyebrows and looked at her infuriated face quietly, not replying.
On the other hand, she thought that Mu Yuchen was the kind of man who gave silence as an affirmative answer. She glared at him for a moment and then turned her head away angrily. Looking outside the window, she ignored him.
Mu Yuchen was surprised. After he gave it some thought, he noticed her breathing getting shallower and her shoulder shivering slightly, so he leaned over and looked at her face. He then asked, “Are you angry?”
Xi Xiaye ignored him.
“Xi Xiaye?”
Still no answer.
“Missus?” Mu Yuchen called out to her again, but he soon laughed when he saw her little red face. “Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m giving you full authority of my internal affairs? You’re the granddaughter-in-law of the Mu family, Mu Yuchen’s wife, and the landlady of Maple Residence. How could you be a cheap maid? If you’re still angry, when I visit the Shen family, you can call for a sky-high betrothal gift. You’d surely be happy then.”
“Who cares about your gifts? Why don’t I give you some betrothal gifts and you do my part for me towards my mother and grandpa?” Xi Xiaye retorted tersely.
Mu Yuchen laughed and continued to tease her, “Then, how much do you think I’m worth?”
“A cent!” Xi Xiaye declared with a huge smirk on her face.