Chapter 65.3

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And just like that, it was settled.

A peaceful moment finally settled over the house as everyone lounged on the sofa, while He Cuizhen busied herself in the kitchen, humming as she cooked.

Meanwhile, Qiao Ziman pulled Chi Yin aside, lowering her voice as she whispered, “Which room is Auntie staying in?”

Chi Yin turned her around, holding her close, her voice soft. “Do you not want her to stay here?”

Qiao Ziman buried her face in Chi Yin’s neck, breathing in the familiar, calming scent before mumbling, “That’s not it…”

“It’s just… there are no more rooms on the first floor. If she stays on the second floor and we, you know… do stuff at night… won’t it be a little awkward if she hears?”

Chi Yin, ever the troublemaker, smirked. “‘Do stuff’? What stuff exactly?”

Qiao Ziman’s ears immediately turned red. Without missing a beat, she pinched Chi Yin’s waist. “You know what I mean!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing,” Chi Yin chuckled, rubbing the tip of her nose against Qiao Ziman’s cheek affectionately. “Don’t worry, our bedroom has excellent soundproofing. And even if it didn’t, my mom isn’t the type to eavesdrop.”

She paused, then added, “Worst case scenario, we’ll just get a bigger villa.”

Just as the two of them were getting lost in their own little world, a sudden shriek rang out behind them.

“Ahhh! Everyone, look! Big Sis and Sister-in-law are getting all lovey-dovey in broad daylight! How scandalous!”

Jiang Shu’s exaggerated voice filled the room, breaking the moment in an instant.

Both Chi Yin and Chi Qilan snapped their heads around at the same time, their voices thundering in unison—

“Jiang Shu!“

Jiang Shu shrieked and bolted, diving behind Qiao Ziman for protection. “I was wrong! Sister-in-law, save me!”

Chi Qilan’s expression darkened as she fixed Jiang Shu with a sharp gaze. “Come here.”

Jiang Shu stiffened, lifting her chin in defiance. “Why should I? You haven’t even apologized to me yet!”

Chi Qilan’s face turned even colder. Her hand slammed down onto the coffee table with a sharp thud. “Are you coming over or not?”

Jiang Shu flinched at the sound, her bravado shrinking ever so slightly. With clear reluctance, she dragged her feet forward in small, hesitant steps until she was standing in front of Chi Qilan.

Chi Qilan picked up her cup of water and took a slow sip, using the moment to suppress the simmering irritation in her chest. When she finally set it down, her voice was level but firm. “What’s gotten into you lately? You’ve become more and more unruly. What exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?”

Jiang Shu clamped her lips shut, staring at the floor without a word.

“Fine. Let me ask you this—why did your grades drop by three ranks since the last exam?”

At that, Jiang Shu’s restraint snapped. Her eyes turned red with frustration as she suddenly exploded, voice trembling with emotion. “Grades, grades, grades—that’s all you ever talk about! Have you ever once cared about how I actually feel? Do you even know what I really like?”

Chi Qilan’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Excuse me? Is that how you talk to your mother?”

Before the argument could escalate further, He Cuizhen strode out of the kitchen, carrying a dish in each hand. She barely spared them a glance before setting the plates down on the dining table with a loud clatter. Then, turning around, she placed both hands on her hips and glared at them. 

“Enough with the yelling! Both of you, go grab the dishes and set the table! We’re eating!”

Qiao Ziman quickly jumped in to defuse the tension. “Right, let’s eat first.” She grabbed Jiang Shu by the wrist and dragged her toward the kitchen to help set the table.

Once the food was laid out, everyone took their seats. Hoping to lighten the mood, Qiao Ziman picked up her glass of juice and raised it. “Alright, let’s have a toast! A warm welcome to our new housemates—little Jiang Shu and… Auntie.”

Chi Qilan shot Jiang Shu a cold glance before finally lifting her glass in a slow, reluctant motion.

Qiao Ziman downed her drink in one go, then reached for a bite of food. As soon as she took a bite, she frowned, immediately slipping into old habits. “Mom, why did you put sugar in the scrambled eggs with tomatoes again? How many times have I told you not to do that?”

The complaint barely left her mouth before He Cuizhen, instead of responding to her daughter, suddenly turned her focus onto Chi Qilan. “And you, what’s with you? Why aren’t you eating?”

Chi Qilan wordlessly picked up her chopsticks and took a small bite of bamboo shoots. She chewed slowly, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she set her chopsticks back down.

“I have no appetite.”

That was all it took to set He Cuizhen off. With a sharp clack, she dropped her chopsticks onto the table. “If you can eat, eat. If you can’t, feed it to the dog!”

Qiao Ziman glanced between the two women, then wordlessly lowered her head and protectively covered her bowl with both hands. “Just saying, Mom—I’m not a dog anymore. I have Yin Yin now.”

Jiang Shu quickly caught on and followed suit, shielding her own bowl. “And I’m still a kid, so don’t even think about giving it to me either.”

He Cuizhen: “…”

The fire of the argument was slowly dying out, but He Cuizhen wasn’t one to let things slide so easily. With a clack, she picked up her chopsticks and placed a serving of food onto Chi Qilan’s plate.

“You’ve been sickly since you were young. Do you not have any self-awareness? Picking at your food like this—what, you think you’ve got too many years left to live?”

Chi Qilan’s grip on her chopsticks tightened. Slowly, her gaze dropped, avoiding He Cuizhen’s sharp eyes.

But He Cuizhen wasn’t done. “And about earlier—do you even know how to talk to people properly? Always carrying yourself like some untouchable mother figure, high and mighty. Do you think you’re the only one with self-respect? Does your daughter not have feelings too? Being strong is supposed to be about protecting your family, not using your strength as a weapon to hurt them!”

Chi Qilan’s jaw clenched, but she stayed silent.

“And as for school—what’s the big deal? You’re seriously getting worked up over something this small? Look at me, I was dead last in class as a kid, and I still ended up with a happy family. And look at you—first place every damn time, and what did that get you? A daughter who doesn’t even want to talk to you. Maybe instead of shoving pride down her throat, you should take a step back and actually think about what’s going wrong here!”

“You—!” Chi Qilan’s face turned deathly pale. She raised a trembling hand, pointing at He Cuizhen, but not a single word came out.

“What? Am I wrong?” He Cuizhen huffed, crossing her arms.

She was right. But she was also too right.

Sensing the growing tension, Qiao Ziman quickly stepped in. “Mom, maybe tone it down a little. Let’s just eat, okay?”