Ye Qinru gently pressed her fingers, and the little purple mushroom in her hand spat out a long string of pale-purple bubbles.
Fang Xuan's brain completely short-circuited at the sight.
"Auntie, stop squeezing it, this—"
"Call me Mom. You're not thinking of going back on your word, are you? Believe me, I'll castrate you in a minute."
Ye Qinru was very displeased with the way Fang Xuan addressed her, and her expression instantly darkened.
"Mom."
"That's more like it."
As soon as Ye Qinru heard Fang Xuan change how he addressed her, her expression changed in the blink of an eye. Fang Xuan nearly couldn't keep up.
"You were so worked up just now. Still, this little thing is pretty fun."
"I've studied medicinal plants for years, but I've never seen anything so novel."
"By the way, what's this thing called?"
Ye Qinru squeezed the little purple mushroom in her hand. She looked as curious as a child who'd discovered a fascinating new toy.
"Mom, go easy on it. Don't squeeze it until it bursts. That would be bad."
Watching Ye Qinru continue squeezing it, Fang Xuan's heart shot straight up to 180 beats per minute.
"This thing is called a Little Spray Mushroom. It can spray corrosive bubbles. If you press it too hard, it'll explode. It might not hurt you, but it could..."
"It could what? Go on."
He'd stopped right at the crucial part. It looked like this son-in-law of hers still needed some discipline.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
Just then, Ye Lingling heard the commotion and hurried over. The moment she saw her mother bullying Fang Xuan, she rushed up to stop her.
"What's wrong? Can't I, as his mother-in-law, say a few words to my son-in-law?"
"You're not even married yet, and you're already taking his side. Looks like you've had enough of your dear old mother. A daughter grown up is a daughter gone, after all."
At that, Fang Xuan's mouth twitched. Why did that sound so familiar? Where had he heard it before?
"Mom! If you keep this up, I really will get angry."
"All right, all right, I was wrong. I'll stop, okay?"
Only after her mother finally settled down did Ye Lingling turn her attention to Fang Xuan.
Ye Lingling looked Fang Xuan up and down. A sudden sting filled her eyes, and they instantly reddened.
She wanted to rush over and hug him, but she was worried he was still weak, so she could only stand there, at a loss.
Seeing her daughter act so bashful, Ye Qinru shook her head helplessly. Then she got up to leave, giving the two of them some space.
"Mom, wait. You really shouldn't squeeze that Little Spray Mushroom until it bursts. If it explodes and gets on your clothes, it'll eat right through them."
That was what Fang Xuan had been worried about. If it really exploded and his mother-in-law ended up exposed in front of him, that would be a real disaster.
"Hm? It'll eat through clothes? I'll test that out in a bit. I'll leave you two alone here. Just remember not to make too much noise, okay? I might not be able to resist sneaking over to listen~"
Those suggestive words turned Ye Lingling's face scarlet.
Fang Xuan awkwardly scratched his head, too.
Why was his mother-in-law so different from how she'd seemed when he first met her?
"I'm taking this little thing to play with. That's okay, right?"
"No... no problem."
The plants generated once every seven days. Even if someone else took one, it wouldn't affect Fang Xuan.
And if his mother-in-law wanted one, of course he'd give it to her.
With Fang Xuan's permission, Ye Qinru didn't even bother saying anything to her daughter. She simply left, and even considerately closed the door behind her.
"Um, has Mom always been like this?"
Since Ye Qinru had already acknowledged his relationship with Ye Lingling, Fang Xuan had quickly settled into his role as her son-in-law.
"Yeah, she's always been like this. It's just that before..."
Thinking back on what her mother had done, Ye Lingling still couldn't believe it.
Her mother was usually so easygoing. She'd never imagined she could be so heartless that time. It had been like she'd become a different person.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know something like this would happen. If I had, I never would've let you come with me."
Ye Lingling could no longer hold back her guilt and burst into tears in front of Fang Xuan.
At the time, she'd truly thought Fang Xuan was going to die.
Seven days. Seven whole days without food or water. No ordinary person could have survived that.
She'd begged her mother countless times, even threatening to starve herself, but her mother had remained unmoved.
She'd been desperate. She'd thought that if Fang Xuan died, she'd go with him.
But Fang Xuan had somehow held on and even earned her mother's approval.
She couldn't have been happier then. But when she saw Fang Xuan lying unconscious in bed, that little bit of joy instantly turned to worry.
Seven days was both a short time and an eternity. Fang Xuan had lost all the vitality he'd once had and was terribly weak.
Now, he was slowly recovering, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Don't cry. It's all in the past. And I just woke up—why are you standing so far away? Are we strangers now?"
"N-no, I'm just worried you haven't recovered yet. I'm afraid you..."
Ye Lingling looked flustered as she stammered out her explanation.
Her face flushed red, her silver hair swayed gently, and her fingers unconsciously picked at the hem of her clothes. Fang Xuan couldn't help but stare at her adorable appearance.
"I'm not that fragile. Come here and let me hug you. I haven't held you in days. I missed you so much."
Fang Xuan reached out, asking for a hug.
But Ye Lingling didn't come over. She hesitated, looking bashful.
"Um... I haven't been feeling well these past few days, so could you not..."
At that, Fang Xuan was taken aback. Good grief, she thought he was after that?
Seriously? Did I seem that desperate?
Fang Xuan laughed helplessly. It looked like Ye Qinru's earlier remarks had given her the wrong idea.
"I just want to hug you. I won't do anything else."
"Really? You're not lying to me?"
Ye Lingling looked doubtful, but her body still moved toward Fang Xuan of its own accord.
"Of course. I'd never lie to you."
Fang Xuan promised solemnly, then pounced on Ye Lingling like a tiger the moment she came close, knocking her onto the bed.
"Ah—! Don't~"
Ye Lingling closed her eyes, thinking Fang Xuan was about to take advantage of her.
But what she expected never happened.
Fang Xuan simply held her gently, and made no further move.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Fang Xuan smiling warmly at her.
"I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."
"But you're really timid. You'll have to work on that."
"Hmph, you bully~"
Ye Lingling got angry and pounded Fang Xuan's chest with her hands.
Just then, the door swung open, and Ye Qinru appeared in the doorway.
The three of them looked at one another. The atmosphere instantly turned unbearably awkward.
Fang Xuan and Ye Lingling were in a rather compromising position.
Ye Qinru had been drawn over by Ye Lingling's scream, but she hadn't expected to see such an exciting scene.
Hadn't she told them not to make too much noise?
And only then did she suddenly remember that Ye Lingling's period was due soon. She hurried over to warn them.
"Ahem, Lingling won't be available these next few days... so you know what I mean?"