Shen Jin sat curled up on the sofa, taking small bites of the apple Yun Xiaoran had peeled for her, her head lowered as she listened to her mother scold her.
"Honestly, how could you not tell me about something as important as registering your marriage? You just quietly went and got a marriage certificate with him. Is that any way for a respectable young woman to behave?"
Ning Xian wasn't angry that Yun Xiaoran had married her daughter. She was angry that her daughter had been married for half a month before she found out, and that his parents had already visited, bringing gifts.
"If I hadn't come to see you, would you have waited until you were married with three children before telling me? What else would you be hiding from me by then?"
Shen Jin kept her head down as she listened to her mother's lecture, nudging Yun Xiaoran's leg with her foot to signal that he needed to say something.
Yun Xiaoran had planned to wait until his mother-in-law finished her lecture before speaking, but when he looked down, he found a long, stocking-clad leg nudging his. Turning his head, he met Shen Jin's gaze, which urged him to hurry up and take the heat.
"Mom, please don't be angry. Jin'er has been busy with work. She had to squeeze out time even on the day we registered our marriage. We were planning to invite you over once everything was settled." As Yun Xiaoran spoke, he took Shen Jin's hand.
Huh?
That bastard!
He was holding her hand without permission again.
Shen Jin had wanted to pull her hand back, but meeting her mother's murderous glare instantly put an end to that thought. She let Yun Xiaoran hold her hand.
This wasn't the first time Yun Xiaoran had felt Shen Jin's hand. The last time he'd held it downstairs, it had been cold and slender, as hard to catch as a fairy flitting among flowers. Now, though, her hand rested quietly in his palm.
Yun Xiaoran's hand was large enough to cover Shen Jin's with ease, letting him feel her manicured nails, the pads of her hand, and her slender, bony fingers.
Ning Xian had still wanted to vent her anger, but she had to admit that this son-in-law really did fit her ideal.
He was humble rather than arrogant in front of his elders, could cook, and spoke with both the earnestness of a young man just starting out and considerable maturity. Most importantly, he had actually won over her daughter.
Shen Jin had grown up wanting for nothing, making her way through middle school, high school, and college without ever dating. The more Ning Xian watched her, the more she felt her daughter might be a lesbian. She had even begun considering finding a psychologist to talk to her.
Yun Xiaoran, meanwhile, found the whole situation utterly absurd. Who could have imagined that he would run into his mother-in-law just by stepping outside and going downstairs for some fresh air?
He had invited her home, and they had chatted for ages, one talking about her daughter and the other about his wife, without either noticing anything amiss.
"Um, Mom, Yun Xiaoran and I..." Shen Jin cut in, intending to explain the current state of their relationship, only for Ning Xian to interrupt her.
"I already spoke to Xiaoran before you came back. He's a good boy, putting up with that bad temper and all those awful habits of yours. Anyone else would have run away long ago."
"No, I think Jin'er barely has any faults, and her temper is quite good. Besides, love means making allowances for each other. In our everyday lives, Jin'er puts up with far more from me than I do from her."
Ning Xian was very pleased to hear this. Meanwhile, having finished her apple, Shen Jin leaned against the sofa and stroked the cat without saying a word. Her beautiful eyes rested on the coffee table, but she kept stealing glances at Yun Xiaoran.
Who asked him to put up with her?
If he didn't want to, he didn't have to!
That bastard...
As Yun Xiaoran spoke, he noticed that Shen Jin had finished her apple and casually peeled another one. "Here."
Shen Jin froze, accepting the apple on instinct before realizing she had broken a rule she'd had since childhood: she only accepted peeled apples from the people closest to her.
At the company, for instance, only Sister Hua ever peeled apples for her. Who would have thought Yun Xiaoran would break that rule now?
Whatever. She just didn't want to waste fruit.
Yes! That was all.
It certainly wasn't because she wanted to eat an apple he'd given her.
With that, Shen Jin turned her face aside and sulkily ate the apple Yun Xiaoran had peeled.
Ning Xian had gained quite a lot from this visit. Her daughter hadn't simply found a script and put on an act; she really had found a boyfriend. Her three older sons had all gotten married.
With only her sole daughter left, Ning Xian had been on the verge of praying to every god she could. Who would have thought her daughter had already quietly taken care of it?
Ning Xian was in no rush for the two of them to hold a wedding. Since they already had their marriage certificate, the marriage was a done deal.
If only she knew about her daughter's outrageous whirlwind marriage, and the agreement they had signed...
"It's getting late. I'll go cook with Yun Xiaoran." After finishing her second apple, Shen Jin slipped on her slippers and grabbed Yun Xiaoran with one hand.
Having studied women's self-defense and yoga, she was quite strong. Caught off guard, Yun Xiaoran could only follow her, and the two went into the kitchen together.
Watching the lively pair enter the kitchen, Ning Xian finally relaxed.
"Qingxi, it's all right. You didn't beat Shen Muge this time, but you'll have another chance. Singer 2402 carries more weight than I Am a Singer. Our company has already brought in well-known lyricists and composers from the industry."
Liu Yi comforted Li Qingxi. Although she didn't know exactly what had happened to her that night, Li Qingxi had been listless ever since. But this was no time to lose heart.
She needed to pull herself together quickly and keep moving forward. If not for Lone Cloud's lyrics, Shen Muge could have won the championship without question this time, while Li Qingxi, who had placed second, could only count it as a minor victory.
"Don't forget, you still need to force Shen Muge out of the music industry and crush Yun Xiaoran underfoot. Have you forgotten all that?"
Liu Yi knew what sort of encouragement would work, so she brought up her rivals directly.
Sure enough.
Li Qingxi had been staring listlessly at the mirror in front of her, but at the mention of Shen Moge and Yun Xiaoran, her whole body trembled.
"Don't worry, Sister Liu. I'll give it my all next time!"
Dressed smartly in jeans and a white jacket, Liu Yi nodded in satisfaction.
"This setback isn't a big deal. Overall, we still won. And I'll pay people on VA Site to smear Lone Cloud."
Li Qingxi nodded in agreement.
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