The woman who came in in high heels was middle-aged, well dressed and charming. She wore a turquoise suit and a hat of the same color, looking graceful and noble.
Nan Zhi paused slightly in her action of going upstairs.
“Auntie?”
“Please call me Madam Ye.”
Nan Zhi pursed her lips and said, “Madam Ye.”
Madam Ye walked to the sofa with great vigor and looked around her surroundings before sitting down. From beginning to end, she had not even glanced at Nan Zhi once.
The maid saw Madam Ye and brought tea over respectfully.
“Miss Nan, you haven’t married into the Royal family, so why are you already living in the Crown Palace?” Madam Ye leaned against the sofa with a mocking smile on her lips.
Nan Zhi sat opposite of Madam Ye and said in a manner worthy of the lady of the house, calm and unmoved, “I listened to Sihan.”
Madam Ye glanced indolently at Nan Zhi. Seeing that she was all smiles and did not look at all awkward or uncomfortable, Madam Ye felt a little angry.
She was not even married to him yet and was already regarding herself as a Princess Consort?
“Miss Nan, you’re sticking by his side just because you gave birth to three children for him, right?” Madam Ye looked at Nan Zhi, her eyes filled with disdain and judgement. “Giving birth to children with a man before getting married. Didn’t your mother teach you? A woman without the basic sense of shame and self-respect will not be respected, even if she were to marry into the Royal family.”
Nan Zhi knew that Madam Ye did not like her. No, not only did she dislike her, she disliked Mu Sihan too. If it was a normal family, being humiliated by her future mother-in-law, Nan Zhi would definitely be angry.
But Madam Ye was indifferent to her son and treated him like a stranger, why should Nan Zhi be angry because of her?
Nan Zhi’s smile deepened, a faint trace of mockery in her eyes. “My mom taught me very well. Unlike some mothers, giving the title of a jinx to her son after he was born and disliking him from when he was young for no apparent reason. Now, seeing that he has become the King, she comes back and acts like a tyrant.”
Madam Ye did not expect Nan Zhi to be so sharp-tongued. Even if she disliked Mu Sihan and did not have a good relationship with him, she was still his biological mother.
Nobody dared to speak to her in this tone!
“Miss Nan, you haven’t even married into the Royal family yet, what right do you have to speak to me in this tone? You’re being disrespectful to your elder! I can throw you into jail at anytime!”
Nan Zhi looked at Madam Ye. “Madam Ye, why don’t you get to the purpose of your visit today?”
“Leave Ye Sihan. As long as I’m his mother, I will never agree for a woman with no status and upbringing like you to marry into the Royal family!”
Nan Zhi narrowed her eyes. “Oh? Do you think Sihan will listen to you, just because you disagree?”
Her sharp words made Madam Ye speechless.
Yes, now that Mu Sihan had become so capable, he might not listen even to the Queen’s orders, let alone her, a mother with only blood ties and no kinship at all!
Madam Ye closed her eyes and then opened them again, her eyes cold. “Miss Nan, I heard that not only did you move into Crown Palace, you also brought your mother along. I heard about those who brought along children but never have I heard of those who brought along their mothers. Do you know what the people in the Royal family said about you and your mother? You will only affect the authority the King has in the Royal family and among the people!”
Nan Zhi was about to say something when she saw a figure walking over from the corner of her eye.
She raised her eyebrows slightly. She could ignore whatever Madam Ye said about her, but she could not stand aside while someone talked trash about her mother!
Nan Zhi stood up and walked quickly to An Feng. “Mom, go upstairs first. I can handle this myself.” She was worried that Madam Ye would say harsh words later and stimulate her mother’s mental condition.
But what hadn’t An Feng experienced in all these years? Though she had suffered from mental illness, it had only stabilized in recent years.
Nan Zhi’s worries were understandable, but she was her mother and could not always let her daughter protect her. She could not stay quiet and see her daughter get aggrieved.
An Feng patted the back of Nan Zhi’s hand and gave her a reassuring look. As she moved to the sofa Madam Ye remained seated and despite seeing her coming over, she had no intention to stand up at all.
It was obvious that she looked down on An Feng.
Although An Feng grew up in the An family, the An family was counted as a big family in Ning City at that time. She was well educated and seemed gentle and quiet, with a scholarly air.
An Feng looked at Madam Ye, and gave a small smile. “Madam Ye, do you know what Sihan calls me? He doesn’t call me ‘Auntie’ or ‘Mother-in-law’, but ‘Mom’ directly.
“Although you gave birth to Sihan, you’ve never raised him. There’s no feelings between the two of you. When he sees you now, does he call you ‘Mom’?”
As An Feng spoke, she raised her hand and brushed back the hair on her face, revealing a jade bracelet on her wrist.
Madam Ye was dazzled by that brilliant shade of emerald green. It was an ice species green emerald jade, worth billions that was auctioned by the auction in Italy not too long ago. She wanted to bid for it at the auction, but it was swept up by a mysterious person.
Why was it with An Feng?
Madam Ye’s eyes were sharp and could recognize it at one glance as the jade she was unable to get her hands on at the auction.
An Feng saw Madam Ye looking at her wrist and the smile on her lips deepened. “I have no son, but my son-in-law is more fillial than any son. This is what he gave me when I returned to the Capital. He said it’s not worth a lot of money. This child is really filial.”
Nan Zhi stood on the side behind An Feng and could see Madam Ye dark expression after An Feng finished speaking.
Her expression had become completely dark and ugly.
Aged ginger was indeed more pungent. It struck hard and fast like a bolt from the blue!
Nan Zhi stepped forward and took An Feng’s arms, saying intimately, “Mom, Sihan is still waiting for us to eat. Let’s go upstairs and change our clothes first!”
Since Madam Ye was rude to them, there was no need for them to be polite at all.
They ignored Madam Ye and went upstairs.
Madam Ye was so furious she threw the teacup on the table to the ground and it smashed into many broken shards.
…
When Nan Zhi and An Feng had changed and came back downstairs, Madam Ye was no longer in the living room.
With a sigh, An Feng said softly, “Sihan is also pitiful, having such a mother.”
“He’ll have me and Mom to dote on him, and the three children. He’s not pitiful.”
An Feng held Nan Zhi’s hand. “He is the King and is under great pressure usually. You have to be considerate of him.”
Nan Zhi pouted. “Those who don’t know will think that you’re his biological mother!”
“Naughty girl, it’s because Mom loves you. If you don’t have Sihan’s support, you won’t have a good life when you get married to him in the future!” No matter how unpleasant Madam Ye was, she was still Sihan’s mother. It would be troublesome for Zhizhi to handle Madam Ye if she came to mock from time to time.
Nan Zhi leaned her face on An Feng’s shoulders and said with a smile like a child, “Mom, don’t worry. Since I promised Sihan to return to the Capital, I’m prepared to face everything. If I’m not strong enough, I’m not worthy to be the Princess Consort.”
