Yan Huan and Yi Ling were sisters. Back then, Yan Huan was the person who aided the Ye family when they experienced a crisis. Hence, Grandpa Ye would have agreed even without Ye Shuyun. However, Ye Shuyun’s presence would definitely smoothen things.
Meanwhile, Madam Lei’s phone rang. She took out her phone and answered. She beamed as soon as she heard the voice.
“Lingling, I’m at your aunt’s place, just come over here.”
Madam Lei hung up the phone and quickly told the nanny of the Lu family, “Xiao Mei, go and make some food, faster.”
“Alright,” the nanny answered and went to the kitchen. Ye Shuyun and Madam Lei were sisters, so there was no need for them to be polite with each other.
Preparing a meal was an easy job.
The doorbell rang not long after.
Yi Ling walked through the opened door, carrying two large bags.
“Mum,” Yi Ling addressed, though she was still feeling slightly uneasy, it was much better than the first time.
“Lingling.” Madam Lei hurried to her, wiping away the sweat on her forehead, “Didn’t you drive here? Why are you running and sweating?”
“I’m working out,” Yi Ling clenched her fist and pointed at her arm. “Mum, look how firm my muscles are,” Madam Lei actually squeezed it.
“Yeah, they are.”
Ye Shuyun shook her head. Would these two people be mother and daughter in the past life, given the similarities in their characters?
“Oh right, this is your aunt,” Madam Lei pointed at Ye Shuyun and introduced her to Yi Ling.
“Hello aunt,” Yi Ling obediently greeted her. She was Lu Yi’s mother and the elder sister of her mother-in-law. Lei Qingyi had told her about the relationship between the two families, but it was too complicated for her. She could not remember it.
Anyways, they are relatives; yep, very close ones.
Yi Ling was not a person with many thoughts, and she was a carefree young lady. She might not attract many men sometimes but the elders had always liked her. Otherwise Madam Lei would not have treated her so well, as though she was her daughter by blood and kicked Lei Qingyi, who was her actual son, to somewhere else.
Ye Shuyun liked Yi Ling too. Meanwhile, Little Bean came galloping to them.
“Little Bean,” Yi Ling scooped Little Bean up and patted its head. “How did you become so fat? You’ve got nice food here. Hey, don’t you recognise me? I’m the one who raised you, which was an arduous task, and you scratched me while I was trying to bathe you when you were younger.”
Yi Ling looked hurt and this made both Ye Shuyun and Madam Lei guffaw.
“Where did you find this funny girl?”
“I don’t have that ability,” Madam Lei shrugged, “My son has good taste.”
“Isn’t yours better?” Madam Lei nudged Ye Shuyun. “We used to fight for her to be our daughter, and now she has become your daughter-in-law.”
“That’s true, my son has good taste.” Ye Shuyun was absolutely content with Yan Huan. Her own son was to be cherished and her own daughter-in-law was to be loved.
It did not matter even if other people said they were good together. She had to see if they were really suitable for each other.
Now only she knew what kind of woman suited her son.
Her son was strong enough, or even omnipotent, and with a temper like his dad. She used to think that a successful woman would suit him the best, but her son liked girly girls after all. He prefered girls who were mild and tender.
Of course, Yan Huan was in fact really gorgeous. It was not surprising at all.
Ye Shuyun fully supported her son’s decision.
“Right, we won’t wait then, since we’re free now.” Ye Shuyun glanced at the time, “let’s go to the Ye family and discuss with my dad. Should we ask grandpa to take Yi Ling as his granddaughter or big brother to take her as his daughter?” Hold on, both the options would bring the same outcome anyway.
Yan Huan was flipping through a book on a rocking chair, the chair made a creaking sound as it rocked back and forth. There was a jar of high quality Longjing tea on the table, and the mild aroma of tea wafted in the room.
The aroma of tea and the sunny warmth outside sent her drifting off. She wished for time to slip through her fingers and never come back.
“Huanhuan, Huanhuan…”
Yi Ling came rushing from outside and rolled like a ball in front of Yan Huan. She squatted down and grabbed the moving rocking chair with her hand.
“I tell you, I have a grandpa, an uncle and a cousin…”
She sputtered excitedly, her eyes were beaming brightly like a knife, as if she was going to carve the three words “I, have, relatives” on everything around her.
“It must be the Lu family, is it?”
Looking at the undisguised happiness on Yi Ling’s face, Yan Huan sat up and sincerely wished her the best.
The Yi Ling who used to have nothing finally owned a family now. But she did not need Yan Huan anymore. Yan Huan felt a bit weighed down by sadness and jealousy, considering that Yi Ling would not solely be hers anymore.
“How did you know?” Yi Ling folded her legs and sat on the floor. Small patches of light and shade cast a shadow on her, she looked like a happy and blessed little woman. Even her hair seemed to rejoice and frizzle.
“I guessed it.” Yan Huan lay down again, cushioning her head on her arm. Actually it was easy to guess. No matter what, the Lei family was not ordinary at all. Yi Ling was different than her. Lu Yi and she did not openly declare their marriage, they only went to register and got their marriage certificates. They were husband-and-wife by law. However, Yi Ling was really getting married now and a series of rituals were to be performed; which was why she needed an identity. Although the Lei family wouldn’t mind her status of being an orphan, Lei Qingyi was not going to mistreat her.
He would marry Yi Ling in a grand wedding, and two options would lay before the Lei family, one of the options was the Lu family and the other one was the Ye family.
Grandpa Ye was more easy going compared to the stubborn Grandpa Lu. Besides, Yan Huan had helped Grandpa Ye once, he would want to return the favor back. Yi Ling would never be the same again and no one would dare to bully her anymore in the future.
She covered her face with the book. The warm sunlight cast a shadow on her, the light appeared to be moving with the wind, it was warm and mottled.
Yi Ling had gone somewhere else when she opened her eyes again.
She sat up and the book which she had been holding onto fell on the floor.
The sky seemed to have darkened, the light which was warming her had dimmed, and so did her eyes.
What could she do? She was still sad.
A hand rested on her shoulder, she raised her head and saw Lu Yi squatting on the ground.
Yan Huan cushioned her head on his legs.
