Yue Yu lowered her head to help wash the vegetables. Although she was clumsy, Madam Yue was satisfied.

“Shi Jin likes this dish the most. She might not like what others make. I have to make it myself.”

Shi Jin, who was driving, suddenly sneezed. A chill ran down her back.

She grabbed a tissue and turned up the temperature in the car, too.

Yue Yu felt indignant. “Mom, what about mine?”

“Of course you have yours. Look, isn’t that your favorite lotus root dish?”

Only then did Yue Yu cheer up.

She thought of a question and asked, “I heard that Shi Jin is married. I wonder how outstanding a man worthy of a talent like her is. Which family is he from?”

Madam Yue thought for a moment and said, “If she brings him here today, you will be able to meet him. If she doesn’t, then she isn’t ready to show him to you. If she isn’t, I can’t tell you directly.”

“Mom, what are you talking about? I’m your daughter. What can’t you tell me?”

“You know Shi Jin’s profession. This matter is very important to her. If she tells others rashly, it will affect her greatly. So you understand what I mean, right?”

Madam Yue had always been very protective of Shi Jin.

Even in the face of her own daughter, she was very conscious.

Actually, Shi Jin had not specifically instructed everyone to keep their mouths shut about her matters, but everyone who really knew her, who considered her a friend, spontaneously treated these things as important little secrets.

Everyone who was her friend was extra respectful and willing to protect her.

Yue Yu’s expression was clearly displeased. Madam Yue smiled and pinched her daughter’s face. “What else do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you. Look at you, you’ve starved and lost weight overseas. Let’s not talk about the others. Tell me about the interesting things that happened to my daughter overseas.”

Yue Yu could not get angry. She smiled and took her mother’s arm as they chatted.

***

Lan Tian and Yue Lanchen welcomed Shi Jin.

They rushed over as soon as she got out of the car. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, so both of them were obviously excited and eager to see Shi Jin.

Only Luo Jingxuan stood to the side, looking normal.

“Why isn’t Brother-in-law here?” Yue Lanchen asked. In the past, he used to call him Brother Xiuyuan. Now, he was even more familiar with him and directly called him Brother-in-law.

“He’s busy.”

Yue Lanchen pouted. “He’s always busy when I invite him over.”

“Shall I call him now?” Shi Jin pretended to touch her phone.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t. I was just saying. I know he’s always been like this. Aristocrats only appear at important occasions, unless you’re the main character of that occasion.” Yue Lanchen was quite happy to see Shi Jin. Without Fu Xiuyuan, he didn’t have to be reserved and restrained.

“Sis.” Taking advantage of her gender, Lan Tian leaned into Shi Jin’s arms and rubbed against her.

“Let’s go in first.” Shi Jin patted her head.

The four of them went upstairs together and met the guests.

Madam Yue came out with the dessert she had personally made and greeted Shi Jin. “Shi Jin, sit down and have some dessert. I made it myself.”

Shi Jin immediately understood why she had sneezed in the car.

“Okay, we’ll carry it and eat upstairs.” Lan Tian took the tray first. “Go, go, go.”

“That child,” Madam Yue teased.

When the group reached Yue Lanchen’s room upstairs, Yue Yu followed them in. She was slightly surprised to see Yue Lanchen helping Shi Jin eat dessert.

Everyone knew about Madam Yue’s skills. Other than Yue Feng, who could accept it, the others were forced to accept it.

Yue Lanchen had resisted it before. However, at that moment, he was eating two bowls.

Lan Tian and Luo Jingxuan were fighting hard.

“If you really don’t want to eat it, I’ll pour it out for you,” Yue Yu said.

“I’ve almost finished,” Lan Tian said. “Fortunately, Auntie was kind enough to use a small porcelain bowl.”

She pushed the bowl aside and said, “Sister Yu, let’s play chess together.”

“Sure.” Yue Yu tilted her head and asked Shi Jin, “Shi Jin, why didn’t you bring your other half?”

“Brother-in-law is busy,” Yue Lanchen said. “Besides, it’s good that he’s not here. We’ll be more comfortable playing together.”

“Busy man. What does he do?”

Before Shi Jin could speak, Yue Lanchen continued, “Well, if you’ve known Sister Shi for a long time, you’ll naturally know. We’ll keep it a secret for now. I bet it can give even you a surprise when the time comes.”

This tone and attitude of protecting Shi Jin was exactly the same as that of Madam Yue.

Yue Yu did not expect Shi Jin’s status to be so high.

Vaguely, everyone used her as the focus of their vision. Although she was not from the Yue family, she had a very high status in the family.

As she was thinking, she looked up and saw Shi Jin reaching for Yue Lanchen’s figurine.

She quickly stopped her. “Shi Jin, don’t touch it!”

Shi Jin’s hand froze in midair as she turned to look at her in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s Lanchen’s favorite figurine. He never lets anyone touch it. I’ve never touched it since I was young. I’m afraid he’ll explode later,” Yue Yu explained.

“Oh, sorry.” Shi Jin retracted her hand and glanced at Yue Lanchen.

So he had this obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, when she came before, didn’t she always play with this figurine?

Not wanting to hurt Yue Yu’s pride, Shi Jin said nothing else.

Yue Lanchen said indifferently, “Tsk, it’s nothing. Sister Shi can play with it if she wants to.”

“I’ll play chess with Lan Tian.” Shi Jin stopped touching the figurines.

Yue Yu was stunned for a moment and looked at Yue Lanchen. Play with it if she wants to?

Although Yue Lanchen spoke as if nothing had happened, Yue Yu could still sense the subtle differences.

Was he really that generous? Or was it only to Shi Jin?

What had happened tonight had made Yue Yu suspicious of herself. Had she been away too long to recognize everyone? Or had Shi Jin used some magic to make everyone side with her?

“Sister Yu, I lost. You come and play with Sis,” Lan Tian called out to Yue Yu.

Yue Yu recovered and sat in front of Shi Jin.

Nothing extraordinary had actually happened all night.

Everyone was happy and harmonious. They ate and played happily. Only Yue Yu really felt some extremely minute differences.

Although this difference did not affect her favor as the daughter of the Yue family, it was still like a tiny thorn that gently lay in the bottom of her heart.

Everyone kept their mouths shut about Shi Jin’s husband, as if she was the only outsider.