CH 57

Father Shan’s expression darkened at the speed of light, his brows furrowed intensely. Shen Tiantian’s heart felt like it was about to stop beating. She forcefully swallowed the saliva she had repeated countless times, her mouth almost dry. She glanced at Shan Yi, then at Shan Xu, and finally at Mother Shan. Their expressions seemed incredibly casual, as if they were used to it, and they didn’t show any signs of nervousness due to Father Shan’s demeanor. 

After all, they were a couple sharing a bed; Mother Shan understood that he cared about his image. She chided him while providing him with an escape route, “Alright, dear husband, our daughter has brought her girlfriend home. Ease up a bit on your expression. What if you scare our little granddaughter?!”

Upon hearing his wife’s words, Father Shan’s expression softened slightly. He looked at Shen Tiantian for a while before retracting his gaze, calmly stating: “Let’s eat.”

Shan Xu made a cheeky face in secret, quite childishly. Shan Yi kicked him again, causing him to immediately drop the nonchalant act.

With Father Shan’s “pardon,” Shen Tiantian cautiously sipped a small spoonful of soup and her eyes widened in surprise.

Mother Shan had stewed black chicken soup. The dark skin was rendered into an unrecognizable form, and the meat was tender enough to crumble with a slight stir. It contained various Chinese medicinal herbs, with honey dates adding a touch of sweetness. The soup had minimal fat, but the aroma alone made one’s mouth water.

“Is it delicious?” Mother Shan was like a well-behaved child, her eyes shining as she looked at Shen Tiantian, as if she were a teacher praising an elementary student.

Blinking, Shen Tiantian turned her head and replied, “Yes, it’s delicious. This is the most delicious soup I’ve ever had.” It was sweet but not overwhelming; she felt like she could have six bowls of it.

Basking in the praise, the elegant lady covered her face with both hands, proudly shrugging her shoulders. “I made this myself. Be a good girl and finish it.”

“Okay.” Mother Shan had mentioned last night that she would make soup for Shen Tiantian. She had earnestly studied recipes this morning, even more so than when she was pregnant herself.

Dish after dish was offered to Shen Tiantian, and the small bowl quickly filled up. Even the white rice was nowhere to be seen.

Shen Tiantian: …

Was she supposed to eat vegetables until she was full? Shen Tiantian thought, feeling utterly helpless.

Aside from the earlier incident, the meal ended harmoniously. After leaving the dining room, Shan Yi was called to the study by father Shan. Mother Shan mentioned that having some fruit after a meal was good for the body, and she didn’t want to leave the care of her “daughter-in-law” to others. She headed to the tea room without sitting down. In the living room, only Shan Xu and Shen Tiantian were left, staring at each other.

“Do you want to watch TV, Sister-in-law? My dad and older sister are probably going to chat for a while,” Shan Xu lazily asked, shaking his leg.

Shen Tiantian had nothing else to do and couldn’t just play with her phone in front of the elders. “Yes, I’d like to watch. Thank you.”

The villa’s yard was quite spacious. When she entered, she seemed to have seen a sea of flowers. She had initially thought about asking Shan Xu to take a walk with her, but such romantic matters were best left for the newlyweds.

Meanwhile, Shan Yue, looking somewhat pale, entered the house. Shen Tiantian had interacted with her earlier, thinking that a proactive approach wouldn’t be wrong. She called out, “Doctor Shan.”

Shan Yue seemed to be contemplating something. After a while, she responded, “You’re here. Have you eaten?”

“Just had a meal. Have you eaten, Dr. Shan?” Shen Tiantian asked.

“Not yet. I’ll have the servant prepare some noodles for me to fill my stomach,” Shan Yue replied. 

Mother Shan came out from the tea room holding a plate of fruit. Shen Tiantian obediently closed her mouth and watched as Shan Yue left.

Whether it was her imagination or not, Shen Tiantian felt that Shan Yue’s mood didn’t seem particularly good.

“Have some cherries.” In contrast to Shan Yue, Mother Shan was in a very good mood. The fresh cherries had been washed, and water droplets still clung to them. They were plump and tempting. Shen Tiantian’s mouth watered, and she couldn’t resist taking one and putting it in her mouth. It was really sweet.

Seeing her satisfied expression, Mother Shan had a smile on her face. “Feel free to eat more if you like them. We have plenty at home.”

Shan Xu also reached out to grab some cherries, but Mother Shan slapped his hand away. She turned her head, looked at him fiercely, and said something about how these were his sister-in-law’s, and he wasn’t allowed to eat them. Shan Xu felt wronged right away.

Shen Tiantian stifled a laugh, finally seeing Shan Xu being put in his place. It was amusing.

Before long, Shan Yi came downstairs from the study on the second floor, a smile playing on her lips, indicating she was in a good mood.

Shen Tiantian raised an eyebrow, and it wasn’t until she sat down beside her that she whispered, “Are you very happy?”

Shan Yi made an affirmative sound, confirming her suspicion.

“What’s going on?” Shen Tiantian was curious.

Shan Yi wore a mysterious expression.

Seeing them whispering, Mother Shan mischievously leaned closer to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t hear anything. She had to make her presence known and said aloud, “Oh right, dear daughter, aren’t you on vacation these days?”

This weekend was connected to the May Day holiday, granting five days off in total, with work resuming on Thursday. Hearing this, Shen Tiantian hesitated slightly and nodded.

“In that case, when are you planning to move back home?” Mother Shan smiled, “Considering you’re pregnant now, it must be quite tough. Xiao Yi isn’t very skilled at taking care of people. With me and Aunt Zhang1Referring to the housekeeper at home, we can take care of you every day. The nutrition for this child can’t be neglected.”

Shan Yi: …

Finding reasons while subtly teasing her, not to mention that she was already taking good care of her wife, even if she wasn’t initially, she could quickly learn at the fastest pace.

“Actually, the CEO is quite good at taking care of people,” Shen Tiantian quietly defended her girlfriend.

‘Wifey is still the best,’ Shan Yi thought happily, leaning down to swiftly kiss her girlfriend’s lips and playfully licking the corner of her mouth.

If it weren’t for her mother and brother being present, she would have definitely hugged her and showered her with kisses. Her appearance while defending her was just too adorable, making Shan Yi’s heart race.

“What does she know?” Mother Shan narrowed her eyes and gave Shan Yi a displeased look. With a face full of innocence, she seemed on the verge of tears, her eyes reddening as she said: “Don’t you like Mom? Don’t you want to live with us?”

Shen Tiantian was so frightened that she quickly waved her hands, explaining in a flustered manner: “I… no, it’s not… I really like mother Shan, very much.”

“Really?! Then hurry up and move back home.” Mother Shan’s expression changed again, returning to a smile. “You’re working at the same company as Xiao Yi now, right? You can come home together every day, how wonderful and convenient. No need to rent an apartment outside.”

Mother Shan’s expressions changed so quickly that Shen Tiantian had no chance to process it all at once. She turned her head in bewilderment to look at Shan Yi. What’s going on here?! Save me, quick.

Compared to Shan Yi’s faint smile, Shan Xu burst into laughter without holding back, “Mom’s such a drama queen. Don’t let yourself be fooled, sister-in-law… Ah, uh!” Shan Xu hadn’t finished speaking when mother Shan abruptly pressed a cushion against his back.

You brat! He wouldn’t even help persuade her, and now he’s messing up her plan.

Shen Tiantian was left dumbfounded…

At this moment, her shoulder was tapped, and she turned around to see Shan Yi making a walking gesture with two fingers. Shen Tiantian’s heart skipped a beat – leaving without a word didn’t seem right, yet it felt exhilarating. Subconsciously, she followed her outside, letting her lead her by the hand.

When Mother Shan turned around again, Shen Tiantian and her daughter were nowhere to be seen. She felt immediately frustrated and glared angrily at her son, who was tidying up his hair.

“Did they scare you?” Once they were outside the house, Shan Yi asked in a low voice.

“Not at all.” Mother Shan seemed even friendlier than Shen Tiantian had imagined. Although Father Shan appeared quite serious, he didn’t seem fierce or intimidating. He even looked kind of cute when the family teased him.

Indeed, family dynamics shaped a child’s personality and growth.

She added, “Everyone seems nice.”

“To some extent, Mom is like a child herself, spoiled by Dad. Don’t take her words to heart. Just decide based on your own feelings.” Shan Yi brushed her hair behind her ear, her eyes glistening with earnestness as if they held a constellation of hidden stars.

Shen Tiantian looked at her blankly, “What words?”

She had spoken so seriously, yet Shen Tiantian surprisingly hadn’t understood. Shan Yi was a bit amused and exasperated, “About moving in here.”

Shen Tiantian remained silent for a moment, then bit her lip and said, “I don’t know.”

Shan Yi held her hand and walked towards the garden, saying, “That’s why I’m telling you to decide based on your own thoughts. No need to feel pressured.”

Walking on the small stone path, Shen Tiantian lowered her head. She had never experienced the warmth of a family since she was young, so it was only natural for her to yearn for it. Especially today, she truly felt the warmth of a family, even though it had been a short time. She cherished it and wanted this kind of life.

She didn’t ponder for too long, tilting her head to look at Shan Yi, “If I were to say that I think moving in would be nice, what do you think?”

Clearly not expecting Shen Tiantian to say this, Shan Yi froze for a few seconds. Her steps hesitated for a moment, and then an expression of unprecedented delight appeared on her face.

“Do you know what Dad said to me when he called me into the study just now?”

Shen Tiantian felt her hand being squeezed even tighter, and she became nervous. Could it be that he wanted to break them up or something?!

Did she just perform particularly poorly? Not mature at all, not worthy of Shan Yi?

No, no, no, she mustn’t overthink it. Shen Tiantian cleared her throat and asked nonchalantly: “What did he say?”

Shan Yi grinned widely without answering. Shen Tiantian found it a bit perplexing and was about to urge her for an answer when a shadow fell over.  In the next second, their lips were sealed in a kiss—gentle, soft, and so tender that it seemed the air was about to turn into water.

She felt her lips being gently parted, and a slick tongue slipped inside, greedily savoring her sweetness. The mingling sound of flowing water and the chirping of insects in the grass blended together, like a certain symphony that was so beautiful it could mesmerize people.

After who knows how long, just when Shen Tiantian felt like she was about to run out of breath, Shan Yi finally released her.

“He wants us to get married quickly.”

“Huh!?” Shen Tiantian was a bit dumbfounded. She thought… well, she got played again.

“When should we get married?” Shan Yi followed up.

Blushing, Shen Tiantian shook off her hand and walked ahead. Her lips involuntarily curled upwards, and she tried hard to suppress it, but Shan Yi had already noticed. She held her hand again.

Shan Yi touched the ring on her ring finger. “When do you think it would be better to get married?”

“Did I say I wanted to marry you?” Shen Tiantian laughed.

“You can’t avoid getting married. After all, you’re carrying my child.” Shan Yi knew she was being stubborn, so she gently touched her belly. “Luckily, I was quick enough.”

Shen Tiantian rolled her eyes and asked with a serious expression, “If I didn’t have a child, would you still want to marry me?”

Shan Yi also became serious, looking at her intently. “Of course, even without a child, I’d still want to marry you.”

Shen Tiantian huffed lightly.

“I’ve made up my mind.” Shan Yi embraced her waist, and intentionally brushed her fingers over her belly. “Before the little one grows bigger, let’s go take some wedding photos.”

Wedding photos…  

Before this, Kang Jiaya and Liu Wanjun have mentioned to her, urging her to take wedding photos soon, or else her figure might start changing as she grows bigger.

She could almost imagine what Shan Yi would look like in a wedding dress.