Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jiang Yiyan looked at her meaningfully and spoke with hidden implications. "Now that Aunt Cai and Dad are married, we're all one family. Whatever I have, Shu Yao will have too. It's not about who owes whom. However... this time, it seems like I'm the one benefiting from Shu Yao's presence, doesn't it?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Cheng, seeking confirmation.

Jiang Cheng's gaze was clearly evasive.

Though he felt guilty inside, his demeanor remained unyielding.

"What do you want to say now?" Jiang Cheng's expression darkened.

He found his daughter's words unpleasant, suspecting they might disrupt familial harmony.

It was just seafood; did it matter whose sake it was brought for? As long as there was food to eat, that was what mattered.

To fuss over such trivial matters was unsightly.

"You rarely come home, and both your Aunt Cai and I were trying to be hospitable. Don't cause unnecessary trouble and create a tense atmosphere. If you've come here today to make accusations, leave now. You're not welcome."

Seeing the tension, Cai Wenqing quickly interjected. "Ah Cheng, speak nicely and don't get angry. Yiyan has come home after a long time; how can you ask her to leave? That would hurt her feelings." She then turned to Jiang Yiyan with a smile, explaining apologetically, "Actually, it's my fault. I thought of Yao Yao's preferences and asked your father to use his connections to bring these back. Yiyan, if you're upset, blame me. Please don't be angry with your father."

Jiang Yiyan had no intention of getting upset. She smiled and said, "Why would I be angry with Dad over something so trivial? I certainly wouldn't be angry with Aunt Cai. If I were to get angry over this, I'd be acting very immaturely."

Seeing the surprise on Cai Wenqing's face, Jiang Yiyan's smile grew warmer.

She continued understandingly, "Shu Yao returning from overseas studies is a source of pride for Dad and our family. If Dad is happy and wants to give Shu Yao special attention, I think that's perfectly reasonable. Why would I be upset?"

With an omniscient perspective, Jiang Yiyan deeply understood the psychology of the Jiang family.

For them, the family's interests always came first.

Shu Yao's doctoral degree had brought honor to the Jiang family, and naturally, they were pleased.

Jiang Yiyan's words resonated with Jiang Cheng.

His anger dissipated, and he spoke earnestly to his daughter. "If you could achieve half of what Yao Yao has, I would be proud of you too." His tone carried a sense of disappointment.

Cai Wenqing feared that praising one while criticizing the other might further hurt her stepdaughter's feelings, so she quickly added, "Yiyan is also great. Both sisters have their own strengths. Ah Cheng, don't always belittle Yiyan."

As her father and her own flesh and blood, how could he not want to praise his daughter?

However, her actions over the years had greatly disappointed him, leaving him at a loss for words when he tried to compliment her.

Feeling let down, Jiang Cheng sighed repeatedly.

Jiang Yiyan knew what he was thinking but remained silent.

With both father and daughter silent, Cai Wenqing looked between them, unsure of what to do.

The meal, though not ending in discord, was far from lively.

After dinner, perhaps feeling remorseful for his harsh words, Jiang Cheng called his daughter to sit beside him on the sofa and asked, "How are things with Mochuan?" He was referring to their marital relationship.

Jiang Yiyan: "Pretty good. He's been busy with work recently. He just returned from a business trip a couple of days ago and has been working overtime since."

Jiang Cheng himself was extremely career-oriented, so he understood his son-in-law's dedication to work.

"Men can be like that when they're focused on work. If he doesn't have much time for you because of it, try to understand him and avoid arguments."

Jiang Yiyan smiled. "Dad, I understand. I'm not that unreasonable."

Jiang Cheng wanted to say, "Aren't you being unreasonable?" But seeing his daughter's bright smile, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

She was already grown up, and he hoped she would become more mature.

Although he knew some words might upset her, Jiang Cheng still spoke them.

"Yao Yao is coming back, and both your Aunt Cai and I hope you can coexist peacefully. We know you don't like her, and we're not asking you to accept her completely. Just for Dad's sake, please don't deliberately target her. I'm getting older and just want a quiet life."

Peaceful coexistence was already Jiang Yiyan's plan, so this request wasn't a burden.

She readily agreed.

"Okay, I promise you."

Surprise flashed across Jiang Cheng's eyes, but it quickly turned into relief.

He was proud of his daughter's maturity.

.

Worried that his wife might stir up another scene at her parents' house, Wen Mochuan had noticed her unusual behavior lately.

While he appreciated her current calm demeanor, he feared it might be the calm before the storm.

Afraid that she might suddenly cause a commotion, once he finished handling urgent matters at the company, Wen Mochuan called in Special Assistant Xu.

He delegated all remaining tasks to Special Assistant Xu, instructing him to handle minor issues independently and to call if he encountered anything uncertain.

Leaving the company at this hour indicated something important, prompting Special Assistant Xu to ask, "Where are you going, President Wen?"

Where was he going? Naturally, to the Jiang residence.

But Wen Mochuan didn't answer Special Assistant Xu. He simply draped his suit jacket over his arm and left.

Watching his superior hurry away, Xu Ao shrugged helplessly and refocused on his work.

With the boss not around, he should be even more vigilant.

After chauffeur Little Chen dropped off Jiang Yiyan and her daughter at the Jiang family home, he drove back to the company.

Before Wen Mochuan entered the elevator, he first called Little Chen.

When he arrived downstairs on the first floor, Little Chen was already waiting outside the building.

As soon as Wen Mochuan got in the car, Little Chen received a call from Jiang Yiyan.

Glancing at the caller ID, Little Chen looked into the rearview mirror at the passenger in the back seat. "It's Madam calling." After saying this, he answered the call.

Jiang Yiyan had eaten at her parents' house and stayed for a while, having a light-hearted conversation with her father... After spending enough time there, it was time for her to return home.

So she called Little Chen to have him drive over and pick them up.

Little Chen said, "I just left the company and am on my way over." He glanced into the rearview mirror again and proactively mentioned, "President Wen is also in the car."

Little Chen had the call on speakerphone, so Wen Mochuan naturally heard Jiang Yiyan's brief silence on the other end of the line.

Instinctively, he looked toward the front driver's seat.

Then he heard his wife's voice continue from the phone. "Oh~ Is he coming with you? Or does he have something else to do, in which case you should take him where he needs to go first." Her voice remained as calm as before.

Little Chen kept glancing into the rearview mirror. "Yes, President Wen is coming along."

"Alright, we'll wait for you." After saying this, the call ended.

Little Chen suddenly felt an awkward tension in the air. He had the feeling that President Wen and Madam Wen were arguing and were currently at odds with each other.

When he tried to sneak another peek at President Wen's expression in the rearview mirror, he found that the latter had closed his eyes at some point, resting his spirit.

As for whether his expression was good or bad, Little Chen couldn't tell.

Little Chen had been driving for a living for quite some time, and he knew when to keep his distance. With the boss resting, he naturally wouldn't disturb him any further, quietly driving smoothly down the road to ensure the boss could sleep soundly.

About half an hour later, the car pulled into the Jiang family estate and stopped in front of the villa.

At this time, Jiang Cheng had just come downstairs after his afternoon nap. Seeing his son-in-law arrive, he naturally invited him to sit down and chat for a while.

Cai Wenqing personally brought over freshly cut fruit, warmly inviting Wen Mochuan, "Sister Zhang bought these melons at the nearby market early this morning. They're crisp and sweet, perfect for quenching your thirst. Try some."

"Thank you, Aunt Cai." Wen Mochuan always treated Cai Wenqing with great respect.

Cai Wenqing: "What are you thanking me for? We're all one big family now, no need to be so formal."

Ever since Wen Mochuan first met Cai Wenqing when he came to the Jiang family home, he addressed her as Aunt Cai. At the time, though they were unfamiliar, he was polite, not as close as when Aunt Wang was around.

Later, when he secretly became involved with Shu Yao, he saw Cai Wenqing again at the Jiang family home, and his politeness turned into respect.

Afterward, when things didn't work out between him and Shu Yao, and he married Yiyan, he continued to be polite when he visited the Jiang family home but also seemed to be avoiding something.

Wen Mochuan wasn't inexperienced or shy. On the contrary, in recent years, he had made waves in the business world, acting decisively and forcefully, sometimes with an intimidating presence. His actions were never indecisive.

Perhaps it was still due to what happened five years ago that he didn't know how to face Aunt Cai.

"Try some," seeing him still so reserved, Cai Wenqing found it amusing.

Wen Mochuan quickly agreed and then, despite not usually eating sweets, took a slice of watermelon and put it in his mouth.

Watching all this coldly from the side, Jiang Yiyan wore a schadenfreudic smile on her lips.

As if sensing someone laughing at him, Wen Mochuan's dark, bright eyes immediately looked over. Jiang Yiyan wasn't afraid; that faint, mocking smile still lingered on her lips as she naturally shifted her gaze away without looking at him.

Cai Wenqing invited Wen Mochuan to stay for dinner, but he politely declined.

Seeing that she couldn't convince him to stay, Cai Wenqing enthusiastically saw the family of three off to the door.

"It's not often you come back, and you're leaving so soon. It's getting late anyway, you'll have to eat when you get home, so why not stay for dinner?" Cai Wenqing continued to invite them to stay.

Once in the car, Jiang Yiyan rolled down the window, and her beautiful, smiling face immediately appeared in front of Cai Wenqing.

"We'll be back in a couple of days. It's not like this is our last meal here, Aunt Cai, don't be so formal. We're not guests, we're family. It looks strange when family members are so formal with each other."

Cai Wenqing was speechless, unable to respond for a moment.

Seeing this, Jiang Yiyan's smile grew brighter. "Aunt Cai, really, don't try to make us stay. See you in a few days." She then prompted her daughter to say goodbye. "Meimei, say goodbye to Grandma Cai."

Meimei immediately waved her white, tender right hand and politely said, "Goodbye, Grandma Cai."

Cai Wenqing stood there stunned, unable to utter a word.

The car window slowly rolled up again, and only when the triumphant smile disappeared from view did Cai Wenqing's brows gradually furrow with worry.

This stepdaughter... seems very different from before.