Lu Xinyi didn’t know what to expect upon meeting her maternal grandmother. She didn’t have many memories about the woman, and neither did she know how her relations.h.i.+p with her mother went when Sun Meixiu was still alive.
After was.h.i.+ng her hands on the sink and drying it up, she ran her fingers through her hair, hoping that she would look at least decent enough to face her Grandmother Tang. With her Grandma Lu, Lu Xinyi had the utmost respect; and it was fairly easy for her to gauge the old woman’s mood. Grandma Lu was a little strict, reminding her not to waste food and spend her money wisely.
The voices coming from their living area made her heart leap in nervousness and excitement. Nervous because this would be the first time she would have a decent meeting with her Grandma Tang; excited as there would be a chance for her to hear more about the past whether it was good or bad.
“I hope we’re not disturbing you by arriving this late.” Lu Xinyi heard a familiar voice. She could guess it was her Uncle Shui who accompanied her grandmother today.
“It’s alright, Uncle Shui. Xinxin and I have already discussed the arrangement.” She heard her husband reply. Lu Xinyi was somewhat amused that her husband was turning to a normal in-law to her relatives. This somehow warmed her heart, seeing how Shen Yi took the effort to win the approval of her remaining family.
As Lu Xinyi approached, she saw her husband standing in the middle of the living area with the twins, whom she could guess that had just woken up from their naps. Shen Zichen was gripping his daddy’s pants as he tried to fight his sleepiness while Little Yuyan was in Shen Yi’s arms, yawning big with her little fist rubbing her eye.
On the couch sat her Uncle Shui with an older woman past her seventies. She looked sickly but nevertheless nervous to see and meet Lu Xinyi personally.
When Shen Yi lifted his gaze, he saw Lu Xinyi coming his way. “Xinxin…”
“I hope you didn’t wait for me for too long,” she told her uncle before turning to the old woman beside him, “I’m Lu Xinyi. I’m pleased to meet you, Lady Tang.”
There was a hint of sadness in Tang Lingfei’s eyes as she regarded her granddaughter. Whether it was because of being sentimental or reminded of her dead mother, Lu Xinyi wasn’t sure.
“No worries, Xin’er. We should be the ones to apologize for being late. The snowstorm started earlier than we expected,” Tang Shui answered her.
Lu Xinyi smiled back at them and rubbed Shen Zichen’s head when he turned his attention to her from Shen Yi.
“What would you like to drink?” she offered to their guests, earning a smile from her Grandma Tang.
“A cup of tea, m’dear; let’s have tea,” the old woman responded to her.
Lu Xinyi nodded and went back to the kitchen to steep the tea. She had no idea what their guests preferred so she decided to use the Longjing tea from their cupboard. She came back to the living room and found the twins distracted by her white tiger again, leaving Shen Yi to talk with their elders. She poured tea on her husband’s favorite teacup and pa.s.sed it to him.
“Thanks, dear.” Shen Yi murmured to her before she continued to serve tea to their guests.
“Seeing you together now, I can’t believe that it has been years since Meixiu sent that photo,” Tang Lingfei commented as she sighed in relief.
The married couple glanced at each other in confusion, not knowing what the h.e.l.l Lu Xinyi’s grandma was talking about.
“Are you talking about that photo Meixiu sent you when they met Shen Jinxiu and Shen Yi after Xin’er’s third birthday?” It seemed that Tang Shui answered the unspoken question of the couple.
“Yes, yes, that’s the one.” Tang Lingfei laughed. She then called her personal attendant to get the photo she was talking about. “I’m not sure if Shen Yi could remember this, but this is one of the most precious treasures from my daughter.”
Her attendant came back with a photo frame in her hands and gave it to her.
Tang Lingfei pa.s.sed the picture frame to Shen Yi for them to see. Lu Xinyi took a peek next to her husband and saw an old photo inside the frame, but it was still in pristine condition.
On it, she saw her parents looking at the camera with a bright smile. Her father held her mother lovingly while a little girl in her pajamas was poking the young boy’s face with her forefinger. Standing next to the boy’s left side was a man who had a striking resemblance to Shen Xue. Lu Xinyi could only a.s.sume that this was the Shen brothers’ Uncle Jin.
When Shen Yi saw the photo, he b.u.mped his wife with his shoulder to get her attention. He then pointed at her to look at the children in the middle of the photo.
“This is you?” Lu Xinyi gasped as she stared at the boy in the photo then at her husband. The scowling boy in the photo was really him!
“See? I told you we’ve met before. You just couldn’t remember because you were too young back then. This photo was taken by your mother using a timer. She was counting down and told you to smile at the camera when it reaches zero, but instead, you chose to nag at me to help you find a unicorn.”
Lu Xinyi laughed. Even as a child, she knew how to pester her husband. She then told her grandmother.
“I don’t remember seeing this photo before. Most of my mom’s personal things were kept in a safe box while the other was burned into ashes when our home was lit on fire after my dad’s funeral.”
“Your mother and I don’t talk that much, but she occasionally sent me photos of you and your adopted brother, Lingyu. Since your family moved out of the capital and you were born, our meetings can be counted with my fingers. It wouldn’t be surprising if you don’t remember me at all,” Tang Lingfei told her granddaughter.
She stared at Lu Xinyi’s face for a long time, seeing the resemblance of her dead daughter to this child she’d left. She couldn’t help but to lean forward and cupped the side of Lu Xinyi’s face with her hand.
“Did someone tell you… you look like your mother?” The old woman smiled bitterly. She missed Sun Meixiu so much, and seeing Lu Xinyi up close had reminded her of her daughter.
“Yes, I’ve been told I look like my mother but act like my father,” Lu Xinyi responded. Wasn’t this what He Haotian told her whenever he tries to make fun of her?
“They’re right.” Tang Lingfei nodded. “I’m pretty sure if Sibai was alive, he would give any suitors of yours a hard time before they could date you.” She took a swift glance at Shen Yi. “That includes you, President Shen.”
Lu Xinyi laughed at that. Based on his character, that was something her father would most likely do if he was alive.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll still be able to find a way to have his approval. In the end, I’ll still have his daughter as my wife.” Shen Yi confidently bragged but winced when he felt Lu Xinyi nudged his side. He turned his gaze to her, only to receive her glare which silently told him to behave in front of their elders.