206: It looks so green! (Bonus chapter)

Seeing that Little Lin was so "moved" she was speechless, Xu Man smiled and shook her head, then remembered she couldn't neglect the other two too much.

So she picked up her chopsticks again and gave a serving of food to Ye Cheng beside her and Su Ning across from her, demonstrating that as the "Empress Dowager," she showed equal favor to all the "Consorts."

After serving the food, she felt a sense of relief, but when she turned to meet Ye Cheng's smiling face, she suddenly remembered that blood-stained bedsheet, and her heart skipped a beat.

Had she... gone a bit too far?

Little Ye had given her son the most precious thing a girl has, yet as the mother, on their first meal together, she had so obviously shown "favoritism" toward Little Lin right in front of her. Wasn't that a slap in the face?

Xu Man pursed her lips, gave a slightly guilty cough, and turned back to Jiang Ye, deciding to make amends:

“Xiao Ye, Student Xiao Ye usually has to study at school, so you don't see each other much. Now that it's the holidays, you should spend more time with her and show her more care. Feelings grow over time through companionship; the longer you spend together, the firmer the emotional foundation. Little Ye is a child... cough, I like her quite a bit too.”

Jiang Ye watched his mom trying her best to "control the room," finding it both funny and heartwarming. He nodded obediently:

“Mom, I know. Don't worry.”

Xu Man gave an "mm," and her gaze unconsciously drifted to Su Ning, who was eating quietly across from her. She felt another twinge of unease.

Well, Little Su seemed cute and carefree, but she couldn't be partial and make her feel neglected, could she?

She quickly added: “And Little Su too. She...”

“Huh?”

Su Ning, who had been watching the drama from the sidelines, was suddenly called out. She blurted out instinctively: “Auntie, Big Brother and I haven't... Ouch! Big Brother, why did you kick me?”

Jiang Ye glared at her irritably, signaling for her to shut up.

He was seriously fed up. This drama-queen girl was so obsessed with her roleplay that she wanted to take things in a dirty direction the moment she heard "feelings grow over time."

He saw his mom opening one front and then patching up another until her forehead was sweating. His heart softened, and he reached out to pat the back of her hand:

“Mom, don't overwork yourself. Take a break and eat properly. I know what I'm doing. We're doing great right now, and we'll be great in the future too.”

Xu Man understood the meaning behind her son's words—he was telling her not to worry.

She scanned the three girls again and felt a slight sense of relief.

Ultimately, by coming here, she had seen with her own eyes that her son was doing well, his living environment was good, and the girls were all decent children. The fact that they could sit and eat together like this already spoke volumes.

As for the future... she'd deal with that when it came. If this quartet could still be together so happily in a few years, she naturally wouldn't say anything more.

The meal ended in this subtle yet harmonious atmosphere.

After dinner, Lin Wanxing got up to clear the dishes. Xu Man watched her busy figure in the kitchen, feeling more satisfied and sympathetic the more she looked. She couldn't help but follow her to the kitchen door and emphasize again:

“Little Lin, leave the dishes for Xiao Ye to wash! What Auntie said earlier was serious—I like you the most. Let's keep in touch!”

Having said her piece, she put on her coat with satisfaction. She insisted that Jiang Ye didn't need to see her out and left with a cool air.

Once Xu Man left, the room suddenly fell silent.

Lin Wanxing couldn't hold back any longer. She put down the half-washed dishes, grabbed Su Ning's arm, and dragged her back to her room without a word.

She had to get to the bottom of this today. This meal had left her completely bewildered; she needed to know what was going on!

Meanwhile, Jiang Ye... “Hey! What are you doing?”

Ye Cheng had just walked into the master bedroom and hadn't even caught her breath when Jiang Ye, following close behind, hugged her from behind.

Jiang Ye buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath, feeling the warmth and softness in his arms. He grinned:

“Student Xiao Ye, exams are over. Isn't it time... to settle some old debts?”

Tickled by the hot breath on her neck, Ye Cheng struggled to turn around and pushed his approaching face away with a look of feigned disgust:

“Fine, fine, I know. I owe you ten foot massages, right? Wait until tonight. I'm going to my room to make the bed first.”

As she spoke, she walked to the wardrobe, took out a set of bedding from the bottom shelf, and prepared to head to the secondary bedroom.

Jiang Ye curled his lip and stepped forward to block her: “Aren't you staying in the master bedroom with me? Besides, that north room gets no sunlight at all; it's freezing.”

Ye Cheng held up a finger against his chest to push him back:

“No, no, no, Classmate Xiao Ye, I've changed my mind. I'll stay in the secondary bedroom for now. I'll move back once you've settled things with your streamer lady and coach lady.”

Jiang Ye was stunned: “What does this have to do with them?”

“I watched a film a few days ago, and a thought suddenly occurred to me.”

Ye Cheng glanced at him and gave a soft huff:

“If you had already settled things with them, then as the 'first wife,' I would be the mother of the nation, and staying in the master bedroom would be only natural. But since you haven't, wouldn't I, the official girlfriend, become an 'incompetent wife'? It feels like... my head is turning green, it's weird. Not living together is one thing, but living under the same roof every day, I might even get that... feeling of being 'violated in plain sight.' So, for the sake of my mental health, it's safer to sleep in separate rooms for now.”

“Wait, no...”

Hearing this theory of hers, Jiang Ye didn't know whether to laugh or cry: “Cheng Cheng, putting everything else aside, can you share that film with me first? I'd like to learn a thing or two as well.”

Ye Cheng waved him off, clutching her bedding as she bypassed him: “Then it's settled! Once I've tidied the room and showered, I'll come find you~”

With that, she strolled out of the master bedroom.

Jiang Ye watched Ye Cheng's back and shook his head with a smile.

As expected, fully handling this woman was never going to be easy.

However, this independent, opinionated nature, mixed with the occasional spark of playfulness, was exactly what attracted him most to Ye Cheng—always a challenge, never boring.

Tsk... this works too. He could always sneak into the secondary bedroom for a "night raid" in the middle of the night... the thought was actually quite exciting.

Just as Jiang Ye was wondering whether to follow her to the secondary bedroom now to help her "make the bed" and collect some "interest" in advance, his phone chimed.

Yaoyao: [Brother~ what are you doing? I just finished chatting with my roommate. She was totally bewildered by that elder who came to the house today. She's full of questions now, it's hilarious, Hahaha.]

Jiang Ye stared at the WeChat message, stunned for a moment before realizing what was happening. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Wasn't this just saying that Lin Wanxing was confused by his mom and had gone to her for answers, and now Su Ning was reporting in and coordinating their stories?

This drama queen was getting more and more skilled at switching between her online and offline personas.

He replied with amusement: [What did you tell her?]

Yaoyao: [I just said Auntie is super enthusiastic and nice to everyone. She's an elder, so it's normal for her to be warm~ told her not to overthink it.]

Brother Ye: [Yeah, right, good answer. Very well handled. [Thumbs Up]]

Putting down his phone, Jiang Ye still couldn't suppress the "restlessness" in his heart. He strolled to the door of Ye Cheng's secondary bedroom, gripped the handle with a smile, and gave it a twist—

*Click.* The lock didn't budge.

Black lines immediately appeared on Jiang Ye's forehead.

Damn it!

This woman hasn't even paid rent, yet she dares to lock the door! Who is she trying to keep out!

“Who is it?” Ye Cheng's wary voice came from inside.

Jiang Ye rubbed his nose and withdrew his hand sheepishly, raising his voice to reply: “Delivery man, wrong room!”

With that, he quickly turned and slipped back into the master bedroom.

Yeah, there was no way he was going to admit to an attempted failed sneak attack!