21: Mother-in-law

“What a clear day!”

When Gao Ze opened his eyes in the morning, the warm golden sunlight streamed through the window, making him feel warm all over, completely unwilling to get up.

But he had a lot of things to do today, so he couldn't be lazy.

After tidying up, he went to the small kitchen to boil a pot of noodles, then sliced some shredded meat, added some chopped green onions, and it became a bowl of fresh and delicious shredded pork noodles.

Usually, Gao Ze, as the older brother, would make breakfast for his younger siblings, something he had been doing for over ten years, but now that his younger siblings had grown up, they always vied to cook.

If Gao Ze returned late from work, his younger siblings would always have dinner ready and wait for him to eat together; they would never eat beforehand.

“Brother, I’ve washed the pots and bowls, you should go to work!”

After Gao Sheng finished his noodles, he neatly put away the dishes and chopsticks, saying,

“I won’t go to that gray-market gaming company again, and I’ve already transferred the advanced money to the finance department.”

“This afternoon, I have interviews scheduled with two law firms. My senior brothers and sisters are all there, and with my grades, succeeding in the interviews will be no problem at all.”

Seeing Gao Ze’s concerned look, Gao Sheng continued,

“Brother, don’t worry, I’ll also make time to treat my appendicitis.”

Gao Ze nodded slightly. With his younger siblings' problems resolved and some spare funds, this family was developing in a good direction.

It would only get better and better in the future.

It wouldn't be inferior to those prominent families!

…

“Huh, Brother, why aren’t you taking the car to work?”

After Gao Sheng finished washing the pots and bowls and sweeping the floor, he looked out the window and was surprised to find his older brother, Gao Ze, still standing at the community entrance, showing no signs of moving.

Usually, by this time, his older brother, Gao Ze, would have already taken the subway to the Traffic Police Brigade.

Why was he still at the community entrance?

“Could it be that Brother is waiting for someone?”

Gao Sheng’s heart stirred, and he observed secretly. Sure enough, about ten minutes later, a black BMW 5 Series stopped in front of his older brother, Gao Ze.

And a dozen seconds later, a beautiful, exquisite-featured, fashionably dressed young woman stepped out of the BMW.

This stunning beauty was even prettier than Gao Ze’s ex-girlfriend, Liu Yating. Was she his new girlfriend?

His sister-in-law?

Brother really knows how to find girlfriends.

He never finds a bad girlfriend, whether it was Liu Yating or the current girl.

… …

… …

Gao Ze was unaware that his younger brother, Gao Sheng, was secretly gossiping about him.

After going downstairs, he did not head to the Pudong Traffic Police Brigade but instead stood at the entrance of Minhe Community, waiting for Li Qingyan.

While he was cooking noodles, Li Qingyan had called him, saying she would take him to meet her mother at noon.

Gao Ze then asked Zhou Weiguo for half a day off. Zhou Weiguo readily agreed, even wishing Gao Ze would take a few more days off and not come to the Traffic Police Brigade.

Because once he came to the Traffic Police Brigade, not only would he see him, but he would also see Shen Gang, who had even been waiting for Gao Ze at the Traffic Police Center.

How could this be allowed!

“Why did you come so early?”

Gao Ze looked at Li Qingyan, who had just stepped out of the BMW, and sighed helplessly.

He had just reported the intelligence about the huge sum of money in Director Xu’s bank account to the Donghai City Discipline Inspection Commission, then planned to buy a gift for his mother-in-law, Shen Xiuyan, before notifying Li Qingyan to pick him up.

Who would have thought Li Qingyan would come looking for him so early in the morning!

“Of course, I missed you, husband~”

Li Qingyan stepped forward, linked her arm through Gao Ze’s, rested her head on his shoulder, and smiled sweetly, “Husband, don’t you miss me?”

Gao Ze: “…”

This little enchantress, if it weren't for the system's intelligence, he might really have been misled by Li Qingyan’s personality.

But he was genuinely a little curious.

Bipolar disorder, with two personalities: lively and impulsive, and depressed and self-abasing. Which state was Li Qingyan’s current cute and gentle demeanor—lively or self-abasing?

“Husband, you’re not speaking, so you must not miss me. Is it because I haven’t moved in with you yet?”

Li Qingyan raised her beautiful eyes, looking towards Minhe Community behind Gao Ze.

At the community entrance, residents and merchants were shouting and yelling, chaotic and noisy, electric bikes crisscrossing haphazardly, clearly resembling a low-quality resettlement community.

“Husband, is this the community where you live?”

“Yes, I rent a house here!” Gao Ze nodded.

“Then, how about next time, I stay with you here?”

Li Qingyan’s eyes sparkled, showing no hint of disdain, only anticipation.

“The apartment I rent is a two-bedroom, with only two rooms. My younger brother and I each have one, so there’s no room for you.”

Li Qingyan shook her head and smiled, “It’s fine, we’re husband and wife, of course, we’ll share a room. Are we going to sleep in separate rooms?”

“Are you sure?”

This enchantress was a drama queen, and Gao Ze naturally played along.

Li Qingyan showed a hint of hesitation, especially as she met the seriousness in Gao Ze’s eyes, her smile becoming a little unnatural.

“Of course, it’s true. What’s wrong with us, as husband and wife, sharing a room?”

“But husband, you might do bad things to me, and I’d be scared!”

Li Qingyan’s body felt like a puddle of water, a faint, subtle fragrance wafting from her towards Gao Ze’s nose. Her words and gaze were earnest.

Scared?

With Li Qingyan’s prominent family background, what could she possibly be scared of? Could it be that her bipolar disorder would trigger her personality to shift to the other side?

“Don’t worry, I understand the nature of our marriage!”

Gao Ze was quite eager to see the other side of Li Qingyan’s personality; perhaps only then could he understand her true self and resolve her psychological issues.

“I knew my husband was the best.”

“Mmm!” Gao Ze felt a slight shortness of breath because Li Qingyan instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. The faint milky fragrance became even more pronounced, like a hand gently teasing him, and the heavy fruit of her chest pressed against his arm, the touch so supple and clear.

What a femme fatale!

Gao Ze took a deep breath, pulled his arm away, and said, “Let’s go to the supermarket and buy some gifts for your parents.”

“Husband, you don’t need to buy any gifts.

My father isn’t in Donghai City. Today, I’m only taking you to see my mother, and my mother already has everything.”

Upon hearing Li Qingyan, Gao Ze thought to himself that he had indeed guessed correctly.

He had long suspected that Li Qingyan’s father might be a Governor from another province. Donghai City is a direct-controlled municipality, so there is no Governor position, but even if he isn't in Donghai, the influence of a high-ranking official at the Governor level is enough to affect him in Donghai City.

The network of official connections is ubiquitous, especially for provincial and ministerial-level regional governors; their protégés, former subordinates, friends, and relatives are everywhere.

Moreover, Li Qingyan’s mother, Shen Xiuyan, was still in Donghai City!

“That’s fine too; gifts are just a matter of etiquette.”

Gao Ze insisted on buying gifts, and Li Qingyan didn’t stop him. She drove him to various supermarkets, spending a full two or three hours on shopping.

The reason it took so much time wasn't because Gao Ze bought many gifts or very expensive ones.

Rather, these visiting gifts were all local specialties with distinct regional characteristics, such as Jiangcheng rice noodles, Yunwu tea, Jiangcheng navel oranges, Jiangcheng ham, and so on.

Gao Ze had already looked up his mother-in-law Shen Xiuyan’s ancestral birthplace online yesterday, which was Jiangcheng, Jiangnan. To avoid seeming too deliberate, he also bought some Xiangcheng specialties.

“My mother lives here in Guantang Community!”

“My family’s living conditions are just at the level of an ordinary Donghai City resident.”

After buying the gifts, Li Qingyan drove Gao Ze to his mother-in-law Shen Xiuyan’s residence.

The environment here was quiet and secluded, without the luxurious and extravagant appearance of a Donghai City mansion. It indeed looked like an ordinary residential area.

But he didn’t believe a single word Li Qingyan said.

The community looked very ordinary on the outside, but the security was strict, and there were many guard posts. That’s not something an ordinary community would have. It was very likely that many people from within the system lived there.

“Husband, wait a moment. My mother has a habit of sleeping in!”

Li Qingyan stuck out her tongue. She had pressed the doorbell for a long time, but no one responded. After making a call, the door finally opened a moment later.

What met Gao Ze’s eyes was a woman dressed in light purple home leisure wear, appearing to be only in her thirties. The skin exposed on her arms was as smooth and fair as white jade, a luxurious pearl necklace adorned her neck, and her expression was as languid as a cat after a nap, every movement exuding a captivating charm.

“Qing Yan, is this your older sister?”

Gao Ze truly felt that his mother-in-law, Shen Xiuyan, looked like Li Qingyan’s older sister, at most ten years older.

And the moment his words fell, he saw the woman in front of him unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her lips and eyes.

“This is my mother!” Li Qingyan explained to Gao Ze.

“Yes, I am Qing Yan’s mother.”

Shen Xiuyan’s voice was soft, sweet, and melodious, characteristic of a Jiangnan woman’s delicate nature. Her eyes fell on Gao Ze, and she smiled as she said to Li Qingyan, “Qing Yan, is this your friend?”

“No, Mom, this is my husband. I brought him to see you!”