Shen Mianmian had finally waited for the two of them to come out. Cheng Xining had held in a bellyful of anger, but the moment she saw He Nan, she still presented a smiling face.
"Nan, it’s already New Year’s Eve. Are you still teaching her to study? Next time, let me do it! My English isn’t bad either."
He Nan glanced at her and didn’t respond. He went straight to the kitchen. Cheng Xining stomped her foot in anger and looked at Shen Mianmian with disdain again.
"Shen Mianmian, haven’t I told you before? Keep your distance from Nan when it’s not necessary, don’t cling to him. How could you forget so quickly? If you want to learn English, come to me! My English is very good, more than enough to teach a high school student like you."
Shen Mianmian nodded obediently and chimed in, "Next time, I’ll let you teach."
Seeing her so compliant, Cheng Xining found it difficult to lose her temper, so she let out a snort and warned again, "From now on, you’re not allowed to cling to Nan anymore, understand?"
"I understand," Shen Mianmian nodded.
"That’s more like it, I’m going to help Nan make dumplings. You watch TV! Don’t come over and disturb us." Cheng Xining lifted her foot towards the kitchen but no sooner had she entered that He Nan sent her back out.
Seeing this, Shen Mianmian tried her best to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Cheng Xining sat beside her and said, "Nan is afraid I’ll get tired, so he won’t let me help."
"He Nan is really good to you," Shen Mianmian said feigning envy. She had almost figured out Cheng Xining’s temperament; the girl was quite the princess, but also cared about her face.
"Of course," Cheng Xining said with a face full of smugness. "He Nan and I grew up together like childhood sweethearts. The He family and my family have been friends for generations. My uncle even mentioned to Nan’s dad that our families should be in-laws. But since my uncle lost his only daughter and has not found her, the marriage naturally fell on me."
Shen Mianmian found this both funny and tragic. What era was it, and Cheng Xining still believed in this? Fortunately, He Nan also had feelings for her, or else this girl might have ended up celebrating too soon.
"What’s with that expression?" Cheng Xining was unsatisfied with Shen Mianmian’s reaction. "Do you think I’m stealing someone’s fiancé? Let me tell you, I haven’t stolen her position. Even if she hadn’t been lost or had been found, she couldn’t possibly be with Nan. She’s only sixteen or seventeen years old this year, about the same age as you, much younger than Nan. How could Nan possibly marry such an underage child?"
There were so many affairs within such a large family; it was indeed complex.
"That being said, you and He Nan are a bit more suitable for each other!"
"You’ve got good insight," Cheng Xining felt relieved inside.
The two sat and watched TV for a while until He Nan finished cooking the dumplings. When the three of them sat at the dining table to start eating, Cheng Xining’s face instantly contorted into a frown.
The dumplings in the bowls of He Nan and Shen Mianmian looked whole, while the ones in her bowl, aside from being ugly, were all broken. How was this eating dumplings? It was practically just eating dough skins.
But she had made them herself. She couldn’t bear to let Shen Mianmian eat them, feeling as if she were a maid attending to Shen. Since He Nan wouldn’t eat her dumplings, there was no choice but to tearfully finish the ones in her own bowl.
After finishing the dumplings, she volunteered to do the dishes, while Shen Mianmian, who had wanted to help, was glared to the side.
She wanted to show He Nan that even though she was a young lady from a wealthy family, she could still be a good wife and mother. After this trip, she’d take the time to learn cooking so she could make delicious food for He Nan. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥