Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The atmosphere around the dining table was a little delicate. Madam Ling didn’t choose to sit in her usual seat, reserved for the elders, but insisted on sitting beside Ling Tianya, with Ruan Zeyan seated on the other side of Ling Tianya.
Ling Qi and Guan Meiyi sat on the opposite side, they were there with the intention to ask something of Wang Yazhi after all, they didn’t plan on leaving that soon. With Ling Tianya there, Ling Qi’s stubborn streak burned bright.
It wasn’t that Wang Yazhi didn’t like Ling Tianya, she just didn’t understand why Ruan Zeyan would give up someone elegant, graceful, poised, and dignified like Guan Meiyi, and choose someone that had no manners and didn’t even bother to clean up herself before meeting the other’s parents like Ling Tianya.
She was very unsatisfied with Ling Tianya, Wang Zhiya opened her mouth to ask Ling Qi and Guan Meiyi to stay for dinner, creating the awkward situation.
Ruan Zeyan was clearly upset with his mother’s decision, his expression never let up from being angry unless he was looking at or interacting with Ling Tianya.
The drastic difference between how Ruan Zeyan treated Ling Tianya and Guan Meiyi was like a slap to her face.
Wang Yazhi knew that Ruan Zeyan was unhappy about the fact that she had asked Ling Qi and her daughter to stay, and so she continued, “Meiyi is someone that I watched grow since she was a baby. This isn’t the first time she has had dinner here. After all, she was nearly my daughter-in-law, I do genuinely like her.”
Hearing what Wang Yazhi said, Guan Meiyi’s face glowed with happiness. Ling Qi shot Ling Tianya a smug look, anticipating Ling Tianya’s panic.
Ling Tianya really didn’t care too much about the fact that she was sharing a dinner table with Guan Meiyi and Ling Qi, after all, they were relatives. If she really went ahead and destroyed their relationship, it would not bode well for either party. It was just Wang Yazhi’s words that were a little disrespectful, she really didn’t know whether the woman that would most likely be her future mother-in-law was just wearing her heart on her sleeves, or purposefully putting her in a hard spot.
Madam Ruan held Ling Tianya’s hands, her eyes comforting, before replying to Wang Yazhi, “You, you’ve lost your mind since you entered the Ruan family, doing things without thinking, and saying things without a filter!”
Hearing that her own mother-in-law would berate her in front of outsiders, Wang Yazhi pouted, maintaining her silence from being hurt.
“Let’s just start dinner.” Ruan Qishan had interfered at the right time, he didn’t like seeing his wife being berated, even if she was the one at fault for speaking out of line.
Madam Ruan huffed, before ignoring the people that annoyed her, reaching out to pick up a piece of fish for Ling Tianya, chuckling. “I heard my grandson mention that you love sweet-and-sour food, especially West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy. My son specifically asked the kitchen staff to prepare this for you, try it. See if what my cooks made tastes good.”
Madam Ruan caringly put the fish in Ling Tianya’s bowl, looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to take a bite.
Ling Tianya was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of attention and affection she was receiving, but she ate the fish obediently, before nodding under her watchful eye. “It tastes great, really authentic.”
Madam Ruan giggled like a kid. “Of course it’s authentic. If you like it, come by often to have it. I’ll get the kitchen to make it. Tell me if you like anything else too, alright?”
Madam Ruan’s love for Ling Tianya was clear even to the blind, making even Wang Yazhi, her daughter-in-law of decades, jealous. The old lady had never spoiled her like that before, and would even scold her from time to time, just like earlier.
Wang Yazhi couldn’t help but be curious, exactly who was Ling Tianya, that she made her son and her mother-in-law like her that much. Even her husband was accepting of her. Turning to Guan Meiyi who was seated beside her, she was even more confused. It was clear that Meiyi was the more outstanding one between them, so why couldn’t they see it?