This lady is actually Xia Zheng’s mother?
Lin Yuan felt as if she were on cloud nine, her legs starting to disobey her. She had just been chatting with this woman for quite a while, even guessing that she might be a wealthy lady like Su Qiuyu, coming to snatch away a son-in-law!
Apparently, she had completely misunderstood the situation!
With that thought, Lin Yuan felt her cheeks burning with an unfamiliar heat. What was going on!
"Mother, how come you’re here?" Xia Zheng was just as startled by the sudden appearance of Princess Anle, but he finally came to his senses and complained with a pout.
Princess Anle feigned anger, but the slight smile at the corners of her lips couldn’t hide her tremendous mood, "You brat! Your mother has traveled so far to see you, and all I get is this complaint?"
Xia Zheng grinned, took Lin Yuan’s hand, and they both sat down at the table. Then, like Xiao Linshuang acting spoiled around Lady Liu, he wrapped his arms around Princess Anle’s arm and pleaded with an uplifted face, "Where have I complained? Isn’t it just because I’m worried about you, afraid you’ll suffer hardships? Besides, your son hasn’t seen you for so long, and I’ve been missing you so much. Now that you’re here, I’m too happy to even begin to complain."
Upon hearing Xia Zheng’s words, Princess Anle immediately showed a happy and satisfied smile, tapping his forehead, "You rascal, always knowing just what I like to hear."
Xia He and Qiu Ju, standing to the side, smiled while pursing their lips, "The second young master is the smartest, knowing exactly what our madam likes and dislikes to hear. Look how happy you’ve made her the moment you walked in."
"Of course!" Xia Zheng said proudly, raising his eyebrows without a hint of embarrassment for his child-like coquettish behavior just now.
On the other hand, Lao Fan and Xiao Linshuang pursed their lips and gave Xia Zheng a look of disdain and contempt.
"Mother, let me introduce you, this is Lin Yuan." As soon as Princess Anle arrived, the first thing Xia Zheng did was to introduce Lin Yuan to her.
From the moment she was at the door, Lin Yuan didn’t even know how she managed to enter and take a seat. She still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that this graceful and dignified lady was truly Xia Zheng’s mother.
Seeing Lin Yuan had not reacted, Xia Zheng knew she was shocked, and with a secret smile, he scratched her little hand. That scratch brought Lin Yuan, who was still lost in her reverie, back to reality.
Lin Yuan quickly withdrew her hand from Xia Zheng’s, feeling extremely vexed. How dare he flirt with her in front of his own mother!
And recalling how Xia Zheng had called her "my little sweetheart" upon opening the door, Lin Yuan felt as if her heart and lungs were about to burst. What a disaster, she thought, being caught red-handed by his mother. Would she be looked down upon, seen as frivolous and improper? Would his mother dislike her now?
"Yuanyuan? Lin Yuan?"
Lin Yuan was so preoccupied with the embarrassing scenes from before that she didn’t hear Xia Zheng calling her name several times until a large hand waving in front of her brought her back to her senses, "Huh?"
Xia Zheng, amused, "What huh? What were you thinking about just now that had you so engrossed?"
Lin Yuan’s face flushed red, and she bit her lip without responding. Looking up, she saw Princess Anle watching her with a smile. Lin Yuan quickly stood up and performed a courtesy. This bow was different from her first; the first was purely out of respect for an elder, but this time, maybe because the woman was Xia Zheng’s mother, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but feel nervous.
"Lin Yuan has seen Madam. If there was any lack of hospitality just now, please forgive me, Madam."
Princess Anle could tell she had been intimidated by her identity and quickly helped her up herself, pulling Xia Zheng from the chair next to her and then urging Lin Yuan to sit down: "Miss Lin need not be so formal, please sit, let me have a good look at you."