Chen Zhenye went upstairs to his study to handle official business.
Wu Peihua went to take a nap.
Chen Ruanruan took Qin Xuanye on a tour of the Chen family's back garden, with Chen Liuyue trailing behind them.
Qin Xuanye frowned, displeased, and said, "Why are you following us?"
Chen Liuyue's steps faltered.
She wrinkled her nose and said, "Brother-in-law is so fierce."
Then she looked at Chen Ruanruan.
"Sister, yesterday was my first time living here, and I'm still not familiar with the house."
"Can't I just follow you around for a look?"
"If it's not allowed... then forget it, I'll just go back to my room and daydream."
Seeing her speak so pitifully, and right in front of Qin Xuanye,
Chen Ruanruan didn't mind showing her own gentleness and friendliness. She smiled and beckoned to her, saying,
"Of course you can, why wouldn't it be allowed?"
"Liuyue, just follow us on the tour. I can also explain the layout of the house to you."
Chen Liuyue's lips curved into a grin, smiling with an air of innocence.
Her voice was crisp and sweet.
"Thank you, sister."
Qin Xuanye gave her a deep, meaningful look, his eyes seeming to say, 'You'd better not try any little tricks.'
Chen Liuyue pretended not to see it.
With a beaming smile, she quickened her pace to catch up and walked beside Chen Ruanruan.
The Chen family home was truly enormous. Besides the three-story villa, there was a back garden nearly the size of a soccer field, requiring two or three gardeners working in shifts just to maintain it.
Other people have to go to a park for a walk after a meal to aid digestion.
At the Chen residence, you just need to take a couple of laps around your own back garden.
Chen Liuyue let out an appropriately awed exclamation.
"This is really impressive."
Chen Ruanruan, noticing her uncultivated manner, concealed a trace of disdain in her eyes.
She smiled lightly and said, "Liuyue, this will be your home from now on. You can come here for a stroll every day."
Chen Liuyue clapped her hands happily. "That's great! I'll bring my roommates here for a visit then."
Chen Ruanruan was taken aback.
"You... you want to bring your roommates home?"
Chen Liuyue blinked in confusion.
"Yes, this is my home."
"Am I not allowed to invite guests over?"
Chen Ruanruan suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. She knew both she and Chen Liuyue attended Jinghai University.
She didn't want other people at the university to find out about the baby-switching incident.
If Chen Liuyue's roommates came to the Chen house, she was afraid the news would spread like wildfire once they went back...
"That's not what I meant. It's just that inviting guests still requires Mom and Dad's permission."
Chen Liuyue acted as if she didn't understand her implication.
She smiled and lifted her lips.
"Mom and Dad like me so much, they dote on me so much, they'll definitely agree."
Chen Ruanruan was stunned.
She felt their father was very good to Chen Liuyue, but she hadn't noticed that their mother liked or doted on her too?
How did she manage to delude herself like that?!
Qin Xuanye stood quietly to the side, listening to the sisters' conversation without uttering a word.
He remained vigilant, ready to protect Ruanruan the moment Chen Liuyue said anything strange.
But it was fine.
She was just putting on an act, playing the sweet, naive fool.
So... was this how she had deceived him back when they were studying together?
A wave of bitterness washed over Qin Xuanye's heart, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably once more.
...
At the dinner table that evening, Chen Liuyue, as expected, brought up her wish to invite her roommates to the Chen house.
Wu Peihua's immediate reaction was:
"Absolutely not!"
"Our Chen family is not a place where just any stray cat or dog can wander in."
Chen Liuyue blinked and said, "But they aren't stray cats or dogs. They're my roommates, my friends."
She then looked at Chen Ruanruan.
"Big sister must have invited friends to the Chen house before, right? Mom and Dad probably didn't refuse, did they?"
Wu Peihua couldn't help but say, "That's completely different."
Chen Liuyue seemed unbothered by her vehement refusal.
Still smiling brightly, she said:
"How is it different?"
"Big sister is Mom and Dad's daughter, and I am Mom and Dad's daughter too."
Her words fell, and silence descended upon the dinner table.
Qin Xuanye faintly felt that Chen Liuyue's words weren't wrong. Auntie Chen's hostility towards her biological daughter seemed a bit excessive.
Even he, a neutral observer, could sense it.
But people's hearts are always biased.
Chen Zhenye spoke up:
"Yes, Liuyue is right."
"You and Ruanruan are the same."
"Inviting your roommates home to visit is fine. When would you like to do it?"
Chen Liuyue curved her lips into a smile, picked up her phone to check the date, and said cheerfully,
"How about Wednesday? We don't have classes on Wednesday afternoon."
Chen Zhenye nodded, giving his tacit approval.
"Do you need a driver to pick you all up?"
Chen Liuyue nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Dad!"
Wu Peihua wanted to say something, but ultimately, meeting her husband's gaze, she silently closed her mouth.
Under the table, Chen Ruanruan's hand clenched slightly.
Once Chen Liuyue's roommates came to the Chen house, the story of their switched identities would spread.
No, she had to think of a way to cancel this.
But in front of everyone at the dinner table, she couldn't outright show her displeasure.
Distractedly, she pushed the rice grains around in her bowl.
Qin Xuanye also noticed his fiancée's low spirits. He picked up some food with his chopsticks and placed it in her bowl, saying gently,
"Ruanruan, eat a bit more."
Chen Ruanruan snapped out of her thoughts, forced a smile, and said, "Thank you, Xuanye."
Seeing her daughter and future son-in-law so sweet together, a fond, motherly smile appeared on Wu Peihua's face.
She said to Chen Zhenye,
"Look at these young ones. It reminds me of when we first started dating."
"You didn't talk much, but you always put the best bites of food in my bowl during meals."
Chen Zhenye also smiled and said, "That was so long ago, and you still remember?"
Chen Ruanruan understood the teasing tone in her mother's words.
Somewhat shyly, she lowered her head and called out coquettishly, "Mom~"
"Alright, alright! I won't say anymore." Despite her words, the smile never left Wu Peihua's face.
At the dinner table, they harmonized as if they were a family of four.
Chen Liuyue wouldn't miss such a good opportunity.
She also picked up some food with her chopsticks and placed it in Chen Ruanruan's bowl, saying, "Sister, have some vegetables."
Chen Ruanruan's smile faded slightly. "Thank you," she said.
Chen Liuyue then picked up another bite and placed it in Qin Xuanye's bowl, saying, "Brother-in-law, have some vegetables."
Qin Xuanye looked at the egg in his bowl, remained silent, his expression somewhat grim.
This woman, how could she be so heartless!
Seeing this, Chen Ruanruan quickly scooped the egg out of his bowl. Looking up, she explained apologetically,
"I'm sorry, Liuyue."
"It's not that we're deliberately rejecting your kindness. You probably didn't know, right?"
"Xuanye has been allergic to eggs since he was a child."
Upon hearing this, Chen Liuyue wore an expression of sudden understanding and let out an 'Oh.'
Then she said slowly,
"So that's how it is. I just found out."
Qin Xuanye's breathing suddenly grew heavier.
He couldn't help but think to himself: Little liar! How could she not know!
