What kind of person was Chi Yong? He knew that telling the Old Madam this now wouldn't make her back down; he’d only end up drawing her resentment, as she’d only think of his wife’s family.

He decided to say nothing, letting the unlucky kid sort it out himself later. Why should he pave the way for everything? It was what the boy deserved.

Chi Yong chose to remain silent. He said nothing, just muddled through it.

The day the Old Madam Chi moved, it was quite lively, with relatives and old friends coming to offer congratulations.

Cheng Ying thought that the Chi family's connections were truly something else. No wonder it was so easy for Chi Wu to handle the company's paperwork. In those days, just buying a car was difficult enough, yet Chi Wu managed it with just a few courtesy visits to people he knew.

This left Cheng Ying feeling somewhat disappointed. She was reborn, yet despite having a head start over most people and considering herself to have overcome many limitations, achieving a minor measure of success—when compared to them, this wasn't something money could solve. She was leagues behind.

Cheng Ying had to admit that it wasn't surprising the Old Madam Chi looked down on her. Apart from money, there was really nothing else about her that warranted approval. The Old Madam Chi had practically been raised on celestial dew; the little she possessed was precisely what she valued the least.

Cheng Ying felt a pang of self-deprecation.

Then she saw her own mother cheerfully greeting guests, unaffected by the words and expressions of others, which merely swept past Yang Zhi like a gentle breeze, leaving no ripple.

Cheng Ying slapped her thigh. Her mother truly possessed genuine character; this was returning to simplicity. Why should she care about those things?

She turned and happily started eating. Never mind that Cheng Ying hadn't locked her future to Chi Wu’s; even if they did have a future together, it would be Chi Wu adapting to the Cheng family. Cheng Ying raised an eyebrow. Sister is standing quite high up.

The chef at this restaurant is really good. "Uncle Gan, look at this skill! You really need to improve!"

Uncle Gan grimaced. "This is the restaurant's signature dish. Do you think I can just figure it out randomly?"

Cheng Ying, halfway to her mouth, deftly diverted her chopsticks and placed the food into Uncle Gan’s bowl. "Eat, eat more. Flavor is learned through eating. If you eat enough, you'll naturally figure it out."

Cheng Ying sacrificed for the greater good; to ensure she could eat things that pleased her palate more often and easily, it was essential to let Uncle Gan enjoy it first.

Fatty Sun was flattered beyond measure. "You're actually showing me filial respect for once?" He promptly ate it. This was the first time his eldest niece had treated him so well.

Before he had even swallowed completely, Cheng Ying spoke up. "Well? Do you feel anything? Can you make it when you get home?"

Fatty Sun looked at his niece. "You did all this just for that?"

Cheng Ying asked, "What else would it be for? Can't you taste it? Don't the experts know all the spices just from the first bite? You haven't had enough; have some more."

She immediately served Fatty Sun another bite with her chopsticks, watching him expectantly.

Fatty Sun thought the dish wasn't that amazing; it didn't taste like much of anything. Moreover, the pressure of having to analyze it was too great. "Niece, you eat it. Your uncle doesn't possess such miraculous skills. Even Zhu Bajie couldn't raise a Ginseng Fruit tree after eating one."

Before he finished speaking, Cheng Ying burst out laughing. Fatty Sun’s face flushed too. "Slip of the tongue!" How could he compare himself to Zhu Bajie? He must have been completely flustered by that unlucky child's actions.

Cheng Ying clutched her stomach, trying to stifle her laughter. "No, Uncle, you still have huge room for improvement. Don't worry, I’ll order two signature dishes for you here every day later on. I guarantee you’ll eat it until you get the feel for it. You’re much more capable than the Second Brother; we mustn't put ourselves down."

Fatty Sun put on a stern face. "Can you just let me eat a meal in peace? Are you only comfortable when you’re teasing me?"

Cheng Ying retorted, "I'm doing this for everyone's benefit! Do you think ordering food is free? Only I am this generous!"

Fatty Sun was the type who, if teased, would immediately retort with a jab of his own. He quickly shifted his mood. "Oh my, look how many people from the Chi family there are. When you two got engaged, there weren't this many people. I thought the Chi family had lost all their relatives and old friends!"

That was poorly phrased and showed no deference to Chi Yong. While it annoyed Cheng Ying, it was more an expression of dissatisfaction with the situation—his niece had been wronged. The Old Madam’s expression darkened slightly.

Cheng Ying stepped in. "That's right, Uncle. Don't be so critical. We have to understand them. When your child finds a partner to marry out, aren't you happy to announce it everywhere? Mutual understanding, always!"

The Old Madam said with great confidence, "Well, they were just sending a grandson out into the world. I won't stoop to their level, especially since I've gained an extra grandson!"

Cheng Ying exclaimed, "See? Now that's my Grandma!"

Then she raised her wine glass. No matter how dissatisfied she was with Chi Wu, at this moment, she had to show she was the one gaining the upper hand. "A toast to our family gaining a new member!"

Chi Yong felt like he must not have checked the almanac before leaving the house today.

Fatty Sun’s mood stopped being conflicted. He seriously focused on tasting the signature dish. His great-niece was right; with enough eating, he would naturally discern the flavors. This dish wasn't that special; they could recreate it at home. They had plenty of raw materials and weren't afraid of getting into trouble.

The Old Madam Chi elegantly invited Cheng Ying, "Cheng Ying, everything on the second floor except the balcony is your and Wu Zi’s activity space. Stay here for a while to get used to things, and then you and Wu Zi can live upstairs."

Cheng Ying’s jaw dropped. Was this really the Old Madam Chi? Her attitude was completely wrong. Had she been possessed by a demon?

Cheng Ying wanted to circle the Old Madam and chant, Demons and monsters, be gone! Although she didn't actually jump, she silently chanted the spell several times, wondering if the charm would work. "Grandma Chi, I really like it here, but unfortunately, there are many school activities lately, and I can't leave home."

The Old Madam Chi, haughty and reserved, opened her mouth. "What a pity. There will be opportunities in the future. It’s alright."

Old Man Chi spoke up. "Ying Zi, it’s time to change how you address us. Why are you still calling me Grandma Chi? It sounds so distant. You should have been calling us Grandpa and Grandma just like Xiao Ye long ago."

Cheng Ying managed to force a slightly bashful expression onto her face. "I feel a bit awkward." Inside, she thought, Let’s worry about future matters when they arrive. Changing titles back and forth is too much trouble.

Old Man and Old Madam Chi looked at Cheng Ying’s expression. She was still young; she must be embarrassed and shy.

The Old Madam Chi’s resentment over being rejected lessened slightly. Girls should be a bit reserved like this. "Mhm, take good care of your grandmother."

With that, the elderly couple left.

Cheng Ying thought, Of course I'll be dutiful to my own grandmother, but what was the point of you two interjecting like that? What business is it of yours? Cheng Ying was still not accustomed to genuinely navigating the relationship between a future mother-in-law and her own grandmother.

Uncle Gan said, "Let's go back. What are you looking at? They’re already gone."

Cheng Ying replied, "I’m just checking if there’s anything foreign in this place." She wanted to say 'unclean things,' but feared the Old Madam might kick her, so she changed the wording automatically.

The Old Madam said, "Hurry up and go. You're busy with school lately, can't you see?"

Cheng Ying said, "Life practice class is busier than arrogance." She said this quite earnestly.

The Old Madam couldn't comprehend it. "Ah, don't tire yourself out!"

Fatty Sun and Aunt Gan watched the unlucky child from the side, wondering if she dared to speak any louder.

Cheng Ying nodded mechanically. Deceiving other people's grandmothers wasn't stressful, but deceiving her own gave her pressure. "It’s fine, Grandma. The food today was good, right? Uncle Gan’s skills aren't great; he can’t make what I can. In a couple of days, we'll change the flavor, and I’ll cook something else for you. How about that?"

The Old Madam scoffed, "You better stop. Just hearing you talk about it makes me anxious. You're just messing around, making junk food."

Cheng Ying felt her grandmother wasn't giving her enough face.

Life had to go on. Cheng Ying adjusted her mood and felt things were quite alright, except for the absence of a little follower by her side.

And when trouble arose, there was no one to discuss things with. From childhood until now, even though Chi Wu always listened to Cheng Ying, before making major decisions, she still needed that optional nod from Chi Wu. Now, missing a yes-man, it was natural to feel unaccustomed for a while.

When the National Day holiday arrived.

Cheng Ying felt she hadn't relaxed in years. Walking through the campus, she thought that if she had the chance, she definitely needed to travel around; the current environment hadn't been spoiled yet.

From afar, the person ahead immediately made her forget that idea.

How could things change so much in just over a month? Had Chi Wu eaten some kind of growth elixir? How was he even taller again? Chi Wu was wearing a leather jacket; the style was excellent—a cut that would be fashionable fifty years in the past or fifty years in the future.

The way he stood exuded vitality. "Hey, are you out here trying to attract butterflies?"

It was unavoidable; both boys and girls glanced over.

Chi Wu’s face darkened a shade. He curled his lips, revealing eight teeth, which only made his complexion seem darker. "I knew you didn't like people seeing me, so I came wearing a face covering."

He carefully observed his fiancée, whom he hadn't seen for over a month. Not every man had the nerve to separate from his fiancée right after the engagement. Chi Wu had been blaming himself behind closed doors. Fortunately, his fiancée was dressed demurely. This attire was nice. If his own wife dressed like that, Chi Wu would be worried sick.

Chi Wu's words were just for Cheng Ying to hear and dismiss; she absolutely wouldn't respond. This boy had a thick skin and only got bolder the more he talked. She chose to ignore his conversational thread and directly state what she wanted to say. "Were you in school? Why do you look like you've been sunbathing on the beach?"

Chi Wu hooked his arm around his fiancée, subtly stroking her back, feeling a surge of emotion. In this conservative era, Chi Wu couldn't perform overtly provocative actions in public. However, he still needed to assert his dominance near his fiancée. "Of course. I don't have a place to get sick leave slips, so I had to obediently endure the training."

Chi Wu subtly took Cheng Ying’s hand.

Cheng Ying genuinely didn't mind this issue much; his hands had gotten much rougher. "Did you have military training?"

Chi Wu looked at his beloved wife, whose mouth was stretched wide, losing all trace of cold aloofness. "That’s right, a real man!"

He puffed out his chest to let his fiancée see his sturdy chest, broad shoulders, and how dependable he was.

Cheng Ying truly stared for a moment, his change was quite significant. "Hahaha, let’s go home. Grandma must miss you."

She belatedly pulled her hand away. This wasn't a child anymore. Being so affectionate in public was too conspicuous; the influence would be bad. She then added, "Your grandmother misses you too."