Chi Wu didn't see anything impolite about Cheng Ying; in his eyes, his wife was flawless from every angle, so captivating that he couldn't look away—truly, three hundred and sixty degrees without a single flaw.

He was loath to let anyone else even glance at her for too long, so he called out enthusiastically, "Yingzi, come here. This is Senior Brother Chu."

The newcomer quickly extended a hand. "Chu Feng. I went to the same school as Chi Wu. Don't listen to how formal Chi Wu sounds calling me 'Senior Brother,' Sister-in-law."

Cheng Ying shook his hand gracefully. "Hello, Senior Brother Chu. Chi Wu has mentioned you many times, but I never had the chance to meet you."

Then Chi Wu continued the introductions. "Gao Yue, Senior Sister Gao. A top scholar! You should really learn from Senior Sister Gao." This was pure flattery.

Cheng Ying reached out. "Hello, Senior Sister Gao. I’ve long admired you."

The person certainly acted like a senior student—the kind with a distinctly high-tech, dismissive air. "I’m Wu Zi’s classmate, no need to be so polite."

Her tone was cool, possessing an aloofness that even surpassed the temperament of the old Mrs. Chi.

Cheng Ying felt a slight aversion, but then she reminded herself that this was one of her husband’s colleagues; tolerance, after all, was a virtue of the magnanimous.

Without showing any agitation, she moved on to greet the next person. There was a large group, and Cheng Ying managed to meet most of them.

However, this group of seven—five men and two women—was clearly led by Chu Feng and Gao Yue.

Cheng Ying felt that the other woman possessed a more genuine academic presence. She wore glasses, looked delicate and gentle, and showed absolutely no arrogance; even the words she spoke had an academic flavor. Cheng Ying definitely thought she was much better looking than Gao Yue.

This was purely Cheng Ying’s subjective feeling, a matter of first impressions.

Gao Yue, for her part, was an undeniable beauty. Even the old lady holding the mother hen was taken with Gao Yue, remarking, "She’s even prettier than my old hen."

This comment left the assembled group quite awkward.

Chi Wu approached and gently supported the old woman. "Grandma, you shouldn't say that. I know you like pretty girls, but she’ll get embarrassed."

Cheng Ying smiled and addressed the group. "Grandma is old and sometimes confused, but whether she's clear-headed or not, she always knows beauty when she sees it. Senior Sister Gao certainly has an outstanding presence."

This managed to give Gao Yue a compliment. As a top scholar, she could certainly appreciate such diplomatic wording.

Especially as Chi Wu carefully supported the old lady while explaining, everyone understood this was Chi Wu’s family unit in action.

Gao Yue, in a rare move, adjusted her gaze to meet Cheng Ying’s level: "Grandma, it’s wonderful that you like me. And your chicken is truly beautiful!"

The old woman finally found common ground and completely ignored her granddaughter, joining Gao Yue to show off her prize hen.

Cheng Ying felt a sense of the old lady defecting to the enemy camp.

Why did everything feel so off-kilter? When people are overly solicitous toward you, they almost always want something.

Cheng Ying knew that when she was solicitous toward someone, she wanted their technical knowledge.

What did this Gao Yue want from her grandmother? Without making a show of it, she glanced at Chi Wu.

Her husband certainly possessed charm. Surely he hadn't used the lure of a handsome face to bind them, had he? Did her current standing truly require him to trade on his looks?

Cheng Ying announced, "Everyone, please sit down. We should have had Senior Brothers and Sisters stay here all along, but as you can see, with Grandma here, we truly didn't dare invite you over."

Chu Feng was quite magnanimous. "This setup is fine too. We’re here for a visit, and a hotel is more convenient in many ways. Had we known Grandma was here, we should have come to see her sooner. Knowing Sister-in-law was home, we only brought things young people enjoy; we’re the ones who should be embarrassed."

Cheng Ying thought that he was indeed from the same school as Chi Wu. Look at him; not only were his academic credentials solid, but his understanding of social graces was flawless. This was a truly seasoned individual, much better than Gao Yue, who was currently chatting with the old lady.

Chi Wu said, "Everyone, don't stand on ceremony. You’re not outsiders. Our yard is quite large, so feel free to wander around. Don't mind Grandma sometimes being absent-minded; our greenhouse is full of wonderful things, nurtured by her care. I'll go fetch some wine for you all."

This was meant to put everyone at ease, allowing them to look around the greenhouse at the treasures within.

Cheng Ying watched as everyone relaxed before she spoke up. "I'll go change my clothes."

In private, Cheng Ying gave Chi Wu's arm a tight, twisting pinch. This was an undeserved punishment. Chi Wu winced and stared at her. "Don't tell me our son is planning to torment me like this; I don’t believe it."

Cheng Ying retorted, "Your son’s mother intends to deal with you." And then she went inside.

Cheng Ying glanced out the window, then at her own belly. No matter how she dressed now, she couldn't compare to the beautiful women outside. She hadn't looked closely in the mirror for a long time; pregnant women couldn't handle that scrutiny.

She examined her face, thankfully free of stretch marks. She picked up clothes one by one, holding them against herself, but nothing fit.

Cheng Ying took a deep breath. Why was she comparing herself to others? Frowning in thought, she realized she was being utterly ridiculous.

Did she really think she wasn't as pretty as that Gao Yue? That was an absurd question to even ask.

Did she ever care what others thought of her?

Cheng Ying casually grabbed an oversized sweater and slipped it on, loosely gathered her hair, and stepped back out. What was she doing, tormenting herself over this nonsense?

It was late autumn, and the flowers and fruit-bearing plants in the greenhouse were laden with produce.

The group, marveling at the sights, explored like treasure hunters, their exclamations of wonder rising one after another. "Oh my, this is a rare find!"

Especially the bespectacled senior sister, who was admiring a fish tank. "Fish like these are hard to see elsewhere. My own father treats two small ones like ancestral relics."

Cheng Ying addressed her. "Senior Sister Lin, I'll have two set aside for your father when you leave."

The woman dropped her reserve immediately. "Call me Lin Luo. Then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I will definitely take them when we go."

Cheng Ying found this woman easy to deal with; she was so direct. "Why be formal? They are all ours. If your father likes them, that’s all that matters."

In just two sentences, they had shifted to "our family." The two women quickly became engrossed in conversation around the fish tank.

Lin Luo said, "To be honest, I'm a rather dull person. Outside of academia, fish are the only thing I can really talk about with people."

Cheng Ying countered, "Specialization exists for a reason. You didn't study psychology, so why force yourself to make small talk with everyone?"

Lin Luo and Cheng Ying both let out hearty laughs. Chi Wu returned with the wine, joining the group of men watching them. "Wu Zi, your wife is something else; she can actually connect with Lin Luo. Isn't your wife studying in our field?"

Chi Wu beamed proudly. "My wife is a doctor. She’ll go back to work after the baby is born. But my wife has a wonderful personality; she gets along with everyone, see?"

Chi Wu was quite pleased with himself. However, after a moment, he realized he had spoken too soon; his wife certainly had a good personality, but it wasn't universal approval.

The old lady, carrying the mother hen, had gone out, leaving the three women naturally forming their own small circle.

Men tend to flock around beautiful women; that old saying often holds true. People couldn't help but focus on the topics being discussed by the three women nearby.

Before long, Chu Feng was making significant eye contact with Chi Wu, clearly noticing that Gao Yue and Mrs. Chi were not getting along.

Chi Wu frowned. What was Gao Yue's attitude toward his Yingzi? Chi Wu hadn't noticed Cheng Ying’s subtle distance from Gao Yue; he was entirely judging Gao Yue’s character from his wife's perspective.

If she doesn't show my wife respect, she isn't showing me respect!

He was in a foul mood. His wife was pregnant, and entertaining them was already quite enough deference shown to them.

To onlookers, Chi Wu’s darkening expression was entirely due to the women's inability to navigate social niceties.

Regardless of the real reason, they began to assign blame, feeling that Gao Yue’s arrogant attitude was a great disservice to Mrs. Chi Wu.

They worried that their sister-in-law would suffer because of this encounter.

Chu Feng remarked, "Women, always so complicated. Not everyone can handle Gao Yue’s attitude."

Chi Wu replied, "She usually seems fine," implying that normally Gao Yue was acceptable, but today she was completely out of line.

In the eyes of several of the men, Chi Wu was blind—failing to see his wife's merits while favoring Gao Yue. Didn't he notice that Gao Yue’s pleasant expression was only directed at Chi Wu?

Several men reflexively touched their noses; perhaps it was a contagious habit. This conversation was a dead end.

Cheng Ying felt that, as an adult, engaging in a silent battle with a puffed-up mother hen was beneath her.

But having such an object constantly hovering nearby was irritating. This young woman was clearly misguided. If she desired her husband, she should be making overtures to him, not glaring at Cheng Ying with that contemptuous look. She was missing the point entirely.

It took no genius to understand the source of a woman's unprovoked hostility toward another woman. She just didn't know whether Chi Wu actually possessed enough magnetic charm to make women risk destroying a family.

How tiresome.

As the host, Cheng Ying knew she needed to maintain some composure. "Both of you came from City B. Are you adapting to the climate here? Do you need any changes to your clothing?"

Lin Luo replied cheerfully, "No need to trouble you. While I may be a bit slow, I know enough to carry an umbrella when it rains. Besides, my home isn't actually in City B; I just studied there and never left after graduation."

Her response was frank and witty. Not everyone who studied in City B was actually from City B.

Just as Cheng Ying was about to speak, Gao Yue interjected, "What kind of clothes can one even buy here? How does one wear them?"

Both Cheng Ying and Lin Luo looked at Gao Yue, wondering how to respond to that.

Lin Luo, uncharacteristically, engaged with Gao Yue. Despite being the only two women besides Cheng Ying, they rarely spoke, lacking common interests.

Lin Luo offered, "Sister Gao Yue is a great beauty; her taste in clothing is naturally unique."

Cheng Ying laughed it off, giving Lin Luo a second, more favorable look. She wasn’t completely devoid of social sense; she even knew how to politely smooth over Gao Yue’s awkwardness.

Cheng Ying then looked back at Gao Yue, seeing absolutely no redeeming qualities in her.

The woman stared directly back at Cheng Ying, radiating confidence that seemed to spring from nowhere.

Cheng Ying figured that perhaps her own comfortable life was the reason for her current equanimity; after all, she had the means to buy nice clothes. Instantly, her mood improved.

She completely ignored the near-provocative direct eye contact.

It was important to treat guests well. "I'll go see what dishes are being prepared."