“Is that so?”
Jiang Xiaoyue glanced at her.
The smile on Wang Ziyue’s face didn’t falter in the slightest.
“Mom, let’s head to Zhou Qingying’s place first. I think it’s Building 6…”
Jiang Chen still couldn’t fully relax.
She’d been here once before, but the exact location wasn’t that familiar to her.
Wang Ziyue looked at Secretary Fang, who immediately understood and made a quick call.
Soon, a woman in a patrol cart approached them.
“Please hop on, everyone.”
Jiang Chen and her mom exchanged a glance but didn’t get in right away.
“It’s a bit far from this gate to Building 6.”
Wang Ziyue’s voice drifted from behind them.
Jiang Chen looked down at the high heels on her feet and didn’t refuse further.
Seeing her daughter already boarding, Jiang Xiaoyue couldn’t very well stay put.
The four of them sat two-by-two, facing each other.
Secretary Fang tactfully took the seat across from Jiang Xiaoyue, then tilted her head to admire the scenery.
She usually left early and returned late for work, so she rarely got to appreciate the community’s landscaping.
These trees really are beautiful.
Jiang Chen’s attention was fixed on her phone.
The WeChat message she’d sent had been seen by Chen Ting, who replied with a simple “ok”.
Before long, the patrol cart stopped steadily in front of Building 6.
Jiang Chen hopped off and saw Chen Ting already waiting downstairs, waving at her.
Her gaze shifted— the three adults were getting out as well.
“This is my mom… my older sister, and my sister’s secretary.”
“Hello, Auntie… uh, hello, big sisters.”
The three women smiled warmly at her, but Chen Ting still felt the pressure.
Her eyes lingered briefly on Wang Ziyue’s face.
She looks so familiar somehow.
“Little Chen, you go up yourself. Mom will wait down here.”
Jiang Xiaoyue thoughtfully stayed behind.
Wang Ziyue naturally didn’t insist on joining, so in the end, the three of them got back into the patrol cart.
They just adjusted seats slightly— Wang Ziyue sat next to Jiang Xiaoyue, leaving Secretary Fang alone across from them.
“Auntie, are you thirsty?”
“No, I had a cup of coffee at your place earlier.”
Wang Ziyue glanced at Secretary Fang and curved her lips slightly.
Catching the signal, Secretary Fang let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Her performance today hadn’t been too bad, right?
Sure, there was a little misunderstanding at the start… but the outcome was good, and that was what mattered.
Wang Ziyue then steered the conversation to local delicacies and foods from various places, nibbling on some snacks as she spoke.
Jiang Xiaoyue mostly listened, responding occasionally.
As long as President Wang wanted to, anyone could feel the warmth of a spring breeze.
Of course, that assumed the other person was receptive to it.
The more she talked, the drier Wang Ziyue’s throat felt, yet Jiang Chen’s mom remained impeccably calm and composed, with a serene smile.
As expected, winning over a future mother-in-law was an art… Should she ask her dad for advice when she got home?
Standing in the elevator with Jiang Chen, watching the floor numbers climb slowly, Chen Ting suddenly remembered something.
“That… that! Your sister— haven’t I seen her at school before!”
Chen Ting stumbled over her words.
She recalled the scholarship sponsor representative who had visited the school— wasn’t that the blonde woman standing downstairs today?
“It’s her.”
“Then isn’t she Wang Yu’s aunt?”
That wasn’t exactly a secret in their class.
“Oh~ No wonder you seemed a bit concerned about Wang Yu before.”
Family, after all.
“It’s a bit complicated… I don’t have any blood relation to her.”
As soon as Jiang Chen said that, Chen Ting’s face lit up like she’d heard some juicy gossip.
“Don’t overthink it. I mean it literally.”
“I get it, I get it.”
Chen Ting nodded knowingly, lowering her voice.
“So the ‘elder’ you mentioned before— that’s her? But you’re the same age. Wait, no! Wang Yu calls her aunt, so why do you call her big sister?”
“Anyway… it’s a long story. We’re like sworn sisters, I guess… You can think of it that way.”
“Sworn sisters? Oh wow… Then when Wang Yu called you little aunt last time, he wasn’t wrong at all, haha!”
Chen Ting’s mind worked fastest at times like this.
Jiang Chen hadn’t expected her casual joke from before to come back like a boomerang.
Oh well, it wasn’t her who ended up embarrassed anyway.
The two entered the Zhou home.
After being woken up, Zhou Qingying decided not to go back to sleep.
She’d taken a shower and was now sitting at the table, eating.
“Ah, Chenchen.” Seeing Jiang Chen come in, she turned and greeted her.
Just like usual.
But the more normal it seemed, the more uneasy Jiang Chen felt.
It was too calm, as if her mom’s harsh words hadn’t affected her at all.
This was completely different from the insecure Zhou Qingying she’d seen before.
Jiang Chen glanced at Chen Ting, who shook her head.
So she really was fine.
Jiang Chen walked over and sat down, with Chen Ting taking the seat on the other side.
After being stared at for a while, Zhou Qingying looked up helplessly.
“My dear ladies, I’m just trying to eat here… What’s so fascinating?”
“This—”
“Hey, Chenchen, relax! I’m really okay! How should I put it… When you first called, I was still groggy, but by the time you started explaining, I was wide awake. I thought I’d feel upset, but it was like something just passed through me… It stung for a moment, and then nothing. I was just so tired… Uh, sorry for hanging up on you like that.”
Carefree and thick-skinned.
Zhou Qingying might truly be alright, or perhaps she was constantly reassuring herself.
Either way, Jiang Chen knew this was something Zhou Qingying had thought through carefully.
Some fixations really could vanish in an instant, and when you looked back, they seemed like nothing much.
“Do you want to see her?”
“Yeah, I should meet her at some point.”
Zhou Qingying’s attitude was like preparing to see a distant relative after a long separation.
Blood ties had brought them close, but time and distance had made them strangers.
Only now did Zhou Qingying truly realize that her concept of “mom” was becoming increasingly blurry.
“Chenchen, I’ve realized… you don’t actually look that much like my mom.”
Zhou Qingying felt a bit guilty.
She’d actually treated her good friend as a substitute for her mother— how absurd.
“I think so too.” Jiang Chen pouted.
Seeing Jiang Chen’s adorable expression, Zhou Qingying smiled knowingly.
“If you were really my mom, that would be perfect.”
“Pfft—”
Chen Ting had just taken a sip of water and sprayed it all out.
“Ew… You’re mopping the floor later.”
Zhou Qingying pointed at the puddle on the ground.
“Ack— cough cough— You really don’t hold back with your shocking statements.”
Chen Ting coughed, thumping her chest to catch her breath.
Some water had gone up her nose, making her look utterly disheveled.
“I meant it sincerely. Just think— if Chenchen were a mom, she’d be the super gentle type. She seems cold on the surface, but when something happens, she’s warmer than anyone.”
“So that’s the image I have in your eyes.”
Jiang Chen smiled helplessly, but Zhou Qingying wasn’t wrong.
“Not exactly… It’s just that sometimes you give off a distant vibe, but once people get to know you, they realize how truly kind you are.”
Zhou Qingying comforted her, then patted Chen Ting.
The latter nodded vigorously.
“Yeah, Chenchen! The first time I saw you, I knew you were a good person— like this!”
Chen Ting gave a big thumbs-up.
Zhou Qingying covered her forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed to have such a childhood friend.
As they chatted and laughed, that last trace of unease seemed to vanish completely.