RMM – Chapter 114 I’m Back

When Su Ruo got home, it was already past eight. She cursed Feng Weijia under her breath for being such a chatterbox and holding her back, insisting that she had to help.

Help? Help with what? She was a grown woman—couldn’t she tell friend from foe? Things like this obviously depended on what He Wen thought.

Still, from her observations, Feng Weijia actually wasn’t bad. She didn’t know what he’d been like before, but judging by what she had seen, he seemed reliable. His feelings for He Wen didn’t look fake, and that was the key point. Otherwise, with He Wen’s careless nature, if she ran into the wrong person, she really could end up suffering for it.

So, if possible, Su Ruo felt she might as well give things a little nudge. Helping to bring people together was a good deed, after all.

Shen Liang was making tea in the living room. When she saw Su Ruo return, she nodded with a smile and went on with her work.

Curious, Su Ruo leaned over, sat across from Shen Liang, propped her chin with her hand, and stared at her every move with a look of sheer admiration.

Shen Liang chuckled softly at her expression but ignored her, quietly focusing on her tea-making.

Watching her mother-in-law’s skilled, graceful motions, Su Ruo sighed inwardly. She resolved that once her pregnancy was stable, she would devote herself to learning from her mother-in-law.

She knew a little, but just barely. She had none of this elegance and classical air that could transform a person’s whole temperament. She loved it.

“You little girl, what are you staring at? You’re distracting me,” Shen Liang scolded lightly as she handed her a cup of tea with a smile.

Su Ruo hurried to take it, admiring even the way she passed over the cup. So graceful it was almost mesmerizing.

“Mom, you’re amazing,” Su Ruo said, setting down the cup, her eyes sparkling. “So elegant, so classy. I’m so jealous watching you.”

Shen Liang couldn’t help but laugh and shook her head. “You sure know how to sweet-talk.”

“I mean it! Teach me later, okay? I want to be a classy, elegant beauty with depth too. Please, pretty please!”

She scooted over, hugged Shen Liang’s arm, and shook it lightly, her lips curved in a smile, her eyes squinting like a mischievous cat.

Shen Liang tapped her nose with a finger and said with a laugh, “Be serious. Where’s the dignity of someone about to become a mother?”

“Not until you agree. Otherwise, I’ll just pester you like this,” Su Ruo said playfully, acting like a spoiled child.

“Alright, alright. Once your belly shows and the baby is stable, I’ll teach you. For now, don’t overexert yourself,” Shen Liang relented with a helpless nod.

“That’s what I was thinking too. A modern woman should cultivate both inside and out. Hehe, I’ll leave this mission to you, Mom.”

Suddenly it occurred to Su Ruo how boring her days were—idle and aimless. She could take the opportunity to develop hobbies, like piano.

Just then, Xi Yuehui came out of the study and caught sight of this harmonious scene. He shook his head with a smile.

The two of them didn’t look like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at all. They were more like mother and daughter. Since Su Ruo had married into the family, the two had only grown closer.

He secretly felt fortunate. Sometimes friends would complain about how awful things were at home—most often due to family discord and hidden conflicts that made them dread going back.

But in his family, there were no such issues. Even the in-law relationship was this harmonious. It truly felt like a home where peace brought prosperity.

Thinking of how his eldest brother was returning today, Xi Yuehui grew a little excited. He couldn’t concentrate on reading, so he came out to wander around and pass the time.

The whole Xi household was happy today. Even though Xi Jian’an didn’t show it on his face, the way he rushed to finish his work revealed his anticipation.

“Is Yuechen back yet?”

As Su Ruo, Shen Liang, and Xi Yuehui were chatting in the living room, a strong, booming voice rang from the doorway.

“Grandpa,” Su Ruo stood and greeted him with a smile. “Not yet, maybe a little longer.”

“Yes, Grandpa, he’ll be here soon,” Xi Yuehui said as he took the birdcage from the old man and carried it toward the garden.

No one was more eager than the old man. He had been pacing since morning, visibly impatient.

“Why isn’t he here yet? He’s not coming from overseas. What’s taking so long?” the old man grumbled.

“Dad, I just called. His phone’s off, probably still on the plane. He’ll be here soon, don’t worry,” Shen Liang reassured him. She knew the old man had doted on Yuechen since childhood. Sending him to the army had been hard, so of course he was restless now.

The old man sighed, frowned, then said, “Xiao Shen, come play chess with me. That’ll make the time pass faster.”

Shen Liang smiled, nodded, and told Su Ruo to do as she liked before going to sit with him.

Watching her grandfather-in-law and mother-in-law settle by the window with the chessboard, and Xi Yuehui joining them as a quiet spectator, Su Ruo thought for a moment and went upstairs. She wanted to change clothes.

No way was she letting Yuechen see her in this careless morning outfit. Even if she had put on some pregnancy weight and wasn’t as slim as before, she had to look presentable—she couldn’t meet her “commander” like this.

In the bedroom, she glanced at the clothes she’d brought from Jingyue Mingdu, sighed, and shook her head. They didn’t fit anymore, or at least not well.

After much deliberation, she changed into the new outfit she’d bought with He Wen: a loose white sweater with skinny jeans. Looking at herself in the mirror, she frowned, then tied up her hair in a loose bun with a simple wooden hairpin she had bought online. It looked rustic yet refined, and on her, it appeared especially delicate.

Satisfied after studying herself in the mirror, she admired the look: casual but elegant. The white sweater and blue jeans made her look tall and slim, hiding the slight changes in her figure. With her hair pinned up, her slender neck peeked through the loose collar, giving her an air of graceful charm.

She dabbed on a little lipstick, then quickly wiped it off, thinking it too conspicuous. She wanted to look nice, not obviously dolled up.

By now she had been in the room for quite some time, so she stopped dawdling and stepped out.

Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the lively voices downstairs. She caught Xi Yuehui’s: “Brother.”

He was back!

Her heart leapt wildly, filled with nervousness, anticipation, and above all, longing. In just a moment, she would see him again.

She wanted to hurry, maybe even run down the stairs, but for the baby’s sake, she forced herself to walk steadily—though her steps were still quick.

Sure enough, in the living room stood a tall, broad figure, back facing her as he spoke to Grandpa.

Shen Liang noticed her coming down and also noticed the obvious care she’d taken to dress up. She couldn’t help pressing her lips together in a quiet smile.

“Yuechen, Ruo Ruo’s here,” Shen Liang prompted gently.

Su Ruo suddenly felt flustered, nervous, and shy all at once.

Hearing the words, Xi Yuechen turned. For a split second, he froze, but quickly recovered, so no one noticed.

The little woman was even prettier now. Pregnancy had softened her, giving her a gentle, mature air instead of her former boldness.

Beautiful and captivating—this was his wife.

“Commander.” Su Ruo’s voice trembled with excitement and a trace of grievance, her eyes stinging as if she might cry. But with so many people around, she held back and only managed to call out softly.

“Mm. I’m back,” Xi Yuechen replied, calm and even, as though nothing stirred inside.

But Su Ruo caught it—the fleeting tenderness in his deep eyes.

If there hadn’t been so many people, she would have thrown herself into his arms. Only then would her heart feel truly at ease.

Instead, she smiled and said lightly, “See, Grandpa, Commander’s back. You were so anxious for nothing.”

Xi Yuechen’s gaze softened faintly as he turned back to the old man.

The old man laughed heartily, “Don’t tease me. You were all just as eager. Come, come, let’s sit. Why are we all standing around?”

Shen Liang rose too, smiling. “You all sit. Since we delayed lunch waiting for Yuechen, I’ll go check on the kitchen.”

Today she planned to cook personally, making her son’s favorite dishes. Though her skills weren’t as fine as Zhang Huaqing’s, after so many years, she was still quite good.

“I’ll go too, Mom. Maybe I can help,” Su Ruo offered.

“You, help? Sit down, child,” the old man said immediately.

Su Ruo smiled and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll just look around.”

With the men talking in the living room, it wasn’t her place to sit there. Even if she couldn’t help much, going to the kitchen would at least make her mother-in-law happy.

The three men in the living room shared a smile as the women left, then continued talking—mostly Grandpa asking, Yuechen answering, and Yuehui listening quietly.