"Morning grumpiness?" An Xin frowned. Although the surroundings were simple, the flowers and plants were no ordinary plants. Yan Zhen must have put some thought into them. Yan Zhen must feel guilty towards his mother and fiancée. An Xin felt inexplicably irritated.
A moment later, the back door creaked open, and Zhou Xiruo said, "Miss An, Mother wants you to come in."
An Xin did not hesitate and walked straight over.
A woman sat upright on a wide wooden red chair. Her brows held a hint of captivating beauty, but she seemed to have weathered many storms and aged considerably. Her hair was streaked with white, yet she exuded an air of nobility in every gesture. She did not look at An Xin, but was drinking tea.
Zhou Xiruo chuckled and said, "Mother, Miss An has arrived."
"Xiruo, you're not feeling well, why are you running around so busily? Come sit down and rest." The woman's eyebrows lifted, and in that smile, her former beauty flashed back, but her eyes still seemed not to see An Xin, only waving at Zhou Xiruo.
Zhou Xiruo smiled apologetically at An Xin, then walked over and said, "Mother, isn't running around a good way for Xiruo to exercise? You complain that Xiruo is weak, but you won't let Xiruo exercise. What kind of logic is that?"
"You little rascal, you've really got a sharp tongue, I don't know where you learned it from. And Yan Zhen? You leave your beautiful fiancée at home and ignore her, while you go out and flirt with those vulgar, lewd vixens!"
Zhou Xiruo glanced at An Xin awkwardly, but seeing that An Xin had no expression at all, she said, "Mother was so beautiful back then. People said that the Ye family's daughter was so beautiful that the world would fall at her sight. Your daughter-in-law is not even half as beautiful as Mother back then."
An Xin raised an eyebrow. "The Ye family's daughter is stunningly beautiful, capable of captivating the world with a single glance?" With Yan Zhen's beauty, she must have had a mother like that. Therefore, this woman must be surnamed Ye, and named Qingcheng (meaning "captivating beauty"). The ancients often incorporated names into their poems, and this once-beautiful woman was no exception.
"I'm getting old..." Ye Qingcheng sighed that she was getting old, but what woman in the world doesn't love beauty? It's always good to praise a woman's beauty! "I think we should call Yan Zhen over, choose a date, and get your marriage settled. Dragging it out like this is just making things difficult for you."
Zhou Xiruo blushed and said softly, "What are you saying, Mother? Yan Zhen is busy with court affairs, where would he find the time to spare..."
"Where is he busy? I haven't seen him busy at all. If anyone is busy, it's you. You're the one who has to supervise everything inside and outside the mansion. I really don't know how he's managed all these years!" Ye Qingcheng said with displeasure.
Zhou Xiruo hurriedly said, "Mother, please don't be angry with him. Yan Zhen has also suffered these years."
Ye Qingcheng said, "He suffers, but don't we, mother and son, suffer? We almost lost our lives because of him back then. Raising children is for old age security, not for dying! I decide this matter. You two should get married on a chosen day and have more children as soon as possible, so that I can keep an eye on them while I'm still alive."
Zhou Xiruo's cheeks flushed pink, and she reached out to shake Ye Qingcheng's sleeve, saying, "Mother, Miss An is here..."
Ye Qingcheng seemed to only then notice An Xin, and suddenly raised her eyebrows to look at her with a half-smile, saying, "You are An Xin?"
An Xin seemed not to have heard anything from what had just been said, and said calmly, "An Xin is me."
"I heard that the magistrate of Taicang unearthed antiques from before the Six Dynasties. Your father is quite lucky," Ye Qingcheng said slowly, taking another sip from her cup.
This is a sarcastic jab at her being lost in thought.
An Xin said calmly, "Madam is too kind."
Ye Qingcheng looked An Xin up and down and said, "That boy from the Ling family is quite handsome. It would be a pity to divorce him."
This is a veiled criticism of the fact that she has been abandoned by her husband.
An Xin raised her eyelashes and said calmly, "Being handsome doesn't mean it's a pity."
Ye Qingcheng smiled faintly and said, "Yan Zhen and Xi Ruo's marriage was arranged many years ago. Besides, the Right Prime Minister's mansion cannot accommodate concubines. Since Miss An has a close relationship with Yan Zhen, please persuade him for me not to always focus his attention on those unreliable people outside. He should get married as soon as possible so that I can be at ease. Is that alright?"
An Xin had always prided herself on being hard-hearted, able to remain unfazed and unaffected by even the most hurtful words. However, upon hearing these words, she felt as if a thin needle had pierced her heart, causing her to wince in pain.
An Xin didn't expect to be able to smile. She raised the corner of her lips and said lightly, "No good."
Ye Qingcheng slammed her teacup down on the table and said sternly, "Not good? Then tell me, what's wrong with it?"
An Xin said calmly, "First, Yan Zhen and I are not friends. Second, I have no obligation to advise him. Third, Madam asked me to advise him on our first meeting. Are we that close?"
Ye Qingcheng's body trembled suddenly, and she stood up abruptly, shouting sharply, "You, you're being insolent!"
Zhou Xiruo's expression changed, and she hurriedly helped Ye Qingcheng up, saying, "Mother, please calm down, Miss An. I'm not feeling well, please say less..."
Ye Qingcheng raised her hand and pointed directly at An Xin, saying, "Get out! You are never to set foot in the Right Prime Minister's residence again!"
An Xin said calmly, "Farewell." An Xin turned around, a headache showing on her face. She couldn't help but retort a few times. She had been holding back again and again. Could she really not tolerate Ye Qingcheng's sarcastic words?
She was telling the truth. She wasn't really angry, but when she opened her mouth, a spark of annoyance still rose in her heart. Yan Zhen and his mother were indeed mother and daughter; they both had the ability to provoke her!
Zhou Xiruo suddenly screamed, "Mother! Mother!"
Before An Xin could turn around, she saw Yan Zhen's figure brush past her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Yan Zhen grabbed Ye Qingcheng, only to find her eyes closed, her face pale, and she suddenly glanced at Zhou Xiruo.
Zhou Xiruo hurriedly said, "My mother is not well. She must have fainted from anger and distress..."
"Damaged by anger?" Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then picked up Ye Qingcheng and placed her on the soft couch, saying calmly, "Minghe, go and call Ye Qi here."
A single "Yes" drifted in from outside, and then all was quiet.
Zhou Xiruo was suddenly taken aback, then stammered, "It's all my fault. I said things that were unpleasant to hear and upset Mother. You, you should punish me..."
An Xin thought that smart women in this world would know how to retreat in order to advance, and that she was actually a bit slow-witted in some things.
Yan Zhen frowned and said, "Since you know that your mother is not well, why do you still upset her? She has always treated you like her own daughter."
Zhou Xiruo's body trembled suddenly. Yan Zhen's words, though they sounded right, felt like thorns piercing her heart, and her eyes instantly reddened.
“Right Prime Minister…” Ye Qingcheng began weakly. Yan Zhen hurriedly turned around and grabbed her outstretched hand, “Mother…”
"Xi Ruo is so well-behaved, don't wrong her! I was angered by your friend!" Ye Qingcheng's face was solemn, but her gaze towards An Xin was unfathomable.
Yan Zhen didn't turn to look at An Xin, but comforted her, "Is the friend Mother mentioned Ye Qi? He's always been outspoken, I'll teach him a lesson later."
Ye Qingcheng coughed weakly a few times, then frowned and said, "You're so clever, yet you're pretending to be stupid with your own mother at a time like this. I'm talking about An Xin!"
Yan Zhen was suddenly startled and said, "Xin'er? Has Mother misunderstood something?"
Ye Qingcheng scoffed: "I misunderstood her?"