Chapter 131 Are you going to force yourself on me? 1

When Yang Ziyun called, Ling Ruoke was in a meeting with her subordinates in the conference room, leaving her phone in her office.

It was an hour later when she came out of the meeting.

Ling Ruoke picked up her phone and was startled to see over a dozen missed calls. Then she noticed they were from a number in City B and quickly dialed back. "Hello?"

"I am Yang Ziyun," the person on the other end said directly.

Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Oh, it's Auntie. I'm so sorry, I didn't bring my phone to the meeting room just now, I'm really sorry!"

"When are you coming back? I've been waiting here for over an hour." Yang Ziyun's tone was unpleasant; she was clearly getting annoyed. If she waited any longer, she might just fly into a rage.

"Auntie, please wait a moment, I'll be right back!" With less than half an hour until I could leave work, picking her up was the priority. Work could wait; I couldn't let my future mother-in-law miss her.

"Okay." She hung up the phone after saying that.

Ling Ruoke rubbed her temples, grabbed her keys, and ran out. "Xia Mo, I have to go now. Call me if you need anything!"

"OK!"

Ling Ruoke drove off, only realizing at the corner that they had moved. She hadn't told them, and guessed Yang Ziyun was in the Happiness Community.

Luckily I remembered in time, otherwise the car would have already passed by.

Ling Ruoke saw Yang Ziyun standing beside the car from afar, her face looking rather pale. As soon as the car stopped, she hurriedly jumped out. "Auntie, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were coming, so..."

"Enough with the talk, let me go upstairs and have a cup of tea first." Yang Ziyun waved her hand and turned to walk upstairs.

Ling Ruoke quickly grabbed her. "Auntie, we don't live here anymore. We've moved."

"You moved?" Yang Ziyun looked at her in surprise, then frowned. "Where did you move to? When did this happen? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Ling Ruoke could only force a smile, understanding that this was yet another silent battle. She opened the car door and invited her in. "Auntie, please get in first. We can sit down and talk things over, okay?"

Yang Ziyun snorted coldly and got into her own car. "I have my own car."

Ling Ruoke touched her nose, had no choice but to get in the car, turn it around, and lead them out of the residential area towards the villa. On the way, she picked up her phone and dialed the colonel's number. Unfortunately, the colonel was probably busy, and no one answered.

Because the new home wasn't far from the old one, we arrived quickly.

Outside the residential complex, we ran into Yuan Meng and her little one. The little guy clearly recognized her car, waving his little hand and calling out "Mommy." Seeing how excited he was, it was worrying he might accidentally fall off.

Ling Ruoke didn't stop because Yang Ziyun's car was following behind her.

When Yang Ziyun saw the villa complex, her face darkened. Not only had they moved without a word, but to such a high-end neighborhood—how much must that have cost? Although her family wasn't short of money, they should at least have informed her! In the past, Qingfeng wouldn't have acted this way; it must have been Ling Ruoke's idea again!

Ling Ruoke stopped the car, jumped out quickly, and opened the car door for Yang Ziyun. "Auntie, we've arrived."

Yang Ziyun walked downstairs with a dark expression, her gaze sweeping over the surroundings. "This neighborhood is nice, it looks high-end, the environment is very good, it must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Ling Ruoke gave a stiff smile. "Auntie, please come inside and sit down, have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

"I need to have a cup of tea to cool down; it's hot outside and my temper is rising."

Ling Ruoke didn't reply, lest she use the situation to her advantage. She took out her key, opened the door, and welcomed the old lady inside. "Auntie, please sit down. Let me pour you some tea!"

Yang Ziyun sat down, her eyes scanning the room's furnishings. When she saw the wedding photo on the wall, her face darkened further. "You two are married?"

Ling Ruoke didn't know how to answer. After thinking for a while, she finally smiled and placed the tea in front of her. "Auntie, please have some tea."

Yang Ziyun was genuinely thirsty, so she didn't spill the tea on the ground.

Ling Ruoke secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she was worried that Yang Ziyun would sweep the teacup to the ground. However, judging from her expression, today was probably not going to be a good day. The colonel's absence was truly a headache.

"You two got married?" Yang Ziyun sipped her tea, not forgetting the previous topic. Even if she wanted to forget, the wedding photo on the wall wouldn't allow it. The newlyweds in the picture, looking at each other with such deep affection, were piercing her eyes.

Ling Ruoke thought for a moment and then hummed in agreement. Since she was going to get angry anyway, she might as well go all out.

Before she finished speaking, Yang Ziyun had already swept the teacup she had just put down away, and it smashed to the ground with a clanging sound before breaking into pieces.

"Do you even consider me your mother anymore? You changed houses, and I didn't know! You got married, and I didn't know! Even after the child is born, you won't say a word? Do you consider me dead?" Yang Ziyun's face turned pale with anger. She snatched Ling Ruoke's teacup and smashed it down hard.

Just as Ling Ruoke was about to explain, the door opened, and Yuan Meng walked in, pulling the little guy along.

"Ruo Ke, what happened?" Yuan Meng heard someone cursing loudly from outside the door.

"Mommy!" The little guy lunged straight at her.

Yuan Meng grabbed him to prevent the shards of porcelain on the ground from injuring him. "Don't run around, it'll hurt if you poke your foot."

The little one was grabbed, and his eyes darted around before he spotted Yang Ziyun. "Grandma! Grandma, I missed you so much!"

The little guy has a sweet tongue; he starts showering you with compliments the moment you meet him.

Yang Ziyun's expression immediately softened, and she went over and picked him up in her arms.

Ling Ruoke quickly grabbed a broom and swept up the porcelain shards. Thankfully, the little guy was there; otherwise, she wouldn't know how to handle the situation. Although she would eventually have to face it, a little buffer might reduce its impact.

"Grandma, what brings you here?" Little Fu'an hugged his grandma's neck, smiling sweetly.

Yang Ziyun was overjoyed and kissed him. "Grandma missed her little darling, so she came."

"Grandma, Fu'an misses you too, so much!" He said, giving her a few kisses on the cheek.

Yang Ziyun was amused and delighted. "So good!"

Yuan Meng recognized their conversation as Qingfeng's mother. But seeing the elderly woman and the child playing happily, she didn't want to interrupt. So she went into the kitchen and brought out the small cakes. "Auntie, please sit down and have some snacks. Fu'an, come down quickly, don't tire Grandma out."

"Grandma, come down, come down!" The little guy loves the little cakes his mom makes and wants to eat them every day.

Yang Ziyun put him down and then opened her eyes to look at Yuan Meng. She didn't seem like a nanny. "Who are you?"

Just as Yuan Meng was about to speak, the little one, clutching the cake in one hand, stretched his neck and shouted, "Mommy, I want water!"

Yuan Meng nodded to Yang Ziyun and quickly poured him some water. The little guy gulped it down from her hand. Afraid he'd choke, Yuan Meng urged, "Drink slowly, drink slowly..."

"I don't want any more." The little one turned his head away, grabbed the cake, and handed it to Yang Ziyun. "Grandma, have some cake, have some cake!"

"Okay, let's eat cake." Yang Ziyun took the cake and was pulled by the little guy to sit down on the sofa. Her eyes remained fixed on Yuan Meng. "Are you his mother?"

When Huo Qingfeng brought Xiao Fu'an home, he didn't explain his background clearly. He only said that he was the child of a comrade-in-arms who had died in the line of duty, and that he would become their little prince.

She had always believed that the child, orphaned and destined to be their little prince for life. Although she valued blood ties highly, the child's pitiful state at birth was too much for her to bear, so she agreed. The child was brought home by Qingfeng; it was she who had raised him. Over the years, she had loved the child wholeheartedly, almost forgetting that he wasn't her biological grandson.

But now it seems that since the other family has a mother, they were just helping to raise the child for a while? The child she raised with so much effort is now being returned to them?

Yuan Meng smiled and nodded. "Yes."

Ling Ruo was afraid that Yang Ziyun would make things difficult for Yuan Meng, and was about to speak when her phone rang. She took it out and saw it was the colonel; she quickly went back into her room to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Honey, are you off work yet?"

“I’m already home. Qingfeng, your mother is here.” Ling Ruoke hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

The colonel paused for a second, then quickly asked, "Did she yell at you again?"

"No, it's just that we moved without telling them, and she was very unhappy. Seeing the wedding photo on the wall made her even angrier, thinking we got married without telling them. Also, she seems unaware of Yuan Meng's existence, and I'm worried..."

Her biggest worry was that Yang Ziyun would make things difficult for Yuan Meng. Yuan Meng was already very sensitive, and she didn't know how upset she would be if Yang Ziyun scolded her.

"I'll be right back!" Huo Qingfeng hung up the phone, grabbed the clothes he had just taken off, and rushed out while putting them on.

Huo Qingfeng understood his mother. After caring for the child for so many years, she was definitely unwilling to give him back unconditionally. In fact, anyone would be unwilling, given the emotional bond they had formed.

As reported in the news before, two families switched babies at birth. Years later, when the problem was discovered and the babies were returned to their parents, not only was the child unable to accept it, but the parents were also unwilling. Blood ties are certainly important, but the bonds that develop over time are even more precious and cannot be severed.

Over the years, his mother has truly loved the little guy. From the time he was born until he was over three years old, she took care of him the whole time. In the beginning, the child cried all night long, and she couldn't sleep at all either, losing a lot of weight. Sometimes, seeing the child crying so sadly, she would cry uncontrollably along with him. His father even called him to tell him how hard his mother worked. Listening to him on the phone, he couldn't help but get teary-eyed.

The mother was reluctant to bring the little guy to Z City in the first place. She wouldn't have let him come if it weren't for wanting to secure a wife for him. You could say she reluctantly sent the child here so he could get married as soon as possible.

As Huo Qingfeng drove, he thought about his mother's various actions and suddenly felt quite unfilial. Although his mother had indeed done some things wrong, it was undeniable that she was a very kind woman. She had devoted herself entirely to her husband and children.

He slammed on the gas pedal, and the car sped off. Just like his eager mood.

Ling Ruoke held her phone, listened to the dial tone, and sighed. A strained relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is truly a painful thing. The one who suffers the most is the colonel, caught in the middle.

In the living room, Yang Ziyun scrutinized Yuan Meng, remaining silent for a long time. This news was too sudden for her. Although Fu'an wasn't of the Huo family bloodline, she had long regarded him as her own grandson, and over the years they had developed a deep affection for each other. Now she had to return him to someone else…

Could it be that Qingfeng lied back then? "Where is your husband?"

"He...died in the line of duty." Yuan Meng forced a smile, but a bitter feeling welled up inside her. A long time had passed, but some wounds still could not heal.

Yang Ziyun looked at her but didn't ask any more questions. She wasn't the kind of heartless person who would knowingly reopen someone's wounds. However, she was still angry, and her face grew increasingly pale.

Ling Ruoke, who had just come out of the kitchen, breathed a huge sigh of relief. It seemed that Yang Ziyun hadn't lashed out at Yuan Meng.

Seeing her come out, Yuan Meng quickly smiled and said to Yang Ziyun, "Auntie, please sit down for a while, I'll go prepare dinner."

"Hmm," Yang Ziyun responded, clearly somewhat absent-minded. Her mind was in turmoil, and she hadn't yet recovered from the sudden shock.

As Yuan Meng passed by Ling Ruoke, the two exchanged a glance. Then Yuan Meng hid in the kitchen, while Ling Ruoke went to the battlefield.

Ling Ruoke took two more teacups, brewed a pot of tea, and then sat down next to Yang Ziyun.

Yang Ziyun suddenly stood up and walked out of the house. "I'm going to make a phone call."

Ling Ruoke stood up and watched her leave. She then slipped into the kitchen. "Yuan Meng, don't worry about it. Qingfeng will be back soon."

Yuan Meng smiled and shook her head. "Why would I care? But you, that's your mother-in-law. It's hard for you not to care."

“There’s nothing I can do about it.” Ling Ruoke shrugged and smiled. She couldn’t help but care, but not as much as she had at the beginning. If she was destined not to please her, then she had no choice but to force herself not to care. “However, she’s actually a very good person, it’s just that some things happened too coincidentally, so she can’t let it go.”

Yuan Meng patted her shoulder. "Yeah. But don't worry, Huo Qingfeng will protect you. My mother-in-law used to dislike me too. She always thought I was weak and couldn't work, and she was worried I couldn't have children. Back then, Kaiyi paid for my school fees, which made her even more unhappy. No matter what I did, she always thought I was bad. But when she was sick in bed, she held my hand and cried, saying she was sorry. So, people are really strange sometimes..."

Recalling the past, Yuan Meng choked up, her eyes brimming with tears. Although her mother-in-law hadn't treated her well, her presence alone was a comfort. Now that she's gone, everything is meaningless.

This time, it was Ling Ruoke's turn to pat her on the shoulder without saying anything. She simply helped pick and wash the vegetables.

The two of them prepared dinner together, and it was soon served. Just as they started eating, the sound of a motor came on outside.

"I'll go open the door." Ling Ruoke hurriedly ran to open the door and welcomed the colonel in.

Yang Ziyun looked at her, her displeasure even more pronounced.

Yuan Meng sighed inwardly. It would probably not be easy to win over her mother-in-law.

Huo Qingfeng rushed to the door and bumped into Ruo Ke who was running out. He hugged her and kissed her a few times. "It's okay, baby, I'm here."

Ling Ruoke couldn't help but laugh. "Don't always treat me like a frightened child." She wasn't asking him for help, but rather felt that he was better suited to handle some problems, especially those concerning Fu'an.

"I was afraid my wife would be terrified," Huo Qingfeng said, relieved to see she was unharmed. His wife was fine fighting, but she was too soft-hearted, especially towards elders; she must have been bullied terribly. However, his mother only said a few harsh words; she wouldn't actually hit her.

Ling Ruoke pinched him. "Hurry up and go inside, or your mom will get angry."

Huo Qingfeng raised an eyebrow and led her towards the door. He was already destined to bear the stigma of "forgetting his mother after getting a wife." He just couldn't understand why his mother was so angry. In any case, he would have a good talk with her today and try to appease her.

"Mom, you're here!" Huo Qingfeng strode in.

"Daddy—" The little guy jumped off the chair and ran straight over.

Huo Qingfeng picked him up, tossed him in the air, and caught him. "Alright, eat your food properly."

Huo Qingfeng sat down next to Yang Ziyun, smiling at his mother. "Mom, why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up."

Ling Ruoke hurriedly filled his bowl with rice and handed it to him.

"Thank you, wife."

Yang Ziyun glanced at Ling Ruoke and said, "I wanted to surprise you, but I was turned away. Luckily I made a phone call, otherwise I don't know how long I would have been waiting outside someone else's door."

"So next time, don't try to surprise us. We'll be happy if you come, okay?" Huo Qingfeng put his arm around his mother's shoulder and began his sweet talk offensive.

Yang Ziyun glanced at him and poked him. "Don't give me that frivolous look. I'll settle the score with you properly after we finish eating."

Yang Ziyun felt a little relieved that her son wasn't only interested in his wife. Besides, she wouldn't air her dirty laundry in public, so she wouldn't scold her son in front of Yuan Meng.

"Okay. Let's eat first, let's eat first!" Before he finished speaking, he began to eat heartily.

Yuan Meng looked at Ling Ruoke, a secret smile playing on her lips. Huo Qingfeng, like Kaiyi, always pampered his mother and protected his wife. They were both good men who loved their wives dearly; being with such men was a blessing. But her Kaiyi was no longer there…