“Grandmother, Manman really cares about you. She asked me about your preferences and went to a lot of shops before buying this Pu’er tea for you. It is perfectly aged and it is your favorite. The shop owner did not want to sell it at first but Manman has begged him for a long time,” Pei Xiuyuan said.
The old lady glanced at his grandson, she signaled the butler to take the present.
She knew his grandson. Assertive and stubborn since young. She could not force him into doing anything.
“Go there and sit down, don’t stand here and pretend to be pitiful!” The old lady gave a cold glance at Lu Man.
Lu Man quickly went back to her seat.
“You can serve dinner now,” the old lady ordered the butler.
A grand feast was served in a flash.
“Let’s dig in,” the old lady said.
It was a dining etiquette in the Pei family, no talking when eating, and no eating when doing something else.
Lu Man was already very nervous and scared. Now that she had to have dinner in this suppressing mood, she felt even worse. She had lost all her appetite and could barely swallow the food that Pie Xiuyuan had put onto her plate. When he saw it, he stopped.
When the old lady put down her chopsticks, the butler immediately passed her a clean piece of napkin. She wiped her mouth gracefully and put it onto the plate that the butler was holding. She looked at Pei Zichen and asked, “Xiao Chen, why don’t you eat some more? Are you full?”
“Yes, I am, Great-grandmother!” Pei Zichen replied politely.
Wang Yunxi put down her chopsticks. “Me too.”
When Lu Man saw Mu Yunhai doing the same, she quickly put down her chopsticks. She was praying hard for this meal to be over soon.
“When are you moving back in?” The old lady asked Pei Xiuyuan.
What? Lu Man’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned to Pei Xiuyuan.
Pei Xiuyuan was slowly wiping his mouth. He did not hasten even when they were looking at him. He put down the napkins. And then he looked up at his grandmother.
“In a few days.”
Lu Man froze.
They were moving back into the old manor!
She would have to live with Wang Yunxi and Mu Yunhai! And with the old lady!
She did not dare to imagine her life in the near future!
She thought that that was how the end of the day looked like. So easily.
Her head hurt. Her face was as pale as a sheet.
Mu Yunhai looked sick when he heard Pei Xiuyuan’s words. He already felt so terrible when he occasionally saw them being together. What if they have to meet every day? God must be punishing him right now!
“Stay the night. I have matters to discuss with you,” the old lady said.
“Yes.”
After dinner, Pei Xiuyuan told them that he wanted to bring Lu Man out for a walk in the garden. Actually, it was because Lu Man kept hinting him to get to a quiet place so that they could talk.
“Dad, I want to go too!” Pei Zichen wanted to tag along.
“Stay in the house.” Pei Xiuyuan had important matters to discuss with Lu Man. He would not let this busybody get in their way.
Pei Zichen would not budge! If his father left with the evil lady after dinner, how could they carry out their plan?
As he was thinking how to get the chance to go with them, Wang Yunxi came into sight.
“Xiao Chen, let’s play a game with me.”
Pei Zichen looked at her, puzzled. How could they carry out the plan if he stayed here?
Wang Yunxi whispered in his ear, “They are not leaving tonight. We have plenty of time.”
Pei Zichen left with Wang Yunxi.
Pei Xiuyuan walked to the garden with Lu Man, with his hand on her waist.
Lu Man pushed him away when they were in the garden.
“Pei Xiuyuan!” She was very, very angry! He did not tell her anything! He always put her in unexpected situations! Was he enjoying himself seeing her getting upset?
Pei Xiuyuan remained calm and steady. He smiled at her, looking at her as if she was a child throwing a tantrum, and he was the man who just let her be.
Lu Man got even angrier when she saw this!
“You are too much, Pei Xiuyuan! Do you think that I am stuck with you?” He always made decisions for her without discussing the matters with her!
Her face turned red as she got angry. Looking at her face, Pei Xiuyuan smiled out of satisfaction. She looked better than she was just now!
When she saw his smile, Lu Man almost exploded with rage. He could even laugh when she was angry at him?
“I will not move in here. If you want to, you move in alone!” She would not move in whatsoever with this arrogant man! He could just move in here on his own!
“Why? Is it because of Wang Yunxi?” Pei Xiuyuan was not in a hurry to make her change her mind.
Everything, even for something that irritated Lu Man, seemed to be a small matter to him and was not enough to stir up his emotions.
“She is not the reason!” It was Grandmother who was making her hesitant about living here.
“Then who is it? Mu Yunhai? You cannot stand seeing him every day?” Pei Xiuyuan asked calmly. It was unnoticeable, but he was a little anxious.
“No.”
“Then it must be Grandmother.”
Lu Man did not admit or deny this time.
“Manman, why are you so afraid of her? Grandmother is a little strict, but she is not harsh or vicious. You do not have to be afraid at all.” Pei Xiuyuan thought that she was a bit too scared of his grandmother.
“Either way, I don’t want to live here!” Lu Man did not want to tell him about her dream. It was just a dream and she could not make it a valid reason for her fear toward his grandmother.
“Manman, I know that it is difficult for you to face all these people in the household when we move in. But they are still my family and they will become yours as well. There is no way you are not going to see them forever.” He had brought her to the apartment in the first place because he was afraid that she might not be able to accept the fact that Wang Yunxi was his sister. But they still need to move back to the old manor eventually because this was his home. Although he also wished that they could continue enjoying their couple life there, he could not. He needed to take care of his grandmother. She was already very old. He did not want to regret not spending enough time with her.
“Seeing them occasionally is better than seeing them every single day!” She could accept that they would meet during the festive seasons or during their weekly visits. But living together under the same roof was a totally different matter!
“Alright, if you do not want to move back in, then we won’t.” Pei Xiuyuan did not force her anymore.
Lu Man was startled slightly. She did not expect him to agree on this that easily. “Haven’t you just promised Grandmother to move in in a few days?”
“I do not want to force you.” If she really did not want to live here, he would not force her. He did not want her to be unhappy.
“Then how would you explain it to Grandmother?” When she calmed down, she could somehow understand the reason why Pei Xiuyuan wanted to move back in with his grandmother. She was old and he was her only grandson. Of course she would want him to be at her side. And also for Xiao Chen’s sake…
When he promised that they would not move back in, she felt a little uneasy. She thought that she might have been a bit too cruel and unfilial.
When she knew that they were not going to move into the old manor, she felt less stressful. But then, she felt depressed again.
She wanted to make up her mind and tell him to move back in, but…