C3 To See Elder Fu!

The next day, Xinyue planned to visit the Fu Mansion to see Elder Fu, who had always been incredibly kind to her, treating her even better than his own granddaughter. Her strong and graceful calligraphy was something she learned from him as a child.

When she was young, her grandfather often took her to visit Elder Fu. He would always joke, "Old Jiang, why don't you let your beautiful little girl stay and become my granddaughter-in-law?"

Her grandfather would laugh and retort, "No way I'm letting your brat have her. He's always got that sour face—who's he trying to impress? Our Xinyue deserves someone who treats her well."

Now that she was actually married to Fu Shaochen, she recalled her grandfather's words. He must have realized long ago that Shaochen didn't really care for her. On his deathbed, he entrusted her to Elder Fu, likely because he found him reliable and trustworthy.

"Grandpa, I'm here to see you!" Xinyue thought about how, if she and Shaochen divorced, she wouldn't have many chances to visit Elder Fu at the mansion. So, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible now.

Elder Fu, now older and not as robust as he once was, often found himself in and out of the hospital.

"Xinyue, you're here! Where's Shaochen? Why didn't he come with you?" Elder Fu's face was full of anticipation. He still hoped that his wayward grandson would visit him more often.

"Shaochen is busy with work, so I came to visit you on his behalf. What, Grandpa, you don't want to see me? Well, I guess I'll be on my way then," Xinyue teased, pretending to leave.

"Now, now, child, how could Grandpa not want to see you? But really, no matter how busy Shaochen is, how long could it take to bring you home for a visit? It's like raising an ungrateful kid," Grandpa Fu grumbled. He knew their marriage was still new and their feelings for each other weren't deep yet, but he hoped they'd spend more time together. Over time, love would surely grow, and maybe they'd even give him a chubby great-grandchild to dote on.

Xinyue headed straight to the kitchen to make Grandpa his favorite matsutake mushroom chicken soup.

"Soup's ready, Grandpa. Give it a taste and see if it's good," Xinyue said, offering him a small bowl to try.

"You're such a sweet girl. Shaochen is lucky to have married you. Joining our family must have been tough on you. If that boy ever gives you trouble, you just let Grandpa know. I'll stand up for you," Grandpa Fu said, feeling sorry for Xinyue. He knew his grumpy grandson wasn't the most considerate, and she probably had to endure a lot.

Xinyue felt a pang of sadness, unsure how she'd eventually tell him about Shaochen wanting a divorce. For now, she just pretended everything was fine.

Suddenly, the door lock clicked open, and Shaochen's mom, Hai Xia, walked in. Hai Xia had never been fond of her daughter-in-law, thinking her family background wasn't prestigious enough, especially after they went bankrupt, and she couldn't help her son in his career.

She originally favored the daughter of Mrs. Ming, a girl she got along with well. The young lady was well-mannered and, more importantly, came from a good family. However, Elder Fu was utterly charmed by another girl and insisted his grandson marry her, even though it was a compromise for Shaochen, who had to marry someone he didn't like and who wasn't considered suitable.

Jiang Xinyue could sense that her mother-in-law wasn't very fond of her, but she still treated her with respect. Despite her mother-in-law often subtly and overtly bullying her, Xinyue endured it all, reminding herself that she was an elder.

"Hai Xia, really, you should have the servants handle things like this. Why make Xinyue do it? Xinyue and Shaochen are married now; she's your daughter-in-law, your daughter. Why don't I ever see you ordering your daughter, Shaoan, to fetch shoes?" Elder Fu couldn't stand his daughter-in-law's bossy demeanor and openly reprimanded her.

Although Hai Xia had her complaints, she didn't want to offend the elder. She hadn't expected him to come downstairs today. Next time, when he's not around, she'll make sure to set some rules for Jiang Xinyue, so she knows who the real mistress of the house is.