First, then, love.

6:15.

The Porsche drove into the underground parking garage of Jinxiu Huating.

Shu Yao parked the car.

Take the elevator to the 22nd floor.

Standing in front of her heavy armored security door, she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.

Extend your finger and press it on the fingerprint lock.

"Click." The door opened.

The lights were on inside.

A faint humming sound came from the kitchen, along with the sizzling of ribs being added to the pan.

He Zheng is back.

Shu Yao changed into slippers and hung her bag on the rack in the entryway.

I walked into the living room.

The God of War, who was lying by the French windows, saw her, wagged his tail, and didn't make a sound.

The princess is rolling around on the cashmere carpet, playing with a ball of yarn.

He Zheng was wearing a dark gray hoodie with a black apron tied around his waist. He was holding a spatula and stirring the sweet and sour pork ribs in the pan.

I heard the sound of high heels.

"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

His voice was flat, revealing no emotional fluctuation.

It was as if the awkwardness of the morning had never existed.

Shu Yao looked at his broad back, bit her lip, ignored him, and walked straight back to the master bedroom.

I changed into comfortable loungewear, loose-fitting cotton long-sleeved shirts and trousers.

I just stepped out of the bedroom.

"Ding-dong—Ding-dong—"

The doorbell suddenly rang urgently.

Shu Yao was taken aback. It was so late. Flash Delivery? Or a courier service?

He Zheng turned off the stove, put the ribs into a plate, wiped his hands with a towel, and walked out of the kitchen.

"Go open the door." He gestured with his chin toward the door.

Shu Yao walked over and glanced at the video intercom.

The image on the screen made her gasp.

There were two people standing outside the door.

Lin Shufen, with a rosy complexion and curly hair, and Shen Minghua, with a powerful aura, wearing a khaki trench coat.

The mothers of both sides actually came together to attack.

Shu Yao quickly pressed the open button and yanked open the security door.

"Mom? Why did you two come together?" Shu Yao asked, her face full of surprise.

Outside the door, Lin Shufen was carrying a huge double-layered insulated bucket, while Shen Minghua was carrying several exquisite gift boxes.

"What, aren't you welcome?" Shen Minghua walked in with a smile and changed his shoes.

Lin Shufen placed the thermos on the entryway cabinet, grumbling as she changed her shoes.

"You brat, you didn't even think of hosting a housewarming party when you moved to your new house. We mothers had no choice but to swallow our pride and go over there ourselves."

Shu Yao rolled her eyes and took the things from Lin Shufen's hands.

"You have the nerve to say that? The other day I was moving, I was exhausted from all that stuff, and when I called you your phone was off, you were nowhere to be found!"

It would have been better if Shu Yao hadn't brought it up, because once she did, Lin Shufen got really excited.

She slapped her thigh, her face beaming with undisguised smugness.

"Oh dear, you can't blame me for this. Just two days after we had dinner, your mother-in-law took me straight to the airport and we boarded her company's private jet to fly to Ruili, Yunnan! I left you a message, didn't you see it?"

Yunnan? Private jet?

Shu Yao was stunned.

"What are you going there for? To buy Pu'er tea?"

"Why buy tea? Look at the stones!" Shen Minghua walked over and replied with a smile, "I took my mother-in-law to the jade auction and we found some good pieces."

Lin Shufen blushed with excitement and raised her right hand.

On her wrist, in addition to the original icy jadeite bracelet, she now has a string of jadeite beads that are emerald green and have excellent translucency.

"See that! Minghua helped me pick out this rough stone, and she cut it on the spot! It turned out to be high-grade icy jade with floating patterns. She immediately turned it into beads. With this quality, it would sell for hundreds of thousands in a mall!"

Shu Yao looked at her mother's nouveau riche face, which had been completely corrupted by capitalism, and helplessly rubbed her forehead.

No wonder he was too busy moving; apparently he went gambling on the border with a billionaire woman.

She really didn't check the messages; sometimes they were too annoying, so she even blocked Lin Shufen's messages.

I hadn't seen her for the past few days, and I thought she had gone to Hainan to visit her maternal grandfather.

Hearing the noise, He Zheng came out of the kitchen.

I saw two mothers standing in the entryway.

He walked over, his back straight, and his gaze fell on Lin Shufen.

Without any hesitation, his voice was steady and full of energy.

"Mom, you're here. It's windy outside, please come in and sit down."

The word "Mom" was uttered very naturally and crisply, without the slightest hesitation.

Lin Shufen was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, his mouth stretched to his ears, and he laughed so hard that his teeth were completely hidden from his eyes.

This is the son of a special police captain, a provincial party secretary, and the only son of a billionaire woman.

This incredibly wealthy and eligible bachelor now respectfully calls her "Mom."

Lin Shufen felt as if her bones had become two ounces lighter.

"Okay! Good boy!" Lin Shufen agreed repeatedly, looking at the black apron on He Zheng's body. "Oh, is Xiao He cooking? Yao Yao, you really don't know any better, how could you let Xiao He go into the kitchen!"

Shu Yao pursed her lips, not daring to argue back.

He Zheng remained calm. "It's nothing. I was just free, so I did something on the side."

He turned to Shen Minghua, "Mom, come sit in the living room, I'll make some tea."

Shen Minghua nodded and pulled Lin Shufen toward the living room.

The two mothers entered the living room, their eyes scanning the surroundings like radar.

A spacious 300-square-meter apartment.

A black leather sofa covered with a snow-white cashmere carpet.

Next to the cold, hard gray marble wall, there are large foliage figs and areca palms.

The most eye-catching thing is the French crystal vase on the coffee table. The ninety-nine red roses inside, though not well cared for, are blooming wildly and are dazzlingly red.

The air was filled with the pleasant scent of tuberose diffuser, mixed with the aroma of pork ribs from the kitchen.

Shen Minghua looked around and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. This house used to be like a Buddhist temple because of He Lao Er, cold and lifeless. Now it finally has some human warmth."

Lin Shufen also praised, "The carpet is nicely laid out, making it look warm and cozy, but the sofa is so dark, it looks depressing."

"Meow—"

The princess stood up from the carpet, stretched, and jumped directly onto Lin Shufen's lap.

Lin Shufen stroked the cat's fur casually, "Oh my, this little princess has even gotten fatter since she got to her new home."

He Zheng placed two cups of freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea on the coffee table.

"Mom, have some tea."

He took off his apron and tossed it casually onto the single sofa next to him.

Shen Minghua sat on the sofa, picked up his teacup, and blew on it.

His gaze shifted and landed on He Zheng and Shu Yao.

He Zheng stood on the left side of the coffee table, and Shu Yao stood on the right side of the coffee table.

There was a two-meter distance between the two.

From the moment they entered, the two of them didn't exchange a single word, nor did they even make eye contact.

Shen Minghua is a shrewd businessman who has made his way in the business world; he has a very sharp eye.

They had just gotten their marriage certificate and moved in together; it should have been a time of blissful happiness.

The two of them stood like two enemies about to draw their guns and duel, creating a stiff and awkward atmosphere in the room.

"What are you two doing?" Shen Minghua put down his teacup, his voice slow and deliberate, yet carrying an invisible sense of pressure.

"Standing so far apart, like the Milky Way is in between? Did you two have a fight?"

Shu Yao's heart skipped a beat.

The alarm blared.