They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Lin Yaoyao stood at the door of the master bedroom, staring at the peanuts and red dates on the bed sheet.

He helplessly shrugged at his own mother.

"Peanuts and red dates symbolize the wish for many sons; it's a tradition passed down from our ancestors, and I understand!"

"But what did you mean when you said Qingning could also share in the joy?"

Carrie Lam took a sip of the hot tea in her thermos, looking completely at ease.

"That's exactly what you heard! Qingning is one of us too, what's wrong with sharing in the joy? We can never have too many of these kinds of things."

Lin Yaoyao opened her mouth.

"Mom, I'm your biological child. I understand why you're urging me to have a baby."

"I understand that you even made the bed for me! But Qingning, she..."

Lin Yaoyao turned to look at Shen Qingning, hoping that the other party would have some self-awareness.

However, Shen Qingning's expression was unexpected.

She didn't show her usual calm and composed smile.

Instead, she lowered her head slightly, and a very faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

Her feet, encased in black stockings, shrank back half an inch from the edge of the bed, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the sheet.

Seeing her expression, Lin Yaoyao felt another string in her mind tighten.

Why are you blushing like a bubble teapot?

When did Shen Qingning learn to blush?

I wasn't embarrassed when I was spying on the bedroom across the street from the Jade Garden manor with binoculars.

Now, standing next to the wedding bed, she blushed.

"Auntie!" Shen Qingning's voice was much softer than usual.

She didn't look at Lin Yaoyao, but instead gave a slight bow to Lin Zhengxiujuan.

Her tone was so docile, unlike the aloof and unapproachable Shen Qingning who once graced the entertainment industry.

"thank you!"

Carrie Lam put down her thermos and walked over to hold Shen Qingning's hand.

"No need to thank me, we're all family."

She turned to look at Lin Yaoyao: "Look how sensible Qing Ning is, all you do is stand there and glare."

"No! Wait!" Lin Yaoyao took two steps forward.

"When did you two become so close? Why are you both calling me 'Auntie' all of a sudden?"

Shen Qingning raised her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Then she called out, "Mom!"

"Why!"

The entire master bedroom was silent for about three seconds.

Lin Yaoyao stood there, her expression more disgusted than if she had eaten shit.

Was that word just spoken by Shen Qingning?

Who does she call Mom?

Her mother only has one daughter, and now she's standing in the master bedroom watching her best friend call her biological mother "Mom."

"What did you just call her?"

"Mom!" Shen Qingning repeated.

She paused, then added, "Mom said it's okay to call her that."

Carrie Lam nodded repeatedly beside her.

"Yes, yes, I told Qingning to call me that! Why be so formal? It was bound to happen sooner or later!"

"Look how wonderful Qingning is. She's beautiful, speaks politely, and doesn't cause any trouble after retiring from the entertainment industry. She quietly helps Jianghan Company."

"Yaoyao, you should learn from Qingning."

Lin Yaoyao's gaze darted back and forth between her biological mother and Shen Qingning several times.

Back when Shen Qingning broke up with Jiang Han, I took advantage of the situation and lured Jiang Han home under the guise of being a couple.

The result was that he completely ruined himself, both physically and emotionally.

Shen Qingning is even more ruthless!

She didn't try to take Jiang Han away; she took her mother instead.

Moreover, she snatched it even more naturally than when she lured Jiang Han away. She called him "Mom" and shook his hand, as if she had overreacted the whole time.

"Alright, alright, you two chat." Lin Yaoyao took a half step back.

"I'll go check if there's anything to drink in the fridge."

"There are no drinks in the refrigerator," Carrie Lam said without turning her head.

"I switched to fresh milk and soy milk. You know you can't drink carbonated drinks while trying to conceive."

Carrie Lam took Shen Qingning's hand and showed her around the newly added items in the villa.

Her tone was as earnest as when she introduced her dowry from her wedding.

"I just replaced this refrigerator last month. It's a double-door refrigerator, with the freezer on the left and the refrigerator on the right."

"I have some lamb that I brought back from Inner Mongolia in the freezer. It's especially good for making soup and promoting lactation."

"The refrigerator contains fresh milk, soy milk, spinach, and broccoli—all fresh and healthy items."

Carrie Lam opened the refrigerator door to show Shen Qingning the layout inside.

"I put folic acid in the second compartment and vitamins in the third compartment."

"Yaoyao started taking it when she was 18, one pill a day without fail."

"You have to make it up later too, you can't be lazy about this!"

"The bird's nest is at the very back of the refrigerator compartment. After soaking it, stew it in a double boiler with rock sugar, and drink one cup each morning and evening."

Shen Qingning listened attentively, bending down to look at the display in the refrigerator; her black stockings reflected a very faint sheen under the light.

"Auntie...Mom, what brand of folic acid is this?"

"It's imported. I'll send you the link later. Yaoyao has been taking it for several years, and her health has always been excellent."

Lin Yaoyao followed behind, peeking half her head out from beside the refrigerator door.

"Yes, I've been eating this for many years, so when did you start calling me 'older sister'?"

Shen Qingning didn't look up; she was still looking at the folic acid bottle in the refrigerator.

"If we're arranging them by the order they came in, you're my younger sister."

"Huh?" Lin Yaoyao's voice became hoarse again in her excitement.

"You're going to argue with me about the order of entry?"

Shen Qingning straightened up, her tone calm and frank.

"I believe that my relationship with Jiang Han is long-term and has not been interrupted by the brief breakup. From a physiological point of view, there is no problem that I am the older sister."

"Regarding this issue of continuity, you can ask Yutong to answer it from a legal perspective."

Lin Yaoyao opened her mouth, but for a moment she couldn't find a way to retaliate.

She turned to look at Jiang Han, only to find him leaning against the kitchen door frame, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea.

He was watching the scene in the living room with a look of schadenfreude.

They had absolutely no intention of interrupting.

Carrie Lam had already walked to the other end of the living room, opened the door of the storage cabinet, and continued her introduction.

The locker was filled with neatly arranged bottles and jars: walnuts, black sesame seeds, goji berries, angelica root, and astragalus root.

Each type was packaged in a sealed glass jar, with a handwritten label on the jar indicating the product name and shelf life.

"Take a spoonful of walnuts and black sesame seeds every day, and add a few slices of angelica root when stewing chicken soup."

"Astragalus root tea is good for replenishing qi. Xiao Jiang often stays up late, so you can drink it together."

Carrie Lam took out a sealed jar, opened the lid, and handed it to Shen Qingning to smell.

"This is a homemade donkey-hide gelatin cake with walnuts and red dates. I eat one piece every morning to replenish my blood."

"Women should treat themselves better!"

Shen Qingning took the jar and sniffed it.

The rich aroma of dates and gelatin mixed together reminded her of the taste of her grandmother making donkey-hide gelatin when she was a child.

She had eaten donkey-hide gelatin cake on set before.

Her assistant bought it for her; the packaging was beautiful, but the taste was very bland, and she didn't feel anything after eating it.

Carrie Lam's is different; you can smell the quality and substance in it.

"Thank you, Mom!"

"Oh! Such a good girl!"

Lin Yaoyao walked over from the kitchen doorway and finally couldn't help but speak.

"Mom, are you sure you haven't mistaken your daughter for someone else?"

Carrie Lam turned her head and blinked.

"What are you talking about? Be more understanding!"

"You're Qingning's child's stepmother!"

……