CH 56

The first thing that caught her eye was a proper and elegant lady. Her carefully groomed face hardly showed any signs of aging. Time had been kind to her, and there were minimal traces of aging. Her black curls cascaded over her shoulders in what seemed like a casual yet meticulously arranged manner. A joyful smile adorned her face that resembled Shan Yi’s by seven or eight points, fine wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes. Shan Yi had inherited her flawless skin.

Although the elegant lady wasn’t dressed particularly lavishly and had a smiling countenance, her aura and presence were strong, creating an aura that still made people feel somewhat apprehensive. The distinction between online and reality still existed. Shen Tiantian even took a step back.

Mother Shan had no intention of startling her. She had been eagerly anticipating Shen Tiantian’s arrival and, while waiting for her, almost wore out a hole in the living room floor with her pacing. After a long wait, she finally saw them return. However, when they didn’t immediately enter the room, she became anxious as she watched the surveillance footage. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she opened the door to welcome them just as she heard Shen Tiantian’s nervous comment.

In her heart, she thought, ‘why be nervous? They’re not going to eat you.’ While she had this perspective, it didn’t necessarily mean Shen Tiantian shared the sentiment.

This must be Shan Yi’s mother, right?!

Stiffening her neck, Shen Tiantian turned her head slightly to look at the woman beside her, seeking guidance with her eyes.

What should she do? Did she hear what was said earlier?! Her heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of her mouth.

Receiving her gaze, Shan Yi smiled indulgently, then addressed the elegant lady: “Mom, we’re back.”

Nodding with a smiling expression, mother Shan’s gaze never left Shen Tiantian. Upon hearing Shan Yi’s words, her smile grew even warmer. She extended her hands toward Shen Tiantian, but before she could make contact, Shan Yi presented the prepared gift, saying, “This is the gift that Tiantian brought for you.”

She didn’t quite manage to touch her ‘daughter-in-law,’ so she discreetly glared at her daughter. However, when facing Shen Tiantian, she switched to another expression and put on a different face. “Well, if you’ve come, then come. Why bring gifts? We’re not lacking anything at home.” While she said this, she still accepted the gift.

After rehearsing in her mind several times, Shen Tiantian softly said: “Uh, hello, Auntie~ I’m Shen Tiantian. Sorry for the intrusion.”

Mother Shan ushered them into the house, all the while correcting her name repeatedly, seemingly tireless in her correction. “Why do you keep calling me Auntie?”

However, considering that Shen Tiantian was still getting used to it, she took a step back and added: “If you’re uncomfortable with it, you can call me mother Shan. ‘Auntie’ seems a bit unfamiliar.”

Shen Tiantian squinted her eyes; she felt her face was almost frozen from smiling. Following her suggestion, she responded, “Okay, mother Shan.”

Shan Yi thought to herself that it might be a bit difficult to change her title if they waited too long. After all, she had been using the term “CEO” for a while now, and it hadn’t changed yet.

Upon entering the living room, they saw a middle-aged man wearing frameless glasses seated on a luxurious gray and white European-style sofa. He was engrossed in reading a newspaper, only lifting his head slowly when he heard the sound. Behind the lenses of his glasses, a hint of color flickered in his eyes, elusive enough to make it hard to catch any trace.

“Dad,” Shan Yi greeted with a word, then pushed Shen Tiantian forward. “This is Tiantian, my girlfriend.”

Only then did Father Shan put down the newspaper, lowering his glasses slightly and squinting as he scrutinized Shen Tiantian with sharp eyes.

As Shen Tiantian stood there under his gaze, her legs were trembling. It was especially nerve-wracking knowing that the person in front of her was Shan Yi’s father, the highest executive officer of the company. Clinging nervously to the gift box containing the shaver that Shan Yi had given her, she felt the weight of the situation.

It had been over two years since she joined the company, Yue Feng, but this was the first time she had seen the company’s chairman, and as Shan Yi’s girlfriend, no less. Prior to this, she had never interacted with someone of this stature. Unlike her interactions with mother Shan, where they had chatted online before meeting, facing father Shan’s gaze, she found herself feeling a bit weak in the knees.

Father Shan’s expression was quite serious, and she even began to doubt Shan Yi’s claim that he was easy to get along with. Following his gaze, her own eyes fell on her belly. Swallowing hard, she instinctively used the gift box containing the shaver to shield herself a bit. She knew she should speak first, her voice trembling a little as she said: “Uncl-…Chairman, hello. I-I’m Shen Tiantian, uh…”

Even though they weren’t heading to a battlefield, Shen Tiantian’s expression was more valiant than if she were heading to certain death in a war. This left father Shan utterly bewildered. He questioned himself, ‘Do I look very scary?’

If he were to ask, Shen Tiantian would probably reply, “It’s not that you look scary, it’s just that your expression is quite terrifying…”

Seeing Shen Tiantian completely tongue-tied, Shan Yi couldn’t bear to see her suffer any longer. She pulled her to sit on the sofa and placed the gift on an intricately crafted low table, conveniently blocking father Shan’s view of her belly. “This is what Shen Tiantian got for you.”

“You’ve spent too much,” father Shan finally spoke, giving a composed nod and withdrawing his gaze from her belly.

Mother Shan had already prepared some tea in advance and brought a pot of floral tea from the tea room. With a cheerful smile, she poured a cup for Shen Tiantian, not noticing the incident that had just occurred a minute ago. Her entire focus was on Shen Tiantian, overjoyed beyond measure.

“Here, try the flower tea mom brewed,” Mother Shan sat down next to Shen Tiantian, holding the cup of tea out to her as if she was about to feed her.

To be honest, this overwhelming warmth made Shen Tiantian feel a bit uneasy.

“Thank, thank you,” Shen Tiantian said as she took the cup and took a small sip. The flower tea had a strong aroma, as if it had been steeped for a while. Even from a distance, a faint floral fragrance could be detected.

“Mom, what about mine?” Shan Yi asked, pretending to be indignant.

“You’re a grown-up now, can’t you pour it yourself?” Mother Shan said with a smile, not sparing her a glance. As she looked at Shen Tiantian, she thought that this young lady was quite refined and well-behaved, with the only flaw being her slight stutter. But it didn’t matter; they weren’t that conventional. They would accept even a mute if that’s what their child liked.

Shan Yi: …

Shen Tiantian: …

This once again fully demonstrated the effect of the “real daughter” phenomenon.

Unaware of the judgment mother Shan had silently made about her, Shen Tiantian drank her tea as if it had nothing to do with her. She found it somewhat amusing in her heart. All of Shan Yi’s family members were so nice, except that the chairman seemed more serious. But thinking about it, it made sense. After all, he was the head of the family and the chairman in control of several companies, so he naturally needed to maintain his image.

“Husband, why aren’t you saying anything?” Mother Shan turned to her husband, noticing that he was just staring without a word, a serious expression that made people nervous. After speaking, mother Shan turned to Shen Tiantian and said: “Don’t mind your dad’s appearance. He, well, he’s just being shy.”

Shen Tiantian couldn’t see the chairman being shy at all. She thought bitterly in her heart but didn’t dare to show it on her face. She forced a smile and nodded obediently.

“Is Shan Xu and Auntie not here today?” Shan Yi asked, looking around and not seeing anyone except for the servants.

“Your younger brother said he has a meeting today, but he’s still in the study. Your aunt is off today; after receiving a phone call, she went somewhere and I don’t know where.”

Having a meeting on the weekend?!

Well, she could now understand why the Shan family was becoming more and more powerful. It wasn’t without reason. They worked when others rested and were still working when others were working. How could they not be successful?!

As mother Shan finished speaking, she turned back again. “You guys must be hungry. Go to the living room and have some food. I’ll go check on the soup.”

Shen Tiantian quickly stood up, indicating that she wanted to help.

Mother Shan took her small hand and patted it, saying happily: “Sure.”

Shan Yi had also thought about going, but after some consideration, she decided it would be good for them to bond a bit.

After they left the hall, father Shan slowly took off his glasses, turned to his daughter, and asked, “Is she working at Yue Feng?”

Shan Yi replied with an “Mhm,” indicating her confirmation.

“Nonsense, pregnant and still working? What if she gets tired?” Father Shan scolded with displeasure.

“Her condition is stable now. Aunt has already checked on her, and Tiantian doesn’t want to stay at home either.” Shan Yi’s expression matched her father’s, serious and stern. “I’ve transferred her to my office and reduced her workload as much as possible.”

Father Shan’s expression softened by this explanation. “How far along is the pregnancy?”

“Two months,” Shan Yi replied.

The conversation halted at this point as mother Shan’s voice echoed from the dining room. The father and daughter exchanged a glance and then each went to their respective partners.

Mother Shan seemed to have said something amusing, since Shen Tiantian was chuckling softly.  Shan Yi raised an eyebrow inquisitively. It had only been a few minutes, and they were already chatting and laughing?

“What did mom say to you?” Shan Yi leaned in close to Shen Tiantian’s ear and asked, taking the chopsticks she handed to her.

Shen Tiantian shook her head, a lingering smile still playing on her lips.

Very well. Shan Yi smirked, planning to settle the score with her tonight.

The dining table was large and long, easily accommodating more than a dozen people. Mother Shan was supposed to sit across from them, but instead, she chose to sit beside Shen Tiantian. “My daughter and I will sit together. Husband, you should eat more.”

Shan Yi: …

Father Shan: …

“Oh, by the way,” Mother Shan picked up a piece of meat for Shen Tiantian, not even lifting an eyelid. “I messaged Xiao Xu, but he didn’t respond. He probably hasn’t finished the meeting yet. I called Xiao Yue, and she said she can’t make it back due to something urgent. Let’s start eating.”

“Yes, let’s eat first,” Father Shan chimed in.

Shen Tiantian sneakily glanced at father Shan. She actually wished that Xiao Xu would appear soon. With more familiar faces around, she might feel more at ease. Plus, Xiao Xu was skilled at creating a lively atmosphere; at least, it wouldn’t be so… dull!

Just as she was thinking this, a sneeze broke the silence. The voice was somewhat familiar, and a carefree male voice followed, “I wonder who missed me so much, sneezing almost made me trip and fall.”

Upon hearing the voice, Shen Tiantian immediately recognized it was Shan Xu’s.

Pfft…

Shen Tiantian almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Hey, sister-in-law, long time no see,” Shan Xu grinned at Shen Tiantian, raising an eyebrow. He casually instructed the servant to prepare an extra set of utensils for him, pulled a chair, and sat down beside Shan Yi.

And just like that, Shen Tiantian found herself sandwiched in between them.

Father Shan’s eyebrows furrowed, “No sense of decorum.”

Shen Tiantian was slightly startled, her hand under the table tightly gripping Shan Yi’s hand. Shan Yi immediately responded by gently squeezing her hand back and lightly patting her palm, signaling her not to be nervous.

“Dad, you scared sister-in-law,” Shan Xu didn’t tone down his demeanor despite his father’s reprimand. “It’s her first time here, and you’ve scared her off. Do you expect her to come back next time? Who knows, she might break up with my sister over this.”

Shan Yi’s face tightened. She subtly extended her long legs under the table and delivered a swift kick to Shan Xu’s shin. A muffled grunt followed, and Shan Yi smirked.

Shan Xu: …

Mother Shan didn’t notice her children’s subtle actions and chimed in: “Yes, yes, we’re all family. Don’t bring your work attitude home; it’s annoying. Don’t scare my daughter, or else you’ll have to deal with me.”

Father Shan: …

In the end, he became the target of everyone’s criticism?