When Feng Lin finished signing the last document, Su Xianyu was standing by the desk, flipping through the calendar.
Seeing Feng Lin put down his pen, she suddenly turned around and pointed at the next date. "Let's go tomorrow. Let's go visit Auntie."
Feng Lin rubbed his temples, his voice laced with concern. "Auntie just came back, and she's quite straightforward. You're pregnant now. What if she says something offensive..."
"That's exactly why we should go now that she's just returned," Su Xianyu said as she walked over and gently placed her fingertips on his tense shoulders.
"Think about it. Auntie has lived abroad for so many years. Her sudden return can't be just about dealing with the old family business.
"If we visit her proactively, it's not only a matter of courtesy as younger generations, but we can also try to figure out what's on her mind. It's better than just speculating at home."
Her voice was soft but carried an undeniable certainty.
Feng Lin knew her well. Although she seemed gentle, she was actually very perceptive. Since she had made up her mind, there was no use arguing.
"Okay, I'll listen to you," he said as he took her hand and kissed it gently. "But when we meet her tomorrow, don't take to heart whatever she says. I'll be there for you."
Su Xianyu smiled but said nothing.
She always felt that Feng Lan's return to China this time was not that simple.
A few days ago, she heard from Maid Liu that Maid Zhang at the old mansion had been very busy lately. A lot of baby stuff had been moved into the storage room. This didn't seem like the kind of activity one would expect from someone "dealing with the old family business."
The next morning, as soon as the car turned into the alley leading to the old mansion, Su Xianyu noticed a pair of women's slippers placed at the entrance.
They were powder-pink and small in size, not the kind of style Feng Lan would wear, it seemed.
She took a discreet glance and then followed Feng Lin inside.
Feng Lan was sitting under the porch, sipping tea. When she saw them enter, she just lifted her eyelids slightly. "You're here."
"Auntie," Su Xianyu greeted her with a smile. As she took her seat, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the door of the east wing was ajar, and half of a pink lace curtain was visible through the crack.
All the curtains in the Feng family's old mansion were made of dark-colored cotton and linen. This pink lace curtain was just too out of place.
"I heard you're pregnant?" Feng Lan finally looked at Su Xianyu's belly. Her voice lacked warmth. "You need to be careful in the first few months. Don't go out too often."
"Thank you for your concern, Auntie. I'm in good health. Recently..." Su Xianyu was just about to continue when suddenly there was a soft noise from the east wing.
It sounded like someone had choked, followed by muffled coughing.
Feng Lan frowned imperceptibly and raised her voice. "Maid Zhang, go check if the water is boiling."
Maid Zhang responded and headed towards the kitchen. As she passed by the east wing, she paused for a moment, quickly lifted the curtain and went in, then came out with an empty water cup in her hand.
Su Xianyu took all this in and suddenly said to Feng Lan with a smile, "Auntie, do you have other guests here? If it's inconvenient, we'll go back first and come to visit another day."
"No," Feng Lan's voice became a bit sterner. "It's just a distant relative who's staying here for a few days."
"A distant relative?" Su Xianyu pretended to be curious and glanced in the direction of the wing.
"Which younger sister is it? I just brought some natural skincare products for pregnant women. If she could use them..."
"Mind your own business!" A shrill female voice suddenly came from the east wing. It was full of anger and a bit of panic. "I... I don't need these!"
"Sorry to have embarrassed you," Feng Lan suddenly put down her teacup. "That girl... has been spoiled since childhood."
"Young people are always impulsive," Su Xianyu smiled and didn't say anything more.
She had been sensitive to voices since childhood. Although the female voice had been pitched higher, she still recognized it as Ruan Sisi's!
So she had come to Feng Lin's aunt's place, trying to take a roundabout way. It seemed this trip hadn't been in vain.
On the way back, Feng Lin frowned. "That distant relative is so rude. I'll tell her to come and apologize to you later..."
"No need," Su Xianyu gently held his hand. "It's just a little girl throwing a tantrum. I don't take it to heart."
She leaned against the car window, watching the tree shadows flashing by outside.
Ruan Sisi was hiding in the old mansion, and Feng Lan was deliberately covering it up. Moreover, baby supplies had been prepared. It seemed they were counting on this child to be the heir of the Feng family.
But it didn't matter. Fake could never be real. She had plenty of patience.
To deal with someone as impatient as Ruan Sisi, all she needed to do was give a gentle push and let her lose her cool.
So in the following days, Su Xianyu began to visit Feng Lan's old mansion more frequently.
Feng Lin was initially a bit worried, but with the hospital and the company piling up work, he was really busy.
After a few visits, he noticed that his aunt's attitude was becoming more and more amiable, so he let her do as she pleased. He just told the servants and bodyguards to put his wife first in everything.
One evening, Su Xianyu stewed a pot of Chinese yam and spare rib soup and specifically asked Maid Zhang to bring a bowl to Feng Lan.
Just as she was about to turn around and go back, she heard a "clank" sound from the inner room, followed by Maid Zhang's exclamation. "Madam! What's wrong with you?"
She quickly ran over and saw Feng Lan leaning against the door frame, covering her chest. Her face was pale, and the soup bowl in her hand had fallen to the ground, shattering into pieces everywhere.
"Auntie!" Su Xianyu rushed over to support her. When her fingertips touched Feng Lan's hand, it was burning hot. "Are you feeling unwell? I'll go call a doctor!"
"Don't panic," Feng Lan gasped and tightened her grip on Su Xianyu's hand. "It's an old problem, palpitations. The medicine is in the bedside drawer."
Su Xianyu immediately turned around and went into the room, but she couldn't find the medicine in the drawer. When she looked back, she saw a brown medicine bottle in the corner of the windowsill.
She checked the label on the bottle, made sure she had the right one, and quickly poured out two tablets.
"Auntie, open your mouth," she said as she helped Feng Lan sit down, gently placed the tablets under her tongue, and then handed her a glass of warm water.
"Did you put the medicine on the windowsill? This medicine is sensitive to sunlight. Its effectiveness will be reduced by half if it's exposed to the sun."
Feng Lan, with the tablets in her mouth, looked at her in surprise.
This medicine was prescribed by a foreign doctor, and she had never told anyone else about its usage and dosage. How did Su Xianyu know?
"Last time when I helped you organize your study, I accidentally saw the English instructions on the medicine bottle, so I looked it up specifically," Su Xianyu said as she wiped the water stain from the corner of Feng Lan's mouth. Her tone was as natural as if she were talking about the weather. "If you trust me, I can bring the medicine to you on time every day from now on?"
As she spoke, her fingertips gently pressed on Feng Lan's wrist, with her index finger and middle finger on the pulse point. Her movements were as skillful as those of an experienced doctor.
Feng Lan was stunned - this method of feeling the pulse was somewhat similar to that of her late mother.
"You know this too?"
"I've learned a little in the hospital over the years. It's just the basics," Su Xianyu said as she let go of Feng Lan's hand and smiled.
"You've been overworked, and you've been suffering from excessive internal heat lately. I'll go make you a bowl of lotus seed heart tea to calm your nerves..."
Ruan Sisi, who had been peeping from around the corner, couldn't bear it any longer when she saw the two getting closer. She turned around and went back to her room.
She took out the medicine bottle hidden in the dressing table, closed her eyes, and put the tablets into her mouth...