That's why the Xiao family's mansion was relatively luxurious and elegant, looking extremely imposing from the outside.
Qin Yaoyao sat in the car, looking at the scenery outside the window. She took several deep breaths in succession before her racing heart calmed down a bit.
This was the Xiao family.
The Xiao family that all in Beicheng feared.
The car door slowly opened, and Xiao Yanzhi stepped out with his long legs, standing steadily beside the car.
After a moment's hesitation, Qin Yaoyao scrambled out of the car and supported Xiao Yanzhi. "A Yan, I..."
"Scared? If you are, you can go back now."
Qin Yaoyao instinctively shook her head. "I'm not scared."
Anyway, she had already made up her mind to marry Xiao Yanzhi. It would be ridiculous to be scared now.
Moreover, Xiao Yanzhi had promised to stand up for her. She had nothing to be afraid of.
Before coming here, Xiao Yanzhi had come clean with her. The Xiao family needed a sensible and obedient daughter - in - law, and he needed a docile and well - behaved nominal wife.
As long as she could gain the acceptance of the two elders of the Xiao family, she could marry into the Xiao family in style and live a worry - free life as the young mistress of the Xiao family from then on.
Qin Yaoyao was quite sure that she would be the right candidate.
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her with lowered eyes for a few moments, his voice deep. "Then let's go."
"Okay." Qin Yaoyao bit her lip, then naturally wrapped her arm around his and tried to appear generous and gentle.
She had made a fool of herself in front of Su Jialan last time. She couldn't afford to make any more mistakes this time.
Hearing what the driver had mentioned just now, Qin Yaoyao was a bit expectant as Xiao Yanzhi's father, Xiao Yuanfeng, was also at home today.
Maybe Xiao Yuanfeng would be more approachable than Su Jialan.
There was a large garden surrounding the Xiao family's mansion, planted with all kinds of flowers and plants, both domestic and foreign varieties.
This was Su Jialan's hobby.
The artificial potted plants could be seen everywhere, and it was obvious that they had been carefully trimmed.
As Qin Yaoyao walked with Xiao Yanzhi, she looked around at the environment with her eyes, constantly recalling the details that Jiang Li had told her before.
"Mom, I've brought Yaoyao here." After walking a few steps, Xiao Yanzhi stood still and calmly spoke to the wheelchair not far away.
The afternoon sun wasn't so hot for only a short while, and it had become a habit for Su Jialan to tinker with these flowers and plants outdoors.
Hearing the noise behind her, she didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she just put down the scissors in her hand and glanced back.
"Come here." Her tone was flat, showing no sign of emotion.
Qin Yaoyao's heart tightened, but she still maintained a proper smile on her face. "Good afternoon, auntie. We meet again. I'm very glad to see you."
"I'm not very glad to see you." Su Jialan coughed lightly and didn't give her any face. "A Yan, your father is waiting for you in the study. Go there."
Qin Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat when she didn't expect them to be separated right away. She instinctively tightened her grip on the cuff of Xiao Yanzhi's sleeve.
She didn't want him to leave.
The man just silently looked down at her, then slowly pried her hand off, remaining very calm. "Yes, I'll go now. Let Yaoyao accompany you."
"A Yan, don't go..." Qin Yaoyao immediately panicked, and her face froze.
She didn't dare to be alone with Su Jialan!
Hearing the reluctance in her words, Su Jialan slightly lifted her eyelids and casually landed her gaze on Qin Yaoyao. "You have the intention to marry into the Xiao family, but don't even have the guts to talk to me?"
Stimulated by these words, Qin Yaoyao gritted her teeth and instantly made up her mind.
She stood still and forced a smile at Xiao Yanzhi. "A Yan, you go and get busy. I'll chat with auntie."
Although Su Jialan's tone was a bit harsh, what she said made sense.
Since she wanted to marry Xiao Yanzhi, it was inevitable to deal with Su Jialan in the future. She couldn't always avoid it.
Moreover, she also needed an opportunity to redeem the bad impression she had left in front of Su Jialan before.
Seeing that she agreed readily, Xiao Yanzhi nodded slightly, then turned and left.
Even the nanny in the house didn't come near. There were only the two of them.
Su Jialan picked up the scissors again and slowly continued to trim a potted plant in front of her.
Spring was the season when all things grew. The potted plant was growing well, and some branches had already formed flower buds, full of vitality.
Standing beside, Qin Yaoyao couldn't find a topic, so she took the initiative to start a conversation with a smile. "This flower is growing so well. It will definitely bloom in a few days."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Jialan's eyes turned cold. Without hesitation, she raised the scissors and cut off the branch with the flower bud.
With a "snap", the branch fell to the ground, leaving only the bare twig. It was really a pity.
Qin Yaoyao watched the fallen flower bud, her heart trembled, and she nervously swallowed.
"No matter how well it grows, if I don't want it to bloom, it won't be able to bloom in its lifetime."
Su Jialan's voice was cold. "It's not the time to bloom yet, but it deliberately flaunts itself. Do you think it should be trimmed?"
Obviously, there was a hidden meaning in her words.
Qin Yaoyao quickly adjusted her state and put on a smile again. "Auntie is right. Early - blooming flowers are easy to wither. It should follow your wishes."
Su Jialan could naturally hear the flattery in her words. She said calmly without changing her expression, "There are only two kinds of flowers in my garden. One is precious, and the other is easy to raise."
"Those wild flowers and weeds that are both delicate and think they are noble are the most unseemly." Su Jialan finally looked up at her, enunciating each word slowly and casually.
Qin Yaoyao's face froze.
This was an implicit mockery of her.
Qin Yaoyao bit her lip and forced a smile. "You have such in - depth research on flowers and plants. I'd like to listen to you talk about it if I have the chance."
"You may not really want to listen." Su Jialan's voice was faint. "Qin Yaoyao, you're not the first woman who wants to marry A Yan."
"The last one who tried every means to please me like this was Jiang Li."
Although Su Jialan was sitting in the wheelchair, she seemed to be a head taller than Qin Yaoyao. The powerful sense of oppression made Qin Yaoyao have to lower her head.
"You're more stupid than Jiang Li and more self - conceited. Most importantly, you're not as capable as Jiang Li." She said sarcastically.
The more Su Jialan talked, the paler Qin Yaoyao's face became.
"I've also heard about Jiang Li's abilities in the entertainment industry. What about you?"
She spoke directly and sharply. "What can you achieve without A Yan?"
Every word was a comparison between Qin Yaoyao and Jiang Li.
Qin Yaoyao gritted her teeth. Unable to bear the humiliation, she couldn't help but retort, "Since auntie thinks that Sister Jiang Li is better than me in every aspect, why don't you let her marry into the Xiao family?"