Secretly Married to the Ice-Cold CEO-Chapter 447: Skills Needed for Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law to Get Along
Gu Qianlan opened up and talked a lot with her brother. Gu Yikun listened patiently. His sister was still immature, but at least she was willing to settle down and make changes, which was a good thing.
Gu Yikun occasionally gave her some suggestions, and Gu Qianlan kept nodding, though it was unclear whether she took them to heart.
Gu Qianlan was a few years younger than Jun Xi. Gu Yikun began to wonder if he had been too strict with his sister in the past, leading her to have a strong rebellious streak.
As they walked into the house, Gu Qianlan took her brother’s arm and said, "Brother, can you stop being so harsh with me from now on? You never used to be so harsh."
"If you treat your sister-in-law better, I won’t be harsh with you."
Gu Qianlan pouted, "Why can’t she treat me better?"
Gu Yikun’s face darkened, "What did I just say?"
"Fine, I knew you would side with her."
As Gu Yikun went upstairs, Gu Qianlan asked Mrs. He, "Where’s my mom?"
"Madam is chatting in the tea room."
Gu Qianlan walked to the door of the tea room. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard her mom say, "That silly girl Qianlan, still crying over Yin Feibai. What’s so great about that kid from the Yin Family? This time He Sirui got into a scandal, and she went to accompany her, making me so angry... It’s better to just send her abroad. Ever since she returned these past few months, your dad and I have both had higher blood pressure."
Through the crack in the door, Gu Qianlan saw her mom and An Junxi. Her mom was actually talking bad about her to An Junxi... Gu Qianlan felt indignant. What was her mom doing, who was her real daughter?
An Junxi would surely seize this opportunity to make her mom send her abroad. Who was she bothering at home that everyone resented her!
Gu Qianlan’s delicate little face was full of anger. She lifted her hand to push the door, but at that moment An Junxi said, "Mom, it’s my fault that Qianlan hit He Sirui at the party. As the older sister-in-law, I should have controlled the situation and stopped Qianlan."
Gu Qianlan paused mid-action. An Junxi helping her to say nice things? What a hypocrite!
An Junxi brewed tea for her mother-in-law, speaking gently and pleasantly. Her every movement was serene, making people feel very comfortable.
She wasn’t a saint. Gu Qianlan had repeatedly sided with outsiders against her, and she was angry. But when her mother-in-law criticized her daughter in front of her, should she really join in on the criticism?
No matter how bad a daughter is, only her own family can criticize her. An Junxi wouldn’t be so foolish as to provoke her mother-in-law’s anger.
Liang Huiyun indeed smiled, "It’s not your fault. It was a sudden situation, hard to control."
An Junxi poured tea for her mother-in-law, feeling relieved. Luckily, she had kept her mouth shut and didn’t tease Gu Qianlan, otherwise her mother-in-law would have held a grudge against her.
Getting along with one’s in-laws required skill. Saying a few good words could avoid a conflict, making it very worthwhile.
Too many good words would seem insincere. An Junxi said carefully, "Qianlan is still young and a bit impulsive by nature. She expresses her true feelings. Once she cries, she feels better. As for whether she should go abroad... we should respect her wishes. She’s not a child anymore and has her own thoughts. We can’t just do whatever we like."
Liang Huiyun didn’t really want to send her daughter abroad. What parents wouldn’t want their daughter with them? She was just venting to An Junxi. What An Junxi said suited her well. She nodded, "That’s good. I’ll talk to her about it later."
She added, "The tea today is quite good."
An Junxi knew her mother-in-law’s character well. If she said "quite good," it meant "very good."
She smiled and said, "I learned it from you, Mom."
Liang Huiyun’s smile deepened, "No wonder Yikun likes you. You have such a sweet mouth." Only she could manage to tame Yikun.
An Junxi sincerely said, "I’m just telling the truth."
Gu Qianlan’s face changed color several times. An Junxi really hadn’t taken the opportunity to speak ill of her.
After a while, she pushed open the door. Liang Huiyun invited her to sit, "Come and taste the tea An Junxi made. What were you talking about with your brother?"
Gu Qianlan sat down beside her mom. An Junxi poured her a cup of tea, and Gu Qianlan smelled it under her nose and took a small sip.
Liang Huiyun asked, "How is it?"
An Junxi didn’t expect her to say anything nice. Gu Qianlan took another sip and said, "It’s alright."
An Junxi wanted to roll her eyes. This mother and daughter were exactly the same.
Gu Qianlan said, "I talked a lot with my brother. Mom, actually, my brother treats me very well."
"Of course. You are siblings."
"Mom, I want to move in here."
An Junxi almost spit out her tea. She took a napkin to wipe her mouth, hiding her reluctance. Why would this little miss want to move here?
Liang Huiyun asked the question for her, "Aren’t you happy living with Dad and Mom? Why do you suddenly want to move in here?"
Gu Qianlan said, "I want to talk more with my brother."
"Can’t the driver bring you over? Aren’t you willing to let Dad and Mom live in such a big house alone? The house is so quiet now, and your dad doesn’t like attending gatherings anymore. It’s quite depressing in the evenings."
As she spoke, Liang Huiyun observed An Junxi’s expression, her voice filled with a sense of nostalgia.
An Junxi knew her mother-in-law’s underlying intention. She wanted her to invite them to move in or for her and Yikun to move back in.
She wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall into her mother-in-law’s trap. Pretending not to understand, she said, "Qianlan wants to talk more with her brother. The driver can easily bring her over."
Liang Huiyun seemed disappointed but didn’t say anything else, "Alright then, Qianlan, stay at home and keep Dad and Mom company."
Gu Qianlan muttered under her breath, "An Junxi is so meddlesome."
An Junxi heard it but didn’t show any reaction, continuing to pour tea for them.
Knowing how smart Liang Huiyun was, she didn’t bring up the topic again.
That night, An Junxi was in the children’s room, telling stories to the kids. Little Ai Xi sat in Mommy’s lap, her eyelids drooping but refusing to sleep.
Gu Yikun sat beside them, watching his wife with an amused expression.
An Junxi felt uneasy, "What do you want to say?" His expression was strange, reminding her of the words "cunning merchant."
She sweated a bit. Her husband indeed deserved those words; no one could be more cunning than him.
Gu Yikun teased her hair with his long fingers, a charming smile on his handsome face, "Wife, I heard you had a psychological battle with Mom today and you won. That’s a big improvement. As they say, close proximity to one makes one red."
An Junxi asked, "Did Qianlan tell you? Mom wouldn’t say such things."
Gu Yikun didn’t deny it. An Junxi gently laid their daughter on the bed. Ai Xi’s small hand grabbed her clothing, so she carefully pried it away and handed her a stuffed toy.
Little Ai Xi started clutching the toy instead, sleeping soundly.
This child always needed to hold onto something to fall asleep.
An Junxi tucked the little blanket over her child. The couple stepped out of the room just as Mrs. He came up. She said, "You two go rest. I’ll keep an eye on Ai Xi."
An Junxi thanked Mrs. He for her hard work and went to Jin Xiu’s room to check before heading to the third floor with her husband.
She tried to be fair to both children, never favoring one over the other.
Back in their room, An Junxi asked, "I refused Qianlan’s request to move in without asking you first. Are you mad at me?"
