Chapter 503: Chapter 191: Empress Dowager Xia’s Perfect Daughter-in-Law, Reuniting with Jiang Zhiyu

Xia Qin looked in surprise at the exquisitely wrapped gift box Zhong Tingyue handed over, hurriedly waving her hands to refuse it.

"My dear, as an elder, I haven’t even given you a meeting gift yet. How can I accept yours? I can’t take it, I really can’t."

"Auntie, this is just a small token of my affection," Zhong Tingyue said, gently offering the gift again.

"No, it’s not right for an elder to take a gift from a younger person," Xia Qin still firmly declined.

"Auntie!" Zhong Tingyue called out softly. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead from anxiety and nervousness. She shot a pleading look at Li Yuan, signaling him to help her out.

Li Yuan smiled faintly. Knowing my mother, I had already anticipated this scene.

"Mom, this is from Tingyue’s heart. Please accept it."

"If you don’t, does that mean you’re not satisfied with her?"

"No, of course not! I’m very satisfied, extremely satisfied!" Xia Qin answered quickly.

How could I not be satisfied with such a beautiful and well-spoken daughter-in-law? What more could I possibly want? An actual fairy from the heavens? Even the fairies in TV dramas aren’t as beautiful as my future daughter-in-law standing right in front of me.

Looking slightly embarrassed, Xia Qin finally accepted the gift box from Zhong Tingyue. She gave an awkward smile and said, "Alright then, my dear, I’ll accept it! I came in such a hurry, I didn’t prepare any gift for you."

Zhong Tingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief when Xia Qin took the gift.

Xia Qin opened the gift box. Inside, wrapped in red silk cloth, lay a glittering gold bracelet. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment before she quickly pushed it back.

"My dear, this is a gold bracelet! It’s too valuable. Auntie can’t accept it."

Zhong Tingyue was stunned for a moment, a little slow to react. "Auntie, it really isn’t expensive," she said with an innocent look. "It’s just a small token of my affection."

Xia Qin started to refuse again. "But it’s a gold bracelet! I don’t go out much, so I’d have no occasion to wear it."

Li Yuan watched, speechless. I need to have a serious talk with Mom later and re-educate her. It’s just a gold bracelet, yet she’s making such a fuss. What would she do if she knew I had casually spent millions on several girlfriends, buying them sports cars and luxury homes? Wouldn’t she die from a broken heart? In the future, if I buy a luxury yacht, a private jet, or a detached mansion, wouldn’t she faint from shock? If she’s going to treat money like dirt, then she can spend all day agonizing over things like this.

"Ahem. Mom, please don’t refuse anymore," Li Yuan cut in. "Tingyue bought this gift for you with her own savings. If you don’t accept it, she’ll be very sad."

Zhong Tingyue nodded hurriedly. "Auntie, it’s truly just a small token of my affection. Please accept it."

"Well, alright then!" Xia Qin hesitated for a moment before finally taking the gift box. She glanced at Zhong Tingyue’s anxious yet incredibly lovely face and felt immensely pleased with her future daughter-in-law.

Li Yuan asked, "Mom, what would you like to eat for lunch?"

"I’m fine with anything!" Xia Qin said, then looked cheerfully at Zhong Tingyue. "My dear, what would you like to eat? My treat!"

Zhong Tingyue also replied, "Auntie, I’m good with anything. I’m not a picky eater."

"Alright then, I’ll decide. Just follow me," Li Yuan interjected. If I left it to them, it would be dark by the time they made a decision.

Li Yuan drove straight back to the vicinity of Jinxiu Villas.

Next to the residential complex was a restaurant that served pickled fish. It was tasty, clean, and affordable. He was also wary of Empress Dowager Xia. If he took them to a Western or Japanese restaurant, he would surely have to endure another lecture.

"Mom, Tingyue, the pickled fish here is pretty good. Let’s go try it."

Zhong Tingyue naturally had no objections and nodded with a smile.

Xia Qin had spent some time in Modu recently and had eaten at this very restaurant a few times. It was good value, and the taste was very much to her liking.

"My dear, the black fish they serve here is very fresh. I’ve had it a few times and it’s quite good. Would you like to try it?"

Zhong Tingyue smiled and replied, "Yes, Auntie!"

...

As they ate the pickled fish, the atmosphere became more relaxed and familiar.

As a mother, Xia Qin was very invested in her son’s girlfriend, trying to get to know her from every angle and build a closer relationship. But as they talked, the conversation began to feel more like an "interrogation."

"My dear, how did you and Li Yuan meet?"

"Auntie, Li Yuan and I were university classmates. As for how we met..." Zhong Tingyue replied, glancing at Li Yuan, too shy to describe the exact circumstances of how they met and got together.

Even now, I find the way we met to be quite magical. Three lives, three worlds, ten miles of peach blossoms... was any of that real?

When Xia Qin heard that Zhong Tingyue and Li Yuan were classmates, her smile grew even wider.

Though I’m not highly educated myself, I know my son attended a prestigious university, one that was renowned back in our hometown. I remember how, at his university acceptance banquet, our neighbors and friends showered us with praise and envy. When I first saw how beautiful my son’s girlfriend was, I secretly worried that Zhong Tingyue might not be a good student. In my experience, exceptionally beautiful girls rarely do well academically. I never imagined that such a stunning girl would also be from a prestigious university, just like my son.

Her satisfaction with Zhong Tingyue soared to new heights.

Li Yuan joked self-deprecatingly, "Mom, Tingyue’s grades are much better than mine. I just scraped by, but she earned her spot fair and square. She’s a truly brilliant woman, blessed with both beauty and brains."