She Never Touched A Work Here.

Tang Yu's breath escaped in a helpless sigh.

Even without her half-brothers snitching on her, fat chance, Mu Yunsheng got to know heaps about her. He breathed in the same air, she released long streams of antagonistic words against her stepmother into. More than often. It was a coin toss as to whether the richer supply of info, she herself didn't provide him!

Just then, Housekeeper Zhu walked in. He bent over a bit, and delivered a flurry of words in a hushed tone.

Happiness flew away from Tang Yangran's face bit by bit. "He is already here…" He pinched his nose, sparing a concerned gaze at his daughter. "Alright, I'm coming." He dropped his chopsticks, producing a short, crispy sound.

"What is it, father?" Tang Yu asked, setting aside her chopsticks. She could smell the whisper was related to her.

Tang Yangran couldn't help pausing at the question for a moment. "Mu Yunsheng came to take you back. "Don't worry, I will buy you some more days." He stood up, pushing the chair backward with his calf.

"No, that's not needed. Don't send him back. Like, I can't sit on the fence forever." Tang Yu tipped her head back a little, looking at the butler with medium build and height. The rough-hewn features with a thick and neat mustache curling upward, he was the male version of Zhu Wan. Taotao inherited rather a few delicate features.

"Housekeeper Zhu," Tang Yu greeted. "Have you asked whether he has taken his lunch or not?"

The housekeeper bowed, bending his spine. "Yes, I did, Young Miss. Scholar Mu said he already had his fill. The journey from the Jesmine town to the River-Cut Village will take three hours by carriage. Hence, he wanted to set off as soon as possible, and reach his village before the sun ventures down into the horizon."

Tang Yu dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "Wan Wan, ask the kitchen to brew my husband a cup of tea." She said, playing along with the rules; girls from respectable families were not supposed to call their husbands by their names. "Prepare a few snacks to go in with the tea as well."

Tang Yangran's emotions tripped into sadness. He grabbed the headrest of his chair, hurt. His eyes stung, tears were about to come up in them. House would feel empty without his daughter. She was the warm rays of sunshine in the dreary wintry days right after a snow squall and flash freeze which sent his life careering off course when his first wife died. He lived on looking at the tiny human being his first love, and beloved wife had left for him for two years until his stubborn mother arm-twisted him into the second marriage, saying his daughter was badly in a need of a mother.

Tang Yangran tightened the rein on his cocktail of emotions. Mu Yunsheng had a very close-knit family, and they adhered to their set of rules. Tang Yu had been sent here for a night after a day of her wedding -- conforming to the marital rituals. But, she ended up staying three.

Any more delay would rub her in-laws the wrong way. Normally offending them wouldn't be much of a deal. But, problems were bound to sprout, since Mu Yunsheng was a filial son. Hence, he decided not to ask for any more days, lest it should get his daughter into a silly scrape in her married life. Tang Yangran let out a sigh, calming the multi emotions, rippling through his heart. "Yu'er, you haven't eaten enough. Finish your food first."

"No, father. A long ride along the bumpy roads of mountain would be uncomfortable with a bloated tummy. Whatever I have has enough staying power to hold my hunger at bay for the duration of the journey. You, however, should clean your plate. I'll sit here until you are done." Tang Yu offered, dishing out some steamed rice in a black ceramic bowl, and heaping it with two cubes of glazed beef. "Here, take it." She gently handed it over.

Growing up in an emotionally detached family, where everyone was super independent and would only chase their dreams and careers non stop, Tang Yu always felt a void in their family bonding. Now, in Tang Yangran she found the father she never had—warm, loving and caring. An oak tree of support.

It was no surprise but she naturally found it in herself to reciprocate the love.

The expectant eyes coming her way weren't lost on her. Did he want her to serve him something as well?

Tang Yu picked up an unused pair of chopsticks, and reached for the glistening lobsters served with sprigs of mint, lemon, onions, charcoal grilled tomatoes, and green chillies. She placed it in Tang Song's bowl, which the latter began chomping on immediately.

Since these two came in a pair, she couldn't leave the other one unattended, could she?

As for Tang Bai, she opted for a chicken fillet, as the previous one was driven into ruination. It was glistening with oils. She suspended it over the bowl for a split second, shedding the broth, then put it in his rice bowl.

Tang Yanrang's lips curled up in a happy smile.

However, Tang Bai grimaced, baring his teeth at the thing arrived in his bowl. He whipped his head at Tang Yu, and opened his mouth, in all appearances mad. But, a kick under the table trapped the words inside his mouth. He saw the warning flashing across his father's face. Argh! He hated it.

This man had always been biased towards Tang Yu! The year when they framed her was the first time he showed some semblance of fairness to them.

Nonetheless, he couldn't bring himself to ask her to kneel inside the temple for twenty four hours, nor ground her for half a year! All he did was rebuked her a little then canceled the purchase plan of a jade necklace that he had promised her the previous night.

A week later, on Tang Yu's birthday, he gifted her that necklace anyway coupled with a silk hanfu and a pair of embroidered shoes!

Tang Yangran ladled out a bowl of bird's nest soup and slid it over the table in front of Tang Yu. "At least drink it. I had the chief cook especially prepare it for you. It will help to nourish you back to health."

….

In the living room, a young man over six-footer tall, stood facing the window. The sturdy muscles in his broad shoulders stretched tightly against his black check shirt which clung tightly to the wide expanse of his strapping upper back and sagged at his tapered torso and hips. A pair of black pant that hung somewhere on his slender hips beneath the shirt fell downward gracefully.

Nothing on him was anywhere near expensive, yet he pulled it off in a way capable of putting all men clad in exorbitant clothings to shame.

"Yunsheng," A very sweet voice dripping with honey called out.

A light frown graced upon Mu Yunsheng's face, he turned around slowly. "Madam Feng."

"Aiyo! You really need to change your old way of addressing me." Feng Xuan edged near, swaying her hips. "Called me Aunt Feng!" She let out a shallow rumbling laugh.

Mu Yunsheng said nothing, glancing over her head at the direction of the door, screwing his eyes, searching for the person. His newly-wed wife.

No sign of her so far.

Seeds of disappointment fell into Feng Xuan's heart at the blatant ignorance. Indeed a hard nut to crack. But, she wasn't someone to chicken out from a project she just initiated.

"Although, I would love to hear you call me mother, Yu'er herself never addressed me that way." Tears were quick to pool inside her eyes. She sniffed a dry nose. "So...I don't dare,"

Mu Yunsheng frowned into the wide open door, his irises swirled with the emergence of impatience. "Why is she taking so much time? Weather doesn't seem good. It might rain a few hours later. If it pours down in torrents, roads will be slippery…"

Feng Xuan thinned her lips, three shallow frown lines appeared in her forehead. Seedling started from the seeds of disappointment. Suddenly, a light bulb of an idea flashed inside her head. She organized her inner emotions, and made a hesitant face. "Ah...her father must be shaking senses into her. She... didn't want to go back." She managed her voice, keeping an edge of hesitancy.

Mu Yunsheng's face tensed, his long eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Has she changed her mind now?"

Feng Xuan mutely gritted her teeth. It did catch his attention, however, he wanted to know the damn present! What about the past then?! No, this wouldn't do! She had to stuff all the info in his head that she fabricated carefully, sacrificing her beauty sleep last night.

"Yes, after a raging tempest. Yunsheng, Yu'er is our precious daughter, you have to understand that. She has been pampered since forever like a real princess. She didn't touch a single work here. Now, all of a sudden, how can you expect her to clean a rooster and cut a fish?"