1.5 Years Later.
1.5 years later.
The morning rays of late September's sun were peeking inside the oriental designed room from the windows, lightning the whole room.
A girl laying on a queen-sized bed, seemingly deep in her sleep stirred slightly and opened her eyes slowly, feeling dazed before finally getting the focus of the eyes back.
She just laid there, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling which was filled with beautiful artistic wooden carvings and a mirror right in between from where she looked back at herself every morning.
It was nothing new, just her normal routine for almost 2 years now.
After about 20 minutes, Jiang Ying Yue finally showed some movement and got up to do her morning routine before finally getting ready for the day.
She went downstairs and found nobody there and as it was quite early so it was not abnormal for anybody to not be there besides the working staff.
Since there was still time for breakfast so Jiang Ying Yue thought for a second and went out into the living room to stand in front of floor-to-ceiling windows from where she could see a very beautiful lake out in the garden with autumn trees by the side.
It's been more than a year and a half since she had been married and yet she could count on her one hand's fingers the number of times she saw her husband in the past year.
Sometimes she wonders if things wouldn't have happened how it all happened almost two years back, would her relationship with her husband could have turned out to be for good or bad.
And probably if her Grandfather wouldn't have died, she wouldn't be in such a melancholic situation now!
She quickly erased her thoughts and pulled up her expression back to normal when she heard footsteps nearing from the stairs behind her.
She turned around and found it to be her mother-in-law, "Good Morning, Mom."
Her mother-in-law looked elegant while coming down the stairs, all ready for the day while clutching on the purse with one hand which was slung on her right shoulder.
She was again going back.
Madam Lin had returned to attend a function in which her presence was mandatory and since now it has already ended, she would be returning back to her work.
Madam Lin, Ye Xi Ming, a lady in her early fifties, was a graceful and elegant woman and was the Head Director of the City B's Central Hospital. Just like her son, it was quite rare for her to be at home too, she would probably return an only couple of times more as compared to her son.
Madam Lin was a very sophisticated, aloof and cold kind of person. It was as if she is just living her life because she is supposed to, not because she wanted to.
Probably after her husband's death, nothing interests her...
Indifferently she glanced and nodded at her daughter-in-law in response to her greeting and then headed towards the dining room.
Jiang Ying Yue only stared at her mother-in-law's back and sighed.
This was not a bad treatment towards her, in fact much more better than how she was towards others.
As if suddenly remembering something, Madam Lin stopped in her track and turned around.
Glancing at her daughter-in-law who was dressed in a white floral dress and was staring out of the window, only one thought came to her mind.
She looked ethereal!
She knew that even though her daughter-in-law was more of a silent person, she was still a very intellectual woman.
After all, her son was really not that stupid!
Watching her like this, Madam Lin's features softened a bit and asked, "When are you going?"
She had heard from the servants two days back that Young Madam was planning to return to her home to complete the unfinished works.
Jiang Ying Yue looked a bit startled not because she did not understand what she meant but apparently as it was the first time her mother-in-law spoke a full sentence to her.
She quickly regained her composure and told her, "Probably by the end of this month."
She thought for a moment and added, "It would probably take me a couple of months to return as I would need to help in certain things there."
Ye Xi Ming looked at her daughter-in-law and nodded.
Her major was never Business Administration, she had graduated as a medical surgeon from one of the influential universities of the US yet due to the untimely and unfortunate death of Old Master Jiang, his shares naturally came under her name being the daughter of the eldest child and when combined with already inherited shares of her late father, she was now the largest shareholder.
She need to go back to help things at the business since important decisions now require her approval and could not be taken without her presence.
There was a moment of silence before Madam Lin again said, "Okay, come meet me before you return."
It was not that Madam Lin lived in some other place, it's just that she gets too busy for her to return on regular basis to the Old House so most of the time she stays at the compound reserved for her at the hospital.
So what she meant for Jiang Ying Yue was to come and meet her at the hospital.
Jiang Ying Yue just nodded, still nervous and uneasy around her.
Ye Xi Ming was quite amused watching her terrified expression and wondered if she was really that person's daughter who was always abnormally excited and confident about everything.
She quickly put away her thoughts and went to the dining room.
Jiang Ying Yue looked at her back and followed after her mother-in-law, staying at least five steps behind her.
On reaching the dining table, just when they were pulling chairs Old Master Lin and Old Madam Lin entered the dining room along with Butler Li following them. It was their routine to eat breakfast and dinner together.
Belonging to a Military as well as Political background, Old Master Lin had been very punctual and strict about timings his whole life. His pressurising aura which had been carved over the years was still intact; irrespective of whether he was still in business or not!
No matter how much doting he was on his granddaughter-in-law but still Jiang Ying Yue every time felt intimidated on hearing his heavy and domineering tone ever since her childhood.
Old habits die hard!
"Good morning, Mother and Father."
"Are you returning back to work today?" questioned Old Master Lin.
Madam Lin just nodded.
Old Master Lin sighed looking at his daughter-in-law, "Well then, take care and try to come home more."
"I will, Father."
After greeting both of them, Jiang Ying Yue also pulled out her chair and sat down. At the same time, she couldn't help but glance at the chair beside her which had always remained empty ever since her arrival.
Looking at the chair her eyes dimmed a bit.
She was in fact initially supposed to live in the other mansion where her husband originally used to stay.
But since he had to go out of the country again and again back then, Old Master Lin asked her to move to the old house.
Moreover, she was not really in right state of mind during that time so she did not think much about it as she used to only feel solitude all day.
But she had never known at that time that following her shifting to here she would see even less of her husband. At least at that time, he used to come back at least once in a month but now he don't even bother to come.
Sometimes she wondered what kind of work it was for which he can't even manage to return.
...Or if it was just his way of avoiding her, by giving the excuse of work.
Not wanting to go to the lane which leads her back to her husband's thoughts, she shooked her head and instead started thinking about what she was supposed to do today.
Her thought process was broken by beaming voice of Old Stewardess, "Old Master Lin, excuses but Qin Zihao just called to officially inform that First Young Master is planning to return soon and most probably would be returning in one month. It seems his business is finally completed over there."
Everybody paused hearing this, Old Madam Lin's face instantly lighted up, "It's good, he should be returning now. It's soon going to be two years since his marriage and he had been out ever since."
Jiang Ying Yue's gaze only deepened.
Hearing this it almost felt as if somebody pricked her heart.
Marriage?
She almost wanted to laugh hearing this. This word feels so foreign to her.
Were marriages like this?
And wasn't it too late for him to come back now??
After a moment of pause, she resumed eating her food after acknowledging Old Madam Lin's words.
Ye Xi Ming just stared at her daughter-in-law before looking away, "So he finally remembered that he has a wife too?"
Old Madam Lin scowled and eyed at her daughter-in-law before smiling, "But it seems you still haven't realised that you have a family too? You just return for formality every time, don't you??"
There they go again...
Old Madam Lin and Madam Lin's relationship had always been like this with each other.
Bittersweet!!!