Flash Marriage: He is a Wife-pampering Addict

Chapter 2676 - 480: Women Should Be Kinder to Themselves

"By the way, Auntie, when are you going back to the Imperial City?"

Wen Qinghuan acted as if she hadn’t heard Jiang Qian, put down her chopsticks, and smiled at Mother Chu.

When Mother Chu heard her ask that,

she simply ignored Jiang Qian’s gaze first. She answered with a smile, "We’re going back tomorrow. You should come with us, and bring Momo and Qingqing too. Junming will definitely invite a lot of people, it’ll be really lively then."

"Sister Qingling, are you going?"

Qinghuan asked.

Qingling had just finished replying to a message from Chu Junming, and nodded with a squinty-eyed smile. "I am. I also want to go see the novels Auntie has collected."

As soon as novels were mentioned, Mother Chu, Bai Qingling, and Wen Qinghuan started chatting again.

Especially when she later learned that those special collector’s editions she had were actually works by Qinghuan’s mother, Jing Xiaocha, she got excited and said she had to visit her house to meet Jing Xiaocha.

"But I also want you to paint two pictures for me, Qinghuan."

Mother Chu was suffering from a bout of choice paralysis.

Bai Qingling raised a brow and said lightly, "Auntie, we’ll go back to the studio in a bit and let Qinghuan paint for you there. I’ll call Aunt Wen and have her come to the studio too, that way we won’t delay either thing."

"Oh my, Qingling, your brain really works fast. Why didn’t I think of that?"

That afternoon, when Qinghuan was painting for Mother Chu, Jing Xiaocha and Wen Ran came to the studio together.

As soon as she finished one piece, Mother Chu went off to the side to chat with them.

Seeing Jiang Qian staring at the portrait, Qingling asked mildly, "Miss Jiang, do you want one too?"

Jiang Qian was a little moved, but she also didn’t want to lose face by agreeing too quickly.

She didn’t like people like Qinghuan and Qingling, felt they were hypocritically currying favor with Mother Chu.

But Qinghuan’s paintings really were good.

Qinghuan had already started sketching. "Just stay like that, don’t move. It’ll look gorgeous when it’s done."

"You flatter me, Miss Wen. How could I be as pretty as you all?"

There was a bit of acidity in that, and a hint of mockery.

Back then Feng Yize had actually called her ugly.

Qinghuan glanced up at her, then lowered her head again. Her mouth kept talking, her hand never stopped moving. "Everyone is one of a kind. Beauty’s the same way—each has their own kind of beauty."

Jiang Qian’s expression shifted. She said nothing.

While Qinghuan painted, Qingling helped by bringing her tea and water. The two of them would occasionally exchange a sentence.

Even without much interaction, you could clearly see the deep sisterly bond between them.

Jiang Qian kept watching and gradually drifted off in a daze.

Until Qinghuan called her, "Come take a look—see if you like it?"

Only then did she pull her thoughts back. She blinked, then stood up and walked over.

"Well? Pretty, right?"

"It’s really beautiful." After a long moment, Jiang Qian finally managed that one line.

Mother Chu was chatting happily with Wen Ran and Jing Xiaocha, especially after hearing them praise her for raising such an outstanding son. A mother’s pride turned into a beaming smile.

Later, when they got to Momo and Ye Zhan’s marriage, Mother Chu asked Wen Ran, "Is Ah Zhan going to settle in G City with Momo for good and not come back to the Imperial City?"

"Now that, you’re asking exactly the right person."

Wen Ran smiled faintly. "When it comes to young people, they’ve always made their own decisions. Ah Zhan’s an only child. By rights, back then Momo should’ve gone with him to the Imperial City. But he was worried she’d have trouble adapting, being a girl so far from home, so he came to G City instead... If it weren’t for his work being here now, we’d have driven them back to the Imperial City long ago."

"Is that so?"

Mother Chu lifted her cup and took a sip of water.

Wen Ran didn’t care whether she believed it or not. "The Imperial City and G City are a thousand miles apart, but travel’s convenient now; it’s not that hard to see each other. As long as they’re happy, it doesn’t really matter where they live."

Qingling came over with the kettle to refill their cups.

Mother Chu sighed. "I just want a daughter-in-law who’ll live closer. We only have Junming. I can’t accept it if he leaves us one day for love."

"Junming’s the same as my Ziyi—running a company. It’s either social engagements or business trips all day long. He definitely doesn’t have much time to keep you company."

"Mm, not much."

"Then what are you worried about? Even without getting married, he wouldn’t be able to see you more than a few times a year. And even if, like you said, he one day leaves the Imperial City for the one he loves, it’s impossible that he’d never come home to see you again. A boy as outstanding as Junming—the girl he falls for definitely won’t be anything less."

Wen Ran looked up and said to Qingling, "Qingling, leave the kettle here, we’ll pour our own later. You two go have fun."

"Okay."

"Compared to you two, my thinking is much simpler."

Cradling her cup, Jing Xiaocha said lazily, "My expectations for Ziyang and Qinghuan are super low. As long as they can find someone they love and who loves them back, well matched in every way, holding on to each other till old age, I don’t care where they live—as long as they don’t steal my Brother Wen away."

"Pfft."

Wen Ran laughed. "Right. You and my brother should hurry up and go travel wherever you want. Just leave Ziyang and Qinghuan to us."

"Really? But Brother Wen says Ziyang’s still young, he doesn’t feel at ease yet. If he were as capable as Junming and Ziyi, I would’ve run off with Brother Wen long ago."

Mother Chu lowered her head, lost in thought.

It was quiet for quite a while before she finally forced out, "I really envy you."

"What’s there to envy? We women really should treat ourselves better. Don’t pour all your energy into those little brats. With a son as capable as Junming, you surely don’t have to worry about the company. If you don’t make the most of it now and enjoy your two-person world, what are you waiting for?"

It wasn’t that Mother Chu agreed with Wen Ran and Jing Xiaocha’s view; she was envious.

She and Wen Ran were about the same age, but she had this illusion that Wen Ran was a lot younger than her.

There were no traces of age on their faces, only the happiness of being steeped in love and the charm of a mature woman.

When they parted, Wen Ran and Jing Xiaocha said that if she weren’t going back to the Imperial City tomorrow, they would definitely ask her to spend the weekend at their countryside villa.

Qingling and Qinghuan saw Mother Chu and Jiang Qian back to the hotel.

On the way upstairs, Jiang Qian was absent-minded, and Mother Chu also looked preoccupied. Neither of them said a word the whole way.

Back in the room, Mother Chu took a photo of the portrait Qinghuan had painted for her and sent it to Father Chu on WeChat.

Imperial City.

Father Chu was pouring water when he received Mother Chu’s message... and didn’t even realize he’d filled the cup to the brim.

It was Chu Junming at his side who reminded him, "Dad, the water’s overflowing."

Only then did he hurriedly put the kettle down and watch Chu Junming come over to wipe up the water on the table.

He stared at the portrait Mother Chu sent. "Junming, this portrait your mom sent me—it was painted by that girl Yi Ze likes, right? It’s really well done."

"Huh?"

Chu Junming looked up.

Then the corner of his mouth curved, and he said thoughtfully, "Yeah. Looks like my mom’s getting along with them better than I expected."

Around noon, when Qingling had replied to his message, she’d said they were having lunch together.

Before he could sit back down, Mother Chu sent another message to Father Chu: "Let’s go on a trip before the New Year too?"

It was a voice message; Mother Chu’s tone sounded a bit different from usual.

"What’s...what’s up with your mom?"

Father Chu looked at Chu Junming in alarm.

Chu Junming just rolled his eyes at him, then reached over to take his phone and quickly typed out a reply:

[The lady in this painting is really beautiful. When are you coming back? Or should I go to G City to pick you up, and we can leave for our trip from there?]

"Junming, what did you send?"

Seeing the reply Chu Junming had sent, Father Chu grabbed for his phone in disbelief.

Mother Chu’s sudden odd behavior he could still handle, but this son of his, who had always been so serious, actually sent something like that in his name—this he could not accept.

...

[There’ll be another bonus Chapter later. If the conditions for two extra Chapters aren’t met by nine tonight, there’ll only be one bonus Chapter today, ha.]