“Hah… Mom, you truly like to joke around.”
Pei Ge was truly amused by the second half of Madam Ji’s statement. She took out the pastel yellow gift box from behind her. Inside was the older woman’s favorite Chanel perfume. It was a limited edition—a proof of honor and dignity.
When Madam Ji turned around, her gaze on her would-be daughter-in-law was filled with more tenderness and affection. She then spoke. “Alright, alright. Everyone is finally reunited, so let’s not waste our energy on such inconsequential matters. Old thing, I will have you know that I will come back for you again in the future. Now, go call the three children down for dinner.”
She took the blanket she had covered herself earlier with and walked past Qu Xiujie for the dining room, leaving the remaining three to stare blankly at one another.
“Uncle, didn’t you promise me that you will not quarrel with mom again?”
Pei Ge spoke softly, which made Ji Ziming feel some heartache. “Ge Ge, uncle knows it. Moreover, don’t you think their method of getting along is also not bad?”
He looked at her with his deep-set eyes, but he was, in fact, crying injustice for Qu Xiujie.
“Uncle, it’s fine even if you bicker with my mom. She’s always bored at home, anyway, so I should be thanking you, instead.” Ji Ziming’s lips curled up as he looked at the older man calmly.
“…Is your brain fried?”
Qu Xiujie was in disbelief. This had actually expressed his support for him. He could not understand for what reason the latter did this.
Ji Ziming narrowed his eyes at the other, but because the latter was his elder, he did not reveal much of his dissatisfaction. Still, the sincerity in his eyes stunned Qu Xiujie for a moment.
“Are you for real? I’m merely an old, single man who’s staying in your family for free yet still dares to bully your mom day and night. You don’t have to treat me like that.”
Qu Xiujie finally understood what kind of existence he was in Ji Ziming’s eyes.
“Uncle, what are you saying? We are family. Plus, we all know what happened when you and my mom were having a holiday in R City. Don’t mind my words, as well as my mom’s. She said those on purpose, so please don’t mind them.”
He said this so seriously, yet it held another meaning in the older man’s ears.
“I understand. From now on, I won’t haggle with her over this. Who told her to be a woman? I won’t be obstinate toward a woman.”
Qu Xiujie bragged without blushing. Right after that, he picked up the bag he had thrown onto the ground and placed it on the sofa. He then turned to make his way to the dining room.
No matter how it ended, the war between the two elders was finally over. As long as the two of them did not quarrel at home, the house would be peaceful and harmonious.
While Zhang Manhua’s return was nearing, the crisis management at Pei Ge’s company was also taking effect and returning to its initial state. Other than Ji Miao’s sister’s condition relapsing again and again, getting no new news about Tang Xiaoyu, and lacking finality in Qin Qitong and Bi Zheng’s wedding, everything else was going as planned.
Two days later, as Ji Ziming had a large project he had to attend personally, he could only arrange for someone else to accompany Pei Ge to get her mother at the airport. He settled himself with sending his favorite car and best bodyguard to protect his woman.
The moment Zhang Manhua exited the airport, she spotted her daughter at the waiting area. Her daughter was dressed in a light yellow Gucci overcoat, black boots, and brown dress. She was tall and elegant, becoming a beautiful scenery in this airport. Before she spotted her, many men saw her daughter first, though their gazes on her were complicated.
Pei Ge’s legs were long and slender. Her skin was fair and smooth, as though a gust of wind could harm it. She appeared to have a white halo as she revealed a slight smile which showed her happiness, making one unable to shift their eyes away from her.
She was totally different from how she had been overseas.
Right now, she was glowing with happiness.
“Ge Ge, I’m here!”
Zhang Manhua walked up to her daughter outside the airport with her luggage in tow. The Rolls-Royce behind her was equally eye-catching with its separate kind of appeal.
“Mom!”
Seeing her mother walking over to her like a rich madam, Pei Ge’s eyes curled into crescents as they twinkled. She met her mom halfway, only to realize that behind the latter was a fair-skinned and blue-eyed foreigner.
“Mom, this is…”
She was confused. Logically, the person who came back with her mother should not be this man. This was not the man she had seen the last time.
Seeing through her thoughts, her mother smiled and explained, “I know what you wanted to ask. This is the butler, Charlie. He came with me this time to ensure my safety, so you don’t have to worry about it. I will be fine even if I’m alone.”
“How can I let you be alone? I won’t feel safe doing that. There are special circumstances now, so there is a greater need to ensure your safety. With us out in the open, what will we do if that person who wants to hurt us tries to make a move?”
She voiced out the worry she had inside her. She would not allow her mother to be chased out of the country no matter what. If her uncle found out about it, who knew what kind of ruckus would happen?
“Sigh... Even you are worrying about me now. I’m already this old—far from being a kid, so don’t worry about me too much. Also, I didn’t come back alone this time, so you should feel much at ease now, shouldn’t you?”
A smile was hidden in her mother’s eyes as she said that.
This was what it meant to be family. No matter how long they had not met, their blood relations would still withstand time. Regardless of the time that passed, it would not fade and would not lose the warmth it had right from the beginning.
Pei Ge walked in front while speaking to her mother. She opened the car door to let Zhang Manhua get in first. Just as she prepared to get in, the bodyguard by her mother’s side frowned tightly and pulled Pei Ge’s arm. He then spoke in a undefiable tone. “Miss Pei, madam must be with me in order for me to ensure her safety.”
She was dumbstruck for a moment and stood rooted to the spot as she started up at Charlie.