Chapter 38: Mother-in-law And Daughter-in-law
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
This translation is originally posted on
Jun Youyue stood up promptly.
Facing the slightly astonished gazes of the two Lu family members, Jun Youyue took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself.
"Auntie, it's all my fault before."
Jun Youyue recalled some information she had read and continued, "I will mend my ways in the future and treat Lu Xici well. I hope you can trust me to take care of her."
Then she knelt on one knee, looking very sincere and devout.
This posture was...
The air fell silent for three seconds. Lu Xici and Lu Tingyi didn't move, just blinked, as if confirming what they heard and saw.
Lu Xici thought: This script seems a bit off.
Lu Tingyi thought: This kid can actually say such long sentences, it must be true love.
After three seconds, both of them finally rebooted and reacted.
Lu Xici bit her lip first, blushing as she shrunk behind the sofa.
Lu Tingyi couldn't hold back, starting to cover her mouth and laugh, her body trembled with laughter, showing how happy she was.
Jun Youyue:?
She even maintained her kneeling posture.
She thought she didn't say anything wrong. She had seen on those posts that when meeting the mother-in-law for the first time, you had to say this sentence.
Lu Tingyi finally stopped laughing after Lu Xici's somewhat resentful call.
"Xiao Jun." Lu Tingyi wiped away the tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes and said with emphasis, "What you just said, those are the words used for a marriage proposal. And your posture, it's also used for proposing."
She gave Lu Xici a meaningful look.
Lu Xici quickly reached out and pulled Jun Youyue to her side, then turned her face away, struggling to hold back her laughter, which was becoming somewhat painful.
Now it was Jun Youyue's turn to be unable to think properly.
Her main concern was that she and Lu Xici were already married, so it was indeed strange to propose again.
And she didn't have a ring; you needed a ring for a proposal.
This is so awkward.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
This translation is originally posted on
Jun Youyue remained stiff, showing signs of being uncomfortable.
Should she consider changing Lu Xici's ring?
After all, she had never bought anything like this for Lu Xici before, and the plain ring was prepared by Lu Xici herself.
Meanwhile, Lu Xici briefly explained to Lu Tingyi the misunderstanding between them during Jun Youyue's troubled reflection.
Listening to this, Lu Tingyi was somewhat speechless.
Lu Xici was her own daughter. How did she not know that this one would act crazy when drunk?
Especially the kind of behavior that's not suitable for children.
But that icy lump didn't act very decently either. How much lack of communication must there have been for them not to have noticed this for so long?
So she gave each of them a tap on the head.
"Auntie... I really know I was wrong. I will definitely treat A’Ci well in the future."
Jun Youyue thought Lu Tingyi wasn't convinced and wanted to stop them, so she sincerely said another sentence.
Listening to her plain words and seeing Lu Xici's obviously touched expression, Lu Tingyi became even more speechless.
She really didn't know what Lu Xici saw in this clumsy blockhead.
"If she likes you, then I won't say anything. Stay and have dinner with us later."
Lu Tingyi had always been like this in disciplining Lu Xici. As long as the child was willing, she couldn't bring herself to beat the pair of mandarin ducks with a stick*.
*棒打鸳鸯 [bàng dǎ yuān yāng] - forcefully separate loving couples, Mandarin ducks are often seen as a symbol of love, fidelity, and marital happiness. They are believed to mate for life and are often depicted together in art and literature as a representation of a harmonious and loving relationship between couples.
If her child ever felt hurt or unhappy one day, she would certainly take action against the person who caused Lu Xici distress.
For example, not allowing her to get close to the Lu family estate.
Upon hearing this, Jun Youyue's eyes lit up. She exchanged a glance with Lu Xici, and both of them showed joy in their eyes.
"Thank you, Auntie." Jun Youyue felt like she had solved the biggest problem in their relationship and hugged Lu Xici securely.
"A'Ci, I'm so happy." She even buried her head in Lu Xici's neck in front of Lu Tingyi, gently nuzzling against it.
Lu Xici felt extremely shy from the nuzzling, slightly tilting her head and stiffening her body.
She initially wanted to push Jun Youyue away, but when she remembered Jun Youyue's desolate expression just now, she couldn't bear to do it after the pang of pain passed.
Moreover, her mom wasn't even looking at them, so she allowed Jun Youyue to hug her.
"I... I'm also happy," Lu Xici whispered back softly, while also keeping an eye on Lu Tingyi's movements.
The next moment, Lu Tingyi, as expected, turned her head and glanced at her.
"There's still important business to discuss. You two, behave yourselves and talk after the meeting," Lu Tingyi said.
The two, especially Lu Xici, quickly let go like lightning.
Lu Tingyi pulled out a picture and handed it to them.
"Do you two know this person?"
The picture showed a man wearing a mask.
The photo had obviously been enhanced for clarity, but it was still difficult to make out his features.
In fact, his features themselves were nondescript, making him blend in well with the crowd, without drawing any attention.
Lu Xici shook her head. She did recognize that the photo was taken near their movie set, so she figured he might be one of the crew members.
Jun Youyue, on the other hand, stared at the photo carefully. "He's from the props department."
"You really went to work as her assistant, huh? Don't you have a job?" Lu Tingyi retrieved her phone, sent the information to her subordinates, and instructed them to narrow down the investigation scope.
"The project got halted." Jun Youyue's answer to the Lu family mother and daughter was identical.
Lu Tingyi's reaction was similar to Lu Xici's, just not as intense.
"Is it still those people?"
"I don't know. Auntie, it's okay, I've got it under control," Jun Youyue said, unwilling to say more.
Lu Xici, on the other hand, continued, "Mom, I've noticed someone deliberately trying to sow discord between me and Jun… jiejie."
Ignoring the use of the term “jiejie," Lu Tingyi pinched her chin and began piecing together the clues.
Meanwhile, Jun Youyue couldn't sit still and hugged Lu Xici again. Lu Xici, thinking her mother wasn't looking, responded by holding Jun Youyue's hand back.
They pinched each other's cheeks and touched each other's collarbones.
The ambiguous behavior unique to young lovers during the passionate period scattered throughout the living room inadvertently, turning the air pink.
Unable to endure it any longer, Lu Tingyi threw a curtain cloth over the two of them.
She firmly believed that if she wasn't there, the two could perform a sofa play.
Lu Xici blushed and obediently nestled under the curtain cloth, burying her head in Jun Youyue's arms without daring to move.
Jun Youyue diligently played her role as a cushion.
After a while, Lu Tingyi lifted the curtain cloth, ignoring Lu Xici's blushing ears, and asked her, "Have there been any other strange occurrences lately?"
Lu Xici shook her head.
Lu Tingyi turned to Jun Youyue.
The frequency of the two juniors shaking their heads became almost identical, nearly blurring Lu Tingyi's vision.
"Stop shaking your heads. I have a guess. Today's hot search might not be targeting my daughter, it's very likely aimed at you."
This surprised Lu Xici.
The hot search spread so quickly, accompanied by a photo, and Lu Tingyi had previously said it was so frightening. It turned out it wasn't aimed at her?
"That makes sense," Jun Youyue said, lowering her gaze and following Lu Tingyi's line of thought.
"They might be trying to force me and A'Ci to divorce, and this step is testing the ultimate outcome," Lu Tingyi said, noticing that she was tired after saying such a long string of words.
With her slow speed, those who didn't know might think the two of them had just kissed and ran out of breath.
"So it's difficult to clarify now, but not clarifying is also difficult," Lu Tingyi continued Jun Youyue's words.
She had prepared many solutions and believed that He Lan's side also had many public relations plans.
But all of this is based on the assumption that this matter is aimed at tarnishing Lu Xici's reputation.
"I'll think about it," Lu Xici also changed her mind, feeling that the situation was a bit tricky.
At first, she had planned to present evidence to directly refute everything, and incidentally let He Lan find out about the recent major moves of the opposing side.
But the fact proved that the opposing side didn't do anything; it was the enemy lurking in the shadows of Jun Youyue who acted.
No wonder, even in such a non-entertainment style, they didn't inform He Lan in advance and dared to produce photos of themselves entering and leaving the Lu family.
"Clarify most of it, especially the one about the main sponsor. But can we try to manipulate the narrative a bit with my assistant, making it three parts false and seven parts true?" This was also Lu Xici and Jun Youyue's original plan.
By making this new assistant visible and tangible to Lu Xici, it could greatly dispel the enemy's doubts and prompt them to take action, making it easier for Jun Youyue to lure out the person behind the scenes.
Lu Tingyi nodded. Her thoughts were not much different from Lu Xici's.
"Dear, have you finally realized you want to come and inherit the family property?"
To clarify that there was no main sponsor meant to publicly disclose her relationship with the Lu family. It was such a good opportunity to undermine the enemy, and Lu Tingyi wouldn't let it slip by.
"Ahem... No," Lu Xici coughed lightly, feeling speechless.
Her mother was still in her prime, yet she thought about these things all day long.
"But I want to attend the company's next press conference with you."
The little brat wanted to freeload.
Lu Tingyi understood. Nobody wanted to work overtime, and she couldn't take a break either.
"I can move it up to tomorrow."
Tomorrow was Lu Xici's birthday. If possible, Lu Tingyi didn't want her to be too busy, but there were priorities.
"The rest you can discuss with He Lan. I'll coordinate with you here." Lu Tingyi finished speaking and waved her hand, indicating for Lu Xici to make the call.
The living room was now left with only a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Under Lu Tingyi's occasional scrutinizing gaze, Jun Youyue gradually straightened her posture, accepting her mother-in-law's inspection.
After a while, "Xiao Jun."
Finally, the mother-in-law spoke!
"In terms of relationships, it's important to be proactive, that's the key to longevity."
Jun Youyue had indeed been quite proactive today.
Lu Tingyi was afraid she was just seeking novelty, and once the excitement faded, she would return to her previous state of indifference.
Upon hearing this, Jun Youyue nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at grains. "Auntie is right. It was my fault before, but I won't be like that in the future."
Lu Tingyi listened to her fluent response and tilted her head to look at her. "Did you use to stutter when you were young?"
"No," Jun Youyue silently moved her gaze away from eye contact.
"I just don't like talking." There are always people who like to add drama to Jun Youyue's silence.
But in reality, she was just too lazy to talk.
She used to not want to say a single word, hoping that others would understand her through her actions alone. Later, she found that most people couldn't understand her, so she reluctantly started to "hint" a few sentences here and there.
Speaking of which, the young Lu Xici could understand her very well back then.
She used to enjoy playing with this little sister because as long as this sister was there, she didn't need to talk. Little Lu Xici would chatter away and express everything she wanted to say, which was very convenient.
Perhaps it was because she had been busy with university studies for a long time and hadn't played together in a while, they became unfamiliar with each other, and now even when they met, they had to talk.
But it didn't matter. In this world, the only people Jun Youyue was willing to talk to were Lu Xici and Jun Youning.
She was happy to talk to Lu Xici now.
For every word she said, Lu Xici would respond attentively.
Being able to hear her wife speak was also a very happy thing.
Lu Tingyi didn't speak again.
She would take the time tonight to assess her daughter-in-law, who almost proposed to Lu Xici today.
A while later, Lu Xici returned to the living room, looking somewhat complicated.
"What's wrong? He Lan said it couldn't be done? That's impossible," Lu Tingyi helped to screen the conditions when selecting the agent.
He Lan was competent, honest, and wouldn't have ulterior motives, which is why the Lu family chose her.
"It's not that. My friend... Lin Ni posted on Weibo."
Author's Note:
Jun "Thick-skinned" Youyue, great score.
There's another update~ See you at seven in the evening~
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