Seeing that Tiantian had been sufficiently comforted, Xu Teng nodded with satisfaction. He then patted Tiantian's head in a threatening manner and said,
"You're all grown up now. I trust you know what to say and what not to say. Alright, you can go to your new family now!"
Tiantian's eyes welled up with tears as she shuffled towards the exit. Her gaze toward Xu Teng was filled with reluctance.
Outside the door, Chen Lishu saw Tiantian emerge and immediately hugged her tightly. She asked softly, "Did Tiantian bully you?"
Tiantian lowered her head, her voice muffled, and whispered, "No."
"That's good. Auntie will take you home." With that, Chen Lishu carried Tiantian out of the hotel.
----
Upon returning home, Chen Lishu saw a group of people sitting on the sofa.
"Lishu!" Li Xiulan pursed her lips and approached Chen Lishu with a serious expression. "You're back? We've heard about what happened recently. Is the situation not too serious?"
"It's not serious, just a bit troublesome," Chen Lishu replied, her eyes constantly darting past Li Xiulan to a stranger sitting on the sofa.
Just as she was about to ask who the woman was, Li Xiulan warmly took her hand and led her towards the woman, smiling as she introduced, "This is Zhang Wan'er, Director Yang's niece. When Xingdong was in the military, it was thanks to the care of both of them that he managed to spend six years there without any issues. I only found out about this today. To thank Miss Zhang for taking care of my son, I plan to treat her to a meal."
Hearing this, Chen Lishu understood and her lips curved upwards into a friendly smile. She extended her hand to Zhang Wan'er, "Miss Zhang, right? I am Gu Xingdong's wife. Thank you for taking care of him; it's thanks to you that we had the chance to meet!"
Zhang Wan'er listened to Chen Lishu's words, a hint of an unreadable emotion flashing in her eyes before she quickly concealed it. She then said gracefully,
"There's no need to thank me. Xingdong was doing his duty to serve the people. During those six years, he helped many people. I merely cooked a few meals and bandaged his wounds when it was convenient for me. Also, please don't call me Miss Zhang. I think we're around the same age. I was born in April, what about you?"
"I was born in June," Chen Lishu replied, while subtly observing Zhang Wan'er. Although the latter spoke softly and seemed harmless, Chen Lishu felt an inexplicable awkwardness in her presence. Could it be that she was too fond of Gu Xingdong, making her a jealous wife who couldn't tolerate him having a female friend?
With this thought, Chen Lishu rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on, and tried her best to dismiss the negative thoughts.
Zhang Wan'er nodded upon hearing Chen Lishu was born in June, then said softly, "You can call me Wan'er, or older sister from now on. Let's sit down and talk. It's a bit awkward with all of you standing while I'm the only one sitting."
Zhang Wan'er then flashed a shy smile, her demure and lovable demeanor earning continuous praise from Li Xiulan.
"Miss Zhang is not only beautiful and kind-hearted, but her personality is also excellent. Even as a woman, looking at your disposition, my heart melts. I've always dreamed of having a daughter as well-behaved as you."
Hearing Li Xiulan's words, the blush on Zhang Wan'er's face deepened. She lowered her head and slowly said, "Do you like daughters very much? I can..."
Before Zhang Wan'er could finish her sentence, Li Xiulan eagerly took Chen Lishu's hand, raised her eyebrows, and said with a proud expression, "Actually, I don't necessarily like daughters that much. In the past, when we were poor, raising several sons was already a handful. Since Lishu came to our family, our living standards have improved, which made me wish for a daughter. But whether it's a daughter or not is no longer important. In my heart, Chen Lishu is my own daughter. I must have accumulated immense good karma in my past life to have such a well-behaved and sensible daughter!"
Zhang Wan'er's smile stiffened for a moment upon hearing Li Xiulan's words, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled, "Auntie and Lishu have such a good relationship. You don't look like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at all, but more like mother and daughter! I hope my future marriage will be in an environment like yours."
Li Xiulan quickly offered words of comfort, "Miss Zhang is such an outstanding girl; her future in-laws will surely be equally remarkable."
"Mm," a flicker of something unusual crossed Zhang Wan'er's eyes. After a moment of silence, she changed the subject, "Lishu, when I arrived, I overheard some unfavorable rumors about you. These rumors have been spreading like wildfire, and they must have had a significant impact on you, right? Do you have any solutions? If you find this matter difficult to resolve, you can tell me. I think I might be able to help you a little."
Before Chen Lishu could reply, Li Xiulan, looking flustered, grasped Zhang Wan'er's hand and said with distress, "Can you really help resolve this matter? People say a woman's reputation is of utmost importance. Gu Xingdong and I both believe Chen Lishu wouldn't do anything to betray our family, but our belief alone is not enough to silence the public. We don't mind, but we're afraid that Lishu, who is busy with her work, will be overwhelmed by these rumors. Perhaps you could discuss with Lishu if there are any good solutions to this matter?"
Zhang Wan'er curved her lips and patted her chest confidently, saying, "I have a way to solve this. After all, I have some influence in Kyoto and a wide network of acquaintances. I can completely suppress the heat surrounding this matter."
In reality, Chen Lishu already had a solution to the problem, but seeing Li Xiulan's genuine concern for her, she couldn't refuse her kindness. So, she smiled and agreed, "Then this matter may require Miss Zhang's help. If my cooperation is needed, please tell me directly, and I will do my best to assist you."
"Alright," Zhang Wan'er smiled and accepted the task. After the three had chatted for a while, the door opened again. Gu Xingdong walked in, holding a file bag, his face etched with fatigue.