Hearing He Yining call her "Mom" so sweetly, Shen Ziyao found it hard to refuse.
He Yining noticed the teapot Shen Ziyao was holding, immediately reached out to take it, and said with a low chuckle, "Mom, what tea do you like best? I've received a lot of fine tea this year; I'll have some sent over for you."
Shen Ziyao smiled and replied, "I just drink it for fun, I don't know much about it."
He Yining just smiled and nodded slightly. With a glance of his phoenix eyes at Xiaochun, she understood his meaning and turned to leave.
Xu Yunxi and Liu Yi returned cheerfully from outside, accompanied by Feng Manlun.
Shen Qi greeted them obediently, "Godmother, you're back!"
Xu Yunxi nodded with a smile, "We're back, and we caught quite a few fish—all thanks to Manlun!"
Feng Manlun smiled modestly, glanced at He Yining with a fleeting meaningful look, and said cheerfully to Shen Ziyao, "It's the least I could do."
He Yining thought to himself, *These aren't things you, Young Master Feng, should be doing, are they?*
He Yining smoothly followed suit and greeted Xu Yunxi, "Hello, Godmother. I'm He Yining."
Xu Yunxi covered her mouth with a chuckle and said, "Good, good, good! I've gained a goddaughter, a godson-in-law, and a polite and courteous Young Master Feng all in one day. I've really hit the jackpot today!"
Liu Yi just grinned and said nothing.
"Don't just stand around; come have some tea." As the host, Shen Ziyao took the lead in inviting them. "We're all family here, so don't be polite."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiaochun reappeared, holding a gilded box, and respectfully handed it to Shen Qi.
"What's this?" Shen Qi instinctively reached out and took it, opening the box.
The moment she lifted the lid, a rich aroma of tea wafted over her.
Shen Qi couldn't help but take a deep breath and exclaimed in admiration, "Excellent tea!"
He Yining turned to Shen Ziyao with a smile and said, "Mom, I came in a hurry this time and didn't bring much. These are just some everyday teas I drink—nothing too precious, but the flavor is decent. Would you like to give it a try?"
Before Shen Ziyao could respond, Liu Yi leaned in, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "Wow, President He, aren't you being a bit too extravagant? Isn't this the tea that was the auction king at the tea expo a few days ago? I heard it sold for a million for just one tael?"
Shen Ziyao and Xu Yunxi exchanged a glance, both with a hint of helplessness in their eyes.
A son-in-law who's too extravagant—was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Having spent quite some time with He Yining, Shen Qi subconsciously didn't even consider the price and just turned to ask Liu Yi, "Is this tea really that expensive?"
"Of course! Normally, tea grows at altitudes of two to five thousand meters, in areas with plenty of sunlight and humidity. But this tea grows at an altitude of six thousand meters, and not only that, there are only three tea trees like this in the entire world. How could it not be expensive? It's not something you can just buy with money!" Liu Yi educated Shen Qi. "When I saw the news back then, I was amazed for a while. Whoever got this tea must have incredible connections. I never expected it to be President He. But it makes sense—no one in the world can compete with President He when it comes to being extravagant!"
He Yining smiled lightly. "It's not that exaggerated. Just a luxury item."
Having only been there a few minutes, He Yining had already suppressed Feng Manlun several times.
Hearing this, Feng Manlun laughed and said, "Yes, tea is just a luxury. For dinner, we should focus on the real meal. Auntie, would you prefer steamed or braised fish tonight? This season's fish is at its freshest and most delicious."
Feng Manlun effortlessly shifted the topic from tea to fish.
He Yining's phoenix eyes swept over the fish Feng Manlun was holding, and he said casually, "When it comes to food, I think Xiao Qi has the most say."
Shen Qi looked at He Yining, then at Feng Manlun.
One was her husband, the other her senior fellow apprentice.
What were they even competing over?
Shen Qi sighed and said, "With so many of us, why not steam one, braise one, make one with scallion oil, and pan-fry another?"
Liu Yi couldn't resist adding, "And the leftover tea leaves from brewing can be used to cook the fish too."
Shen Ziyao didn't want to see them bickering, so she quickly said, "Alright, we'll make dinner later. Let's sit down and have some tea first."
Xu Yunxi looked at He Yining, then at Feng Manlun, and sighed softly, "Why is it that other people's daughters are fought over, while mine just sits on the shelf?"
Liu Yi turned away indignantly. "I'm going to clean the fish!"
Shen Qi smiled and said, "I'll help too."
He Yining and Feng Manlun exchanged glances, neither leaving. Instead, they sat down on either side of Shen Ziyao, determined to win her over.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi escaped outside and both let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Xiao Qi, what's with He Yining and Feng Manlun?" Liu Yi couldn't help asking. "Anyone who didn't know would think they're rivals in love!"
"I'm wondering the same thing." Shen Qi spread her hands, looking confused. "Even though they're business rivals, this isn't a business setting. Why are they acting like fighting cocks? I don't get it. Forget them; let's figure out what to eat tonight."
Liu Yi gestured behind Shen Qi. "Look back there."
Shen Qi turned around and saw Xiaoxiao walking over with a grin. "Second Young Madam, we brought chefs and other ingredients. What would you like for dinner tonight? Chinese? Western?"
Shen Qi sighed and handed the bucket of fish Liu Yi was holding to Xiaoxiao. "Here, since you brought chefs, this is your problem now."
"Got it." Xiaoxiao took the bucket cheerfully. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and said, "Second Young Madam, you're not still mad at the President, are you?"
Shen Qi was puzzled. "Mad about what?"
Xiaoxiao spoke quickly, "During the competition, the Madam interfered with the process and strictly ordered the President not to get involved. With no other choice, the President had to ask the Old Madam to step in. Around that time, Miss Feng from the Feng family also meddled, which made the President furious. He detained Miss Feng, and Young Master Feng had to go plead with him. The President let her go only because she's your senior fellow apprentice's sister. Ah, the President's had it rough. He had to obey the Madam's orders, but he was afraid you'd be upset, so he had to swallow the bitterness alone."
"Something like that happened?" Shen Qi was stunned.
Even though she had sensed during the competition that He Yining's timing was too perfect, she never imagined so much had gone on behind the scenes.
"Yes. Cui Yuelan tried several times to bribe the hotel room service staff to ruin your work. The President had me keeping an eye on things the whole time; otherwise, she would have succeeded long ago." Xiaoxiao said proudly. "Hmph, trying to slip past me? No way!"
Shen Qi's eyes warmed. "Is everything you said true?"
"Would I lie to you?" Xiaoxiao said seriously. "But don't worry, the President and the Old Madam are both on your side! Even if the Madam doesn't like you, you're still the recognized mistress of the He family. Ah, I can't talk too long; I need to find the chef. There are so many fish."
Shen Qi watched Xiaoxiao hurry off with the fish bucket, her heart stirred.
Liu Yi couldn't help but sigh. "He Yining did pretty well! He's a real man!"
Shen Qi smiled softly. "It seems I've misunderstood him a lot."
"Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything's perfect." Liu Yi grinned. "Are you two going to live happily ever after now?"
Shen Qi shot her a playful glare. "Do you think this is a novel? Happily ever after... His parents are still the hardest hurdle. I can only hope that after they return, I'll do my best and earn their approval as quickly as possible."
"Wow, seeing you so troubled and pained, I'm definitely not marrying into a wealthy family!" Liu Yi declared with wide eyes.
"Haha! As if any wealthy family would want to marry you!" A sharp voice came from behind them.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi turned around simultaneously and saw Wen Yibo, along with Fan Sheng and Fan Li, strolling leisurely toward them.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi both widened their eyes and exclaimed in unison, "What are you doing here?"
Wen Yibo cleared his throat lightly and said, "We... came to find He Yining! He hasn't signed the contract we discussed last time yet!"
Fan Sheng and Fan Li nodded seriously in agreement, completely unfazed by how flimsy the excuse was.
Liu Yi shot Wen Yibo a disdainful look. "Whether anyone wants to marry me or not, what's it to you? Mind your own business."
As Liu Yi and Wen Yibo continued their bickering, Xiaoxiao, after handing over the fish bucket, nodded to Xiaochun.
Xiaochun smiled and said, "Well done. Since Feng Manlun wants to make a move on Second Young Madam, we'll undermine him through Feng Kexin! Let's see how he competes with the President!"
Xiaoxiao handed the fish bucket to the chef and said, "I don't think Feng Manlun can compete with the President anyway. How many times has he been outmaneuvered by our President? They're not even in the same league!"
Xiaochun smiled. "Still, we need to stay vigilant."
In the tea room, Shen Ziyao and Xu Yunxi were thoroughly entertained by He Yining and Feng Manlun, their hearts full of joy.
Though both were high and mighty young masters, when they truly lowered themselves to charm someone, the effect was undeniable.
If they had only groveled, it would have come off as cheap.
Instead, He Yining showcased his brilliance, while Feng Manlun displayed his tenderness.
The two were evenly matched.
Xu Yunxi and Shen Ziyao exchanged a look.
Both young men were impressive!
As mothers-in-law, it was hard to decide which one was better.
Of course, in terms of looks, He Yining was overwhelmingly superior. But Feng Manlun wasn't bad either!
In terms of family background, the He family was the pinnacle of wealth. But the Feng family was no slouch either!
In terms of talent, He Yining was exceptionally gifted. But Feng Manlun's abilities were nothing to sneeze at!
In terms of personality, He Yining was sharp and distinct, while Feng Manlun was smooth and worldly. Both traits were quite endearing!
Even though Xiao Qi was already married to He Yining, the future was still uncertain!
After all, if He Yining couldn't manage the relationship between his mother and his wife, even the best man would score a zero.