"Are you sure this is your mother, Yue Fai?"
Hyson's face twitched when he heard that question from Shui Koshing. Just as he had been worried, his mother looked more like his younger sister at the moment.
"Uncle, she is my mum!"
Shui Koshing stared at Mother Yue's face who lowered her face even further. She was avoiding his eyes as she gave him a nod to greet him which made Shui Koshing's brows knit up a little.
"Brother Shing, she is my best friend. And Yue, he is our Elle's father-in-law," the job of introduction was taken by Mu Chenyan who was excitingly introducing Mother Yue to everyone. "That's Elder Zhai and his wife. They are our family friends."
While Mother Yue continued to smile softly while keeping her head lowered. If she knew she'd have to face these people, she'd have never followed Mu Chenyan back here. Now, she felt guilty for hiding like this from these people. But she really didn't want to be recognized by any of them. And even if her appearance had been altered because of this cosplaying, she was still anxious in her heart.
"You have a good son," said Shui Koshing as he looked at Hyson appreciatingly. One could see his sincerity through the tone of his voice and through his eyes as well. He seemed to like Hyson a lot.
Mother Yue's eyes softened up and even her heart eased up when she heard him complimenting her son like this. She always felt a burst of pride and joy when people said good things about her son.
Mu Chenyan hugged her shoulders saying, "Of course, he is a good son. After all, he has a good mother."
Mother Yue shook her head at Mu Chenyan while she told her to convey her words to Shui Koshing. "Yue says, thank you."
Shui Koshing paused momentarily when he saw Mother Yue making hand signs to talk. He had felt some familiarity with her but he couldn't seem to recognize her very well. He had a vague image in his mind but when he noticed how Mother Yue couldn't talk, that image turned distant. He shook his own thoughts out of his head and smiled at her gently.
Not once did he plan to bring up the topic of whether Mother Yue could talk or not. He felt it was rude and he didn't want to talk about something that might hurt the other person.
"I also agree with Koshing," said Grandma Zhai as she joined these two ladies. "You have raised your son well. He is loveable and adorable."
Mother Yue bit the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from showing her emotions on her face. She couldn't let the elderly lady see her feelings. Just as she felt happy to hear this compliment from her, she also felt a little sad. She herself couldn't understand her own conflicting feelings.
She always found her solace in her son, so she chose to rub her son's head before she made some hand sign and Mu Chenyan translated it for her, "Yue said, our Yue Fai was naturally a good boy." She turned to her best friend and said, "Yue, don't compliment him so much. He might start jumping around like a monkey."
Mother Yue gave her a look, 'Aren't you the first one who loves to compliment him to heaven all the time?'
Mu Chenyan coughed as she said, "Let's not open our secrets now."
"Her name is Yue?" inquired Grandma Zhai and Mu Chenyan nodded. "What's her full name?"
"Yue Yue," replied Mu Chenyan and Mother Yue's heart clenched.
Grandma Zhai moved ahead and looked at Mother Yue's face carefully as she said, "I'm sorry for asking in detail. It's just that seeing you reminded me of someone."
"Aunt, you also thought of Yue Yue?" Shui Koshing leaned in to whisper to Grandma Zhai who sighed out heavily and nodded her head. "I also thought of her at first. But... It can't be her, right?"
Grandma Zhai looked back at Mother Yue who was teasing her son and said, "I'm not sure. It's hard to recognize her in this attire. So, I can't be certain. But she gives a very familiar feeling."
"Our Yue Yue would never hide from us," said Shui Koshing.
"She has been hiding for years," replied Grandma Zhai.
Shui Koshing felt heavy in his heart, "Even if it's like that. I really believe that if she was in front of me, she would definitely not hide from me. Not from me for sure!"
"Someone bring a chair for Chenyan," called out Grandfather Xiang.
"There is no need for that," said Raelle as she stood up and offered her chair to her Yanyan. "Yanyan, you can sit here."
"I'd never take my own Elle's seat," was Mu Chenyan's response.
Raelle gave her a practiced smile, "I have my personal seat now." Mu Chenyan had just opened her mouth to question when she saw Raelle sitting down naturally on Shui Xian's thighs. She was left gaping in disbelief.
Mu Chenyan looked at Shui Xian and found him in a similar state as she was. She fell down on the chair that she just got from Raelle and said, "Dear son, that must have been a fatal attack on your heart?"
Shui Xian licked his lips before glancing at Mu Chenyan and nodding, "Yanyan, I have gotten quite used to these fatal attacks these days."
Mother Yue laughed silently at them as she said, 'Our Raelle is turning into a pro!'
"What pro?" Hyson looked at her unpleasantly. "Ellie, which book have you been reading these days?"
"Cloe suggested five titles, so I picked one to try out," replied Raelle honestly.
"What's the title of that book?" questioned Shui Xian. And everyone else looked at her eagerly waiting for her reply.
"Hubby, let me spoil you!" Raelle didn't even feel embarrassed as she announced the title of the book she's been reading these days.
Three people pursed their lips to hold back their laughter while Shui Xian was left in a complex mood. He caressed her head and said, "No wonder, you've been getting so good at this."
"I never expected you to read such a book," was Hyson's remark. He honestly never could associate such a book with his best friend's expressionless face. This girl liked to read serious books. Leaning more towards educational stuff. That's why he was dumbfounded to learn that she actually was reading a romance novel. And just from the title, he could tell it must be a dog-blood novel. "Are you even able to read it?"
Raelle took a pause before telling him, "Honestly, no! I don't even understand half of the things. Everything is so exaggerated and unrealistic. I really can't read it. But Cloe said it'll help me with my marriage life. So, I just am reading through it for now."
Hyson chuckled at her, "More like, you're stuck with it now. After all, you don't like leaving halfway through. So, even if you don't like the book, you won't put it down unless you've completed it."
Raelle leaned against the chest of Shui Xian saying, "It's because I feel accomplished when I finish a book. Reading through something you don't like is a struggle only people like me can understand. You won't understand it. You even leave the cinema hall once the movie is not to your liking."
"If I don't like it and I know it," began Hyson. "Then why should I waste my time and suffer through it? I'd rather use that time to do something that I like." He looked at his mother, "Mum, who is right here? She who doesn't want to leave halfway through or me, who doesn't want to waste time on a hopeless situation?"
'You both are right,' was Mother Yue's response. 'There is no need to argue.'
Shui Xian kept rubbed the back of his wife up and down in a slow, calming manner. And Raelle didn't stop him even once from continuing. It actually felt good to her. So, there was no need for her to stop it. Shui Xian even had his chin propped on her shoulder as he let her scent engulf his senses.
He was truly taken aback when Raelle had suddenly decided to sit on his lap right in front of everyone else. But it wasn't as surprising either since his wife didn't know the concept of embarrassment at all. She did what she felt like doing without caring about the people around her.
This unrestrained nature of hers was her biggest weapon that had been attacking the walls he had built around his heart. And now, even he wasn't certain what she meant to him. He just knew he really liked being with her. She didn't make his heart restless, she made it feel calm.
And let's not mention how he loved the fact that his wife didn't have the habit of giving up on things. She had told him before that she'd do her best to complete the journey that she began on her own accord. And that made him realize how serious she really took this marriage with him.