Ming Lan inhaled deeply before answering the call.
"Hello!"
"Did you reach home?"
"Not yet. I am with Lian. She came to pick me up."
"Lian? Didn't the driver ...."
"I told mother not to send the car as Lian wanted to..."
"Hmm! I am sorry that I am not there when you are back."
"It's fine! When will you be back?"
"In a day or two."
"Hmm!"
"Once you reach home, let me know."
"I will!"
They hung up the call and Lu Lian looked at Ming Lan. "Still so formal. Long way to go for you."
Ming Lan could not deny it, "We were not close but this distance of five months made it worse."
"Did you not talk to him during these months?" Lu Lian asked.
"I did. In fact most of the time he called to inquire about me. Then there was a time due to network issues in remote places we could not talk but whenever I got the chance, I made sure to call him."
"Good girl," Lu Lian praised. "As you are finally here, you have to be with me for my wedding preparations. Brother Tian is in England but he will do work from there. We have to go for the dress trials and all. You will be busy for a month so don't blame me for not giving you time with your husband."
"Well, you won't keep me that busy right? At least a little time with him," Ming Lan offered her a pitiful gaze.
"I will think about it."
"Baobao will be there too," Ming Lan asked.
"She is at her in-laws but she will come home for the wedding.
The two talked for a while and Lu Lian dropped her off at Wen residence.
"Are you not coming inside?" Ming Lan asked.
"Later. Let your in-laws be happy to see you back and then realize that their son's suffering will finally end," Lu Lian offered her a teasing smile.
Ming Lan could say nothing and Lu Lian left.
Ming Lan entered the home where everyone was happy to see her. Her mother-in-law welcomed her, "Good to see you back, Lan Lan?"
Ming Lan offered her a smile. She tried to be calm but still felt a little hesitant and a little guilty as she was away for longer than she said she would be. She wondered if she was being a bad daughter-in-law and a wife.
"How have you been, dear?" she heard the grandmother who was in her wheelchair as the servant brought her out.
Ming Lan went to the older lady, "I am fine, grandma. How have you been?"
"I am as always fine but feeling much better after seeing you," the older lady replied.
Grandmother Wen knew Ming Lan better since she was a kid and always tried to know her better later when she got to know her grandson liked her. She could not be happier than this to see they were finally married and were together.
"Welcome back, sister-in-law, "Liwei greeted her cheerfully.
Ming Lan offered her smile, "Thank you. When did you return?"
"Last night. I missed home so I thought about being here for a few days," Liwei replied.
"You did well," Ming Lan said and looked at her mother-in-law, "Father?"
"He is as usual in the office," she replied, "Let me tell you first that your husband and my husband both are dedicated to their work and you can not expect to see them home at random times. I wish if they were less passionate about work."
"They are equally passionate when it comes to their wives," Grandmother commented, "Do you forget how my son panics if you get even a little scratch."
Ming Lan smiled at her mother's little complaining and grandmother's consoling.
"Well, can not deny that."
"LanLan, you must be tired. Go freshen up and come down for lunch," Mrs Wen said.
"Thank you, mother," Ming Lan said and went upstairs to her room while the servant had already carried her bags to her room.
On the way to the room, Ming Lan felt glad that everyone welcomed her with a smile and no one showed displeasure that she returned after so many months. But it also made her feel guilty.
When she returned to her room, specifically her and Wen Zac's room, she looked around the room and realized everything was still the same as it was five months back. But she felt lonely as if someone was not there.
'I should take a bath first,' she went to the wardrobe to get her clothes. Everything was neatly arranged as it was. She looked at the other side of the wardrobe which was occupied by Wen Zac's clothes.
She looked at the shirts that were hanging inside and couldn't help but touch them. Subconsciously she held one shirt and sniffed it, 'It smells like him.' she found her heart beating faster at what she had just done and immediately let go of the shirt, 'I seem to have gone crazy. What am I doing? Sniffing his shirt. I am like a pervert.'
She pulled her clothes and immediately closed the wardrobe but then when she turned around and faced that empty bedroom, everywhere she could feel Wen Zac's presence from him working at his study table, standing in front of the mirror, lying in bed, smiling at her and so on.
'What the hell? He is not here and why am I seeing him? Am I missing him or what?'
She panicked and ran to the bathroom but once again it reminded her of the moments from her wedding night they spent in the bathroom of that hotel suite when he helped her unzip her dress.
She closed her eyes to not remember it at all. 'I am sure going crazy. I need to have a bath. They will wait for me to have lunch together. I can not be late."
Keeping all her thoughts aside, she came out of the bathroom and hurried to get ready to go downstairs.
They had lunch together and then Ming Lan accompanied her family members. They all treated her nicely and no one mentioned about her being away for long.
When Liwei was busy with her grandmother, Ming Lan found the chance to talk to her mother-in-law.
"Mother, I am sorry for being away for so long. I didn't plan to but...."
Mrs Wen looked at her, "Are you apologizing for being passionate and dedicated to your work?"
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A/N- In the month of March, privileged subscription will be only for 100 coins for the highest tier (50 chapters- 100 coins)
From 7th-17th march there will be no chapters as I will be busy travelling and attending webnovel's event. Updates will be lesser as it's a busy month but I will try to update as much as I can. Will go back to normal from April.