Chapter 653 - 227: I Dreamed You Died (Part 2)

The moment she and Jie Jingchen had a falling out, they would show their true colors and gang up on her.

’A mother-in-law isn’t your real mother. You can trust what she says, but never completely. To believe everything she said would be digging your own grave.’

As for her own mother—Qin Mei’s mother from her past life—she had been her staunchest supporter. But she had never met the original owner’s mother and had no memories of her. Whether that woman would be a strong ally or see her as a daughter who now belonged to another family, she’d only find out after meeting her.

After a long silence, Grandma couldn’t help but ask Qin Mei, "Granddaughter-in-law, did Jing Chen marry you for love, or out of a sense of responsibility?"

Qin Mei’s lip twitched as she stared blankly at Grandma. ’You’re asking the wrong person,’ she thought. ’You should be asking your own grandson.’

Qin Mei considered it for a few seconds before answering solemnly, "Responsibility."

’At first, Jie Jingchen had indeed married her out of responsibility. But love could grow over time, and they seemed like a good match. She figured feelings would eventually develop the more they slept together.’

"That’s my boy. A responsible man is a good man, one worth marrying," Grandma said with approval.

Qin Mei was speechless. ’That works too, I guess. Alright, Grandma is right. A responsible man is indeed a good man, one worth marrying.’

Mrs. Xie was silent. Her own mother’s words carried an unspoken meaning, clearly a veiled jab directed at her.

In her parents’ eyes, Jie Jianguo was an irresponsible man, and any woman who married him was doomed to be unlucky.

"Xiao Mei, are you tired?" Mrs. Xie asked Qin Mei.

Qin Mei was about to say she wasn’t tired, but when she saw Mrs. Xie giving her a meaningful look, she paused for a moment and changed her answer. "I am."

"Jing Chen has to go out in a bit. I’ll take you to your room to rest." Mrs. Xie pulled Qin Mei to her feet, said a quick word to Grandma, and led her to the third floor.

Qin Mei found it strange. Jie Jingchen had only been summoned to the study by his grandfather, yet her mother-in-law was already predicting he would have to go out. Full of suspicion but not wanting to ask, she obediently followed Mrs. Xie.

On the third floor, in the master bedroom, Qin Mei stepped inside. The air conditioning made the room much cooler than the rest of the house, a low temperature she absolutely adored. Seeing the luxurious decor, Qin Mei marveled once again. ’The Qiao Family is so rich, and they really know how to enjoy life.’

"Xiao Mei, do you find it too cold?" Mrs. Xie was highly adaptable, comfortable with both the Qiao Family in Xiangjiang and the Jie Family in Shijiu City.

"Not at all." Qin Mei shook her head. ’Shijiu City is just too hot, and without any air conditioning,’ she thought. ’Xiangjiang is hot too, but the Qiao Family has it. What am I going to do? I don’t want to go back to Shijiu City anymore.’

"Xiao Mei, do you like Xiangjiang?" Mrs. Xie asked.

"I do," Qin Mei nodded. ’Heck, when it gets unbearably hot, I’d even suggest to Jie Jingchen that we go spend the summer in the Northwest.’

"I’m glad you like it." Mrs. Xie patted Qin Mei’s shoulder. "Xiao Mei, we’ve prepared everything you’ll need. See if there’s anything missing. You can tell either me or the nanny."

"Okay." Qin Mei nodded obediently.

Mrs. Xie gave her a few more instructions before leaving, leaving Qin Mei alone in the vast room.

It wasn’t as if Qin Mei had never seen the world; her family in her past life had been wealthy, too. So she wasn’t completely floored by the luxurious room. Still, filled with curiosity, she looked and touched everything, exploring here and there.

Qin Mei was genuinely tired and wanted to take a shower and go to sleep.

She opened the wardrobe to find it packed with clothes, especially beautiful dresses and skirts. They weren’t the simple frocks that people in Huaxia considered fashionable but looked merely vintage to her. Instead, these were the trendiest outfits of the era in Xiangjiang—though to her, they still looked like classic vintage styles.

Of the row of large wardrobes, women’s clothing took up two-thirds of the space, while men’s filled the remaining third.

There were no pajama sets, only nightgowns and robes. Although Qin Mei was from the future, her mindset was still quite conservative. She could never bring herself to parade around in her sleepwear in front of elders, but wearing it in the privacy of her room was perfectly fine.

Qin Mei went into the bathroom to shower. She emerged a short while later in a sexy nightgown, slipped directly under the covers, and fell asleep in no time.

「In the middle of the night」

Jie Jingchen entered the room, his face etched with fatigue. His gaze immediately locked onto the figure on the bed. Qin Mei was sleeping so soundly that the noise he made moving about the room didn’t stir her at all.

Jie Jingchen didn’t approach the bed. He watched her from a distance for a moment before heading into the bathroom.

After his shower, Jie Jingchen didn’t get into bed right away. He found a book and sat on the sofa to read, waiting for his hair to dry. Only then did he put the book down and get ready for bed.

Jie Jingchen carefully lifted the covers, and his gaze instantly turned fiery. Qin Mei was wearing a silk nightgown. One of its thin straps had slipped off her shoulder and down her arm, revealing the tantalizing swell of her chest. The hem had ridden up to her waist, exposing her long, fair legs.