Day n of not wanting to be a kept man's canary

“The Leng family holds a family banquet on the first and fifteenth of every month. Second Young Mistress, the Second Madam asks you to go and help out.”

"it is good."

Logically speaking, in a large family like the Leng family, these small matters are usually handled by servants. She is also the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of the Leng family. This is probably Feng Yaqin's doing, maliciously making things difficult for her!

Even knowing it was a difficult situation, she still went. Mu Yanxin limped up to Feng Yaqin and greeted her with a smile.

Feng Yaqin looked somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Mu Yanxin to be able to hold on and get up after kneeling all night.

If Mu Yanxin doesn't come, she'll have a better reason to assert her mother-in-law's authority.

Feng Yaqin pointed to a pile of plates and said imperiously, "It seems you're alright, so disinfect those plates."

In a wealthy family like the Leng family, tableware must be sterilized.

Shen An'an, who was standing to the side, was holding Feng Yaqin's hand and said hypocritically, "Aunt Qin, Sister Yanxin is a new bride. Would it be alright to ask her to do these things..."

Feng Yaqin interrupted, "What new bride? She's still a long way from becoming a member of the Leng family!"

In Feng Yaqin's eyes, the Mu family was not a wealthy family, and Mu Yanxin was not the daughter-in-law she had in mind. Before leaving, Feng Yaqin did not forget to remind her, "Do a good job washing the dishes. If you mess things up, you'll be in big trouble."

After saying that, he left chatting and laughing with Shen An'an.

The maids stood to one side gossiping, "How pitiful! She's only engaged and already has to do servant's work. Will she have a good life after marriage?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, marrying into a wealthy family is not as good as living an ordinary life as a normal person."

Mu Yanxin paused, her hand moving swiftly, reflecting on the ordinary life of an ordinary person.

Yes, she also wants to live an ordinary life. If her family is safe and her parents are still alive, she will do the work she likes, have normal relationships, and live a happy life.

However, the things that ordinary people easily possess are a great luxury for her, something she can never have in this lifetime.

As I thought about it, tears blurred my vision.

"Don't cry." A gentle and pleasant voice pulled her back to reality. Mu Yanxin looked up and saw a kind-faced woman with a graceful demeanor smiling at her, handing her a tissue.

"Thank you!" Mu Yanxin composed herself, took the tissue, and wiped away her tears.

The woman knelt down to tidy up the plates and said, "There's too much, let me help you!"

Noticing the woman's fair and delicate hands, Mu Yan felt grateful but still declined, "No need, thank you!"

The woman continued tidying up, saying, "Don't mention it. From now on, we're family, so helping each other out is only right."

"So, you are Sister-in-law Tang Yu?"

"Let's hurry up and get ready! Otherwise we'll be punished if we make a mistake."

While tidying up, Mu Yanxin noticed occasional glances falling on her. Looking over, she saw Feng Yaqin and Shen An'an chatting and laughing while having morning tea in the distance, their relationship appearing harmonious.

When their eyes met, Shen An'an returned a sweet and harmless smile, but inwardly they were locked in a fierce competition.

Mu Yanxin, so what if you stole the man I love? You're still doing the work of a servant after marrying into this family, and you're treated as inferior to me!

The family dinner begins.

Once everyone had arrived, Old Master Leng, Leng Xingzhi, sat down, leaning on his cane.

Suddenly, the whole world fell silent, the atmosphere became serious, and only the slowed breathing and quickened heartbeats could be heard.

Old Master Leng glanced around and said, "Is everyone here?"

Everyone nodded.

"Let's eat now that everyone's here!" the old man instructed the butler, Uncle De.

"Who said everyone's ready?" The voice arrived before the person, accompanied by the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground, growing ever closer.

The voice sounds so familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before, but I just can't remember.

"Who?"

"Such arrogance?"

"This is a family banquet of the Leng family, who would dare to be disrespectful?"

A good ten seconds passed before a man came into view. He was wearing sunglasses and a suit, with the collar of his black shirt casually open, which accentuated his inherent arrogance and unruliness. He looked wild no matter how you looked at him.

The air was deathly silent, and everyone present shivered in unison.

The man strolled in, hands in his pockets, with a nonchalant air. "Did you think I was dead out there?"

It was him? Mu Yanxin froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. How could he be here? Scenes from the night before flashed before her eyes, and pain and a feeling of suffocation assaulted her memory.

That absurd night was her only act of defiance against her fate. The moment she got off the bus, she donned Mu Yanxin's body once more and continued to live a wretched life.

They promised never to see each other again, was God trying to play a cruel joke on her? The man drew closer and closer, and Mu Yanxin felt a chill run down her spine. She nervously lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"Tingye, you're back!" Old Master Leng was the first to break the deathly silence.

Leng Tingye, the fourth young master of the Leng family. When everyone saw who it was, some were surprised, some were nervous, and their expressions varied, but no one was happy to see this person.

Leng Tingye strolled leisurely around the large table, seemingly unconcerned.

"I can't recognize her, I can't recognize her." Mu Yanxin clutched the hem of her clothes tightly and prayed silently, her head almost touching the table. She really wanted to find a hole to crawl into and could only close her eyes and pray.

But then the person stopped and stood right behind her, sending a chill down Mu Yanxin's spine.

Don't recognize her, whatever you do, or she's completely finished.

It wasn't until she heard the man's footsteps again that Mu Yanxin could breathe fresh air once more.

The next second, the man suddenly leaned down and boomed in her ear, "This one looks rather familiar?"

With a crash, the wine glass shattered into pieces, and my heart, which had been pounding, tightened again.

Feng Yaqin retorted, "Those who are so clumsy have no manners whatsoever."

The maid quickly came over to clean up the mess. Calm down, calm down, Mu Yanxin tried her best to appear normal and maintain steady breathing. "You must have seen wrong."

"Haha, really?" Leng Tingye laughed casually, which terrified the person who heard it. He leaned down and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "You're really timid, but quite cute!"

Her bright, watery eyes were filled with panic.

It's truly absurd that on his first day back home after many years, he publicly flirted with his sister-in-law, showing no regard for anyone else.

The old man couldn't stand his rudeness and nonsense. "You have no manners! She's Changqing's fiancée, your future sister-in-law!"

Leng Tingye raised an eyebrow, turned to face Old Master Leng, plopped down on the white jade dining table, and said with a roguish grin, "Sorry, I didn't die out there and disappointed everyone."

After saying that, he turned around and glanced at Old Master Leng, saying mockingly, "Long time no see, you're still alive!"

Old Master Leng's face instantly darkened, and a hint of forbearance showed in the corners of his deaf eyes.

He said in a low voice, "Now that you're back, sit down and have a meal."

Leng Tingye readily agreed, "Sure! I've never attended a family banquet before!"

"But don't worry, I won't eat for nothing."

Leng Tingye patted Leng Changlin on the shoulder, "Big brother, do you really like sitting in my seat?"

In wealthy and powerful families like the Leng family, seating arrangements at meals are based on ability; the closer to the head of the family, the greater one's ability.

Leng Changlin calmly stood up. "Fourth brother hasn't been home for many years, so he probably doesn't know. The seating has been rearranged. Would you like to sit here?"

Leng Tingye hasn't stepped into the Leng family's door for ten years. There's no place for him in the family anymore, no place for the fourth branch.

"No need." Leng Changlin was pressed back into his seat, glanced at Mu Yanxin out of the corner of his eye, and nodded, saying, "Brother, please take your seat if you like."

Pointing to the seat next to Mu Yanxin, he said, "I'll go... sit... next to her."

He emphasized the two middle words, and Mu Yanxin felt her blood rush to her head.