Chapter 129 - 120: Mrs. Yan Masterfully Sets Up Her In-laws

Chapter 129: Chapter 120: Mrs. Yan Masterfully Sets Up Her In-laws

Mrs. Yan was completely at a loss for words, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking.

"Why don’t... why don’t you tell your dad?"

This was too big of a deal. She couldn’t make the decision on her own.

Yan Xici frowned. ’If I told Dad, I definitely wouldn’t put it this way!’

There was only one way to handle her stubborn, old-fashioned father and headstrong sister: present them with a fait accompli and let them figure it out.

’As the old saying goes, fortune favors the bold!’

’Brother Xiao Ran was a treasure worth the risk!’

She had it all figured out!

Mrs. Yan’s expression turned serious. To be honest, she had just been talking; she didn’t really dare to tell the old man directly. ’What if he gets so angry it affects his health? What would I do then?’

She clicked her tongue. "So... your sister’s angry because of this, isn’t she?"

Now she finally understood why Yan Li had spoken that way on the phone. And she’d even scolded her daughter for it. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it.

’It’s no wonder she’s in a bad mood. Her ex-husband ran off with her little sister.’

Yan Xici nodded, her voice tinged with grievance. "I know. My sister is angry because of this."

Mrs. Yan continued, "Then... does her former mother-in-law know?"

They were both mothers, after all. And as a mother of two herself, she felt their situations were quite similar. That’s why Mrs. Yan was particularly eager to know what Qiu Yuru was thinking.

The question gave Yan Xici a headache. "She... I don’t think she knows yet..."

Mrs. Yan pursed her lips. Honestly, that kid Xiao Ran had a genuinely good character. Both she and Old Yan truly liked him. If he really did end up with Xici... to be honest, aside from the shock, she didn’t really feel much else.

How should she put it? She wasn’t strongly for it, but she wasn’t strongly against it either.

If they got together, fine. If they didn’t, that was fine too.

However, if his family was vehemently opposed, she felt it would be better for them not to be together.

After all, if Yan Xici really ended up with Xiao Ran, then Xiao Ran’s mother would become her mother-in-law. They would be seeing a lot of each other in the future. If the woman didn’t approve and was constantly giving her grief, life would be impossible.

"So... why don’t you and Xiao Ran talk it over, maybe speak with his family first and see what they think?"

Mrs. Yan ventured. It was just a half-baked idea.

It was also the only solution she could come up with. She had no choice. It wasn’t like she could discuss this with her husband or her older daughter.

It really put her, the mother, in a tough spot.

Yan Xici: "..."

’Well, that’s something, at least. Mom’s attitude, anyway.’

’It means she won’t be a stumbling block on my path to success.’

She thought for a moment before saying, "Mom, how about you help me talk to Dad? Don’t be too obvious at first. Just keep bringing up Brother Xiao Ran’s good qualities. Make Dad feel that losing him as a son-in-law would be the greatest loss in the world. I think he’ll be more likely to accept it that way."

"Easy for you to say. Why don’t you tell your dad yourself?" Mrs. Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She had been handed the family’s most difficult problem.

This was a huge undertaking, and one that was very likely to end in disaster.

When it came to her role in the family, Mrs. Yan was very self-aware. She was always the one who ended up being persuaded, never the persuader.

She was helpless against her daughters and her husband.

’Just think about this family,’ she mused. ’My older daughter takes after her dad but is smarter than him. My younger daughter seems to take after me, but she’s smarter than me, too. I’m the only dummy here!’

But what could she do? She was the mother, after all. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her daughter struggle, could she?

Yan Xici pouted, her voice turning soft and wheedling. "Mom, I’ve known since I was a little girl that you dote on me the most..."

"All you do is wheedle. I wonder who you get that from!" Though her words were a complaint, she was secretly pleased.

’Who else could she have gotten it from? Me, of course.’ When she was young, she’d loved to do the same thing, clinging to her own mother and acting spoiled.

"Mooommyyy," Yan Xici’s voice was unbelievably soft and sweet.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Just don’t forget what I told you. Your dad is traditional and stubborn, but I know him. If this whole thing falls through, then that’s that. But if it actually happens, he would never treat Xiao Ran badly. Xiao Ran’s family is another matter, though. If you want to be with him, you need his mother’s consent. She has to approve of you, to *like* you. Otherwise, even if you force the issue, it won’t end well. Understand?"

Mrs. Yan urged with heartfelt earnestness.

Yan Li was her daughter, and so was Yan Xici. She had to cherish them both.

"Okay, Mom, I get it! I’ll go tell Brother Xiao Ran right now!" the girl vowed. "Oh, right! Mom, take good care of yourself. I’ll come home this weekend to see you both and give Dad a massage."

’What a good, thoughtful child,’ Mrs. Yan thought.

Mrs. Yan glanced toward the bedroom. "Alright. Your dad isn’t awake yet. I’m going to go check on him."

"Okay, Mom! Love you~"

After hanging up, Yan Xici immediately opened WeChat and, without a moment’s hesitation, tapped on the first person in her conversation list.

She had pinned Xiao Ran to the top of her list. That way, he would always be the first person she saw!

Yan Xici: Brother Ran, my mom just called me!

Yan Xici: She knows about us. She told me to ask for your parents’ opinion.

She felt a pang of guilt as she sent the message. ’Although his mother had always been very good to me, what if she found out about my designs on her son? She might think I’m a manipulative schemer and start to hate me. It’s not impossible.’

’After all, I really did use her own advice to win over Brother Xiao Ran!’

She couldn’t deny it.

Xiao Ran was in the middle of writing when his phone chimed. He grabbed it and opened the message.

His brow furrowed slightly when he saw the girl’s message.

’Of course,’ he sighed inwardly, ’it all comes back to my dad.’

’Mom’s position is clear: she’s on our side.’

’But Dad is dead set against it. I wonder if he’s softened at all in the last couple of days.’

...

Qiu Yuru was just waking up from her afternoon nap. She slipped on her slippers and walked into the living room.

She shot a cold look at Xiao Shengrong, who was sleeping on the sofa. Crossing her arms, she said in a saccharine, passive-aggressive tone, "Oh, my, the bed is so wonderfully soft. My back feels amazing. I feel refreshed all over."

Xiao Shengrong’s back was already killing him. Even though he knew his wife was saying it just to spite him, he couldn’t stop himself from shifting his sore back. He retorted through gritted teeth, "Hmph, this sofa is plenty comfortable!"

He’d been sleeping on the sofa for two days!

He’d been battling his wife over Xiao Ran for days. He refused to believe that on the rare occasion he put his foot down, he couldn’t get the better of this arrogant mother-son duo!

’They have absolutely no respect for me!’