Chapter 305: Stepmother and Stepfather

The couple were both truly stunning.

Walking together, they were the very picture of a talented man and a beautiful woman.

On top of that, their two children were also well-raised, pretty, and adorable—after all, this was an era where most children ran around in dirty clothes.

These two were spotless and dressed in brand-new outfits.

This undoubtedly elevated their cuteness even further.

When the family of four appeared, the residents of the family compound were left somewhat stunned.

People rarely saw Fu Mingxue on a normal day, and now that she had been away on business for over a month, they were struck by how truly beautiful she was.

She was even more beautiful than the belle of the Art Troupe.

As if she had walked straight out of a painting.

The men in the family compound started to feel a bit sour—Qin Tuan was so damn lucky. Not only was his wife gorgeous, but she was also an engineer at such a young age.

Most importantly, he even had his mother-in-law at home to cook and look after the kids.

Now *that* was the good life a man should lead.

How could Qin Wenhao not notice their sour, envious gazes?

He was delighted inside.

He once again thanked his past self for going to call off that engagement.

If he hadn’t, he probably would have never met her in this lifetime.

And thank goodness she hadn’t agreed, and had instead boldly proposed marriage—otherwise, he would have missed out on the love of his life.

They took a long stroll, reaping a harvest of envious and jealous looks.

Then, the couple brought their children home.

"I’ll watch the children. You go get some rest."

Fu Mingxue was just about to go back to their room to unpack, so she nodded in agreement.

After setting the children down, she went into the room.

She hadn’t been home in so long; the room felt both familiar and strange.

But it was definitely clean. The entire room was filled with the scent of sunshine.

There wasn’t any sort of musty smell at all.

She took all the clothes out of her bamboo-and-rattan suitcase.

Although they’d already been washed, she planned to wash them all again—

until her mother’s voice called from outside, "Time to eat!"

The dinner Mrs. Fu had prepared tonight was quite sumptuous.

Fu Mingxue came out to see a table laden with dishes.

"Mom, you made so much! And this chicken soup, when did you make it?"

"I stewed it this evening, of course. While you two were out, I killed a chicken. It’s perfect for helping you two recover your strength."

Of course Mrs. Fu’s heart ached for her own daughter. After all, she worked so hard—what mother wouldn’t feel for her?

"Mom, you’re so good to me! I love you so, so much!" Fu Mingxue said coquettishly.

She was laying the emotional validation on thick.

When Qin Wenhao heard the word "love," his eyes darkened slightly—’It seems my wife has never said that word to me.’

’In fact... it seems she’s never even told me she *likes* me.’

Mrs. Fu was also a bit embarrassed by her daughter tossing the word "love" around so freely.

She shot her a faux-reproachful glance.

"Can’t all this food shut your mouth? Hurry up and eat."

But she couldn’t suppress the upward curve of her lips.

"Honey, you eat this. Have some more." Qin Wenhao placed the two largest chicken drumsticks into Fu Mingxue’s bowl.

Mrs. Fu was left speechless.

She had originally intended to give those two drumsticks to the children.

After all, they could gnaw on meat now—they were already eighteen months old.

"Give these to the children. I’ll be fine with something else."

Just as Fu Mingxue’s chopsticks were about to move, Qin Wenhao stopped her hand. "These are for you, to help you recover. They can eat anytime."

Fu Mingxue looked at him in surprise. ’If anyone else heard that, they’d definitely call him a bad stepfather.’

’Well, he *is* technically a stepfather... No, wait, an adoptive father is still a real father!’

Mrs. Fu glanced at the two of them—her lips moved, but she was at a loss for words.

’Truly,’ she thought, ’every pot has its lid.’

One dared to stop her like that, and the other just accepted it and ate without a second thought...