Shen Xiujing playfully stuck out her tongue.

Watching the interaction between the mother and son, a hint of envy flashed in Song Mai's eyes.

"Auntie and Shen Xiujing have a really good relationship."

"Although this child is often not at home, he always tries his best to annoy me." Song Lan glared at him helplessly.

"Mom, wouldn't life be incredibly boring if it were always so bland?"

"You silly child!"

A faint smile appeared on Song Mai's lips as she quietly watched the two of them.

An inexplicable envy welled up inside me, leaving me feeling empty and adrift.

She lowered her head to drink water, concealing the emotions in her eyes, not wanting others to notice.

Song Lan was a meticulous person, and after seeing her little actions, he realized that his behavior was not good.

She reached out and gently grasped Song Mai's hand, smiling as she asked, "How are your parents?"

Shen Xiujing's expression changed instantly.

He only briefly told Song Lan about Song Mai's parents, without going into details.

Song Mai sighed: "Both of them have passed away."

Song Lan's expression changed, and she said with a face full of guilt, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your sad things."

“No need to apologize, I don’t even remember what they look like. I heard they treated me badly, and even wanted to marry me off to an old man to pay off their debts. After I had a car accident, I went abroad, and no one came looking for me after I returned.” Song Mai’s tone was calm, as if she were telling someone else’s story.

The heartache in Song Lan's eyes became even more apparent. She sighed helplessly and said in a low voice, "Child, if you don't mind, you can keep in touch with me often in the future."

“My mom has always hoped to give me an older or younger sister. If you agree, it will be a relief for her.” After saying this, Shen Xiujing quietly leaned closer. “To tell you the truth, my mom has always liked you very much.”

Xie Xing, who pushed open the door, heard these words clearly.

He subconsciously frowned, glanced at his female companion, and gestured for her to leave first.

"Sister-in-law, I'm placing my order."

That address of "sister-in-law" was deliberate, intended to make Shen Xiujing aware of the relationship between Song Mai and Chu Yunxing.

He had misunderstood that last sentence as Shen Xiujing actively pursuing Song Mai. Seeing his brother's wife being harassed, Xie Xing naturally wouldn't give her a good look.

“You…” Song Mai was speechless and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Xie Xing shamelessly approached the three people, her face full of smiles: "Didn't you announce your identity yesterday? It's only right that we call you sister-in-law."

He spoke while observing the expressions of the mother and son.

Shen Xiujing didn't change much, but Song Lan's face darkened even more.

Xie Xing couldn't help but wonder, could it be that Shen Xiujing had no feelings for Song Mai, but Song Lan had taken a liking to this daughter-in-law?

"You're placing the order, why didn't you let your girlfriend come in with you?" Song Mai subtly changed the subject, not wanting to continue the discussion.

Xie Xing scratched his head: "Do we still need to bring her in?"

"If you won't let me see her, how am I supposed to take her measurements?" Song Mai sighed. "You're not here to cause trouble, are you?"

"How could I do such a thing?" Xie Xing quickly raised his hands in surrender.

Not wanting to disturb Song Mai's work any longer, Song Lan smiled and said, "Since you have other things to do, I'll come to see you another time."

“That’s fine. If Auntie isn’t in a rush to order clothes, you can discuss the details with me.”

Xie Xing watched the mother and son leave before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"What kind of clothes do you want?" Song Mai looked at him calmly and sent over a sample.

Xie Xing glanced at it briefly and was immediately astonished: "How can it be so expensive?!"

“You deliberately disrupted my business, shouldn’t you offer some compensation? After all, I’m your sister-in-law, you can’t just stand by and watch me have no business to do.”

Song Mai's eyes held a cunning look, and her tone was exactly the same as Chu Yunxing's.

Xie Xing gritted his teeth and paid the deposit, then turned and left with a gloomy face.

No sooner had they left than they found Chu Yunxing.

He cried and complained, feeling wronged: "I was just trying to help you, but my sister-in-law is blackmailing me."

Chu Yunxing's mind was not on the orders at all. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and said thoughtfully, "You mean Shen Xiujing likes wheat?"

"That's just my guess, but you can tell from the birthday party that the Shen family always tries their best to get close to Song Mai. If it's not because they like her, they must have other motives." Xie Xing stretched out a hand towards Chu Yunxing, "I've made such a great contribution for you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Chu Yunxing interrupted him.

“Mai Zi is right about one thing: you’re calling her sister-in-law now, so buying her a piece of clothing isn’t unreasonable.”

Xie Xing immediately jumped up and down: "You are all family, even your words are exactly the same."

On the way back, Song Lan couldn't help but sigh.

"I never imagined she had such a hard childhood. I wonder if she would still want to go home."

Song Lan was worried that Song Mai would resent her for abandoning her and ruining her childhood, which should have been happy.

"Sister will definitely not blame you. What happened back then was my fault. If anyone is to blame, it's only me."

Both mother and son felt extremely guilty.

Just as the two of them remained silent, Shen Xiujing suddenly spoke up: "Isn't that An'an?"

Song Lan squinted and looked closely, and sure enough, she found An An standing alone by the roadside, with a woman standing in front of her who looked unfriendly.

"Liu Jia'er?" Shen Xiujing immediately realized that something was wrong.

Everyone knows that Liu Jiaer and Song Mai had a public argument at the birthday party, so her taking An'an away now must be for some ill purpose.

Song Lan realized this as well and hurriedly said, "Go over there quickly."

Shen Xiujing suddenly turned around and braked sharply to stop next to Liu Jiaer.

"Who's blind?" Liu Jia'er was about to start yelling when she saw Shen Xiujing get out of the car. She froze on the spot, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Not daring to offend the Shen family, she stammered, "So it's you."

"Where are you taking An'an?" Without saying a word, Song Lan immediately shielded An'an behind her.

Liu Jiaer's expression changed several times, her guilty eyes darting around: "I was just passing by when I saw her standing alone by the roadside, so I went up to ask her."

“Song Mai told us to take An’an away, you can leave now.” Shen Xiujing frowned.

Liu Jia'er opened her mouth, wanting to continue arguing, but seeing Shen Xiujing's tightly furrowed brows, she dared not say anything more for a moment.

She ran away in a disheveled state, leaving An'an standing alone.

Shen Xiujing squatted down to be at An'an's eye level and asked curiously, "Why aren't you in school?"