After the greeting ceremony ended, some were happy while others were sad.

Naturally, Madam Chi was overjoyed. After returning to the West Courtyard, she seized the opportunity to boast to Chi Yan, "You have no idea how amazing your wife is. The faces of the Marquis's wife and the Old Madam were both incredibly ugly. She really helped me vent my anger!"

Chi Yan rested her chin on her hand, her eyes gleaming with interest: "Is it really that powerful? But Mother, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Don't you always teach me to respect Grandmother? If outsiders heard this, tsk tsk tsk..."

Madam Chi choked, then playfully pushed his head away, saying irritably, "Get lost! Do you think I, as your mother, don't know what kind of person you are?"

Chi Yan grinned and said, "Isn't that just like my mother?"

"..." Madam Chi was both amused and annoyed. "Silly boy, but you know what..."

She scrutinized her son intently, her astonished gaze sending chills down Chi Yan's spine.

"You really are a fool who has a lucky face! Look at you, all you have to look good is your face. It's really a miracle that Tang Ning married you!"

Chi Yan was speechless: "How can you talk about your own son like that? I'm... not that bad, am I?"

He straightened his clothes and cleared his throat: "With a face like mine, I'd be irresistible to countless girls, right?"

"You really dare to say that!" Madam Chi's lips twitched.

She seemed to remember something and leaned closer with a worried expression. Chi Yan felt uncomfortable under her gaze, leaned back, and said with a fake smile, "Is there something on my face?"

Madam Chi shook her head in disappointment and lowered her voice, "Silly boy, it's been almost two months, hasn't it? You and Tang Ning, why haven't you two..."

Chi Yan's face suddenly flushed red. Just then, a figure passed by the door. Whether out of guilt or something else, he suddenly raised his voice: "Mother!"

Madam Chi was startled and grabbed a book, smacking him on the head: "You brat, trying to scare your old mother to death with your jumpy antics?"

Just then, a hesitant voice came from behind: "Mother, husband, what's going on?"

Madam Chi froze abruptly, awkwardly throwing down her book and turning around, not forgetting to glare fiercely at her son.

Why didn't you remind her sooner?

"Tang...Tang Ning, what brings you here?" Madam Chi's expression changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book, and she returned to her gentle and loving demeanor, though she couldn't help but feel secretly worried.

I hope my fierce look just now didn't frighten my daughter-in-law.

She only has one daughter-in-law. If she scares her away, who will she cry to?

Shen Tangning gestured for Xueqing to come forward with the tray, a slight smile playing on her lips: "The kitchen has prepared a soup of white fungus and snow frog. Thinking that my husband is studying hard, I brought him a bowl."

Chi Yan's face stiffened, and his gaze toward Shen Tangning held a strange look.

He suspected that Shen Tangning might have overheard something.

Snow frog (a type of frog) is said to have kidney-tonifying and aphrodisiac effects.

Why... does he look weak?

In fact, he really misunderstood her. Shen Tangning only knew that snow frog was good for beauty and health, and had no idea about its other effects.

Regardless of how the banquet tasted, Madam Chi was overjoyed: "Good, good, you've thought of everything!"

She grinned from ear to ear, covering her mouth as she smiled, her gaze shifting between the two of them. "Alright, you two can chat as much as you like. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

Shen Tangning curtsied and said, "Take care, Mother."

She had only taken a few steps when Madam Chi quickly stopped her: "It's just a few steps, don't bother seeing me off!"

Shen Tangning didn't insist and watched her leave.

Turning her head, she saw Chi Yan staring at the snow frog soup with a complicated expression. She raised an eyebrow and stepped forward: "What are you standing there for, husband? Hurry up and drink it while it's hot, it won't taste as good when it's cold."