Chapter 394 Did she make things difficult for you?
Silence returned to the office, and Lu Yiran stood there alone. Gu Rushuang's sudden compromise and dinner invitation still seemed a little unreal to him.
But he was unwilling to delve into the possible calculations behind it, and would rather seize this seemingly easing opportunity.
He picked up his phone, found Mu Nanyan's number and dialed it.
The call was quickly connected, and her gentle voice came from the other end:
"Yiran? What's wrong? Are you done with the company stuff?"
Lu Yiran responded, his tone softening unconsciously:
"Well, there's something I want to tell you."
He paused for a moment, as if considering how to start:
"Just now...my mother came to the company."
Mu Nanyan on the other end of the phone was obviously surprised, with obvious surprise and a hint of subtle nervousness in her voice:
"Ms. Gu? She...she came to see you? Did she give you any trouble?"
"Ms. Gu?"
Lu Yiran keenly caught the attention of this overly specific and natural name, and his brows frowned slightly, a trace of doubt passing through his mind.
He remembered that he had not mentioned his mother's last name.
"How... do you know her last name is Gu?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and Mu Nanyan obviously realized that she had let the cat out of the bag.
She took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone steady, and explained selectively:
"Actually... I met Ms. Gu by chance when I was in Washington before, and we had a cup of coffee together."
She did not mention any specific content of the conversation, nor did she reveal any unpleasantness in it. She simply downplayed the confrontation as a simple "coffee session."
The doubt in Lu Yiran's eyes did not completely dissipate, but instead caused even greater waves.
Gu Rushuang had actually met Nan Yan in private? When did this happen? Why did he know nothing about it?
Then, he suddenly recalled Gu Rushuang's undisguised dislike and contempt for Mu Nanyan when they were in Washington.
With my mother's strong and picky personality, how could their meeting be as simple as "having a cup of coffee"?
An even more unsettling thought suddenly surfaced: Could Nan Yan's sudden early return home be due to this unpleasant meeting? Had she been wronged in some way?
"Did she say anything to you? Did she give you any trouble?"
Lu Yiran's voice unconsciously tightened, revealing obvious worry and uneasiness.
If the truth is really as he guessed, then if he suggests having dinner together at this moment, wouldn't that be rubbing salt into Nan Yan's wounds?
Lu Yiran was nervously protecting Mu Nanyan, and wasn't Mu Nanyan also carefully protecting him?
Hearing the concern in his tone on the other end of the phone, Mu Nanyan felt a slight pain in her heart.
Obviously, he was the one who was neglected by his mother since childhood and was hurt more deeply, but his first reaction at this moment was still to worry about whether she had been wronged.
To Mu Nanyan, if Gu Rushuang was not Lu Yiran's mother, she would be no different from a stranger. No matter how harsh her words were, they could not really hurt her at all.
She had long forgotten that unpleasant conversation, and now her heart was filled with only heartache for Lu Yiran - heartache for him having such a mother.
She didn't want to put him in a dilemma, and she was even more afraid that she would become the fuse that exacerbated the rift between them.
So, she deliberately made her voice sound light and natural, even cleverly incorporating a hint of nonchalant smile:
"I really didn't give me any trouble. Don't overthink it. It was just a normal meeting. We chatted about the weather and recent events. Then I had an urgent matter at work, so I left first."
Mu Nanyan didn't want Lu Yiran to continue to delve into the matter, so she took the initiative to change the subject:
"By the way, you haven't told me yet that she came to see you today. Is there something important?"
The doubt in Lu Yiran's heart had not completely dissipated, but Mu Nanyan's tone did sound calm, so he had to temporarily suppress the urge to ask further questions and turn his attention back to the more urgent dinner invitation.
Since Nan Yan didn't want to talk more about that meeting, he naturally would never take the initiative to mention his mother's previous prejudices and denigrations against Mu Nan Yan.
He adjusted his breathing and emotions, and said to the other end of the phone in a relaxed and calm tone:
"She just returned to China and heard that we were back together. She said she wanted to meet you formally and have a meal with us, as a way of...acknowledging our relationship."
Eat? Recognize?
Mu Nanyan held the phone, her fingertips tightened slightly, and her heart was in turmoil.
This is completely different from the cold, arrogant and harsh-tongued Gu Rushuang she met in Washington!
Not long ago, that lady was sitting opposite her, trying to keep her away from Lu Yiran with the coldest attitude, and her words were full of contempt and rejection for her.
How could he completely change his ways overnight and even take the initiative to propose a family dinner to show his approval?
This huge contrast caught her off guard and filled her with incredible confusion.
She didn't care whether Gu Rushuang was sincere or not. The only thing she could think about at this moment was: what price had Lu Yiran paid to gain this sudden "recognition" from his mother? Was he silently bearing tremendous pressure?
Countless questions and heartaches were stuck in her throat, but she couldn't ask a single word.
Lu Yiran noticed the long silence on the other end of the phone, and a trace of uneasiness flashed through his heart. He called softly:
"Nan Yan?"
Mu Nanyan suddenly came back to her senses, forcibly suppressed her surging emotions, and tried to make her voice sound normal and even a little expectant:
"Okay, let's go together tonight."
Lu Yiran's voice was obviously more relaxed:
"Well, I'll go back and pick you and Chenchen up in the afternoon, and we'll go together."
"good."
After the call was hung up, Mu Nanyan still held the phone in a daze, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
The call end notification on the screen had already dimmed, but it still reflected her face filled with worry and confusion.
Mu Nanyan sat alone in the living room for a while, the turmoil in her heart caused by Gu Rushuang's drastic change in attitude had not yet completely subsided.
Although she disliked this cold and snobbish future mother-in-law from the bottom of her heart, and even had a grudge against her actions in Washington, she could not deny that she was Lu Yiran's biological mother.
Just based on this point, Mu Nanyan could not truly ignore her existence.
Regardless of whether the other party was sincere or insincere in their meeting tonight, nominally speaking, it was the first time that Gu Rushuang formally proposed a meeting as "Lu Yiran's mother."
It is reasonable and logical that as a younger generation, I should express my opinion.
Even if it was just to avoid making things difficult for Lu Yiran and to maintain basic courtesy, she should prepare a gift for the meeting.
"It's our first official meeting... what should I give you as a gift?"
Mu Nanyan whispered to herself, frowned slightly, and began to think seriously.
If you give her something too expensive, it will seem like you are trying too hard to please her, which is not in line with her personality; if you give her something too casual, it may be interpreted by her as contempt and disrespect.
The gift must be decent and appropriate, expressing a certain respect without losing one's sense of propriety.
She recalled her fragmentary impressions of Gu Rushuang during their brief contact: a woman who paid great attention to her image, pursued quality, and lived a refined life.
Perhaps, we can start from this aspect.
Thinking of this, Mu Nanyan no longer hesitated.
She stood up, picked up her coat and handbag, and decided to go out to choose a suitable gift.
No matter what secrets were hidden behind tonight's banquet, at least she had to appear blameless on the surface and not put Lu Yiran in a difficult position.
As for why Gu Rushuang suddenly changed her attitude... Mu Nanyan took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed her doubts.
No matter what, she will accompany Lu Yiran to face it together.
————
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Yiran returned home on time, picked up Mu Nanyan who had made careful preparations and Chenchen who was curious and a little nervous, and drove to the No. 1 Chinese Restaurant that Gu Rushuang had booked.
The restaurant offers an elegant and intimate setting.
The waiter led them to the reserved private room. The moment they opened the door, they saw Gu Rushuang already sitting in the main seat.
She had obviously been dressed up carefully, and her temperament was graceful, but there was a sense of distance that could not be ignored.
Hearing the noise, Gu Rushuang raised her head, and her gaze almost instantly passed over Lu Yiran and Mu Nanyan, and fell accurately on the little boy who was holding Mu Nanyan's hand and looking around curiously with his big eyes.
The moment she saw Chenchen, Gu Rushuang was slightly stunned, and a trace of disbelief and trance flashed in her eyes.
She seemed to...see Lu Yiran as a child.
Although she lived abroad for many years and neglected to take care of her son, Mrs. Lu often sent her some photos of Lu Yiran in her early years.
Those eyebrows and that little look with pursed lips almost overlapped with the small, slightly stubborn face deep in her memory.
After a brief moment of distraction, Gu Rushuang quickly restrained her outward emotions, but her gaze towards Chenchen involuntarily softened, even with a hint of eagerness that she herself had not noticed.
She waved towards Chenchen, her tone as gentle as possible, but still with her usual unquestionable tone:
"Is this Chenchen? Come here, come to grandma, let me take a closer look."
However, the next second, instead of moving forward, Chenchen shrank his little body and quickly hid behind Mu Nanyan. His two little hands tightly grasped the hem of his mother's clothes, and he only stuck out half of his little head, timidly looking at this grandmother who looked very powerful.
On the way here, his parents had told him that they would meet his grandmother tonight, but the grandmother in front of him was so powerful and her eyes were so sharp that he felt scared instinctively and did not dare to get close.
The slightly stiff smile that had just appeared on Gu Rushuang's face froze in an instant.
Her outstretched hand was still suspended in mid-air, and the scene became a little awkward and cold for a moment.
An indescribable feeling of frustration and anger instantly surged into her heart, and she directed this resentment towards Mu Nanyan almost without hesitation.
It must be this woman! She must have said a lot of bad things about her in front of the child, deliberately instigating the child to alienate her!
Otherwise, why would her grandson be so afraid of her and avoid her the first time they met?
Just as Gu Rushuang's face darkened and she looked at Mu Nanyan with an unfriendly look, she saw Mu Nanyan slowly squatting down, looking at Chenchen at eye level, her tone so gentle that water could drip out, not caring at all about Gu Rushuang's almost murderous look:
"Don't be afraid, Chenchen."
She gently stroked her son's soft head, her voice soft but firm.
"That's Daddy's mom, your grandma, someone very close to you. Be good and go over there and say hello to Grandma, okay?"
With mommy's gentle and firm encouragement, Chenchen's fear seemed to be dispelled a little.
He blinked his big eyes, and secretly glanced at Gu Rushuang, whose face was still not looking good. Then he mustered up the courage and whispered in a childish but clear voice:
"Hello, grandma."
Chenchen's timid "Hello, Grandma" was like a tiny needle, gently piercing the stagnant air in the private room, but it also brought about a more complicated silence.
The stiffness on Gu Rushuang's face eased slightly, but the smile did not really reach her eyes.
She hummed "hmm" as a response, but her eyes continued to scan back and forth between Chenchen and Mu Nanyan like a searchlight, trying to find any clues of "instigation".
Her dislike for Mu Nanyan did not diminish because of this seemingly appropriate behavior, but instead added a layer of suspicion of "acting".
Lu Yiran took in Gu Rushuang's reaction, and the string in his heart tightened again.
At this moment, Mu Nanyan calmly took out an exquisite rectangular velvet gift box from her handbag, took two steps forward, and handed it to Gu Rushuang with both hands, her tone gentle and appropriate:
"Aunt, this is our first official meeting, and I'm not sure what you'd like. This is a brooch I personally selected, and I hope you like it."
Gu Rushuang was stunned for a moment, her eyes fell on the elegant gift box, and she could not hide her surprise.
She really didn't expect Mu Nanyan to prepare a gift for her.
Recalling the unpleasant scene in Washington last time, she even wondered whether Mu Nanyan would find an excuse not to come tonight.
At this moment, the other party not only showed up generously, but also prepared gifts. This unexpected thoughtfulness caught her off guard for a moment.
She quickly glanced at Lu Yiran next to her, and seeing that he looked normal, she immediately understood in her heart - Mu Nanyan did not tell him about the last conflict.
This realization made her secretly relieved. Not bringing up the matter was indeed the most beneficial to the current situation.
As her thoughts turned, Gu Rushuang put on a distant and polite smile again and reached out to take the gift:
"Thank you for your trouble."
Her tone was flat, without much emotion.
However, she simply placed the gift box on the empty chair beside her, with no intention of opening it to appreciate it on the spot, as if it were just an insignificant item.
"Sit down."
She raised her chin and motioned the three of them to take a seat, her attitude still as reserved as a host.
The waiter began to serve the dishes quietly, and the exquisite dishes soon filled the table.
Under the warm yellow light, Mu Nanyan carefully picked up some food for Chenchen. Lu Yiran looked at the two of them gently with a faint smile on his lips.
Chenchen was particularly quiet today. He just quietly ate the food that Mu Nanyan picked up in his bowl without saying a word.
There was a seemingly calm but actually subtle silence at the table, with only the occasional subtle sound of cutlery colliding.
Gu Rushuang's eyes swept across the family of three opposite her, who seemed to be one. The feeling of being excluded in her heart became stronger, but it also made her more determined to follow the plan she had already planned.
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