"Uncle Liu, how is my dad?" Tang Yumeng asked.

"Miss, the master's illness came suddenly," Uncle Liu began. "This time, the master suddenly developed pneumonia and almost... almost left us separated by yin and yang. Fortunately, it was treated in time, otherwise... the consequences would have been severe."

"Sigh..." Tang Yumeng sighed and said, "I am truly an unfilial daughter, my dad is so seriously ill, and yet I wasn't by his side."

"Miss, actually..." Uncle Liu smiled.

"What is it?" Tang Yumeng curiously looked at Uncle Liu.

"Actually, since the master said those words last time, his heart has been full of regret, remorse, and frequent self-reproach," Uncle Liu smiled and said, "This time you came back, he will definitely be very happy. I believe that after seeing you, his condition will quickly improve."

"I hope so too," Tang Yumeng nodded.

"Let's go!" Uncle Liu chuckled.

The three of them walked towards the grand villa. It was a large villa of about four to five hundred square meters, a typical European-style building with red walls and green tiles, beautifully set amidst cypresses. Upon entering the villa, several maids seemed busy preparing lunch. A man wearing a chef's hat hurriedly came out of the kitchen, smiling, "Miss, you're finally back. Do you still recognize me?"

Tang Yumeng glanced at him and said, "You... who are you?"

"I'm Xiao An!" the man said excitedly.

"Ah, it's you?" Tang Yumeng exclaimed with joy, "Weren't you just an apprentice before? How did you become the head chef now?"

"Haven't I been making progress all along?" Xiao An said excitedly, "Miss, just wait, I'll make you some of my specialty dishes for lunch, and ensure you'll never want to leave again."

"Haha, alright then," Tang Yumeng laughed.

Lin Chuan felt relieved, and returning home, Tang Yumeng seemed to open up as well; the recent smile was clearly from her heart. It could be said that Lin Chuan rarely heard such a genuine smile from Tang Yumeng, a smile that made her feel an unprecedented sense of tranquility and peace.

The villa was luxurious, with a very high ceiling in the main hall, a gigantic crystal chandelier dropping from the top floor suspended down to the second floor. The hall was exquisitely beautiful, featuring a set of Italian-imported sofa set and a high-definition surround sound LCD TV. The living room also housed many green planters, making the air feel incredibly fresh.

The hall's polished floor was immaculate. The surrounding walls were adorned with several genuine works of Zheng Banqiao.

On the left, a set of mahogany stairs spiraled along the wall to the second floor.

As Lin Chuan curiously explored the extravagantly decorated villa, a noble and elegant lady hurried down the stairs. Dressed in satin, with a rosy complexion and tall, high heels, she maintained her skin so well that it was impossible to tell she was in her fifties. From her features, one could see the resemblance to Tang Yumeng, so this lady should be Tang Yumeng's mother.

"Yumeng." The lady called urgently.

"Mom!" Tang Yumeng hadn't had the chance to soak in the familiar surroundings before she quickly rushed towards her mother.

The two embraced passionately and eventually ended up crying.

Lin Chuan stood aside, filled with emotion; truly, everything in this world changes: the sun and moon, stars, the universe, flora, and fauna... but family bonds never change, a mother's love for her child never changes. This is a timeless truth.

After a long while, the mother and daughter parted, looking at each other with tear-swollen eyes.

Chuckles...

They cried and somehow ended up laughing again.

"Silly girl, you finally decided to come back?" Mrs. Tang glared at her.

"Could I not come back?" Tang Yumeng pursed her lips and said, "I'm so grown up now, if I didn't come back, wouldn't you hate me to death?"

"I heard you brought someone back?" Mrs. Tang curiously looked at Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan's demeanor was alright, but his outfit didn't quite catch Mrs. Tang's eye. However, women's intuition is the same; at a glance, Mrs. Tang could see the nobleness within Lin Chuan's brows.

"Yes!" Tang Yumeng hurriedly pulled Lin Chuan over.

Before Tang Yumeng could introduce him, Lin Chuan promptly said, "Auntie, I am Tang Yumeng's boyfriend. This time I came back specifically to accompany her to visit you and Uncle."

"Ah?" Mrs. Tang was taken aback, she incredulously turned to look at Tang Yumeng.

"He's my fiancé!" Tang Yumeng repeated today's earlier statement.

"Have you decided?" Mrs. Tang asked.

"Hmm!" Tang Yumeng nodded and said, "Mom, I've already decided. My happiness should be decided by me."

"But your dad..." Mrs. Tang hesitated slightly, awkwardly saying, "I don't oppose you, but your dad's side... after all, he hasn't fully recovered from his serious illness. What if... what if he disagrees?"

"I came back this time to have a showdown with him." Tang Yumeng had a stubborn look, saying, "Whether he agrees or not, I'm determined to marry Lin Chuan."

"You little girl. Why are you as stubborn as your dad!" Mrs. Tang frowned.

It was obvious that Tang Yumeng was indeed very stubborn, and it was hard to change her decisions. Since he met Tang Yumeng, Lin Chuan had this feeling. However, in front of him, Tang Yumeng still acted very gentle and dependent.

"Your dad is in the room upstairs, do you want to go see him with me?" Mrs. Tang asked.

"Okay." Tang Yumeng nodded. She hurriedly grabbed Lin Chuan's hand and said, "Lin Chuan, come up with me."

"Can't you wait a bit?" Tang Yumeng asked.

"Xiao Yu, you go up." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "You and your dad haven't seen each other in five years, you must have a lot to talk about. It's somewhat inappropriate for an outsider like me to be there. So..."

Tang Yumeng thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."

Mrs. Tang looked at Lin Chuan with surprise on her face. She didn't expect Lin Chuan to be so considerate and sensible. It seemed she hadn't misjudged him.

"Old Liu, make some tea for Lin Chuan." Mrs. Tang instructed.

"Yes, ma'am." Uncle Liu nodded.

Then, Tang Yumeng followed Mrs. Tang upstairs.

"Lin Chuan, please, this way." Uncle Liu smiled and said, "I've ordered someone to make tea for you."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Liu." Lin Chuan immediately nodded.

Lin Chuan sat down in the sitting area.

Upstairs, the father and daughter reunited after a long separation. At the first sight, they locked eyes. However, Tang Yumeng found that Xie Tianyi was also in the room and seemed to have been talking with Tang Guohua just now. But when he saw Tang Yumeng come in, he immediately shut his mouth and then said, "Uncle, my family has some matters, so I'll take my leave first. Please take good care of yourself. I'll come to visit another day!"

"Alright, you go ahead." Tang Guohua nodded in satisfaction.

Mrs. Tang escorted Xie Tianyi downstairs.

Xie Tianyi had already anticipated meeting Lin Chuan in the Tang family, so he was mentally prepared for it. After coming downstairs, he saw Lin Chuan sitting on the big sofa of the Tang family, drinking tea from a distance. Housekeeper Liu was attending to him, and the table was naturally full of pastries from all over the world. Lin Chuan was savoring them earnestly.

Upon seeing Mrs. Tang come downstairs, Lin Chuan naturally looked over politely, but this glance saw Xie Tianyi. Lin Chuan immediately frowned.

It was as if he suddenly saw a fly buzzing around in front of him, a feeling that was quite uncomfortable. Lin Chuan suddenly felt that Xie Tianyi was not simple. Firstly, he could enter and exit the Tang family freely; secondly, Mrs. Tang's attitude towards him seemed very amiable, as if treating him like her own child.

"Lin Chuan, we meet again." Xie Tianyi didn't head towards the door but turned and walked towards Lin Chuan.

When rivals in love meet, it's like rubbing salt in the wounds.

However, this saying didn't quite fit them. Their meeting wasn't heated. Instead, Xie Tianyi's face showed even more gentle expressions; he was tidy and meticulous. When he reached Lin Chuan's side, unexpectedly, he took the initiative to extend his hand for a handshake with Lin Chuan. This surprised Lin Chuan a bit.

"Yes, we meet again." Lin Chuan nodded and extended his hand to shake with Xie Tianyi. Although he knew this guy didn't really want to shake hands with him and was just putting on a show for Mrs. Tang, Lin Chuan didn't have any opinions. Lin Chuan had seen many people like Xie Tianyi before; as the saying goes, talk to people in a language they understand, and bluff to those who bluff. Let them blather on. Lin Chuan smiled and said, "But, Mr. Xie's speed is really quick."

"Of course." Xie Tianyi nodded and said, "After all, I drove here, and my car is a custom model, known for its power and speed."

"Oh, I see." Lin Chuan nodded slightly, deciding to expose this unintended bragger: "The car is good, but the traffic in Beijing is so congested it makes you want to cry. Right, your custom car must have a hard time."

Xie Tianyi's face darkened, but he smiled and said, "Lin Chuan, since you're here, enjoy your trip in the coming days. Go take a shower; you seem to have a smell on you."

His seemingly caring words were actually aimed to humiliate.

For a family like the Tang's, everyone was almost clinically clean. If someone had a strange smell, they would certainly be disliked. Xie Tianyi's words were clearly meant to tarnish Lin Chuan's reputation.

However, Lin Chuan smiled slightly and said, "There wasn't any smell before, but as soon as I shook hands with you after getting off the plane, there was. I've been wondering about it. Who has this inexplicable smell of pickles?"

A clever retort made Xie Tianyi's face almost turn sour.

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