4 MOTHER-IN-LAW

Xin Weilin had ingrained what that woman had said about him being poor in her head. When she heard his familiar name, it didn't occur to her to think of the possibility that he was the same Gu Xichen.

Gu Xichen, the current owner of Gu conglomerate who had taken over from his father at a young age, and had brought the company to greater heights. He was well known throughout City X, even a high school kid knew who exactly who he was. So why, why hadn't she thought of the possibility that the man she had married, was that same Gu Xichen?

Xin Weilin wanted to knock herself on the head, wondering why she was so dense. She hadn't even wondered where he had gotten his clothes from this morning, the clothes which had clearly looked expensive. But then Xin Weilin wondered how that woman could've ever thought he was poor.

Gu Xichen's voice brought her out of her thoughts, "Are you coming?"

He had opened her car door, waiting for her, but Xin Weilin had been too busy staring at the massive villa in front of her, awestruck.

She lowered her head and got out of the car. She moved to take her bags, but Gu Xichen stopped her. "Those will be taken care of."

He took her hand, pulling her along as they walked into the villa. But someone was waiting for them.

It was Zhou Lingsi, Gu Xichen's mother. With hair pulled back into a bun, impassive eyes so alike with her son's and a noble disposition, she looked like a typical rich lady. She was over fifty, but she was well maintained for she looked not a day over forty. Her deep brown eyes first looked at her son, who did not look shocked at her appearance, before they shifted to the woman beside him.

Satisfied with her appraisal of Xin Weilin, Zhou Lingsi reached out her hand to grab her son's ear, pulling it. "Brat, you didn't even tell me you got married, and thankfully it's not to that horrible woman."

Immediately, the image of the elegant and dignified woman Xin Weilin had construed fell apart. She looked like any other woman nagging her son. Xin Weilin felt nostalgic, suddenly missing her parents. It has been years since her parents had passed away, if she counted together with her past life, she had gotten used to there absence somewhat.

"You would have found out eventually," Gu Xichen simply stated.

Zhou Lingsi glared at her tactless son.

"Come daughter-in-law, tell me your name." Zhou Lingsi moved to take her daughter-in-law's hands in hers, but Gu Xichen shifted to stand in front of his wife, shielding her from Zhou Lingsi.

"I won't let you kidnap my wife away."

Zhou Lingsi glowered at her son, secretly feeling happy he was so protective of his wife. "I only want to talk to my daughter-in-law," she smiled innocently.

But Gu Xichen knew his mother, he probably wouldn't see Xin Weilin for the rest of the day. "No."

Witnessing the scene of the mother and son argue, Xin Weilin found it both funny and heartwarming. Her heart overflowed with warmth. Xin Weilin put her hand on his shoulder, stepping out from behind him.

"Hello mother, I'm Xin Weilin." Xin Weilin interrupted them.

Gu Xichen remembered her parents had passed away not too long ago, she was probably missing them. He looked down at Xin Weilin who was smiling brightly at his mother, his eyes indulgent. He sighed, "I'll be in the study."

Zhou Lingsi grabbed Xin Weilin, pulling her to the spacious living room.

Zhou Lingsi asked her some questions, which Xin Weilin answered politely. Time flew by as they talked. Finally unable to contain her curiosity, Xin Weilin asked Zhou Lingsi about the woman Gu Xichen had been about to marry the day before.

"His father and I had been nagging him to get married ever since that brat turned thirty. He just found a random woman with a good background and introduced her to us. I didn't like her one bit. So, I met with her, telling her that we would disinherit and disown our son if he married her."

"Did he find out?" Xin Weilin asked, surprised there was such a story behind what had happened at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

"I can't hide anything from him, neither can he hide anything from me," Zhou Lingsi shrugged, not seeming bothered at all. "He played along with my story. I'm sure she immediately showed her true colours when she thought he was going to be stripped off everything he owned."

"Actually she didn't run," Xin Weilin told her, "At least not until the last minute."

"What do you mean? Then how did you meet my son?" Zhou Lingsi arched questioning brows.

Xin Weilin was a bit nervous about what Gu Xichen's mother would think of her once she found out about the circumstances in which her and Gu Xichen had gotten married.

"Uhm... We met at the Civil Affairs Bureau," Xin Weilin didn't hide anything, she told her everything. Even if it meant her mother-in-law might not like her.

Xin Weilin was naturally an honest person, she despised lying and being lied to. She apprehensively looked up at her mother-in-law's emotionless face, Xin Weilin couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Why is so quiet?" A voice said from behind them.

Both Zhou Lingsi and Xin Weilin turned to look at the approaching figure of Gu Xichen. He walked with powerful strides till he stood before them.

"Mother, I'll send you off." His solemn voice said.

"Brat, you're chasing away your mother now that you've got a wife. Hmph, I'm only going so that I can give your father the good news."

Then she turned to Xin Weilin, her attitude and tone completely changing. There was a tenderness in her eyes as she smiled at Xin Weilin.

"Weilin, do come and visit soon. Don't be like Xichen who doesn't even bother to call us." When she said the last part, Zhou Lingsi directed a glare at her son, who didn't even bat an eyelid.

"Don't worry mother, we'll come visit."

They sent Zhou Lingsi off, before coming back inside.

Xin Weilin felt glad and relieved, her mother-in-law didn't seem to dislike her.

She had felt uneasy, when she first realized the woman was Gu Xichen's mother. After all, she hadn't expected to meet her mother-in-law on the first day of her marriage.

Her first meeting with her mother-in-law wasn't bad, Xin Weilin just hoped it would be the same when she met Gu Xichen's father.