CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR (64) Tease

"How are you doing? How are you coping with the Empire? Is it hard? Are you tired?" Old Madam Chen threw series of questions at Rose at once.

Rose flashed the woman a smile. "It's not that hard."

"How can you say that?" Old Master Chen was worried. "The Empire isn't a small place, neither is at a particular location. It's spread all over, you should always find time to rest instead of saying it's not hard." Old Master Chen advised. "I'm back now, and if you need an assistant, I'll be willing to..."

"Haha," Rose couldn't help but laugh. "Grandpa, you're really funny..."

"It's not about being funny," the old man grunted. "You're still young and should take care of your body more..."

"Alright, alright..." Rose mouthed. "I will do as you say,"

"Have you gotten better in cooking?" Old Madam Chen tilted her head to the side, a smile hung on her face. "Are you still that bad?"

The other three people in the room, pivoted their necks to see Rose pouty mouth and sad expression.

"Grandma..." Rose's voice was low, as if she was about to cry and everyone burst into laughter.

"Oh! This child..." Zheng Yue put a hand over her mouth at Rose's expression. She looked like she had suffered injustice.

"It's okay, it's okay," Old Madam Chen repeated the same sentence twice, with a soothing tone. "You don't have to be ashamed, okay? You have me, your mother as well as Ah'Ji to take care of your future home. Butler Qin can also be of great use..."

"Okay, granny..." Rose interrupted.

Okay, who said the Almighty created a perfect human?

Rose knew her way around everything except cooking. She enjoyed eating, but had no idea how it was prepared. Her high IQ failed her in the kitchen.

That's why she always left a tip if she was at a restaurant, and dished out compliments, if it was her mother or Ren Jiayi.

She appreciated people with good culinary skills.

And now, someone else was beginning to do wonders to her stomach, Su Yuanqi.

Rose is thankful that everyone around her cares about her stomach. And she would show gratitude by eating everything offered to her.

"I'll start taking lessons..." Rose started but her father was quick to cut her off.

"It's fine, like mother said. Don't worry about such minor things, I'll also take lessons to help you out in the future." Mogan Yan joined the discussion. "I know you're not a picky eater, so it won't be hard to satisfy you."

"Dad..." Rose blushed in embarrassment. "Why are you all teasing me?"

"It's not tease," Old Madam Chen picked some of the sautéed meat shreds and dropped in her plate. "Don't feel ashamed."

Zheng Yue looked from between her child to her mother Inlaw.

They had lived with her parents Inlaw for a long time, and right from when Rose was eight, she began to take music lessons as well as etiquette lessons but the old woman, never allowed her to enter the kitchen.

Claiming that the kitchen's heat was too harsh for Rose's skin. And as a princess, she would have a lot of servants and wouldn't have to worry in the future.

Rose was spoiled by the whole family, that even her own mother agreed that Rose shouldn't be allowed in her kitchen. As she was clumsy and might easily get injured by knives.

Now Rose was everything but a good cook.

"Elizabeth," Zheng Yue heard her mother Inlaw calling out of her and broke out of her thought.

"Mother,"

"Don't you think so too? We will have to live with her in the future, right?"

"Yes..." There was no other way for her child to survive.

"What of Grace?" Old Master Chen asked, diverting their attention. "I heard she took over her father's law firm."

"Yes, she did." Rose answered.

"I always knew she had a great future." Old Madam Chen's face softened. "She's just like her father,"

"Grace is no way like her father," Rose refuted. If Mr An heard that, he would faint. "Grace is opposite of her parents. They were calm and collected but Grace was the loud type. She enjoyed causing trouble than settling it."

"Lan'er," Zheng Yue shook her head. "Don't bad mouth your friend."

"I'm not bad mouthing Grace, she's my sister. I'm just stating the facts."

Old Madam Chen pressed her lips together, stifling her laughter. "Little girl, don't you think you're being too loud?"

Rose instantly stuffed sautéed meat shreds into her mouth.

*~~~*

"Mom," Ruolan Grace face was twisted in an angry way as she looked down on the woman that was bent near a flower bed, and carefully picking it. "Mom, let's go eat!" Grace stomped her feet about.

Mrs An picked up the dandelion and blew it towards her child. "Your face is red from anger,"

As she stood on her feet, she was the same height as Grace.

With soft feature and big eyes. A body that wasn't wrinkling yet. A bob stopping right above her shoulders.

"It's all your fault," Grace whined.

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"Why should I be?" Grace further whined. "You're leaving your child to eat alone..."

"Aren't you planning on a trip together with your friend?" Mrs An picked up her tools and strode towards their mansion while Grace followed behind. "Why not go eat with her?"

"Are you jealous I'm going on a trip with Rose?" Grace chuckled after her question. "You're jealous of Rosie?"

"I'm not..." Mrs An turned her face away.

"Really?" Grace ran around her mother trying to find the woman's face. "Hahaha,"

"Laugh all you want."

"Do you want to go with us?" Grace put a hand over her mother's shoulder.

"No way, you two youngsters can go have fun. I'll stay with my husband."

"Are you indirectly saying I should go find a husband?"

"It's your head and thought not mine." Mrs An watched her child and smile lingered on her face. "Invite Rosie over... I've missed her."

"Sure."