chapter 13

Yan Yunyang's emotions, which were building up, were shattered by her words. "No, what are you thinking?"

Zuo Mingran touched her nose and casually said, "I just said it."

Before the girl reached them, Yan Yunyang whispered, "She's the daughter of a good friend of my father."

Zuo Mingran slyly said, "Oh," but the girl had already approached them, so Zuo Mingran had to put aside her gossip and play the role of a wife obediently.

The girl was not tall, only reaching up to Zuo Mingran's shoulders. It was awkward that both of them were wearing off-white dresses, although the styles were slightly different, it still created a sense of discordance when standing together.

Especially when they were both involved with the same man.

After the girl approached, she completely ignored Zuo Mingran, who was still standing beside them, and naturally linked her arm with Yan Yunyang, pouting and saying, "Yunyang Ge, I've been back from abroad for so long, why haven't you contacted me? I'm angry."

Zuo Mingran couldn't help but feel goosebumps all over her body from the phrase "angry." She couldn't resist rubbing her arms.

Yan Yunyang glanced at her and calmly withdrew his arm from the girl's embrace, raising his hand to put it around Zuo Mingran's shoulder and pulled her closer, "Let me introduce you, this is your sister-in-law, Zuo Mingran."

Zuo Mingran couldn't help but feel that Yan Yunyang emphasized the word "sister-in-law" with a heavier tone.

There was a momentary hint of unease on the girl's face, but it quickly disappeared. She extended her hand to Zuo Mingran, smiling brightly, "Hello, Mingran Jie, you can call me Zhen Zhen. Yunyang Ge and I have been close friends since we were little."

Zuo Mingran's outstretched hand paused. The words may not have seemed significant, but being both women, she could guess the underlying implications.

They shook hands, and Zuo Mingran lowered her gaze to the young girl who was slightly shorter than her. She lightly curved her lips and said, "Is that so? Yunyang never mentioned having such a little sister. It seems that I need to get out more often so we don't meet without recognizing each other."

Zhen Zhen's face stiffened. Zuo Mingran was deliberately poking at her sore spot. Obviously, she had returned to the country over a month ago, but Yan Yunyang had been reluctant to contact her. She had finally set aside her pride and went to the company to find him, only to find him either absent or too busy with meetings.

There's no such coincidence in the world. Yan Yunyang must have blamed her for not attending his wedding a year ago. But he didn't stop to think about why she wouldn't want to show up at his wedding with someone else.

Stomping her foot, Zhen Zhen pretended to be annoyed and complained to Yan Yunyang, "Yunyang Ge, why didn't you tell Mingran Jie about me?" Then, she turned her eyes, as if thinking of something, and covered her mouth as she giggled, "Are you afraid that Mingran Jie will be jealous?"

Yan Yunyang furrowed his brow. He thought he had made his attitude clear, but Zhen Zhen not only didn't back down, but instead became more and more brazen. Just a moment ago, his assistant called him, saying that Zhen Zhen went to the company but couldn't find him, and upon hearing the news that he was going to the airport to pick someone up, she immediately left, seeming to want to arrive at the airport before him.

Yan Yunyang didn't say anything, and Zuo Mingran, with a smiling expression, took over, "How could that be? I know Yunyang better than anyone. But him, every time he sees me acting in a drama, he gets jealous, like a jar of vinegar."

(Note: "Jie" is a term of respect for an older sister or female friend.)

Clearly, it was a complaint, but when spoken by Zuo Mingran, it came out with a tone of coquetry and annoyance, which disgusted Fan Zhenzhen. For a moment, she couldn't even think of what to say.

"What are you talking about? Why don't you come in?" 

Before Yan Yunyang could speak, the door of the nearby café was pushed open by someone. A middle-aged woman with delicate features stood at the doorway, smiling warmly at the three of them. "Come in first, let's sit down and talk." 

Even though Zuo Mingran had already seen the photo in the car, seeing the real person, she couldn't help but admire Mrs. Yan's youthful beauty. 

Liu Qinghe was nearly sixty years old, which according to ancient sayings was considered an advanced age, but she looked only in her thirties. Even standing next to Zuo Mingran, it would only make people think they were sisters with a significant age difference, not mother and daughter. 

However, considering Yan Yunyang's appearance, it wasn't difficult to guess the strength of his parents' genes. 

Yan Yunyang was still holding onto Zuo Mingran, and Fan Zhenzhen couldn't find an opportunity to approach them. Just then, Liu Qinghe came out, and she immediately changed her target, grabbing onto Liu Qinghe's arm and coquettishly saying, "Auntie Liu, I've missed you so much!" 

Liu Qinghe smiled faintly, patting her hand and saying, "Zhenzhen, you've grown up so much, I almost didn't recognize you." 

Zuo Mingran felt a sense of familiarity when hearing the name "Zhenzhen". She leaned closer to Yan Yunyang and asked quietly, "What is Zhenzhen's full name?" 

Yan Yunyang looked at her strangely and replied, "Her surname is Fan, she's called Fan Zhenzhen." 

Upon hearing this name, Zuo Mingran took a cold breath, suddenly understanding where this inexplicable familiarity came from. She didn't recognize this face, but this name was all too familiar because in the original book's plot, this was a character who colluded with Zuo Mingran and caused trouble together. 

In the original book's plot, Fan Zhenzhen, who had been spoiled since childhood, entered the entertainment industry despite her family's objections. Shortly after, she clashed with the female lead, Yin Ruxin, mainly because she looked down on Yin Ruxin who had no significant background. Her repeated opposition to Yin Ruxin, who had the halo of the female lead, greatly facilitated the romantic development between the female and male leads in the original book's plot. 

In the process, Fan Zhenzhen encountered Zuo Mingran. Regardless of the reasons, at least both had the same goal of self-destruction, like running wildly on a path of destruction. They hit it off and successfully hooked up with each other. 

The difference now was that in the original book's plot, Fan Zhenzhen and Zuo Mingran could communicate without any grudges because at that time Zuo Mingran had already divorced Yan Yunyang. Although the news had not been revealed, as a good friend who grew up with Yan Yunyang, Fan Zhenzhen naturally knew about it. 

Otherwise, looking at the current situation, let alone colluding together, it was likely that this young lady would have to sharpen her knives before going after the female lead.

Thinking about this, Zuo Mingran looked at Fan Zhenzhen, who was chatting and laughing with Liu Qinghe, with a strange expression on her face. She thought it was quite coincidental for them to meet from thousands of miles away. She had thought that not caring about the plot would solve everything, but it turned out that they still crossed paths. It was truly a fated connection that couldn't be ignored.

Although compared to the plot, the current situation was like an unruly wild horse, running off the track and never returning.

The four of them entered the café together and sat down at a window seat.

Fan Zhenzhen wanted to sit next to Yan Yunyang, but before Zuo Mingran could say anything, Liu Qinghe grabbed Fan Zhenzhen, who had been pulled together with her, saying, "Zhenzhen, come sit with me. I carried you when you were young, and now it's been more than ten years in the blink of an eye."

Fan Zhenzhen dared to speak to Zuo Mingran with a strange tone, but she didn't dare to defy Liu Qinghe. She obediently sat on the other side, facing Zuo Mingran.

The look of discontent on Fan Zhenzhen's face seemed to solidify, but as soon as she looked up, she saw Zuo Mingran's smiling face.

Fan Zhenzhen: "..." This is even more frustrating.

According to the original plan, they were supposed to have lunch after picking up Liu Qinghe and then send her back to her residence. Generally, such long flights that lasted for more than ten hours were very exhausting, and readjusting to the time difference after returning from abroad required proper rest. 

Fan Zhenzhen's unexpected arrival disrupted the plan. Although it wasn't a big deal to have one more person for lunch, Fan Zhenzhen was clearly not a docile person and having her around meant trouble. Zuo Mingran didn't want to get involved in these convoluted love affairs of the wealthy family, so she desperately signaled to Yan Yunyang, asking him to handle the peach blossoms that he attracted.

"This is Ruran, right?" Liu Qinghe looked at Zuo Mingran with a smiling expression, completely different from her glorious experience. With a gentle appearance, her tone of speech was light and airy, without a trace of a strong businesswoman.

What Zuo Mingran didn't know was that before they arrived, Liu Qinghe had tried several times in the restroom to make herself look more amiable, hoping not to frighten her new daughter-in-law.

Nodding slightly, Zuo Mingran softly said, "Yes, it's me, uh..."

Zuo Mingran only said one word when Yan Yunyang suddenly reached out and put a sugar cube in her coffee, saying, "Don't you dislike bitter coffee? How come you don't know to put sugar in it? Are you nervous because it's the first time meeting mom?"

Zuo Mingran was so scared that she almost bit her own tongue and quickly looked at Liu Qinghe. Luckily, Liu Qinghe had no reaction and continued to smile at them. However, compared to her, Fan Zhenzhen on the other side had a blackened face.

"A bit," Zuo Mingran smiled awkwardly, following Yan Yunyang's words and tentatively calling out, "Mom."

Liu Qinghe immediately smiled and looked at Zuo Mingran, saying, "Good child, I wasn't here when you two got married, I really made you suffer."

Zuo Mingran said, "It's not true. I know Mom can't get away from her responsibilities. I really like the jewelry you gave me."

Liu Qinghe said, "That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't like it. I even asked Yunyang specifically, and it turns out this kid is like a pumpkin with a cut-off mouth, doesn't say anything. It shows that he's always like this."

Hearing Yunyang being criticized, Zuo Mingran suppressed a laugh, "Yes, Mom, you really understand him."

Despite just meeting, the two of them strangely agree on this matter of teasing themselves, and Yunyang can only laugh helplessly without objecting.

Compared to the harmonious atmosphere between the three of them, Fan Zhenzhen seems like an outsider. She clenches her cup, and her fingertips even turn white from exerting too much force. She didn't expect that Zuo Mingran would not give her face, but even Liu Qinghe would side with an outsider, even though she was the one who followed her when they were younger!

Fan Zhenzhen's resentment didn't affect the others at all. Zuo Mingran and Liu Qinghe were having a pleasant conversation, and as for Yunyang, he completely ignored Fan Zhenzhen.

The situation exceeded Zuo Mingran's imagination. After all, according to the general plot of a novel, after not seeing each other for many years, Liu Qinghe should have chosen a suitable spouse for his beloved son, Yunyang. Fan Zhenzhen could have played that role perfectly. However, Yunyang not only didn't listen to her, but also unexpectedly hurriedly married an actress. Liu Qinghe, furious, not only missed Yunyang's wedding, but also came back a year later with a girl he approved of, vowing to break up Yunyang and his wife.

Zuo Mingran's professional instincts took over, and he forcefully replayed the plot in his mind. Just as he was about to laugh out loud at Liu Qinghe demanding one million to leave Yunyang, the situation changed.

No matter how much coffee was drunk, there would always be a time to finish it, especially since Liu Qinghe had just gotten off the plane and needed a good rest. Fan Zhenzhen only knew how to stare at Yunyang and didn't think about this at all.

Yunyang lost patience and saw Liu Qinghe rubbing his temples tiredly, so he stood up and said, "Mom, let's go home."

Fan Zhenzhen didn't utter a word and hastily said, "I'll go with you."

After being secretly supported by someone for so long, even Zuo Mingran became annoyed. No matter how she tried to explain that she was Yunyang's legal wife, Fan Zhenzhen, a sister who jumped out from who knows where, completely disregarded her.

With Fan Zhenzhen's murderous gaze on her, Zuo Mingran affectionately linked her arm with Yunyang's and smiled, "We're going home now, sister Zhenzhen. You should go home too, so as not to worry the adults."

Fan Zhenzhen angrily said, "You!"

"Zhenzhen." Liu Qinghe stood up from the sofa, still looking gentle, but his gaze toward Fan Zhenzhen revealed a hint of a powerful woman. "Give my regards to your parents."

"Liu Auntie." Fan Zhenzhen's eyes welled up with tears. She glanced at Yunyang, pouted her mouth, grabbed her bag, and rushed out without looking back.

Indeed, when mother-in-law and daughter-in-law unite, they can achieve anything.

Zuo Mingran turned back with a smile and said to Fan Zhenzhen, who was about to rush out of the door, "Take care on the way, sister Zhenzhen!"