Being a Daughter-in-Law of the Long Family is Not Easy

She didn't manage to stop Tang Miannian, and now she would definitely be scolded by Young Master Long.

Since the car belonged to Long Ye Jue, the gate was not stopped; it simply opened and let them through.

As she arrived again at the luxurious mansion, which resembled a castle, her feelings had changed.

Before, she didn't know that the Long family was such a large and powerful family. So when she came to visit, she had been happy and had prepared gifts.

But now, all she felt was an invisible pressure.

The old butler was waiting in the garden outside the main house. He waved for the car to stop as soon as it approached.

An Yi felt uneasy, glancing nervously at the butler before speaking to the woman in the back seat, "Madam, maybe we should wait for Young Master's call."

Tang Miannian gently shook her head, opening the car door and stepping out.

The butler, seeing her, showed no surprise. He bowed and said, "Madam, the old master asks you to come in."

"Madam." An Yi nervously called out again.

She turned around, smiling reassuringly, "Wait here for me. I'll be quick. If Long Ye Jue calls, tell him to wait for me."

An Yi had wanted to stop her, but since she was determined, he could only nod. "Alright."

Tang Miannian felt a bit more at ease and turned to the old butler. "Uncle Xu, please lead the way."

Her politeness made the butler feel awkward. He lowered his head and said, "Madam, please just call me Old Xu."

"Uncle Xu," she politely addressed him again.

"..." Xu Quan could only smile helplessly.

The Long family estate was laid out like a star, with the main house in the center, and the other houses distributed at the five points of the star.

Between the courtyards, there were roads that crisscrossed, providing easy transportation.

The estate's transportation was a four-seater electric cart. The butler drove the cart, taking Tang Miannian toward the garden where Old Master Long was.

Along the way, her heart was heavy with worry. After thinking for a while, she cautiously asked, "Uncle Xu, do you know why the grandfather wants to see me?"

"I don't know," Xu Quan answered with a smile.

He understood that Tang Miannian must be on edge, but as a servant, it wasn't his place to meddle in the master's affairs.

Still, he kindly added, "The old master is actually a very easy person to get along with. Don't be too nervous."

Tang Miannian smiled slightly, feeling a bit grateful toward Xu Quan.

The old master of the Long family had been influential in Jiang City for many years, so he was certainly no simple man. She wasn't afraid of him, but she did worry about Long Ye Jue.

"Is Long Ye Jue here too?"

"Young Master is not here."

Not here?

Tang Miannian was very confused. Didn't An Yi say that Long Ye Jue was coming to the estate?

Why did the butler say he wasn't here?

Was he not at Old Master's place, or was he just not at the estate at all?

Before she could ask further, the car had already arrived at its destination.

"Madam, you can go straight in from here. The old master is inside," Xu Quan pointed the way before driving off.

Tang Miannian looked at the path Xu Quan pointed to. It was a stone path surrounded by lush greenery.

She hesitated for a moment but finally decided to walk toward it.

Since she had worn high heels for the sake of appearances, walking on this rocky road was nothing short of torture for her, especially with the wounds on her knees and back.

And she still hadn't seen where the old master was.

This estate was so large that walking to the destination might take hundreds of meters.

After a moment's thought, she squatted down, took off her high heels, and held them in her hand. Barefoot, she continued down the stone path.

Even though she was walking barefoot, the rough road still hurt her feet. Just as she felt her feet might give out, she finally saw a figure ahead.

Thinking about putting her shoes back on, she saw Long Zhenfei in a pavilion, already noticing her approach. "Miannian, is that you? Come in."

Tang Miannian hesitated. She knew it would be inappropriate to put her shoes on now, and it seemed that the old master had already seen her. She could only continue walking barefoot.

This was the first time she had found herself in such a humiliating situation, and she couldn't help but feel a little wronged. But she still smiled and said, "Grandfather, have you been waiting long?"

"A cup of tea's time, it's not that long," Long Zhenfei smiled but didn't ask her to sit down.

Since the elder didn't say anything, she had no choice but to stand, hands behind her back, clutching her shoes.

Although she was slender, she stood straight.

"This tea... it's the same one you gave me last time. It's not as good as the usual tea I drink, but it's still decent. I can manage to drink it," the old man said casually.

Amidst the mist rising from the tea, Tang Miannian seemed to understand the implied meaning behind his words.

She could only awkwardly smile and say, "Then, I'm glad you don't mind, grandfather."

"Mm, sit down," Long Zhenfei finally spoke.

Tang Miannian let out a quiet sigh of relief, carefully sitting down. She had no idea how much her legs were shaking.

Long Zhenfei glanced at her feet, then at the stone path, before saying, "That path isn't easy to walk on, is it?"

"It's alright," Tang Miannian replied stiffly.

"Although the path is rough and uneven, without any convenient transportation, the doctor said it's actually very good for the body if you walk on it more. That's why there are stone paths like this all over the estate. If you walk on them more, you'll get used to it."

Tang Miannian nodded cautiously, her hands nervously twisting on her knees.

When she was with Long Zhenfei, she didn't dare say too much, afraid of saying something wrong.

Every word he spoke seemed to carry a hidden meaning, making her guess at what he might be implying.

But one thing is certain, it seems like he already knew I was coming and even deliberately made me walk on this stone path.

"Do you know how to make tea?" Long Zhenfei asked, his previously cold expression now replaced by a warm, smiling one.

Tang Miannian nodded, but in an effort to be modest, she added, "I know a little."

"Then make me a cup."

"Yes."

Tang Miannian went over to the wash basin to wash her hands before returning to the pavilion to prepare the tea.

The water at the Long family's estate wasn't ordinary tap water but spring water they sourced from a mountain.

Although this practice was technically forbidden, the Long family was the number one family in Jiang City and contributed half of the city's tax revenue, so some things were simply overlooked.

Tang Miannian's knowledge of tea-making came from her father, who was passionate about tea and had studied it deeply. She had grown up surrounded by it and learned a bit over the years.

Now, that knowledge was proving useful, though it felt different than when she made tea with her father. Every movement was executed with extreme care.

By the time she finished brewing the tea, a light sweat had formed on her forehead.

Long Zhenfei nodded in satisfaction and complimented her, "You know more than my grandchildren. I've asked them to study tea, but they always complain about it being boring, and in the end, not one of them actually knows how to make it."

Tang Miannian remained silent, quietly listening.

Long Zhenfei continued drinking his tea while talking about the past.

He mentioned Long Ye Jue's glorious achievements and also his mischievous years as a child.

Tang Miannian had never heard these stories about Long Ye Jue before, and she became more intrigued.

Long Zhenfei set down his tea cup and looked at Tang Miannian. "I've already looked into today's incident. It's not your fault, so you don't need to blame yourself."

Finally, the main topic was broached.

Tang Miannian immediately straightened her back, her heart tightening as she quickly explained, "I know my actions must have brought negative attention to the Long family."

"So, from now on, you need to be careful. The Long family is a big family, and there are eyes on us everywhere. If today's incident hadn't been because your identity was not yet exposed, the whole of Jiang City would be talking about it by now," Long Zhenfei's face became serious, and his tone grave.

"I'm sorry," she sincerely apologized.

"It's alright. In the future, you'll need to handle situations like this more wisely."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Grandpa."

"Being a daughter-in-law of the Long family isn't easy. Since you're already married to Ye Jue, I won't say more. The rules of the Long family forbid divorce. You must maintain your marriage well and not let others gossip. Any past issues should be severed completely. I also don't want this kind of thing to become public one day. That would be a stain on the Long family's reputation, and on yours as well. Your mother didn't help you today, but it was to protect the Long family's face. Don't be angry with her," Long Zhenfei said earnestly.

His words were reasonable, and he pointed out the things she needed to be careful about and the things she had to do.

Tang Miannian felt deeply moved, nodding gratefully. "I understand, Grandpa. I won't make this mistake again."

"Good. Though your mother hasn't accepted you yet, it's only a matter of time. And I'm here to support you!"

"Thank you, Grandpa." Tang Miannian finally felt relieved.

As long as the old master wasn't angry, it would be good for Long Ye Jue.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should head back. This matter is settled for now. Don't bring it up again, understand?" Long Zhenfei reminded her.

Tang Miannian nodded obediently, about to leave when she suddenly heard someone calling her name in the distance.

The voice was urgent, and upon listening carefully, she realized it was Long Ye Jue's voice.

"Tang Miannian, where are you?"

Hearing this, Long Zhenfei narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "This kid, does he think I'll eat you?"

Tang Miannian's face turned red, and she awkwardly didn't know how to explain.

By now, Long Ye Jue had spotted her and rushed over. When he saw her, his gaze swept over her like an X-ray.

Tang Miannian felt her cheeks flush under his gaze, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Once he confirmed she was unharmed, Long Ye Jue let out a breath of relief, but his tone turned cold. "Grandpa, what did you need with Miannian?"

His tone was clearly questioning.

Long Zhenfei raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "What? Can't I drink tea with my granddaughter-in-law?"

"Grandpa..."

"Alright, alright, stop giving me that look. Do you have to approve every time I need to speak with her?" The old man teased, making Tang Miannian, who was already shy, feel even more embarrassed.