Gritting her teeth, Chen Wenjin greeted the madam of the Marquis Mansion, Liu Xiuying, and tried to approach her like she normally would but Madam Liu brushed her off coldly.
Smiling awkwardly at how she was being treated, Chen Wenjin had no choice but to sit in the guest seat as Chen Jinyu sat next to Madam Liu in a seat far elevated than hers.
"Sister, you didn't tell me that you would come here today." Chen Jinyu said in an innocent tone and Shen Xiatang chuckled at the absurdity of the future wife having to inform a third party that she was going to show up in her soon to be husband's home!
"If sister told me, we would have come here together." Chen Jinyu said in a cheerful tone and Xiao Mei tried hard to keep her face neutral.
"The madam of the house is ever beautiful and needs company from time to time, as the future wife of this mansion you should visit frequently." Chen Jinyu said in a chastising manner and Chen Wenjin was left speechless.
"Why is this happening?" Chen Wenjin thought as she noticed the scowl on her mother-in-law's face.
"I only stopped coming because Liu Tiancheng said that my constant visits were destroying her health." Chen Wenjin thought to herself.
"I stopped visiting because of consideration of your health-" Chen Wenjin tried to say but Madam Liu turned away from her.
"Did he plan this?" Chen Wenjin thought as Madam Liu refused to talk to her.
"Did he intentionally drive a wedge between I and his mother?" Chen Wenjin thought in despair as Madam Liu and Chen Jinyu carried on talking without her.
"Impossible." Chen Wenjin thought to herself.
"He wouldn't do that." Chen Wenjin thought as she tried her best to smile.
"Chen Wenjin apologizes for being unfilial to mother in law, so to make up for that Chen Wenjin prepared a gift-" Chen Wenjin tried to say but Chen Jinyu swiftly cut her off.
"Mother," Chen Jinyu said and Chen Wenjin stared at her in shock.
"Mother?" Chen Wenjin thought in her head.
"You have been extremely tired lately, why don't I tell the servants to bring you some hot tea?" Chen Jinyu asked Madam Liu and Madam Liu smiled.
"You're such a filial child." said Madam Liu as she nodded her head to the servants to bring them tea.
"Unlike some people who would stop visiting because they think visiting me is a burden." Liu Xiuying said with a sneer.
"It wasn't my intention-" Chen Wenjin tried to say but Madam Liu just held up a hand.
"Enough of your excuses." Madam Liu said and Chen Wenjin swallowed her tongue.
Tea was served and Chen Wenjin wanted to get back in Madam Liu's good graces by serving her tea but Chen Jinyu easily beat her to it. Thinking of what she could do to get Madam Liu's attention, Chen Wenjin quickly said "I heard Madam Liu added yet another exotic bird to her beautiful collection." but Madam Liu scoffed.
"Thanks to someone who stopped caring for the birds, my two birds suffered depression and stopped flying. If not for Chen Jinyu who suggested that I get a third bird, how else would I hear them flutter about in their cage?" Madam Liu asked Chen Wenjin and Chen Wenjin could do nothing but grip the skirt of her hanfu.
After that moment light chatter continued on between Madam Liu and Chen Jinyu like she wasn't there and Chen Wenjin could do nothing about it.
Eventually Madam Liu said "I am tired." and immediately got up. Sensing that this might be her last chance, Chen Wenjin tried to give her the gift she prepared specifically for her but Chen Jinyu raised up her hand to stop her.
"The madam is already feeling weak." Chen Jinyu said in a chastising tone.
"Whatever you have to say can be said tomorrow." Chen Jinyu said in a firm tone before helping Madam Liu out of the family hall.
As the doors shut in the family hall, Chen Wenjin could do nothing but stare at the door for ten minutes.
"Young Miss." Xiao Mei called out sadly.
"I'm fine." Chen Wenjin said as she wiped the tears that had formed unintentionally.
"This happens between family sometimes." Chen Wenjin said as she tried to be positive.
Saying nothing, Xiao Mei opened the door for her young Miss to step outside but the moment they stepped outside gossip from the maids reached their ears.
"Did you see Chen Wenjin face throughout the meeting at the family hall?" maid 1 whispered.
"She looked like she swallowed something unpleasant." maid 2 whispered as she laughed.
"Serves her right." said maid 1.
"Everyone knows that the future wife of the Marquis Mansion is Chen Jinyu but Chen Wenjin keeps using her position as the sole heir of the main Chen family to pester the young master." maid 1 said and Chen Wenjin almost lost her footing.
"I heard that the young master would have kicked her away a long time ago if not for the huge dowry that the young master would get if he married her." said maid 2.
"Yes." maid 1 said as if remembering something.
"If her dowry was not enough to feed a small country, I am sure that the young master wouldn't have looked at her at all." said maid one, as both her and maid 2 giggled and walked away.
"Young miss-" Xiao Mei tried to say but Chen Wenjin cut her off.
"There are just maids, they probably don't know what they are talking about." Chen Wenjin said in another attempt to make herself feel better.
"Besides where is Liu Tiancheng?" Chen Wenjin said as she recalled he would be at home by this time.
"I will just pass him the gifts to present to mother." Chen Wenjin said as she marched to the door of Liu Tiancheng's living quarters with her personal maid.
Smiling because Liu Tiancheng said she looked beautiful when she smiles, Chen Wenjin was about to push open the door when she heard Chen Jinyu say "When are you going to tell Chen Wenjin that you have decided to take her as a consort and I as the main wife?" and her heart dropped to the floor.