Afternoon.

Lin Fei and Mu Shanshan were at the Purple Garden Pavilion.

Lin Fei was both surprised and conflicted, staring straight at Mu Shanshan, saying, "Wife, are you sure you're not joking? Are you sure we're going to your grandpa's house right now?!"

"I remember telling you before that I wanted to go!"

"I know that, and I'm not against you going. It's just that, if I remember correctly, didn't Dad say that the day after tomorrow is your grandfather's seventieth birthday? We don't need to rush over there to congratulate him right now!"

Lin Fei didn't have any intention of opposing Mu Shanshan going to wish her grandfather a happy birthday. Although Lin Fei had already noticed that the relationship between Mu Shanshan and her grandfather's family wasn't great. Going to wish her grandfather a happy birthday might not be met with much warmth.

Nevertheless, as Mu Shanshan's husband, Lin Fei felt it was his responsibility to accompany Mu Shanshan to her maternal home unconditionally.

It was Lin Fei's duty and obligation, and he didn't intend to avoid it.

However, the timing was undeniably tight.

To be precise, Lin Fei felt that Mu Shanshan was a bit too hasty.

After all, her grandfather's seventieth birthday was the day after tomorrow. Going now seems a bit early, especially given the strained relationship between Mu Shanshan and her grandfather's family.

It clearly seemed unnecessary to go so early.

Lin Fei felt speechless about this, but Mu Shanshan showed no intention of changing her mind.

The woman didn't explain much to Lin Fei, handing Keke over to Aunt Lan, then confidently looked at Lin Fei, saying, "I'm giving you ten minutes to pack your things, and then we'll leave."

As she finished speaking, Mu Shanshan didn't give Lin Fei any opportunity to refuse. She strode upstairs, clearly to pack her things.

Just after Mu Shanshan went upstairs, Aunt Lan, who heard the conversation between the couple, was a bit surprised because she didn't know they were going to Mu Shanshan's grandfather's house to wish him a happy birthday.

Aunt Lan looked at Lin Fei and asked, "Young Master, are you and the young lady going on a business trip?"

"I wish it were a business trip." Feeling helpless about Mu Shanshan's sudden decision, Lin Fei answered with a hint of melancholy to Aunt Lan.

Thinking of Aunt Lan's good relationship with Mu Shanshan's mother, Lin Fei asked Aunt Lan curiously, "Aunt Lan, you should be somewhat familiar with Shanshan's grandfather's relatives, right?"

"Young Master, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"Today, Dad told me and Shanshan that her grandfather's seventieth birthday is the day after tomorrow. Dad let us decide whether to go and wish him a happy birthday. And just now, Aunt Lan, you heard that Shanshan decided to go. I noticed she doesn't seem to have much fondness for her grandfather's relatives, so I wanted to ask you why there is such a strained relationship."

"Ah, what a sin..." Aunt Lan, who had looked pale when Lin Fei mentioned Mu Shanshan's grandfather, sighed sorrowfully after hearing Lin Fei's explanation.

Initially, Lin Fei hadn't paid much attention to the strained relationship between Mu Shanshan and her grandfather's family, but seeing Aunt Lan's sorrowful expression.

Lin Fei realized he had oversimplified things. Feeling a wave of tension, he promptly asked Aunt Lan, "Aunt Lan, what's really going on?!"

"Ah, young master, how am I supposed to start explaining…" Aunt Lan, unable to withstand Lin Fei's repeated questioning, sighed and sorrowfully told the whole tangled history between Mu Shanshan and her grandfather's family, in bits and pieces.

"Young Master, you wouldn't know this, but Madam was born into a prestigious family, what we used to call an official family born with a silver spoon. Though Madam wasn't as cold as the young lady, she was a woman who couldn't be content with mediocrity. After college, she didn't comply with her family's arranged marriage, but instead came to Zhonghai on her own to pursue her career."

"It was in Zhonghai that Madam met the Chairman. Their interests aligned, and soon they were together. But since the Chairman didn't have much wealth at the time, Madam's family never approved of their relationship. Her family often sent people over to persuade or stop her from being with the Chairman."

"There were a few times when her family even thought of forcibly taking her back. If Madam hadn't threatened them by saying she'd die, she might never have ended up with the Chairman. Eventually, forced by her threats, her family backed off. Only then could she truly be with the Chairman. However, she was cast out of her family because of it."

"Whether it was during her marriage to the Chairman or Shanshan's birth, no one from her family came. Only at Shanshan's full moon did her elder brother send over some gifts. However, Madam didn't live to see that day. Moreover, after Madam's death, not a single person from her family came to pay respects…"

By the end of her story, Aunt Lan was sobbing uncontrollably. As a listener, Lin Fei couldn't help but feel sorrowful, and even harbored a hidden resentment in his heart!

If not for hearing it himself and knowing Aunt Lan's character, he would never suspect she was lying.

Lin Fei found it hard to believe that Mu Shanshan's maternal family could be so heartless!

Even though Aunt Lan hadn't explicitly stated it, Lin Fei was quite certain that Mu Shanshan's mother died prematurely because her family had never accepted her choices!

Anyone in Mu Shanshan's mother's situation would likely suffer from emotional distress.

Understanding this, Lin Fei finally realized why Mu Shanshan had such an extreme reaction after hearing Mu Hong mention her grandfather's seventieth birthday.

Actually, it shouldn't be called an abnormal reaction now. At the time, Lin Fei thought Mu Shanshan's reaction was unusual because he didn't understand the situation.

Now, knowing her maternal family's actions, Lin Fei felt nothing but a mix of pity and affection for Mu Shanshan.

Of course, he couldn't pretend not to feel some resentment toward her maternal family.

After all, if not for her mother's threat to take her own life to force her family to withdraw at that time.

It's questionable whether Mu Shanshan would even exist in this world today…

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