That evening, Shi Yue brought her mother back to live with her at the apartment.
She wasn't sure if Shi Wen would return in a more deranged state, so the best solution was to have her mother stay with her for now. The apartment was spacious enough for her and Jiang Fu to live together without any issues.
Jiang Fu was naturally happy to live with her daughter, but since this high-rise complex didn't offer much space for gardening, she was already thinking about the roses in her home garden that hadn't bloomed yet.
Shi Yue did her best to spend time with her, reassuring her that things would be resolved soon.
The weekend came quickly.
Since Shi Yue had mentioned it beforehand, Jiang Fu knew that someone would be taking them to the sanatorium for a check-up. But when she saw Leng Yanmi, she was stunned for a few seconds.
She had never imagined that the "friend" her daughter mentioned would be the same Leng Yanmi who often appeared in business magazines as the head of the Leng family.
Faced with such a strong Alpha, Jiang Fu appeared a bit uneasy. However, gradually, she noticed from their interactions that Leng Yanmi wasn't as relaxed as she had expected. In fact, when handing her a tissue earlier, Leng Yanmi even used the polite "您" (nin), which is a formal way of saying "you" in Chinese.
Who was she to deserve such respect?!
Jiang Fu pulled Shi Yue aside and whispered, "Xiao Yue, what's going on with this Miss Leng?"
"Hmm?" Shi Yue asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Didn't you notice anything?" Jiang Fu widened her eyes. "I think she's acting strange... It's like she's a bit afraid of me. Why is that?"
"Ahem, how could she be afraid of you? Maybe it's just because you're her elder, so she's being respectful," Shi Yue replied, glancing at Leng Yanmi in the driver's seat. She happened to notice that Leng Yanmi's ears were slightly red.
"What kind of elder am I to her? I'm only a few years older," Jiang Fu thought for a while and came up with a guess. "Uh, could it be because the marriage arrangement between you and her nephew fell through, and she feels guilty and wants to make it up to us?"
Shi Yue found her mother's behavior quite amusing and teased her, "Why don't you ask her later?"
"No, no, no." Jiang Fu quickly waved her hands. "I wouldn't dare ask."
"Hahaha—" Shi Yue couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Her laughter caught Leng Yanmi's curious gaze. Jiang Fu quickly straightened up, putting some distance between herself and Shi Yue, afraid that Leng Yanmi would realize she and Shi Yue were in cahoots.
"...What's so funny?" Leng Yanmi asked.
"Auntie," Shi Yue leaned forward and asked her, "Are you helping us out of guilt because the marriage arrangement between me and Leng Mingchuan fell through?"
Jiang Fu grabbed her arm but couldn't stop her from asking. Afraid that Shi Yue's inappropriate question would offend the seemingly formidable Leng family head, her heart was already in her throat.
But Leng Yanmi's reaction was completely unexpected.
Not only was the Alpha, who had willingly taken on the role of their driver, not the least bit angry, but she even responded with a helpless tone, "...Don't talk nonsense."
Jiang Fu glanced between Leng Yanmi and her troublesome daughter. Suddenly, she had a revelation and whispered in Shi Yue's ear, "When did you get so close to Miss Leng?"
"Did I?" Shi Yue blinked innocently.
"..." Jiang Fu gave her a reproachful look but didn't say anything more, leaning back in her seat to rest her eyes.
An hour later, the three of them arrived at the sanatorium.
This sanatorium, located in the suburbs, was top-notch in terms of physicians, equipment, and surroundings. Under normal circumstances, with the current standing of the Shi family, it would be nearly impossible to secure an appointment here.
But with Leng Yanmi arranging the visit, as soon as they got out of the car, a dedicated physician and nurse from the sanatorium came out to greet them. With their assistance, Shi Yue didn't need to lift a finger. The physician chatted with Jiang Fu to learn about her health condition while guiding her to various examinations, arranging everything meticulously.
The entire check-up process took about two and a half hours. Shi Yue and Leng Yanmi found a bench in the garden to sit and wait.
"Whew—" Shi Yue took a few deep breaths and stretched her limbs.
She looked at Leng Yanmi beside her, squinting her eyes as she smiled. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to sit idly like this, with nothing to worry about. Just facing the breeze and the greenery in the garden makes it feel like my soul is being cleansed."
Leng Yanmi didn't say anything, only watching her indulgently.
"Auntie, you're even busier than I am. You probably haven't had a moment like this in a long time, right?"
To her surprise, Leng Yanmi shook her head.
"I come here with Grandpa for his check-ups every month and sit here waiting," she said. After a brief pause, she added, "Alone."
Shi Yue was somewhat taken aback.
Considering Leng Yanmi's status, she could easily delegate such tasks to someone else. There was no need for her to personally accompany a family member for routine check-ups. Shi Yue had often complained to herself that Leng Yanmi was an overprotective tyrant, but in many ways, she was unquestionably good to those close to her.
Coming back to her senses, Shi Yue looked up at the clear, blue sky.
"But it's never been like today," Leng Yanmi added.
"What?" Shi Yue didn't quite understand what she meant.
Leaning back against the bench, Leng Yanmi closed her eyes, her entire body relaxing.
A gentle breeze brushed against her face, messing up the strands of hair by her ear, which tickled her cheek.
Shi Yue felt a sudden itch in her heart, as if that stray lock of hair on Leng Yanmi's face was scratching her. Unable to resist, she held her breath and leaned closer to tuck the stray hair behind her ear.
Leng Yanmi caught her mischievous hand, giving her palm a light squeeze in warning, then simply held it and tucked it into her pocket.