To her, for Qing Si Huai to dare to say this in front of Old Madam Qing meant he acknowledged her.
It was also equivalent to publicly admitting she was his girlfriend.
This was what Shu Yao wanted.
"Yes, yes, Grandma, there's no rush about this matter," Shu Yao nodded.
"Hmm?"
Old Madam Qing suddenly tilted her head and looked at her, feigning a bit of displeasure on her amiable face, "Grandma?"
"Ah?"
Shu Yao was a bit bewildered, not understanding.
"Si Huai calls me Mother, and you call me Grandma?" the Old Madam reminded, frowning.
"Uh… hahaha, A… Auntie?"
She reached out and touched her head, feeling that calling Old Madam Qing this way was a little strange.
Sitting beside them, Meng Jing Wei held a cup of tea from the table and silently drank it, looking worried.
How was she supposed to reveal Qing Si Huai to Shu Yao?
"Hey, clever girl. Come, hurry and eat, eat more. Look how thin you are." Old Madam Qing was exceptionally happy, her face flushed with joy.
After speaking, she sighed again, "Old Seven is over thirty. Now that he has a girlfriend, it's finally one less thing for me to worry about. But you two must hurry. I'm waiting to hold my grandson."
"Pfft… cough cough cough…"
Hearing this, Shu Yao's face instantly turned as red as her neck, while Meng Jing Wei, caught off guard, choked on her water and coughed incessantly.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong, Jing Wei?"
Seeing Meng Jing Wei choke on water, Old Madam Qing couldn't help but ask, "I wasn't rushing you. But I should talk to you. Earlier, you asked me to introduce you to someone. I've found a few people for you. Do you want to meet them?"
"What? I… no… cough cough cough…"
This time, Meng Jing Wei choked even more violently.
Qing Mu Ye happened to be sitting next to her. It was inconvenient for her to cough towards Old Madam Qing, so she kept coughing towards Qing Mu Ye.
The man's handsome eyebrows were twisted like a knot, and his eyes showed unconcealed disdain.
He reached out, took out a tissue, and handed it to her, "Stupid."
Being called stupid, Meng Jing Wei immediately felt displeased. She suppressed her cough and glared at him angrily with a flushed face, "What's it to you!"
Such needless concern.
"You're dirtying the air in front of me."
The man sat upright, exuding an innate aristocratic aura, as if nobility was carved into his bones. Even when dining, he possessed an indescribable elegance, creating a stark contrast with Meng Jing Wei beside him.
It made her look particularly disheveled.
"If you find it dirty, then go eat outside!"
Before Meng Jing Wei could speak, Old Madam Qing retorted angrily, "You don't have much ability, but you're very affected."
Old Madam Qing's remark amused Meng Jing Wei, who was already angry. She stifled a laugh and nodded vigorously, "Yes, Grandma is right. Men shouldn't be so affected. If outsiders knew, they'd definitely think he has princess syndrome."
In other words, he's like a woman.
After she finished speaking, she suddenly felt the temperature around her drop significantly, feeling a chill down her spine.
Meng Jing Wei shivered from the cold. With a slight glance, she saw his sharp gaze directed at her.
"Grandma, do you think I'm right?"
She deliberately asked Old Madam Qing and then tattled, "Look, Grandma, he's glaring at me!"
"Qing Mu Ye, what is wrong with you? Jing Wei is your sister. If I find out you're bullying her again, I'll break your dog legs."
"Yes, Grandma says she'll break your dog legs!"
Meng Jing Wei repeated Old Madam Qing's words, her bright eyes fixed on Qing Mu Ye, full of smugness.
The man's face was as cold as ever, giving him an aloofness like an exiled immortal. Little did anyone know that as he slowly lowered his head to continue eating, the corners of his chiseled lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.
"Alright, alright, eat, eat. Why are all of you like children who haven't grown up, haha…"
Old Madam Qing started laughing as she spoke.
She was in an exceptionally good mood today, as if sitting with these young people had made her feel younger.
After the meal, Qing Si Huai took Shu Yao for a walk in the courtyard. Old Madam Qing dragged Meng Jing Wei to play Chinese Chess.
Because Meng Jing Wei often played with Old Shen Tou when she was back in her hometown, she learned Chinese Chess. Coincidentally, Old Madam Qing also enjoyed playing, and they shared a common interest.
"Mu Ye, what are you standing there for? Go pour Jing Wei a glass of water."
Because playing chess required quiet, Old Madam Qing had already sent the servants away, leaving only the three of them.
The man sat to the side, fiddling with his phone, his hands constantly typing replies, but his gaze would occasionally flick towards the young woman who was playing chess with Grandma.
"She has hands herself. Why should I serve her?"
Qing Mu Ye raised an eyebrow and said coldly.
"Hey, what, am I old now that you don't even listen to me anymore?" Old Madam Qing said as she held her pawn and heavily placed it on Meng Jing Wei's cannon, "Checkmate!"
"Wow, Grandma is amazing."
Meng Jing Wei gave Old Madam Qing a thumbs-up, "Let's play Mahjong next time. My chess skills aren't good enough."
"I won't play anymore. You always let me win, girl. It's boring."
Old Madam Qing was a smart woman. How could she not tell that Meng Jing Wei was going easy on her during the chess game? She pointed at Qing Mu Ye and beckoned, "Come here, play a few rounds with Jing Wei and show me what little Jing Wei is capable of."
Being called upon again, Qing Mu Ye paused, his gaze falling on their chessboard, a hint of interest piqued.
He had known Meng Jing Wei for a long time and knew she could play chess, but he had never known how good her skills were.
"Alright."
The man agreed, a hint of reluctance on his stern face.
Old Madam Qing stood up. Qing Mu Ye obligingly moved a chair for Old Madam Qing and placed it to the side, while he sat opposite Meng Jing Wei.
The two silently took back their respective pieces. Meng Jing Wei was Red, and Qing Mu Ye was Black. They quietly arranged the chess pieces again.
"Who goes first?" Meng Jing Wei looked at Qing Mu Ye sitting opposite her. Both of them were sitting cross-legged in front of the chessboard. This feeling gave her a sense of ancient elegance, which she found enjoyable.
"Ladies first," he said.
"Alright then." Meng Jing Wei didn't feign modesty and picked up her horse, moving it forward one step.
Qing Mu Ye's first move was his cannon.
They continued to play like this, step by step, almost completely focused, neither speaking.
Old Madam Qing, sitting to the side, yawned after a while, "Alas, when people get old, they can't keep up. You two play, I'm going to lie down for a bit."
"Okay, Grandma," Meng Jing Wei smiled knowingly and nodded.
Qing Mu Ye said nothing, continuing to play chess.
Old Madam Qing got up and went into the bedroom. Meng Jing Wei continued to play chess. It was then that she heard Qing Mu Ye say, "Exposing your sharpness too much only reveals your weaknesses."
His words had an underlying meaning, as if warning Meng Jing Wei.
"Eat!" She used her cannon to capture Qing Mu Ye's horse and said, "Does President Qing always see things so one-sidedly? How do you know it's not 'outwardly ostentatious, inwardly prudent'?"
"Almost ruined your reputation, and you call that prudent?" the man retorted.
Meng Jing Wei's small face immediately fell, "You also said, it was only 'almost'!"