For a dedicated housekeeper, even though the mistress's desire to eat stinky tofu with durian seemed quite odd to her, she still brought the items up on time. She had even thoughtfully arranged the stinky tofu on a plate and prepared delicate, bite-sized durian pastries that Nian Suian could easily pop into her mouth.
"Butler Oil... um, I can't seem to find my marriage certificate with... err," Nian Suian pondered what she should call her legal husband. To match "mistress," it should be "master," but as a modern young woman, she couldn't bring herself to use such a feudal term. More importantly, she was currently allergic to anything that made her feel old.
The diligent Butler Su, standing by the mistress's side and waiting for her orders, maintained his composure even when she got his surname wrong. "Madam, my surname is Su. Your marriage certificate with the boss is in the study drawer. If you'd like to see it, I can go fetch it for you."
Before Nian Suian could contemplate whether Butler Su was as capable as some renowned service industry leader from centuries ago with the same surname, she was struck by the term "boss."
"No need to get it, I'll go look myself later. By the way, why do you call him 'boss' and me 'madam'?"
"It's the boss's instruction. He says he's a progressive entrepreneur, and that calling him 'master' sounds like feudal remnants, while 'CEO' is too capitalistic. He prefers 'boss' as it's more down-to-earth."
"Haha, he's quite humorous, isn't he?"
Butler Su, who had been smiling, suddenly turned serious: "Madam! This is not humor. It's the boss's sincere belief. Our boss, he... is a Party member!"
"Wow! That's impressive, very impressive. I'll head upstairs now, you all take a break." If she didn't go upstairs soon, Butler Su might start reciting the core values to her.
The study was on the same floor as her room. From her observations, the room opposite hers should be her convenient husband's, the study was next to his room, and the room beside hers should belong to her "good son."
Thinking about the "good son" who was coming home tomorrow, she felt conflicted. She had once prepared herself for a lifetime of being unmarried and childless, planning only to raise cat daughters and dog sons. Who would have thought that after transmigrating, she'd suddenly gain a 15-year-old "good son."
Their marriage certificate was placed quite casually. Saying it was in a drawer was an understatement. Looking at the two certificates, one inside out and one upside down, Nian Suian realized they had clearly been tossed in there!
Taking a deep breath for five seconds, already prepared to see an old man, Nian Suian slowly opened the marriage certificate.
What the hell? Who's this handsome guy?
Nian Suian checked the name and face on the marriage certificate three times before she dared to confirm she hadn't picked up the wrong one.
Nearly fifty years old?
A divorced father?
No way, the handsome man before her was the type that would give her a phobia of good-looking men if he stood in front of her...
Just before entering the study, Nian Suian had planned to ask for a divorce when her convenient husband returned. After all, she had a trust fund and wouldn't starve.
But now... she had completely forgotten her plan. Yes, she was just that shallow.
Even if things didn't work out and they had to divorce, she should at least wait. At minimum, they should be married for three months. Having such a handsome ex-husband would add a significant highlight to her resume.
The date on the marriage certificate showed that Gu Junxing and the original Nian Suian had been married for less than two months.
Moreover, it seemed they were currently living separately, and with the blank chat history on WeChat, Nian Suian guessed their relationship was far from loving – it could be described as estranged at best.
Thinking about this, she couldn't help but sigh: It seems they're victims of an arranged marriage between wealthy families!
Wait a minute.
She had been so focused on his face that she forgot to check his ID number. Gu Junxing this year is...
35 years old!
That means he had a child when he was just twenty.
Young lovers, tasting forbidden fruit, yet torn apart by their families. The first love girlfriend gives birth to a son and leaves for a distant place, leaving behind a single father and orphan. As the child grows up, the widowed father remarries a woman of equal social status arranged by the family.
According to the nth law of clichéd plots, the next developments should be...
The first love makes a glamorous return!
Former lovers rekindle their romance!
The evil second wife clings on desperately!
The kind-hearted protagonist saves everyone!
The evil second wife gets her comeuppance!
The family of three lives happily ever after!
But... Nian Suian realized that according to this setup, she was the evil second wife!
Whether she wanted the handsome ex-husband or not wasn't that important anymore. She'd better assess the situation and run away if necessary. After all, while three-legged frogs are rare, handsome men with two legs should be plentiful, right? There's no need to force herself into this family!
Early the next morning, everyone in the villa was busy, except for Nian Suian.
She leisurely walked downstairs and sat at the dining table, waiting for the housekeeper to bring her breakfast. Don't ask why she wasn't getting her own breakfast after just a few days – the answer is simply that it's not allowed! Fine, she had been self-reliant for over twenty years, so today she'd indulge in some luxury! Besides, holding the script of a supporting character, she didn't know when she'd have to leave. She had to make the most of this opportunity to enjoy herself. Only a fool would pass up such benefits.
"Butler Su, your hairstyle looks great today!" His oily hair looked even oilier.
Today's Butler Su had clearly taken extra care with his appearance. Hearing this compliment, he couldn't stop smiling: "You flatter me, madam." As he spoke, he made a couple of gestures in the air, as if adjusting his oily hair.
Just as Nian Suian was biting into her third shumai, the sound of a car came from outside.
"Uncle Su! I'm back!" The voice was heard before the person appeared.
Nian Suian nodded, thinking this young master knew how to greet people – he sounded like a polite kid.
"Oh my, Young Master, I haven't seen you in over a month, and you've grown taller!"
Tsk, tsk, how fawning.
"Uncle Su? Do we have guests?"
Hmm? He must have spotted her. Could someone tell her what she should say when meeting her stepson for the first time? What expression should she wear? Warm and kind, or cold and elegant?
"Hehe, this isn't a guest. You two haven't met before, let me introduce you." Butler Su smiled benevolently.
"Young Master, this is... um... she is your..."
Evidently, even a professional like Butler Su didn't know how to tell the young master that he suddenly had a young stepmother.
Nian Suian thought to herself that she was older in age and a senior in family rank, so she might as well speak up.
"Oh! I know, my dad told me about her!"
Huh? Why isn't this following the script? Shouldn't she have finished her introduction, followed by him shouting that he doesn't want a stepmother, and then storming out of the house? What's with this excited look on his face?
"If I'm not mistaken! This must be the legendary new wife of my father, my little stepmom-sis!"
"Hahaha, Young Master is so clever, you've guessed it all!"
Hey, Butler Su doesn't need to be this doting! Even the pampered sister from the Qing Dynasty wasn't this indulgent towards her giant brother!
The Young Master was indeed a polite child. Upon hearing the affirmative answer, he immediately extended his hand to Nian Suian.
"Hello, little stepmom-sis. Please take good care of me!"
Nian Suian thought to herself that she was, after all, an adult and couldn't show weakness. She immediately reciprocated the gesture.
"Let's take care of each other, son-bro!"