The Housewife O Made Me Become a Mom (GL) - Chapter 9: It's Time to Apologize to My Ex-Sister-in-Law

Chapter 9: It’s Time to Apologize to My Ex-Sister-in-Law

Yellow leaves fell on Lin Xu’s shoulder as she walked back, holding a small white fluffy ball in one arm.

The small white fluffy ball, Shu Rong, had dirty hands from playing with mud, but she tried hard not to smear it on the little cotton jacket her mother put on her.

In the tea room, the two exchanged a few greetings but said little more. The servant had prepared the tea set and turned over the teacups and saucers.

As Lin Xu neared the door, she saw Shu Qingyou and the pottery master sitting straight-backed on cushions, not chatting.

The atmosphere seemed a bit heavy. Lin Xu touched her nose, hesitant to interrupt, and stepped back.

She whispered softly to Shu Rong’s little face.

“Wait a bit, and we’ll find your mom. Don’t wander off, play with the mud next to me, and be good.”

Shu Rong blinked her round eyes, and Lin Xu took it as agreement, quietly hiding to one side to wait.

Luckily, no one was around, or Lin Xu would have felt guilty for sneaking around like this.

Yue Yang smiled, her usual calm and serene air unchanged. Shu Qingyou knew her teacher was testing her.

She scooped some tea leaves from the tea caddy—green leaves with red edges, vibrant in color, with clear white hair features.

Yue Yang said, “One leaf, two hearts, picked just before the dew dried.”

The implication was that last night, when Shu Qingyou accepted her teacher’s invitation, the teacher had specially prepared this.

Honestly, Shu Qingyou felt a bit flattered.

She humbly nodded slightly. “Teacher, I haven’t brewed tea in a while. Please forgive me.”

As she spoke, a few strands of dark hair gently fell across her face. Shu Qingyou tucked her hair back, her sleeves piling up at her snow-white wrists.

The room was silent. As Shu Qingyou went through her movements, steam rose, and clear tea poured into glossy cups, carrying a hint of fruity fragrance.

The teacup, neither green nor gray, was supported by tiny studs, fired to a pure finish, with fish-scale crackle patterns glinting under the light.

Shu Qingyou sighed inwardly. A Ru kiln sky-blue glaze, another keepsake, and this was from the same batch of teacups fired when she was with Lin Xu.

Another cup, less perfect, was taken by Lin Xu. Given Lin Xu’s disdain for her, Shu Qingyou guessed it was probably tossed in some trash heap.

Yue Yang said, “Not bad.”

Just two words, but Shu Qingyou noticed her teacher’s subtle judging gaze soften. By evaluation standards, her performance was barely satisfactory.

Fortunately, her teacher didn’t mind, and Shu Qingyou relaxed her shoulders.

“Teacher, you flatter me.”

Shu Qingyou sipped the tea along the cup’s edge through the mist, squinting slightly. It was indeed good tea.

Yue Yang wasn’t one to beat around the bush and spoke directly.

“The tea and the cup are inseparable. You’re smart, so you must understand my meaning.”

Her just-relaxed body stiffened again. Now wasn’t a good time, she thought, especially with Lin Xu back.

Talk about bad timing. Shu Qingyou was about to explain to her teacher when a voice rang out.

“Ahhh! You got my clothes all dirty!”

Shu Qingyou frowned. She didn’t know what Lin Xu was up to now, but since she was with Shu Rong, she slightly bowed to her teacher, saying she’d be right back.

Yue Yang unhurriedly took a cup and filled it with tea.

A bit like bullying the small.

Shu Qingyou saw this scene: Lin Xu was rubbing her clothes with a tissue, occasionally glaring at Shu Rong and muttering.

Shu Rong shrank her neck innocently. Lin Xu complained she had no clothes to wear after this trip. Shu Rong sniffled, her short legs too scared to move.

A lump of discarded clay lay on the ground.

Shu Qingyou crouched down, rubbed her daughter’s head twice, and said gently, “Don’t cry, Rongrong. You didn’t mean it, right?”

Shu Rong nodded. It was the stone on the ground—she almost tripped and got her dirty hands on the big sister.

She didn’t understand why this big sister cared so much. Getting muddy together would be fun.

Lin Xu instantly became like a dud firecracker. With the mom here, any complaints stayed in her stomach.

Looking at Shu Qingyou, she met her icy gaze.

Lin Xu’s heart tightened. She finally spoke, “I didn’t mean to scold her. I’m sorry.”

A grown woman arguing with a three-year-old. Shu Qingyou shook her head, picked up Shu Rong, and washed her hands.

When they returned, Lin Xu stood there awkwardly, as if awaiting some judgment from Shu Qingyou.

Shu Qingyou held Shu Rong’s hand and told Lin Xu to take off her jacket.

“Come in. Loitering at someone’s door—people might think you’re here to steal.”

“Oh, oh… I didn’t mean that.”

As she spoke, Lin Xu’s dirty jacket hung on Shu Qingyou’s arm. The pottery master gave her a smile.

Lin Xu recalled Shu Qingyou saying she’d sell her off.

A bit nervous and scared, she sat opposite the master, her limbs tense.

Shu Qingyou tidied everything and held Shu Rong on her lap. Shu Rong turned her head, not wanting to face Lin Xu.

“Drink tea.”

At Shu Qingyou’s command, Lin Xu picked up the teacup, feeling parched, and downed it like a cow in one gulp.

“Drink more if you’re thirsty.”

Yue Yang smiled and poured tea for Lin Xu.

“Thanks, Master! This tea is great.”

“Good. Qingyou brewed it.”

Lin Xu hadn’t expected this skill. Her surprised expression showed, her peach-blossom eyes curving as she smiled charmingly at Shu Qingyou.

“Big Sister Shu is amazing! Teach me to brew tea sometime, okay?”

Shu Qingyou felt something odd. Lin Xu’s carefree, clueless demeanor was no different from a big kid.

Her ears warmed, and she said uncomfortably, “Don’t mess around.”

Yue Yang watched with a knowing smile and asked Shu Rong gently, “Do you like playing with mud?”

Shu Rong only nodded or shook her head. She liked it, but the big sister scolded her for being clumsy. She pouted and shrank into her mom’s arms.

Rubbing her daughter’s head, Shu Qingyou gave Yue Yang an apologetic smile. “Teacher, don’t mind her. Rongrong rarely goes out and is shy.”

Yue Yang followed up, “First time shy, second time familiar. Come often, Qingyou. Remember after you graduated, we went to Japan for the exhibition?”

That was the global ceramics exhibition in Japan. Shu Qingyou’s thoughts flashed back five years. Her teacher had unusually used her student’s work—hers—for display.

Later, a Japanese potter wanted to meet Shu Qingyou, perhaps with the intention of taking her as a disciple.

As Shu Qingyou hesitated, devastating news came from home—her mother died in a car accident.

Thinking of this, Shu Qingyou’s heart ached. Even now, the hit-and-run driver remained at large.

What followed was a chain reaction. The company’s biggest project lost its cash flow, and the bank pressed hard.

Clients canceled contracts one after another, and the company declared bankruptcy.

Shu Qingyou snapped back. “Teacher, if I recall correctly, that was Teacher Yagami.”

Yue Yang didn’t respond, perhaps agreeing silently. Shu Qingyou said slowly, “Maybe later, Teacher. I’m too tied up now. Sorry.”

As if expecting this, Yue Yang sipped her tea calmly. “No problem. Meeting is nice too. So, this visit is just to see me?”

Shu Qingyou nodded, gathering her words to tell her teacher about her younger sister’s troubles.

For Yue Yang, it was just a matter of a word. She wanted Shu Qingyou to stay for dinner but didn’t insist, suggesting they walk around her garden.

Fresh fruits sat on the stone table in the pavilion. The other two didn’t move, and Shu Rong didn’t eat. Lin Xu wanted some grapes but hesitated.

Lin Xu scratched her head, listening to their talk about things she didn’t understand, finally feeling self-aware and wanting to apologize to Shu Rong.

She grabbed some fruit and extended an olive branch to Shu Rong. “Shall I tell you a story?”

Innocent Shu Rong hid behind Shu Qingyou. Shu Qingyou squeezed her hand. “Big sister isn’t bad. Go on.”

Resisting for two seconds, Shu Rong was reluctantly pulled away by Lin Xu, looking back at her mom every few steps.

When they were far, Yue Yang looked away.

“She’s the child’s mother, right?”

“Yes.”

Yue Yang understood, confirming this was likely the future head of the Lin family, though completely different from the image she’d seen.

As if sensing her teacher’s doubts, Shu Qingyou explained first. “She lost her memory. That’s why I came to you.”

“Oh? Your real intent isn’t the tea.”

Shu Qingyou lowered her eyes, sharing her recent concerns.

“Though I’m not part of her family, I know the Lin Group’s dynamics are complex. When Lin Xu found me, something was very wrong, and she lost her memory, so I thought…”

In a single sentence, Yue Yang rarely frowned.

As Shu Qingyou feared, since Old Madam Lin fell gravely ill, the group had been in chaos.

Yue’s company had little dealings with the Lin Group, but even outsiders knew a memory-less Lin Xu was a ticking time bomb, with many eyeing the heir’s position.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have someone cover her tracks. As for internal matters, I’ll try to gather information.”

Her teacher was so kind, and Shu Qingyou felt grateful but guilty.

Seeing her hesitation, Yue Yang said understandingly, “If you want to thank me, stay for dinner. Don’t say you and President Lin look down on my simple meal.”

Mentioning Lin Xu, Shu Qingyou’s face warmed. Though their relationship was just so-so, she couldn’t refuse her teacher’s kindness.

“Then we’ll trouble you again, Teacher.”

Lin Xu wondered if Big Sister Shu was done talking. She was starting to miss her.

She just learned the pottery master was the mansion’s owner.

Sigh, luckily Teacher Yue was open-minded, not minding her calling her “Master,” which was a bit rude.

She felt her fingers tugged and looked down at a pair of bright eyes.

Lin Xu felt a bit shy, almost forgetting.

“Sister will tell you a story now. Let me think—Little Red Riding Hood. It feels right for a kid like you.”

As dusk fell, Shu Qingyou and her teacher chatted happily until Shu Rong stumbled over, tightly gripping her mom’s long skirt.

Shu Rong’s eyes were red, pointing at Lin Xu, who sauntered over slowly.

This scene—if not in front of her teacher, Shu Qingyou would have sighed and rubbed her forehead.

When Lin Xu stood still, Shu Qingyou asked patiently, “What happened?”

Lin Xu grinned, a bit smug, her words full of amusement.

“I told her the story of the wolf grandma. I’m pretty great.”

“How so?”

“This way, she’ll be more cautious and not easily tricked. Big Sister Shu, praise me~”

Lin Xu, ignoring the other two pairs of eyes, couldn’t help but act coy.

The warm atmosphere fell silent in an instant.

Shu Qingyou’s temple throbbed.

Before, Lin Xu only hurt her heart. Now, it seemed her ways of frustrating her were endless.