"Ah, well… nice to meet you all. My name is Qin Lian, um… I am your father's new wife. I'll be staying in this house from now on, too." Qin Lian introduced herself shamelessly, trying to salvage the awkward moment.
She covered the noise coming from her stomach with her loud voice and bright smile.
The children, who had been curious about her identity, frowned in amusement at her words.
They weren't surprised to learn that she was their new "stepmother", as they had been expecting it.
But they hadn't expected her to show up at their house so suddenly, at night, and alone.
Wasn't there supposed to be a wedding banquet? That was what everyone said.
And why was she so different from the stepmother they had imagined, the one everyone had warned them about?
Shouldn't she look at them with disgust? Hate them for being a burden? Yet here she was, smiling at them like that.
Was it just an act, like others? They couldn't help but wonder.
While the kids were lost in confusion, Xu Yinchen raised a brow in surprise at Qin Lian's bold introduction.
He fought back a laugh, his lips curling faintly into an unexpected smile.
It was his first time witnessing someone shamelessly turn such an awkward situation into something this… natural.
Noticing his fleeting smile, Qin Lian blinked in surprise before her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
She coughed awkwardly and mumbled, "Well… I haven't eaten anything since morning. That's why. Hehe."
Hearing her words, a frown deepened on Xu Yinchen's forehead.
It was already so late, and she hadn't even had her first meal of the day.
How could the Qin family be so irresponsible? Not only had they sent her alone at night to his place, but they hadn't even fed her since the morning?
His gaze shifted to the bandage on her head.
It was clear that something had happened, something serious enough to send her here at night instead of allowing him to follow the proper wedding rituals and pick her up from the Qin house as tradition demanded.
But he didn't ask her any questions.
Since she has come to his house to fulfill the engagement, he also wanted to see if she could stay here even for a week.
He simply placed her bag on the old sofa in the living room and said, "Take a seat. I'll get you something to eat."
Qin Lian looked at him in surprise before nodding hesitantly. "Thank you."
Xu Yinchen turned to the children and asked, "Have you had dinner yet?"
The second child glanced at his elder brother with a hesitant, doe-like gaze.
Xu Shen pursed his lips before answering rigidly, "We have. We're going to bed now." He closed his notebook, packed his bag, and led his brothers away, without another word.
Once the kids went upstairs, Xu Yinchen sighed heavily and turned to Qin Lian. "Take a seat. I'll go and get something to eat," he said before heading to the kitchen.
Left alone, Qin Lian looked around the living room and dining area.
The house was large, but it felt cold and lifeless.
The furniture was old, the sofa covered in dust, and the curtains were unclean. There were no decorations, only a lingering sense of neglect, as if no one had taken the time to truly care for the place.
She couldn't help but sigh. People lived here, but it didn't feel like a home.
…..
She used the black hairband on her wrist to tie her hair into a ponytail and followed Xu Yinchen to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Xu Yinchen stood there, frowning as he surveyed the empty shelves.
He paid a generous amount every month to the Aunt who came daily to clean and cook for the children.
Since he spent most of his time at the pig farm and had little opportunity to manage the household, he relied on her to keep things running smoothly and take care of the kids.
As a man who had spent nearly half his life in the army, he had no idea how to run a household and take care of the children.
As long as there was food on the table and a roof over their heads, Xu Yinchen believed it was enough.
After all, during his time in the military, he had lived through far worse conditions.
To him, this was nothing.
That's why he did what he could: earn money and hire an Aunt to handle the household, who could care for the kids in his absence.
The children had never complained, and the Aunt's attitude had always seemed reliable, so he'd never thought to question her work.
He rarely ate at home, and when he did, the meals had always been 'edible'.
But now, standing in this kitchen, staring at bare shelves with no eggs, no meat, no proper ingredients to cook, he couldn't help but frown.
How can a house with children have a kitchen this empty?
Lost in thought and wondering what he could cook, he didn't notice Qin Lian, who entered the kitchen and was standing behind him.
"Let me help you," she said.
Startled, he turned around to see her approaching.
"No need. You've traveled so far. You should go and rest," he replied curtly, while staring at her pale complexion.
Qin Lian shook her head and poured water from the basin to wash her hands. "I'm fine. Just sitting there feels strange and awkward."
"This is going to be my home from now on, too, isn't it? It's only right that I help," she said softly, a faint but genuine smile appearing on her lips.
Her straightforward words caught Xu Yinchen off guard.
He had heard some time ago that Mu Ruoyu wasn't the biological daughter of the Mu family and had returned to her real parents in the city.
Everyone had assumed the engagement would be canceled and that he should demand his betrothal gifts back from the Mu family.
The wedding, originally planned for tomorrow, had remained uncertain until today, when the real daughter of the Mu family suddenly arrived at his doorstep, declaring that she would fulfill the marriage arrangement.
From what he had heard, the real daughter of the Mu family who was raised in the city had refused to acknowledge her biological parents and even wanted to cut ties with them.
Then… how could she suddenly show up here to fulfill this engagement?
He glanced at her, quietly wondering, did she come to fulfill the engagement of her own will?
After all, she'd lived in the city her entire life.
Why would a girl like her choose to come to a village… and become the stepmother to three children?
Shouldn't she find his identity as a pig farm owner and a single father of three children, and the state of his house repulsive?
Like so many others, would she look down on him?
After all, everyone said he could have been an ideal bachelor, if not for the three children and the pig farm.
They were jealous of his background as a military person, but pitied him for losing out on his career to take care of the children.
Yet, seeing her so easily call this place "her house," he couldn't help but feel complicated.