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Chapter 16 Part 1 Serena's Quiet Morning
The sky was still soaked in pale blue mist, a thin wash of soft light slipping in through the window lattice and kneading the remnants of night into a hazy veil.
On the camphor leaves downstairs, dewdrops hung with the first traces of morning, trembling lightly; when the wind brushed past, they tumbled onto the flagstones, scattering a fine, cool freshness.
Breakfast stalls had already been set up.
White steam billowed up as the bamboo steamers were lifted, carrying with it the warm smell of soy milk that drifted far, and an occasional clear birdsong made the morning seem even quieter.
Some people jogged past in thin jackets, their footsteps so light they seemed afraid to disturb the sparrows on the branches.
Others walked slowly with vegetable baskets in hand, fingertips still damp with the moisture of freshly picked greens from the market.
As the bluish mist on the horizon gradually thinned, the morning sun poked its head out from between the buildings and scattered its light over the plants on the windowsill.
Newly sprouted buds brightened at once, and the branches were full of vivid life.
Seven o'clock
As the housemaid, Helen had gotten up early and gone to the market to grab the freshest fruits and vegetables.
Serena, meanwhile, was doing her usual morning exercise to keep her body in top shape; it was precisely because she had persisted in training day after day that, at fifty, she still looked no different from a woman in her thirties.
"Knock, knock, knock "
The sudden knocking pulled her from her meditative state.
She grabbed the towel draped over the chair and wiped the fine sheen of fragrant sweat from her forehead, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes from exercising, then walked to the entryway and opened the door.
"Serena?! You're staying at our little treasure's place too?"
The visitor was a woman around Serena's age.
When she saw who had opened the door, she froze for a moment, as if she hadn't yet registered the face in front of her.
Once she realized it was her in‑law, her brows curved into crescents and she beamed like a flower in bloom.
She grabbed Serena by the arm before Serena could react and tugged her inside.
"Annie? What brings you here, without saying something first… oh, right, you probably didn't know I was here."
Serena now recognized the beautiful woman as her long‑unseen in‑law Annie An.
Annie was Liam's maternal grandmother, Yuna Xiao's mother.
At forty‑eight, she was at the golden age of a woman's charm.
With her work as a yoga instructor polishing both body and mind, time seemed to have stopped on her.
Sensuality and maturity coexisted in her, like a perfectly ripened fruit with no sign of rot, spilling an irresistible fragrance.
Already 170 centimeters tall, she now stood in black patent‑leather stilettos that pushed her height to about 178.
In a crowd, she could meet others' eyes with ease without even lifting her chin.
Her heels clicked on the floor, the glossy leather reflecting a cool, precise sheen with every step and making her stance appear even more upright.
Thanks to family genes, Annie's hair had gone completely white by forty‑eight; silver strands covered her head.
Her face, however, remained dewy and soft, like a white peach just washed in morning dew, faintly flushed with pink.
Though there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, they smoothed along her cheeks when she smiled, adding no sense of age, only a gentle warmth.
Even in casual clothes, she couldn't conceal the proud assets on her chest the same H‑cup enormity as Serena.
Her light‑blue shirt couldn't hope to hold back those surging waves.
Two buttons at her chest strained under the pressure, and her breasts bulged high in front, the gap between them offering a glimpse of creamy flesh like carved white jade.
The thin shirt rested lightly against her waist, outlining a faint waistline and a few relaxed folds, like cotton fluff warmed and puffed by the sun, hinting at an easy softness.
As she chatted warmly with Serena, Annie lifted her hand to smooth her hair, fingertips skimming the silver at her temples and the smooth skin of her cheek, the contrast as gentle as fine porcelain lovingly maintained over the years.
Her every gesture reflected her usual cultured grace, and it was precisely this that made Liam so fond of this gentle grandmother who doted on him.
Whether that affection would remain unchanged after recent events was another question.
"I just had nothing to do and thought I'd come check on our little treasure," Annie said.
"And stay a few days while I'm at it.
"Now that I'm retired, sitting at home alone is still just sitting, and it gets lonely.
"So I thought I'd come spend some time here.
"By the way, Serena, you're… living at Liam's place now?"
Serena nodded.
"Mm. I was thinking the same as you. I didn't spend enough time with Liam before, so I wanted to make up for it now."
"Oh~ then what a coincidence.
"Where is our little treasure, though? I don't see him. Isn't today the weekend?"
Looking around inside, Annie seemed to be searching for her beloved grandson.
"He's still sleeping in.
"He probably won't be up until noon.
"Kids these days are all like that once vacation starts, they sleep until the sun is high.
"How can such a beautiful morning be wasted in bed?"
Serena's gaze drifted toward Liam's room upstairs, her eyes full of complexity.
Though her words echoed Annie's, her thoughts had already flown elsewhere.
After what had happened yesterday, she had no idea how she was supposed to face her good grandson now.
For someone as proud and proper as she usually was, the way she had debased herself before him made her cheeks burn with shame every time she thought of it.
Noticing her stare fixed on Liam's room, Annie tilted her head and blinked.
Her eyes lowered, sweeping over Serena's current workout outfit.
Seeing that it was still early, she thought she might find something to do and Serena's athletic attire just gave her an idea.
Taking advantage of Serena's dazed moment, Annie slipped both arms around her pale forearm and spoke softly.
"Serena, it's still early… how about… I teach you some yoga?
"I even brought two sets of yoga wear with me.
"You're already exercising in the mornings anyway, and yoga's great for easing physical and mental fatigue. It really helps."
Her look toward Serena was full of expectation, eyes sparkling as she gently shook Serena's arm again and again, her pleading clear as day.
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