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"Mother, why do you insist on moving out? Isn't it good to live with your daughter?" Bai Su's voice was slightly hoarse; after such a long time of crying and persuading, it was already quite difficult for her to speak.
"Mother." Ouyang Zixin called out generously from outside the door before stepping inside.
Inside the room, Madam Bai sat silently with a package in her hand, ignoring Bai Su's pleas. She seemed resolute about moving out, only lifting her eyelids when Ouyang Zixin entered, yet still remained silent.
"Xin'er, you're just in time. Come and persuade your grandmother..." Bai Su waved at Ouyang Zixin but dared not move an inch away from the Matriarch.
Just as Ouyang Zixin was about to speak, the Matriarch snorted and said, "She won't even acknowledge me; how could she care whether I move out or not?"
Seeing the Matriarch's sarcastic demeanor, Ouyang Zixin furrowed her brows. What was she trying to do?
"Mother, please don't say that. Xin'er would never not recognize you..." Bai Su hurriedly explained while signaling Ouyang Zixin to help calm the Matriarch down first.
"How could she not? Just listen to her calling me Matriarch; she has never once called me grandmother." Madam Bai shot a glance at Ouyang Zixin, her tone filled with grievance as if Ouyang Zixin had wronged her greatly.
Lin Ma, who had been helping Bai Su block the Matriarch earlier, noticed that the Matriarch had now turned her attention to Ouyang Zixin. She quickly waved her hand, signaling all the maids in the room to leave with her. Some things were known but did not mean they should remain at this moment. As they exited, Lin Ma closed the door behind them.
"See? Even the old maid knows to avoid this situation. You still say she doesn't recognize me?" Madam Bai had been in charge of the household for most of her life; such small details immediately became her reason to act. She stood up and headed for the door, saying, "I can't stay in a place like this; let me through, I'm going to find my granddaughter."
Although Ouyang Zixin could tell that Madam Bai was just putting on an act, she didn't want to confront her in front of Bai Su. She quickly smiled and approached, placing a hand on the Matriarch's arm and saying, "What are you talking about? We three generations should have a chat together; it's inconvenient with so many servants around. It's not as you think."
Due to Bai Su's loss of cultivation, her perception abilities had weakened significantly. Ouyang Zixin had used a bit of cleverness to hold down the Matriarch, who had initially intended to resist. However, due to her age and diminished powers, she was pressed back into place.
Madam Bai looked up at Ouyang Zixin and saw a threat in her eyes. In that moment, the Matriarch felt a twinge of insecurity, realizing that her little trick had been seen through by this young girl before her. But then she thought to herself that she could not lose her composure at this moment. She needed to hold steady and took a deep breath. Like a helpless elder, she spoke earnestly, "You need not persuade me; I am worried about my granddaughter and wish to care for her."
Although Madam Bai's attitude had softened somewhat, allowing her to leave for this reason would mean that if any conflict arose in the future, Bai Su, Ouyang Hao, and Ouyang Zixin would be burdened with the sin of unfilial conduct, which would be impossible to clear.
"You mean Baike, right? She is quite safe in the palace, and there are certainly many people taking care of her. Besides, my father goes to the palace every day to watch over her, so you need not worry." She then looked up at the sky and said, "Look, it's getting late, and my father hasn't returned yet. You can't go out like this. How about we have a meal first? I accidentally fell asleep earlier; otherwise, I would have come over sooner."
Hearing the threat in Ouyang Zixin's words made the Matriarch's heart skip a beat, and her brows furrowed slightly. If Ouyang Hao was still in the palace, going there now would not yield any good results for her. But seeing Ouyang Zixin dressed neatly in fresh clothes made the Matriarch feel even more irritated; it was clear that she did not regard her highly. The first thing she did upon waking was change clothes instead of rushing over—this attitude was too obvious!
Just as she was about to explode with anger, she suddenly noticed a cold smile at the corner of Ouyang Zixin's mouth, causing an ominous feeling to rise within her again. Reluctantly, she suppressed her dissatisfaction and let out a heavy huff without looking at her.
Bai Su sensed something was off but did not fully understand it. When she heard that the Matriarch was no longer insisting on leaving, she immediately brightened up and instructed someone to bring over dinner, quickly forgetting the earlier doubts.
"Mother, look, the three of us haven't properly sat down together for a meal yet; how can you leave?" Bai Su said while serving dishes to the Matriarch and continued to steer the conversation back around. It seemed she was determined not to let the Matriarch leave alone.
Ouyang Zixin sighed inwardly; it appeared that some matters could not be addressed directly for now. However, this was not something she could decide; it depended on the Matriarch. If the Matriarch disregarded Bai Su and insisted on tearing their relationship apart, there would be nothing Ouyang Zixin could do.
The Matriarch remained silent and did not touch any of the dishes Bai Su had served; she merely sipped a few spoonfuls of soup before setting down her bowl and chopsticks.
Bai Su looked towards Ouyang Zixin as if seeking help; after all, it was her daughter who had persuaded her mother earlier, and now there was no one else to turn to for assistance.
"Please try this; it's the chef's specialty," Ouyang Zixin said as she picked up a piece of Bai Su's favorite dish for the Matriarch and added, "This is my mother's favorite dish. I heard that my father went through quite a bit of effort to find a chef who could make it well; even Sovereign helped out."
The Matriarch's eyes widened as she was about to speak, but was interrupted by Ouyang Zixin. She continued, "My mother is also concerned for you. Look at your age; you've traveled all the way to the Capital of the Departed Nation. Your daughter and son-in-law are here, so why do you always think about leaving? If someone who doesn't know hears this, they might think my parents are unfilial, don't you agree?"
The Matriarch was momentarily taken aback; it was clear that Ouyang Zixin's words held deeper meaning.
"The Yuhai Continent places great importance on filial piety. If you didn't have some deep-seated grudge against my parents, I doubt you would want them to bear such an unfounded accusation," Ouyang Zixin said calmly. "Besides, if it weren't for avoiding that unfilial son of yours, you'd probably be enjoying a peaceful life right now, wouldn't you?"
"You... you are very good," Madam Bai said as she looked at Ouyang Zixin, emphasizing each word. After hesitating for a moment, she finally picked up her chopsticks and brought the food that Ouyang Zixin had served her to her mouth.
Seeing this, Bai Su became even happier and busily served more dishes while encouraging her mother to eat more.
"Please make yourself at home. It's getting late, so my mother and I won't disturb your rest any longer."
After dinner, Ouyang Zixin took Bai Su and left, leaving the Matriarch alone in the room, staring at the small package for a long time without coming to her senses... (To be continued.)
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