Hu Lei did not leave home right away after Zhong Feng left for work. She spent a couple of hours going through the feedback from Bo Qian and editing the manuscript for her new book. She was relieved to find that her editor liked her new story.

Once she completed the work, she prepared to leave the house and meet up with the in-laws.

As she was finishing dressing up, she received a call from an unknown number. She frowned at the phone before picking the call with caution. Her feelings of foreboding had returned, so she did not speak immediately after accepting.

"Hu Lei, it's Zhong Mian." A female voice came through.

Hu Lei sighed in relief.

Perhaps Ah-Feng was right. She needed to relax. They had faced so many challenges along the way, and they were almost free of the burden of looking over their shoulders. She could not always be so nervous and cautious.

"Oh, hi. I was just about to head out to the old house." She responded.

Despite the past disagreements and bad feelings between them, Hu Lei did not hold a grudge against Zhong Mian.

The woman had not done anything that hurt her except saying some unpleasant things. She did not expect every person to like her. She was even alright with dislike. If she expected everyone to love her, she would be stressed for nothing.

"That's good. I am coming to pick you up." Zhong Mian said.

Hu Lei raised her eyebrows. She had agreed to spend some time with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but she had assumed it would be like an hour. And they would be getting their nails done or something, eliminating the need for deep conversations.

Now, she realised it would not be so easy.

"That's not necessary." She replied quickly.

"I am already in Area 99. I will be there in five minutes." Zhong Mian did not give her a chance to escape.

After that, she cancelled the call, leaving Hu Lei looking at her surprised face in the mirror. She texted Zhong Feng about the development before finding a pair of shoes and a nice bag. She went downstairs with the expression of a woman about to face her deadliest enemy.

When Zhong Mian arrived, she called Hu Lei to meet her outside the house. Hu Lei put on her shoes and walked out. Zhong Mian was in a sensible minivan which Hu Lei felt clashed with her usually dignified and goddess-like aura.

The woman waved at her through the open window enthusiastically.

With an inward sigh, Hu Lei opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

"Thank you for picking me up." She said politely.

Zhong Mian started the vehicle and started driving. "I know it was selfish on my part, but I wanted to talk with you and apologise to you before we met up with Mom."

Hu Lei glanced at the woman with some interest. She looked happier than the last time she had seen her. She had a sweet glow around her.

"It is alright. There is no need to apologise. Some events just get out of control." She said casually.

"No, I played a big part in making your life with Zhong Feng hard. If it was not for me, my parents would not have been against you as much as they were." Zhong Mian paused. "I know my brother is not a person who likes to justify and defend himself. Maybe a part of me took advantage of that and used it to make your life hard."

"Ok." Hu Lei finally said.

She knew that Zhong Mian was probably apologising to unburden the weight in her heart. Accepting the apology did not matter to her because she did not have any lingering hard feelings towards Zhong Mian. After all, they weren't close.

"I have already spoken with my mother and father. I told them everything that transpired and how I contributed to the misunderstanding." Zhong Mian added.

Again, Hu Lei did not feel anything at that statement. Chu Ling and Zhong Tian had already said their piece, and their relationship was no longer so strained.

After she had had dinner with them, she felt like she could become close with them over time. They were old-fashioned and a bit strict, but she understood that they did not have bad hearts.

"You don't have to feel bad about it. Things happen as they should." She said a few more words of comfort. After all, Zhong Mian was Ah-Feng's sister.

Though they had not been very close in the past, Hu Lei felt like there was tension between them because of her. Knowing Zhong Feng, he would not clear up the air with his sister, and they would continue being estranged.

"You are right." Zhong Mian said. "You know after that time during dinner, Kong Ou and I tried to stay together and ignore everything. I thought that I was mature enough to move forward, but I had a grudge."

Hu Lei wondered if she should have said anything at all. She did not want to hear about other people's relationships, especially when it might condemn her as a homewrecker. But she did not know how to stop Zhong Mian.

"In the end, I could not bear it. I left him for a while because I felt that all the happiness we had was a lie. You know, he had proposed to me long before, and that night, I was going to seek Feng'er's support. I thought our parents would be against Kong Ou because he already had a child." Zhong Mian continued with nostalgia on her face.

Hu Lei did not respond.

"After we separated, I thought everything was over. But then, Kong Ou came and apologised to me. I was hesitant at first, but we decided to go to a therapist." Zhong Mian smiled. "I am glad I decided to forgive him because now I have my family back."

Hu Lei felt like she had never been in such an awkward place. And she had been in many awkward situations in the past.

"I am happy for you." She could only say what she thought she should.

"Thank you. We should plan for a day out so that you can meet Little Wen." Zhong Mian smiled with the pride of a mother. "She is the cutest thing."

Hu Lei nodded again as she prayed to reach the destination instantly.