Later that afternoon, Lu Jingyan wandered into the back garden of Leng Manor. An expansive space filled with sculpted hedges, stone lanterns, and a koi pond reflecting the autumn sky. The flowers were in full bloom, yet the atmosphere was peaceful rather than colorful. Quiet strength. Just like Madam Leng.
She wasn't alone for long.
Madam Leng stood near the marble pavilion, trimming a bonsai with delicate care. Her tailored cheongsam was spotless, her silver-streaked hair held neatly in place. She didn't look up when she spoke.
"You're not just here for shelter, Miss Lu. I hope you understand that."
Jingyan swallowed. "I… I didn't expect anything. You've done more than enough."
A pause. Then Madam Leng glanced over. "Doing enough is not the same as doing right. My grandson once said that kindness is loud, but decency is often silent."
Lu Jingyan looked at her nails and *through only someone like Leng Xuanmo can say something like that* she thought
"Grandma's showing off again." Leng Yumo voice came out from behind the sunflowers.
"Out," Madam Leng said without turning.
Yumo giggled and peeked out, dragging Lu Xinyan by the hand. "We came for the koi, not your deep talk."
Madam Leng's eyes lingered on her granddaughter's laughter, then turned back to Jingyan.
"You're family now. My granddaughter. Not granddaughter in lae. And in this family, we protect our own even if we don't say it every morning." with that madam Leng left their mist with a maid trailing behind her.
Jingyan felt her chest tighten not from pain, but from the warmth she had long craved.
And as the golden light of the setting sun bathed the garden, silence fell not heavy, but healing.
"Sister what are thinking?" Lu Xinyan looked at his sister as she looked at the retreating back of madam Leng
"Am just thinking how can this cold, stoic woman carry so much warmth within her and her warmth melt the coldness within me" she said without looking at Lu Xinyan as her gaze fixated on the closed doors
"That is something about my grandmother. When I first saw her she was also like this. I thought It would be the same like my father and mother who never showed me any affections but instead she hugged me, petted my head, feeds me and hugged me to sleep. She showed me the warmth my own family never for once showed me and that's why I really I loved her" Leng Yumo said with smiles in her face
Lu Xinyan looked at Leng Yumo and Jesse the world isn't always green at the both side. The love he experience wasn't the same as the love Leng Yumo experienced. The love his own family showed him was not showed to her and he wanna protect her other than her grandmother and her brother. He wants to protect her and make her feel the love she never experienced.
Lu Jingyan looked at Leng Yumo after she finished speaking and she realized that even Leng Yumo has something she was going through and it was this woman who showed her the warmth she once longed for and she was happy that this woman was also showing her and her brother warmth and she hoped that her family can have the glory they was once deprived off and now she really wanna know the person who did this to her family and she would. She must utilize the power she has in her hand. Leng Xuanmo and the entire Leng family