"Granny is getting old." Qin Mei’s words made Mr. Xie feel a wave of defeat; old age was an unavoidable reality.

"Is her life in danger?" Mr. Xie asked again.

"No." Qin Mei shook her head.

Mr. Xie breathed a sigh of relief. He thought about how they had misunderstood Qin Mei, but the apology was stuck in his throat. ’After all, I’m her father-in-law. If I apologize to my daughter-in-law, what will become of my pride?’

"I’ll go talk to your granny." Mr. Xie tried to slip away.

"Dad." Jie Jingchen stopped Mr. Xie. He hadn’t called his father over just to clear Qin Mei’s name. He threw out two choices. "Will you wash it? Or will Mom?"

Mr. Xie suspected he had misheard. "Jie Jingchen, I’m your father."

"Granny is your mom," Jie Jingchen said, his face expressionless and his tone rigid.

Qin Mei watched the two of them, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. One was imposing, the other short-tempered and irritable.

Ultimately, Mr. Xie washed the bedsheet at the sink in the courtyard. Jie Jingchen then brought the dried sheet back inside and spread it neatly on the bed.

Granny watched her son washing her grandson and granddaughter-in-law’s bedsheet, feeling very vexed. She wanted to go confront Jie Jingchen and his wife, but Grandpa stopped her. Seeing his own son washing the sheet, Grandpa seemed to understand what had happened as well.

’*Sigh!* I’m getting on in years, and my memory is failing. How could I have forgotten? The kids don’t know about her condition, but she and I have been married for decades. I know exactly what’s going on.’

’We misunderstood the Fourth Wife of Jing, and I even went to complain to our eldest son. How muddle-headed! The older I get, the more confused I become.’

Qin Mei finished her shower and lay on the bed, waiting for Jie Jingchen. Thinking about what the two of them were about to do, she felt both nervous and expectant.

Jie Jingchen’s shower was also quick. He stood by the bed, his gaze deep as he looked at Qin Mei lying there. She even shot him a flirtatious wink. Jie Jingchen sucked in a sharp breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His voice was hoarse. "Qin Mei."

"Jie Jingchen, stop dilly-dallying. If we’re going to do it, let’s do it quickly," Qin Mei urged. She was an impatient person; dawdling was torture for her.

’Either we do it, or we don’t.’

Thinking of Qin Mei’s words about "getting it over with quickly," Jie Jingchen’s eyes darkened, but he still just stared at her, making no move.

"I swear, you’re impossible." Qin Mei slipped out from under the covers and stood up. She was on the bed while Jie Jingchen stood beside it. She leaned down slightly, cupped his face, and planted a domineering kiss on his thin lips.

Jie Jingchen’s body went rigid. Her boldness, her initiative—he was caught completely off guard.

Soon, Jie Jingchen seized control, pressing her delicate body beneath his and guiding her in their shared exploration.

The first time had been controlled by drugs, a bad experience. This time, they had both opened their hearts, and it was completely consensual. The experience was wonderful beyond words.

Concerned for her, Jie Jingchen remained very restrained, not letting himself lose control.

The next day, the sun was high in the sky when Qin Mei woke up, her body aching all over.

"Beast," Qin Mei cursed, putting on her nightgown and heading to the washroom to freshen up.

After freshening up and changing her clothes, Qin Mei left the room.

In the courtyard, Granny was sitting in a wicker chair, sunning herself. Grandpa was sweeping the yard, and Jie Jingshan was inside, studying.

"Grandpa, Granny," Qin Mei called out.

"Ah," Grandpa replied with a smile. Thinking of how he had wrongly accused her, a trace of awkwardness appeared in his aged eyes.

"Hmph!" Granny snorted coldly. Unlike Grandpa, who felt awkward, Granny—the one at the center of it all—was rather composed. She was well aware of her own condition. Sometimes, if she wasn’t quick enough to get to the toilet, she would soil her pants. A proud woman, she had never told her children about this. Besides herself, only her old man knew.

Leaking when she sneezed or coughed... She had thought it only got on her pants, never expecting it would get on the bedsheet too. The weather was getting warmer now, and she was wearing fewer layers. She realized she would have to be more careful and go to the toilet more frequently—at the slightest urge. She already had trouble holding it in; if she was even a little too slow, she would wet her pants.

Qin Mei didn’t pay it any mind. She first went to Jie Jingshan’s room, then headed to the kitchen to see what breakfast Jie Jingchen had left for her.

Today’s breakfast was simple: two boiled eggs, with malted milk extract and powdered milk placed on the dining table. Qin Mei didn’t like the malted milk, so she mixed a cup of milk from the powder. After one egg and the cup of milk, she felt full. She put the other egg in her pocket to give to Jie Jingshan.

"Fourth Wife of Jing." Granny Yu’s voice arrived before she did.

Hearing Granny Yu’s voice, Qin Mei felt a surge of delight and went into the room to sling her crossbody bag over her shoulder.

"Fourth Wife of Jing, business has come knocking!" Granny Yu said as she entered the courtyard, a young woman following behind her.

"Who are you?" Granny asked, raising an eyebrow as she sized them up.