A few minutes later, a black Mercedes-Benz sedan stopped at the entrance of the residential complex. Zhang Ling assumed it was the driver sent by her father, thinking to herself how fast he had been.
Just as she was about to walk over to take a look, the person inside lowered the car window. Zhang Ling saw his face clearly: it was Mu Lingfeng.
Having seen him twice in a row yesterday, Zhang Ling recognized him instantly today. A man as handsome as him was still a rare sight.
Mu Lingfeng saw her as well, but his expression remained completely blank. He glanced at her once and looked away, then honked the horn. The community's duty security guard walked over to take a look, and upon recognizing Mu Lingfeng, hurried back into the guardroom to open the main gate, letting him drive inside.
Zhang Ling, who had been hesitating whether or not to greet Mu Lingfeng, immediately abandoned the thought at this sight.
Mu Lingfeng acted as if he did not know her; going up to greet him would only be extremely awkward and make a fool of herself.
Yesterday, Mu Lingfeng had been full of grace only because Brother Xu was present. Since he and Brother Xu were both superior and subordinate as well as good friends, he gave Brother Xu face, which was why he appeared gentle and polite.
Soon, Mu Lingfeng drove inside.
Before heading to his grandmother's house, he had first come to check on his apartment at Huaxi Gardens. Whenever he returned to the city center and felt too lazy to make the long drive back to the old estate, he would stay at this place in Huaxi Gardens.
He remembered that on the day they registered their marriage, he had given Zhang Ling a set of keys, telling her she could move in if she wished. He wondered if she had actually moved.
Mu Lingfeng parked the car, took the elevator from the underground parking garage, and went upstairs. His apartment was located on the 38th floor, unit 388. While other units were in the 380s, he liked 388 and chose this number. After all, Huaxi Gardens was a real estate development project built by his own company; it was just a house number, and he could do whatever he wanted without anyone interfering.
Huaxi Gardens was actually a complex combining townhouses and high-rise apartments. Considering that he rarely returned to the city center, Mu Lingfeng had not reserved a townhouse for himself, choosing instead to live in a high-rise.
A few minutes later.
Mu Lingfeng stood in front of the door of unit 388 and noticed a small shoe rack placed at the entrance. Several pairs of shoes sat on the rack—two pairs of women's shoes and two pairs of men's shoes.
He picked up the two pairs of men's shoes to inspect them. They were not his size, so he put them back where they were, guessing that his wife had moved in and had deliberately placed two pairs of men's shoes on the rack for safety reasons, letting outsiders know there was a man living in the home.
A smart and cautious woman.
He unlocked the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him.
Mu Lingfeng glanced around the interior. Nothing much had changed; Zhang Ling had moved in, but she had not touched his furnishings.
The furniture was polished to a spotless shine, and the floor had been mopped thoroughly.
It was easy to tell she was a diligent woman.
In the past, whenever he came back, he either had to clean up himself or call the housekeeper at his private villa in advance, having the housekeeper bring a crew over to help him clean.
He owned a large villa in an exclusive residential area within the city, boasting the largest plot of land in that neighborhood, but it was somewhat far from the bustling city center. Every time he returned to the city, he was always in a rush and simply had no time to visit the large villa.
As a result, this apartment in Huaxi Gardens had become one of his favorite little homes to stay in.
Zhang Ling's clothes were hanging out to dry on the balcony, alongside a flower stand filled with potted plants. The flowers were well-cared for, growing vigorously, with some even in bloom, adding a lively touch to the balcony.
Mu Lingfeng also loved growing flowers and plants, but because he rarely returned, he never kept any at home to avoid letting them all die from a lack of water.
Now that his wife had planted so many flowers, he felt no dissatisfaction at all. Instead, he walked over to the flower stand to admire the potted plants.
On the other side of the balcony sat a hanging basket swing, with a book resting inside it.
Mu Lingfeng walked over, picked up the book, and glanced at the title: *Jiangnan Gardens*. He flipped through it casually, guessing that his wife must be very fond of garden scenery.
Just like his grandmother.
He sat down on the hanging swing and looked back at the flower stand. Suddenly, Mu Lingfeng felt that his wife was someone who knew how to enjoy life.
Sitting on the swing to read, and when tired of reading, lifting one's head to face the flower stand and appreciate the blooms—it was thoroughly cozy.
After spending ten or so minutes on the balcony, Mu Lingfeng went to check the kitchen and the guest bedroom. The kitchen was also neat and orderly, and the refrigerator held some groceries his wife had bought. As for the guest room, he merely pushed the door open, stood in the doorway to look, and did not go inside.
Zhang Ling stayed in the guest room. Without his permission, she showed a strong sense of propriety and would not presumptuously move into his master bedroom.
Through the subtle changes in the apartment, Mu Lingfeng's impression of the wife whose face he could not quite remember improved slightly.
Despite the sharp look he had given Zhang Ling on the day they registered their marriage, the truth was that he genuinely could not remember what she looked like.
His phone rang; it was a call from his mother.
Mu Lingfeng answered.
"Lingfeng, where did you go? Didn't you say you were coming to your grandmother's house? We've arrived, so why are we not seeing you? Your grandmother also said she hasn't seen you yet."
Madam Mu and her party had left the house a step later than Mu Lingfeng, yet by the time they reached the Ning family home, Mu Lingfeng was still nowhere to be seen.
Worried that her eldest son, whose heart and mind were entirely set on his farm, might suddenly run back there, Madam Mu immediately called him to urge him to hurry to the Ning family estate and offer birthday greetings to her mother.
"Mom, I'm at Huaxi Gardens. I'll be right there."
"Alright, get over here now."
As long as this boy wasn't running back to the countryside, Madam Mu wouldn't say anything more.
Huaxi Gardens was not too far from the Ning residence—a fifteen-minute drive.
Zhang Ling, who was waiting at the entrance of the residential complex for the driver sent by her father to pick her up, had no inkling that Brother Xu's boss was her flash-marriage husband, nor did she know that her husband had just returned home for a visit.
Ten minutes after Mu Lingfeng drove into the complex, Zhang Ling's ride arrived: the Zhang family driver.
The driver drove her straight to the Ning Family Estate.
In the past, the Ning family had stood on equal footing with the Mu family. However, the two successive generations of heirs of the Ning family—Madam Mu's brother and nephew—possessed only mediocre abilities. Not only were they unable to expand the Ning Group, but they had also caused it heavy losses, leading to the Ning Group slipping out of the city's top five corporate conglomerates.
Had the Mu family, their in-laws, not extended a helping hand, the Ning family might well have gone bankrupt and collapsed.
Although the Ning family's status was no longer what it used to be and they had been left far behind by the Mu family, the current matriarch of the Mu family was a daughter of the Ning family. With the Mu family as their in-laws, anyone who received an invitation to Old Madam Ning's eightieth birthday celebration would gladly show their respect and come to offer birthday greetings to the old lady, no matter how high their status and position might be.
Zhang Mutian and his wife, along with Zhang Qing, were still seated in their car, which was parked at the entrance of the Ning Family Estate, waiting for Zhang Ling to arrive before going in together.
Yuan Qiuying remained composed, but Zhang Qing was extremely impatient, muttering under her breath, "Why does Dad have to wait for her to arrive before going in? Can't she just go in by herself?"
She actually expected them to wait.
Zhang Ling's sense of self-importance was growing by the day!
She had merely taken her place to marry Mu Lingfeng, that country bumpkin, yet she acted as if she owed Zhang Ling a favor as vast as the heavens.