The Yin Manor was, of course, magnificent—luxury to the extreme.
But when a house is too big, it can feel empty or deserted.
Cecilia Gu stared at the long dining table, secretly amazed.
With a table this long, you probably couldn’t even make out the other person’s face during a meal, could you?
Fortunately, since there were only three people dining, they didn’t sit far apart—their seats were actually quite close.
Cecilia Gu awkwardly used the table manners she’d learned, eating slowly. Grandma Evelyn Yin watched her clumsy movements and couldn’t help but frown slightly.
"Cecilia." Grandma Evelyn Yin set down her knife and fork and spoke gently.
Cecilia Gu quickly put down her utensils. "Grandma, do you need something?"
"We’ve received word from Korea. They’ve confirmed their visit to China this weekend. You don’t need to go to work this week—stay home, rest, and focus on learning etiquette." Grandma Evelyn Yin said calmly, "I’ll have an etiquette teacher come and instruct you personally. Your manners really need improvement."
Cecilia Gu’s cheeks flushed red.
She’d grown up as a commoner—how could she possibly know so much?
Cecilia Gu lowered her head in dejection and stayed silent.
Charles Yin had never cared about these things before, but seeing Cecilia Gu so flustered today, he immediately said, "Etiquette isn’t something you can master in a day or two. Just take your time."
Grandma Evelyn Yin raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes full of curiosity as she glanced at her most prized grandson.
Looks like Mrs. Zhang was right—this wild stallion of the Yin Family might really be getting tamed.
Cecilia Gu hadn’t expected Charles Yin to speak up for her, so she shot him a grateful glance.
Unfortunately, Charles Yin didn’t even look at Cecilia.
It felt like she’d come bearing gifts, only to be turned away at the door. Embarrassed, she stared at her food.
After finally struggling through the meal, Cecilia Gu felt like she’d fled from the Yin Family as if escaping a disaster.
Her own villa was already plenty big, but compared to the Yin Manor, it was nothing.
But in such a beautifully spacious house, all Cecilia Gu could feel was a sense of oppression—nothing but oppression.
She'd rather eat instant noodles at home than live in a place like this.
Charles Yin could clearly see Cecilia Gu wanted to escape, so he barely ate and left with her.
"Grandma didn't mean it like that," Charles Yin said as he drove slowly.
Cecilia Gu turned to Charles Yin in confusion. "Huh?"
Why did he suddenly say that? What did he mean?
Seeing Cecilia Gu’s confused, mole-like gaze again, Charles Yin felt the soft spot in his heart growing.
"At lunch, Grandma wasn’t criticizing you, so you don’t need to feel inferior," Charles Yin said calmly. "If you get special training from an etiquette teacher, you might not master everything in a week, but you can definitely learn the basics."
Only then did Cecilia Gu realize Charles Yin was talking about this.
Honestly, she wasn’t even worried about that!
What she worried about was, after the baby was born, would they live in the villa with her, or be taken to that gloomy Yin Manor?
But that problem was still far off. Maybe she was overthinking things.
After hearing Charles Yin’s explanation, Cecilia Gu bit her lip and said, "Oh, I wasn’t overthinking. But is it really necessary for me to host the Korean president and his wife this time?"
Charles Yin nodded. "It’s a special request from the Korean side."
Cecilia Gu thought for a moment and answered seriously, "I’ll do my job!"
Charles Yin actually wanted to tell Cecilia not to treat it as work. But just as he was about to say it, he swallowed the words. This woman was so dedicated to her job; if he told her it wasn’t work, she’d probably avoid it if she could.
Since that’s the case, he might as well let her keep misunderstanding.
So, for the next few days, Cecilia Gu studied etiquette diligently under the guidance of her teacher.
It was crash-course learning, but Cecilia Gu was smart—she quickly got the hang of it.
When Charles Yin came home from work, he walked in to see Cecilia Gu earnestly reciting Korean: "Saranghaeyo..."
Hearing her recite that phrase, Charles Yin’s heart skipped a beat.
This little mole—did she even know what those words meant?
"Annyeonghaseyo..." Cecilia Gu continued reciting.
Charles Yin walked over and deliberately asked, "How do you say 'I love you' in Korean?"
"Saranghaeyo!" Cecilia Gu replied instinctively.
"Hmm? I didn’t hear you," Charles Yin said on purpose.
"Sarang..." Cecilia Gu looked up and saw Charles Yin, instantly feeling a bit embarrassed as she stood up. "You’re back!"
Ugh, how embarrassing! She’d been practicing these phrases for two days, and still couldn’t say them perfectly.
She remembered that just a few days ago, Charles Yin had made a phone call in fluent Korean. Her own skills were really embarrassing in comparison.
"Why are you learning that phrase?" Charles Yin’s eyes grew brighter, though he wasn’t sure what he was hoping for.
Cecilia Gu looked at Charles Yin in confusion. "I don’t know, the etiquette teacher taught me, so I just learned it."
The brightness in Charles Yin’s eyes vanished instantly. He said nothing and turned away.
Cecilia Gu blinked, staring at his back, unable to recover for a long moment.
Why was he angry again? Was her answer wrong?
So what should she have said?
Luckily, she was getting used to Charles Yin’s unpredictable moods and didn’t bother to fuss over it.
At dinner, Charles Yin still seemed upset. Cecilia Gu truly couldn’t figure out what she’d said wrong.
She thought about it—she still had to work with Charles Yin to welcome the Korean president and his wife. If they kept up this silent war, how could she do her job?
Cecilia Gu hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to serve Charles Yin a small bun.
Ever since their late-night snack together, soup dumplings had become a staple.
Charles Yin had been a little angry, but when Cecilia Gu served him a bun, he instantly remembered that late-night snack.
Thinking of that snack, his anger gradually faded. He picked up the bun and ate it.
Cecilia Gu looked at Charles Yin expectantly. Now that he’d eaten the bun she served, he should be less angry, right?
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Charles Yin’s gaze softened considerably.
The way she looked at him with those sparkling eyes instantly satisfied his pride.
"What’s with that eager look? Are you asking me for something?" Charles Yin’s voice was low, and his flawless, jade-like features flashed with a hint of joy.
In all the days he’d been with this woman, it was the first time she’d looked at him like that. It gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
Apparently, his standards for satisfaction were ridiculously low.
Cecilia Gu blinked her bright eyes, nodded, then shook her head.
Charles Yin instantly raised his eyebrows, his eyes sweeping over Cecilia’s face, then he continued eating. "Go ahead."
Cecilia Gu bit her lip and said, "Grandma said the Korean president and his wife will visit this weekend. I realized today that maybe I really don’t have a talent for learning Korean."
"And then?" Charles Yin had already guessed what she wanted to say. His eyes sparkled with joy—just ask me to teach you! My Korean is way better than the etiquette teacher’s!
Seeing that Charles Yin seemed to be in a good mood, Cecilia Gu finally mustered the courage to say, "When the president and his wife arrive, can I just smile and not speak?"
The smile on Charles Yin’s lips slowly faded.
Not speak?
She’d rather not speak than learn Korean from him?
Charles Yin’s good mood vanished. He slammed his chopsticks on the table. "I’m done eating."
Cecilia Gu stared in confusion as Charles Yin suddenly changed his expression and walked away.
Did I say something wrong again?
Was there a problem with what I said?
He was happy just a moment ago, wasn’t he?
How could he change his mood so quickly?
Ah, geez! She was going crazy! What did she have to do for him to act normal?
Cecilia Gu took a deep breath, held back her temper, and looked at the food in front of her—barely touched. But she was already full from frustration.
Mrs. Zhang said worriedly, "I heard from Xiao A that Young Master barely ate lunch today. If he doesn’t eat more tonight, how will his body hold up?"
Cecilia Gu gritted her teeth inwardly.
This guy...
No matter what, she was still Charles Yin’s wife. She couldn’t just pretend nothing had happened.
If she ignored him and let him skip dinner, Mrs. Zhang would probably report her to Grandma.
Forget it, she was under their roof—she had no choice but to bow her head.
It wasn’t the first time she’d had to bow her head—what’s one more time?
Cecilia Gu took a deep breath and said, "How can you skip dinner? Mrs. Zhang, could you please bring me a plate? I’ll take him some food."
Mrs. Zhang happily brought several plates, putting a little of everything on them and watching Cecilia Gu expectantly.
Ever since Young Madam made a late-night snack for Young Master and he ate everything, Mrs. Zhang knew only Young Madam could get him to eat when he was upset.
Cecilia Gu really needed something from Charles Yin, so she didn’t dare slack off. She hurried upstairs with the food.
Knock, knock, knock... Cecilia Gu tapped on the door and pushed it open.
It wasn’t that she didn’t wait for Charles Yin to open the door—her hands were full, and she could barely hold the plates.
Charles Yin raised his eyebrows at Cecilia Gu, who had decided to move dinner to his study. He just glanced at her, said nothing, and didn’t ask her to leave.
Charles Yin kept his head down, typing away on his computer.
Cecilia Gu couldn’t help but light a row of candles for herself in her heart. Even if Charles Yin was eccentric, for the sake of her own happiness, she just had to grit her teeth and carry on.
This time, Cecilia Gu brought two sets of tableware, making it clear she planned to eat here.
Without a word, she placed the food in front of Charles Yin, dragged over a chair to sit across from him, and quietly began to eat.