As they came out of the mall, everyone's hands were full of shopping bags.

Shan Ni was now certain Zhang Yuxi's family was truly wealthy. She refused to accept it! They say marrying a man is like a second chance at life. She had come to terms with always being inferior to Zhang Yuxi in the past. But now that she had finally found a wealthy man for herself, she was still falling short! She wasn't as young or as well-maintained as Yuxi, and her husband wasn't as handsome… All that was left was their children! Her own children were so outstanding and excellent; she refused to believe she couldn't even surpass her in this one aspect!

With a smile, Shan Ni said, "Seeing as it's almost time for dinner, why don't you all come to my house?"

"Thank you for the invitation, but we'll have to pass," Zhang Yuxi declined.

Shan Ni would not take no for an answer. All three of her children are home today; I have to show them off!

In the end, after Shan Ni's repeated invitations, Zhang Yuxi agreed.

Lin Jiajun and Lin Feng headed back to the hotel to drop off their things. The hotel provided safes, so they could leave their belongings there with peace of mind. Zhang Yuxi and the others decided to find a place to have a drink. They would meet up with the children in Kundong City later.

An Lan was already exhausted, and Zhang Yuxi, who was carrying the baby, didn't want to move either. The little girl had no intention of walking, and Zhang Yuxi certainly couldn't carry her the whole way alone. Wang Lu was also feeling tired, so the three of them decided to have the children come to them.

Meanwhile, the children were wandering aimlessly around Kundong City. The snacks they tried were all high in calories and sickly sweet, and even the lobster meat was cold. After browsing for two hours and buying a few interesting knick-knacks, they made their way to a street 1.2 kilometers away. It was a four-hundred-year-old street, small in size but located right in the city center. There were stalls selling steamed buns, dumplings, hot pot, and skewers. They were curious to see if the food tasted authentic. Some of it was terrible, while other things were incredibly delicious.

The group ate as they strolled along. Since they were a large family, the shop owners gave them generous portions. While they were eating, Dabao's phone navigation showed a public library nearby. It was said to house a collection of over fifteen million books, and the children were instantly thrilled. After a brief discussion, they decided to go.

They were all engrossed in their reading when Zhang Yuxi called and told them to come and meet her. They reluctantly returned the books, gazing at the sea of tomes around them and hoping they would have time to come back again.

The children arrived at almost the same time as Lin Feng and Lin Jiajun.

During the wait, An Lan had informed Shan Ni that Lin Feng's net worth was at least several hundred billion and that he was just a very low-key person. Shan Ni was so stunned that it took her a long time to recover.

Shan Ni's home was a three-story villa where five housekeepers managed the daily affairs. The interior was luxuriously decorated, and as soon as Shan Ni stepped inside, a housekeeper came to take her bag.

Shan Ni asked, "Will the master be back tonight?"

"He said he has a meeting and won't be returning."

Shan Ni didn't mind. It's better that he doesn't come back. Having such an ugly and old husband would only bring me disgrace.

"We have guests today. All of you, please go and prepare," she instructed, before turning to entertain her guests and give them a tour of the villa.

The villa had an impressive layout. After the tour, An Lan suggested that Zhang Yuxi should also consider buying a house in Boston.

"Lin Feng and I have talked about it," Zhang Yuxi said. "It depends on whether Dabao wants to live on his own or in the dorms. If he lives on his own, we'll look into buying a small apartment or renting a place near the school."

The couple had the same approach for their other children as well when it came to studying out of town. Living in the dorms and living off-campus both had their pros and cons; the choice was ultimately up to the children.

While entertaining her guests, Shan Ni eagerly awaited the return of her children. Before long, her three sons, her pride and joy, arrived home. They were quite surprised to find so many guests in the house.

Shan Ni had three handsome sons. The eldest was about to start at Harvard University and was a year older than the four siblings. Her second son, a year younger than the four siblings, was a gifted musician. It was expected that he would attend the Berklee College of Music. The youngest attended a prestigious prep school and had excellent grades.

Shan Ni poured all her energy into keeping up with the Joneses and her children's education. These three sons made her proud, living up to all her expectations.

As guests, they were expected to show some restraint while Shan Ni boastfully introduced her three sons, but An Lan simply couldn't stand her smug demeanor. She said with a smile, "You and Yuxi are truly fated. You were once schoolmates, and now your children can be neighbors!"

"What do you mean?" Shan Ni asked, confused.

An Lan said with a grin, "Oh, did I not mention? Her eldest son is only a junior in high school, but he's already received invitations from several prestigious universities, like Harvard and MIT…

"But he didn't choose Harvard; he opted for MIT instead. Ah, what a pity! If he had chosen Harvard, he would have been a schoolmate of your son.

"And her third child has been invited by Berklee and several other renowned music institutions. He's still deciding where to go!

"You might have heard of this child of hers, Lin Yuanyuan. He's a famous violin master, you know!"

Shan Ni and her sons had heard the name before and stared at Sanbao in amazement. Her second son's attitude toward Sanbao became incredibly enthusiastic and respectful.

"So you're the master!" he exclaimed. "I was wondering why you looked so familiar!"

Sanbao gave a slight smile. "Hello. We've actually performed together before."

With that reminder, the other boy remembered. At that performance, Sanbao had been the soloist at the very front of the stage, while he was just a member of the orchestra in the back.

Shan Ni's lips twitched, but she truly couldn't force a smile.

An Lan then proceeded to introduce Erbao and Sibao.

Shan Ni barely managed a smile, at a complete loss for words. Her eldest son even asked Dabao to collaborate on a research project, while her second son pleaded with Sanbao to give him some lessons and pointers. Her youngest son could only stare at Erbao and Sibao with unconcealed admiration.

She rubbed her aching forehead. I've been utterly defeated, she thought.

Shan Ni found the meal difficult to stomach, and she couldn't muster a genuine smile for the rest of the evening.

After the guests left, Shan Ni's sons saw the look on her face and knew she had taken a significant blow. They realized it was the perfect opportunity to finally talk to her about her constant need to compare everything—husbands, family backgrounds, social status, even their own sons. She has to stop comparing everything! She might not be tired of it, but we certainly are.

Before, she always thought she had at least one thing she could hold over Zhang Yuxi. Now, she had lost completely and utterly.

Her three sons tried to console her for a long time, but Shan Ni just clutched her head. "I have a headache. I'm going to get some sleep."

The boys exchanged a look. In that case, we should just let her figure it out on her own.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.