"You're sick; you indeed need to go home and rest. Your brother isn't wrong."

Mila Anderson was upset, but she hadn't lost her rationality.

Her daughter held a grudge against her daughter-in-law; she had tried to sow discord between them even before the marriage. Perhaps her daughter was replaying her old tricks.

"Your brother has just gotten married, and it's normal for him to enjoy some privacy with his wife. You're grown up; you can't always tag along like a third wheel, can you? Besides, you're sick. Where do you want to go? Julia Bluen letting you have porridge is reasonable enough. When you're sick, eating light is the right thing to do. Do you still expect to have rich meals as usual? That would be bad for your health. If she did scold you, I'll ask her about it when she returns. If it's true, I'll seek justice for you, no matter how much your brother dotes on her. As the eldest sister-in-law, she should treat her younger sister-in-law kindly."

Mila Anderson stated this calmly. The anger her daughter had stirred was quenched in an instant, allowing her to become composed again. True to her status as a lady of a distinguished house, she was battle-hardened and not easily swayed by others.

"Mom, I know you don't like Julia either. Now that she has truly married into the family, you must play your role as a mother-in-law well and not let her bully me," Adele Horne protested, unable to accept her mother making excuses for Julia Bluen.

Mila Anderson glanced sideways at Adele Horne and rebuked with a light smile, "You, girl, haven't I already spoken to you? You're young and yet to be married. Don't always act like those gossiping countrywomen, always stirring up trouble. It's unbecoming of your status. I didn't dislike Julia initially. It was only after Ruby Bluen ran away from the wedding that my anger led me to resent Julia as well. However, I can't influence your brother's decision; I can only respect it."

Now it seemed respecting her son's decision had been a good choice. She saw a kind of happiness and contentment in him that she had never witnessed before. She even felt that her son had always loved Julia Bluen. If he had merely seen Julia Bluen as a substitute, he wouldn't have remained so calm upon Ruby Bluen's return. Besides, one couldn't truly radiate happiness when merely indulging a substitute. Her own marriage had been one of social equivalence. She loved Gian Horne, but his love for her hadn't been genuine; the presence of a third party had caused her immense suffering. This was why she chose to broadly respect her son's choices. In truth, she couldn't stop Glades Horne's decisions anyway. The young man possessed an Emperor-like decisiveness that few could obstruct.

"Mom!" Adele Horne called out, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Her mother is also shrewd, always avoiding pitfalls, Adele Horne thought resentfully.

"RING, RING, RING..." Just then, Mila Anderson's cell phone suddenly rang.

She took it out; it was from Mrs. Wang, her card-playing friend.

She casually pressed the answer button, and Mrs. Wang's voice came through, "Mrs. Horne, care to play cards? We're short one player."

"Yes, of course, I'm quite bored. But let's play at my place; I don't like going out in this weather," Mila Anderson immediately responded with a laugh.

The other party agreed, and only then did she hang up the phone.

A short while later, several society ladies arrived at the Horne residence. They gathered in the Side Hall on the ground floor and started their card game.

Adele Horne also came downstairs and sat next to Mila Anderson, keeping her company and occasionally offering some advice.

The matriarch remained seated on the sofa in the main hall, sipping her tea before returning to her newspaper. She seemed oblivious to the laughter and chatter from the card game, remaining entirely undisturbed and composed.

Glades Horne and Julia Bluen didn't return home until after seven in the evening.

Scarlett Taylor had invited them to dine at the Bluen family home. Glades had spent the day with Julia, showing her all the companies and chain stores to familiarize her with their locations. Afterward, he bought a substantial gift and took Julia to the Bluen family home for dinner.

It was only after dinner that he brought Julia back home.

As soon as they entered, they heard laughter and the sounds of the card game.

"Grandma." Julia immediately went to sit beside the matriarch. She held a bag of kumquat cakes, hidden inside a clothing bag. The matriarch disliked others knowing about her fondness for kumquat cakes, so Julia had gone to the trouble of buying her a new item of clothing first, then concealing the kumquat cakes within its bag.

"Julia, you're back! How did it go? Have you seen all those companies? Is it challenging? Work hard and show Glades just how capable our Julia is," the matriarch said cheerfully, putting her newspaper down on the coffee table.

"I've seen them all, and no matter how challenging, I've accepted. Grandma, this is for you." Julia took the bag of kumquat cakes from the clothing bag, showed it to the matriarch, then put it back. She handed both the clothing and the concealed cakes to her, winking. The matriarch quickly took the bag, asking softly, as if she were a thief, "No one saw, right?"

"Don't worry, Grandma, no one saw."

"I can finally satisfy my craving again! Oh, right, your mother-in-law invited some ladies over for cards. Go in and greet them." The matriarch glanced at her cherished grandson—a twinkle in her aged eyes—and added, "Glades, you go in too."

Glades Horne pressed his lips together silently but still took Julia's hand and led her towards the Side Hall.

"Look, the Young Master is back!" the ladies exclaimed with laughter upon seeing Glades Horne enter. Their eyes were full of admiration, as if wishing Glades were their own son.

Mila Anderson turned her head, looking at Glades Horne and Julia Bluen, and called out to Julia, "Julia, come help Mom play a few rounds."

"Mom."

Glades Horne led Julia behind Mila Anderson and said, "Mom." Hearing his mother's words, he turned his head, his deep eyes resting on Julia's face. Before Julia could respond, he declined for her, "Mom, Julia doesn't know how to play cards."

"Glades, Mom just wants to rest a bit. I've been playing for three hours and I'm tired. Let Julia take over for a few rounds. If she doesn't know how, she can learn. Look at the ladies here; which one of them can't play? Julia, your own mother is an expert at cards. Surely you can't claim you don't know how to play at all?" Mila Anderson said gently, her gaze still fixed on Glades Horne, her dislike for Julia painfully obvious.