The Sweet Rival (Mango Shen and Nathaniel Ye)

Chapter 368

"Well then, come on in!"

Mango replied faintly.

This was the first time she had allowed a member of the Hans family to enter her house.

On the other hand, Queena was obviously surprised by Mango's actions.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel didn't stop Mango and instead opened the door to invite Queena inside.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen probably took the children to stay over at the Ye's Mansion, and Thomas and Rainie weren't home either. So, only three of them were present in the huge house.

"Have you eaten yet? Would you like me to make you some noodles?"

Then, Mango asked softly.

"I'll do it."

Nathaniel knew that Queena must have a lot to talk about with Mango, so he removed his coat and went to the kitchen.

Next, Queena muttered to Mango when she saw how kindly Nathaniel treated Mango, "It's a blessing to find such a great husband."

"Yeah, he's amazing and he makes me so happy."

Mango's eyes were filled with affection when she spoke about Nathaniel.

"I watched the live broadcast yesterday of your proposal in front of the entire Ocean City. I'm very relieved that the Ye Family cares about you so much."

Queena's words made it clear to Mango that she had become some sort of celebrity in Ocean City yesterday.

"I was completely caught off guard by what Nathaniel did. I wasn't ready for any of it."

"He loves you with all his heart. Honestly, I'm extremely reassured because he cares for you so much."

Then, Queena took a key out of her pocket and gave it to Mango.

"I don't have anything else to give you, so here is the key to my art studio. I know that you love to paint, so I'm giving it to you."

"Thank you."

Then, Mango took the key from her.

Although they were mother and daughter, they hadn't spent much time together over the years. Hence, they weren't close at all.

Honestly, Mango was quite surprised that she could calmly sit here and chat with Queena.

"About the Hans Family..."

"Let's not talk about the Hans family today."

Queena cut off Mango's sentence, which made the younger woman sighed in relief.

She was really afraid that Queena would come to justify the actions of the Hans Family. If so, Mango was afraid that she might lose her cool.

"Thank you."

"Mango, the greatest regret in my life is that I wasn't there to protect you and watch you grow up. Well, I kind of brought it on myself, so I can't blame anyone else for it. I won't blame you if you don't forgive me or if you refuse to call me your mother. Hell, I won't even force you to come back to the Hans Family. In fact, I heard that Nathan had sorted out your identity and you're in the process of getting a passport too. Well, both of you should go wherever you want. Life is short, and the most important thing is that you're happy. Screw whatever anyone else says, got it?"

Mango was surprised when she heard Queena's words, but she still nodded anyway.

"Could you accompany me to visit your father's grave after we finish dinner?"

There was an expectant glint in Queena's eyes when she said that, but then she added, "Of course, I won't force you if you don't want to."

"Well, it's a good idea!"

In fact, Mango knew that a visit to Dennis' grave was long overdue, but she still couldn't forget about the incident with Madam Hans.

On the other hand, Queena was overjoyed to hear Mango's agreement.

After that, both of them discussed painting.

It was clear that Queena was far more accomplished in this aspect compared to Mango.

Honestly, Mango was quite fond of spending time with Queena if she could put aside all the family drama.

Hence, they continued their conversation happily.

When Nathaniel left the kitchen, the first thing he saw was Mango and Queena chattering away like old friends.

"Okay, you two art maestros, time to eat."

Nathaniel handed a bowl of noodles to Queena.

"Do you want some?"

Then, he looked at Mango.

Mango shook her head and said, "I'm already full, but I can watch her eat."

Meanwhile, Queena smiled and didn't say anything in reply. After she picked up the chopsticks and had a bite, she had nothing but praise for Nathaniel.

"Your cooking is fantastic. Seems like my daughter would never have to go hungry in the future."

"I'll never let her starve either way."

Nathaniel and Mango then shared a look, and the affection in their eyes were evident. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"I'll accompany Minister Xiao to visit my father's grave later on."

"I'll drive you two there."

"All right."

After that, Mango finally calmed down once she saw that Nathaniel did not object.

Queena watched all of this with a smile on her face.

The way she ate was very poised and elegant, and it was surely the result of her upbringing. Her actions were unhurried, and it was quite pleasant to the eye.

Furthermore, Mango even felt like Queena would have been a lady from a noble family if she'd lived in the past.

On the other hand, Queena naturally noticed Mango's gaze on her but she felt no uneasiness at all. Instead, she kept her composure as she ate.

Then, Mango suddenly felt like she was very fortunate to have a mother as elegant as Queena. After all, the older woman did bring her into the world.

In fact, she really wanted to call Queena her mother, but she couldn't seem to get the words out.

After Queena finished her noodles, she looked around and said, "Are Zion and Rita out?"

"Yeah, they're probably at their grandmother's place."

Mango's words made Queena a little disappointed.

"The children are already so grown up, and yet I haven't given them anything even though I'm their grandmother. However, I did manage to commission a pair of gold charms for them. It's a little old- fashioned, but it's a token of my love forthem."

Then, Queena handed the gift to Mango.

"Oh, there's no need for that."

"This is for the children.'

In the end, Mango decided not to go against Queena's persistence.

Then, Mango handed the charms to Nathaniel while she muttered, "You have to take care of your health, okay? I know that you're doing a lot for the Hans Family and Madam Hans to be filial in Dad's place, but you're no longer young anymore. You shouldn't place all that burden on yourself."

In truth, Mango hadn't wanted to say these things, but she couldn't help but feel bad for Queena.

Queena's eyes sparkled with tears when she heard that, and she choked on her words, "I know. Please take care of yourself as well, all right? Your body needs some time to recover after the confinement period, so make sure to avoid cold or spicy foods. Instead, you should have something light to eat."

"Got it."

Although Queena had never personally taken care of Mango, her concern for Mango was evident from her tone.

There was no mother in the world who did not love their children.

Hence, Mango's heart softened even more.

"Actually, I bought you a coat previously when I went shopping. However, I never had the time to give it to you. Since you're here, I might as well pass it to you. Please wait while I get it for you."

Mango had bought this coat long ago, but she never had the chance to gift it to Queena. Thus, she decided to go and get it from the bedroom when the older woman was present.

Naturally, Queena was shocked.

"She bought a coat for me?"

She looked at Nathaniel as she felt like it was just too surreal.

Then, Nathaniel smiled and said, "In truth, Mango has always cared for you and the Hans Family. Unfortunately, they've hurt her very deeply."

"I know."

Honestly, Queena didn't think it was worth her time to even judge the Hans Family.

When Mango returned, she held a cashmere coat in her hands. It was from a newly released collection, and the colour and style suited Queena perfectly.

Then, Queena's eyes instantly became wet with tears.

Mango had evidently put a lot of effort into her selection of the sweater. Alas, the Hans Family did nothing else but hurt this caring child.

Queena forced herself not to cry as she replied, "Thank you, I like it very much."

"Well, try it on. If you think it looks good, you can wear it while we go and visit dad."

Mango's words stunned Queena for a moment before she gradually became excited.

Then, she followed Mango into the bedroom to change.

Needless to say, Mango had bought her a very fitting and beautiful coat.

Hence, Queena felt that all her efforts were worth it when she saw Mango smiling at her in the mirror.

"Remember, you have to live well, okay?"

"Of course, you too!"

Then, Mango held Queena's shoulders only to find that the older woman was very thin, and she did not seem as healthy as she looked.

Queena had suffered her entire life because of her relationships, and she'd squandered half her life for one man. Hence, Mango felt rather sad for her mother.

"My dad has been gone for so many years. Don't you think you should consider other suitors? Life is too long to spend it alone."

In fact, Mango hadn't wanted to say this, but she couldn't help but blurt it out when she saw Queena's situation.

On the other hand, Queena was surprised for a moment before she replied bitterly, "Some people will stay in your hearts forever. I've tried to forget your father and start a new life with someone else, but as you can see, I failed miserably. Andrea's father was good to me, and I'm grateful for that, but gratitude is not the same as love. All my life, I've only ever loved one man but unfortunately, we weren't meant to be. Perhaps we can finish what we started in the next life, hm?"

"Right, let's not think about this anymore. Come on, let's head downstairs."

Truth be told, Mango had no idea what to think about Queena and Dennis' relationship.

Their love was pure and simple, yet it ended far too quickly. As a result, Queena had spent most of her life longing for her lost love.

Since Mango had never experienced such a thing, she had no idea what to say. Nevertheless, she still felt sorry for Queena.

However, Queena felt warmth bloom in her chest when she spotted Mango's distressed look, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"All right."

When both of them headed downstairs, the earlier awkwardness between them gradually disappeared.

In the meantime, Nathaniel had prepared some flowers for Dennis' grave. He smiled at the two women as they came down and said, "Let's go. I've already prepared everything that we need."

"Sounds great!"

Then, the three of them left the villa and arrived at the cemetery built for war veterans.

The cemetery usually didn't allow casual visits, but they still managed to get in because of Nathaniel's military connections.

On the gravestone's picture, Dennis looked as young and handsome as ever.

Then, Queena's eyes were instantly filled with tears.

"Dennis, your daughter and I have come to visit you. Would you blame me for taking such a long time to visit you?"

Then, Queena placed some flowers on the grave and Mango followed suit.

She didn't have much of an attachment to Dennis, but she still admired him for his sacrifice for his country. Furthermore, this man was partly responsible for bringing her into the world.

Then, Mango bowed respectfully to Dennis.

After everything was settled, Queena did not leave the grave. Instead, she said to Mango, "You guys can head back first. I want to stay and talk to him for a little while longer."

On the other hand, Mango was rather worried, but she was reassured that Queena wouldn't try anything here. Then, she replied, "Okay then, we'll be going now. You should head home earlier too. Make sure to call me when you get home."

"Will do!"

Queena promised, but her eyes never left Dennis's gravestone.