Zeng Yu parked the car, opened the door, and stood at the entrance, looking inside. Jiang Nan leisurely pulled out a compact, “Wait a moment!”
“Don’t you usually not wear makeup?” Zeng Yu asked, puzzled.
“This is etiquette. How can I meet your parents without makeup?” She was nervous, even though she knew it was just an act. Was she getting too into character?
“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” Zeng Yu didn’t hesitate to give her a high score, knowing that now was not the time to mess up.
“Good eye! Let’s go!” Jiang Nan boldly linked her arm with Zeng Yu’s, and they walked towards the station’s exit together.
Zeng Zhanhao’s back might not have been great, but his eyesight was. He immediately spotted Zeng Yu and raised his hand to wave, “Zeng Yu, over here.”
Hearing the commotion, Fu Yu looked over, her gaze falling on Jiang Nan beside Zeng Yu. Her first thought was that this girl was too beautiful; her second thought was that she and Zeng Yu looked very well-matched together; and lastly, she noticed how much Zeng Yu had changed.
In fact, Zeng Yu himself didn’t realize that after spending a lot of time with Jiang Nan and being transformed by her in terms of dressing, his appearance hadn’t changed much, but his demeanor had.
Ying Su, seeing Zeng Yu and Jiang Nan, immediately lowered her head.
“Dad, Mom, this is Jiang Nan!” Zeng Yu stepped forward and introduced the person beside him.
Jiang Nan smiled warmly, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie, I’m Jiang Nan.” Then she naturally picked up Fu Yu’s handbag from the ground.
If Jiang Ziliu saw this scene, he’d be jealous enough to eat a big bowl of vinegar: You’re not this enthusiastic with your own dad, are you? Have you ever helped your own dad with his luggage? Forget the luggage, have you ever picked him up from the station?
Zeng Yu didn’t overlook Ying Su and greeted her, “You’re Uncle Gu’s daughter, Ying Su, right? Let me take your luggage.” He said, taking her luggage and leaving his parents for Jiang Nan to entertain.
After some polite conversation, they reached the parking lot. Seeing Jiang Nan’s car, Zeng Zhanhao remarked, “This car’s pretty nice.”
Jiang Nan immediately explained with a smile, “This is the company’s car, just for show. Nowadays, you need a decent car to do business. But really, it’s just an average car, about 400,000.”
“400,000 is no small amount; you could buy a house for that in our hometown.” Fu Yu commented, her gaze never leaving Jiang Nan.
She liked this girl immediately; she was polite and beautiful. Fu Yu couldn’t believe that Zeng Yu hadn’t lied to her this time; he really had a girlfriend.
They all got into the car, with Ying Su sitting in the front passenger seat while Jiang Nan sat in the back with Zeng Yu’s parents, chatting.
“Uncle, Zeng Yu has already told me. I’ve made arrangements, so you’ll be able to see the doctor as soon as you arrive. No need to worry; the hospital is just a five-minute walk from where you’ll be staying.” Zeng Yu, who was driving in the front, was startled when he heard this.
None of these arrangements had been discussed with him in advance.
“Where will you stay if we’re staying at your place?” Fu Yu asked, her face beaming with happiness, thinking, “This girl is so thoughtful, she’s thought of everything.”
“I’ll stay with a friend for a few days; it won’t be an issue. The only downside to my place is that I rarely cook; work keeps me too busy.” Jiang Nan explained.
Fu Yu didn’t mind, “I understand, I understand. If young people don’t work hard, when will they?”
Zeng Yu didn’t expect Jiang Nan to be so considerate. On the way, Jiang Nan kept Fu Yu in high spirits, making Ying Su, the prospective match, fade into the background.
Zeng Yu told Ying Su, “We were in a hurry, so I asked a friend to help find a place for you to stay. Take your time finding a job.”
Zeng Yu hadn’t had time to help rent a place, but he had called Wang Zheng the day before, and that guy was reliable.
Zeng Yu first dropped his parents off at Jiang Nan’s old house, then drove Ying Su to the rental. The girl was very polite, thanking them constantly. Moving to a new city, having someone to look after her made things a lot easier.
“Where did you find this beauty?” Wang Zheng joked with a grin.
“She’s my hometown friend, here for work.”
“I got it, don’t worry.” Wang Zheng promised, taking Ying Su’s luggage with a smile, “I’m Zeng Yu’s friend, Wang Zheng. Just call me Brother Zheng, I’ll be happy.”
Zeng Yu began to feel uneasy. This guy was good at charming girls.
“Thank you, Brother Zheng. I’ll be in your care.” Ying Su said as she thanked him.
Zeng Yu stood aside, glaring at Wang Zheng, warning him with his eyes. Wang Zheng made an OK gesture and led the girl upstairs, “This place is a bit remote, but it’s cheap. Since you’re new here and don’t have a job yet, it’s best to save where you can.”
The apartment was about ten square meters, with a bathroom. This type of accommodation, specifically for workers, was common in this area. Wang Zheng was very familiar with the place, as he liked to walk around, unlike Zeng Yu, who only used his apartment for sleeping.
The room was fully furnished, and Ying Su was quite satisfied. Wang Zheng laughed, “Zeng Yu and I live just across the street. See that building with the red roof? That’s where we live. I live with my girlfriend, and he lives alone. If you need anything, feel free to come to us.”
At that moment, Ye Xiyan arrived with some bedding. After introducing herself, she smiled, “The bedding is all new; I hope you like it. If not, we can exchange it. Your room was cleaned by a friend and me. The broom and mop are on the balcony, and I also bought you a washbasin and a foot basin.”
Zeng Yu gave Wang Zheng a thumbs-up. It was actually Ye Xiyan who had been thoughtful enough to think of everything.
“I’m throwing a welcome dinner for my parents and Ying Su tonight. Why don’t you two join us?” Zeng Yu asked.
Wang Zheng shook his head with a smile, “No thanks, we’ll pass.”
Ying Su also smiled, “Zeng Yu brother, I’ll skip it too. It’s been a while since Uncle and Auntie saw you. I don’t want to get in the way. Tonight, I’ll treat Brother Zheng and Sister Xiyan to dinner to thank them for everything.”
Wang Zheng laughed, “There’s no reason for you to treat! By the way, Zeng Yu, you’re paying for tonight’s dinner, right? Since I’m hosting your guest, you should cover the cost.”
Zeng Yu laughed helplessly and handed over some cash, “Take it. If you don’t take good care of her, I’ll beat you when I get back.”
Back at Jiang Nan’s old house, Fu Yu was a bit nervous.
“Jiang Nan, Ying Su is just the daughter of a friend of Zeng Yu’s uncle. Zeng Yu was asked to look after her,” Fu Yu felt the need to explain. Such a good daughter-in-law candidate, she couldn’t let her slip away.
Jiang Nan, holding a plate of washed fruit, put it down and smiled, “Auntie, you don’t need to explain. I trust Zeng Yu. Relationships are between two people, and I have faith in him.”
“By the way, how did you and Zeng Yu meet?” Fu Yu asked.
“We were college classmates, but in different departments. We met by chance and, after getting to know each other, we got together. Now we’re starting a business together, so we might not be able to take care of you as much as we’d like. I hope you’ll forgive us for that. When things get better, we’ll bring you to live with us.” Jiang Nan explained.
Fu Yu finally felt reassured, and even Zeng Zhanhao, who hadn’t said much, seemed more relaxed.
Lunch was takeout. Jiang Nan apologized to Fu Yu, “Uncle and Auntie must be tired from the journey. We should have gone out for a nice meal, but considering Uncle’s health, I scheduled it for tonight. Please rest up and recharge for the evening.”
Fu Yu couldn’t be happier with this arrangement, and Zeng Zhanhao was also satisfied, thinking his son had outdone him by finding such a great girlfriend who was also so warm to the elders.
The only complaint was the term “elders” which made Zeng Zhanhao feel old.
At that moment, Zeng Yu knocked on the door and Jiang Nan ran to open it. When their eyes met, Zeng Yu gave her a thumbs-up, “Great acting.”
Jiang Nan blushed, lowering her head, “The food’s here. Go wash your hands; it’s time to eat.”
Zeng Yu felt something was off; Jiang Nan didn’t seem to be her usual self. Why was she embarrassed? They were just acting, right?
Jiang Nan fetched slippers for Zeng Yu, while Fu Yu quietly said to her husband, “If she could just learn to cook, she’d be the perfect daughter-in-law.”
Zeng Zhanhao smiled, “Nobody’s perfect. Having some flaws is a good thing.”
Just then, Jiang Nan came over to help Fu Yu set the table. They had ordered water-boiled beef, braised bullfrog, and stir-fried eggplant. There weren’t many dishes, but it was more than enough for lunch.
Fu Yu was most satisfied with Jiang Nan’s thriftiness, thinking she was good at managing the household.
After a pleasant lunch, the elders rested while Jiang Nan and Zeng Yu returned to work.
As they got into the car, Jiang Nan smiled, “You’re not mad at me for taking the initiative, are you?”
Zeng Yu shook his head, looking at her, “Thank you. You’re much better than I expected.”
A smile bloomed on Jiang Nan’s lips as she turned to look out the window.
They were a bit late for work in the afternoon, but there wasn’t much to do anyway, so it didn’t really matter.
Yuan Lei knocked and entered the office. Seeing her, Jiang Nan got up and asked, “Tea or coffee?”
Yuan Lei ignored the question, “Are you and Zeng Yu together?”
Jiang Nan’s face turned red instantly, “Tea it is.”
Yuan Lei scratched her head, “That’s even worse. One-sided.”
Jiang Nan put the cup down and glared at her, “Can’t I like someone?”
“If you like him, why don’t you tell him? What’s this supposed to be?” Yuan Lei asked.
Jiang Nan sighed, “He just broke up with Xiao Xiao. If I tell him now, I’m afraid he’ll still have feelings for her.”
“You’re hopeless, too far gone. Fine, do whatever you want.” Yuan Lei turned and left.
Han Jiayi soon heard about this from Yuan Lei, feeling a headache coming on. She finally decided to call Jiang Ziliu.
“You need to come back soon. If you don’t, your daughter will be stolen away.” Han Jiayi was really worried.
Jiang Ziliu quickly asked, “Tell me more.”
Jiang Ziliu patiently listened to Han Jiayi’s recount, then laughed, “You worry when she doesn’t have a boyfriend, and now you’re worried because she does. To me, it’s not certain yet. Besides, you know Jiang Nan’s personality, right? She’s always had her own ideas since she was a child. I think we should just let things run their course. She’s an adult now; you have to let her grow. With you watching over her, she won’t suffer too much. Even if she does experience a setback in love, it might not be a bad thing.”
Han Jiayi trusted her husband and thought about it carefully, “Alright, I’ll wait and see. What about you? How much longer will you be in Europe?”
“Hard to say. You know how lawsuits are. Some companies over here, when they can’t compete with you, they sue you just to drag things out. Once things settle down here, I’ll come back.”
Jiang Ziliu was full of confidence, and Han Jiayi liked that about him.
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