Wen Xia’s phone call was like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky, leaving Wen Shanhai stunned.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line until Wen Shanhai’s trembling voice came through, “You… I knew it!”
Wen Xia was puzzled, “What?”
“I knew something was off!” Old Wen raged, “Every time I go to your place, you’re nowhere to be found! Last time I went over, your neighbor said you hadn’t been home in over half a month. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
Wen Xia was momentarily at a loss for words and then retorted angrily, “If you knew, why did you still set me up on blind dates?”
Wen Shanhai scoffed, “Hmph! How was I supposed to know who you’ve been seeing? You didn’t even have the guts to tell me! Look at Liao Xingchen—he’s right there, ready to meet, with a good personality, background, and education. What’s there to be ashamed of?”
Wen Xia glanced at Lin Fengqi. His boyfriend’s face visibly fell at hearing his partner’s father praise the person Wen Xia was set up with, but Lin Fengqi didn’t dare to speak up and only pouted in disappointment.
Old Wen continued, “I didn’t say you had to settle down with Liao Xingchen right away, but what’s wrong with making a friend and getting to know each other better? It’s not a bad thing! Besides, you’re not even married yet…”
“Who says I’m not?”
“What?”
“Who says I’m not married?”
Wen Xia casually dropped the bomb, and after a brief silence, he hung up just as Old Wen was about to unleash a high-pitched outburst.
Wen Shanhai immediately called back twice, but Wen Xia ignored both calls. Enraged, Old Wen took to WeChat:
[You little brat, explain yourself! What do you mean by married?!]
Wen Yi Xia replied: [Married means married, what else could it mean?]
Old Wen: [Stop being vague! Tell me everything!]
Old Wen: [What’s the name of the person you’re with? How old are they? What do they do for work? What’s their personality like? What’s their family situation? How could you make such a huge decision without thinking it through?!]
Finally, Wen Shanhai sent a serious message: [I do not agree!!!]
To emphasize his point, he added three exclamation marks.
Wen Xia replied: [It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree. It’s already done.]
Old Wen: [Get a divorce!]
In response, Wen Xia pressed the voice recording button and asked Lin Fengqi beside him, “My dad says he doesn’t agree with our marriage and wants us to get divorced. What do you think?”
Lin Fengqi furrowed his brows, looking anxious and conflicted. He subconsciously reached out and grabbed Wen Xia’s sleeve.
Divorce? Impossible. Not in this lifetime. No one would ever separate him from Wen Xia.
If anyone else had made such an outrageous statement, he would have lost his temper, but this was Wen Xia’s father…
Could he still walk into Wen Xia’s house if he lost his temper with his future father-in-law?
But then Wen Xia suddenly leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”
A tingling sensation crawled from his ear straight to his heart, and suddenly, Lin Fengqi wasn’t afraid anymore. He could do this!
“… No way,” he responded.
Wen Xia, satisfied, released the record button and sent the voice message.
In truth, Lin Fengqi could have handled the situation better, with a more respectful and calm reply to gain the father-in-law’s favor. But instead, he chose the most childish and unstable response.
…What if disrespecting his father-in-law led to legal consequences? How many years would he get? Was there any way out of this?
He was so nervous that his hands started sweating.
The reply that came back was also a voice message, and Old Wen was roaring with anger, “Come back! Right now! Bring him here immediately!”
Lin Fengqi’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Wen Xia.
Wen Xia, unruffled, exited the chat and opened the map app, inputting the destination to start navigation. He then smiled at Lin Fengqi, “Let’s go home.”
Lin Fengqi was speechless.
Everything was happening too fast.
Just like how Wen Xia had been suddenly dragged to see a prospective house, now he was being suddenly pushed to meet the parents.
Lin Fengqi had always known this day would come, but he never expected it to be under such circumstances. He and Wen Shanhai had encountered each other at various business events and exchanged a few words, but they didn’t have a deep connection.
His palms were sweaty the whole drive, though outwardly, he seemed calm and composed. They even stopped at a market on the way to pick up some groceries and fruit.
When Wen Xia texted his father about buying groceries, Old Wen initially ignored him, but when Wen Xia sent a photo from the pork stall, asking: [Five-flower pork belly?], Old Wen immediately replied: [Spare ribs!]
He then sent a long list of items to buy. When Wen Xia asked what dishes he was planning to make, Old Wen only replied, “That’s none of your business.”
Well, the old man had his own ideas, which was good.
Lin Fengqi insisted on paying for the groceries and fruits. As they walked out, he still felt uneasy and suggested, “Should I swing by the mall on South Avenue?”
“What for?” Wen Xia asked, pretending not to know.
“It wouldn’t be right to show up empty-handed.”
“Are these groceries invisible?”
Lin Fengqi hesitated and frowned. “It’s not the same.”
“It’s the same,” Wen Xia said confidently. “After all, it was him who suddenly called us over. It’s normal not to be fully prepared. In-laws usually schedule a time in advance and prepare accordingly, right?”
Wen Shanhai’s sudden request was indeed unexpected, as was Wen Xia’s bombshell of a phone call, which only served to add fuel to the fire.
But for Lin Fengqi, no matter what, Wen Xia could never be wrong.
His Xia Xia was always right. If Wen Xia said he was fine, then he was fine.
So, the father-in-law could take the blame.
With Wen Xia backing him up, Lin Fengqi felt a surge of confidence and no longer panicked.
He confidently carried the groceries and fruits back to the car, then confidently carried them all the way to Wen Xia’s house.
Wen Xia hadn’t even had a chance to unlock the door when it swung open on its own.
Wen Shanhai first looked at his son, then shifted his gaze to Lin Fengqi. His expression darkened as he prepared to scold them, but he suddenly froze.
Wen Xia watched his father’s expression change from shock to confusion, and finally to a ghostly pale look as his gaze flicked between him and Lin Fengqi. The angry aura that had initially surrounded him had dissipated considerably.
Lin Fengqi was the first to react, “Uncle.”
Wen Xia corrected him, “Call him Dad.”
Lin Fengqi, following Wen Xia’s lead, shyly said, “… Dad.”
Wen Shanhai was once again stunned into silence by this “Dad.”
He knew who Lin Fengqi was. They had met before, even exchanged a few words, and he had even praised the young man as a promising talent!
But what was going on now? This promising young man had become his son’s…?
Wen Shanhai, who had been a dominant figure for most of his life and had seen all kinds of situations, was now at a loss. He stood at the entrance, bewildered, as Wen Xia half-pushed him inside. While changing his shoes, Wen Xia noticed two pairs of neatly arranged slippers by the door. One was the pair he usually wore at home, and the other…
Wen Xia smirked, “How thoughtful of you, Old Wen.”
Lin Fengqi also noticed the extra pair of slippers prepared for him and quickly thanked him, “Thank you… Dad.”
Wen Shanhai was silent for a few seconds before awkwardly replying, “… No need.”
Wen Xia took half of the groceries from Lin Fengqi and led him to the kitchen to put them away. Wen Shanhai, like a ghost, trailed behind them, constantly observing his son and Lin Fengqi.
After they finished in the kitchen, the three of them sat down in the living room. Wen Shanhai rubbed his aching temples and finally tried to assert his fatherly authority, “So, you two are really married?” He eyed Lin Fengqi as he spoke.
Lin Fengqi quietly straightened his back.
Wen Xia, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. He grabbed an orange from the table, curled up on the sofa, and started peeling it, casually saying, “Yep.”
No guilt whatsoever.
Wen Shanhai was infuriated by his nonchalant attitude, “Is that all you have to say? Do you even understand how big a deal marriage is?! You just treated it like some game and decided on it so recklessly? You’re a grown man and still so careless—what kind of behavior is that?!”
Lin Fengqi, the one who had initiated this “game,” and the “careless” adult, felt a pang of guilt under the weight of this scolding.
But only a pang.
Wen Xia wasn’t afraid at all. No matter how fierce his father was, he wouldn’t even bat an eye.
However, Lin Fengqi couldn’t stand Wen Xia being scolded and couldn’t help but speak up, “Dad—”
“Did I say you could call me that?!” Wen Shanhai snapped.
Lin Fengqi remained composed and quickly corrected himself, “Uncle.”
Wen Shanhai was at a loss for words.
The old man snorted coldly.
“Uncle, this is my fault, not Wen Xia’s,” Lin Fengqi said. “I was the one who proposed.”
“You proposed? But he still had the final say, didn’t he? The fact that he agreed so easily just shows he’s treating marriage like a joke—being irresponsible to both himself and others!”
Lin Fengqi frowned slightly, “That’s not true. If anything, it was me who proposed first, so the fault lies with me.”
Wen Shanhai raised his chin slightly and eyed him critically, “Oh, so you’re saying that the one who’s treating marriage like a joke and being irresponsible to himself and others is you?”
“No,” Lin Fengqi replied.
Wen Shanhai let out a cold laugh.
Lin Fengqi said seriously, “I’ve never thought of it as a joke or being irresponsible. Marrying Wen Xia has always been my dream.”
Wen Shanhai scoffed, “Dreams, pretty words—anyone can say that.”
Lin Fengqi responded, “That’s why I want to prove that these aren’t just pretty words. I won’t divorce Wen Xia. I’ll spend the rest of my life with him and treat him well every day. You’ll see.”
As his words hung in the air, Wen Shanhai didn’t respond, but his gaze bore into Lin Fengqi.
Lin Fengqi sat up straight, unflinching, meeting his gaze head-on.
Meanwhile, Wen Xia remained silent, comfortably lounging on the sofa, eating his orange. He finished one and began peeling another, munching away.
The sound of his chewing grated on Wen Shanhai’s nerves until he couldn’t take it anymore, “Stop eating!”
Wen Xia, with a mouthful of orange, replied, “Can’t I even eat an orange?”
“Can’t you see we’re discussing something important here?”
“Then you discuss it; I don’t have anything to add. What’s wrong with having an orange while you’re at it?”
Wen Shanhai let out a heavy sigh, “Fine, but don’t fill up on oranges before dinner!”
Wen Xia muttered a vague agreement through his mouthful of fruit.
Old Wen walked into the kitchen, and Lin Fengqi made a move to get up, but Wen Xia pushed him back onto the sofa, “If you go in there, he’ll just chase you out.”
Lin Fengqi frowned, glancing towards the kitchen.
Wen Xia tossed a section of orange into his mouth and suddenly asked, “Do you remember what I said at the Songye Mountain Villa when we ran into Fang Huai’s dad?”
Wen Xia’s sudden question made Lin Fengqi slowly chew on the orange as he tried to recall.
Wen Xia suddenly leaned in and kissed him, the fresh sweetness of the orange lingering between them.
He smiled and said, “My dad never scolds his kids in front of strangers.”
Be my Patron ~ Buy me Ko-Fi
────୨ৎ────
✨Be a part of the story – support my translations✨
✨Buy me some Ko-FI | Paypal to support my effort✨
✨✨Advance chapter at Patreon✨✨
