These words immediately reignited Jing Yicheng’s anxiety about meeting the parents. He looked down at Xu Chenghao, who was still asleep, and felt unusually troubled. “Do we have to go back now?” he asked.
Li Nian sounded puzzled. “If you guys have nothing else to do, then you must rush back. Auntie has already been waiting for more than ten minutes.”
Jing Yicheng glanced at the sleeping Xu Chenghao. “But Haohao is still asleep.”
Li Nian: “…”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Li Nian: “…”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
There was a long, thirty-second silence on the phone before Li Nian sighed mournfully. “I’ll ask Auntie if it’s something urgent.”
Jing Yicheng: “Okay.”
As soon as the call ended, Jing Yicheng immediately called his assistant, his tone urgent. “Did you buy the porcelain vase at the auction? How’s the gift preparation going?”
Assistant: “Yes, it’s been bought. If you need it, I can send it over right away.”
Jing Yicheng: “Hold on for now. I’m waiting for some news.”
Assistant: “Understood.”
Before they could finish the conversation, Xu Chenghao’s phone rang again. Jing Yicheng quickly ended the call with his assistant and answered Li Nian’s call. “How did it go?”
Li Nian said, “Auntie said it’s not urgent and she’s already left.”
Jing Yicheng sighed in relief and said he understood before getting ready to hang up.
“Wait!” Li Nian quickly added, “Are you two not planning to come back to the office this afternoon?”
Jing Yicheng didn’t hesitate. “That’s right.”
Li Nian: “…”
Fine.
Li Nian didn’t dare to complain to Jing Yicheng and could only hang up the phone silently. Afterward, the office fell into complete silence. Jing Yicheng sat by the sofa, watching Xu Chenghao’s sleeping face, occasionally touching his cheek or rubbing his earlobe. The more he looked, the more he found him adorable, and the more he liked him.
Near five o’clock, Xu Chenghao slowly opened his eyes as his stomach growled, his gaze dull, and his brain clearly still not fully awake.
Jing Yicheng, who was sitting nearby handling some work, immediately pushed aside his laptop and helped him up. “Awake?”
Xu Chenghao lazily leaned back on the sofa, not wanting to talk or move. It was only when Jing Yicheng brought a glass of warm water to his lips that he reluctantly drank half of it.
Jing Yicheng pulled him into his arms. “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
Xu Chenghao remained silent.
Jing Yicheng, sensitive to his moods, began massaging his waist and abdomen. He originally intended to massage his lower body as well, but after being kicked, he gave up and quickly apologized. “Haohao, I’m sorry. I’ll eat spicy food when we get home, okay? I’ll eat more this time and suffer with you.”
Xu Chenghao still didn’t speak.
Jing Yicheng immediately wilted, nervously watching him as he asked, “Haohao, are you angry? Was I too rough and hurt you? If you’re upset or uncomfortable, just tell me, okay? I’ll do anything you want, just don’t ignore me.”
Xu Chenghao was simply groggy from sleep. He was hungry and tired, so he didn’t want to move or talk. But the more he stayed silent, the more Jing Yicheng panicked, clutching Xu Chenghao tightly, too scared to let go. “Haohao? Haohao, don’t scare me.”
“Shut up,” Xu Chenghao weakly pinched his face. “You’re really annoying.”
Jing Yicheng caught his hand and kissed it. “Yes, I’m annoying. It’s all my fault. Haohao, don’t be mad.”
Xu Chenghao: “You know it’s your fault, so what are you going to do about it?”
Jing Yicheng responded seriously, “I’ll give you a massage.”
Xu Chenghao scoffed. “No, you can sleep in the guest room.”
Jing Yicheng: “Hao—”
“If you dare to argue, you’ll go back to your place!” Xu Chenghao cut him off immediately. “And if you sneak into my bedroom at night again, you’ll never sleep there again. Got it?” Jing Yicheng was instantly silenced and could only sulkily reply, “Got it.”
Xu Chenghao tugged his ear. “You still dare to feel wronged? Did I say anything wrong?”
Jing Yicheng quickly backpedaled. “No, I’m not feeling wronged. I just miss you… I can’t get used to being without you anymore.”
Though his words were sweet, they indeed sounded pleasing. Xu Chenghao released his ear, somewhat satisfied. “That’s more like it… By the way, what about the chili peppers you were supposed to plant? Have you done it?”
Jing Yicheng replied, “It’s already taken care of. Don’t worry.”
Xu Chenghao immediately sat up. “Then let’s go home for dinner. I’m starving.”
The food he had in the morning was nearly all digested. He was so hungry that it woke him up, and if he didn’t eat soon, he might faint from hunger.
Upon hearing this, Jing Yicheng immediately started packing up, preparing to take Xu Chenghao home. His mind was filled with thoughts of Haohao being hungry and needing to be fed, completely forgetting about Li Nian’s phone call.
So—when the two sweetly returned home and entered the room, Jing Yicheng froze upon seeing a well-dressed woman waiting in the living room. Could this be… Haohao’s mother??
Sure enough, the next second, Xu Chenghao confirmed his suspicion. “Mom? Why are you here?”
Mother Xu stood up and said, “Can’t I come to see you?”
Xu Chenghao replied, “Of course, but I’m surprised you didn’t call me. If I’d known, I would’ve come back sooner, so you wouldn’t have to wait long.”
Mother Xu explained, “I did call, but you didn’t pick up… Also, I came straight from the office. If you hadn’t returned by tonight, I would’ve called the police.”
Xu Chenghao helplessly said, “I’m an adult. Isn’t that a bit much?”
Mother Xu retorted, “You probably don’t realize how much people think about you.”
Xu Chenghao: “That’s thanks to you and Dad’s efforts.”
Mother Xu: “…”
Although this sounded a bit odd, it made sense upon reflection. After all, the Xu family’s wealth made their young master more noticeable, attracting some unsavory individuals with plans of kidnapping and extortion.
Unable to refute him, Mother Xu decided to drop the subject and turned to the person who had been silent all this time. “And who might this be?”
Jing Yicheng was so nervous that his face was expressionless. He spoke stiffly, “Hello, Auntie. I’m Jing Yicheng.”
Mother Xu’s polite smile instantly disappeared, her tone turning cold. “Oh, so you’re the infamous Mr. Jing.”
Jing Yicheng: “You’re too kind, Auntie.”
Mother Xu: “Not at all.”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Judging by her attitude, she clearly didn’t like him! No matter how expressionless and composed he appeared, Jing Yicheng’s heart sank. He could already foresee a difficult road ahead in getting approval from the parents.
Seeing this, Xu Chenghao quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Mom, I need to update you on Jing Yicheng’s status. Let me reintroduce him to you.”
Mother Xu suddenly had a bad feeling. “Don’t tell me you two are dating!”
“How could…” Xu Chenghao’s smile widened as he saw her relax. “We’re not dating. We’re in love.”
Mother Xu: “…”
Mother Xu felt the need to have a serious talk with her son. She dragged him into the bedroom, asking sternly, “Were you joking just now, or have you been deceived? After everything he did to you, why would you be with him?”
Xu Chenghao helplessly replied, “I can make my own judgments, don’t worry.”
Mother Xu insisted, “What judgments? Your poor taste was evident with An Ruoyu.”
Xu Chenghao reminded her, “An Ruoyu was your choice for an arranged marriage.”
Mother Xu was momentarily stumped. “Well… just be cautious and don’t let anyone sweet-talk you into anything.”
Xu Chenghao reassured her, “I know. I wouldn’t bring him to meet you if I wasn’t sure.”
Mother Xu questioned, “Didn’t I catch you two by surprise?”
Xu Chenghao explained, “Yes, but I was planning to introduce him to you at the Ruan family’s full-moon banquet. I just didn’t expect you to find out early.”
Mother Xu suddenly remembered. “Oh, right. I came to see you about the Ruan family’s full-moon banquet. You weren’t answering your phone, so I thought you were heartbroken and came to check on you. But here you are… Happy as can be, I suppose you’ve completely forgotten who An Ruoyu is by now?”
Xu Chenghao replied, “Don’t worry, I’m doing well.”
Mother Xu gave him a long look, her eyes filled with meaning. “Yes, your life seems quite… full.”
Xu Chenghao instinctively shrank back, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Ahem, Mom, are you hungry? Let’s eat. Since you’ve found out early, we might as well have a meal together.”
Mother Xu agreed, “I can’t be the only one to see him. I’m calling your father right now!”
Xu Chenghao: “Alright… I’ll wait for Dad then.”
When they returned to the living room, they saw Jing Yicheng still standing where he was before they went into the bedroom, his face as stiff as ever, his body rigid, and his nervousness evident as he seemed almost petrified.
As Mother Xu called, Xu Chenghao approached Jing Yicheng, holding his hand to reassure him. “No need to be nervous.”
Jing Yicheng squeezed his hand in return, whispering, “Should I leave?”
“If you leave now, you’ll have to face them again later. It’s better to get it over with this time.” Xu Chenghao explained, “My mom just called my dad. We’ll have dinner together.”
Jing Yicheng said anxiously, “But I don’t have my prepared clothes, speech, or gifts…”
Xu Chenghao reassured him, “This is just an early meeting. When we make things official, you’ll have to visit them properly anyway. You can be fully prepared then.”
Jing Yicheng was still nervous, holding Xu Chenghao’s hand tightly and not wanting to let go. “What if your parents don’t like me?”
Xu Chenghao responded, “Then you’ll have to work hard to win them over.”
Jing Yicheng said, “Even though they’re your parents, I can only respect them. What I really want is to make sure you like me.”
Xu Chenghao was touched by his words. He nestled his head on Jing Yicheng’s shoulder, rubbing it affectionately. “You’re so good with words… Don’t worry. Right now, they don’t like you because of me. Given our past relationship and interactions, it’s understandable that they’re not used to this. You just need to change their impression of you.”
Jing Yicheng asked, “How should I do that?”
Xu Chenghao answered naturally, “You used to be mean and harsh to me. Now, you should spoil me and treat me better.”
Jing Yicheng quickly grasped the key point and committed it to memory. “Okay, I’ll definitely treat you better!”
Xu Chenghao smiled. “Then give me a smile.”
Jing Yicheng tried to force a smile.
Xu Chenghao poked at the corners of his lips, amused by the stiff expression.
Seeing Xu Chenghao’s smile, Jing Yicheng couldn’t help but relax. He leaned down to get closer when the balcony door suddenly opened, and Mother Xu’s voice interrupted them. “Chenghao, come here for a moment.”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
The author has something to say: Mother Xu might be the only person who can interrupt Jing Yicheng, and he wouldn’t dare to say a word.
T/N: Meeting the parents– checked!
Sorry for the late, this was part of my unedited chapters, and didn’t have the time to go through it earlier~
