I barely touched my food at the evening banquet.
Partly because my dress was too tight, and partly because… I kept glancing at Lin Yusen, who had come over to toast with my uncle, and ended up staying to chat.
How was I supposed to tell my uncle that I didn’t need him to take me to Suzhou tomorrow, but instead would be going with Lin Yusen the day after?
How did I even end up agreeing to stay and play in Shanghai for two days with Lin Yusen?
By the time the birthday banquet ended at past ten, I had finally managed to stammer out my request to my uncle. His face immediately darkened, and he promptly made our excuses to leave.
Back at the hotel, my uncle interrogated me.
“When did you start dating? How did you meet?”
“Less than a month ago, in Suzhou. He’s our Deputy General Manager.”
“Who made the first move?”
I didn’t want to discuss this with a middle-aged man like my uncle, but seeing his serious expression, I had to answer honestly: “He did.”
My uncle’s expression was hard to read—either slightly relieved or more complicated. He stood up from the sofa and paced around a couple of times.
“Xuiguang, you’re at the right age for dating, and I’m not trying to stop you. But you saw today—the Sheng family situation is extremely complicated. Their patriarch is old-fashioned, and three generations of the Sheng family still live together in that old mansion in Jing’an. The three Sheng brothers and their wives—none of them are easy to deal with…”
“Wait, Uncle, I’m just starting to date him. Isn’t it too early to think about all this?”
Uncle suddenly became angry, “Just starting to date, yet you announced yourself as his girlfriend at the banquet?”
Well, I was just feeling defiant at that moment…
I weakly defended myself: “He said it first, I just let you make the introduction.”
“You dare bring that up? Think it’s fun to deceive your uncle?” My uncle was fuming, “I’m going to have your mother talk to you.” With that, he headed for the door.
“Wait,” I hurried after him, “Uncle, can’t this wait until tomorrow…”
At least give me some time to prepare.
My only response was the cold slam of the door.
I could only stare at my phone, bracing myself for my mother’s call. Despite my mental preparation, when the phone finally rang, my heart still skipped a beat.
But when I looked closely, it was Lin Yusen.
“Come down,” his voice came through playfully. “I’m in your hotel lobby.”
I threw on my down jacket and ran downstairs. Mr. Lin was waiting outside the elevator, looking energetic with no trace of his earlier fatigue.
However, as soon as he saw me, his smile disappeared, and he scrutinized me seriously up and down. His staring made me deeply self-conscious… but I checked myself in the mirror before coming down!
Finally, he spoke: “Where’s my gift?”
He held out his left hand, his wrist bare—his previous watch removed.
I was speechless. You came to find me in the middle of the night just for this?!
“It’s upstairs, I didn’t bring it down.” Who demands gifts like a debt collector? I defiantly asked back, “Do I have a gift?”
“I didn’t bring it either,” he said seriously. “Why don’t you go get it now?”
What does he mean… go get it?
I suspected I might have misunderstood, and hesitantly asked: “Get it from where?”
His answer was incredibly steady. “My place.”
I was completely stunned.
He calmly continued: “Actually, I have an ulterior motive.”
I… I knew he had an ulterior motive, at this hour… but he dared to say it out loud?!
“It’s like this,” he explained unhurriedly, “My life is likely to undergo some major changes soon, so the apartment needs corresponding adjustments. I’m planning to redecorate recently.”
“So, Miss Nie, as the cause of all these changes, would you like to come take a look and give some advice?”
Wait, wait, let me process this.
His life is about to change—because of me—so because of me—he wants to redecorate his house…
So that means…
Finally comprehending, I quickly stepped back before I could spontaneously combust. “I’m going back to sleep bye bye bye.”
Just as an elevator opened its doors, I turned to dive in, but Lin Yusen’s quick reflexes caught me.
The foreign guests who had just stepped out of the elevator were startled by us, staring in alarm while rattling off a string of foreign words, seemingly trying to help me.
Lin Yusen stepped in front of me and rapidly replied in their language. They were speaking too fast, and the foreign gentleman had an accent—my mediocre English couldn’t keep up.
The foreign gentleman looked at me questioningly.
Did he think this was some kind of attempted kidnapping? For the sake of our country’s reputation for public safety, I had to give him a “bearing with it” smile.
The foreign gentleman finally relaxed and said to me: “You can’t be more beautiful!”
Uh? What? He said—you can’t be more beautiful???? What’s going on?
Lin Yusen thanked him with a smile, and I awkwardly waved as the foreign guest walked away. As soon as he was gone, I quickly asked Lin Yusen: “What did you tell him earlier?”
“I said you’re my girlfriend, we haven’t seen each other for ten days, and we’re rushing out to make up for Valentine’s Day, but you insist on going back up to reapply your makeup.”
“…”
So that foreigner meant I looked fine without more makeup?
My mind was blank, my expression indescribable. Lin Yusen smiled gently, reaching out to rub my face, “Are you coming? I promise it’s safe.”
I realized my trust in Lin Yusen must have reached its peak. After that foreigner’s interruption, I somehow ended up following him in a daze.
Until my mom’s phone call caught up with me.
By then, I was already standing at his doorstep…
My hand trembled as I answered the call, just as Lin Yusen opened the door and turned to say something… In a panic, I covered his mouth with my hand. He froze for a moment, and I waved my phone in front of his eyes. He nodded, showing a hint of amusement, allowing me to keep my hand there as he leaned against the wall.
Uh, even though I was the one who made the move, why did it feel like I was the one being teased…
I lowered my hand and answered the call. “Mom…”
No, why did my voice sound so guilty? I coughed once, “You’re not asleep yet?”
“I suddenly received good news, I’m too excited to sleep.”
After hesitating for a while, I carefully asked: “…Really?”
Mom let out a cold laugh, and I immediately abandoned my fantasy and straightened up. “I just started dating him, I hadn’t figured out how to tell you yet.”
“When did you start dating?”
Lin Yusen quietly opened the door and placed a pair of soft, furry slippers by my feet. His house had such cute slippers.
I was stunned for a moment, almost forgetting to answer my mom.
“Hmm?”
I quickly replied: “Just before the New Year.”
“You didn’t show any signs at all. Sheng Xianmin’s grandson?”
“Mm.”
Somehow, I didn’t like hearing it put that way anymore. I waved at Lin Yusen and walked to the balcony, “His name is Lin Yusen, he used to be a neurosurgeon. Later, after a car accident,” I paused, “his hand was injured, so he switched to working at Sheng Yuan. He came to work in Suzhou last year, that’s how we met.”
“I already know all that.”
Huh, you investigated that quickly?!
“Xuiguang, have you thought about why he’s always been in Shanghai, but coincidentally transferred to Suzhou right when you went there?” She reminded me, “After all, anyone who wanted to could find out about you going to Suzhou.”
See, this is exactly why I didn’t want to tell Mom about Lin Yusen.
Outsiders think our family’s success was all Dad’s doing, but Mom’s shrewdness and capability are no less than Dad’s. As I expected, her first reaction upon learning about Lin Yusen and me was suspicion.
But Lin Yusen did go to Suzhou for me.
However, explaining the whole story would mean bringing up Ma Nianyuan. Mentioning that woman would only make Mom unhappy.
I didn’t want her to be unhappy, so I could only give a partial answer: “Mom, please don’t help me be conceited. There were so many pretty girls at the banquet today, with good family backgrounds and excellent careers. He’s capable and so handsome, why would he specifically target me?”
Mom was quiet for a moment on the other end, then surprisingly said: “You have a point.”
…That’s a thousand points of damage.
“Mom, I trust him,” I said seriously. “And why do you all always think others have ulterior motives? Don’t I have any good qualities?”
“Who’s ‘you all’? Does your father know?”
Why does Mom have to be so smart… Her ability to catch key points is too strong. Mom doesn’t think I told Dad but not her, does she?
I quickly explained: “I didn’t tell him! When he found out, it was just speculation—Lin Yusen and I hadn’t even started dating then.”
Mom snorted, “As if you’d dare.”
She sighed again: “You should be dating at your age anyway. Your mom’s judgment is probably poor—if I helped you choose, it might not be as good as who you found by stumbling around.”
…I didn’t stumble around at all. Mom, you can criticize yourself, but why drag me into it?
“Your uncle says you’re staying another night in Shanghai tomorrow?”
I answered sheepishly: “It’s rare to come here…”
Mom snorted, “Going to attend his family dinner tomorrow? Nothing’s even certain yet, why attend a family dinner?”
“His grandfather invited me on the spot, I couldn’t say no.”
“Where are you now?”
“At-at the hotel, of course!!!” I became righteously indignant after my moment of guilt. After all, I was just here for tea, “On the same floor as Uncle!”
Mom let out a cold laugh: “I trust you have at least this much sense. In the future, you’re not allowed to go to his place when you’re in Shanghai.”
After a moment of silence, I weakly agreed: “Oh.”
Mom said: “Hotels aren’t safe either. You’ll probably be going to Shanghai often in the future, I’ll make some arrangements. That’s all for now, your mom’s feeling a bit confused, we’ll talk about other things when I think of them.”
I hung up the phone in a daze, wondering what arrangements she was planning to make.
When I returned inside with my phone, Lin Yusen was leisurely pouring water. Seeing me, he handed over the warm water.
“So, did I pass the background check?”
Having just had such a tense conversation with Mom, seeing him so relaxed made me a bit annoyed. I told him quite proudly: “Still under investigation.”
Lin Yusen smiled: “Then you should investigate thoroughly, starting with the details. I think starting with the living environment is a good approach, don’t you think?”
Is he inviting me to tour his home?
I hesitated a bit: “Um.”
“Yes?”
“Does that include the bedroom?”
I toured his home thoroughly, except for the bedroom, and then raised a question.
“Didn’t you say you bought me a gift? Where is it? I don’t see it.”
“Isn’t it on your feet?”
I was dumbfounded, looking down at the slippers, then back at Lin Yusen.
His New Year’s gift to me… was a pair of slippers.
My wide-eyed expression must have amused Lin Yusen; he couldn’t help but laugh: “I ordered them before going abroad, thinking that when you came over, you should have your slippers.”
“…If you’re going to deceive someone, at least put some effort into it!”
Lin Yusen burst out laughing, patting my probably bristling head as he bent slightly to look at me, “There’s something even more outrageous.”
Hm?
“I don’t want you to take away the gift I’m giving you.”
What?
“So, I want to keep the gift I’m giving you in my home forever. Would you like that?”
It took me a while to understand the meaning behind his words, and I looked at him somewhat confused.
Under the lights, his expression had become solemn at some point. He was solemnly inviting me to become a permanent part of his future world.
But isn’t this moving too fast? Suddenly talking about something so far ahead. Yet somehow, I didn’t feel any resistance to his words, nor to what he represented.
As if under a spell, I heard myself say, “I would like that.”