The old man heard this and immediately stood on tiptoe, craning his neck: “Where? Where is it?”
Han Shen pointed it out to him.
They saw at International Arrivals Exit Three, Jiang Fuyue and Xie Dingyuan walking side by side. She was saying something; the man leaned in to listen, nodding from time to time in agreement.
Since they hadn’t informed anyone in advance that they were coming to pick them up, the two didn’t look around when they came out.
Suddenly, no one knew what Jiang Fuyue said, but Xie Dingyuan couldn’t help the corner of his mouth lifting. One hand naturally and intimately wrapped around the girl’s slender waist, his large palm buckling at the hollow of her waist, fingers lightly rubbing twice through the thin fabric.
At once, the eyes of the four great guardians of the Han family went straight.
“Woof woof woof, ” Little Mang even let out an irritable bark.
Wanted to bite!
Jiang Fuyue heard the dog barking and subconsciously raised her eyes. Just then, Han Ke also spoke up: “Yueyue…”
Her steps halted, and Jiang Fuyue’s eyes lit up with surprise: “Second Uncle!”
Then, the old man, Han Shen, and Han Heng, masked and fully armed, also crowded over.
“Ahem!” The old man leaned on his cane and gave a heavy cough, his aged eyes carrying tangible weight as they landed on Jiang Fuyue’s waist.
Xie Dingyuan reacted belatedly and withdrew his hand as if electrocuted.
Only then did Han Qishan’s expression turn from cloudy to clear: “My little girl, the journey must’ve been hard, right? Your little face has gotten thinner again…”
Han Shen conscientiously took Jiang Fuyue’s suitcase from Xie Dingyuan’s hand.
Han Ke inserted himself between the two, separating them. “While you were gone, Little Mang went to lie at the door of your room every day, staring longingly for you to come back. He doesn’t even like snacks anymore.”
Han Heng, quick-eyed and quick-handed, sidled over to the other side and chimed in with a grin: “Exactly. He used to love going for walks, but now even if you call him three or five times he won’t come. He just hums and whines, and won’t even bother with Xiao Ting.”
Very quickly, the two uncles flanked her left and right, the old man stood in front, Han Shen held the suitcase waiting behind, Jiang Fuyue was guarded on all sides, airtight.
Xie Dingyuan: “……”
Han Qishan gave the two debt-collecting sons a “well done” look, then said kindly, “My little girl, I had Little Liu prepare a big table of dishes, all your favorites. Come on, let’s go home!”
“Yes, it smells amazing. I was already craving it when I left the house,” Han Heng nodded.
“There’s soup too; it’s been stewing since last night,” Han Ke added.
As the two spoke, they were about to lead her out. Jiang Fuyue had just lifted her foot when she suddenly remembered something and abruptly drew it back, smiling obediently at the two uncles. “Wait a moment, I’ll be quick!”
After saying that, she went around them and walked straight to Xie Dingyuan. She reached out to hug him first, then quickly stepped back. “Then I’ll head back first?”
Xie Dingyuan wanted to reach out and touch her face, but under the warning-laced gazes of the four Han men, he ultimately abandoned the thought and only said, “Okay.”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips moved, but no sound came out.
What she said was: Wait for my call.
The man nodded with a smile, standing where he was, watching them leave.
Soon after, he also got into a black sedan and was taken away.
“Professor, where to?” the driver asked.
“Back to the old residence.”
……
The Han residence.
“Little miss is back!” Aunt Liu heard the door open and happily ran out from the kitchen.
Seeing Jiang Fuyue and the others, she smiled from ear to ear, then immediately turned back inside to start getting the dishes ready.
Ten minutes later, the family sat around the table.
The dishes filled the entire table, meat and vegetables paired, color, aroma, and taste all present.
“Yueyue, have some ribs, sweet and sour.”
“And these cola chicken wings, they smell great too.”
“The soup is the real essence, oh right, there’s also a bowl of bird’s nest. Aunt Liu, please bring it out…”
“Ah! Coming right up!”
“Sister Yue, you can’t reach this one, I’ll help you, hehe!”
“……”
Jiang Fuyue had clearly become the focus of the dinner table, from the old man to the three uncles, and then the youngest, Han Ting, everyone was competing to put food on her plate.
Even Little Mang, gnawing on a big bone in the living room, didn’t forget to carry one over for her.
Jiang Fuyue: “……” Hic!
Getting stuffed was inevitable, but with such overwhelming hospitality, she could only take a few extra steps after the meal to digest.
The old man quickly grabbed his cane: “I’ll go too! Together!”
Seeing this, Han Ting immediately put a leash on Little Mang. “Um… time to walk the dog.”
Han Heng raised his hand. “I’m going too!”
In the end, what was supposed to be Jiang Fuyue’s solo walk turned into the whole family taking over the streets, oh no, it should be taking over the neighborhood.
“Oh my, Old Han! This is your granddaughter Jiang Fuyue, right? She’s much prettier than on TV!”
Han Qishan immediately waved his hand. “Not at all, not at all.”
“Tall and slim, such a pretty little look. How is it that your Han family produces nothing but handsome men and beautiful women?”
Han Qishan replied at once, “You flatter us too much. It’s not that exaggerated. The third one doesn’t look that great, he relies entirely on makeup to be camera-ready.”
Hundred-billion box office king Han Heng: “?” Dad, are you serious?
Passing granny: “?” Are you sure this isn’t a Versailles routine?
Another neighbor walked up. “Yo, Chairman Han, such good fortune, bringing the whole family out?”
Han Qishan: “No, my granddaughter just returned to the country and insisted on accompanying me for a walk, saying something about ‘a hundred steps after meals, live to ninety-nine.’ You see this… such a thoughtful little padded jacket!”
Jiang Fuyue: “?” Wasn’t it you who insisted on accompanying me?
Han Shen, Han Ke, Han Heng: Granddaughter accompanying you for a walk? So we’re air?
The neighbor looked envious. “You really taught her well. The kids in my family just sit on the couch playing with their phones after eating, don’t even bother with you. Who would still accompany you on a walk?”
Han Qishan offered a couple of earnest words of comfort. If not for the grin nearly splitting to the back of his head, it might’ve been even more convincing and empathetic.
The neighbor smacked her lips, left envious and jealous.
Han Qishan smiled as he greeted the next neighbor. “Ah, yes… it’s Yueyue… not some big deal of an award, just the Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research… what Nobel Prize weather vane, there isn’t even a hint yet… the child is still young, what does she need so many honors for? They become a burden instead…”
“The effort is real; as for talent, there’s a bit too… though you could say heaven feeds her, it’s still hard work… we elders have struggled for most of our lives, and in the end, we just don’t want the next generation, or the one after that, to suffer too much. But this child insisted on not taking the family’s paved road and had to go carve her own path…”
“We originally thought we’d let her crash into the south wall and taste the bitterness of bloodied heads, it would be good too. Who knew she’d stubbornly carve out a bright road instead? Sigh, tell me, isn’t that infuriating?”
Neighbor: “……” I don’t know whether your granddaughter is infuriating, but you certainly are!
Thanks to Han Qishan’s recent Moments posts, throughout the entire villa community, among all the neighbors and friends who knew him and had him on WeChat, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t know Jiang Fuyue.
Walking along, modest (secretly bragging) all the way, the old man’s smile was about to soar into the heavens.
Han Ke fell back two steps and asked quietly, “Third Brother, when you won the Oscar back then, did Dad praise you like this?”
Han Heng’s face darkened instantly. “Forget it. Do you know what he told his group of old friends about my award-winning role?”
“What did he say?”
“He said acting that convincingly probably means he really has a dark side inside. When he comes back, I should find him a psychologist to take a look. Any random junk can win awards; the Oscars have no standards at all.”
The key point was! After he came back, Han Qishan really did find him a psychologist!
A battery of tests fierce as a tiger, only after confirming he was mentally healthy did he agree to let him come home.
Han Ke: “……You’ve suffered, brother.”
Han Heng glanced at the old man ahead, chatting and laughing with others, and couldn’t help clicking his tongue lightly. “Look at the way the old man’s showing off. Honestly, it’s really asking for a beating.”
Han Ke studied him for two seconds. “Mm, a bit.”
By the end of the walk, Jiang Fuyue was so embarrassed she could’ve dug out a whole city, but the old man still wasn’t satisfied.
“Why have all these people left? I haven’t finished yet…”
Uh!
Jiang Fuyue: “Then let’s go back too, it’s already dark.”
Han Qishan nodded and said okay, still pondering to himself, when suddenly,
“Ah! I get it now, they’re sour inside! They must be secretly jealous of me!”
“……”
At the same time, the Xie family old residence.
Xie Dingyuan’s return home, like Jiang Fuyue’s, received an unexpectedly enthusiastic welcome.
Not only was there a large table of good dishes waiting the moment he walked in, all seven sisters also surrounded him.
“Ah Yuan, are you tired?”
“You didn’t eat well abroad, did you?”
“Do you want to go upstairs and change clothes before coming back down?”
“It’s fine, we’re not hungry, we can wait for you.”
“The environment around the Pierre Hotel isn’t great, there’s noise. You probably didn’t rest well; the dark circles are obvious…”
“Have some tea first. It was just brewed, the temperature’s just right.”
Xie Dingyuan: “……”
After finally finishing the meal, Xie Dingyuan didn’t plan to linger in the living room and was just about to go upstairs to avoid things when suddenly,
“Ah Yuan, we received the gifts you mailed back,” the one who spoke was Xie Yunzhao. “I really like the lipstick and silk scarf. Thank you.”
“Mhm, glad you like them.”
Xie Yunxiang said, “It’s rare for Little Nine to be so thoughtful, going abroad and still remembering to bring us gifts.”
“Exactly! Little Nine never had this habit before. Why were you so considerate this time?”
“Third Sister, you don’t know, do you?” Xie Yunxuan’s eyes showed teasing as she deliberately drew out her tone, carrying a few hints of banter. “Our Little Nine is not what he used to be anymore.”
“Oh? What’s different?” Xie Yunmiao smiled as she followed up.
Xie Yunxuan said, “Before, he was all alone, wasn’t he? Now he’s someone with a girlfriend. Naturally, he’s become much more attentive. Isn’t that right, Little Nine?”
A trace of a smile tinged the corner of Xie Dingyuan’s eyes, and his expression finally no longer looked as stiff and serious as it had for ages.
“Mhm. She picked them with me.”
“Oh my, Little Nine is blushing!”
“Our family’s great iceberg finally knows how to be shy, truly not easy!”
“If you ask me, Yueyue is really capable. She even managed to melt an iceberg.”
“Isn’t that so? Could a girl Little Nine sets his eyes on be simple?”
The sisters tossed remarks back and forth, full of teasing between exchanges.
For a moment, the vast living room was filled with laughter.
The old madam said, “Yueyue was thoughtful. Those musk and ambergris are of excellent quality, there’s simply no way to buy them domestically.”
Hearing this, the old master couldn’t help nodding as well, still rolling that pair of collectible-grade walnut beads in his hand. “This blunt-tipped lion was chosen perfectly, it made those old fellows drool with envy!”
“Huh? Dad and Mom, the gifts you received are different from ours?”
The old madam said, “Of course they’re different. Mine are fragrances; your father’s are walnuts.”
“Little Nine, that’s really showing favoritism,” Xie Yunlan joked.
Before Xie Dingyuan could speak, Fu Wanxiu couldn’t help speaking up for her son and future daughter-in-law. “Of course there has to be a distinction. Can your father and I be the same as you all?”
Parents and sisters, by nature their identities are different. Giving the same gifts would be what’s abnormal.
“Look at Mom, already taking their side.”
“We should understand the old madam’s feelings right now. After waiting so many years, she finally sees the shadow of a daughter-in-law. Of course she wants to grab on tightly. Otherwise, if you miss this village, there won’t be another shop. Little Nine is so picky, you know that, don’t you?”
“Heh!” A cold laugh appeared abruptly, and the previously harmonious atmosphere froze for an instant.
Xie Yunshu, however, seemed not to notice at all. She truly couldn’t endure it any longer. “Second Sister, Third Sister, don’t lower the Xie family so much either. What do you mean by ‘miss this village and there won’t be another shop’? With Little Nine’s conditions, could he not find someone better than Jiang Fuyue? You’re praising her far too much!”
Xie Yunxiang was stunned. “Fourth Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? Everyone’s chatting happily, do you have to ruin the mood like this?”
Xie Yunshu said, “I’m not ruining the mood. I just can’t stand seeing every one of you lowering yourselves to praise an outsider.”
Xie Yunlan frowned. “Can Little Nine’s girlfriend be called an outsider? Besides, when did we lower ourselves? Which sentence wasn’t the truth?”
This bout of arguing made the living room atmosphere gradually heavy, and the smiles on everyone else’s faces slowly faded.
Xie Yunxuan frowned. “Fourth Sister, you’re really strange today. You didn’t say a word from the moment Little Nine came in. Now that you speak, you make everyone collectively awkward. What exactly is going on?”
Xie Yunmiao also couldn’t help casting her a puzzled look.
Looking again at the old master and old madam, they were equally confused.
Xie Yunshu shot up from the sofa. “What’s going on now? Are you all joining forces to target me alone?”
Xie Yunzhao spoke up. “It’s not targeting you. It’s that what you said is too outrageous.”
“Outrageous?” Xie Yunshu sneered. “How is it outrageous? Isn’t what I said the truth?”
Xie Yunzhao frowned. “Fourth Sister, where is all this anger coming from? Weren’t we all happy just now?”
“You were happy. I never was.”
“You…”
“Enough,” the old madam reacted and interrupted the sisters’ dispute, lifting her gaze to Xie Yunshu. “Old Fourth, tell us, what are you thinking? You’ve been holding it in for quite a while, haven’t you? Today, say it all in front of Little Nine. Say it clearly!”
“Fine. Since you want me to say it, I will. I think Jiang Fuyue is not suitable for Ah Yuan.”
At these words, Xie Dingyuan lifted his eyes coldly. “Fourth Sister, think it through before you speak.”
Xie Yunshu pressed her lips together tightly, hesitation surfacing in her eyes. Listening to Ah Yuan’s tone, he didn’t seem very happy, but he had always been unsmiling. Presumably, he wasn’t pulling a long face because of Jiang Fuyue.
That fleeting thought of luck gave her courage again. “Little Nine, my intention isn’t to interfere with your dating. I just want to remind you, dating is fine, but you also have to look at who the person is.”
“So where does Fourth Sister think Jiang Fuyue is lacking?” The tone was his usual rational and steady one, but if one listened carefully, one could detect the coldness and distance hidden within.
Clearly, the old madam noticed. To avoid the siblings falling out, she tried to stop Xie Yunshu. “Old Fourth! You’re already in your forties, why can’t you get rid of this impulsive temperament? Some words, once spoken, are spilled water that can’t be taken back!”
Xie Yunshu, however, didn’t understand the warning at all. She only felt that the old madam was actually reproaching her to protect Jiang Fuyue, which made her even more indignant.
With anger rising, what was there she wouldn’t dare to say?
“This Jiang Fuyue has far too many shortcomings! First of all, her family background doesn’t match yours. Sure, she’s the Han family’s granddaughter, but she’s only a granddaughter. Her father runs a restaurant, supposedly he even sold pancakes before.”
“Second is her personality. I’m not saying that being strong, ambitious, and striving is bad. On the contrary, as an independent woman, she deserves affirmation and praise. But people with this kind of personality usually have strong opinions and too many ideas. It’s hard for them to be obedient and compliant; they simply can’t settle down to properly take care of your daily life.”
“Lastly, and most importantly, her feelings for you are too shallow. She likes you less than you like her. In this kind of relationship, she will always have the upper hand. If it’s only for a short time, that’s fine, but once time goes on, you’ll be very tired.”
“This can be seen clearly just from the gifts she helped you pick. For Dad and Mom, she catered exactly to their preferences; for us sisters, she was perfunctory, same shade of lipstick, same pattern of silk scarf. Is she doing wholesale?”
“Just this one matter alone is enough to show that she doesn’t value us, you, or the Xie family enough. Besides that, it also exposes her utilitarianism and scheming…”
She goes all out to curry favor with her boyfriend’s parents, yet doesn’t take her boyfriend’s sisters seriously.
Clear goals, judging dishes to serve accordingly, if that’s not utilitarianism, then what is?
In the end, Xie Yunshu took a deep breath and directly gave Xie Dingyuan an earnest admonition. “Your sister has been through this, I won’t harm you. Hearing this now, you might not feel it yet, but life isn’t a fairy tale, and love isn’t as beautiful as you think. When time drags on and you start to resent each other, you’ll realize that no matter how deep the love is, it’s useless. Compatibility is what matters most.”
“Fourth Sister finished?” He slowly lifted his eyes, expressionless.
Xie Yunshu thought for a moment. “More or less. Oh, right, there are so many good girls in the world. It’s not just Jiang Fuyue.”
“Anything else?”
Uh!
“…Not for now.”
“Good,” Xie Dingyuan looked at her, his gaze instantly turning deep and cold, without the slightest ripple. “Now it’s my turn to ask Fourth Sister.”
Xie Yunshu’s heart jolted, and a sense of foreboding suddenly arose. “You… what are you going to ask?”
The other sisters present also wore varied expressions, but without exception, they all pricked up their ears.
“Do you know Jiang Fuyue? Have you seen her, spoken to her?”
“…No.”
“Since you haven’t, what gives you the right to evaluate her based on imagined conjectures?”
“I…” Xie Yunshu was about to argue when Xie Dingyuan cut her off directly.
“Last question. Was it you who had Xie Yunqian contact me?”
The moment these words fell, everyone was stunned.
Xie Yunshu was dumbfounded.
The old madam sucked in a sharp breath.
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