DFYMHGFS Chapter 95

95 – “How about holding the engagement banquet for the two children on the twenty-eighth of December?”

“The last time I saw Uncle Lu and Auntie Lu was when I graduated from high school. I wonder if they’ll even remember what I look like after all these years.”

In one corner of the party venue, An Xing sat in a booth, cupping his small round face and puffing out his cheeks, looking utterly dejected. Even the curls on top of his head radiated a sense of deep unease.

An Rong sat beside him, one hand propping up his chin. Though his handsome face showed little expression, it inexplicably exuded a sense of fatigue.

The boy, however, was completely oblivious. Not hearing a sound, he leaned over and poked the boy with his finger, whining.

“Da Ge, what do you say? Is that right?”

What a little devil.

An Rong thought.

When they were unpacking his belongings from the Ning household, the whole family had gathered to flip through photo albums. Not only had he shown An Zhaoming and Shen Ying pictures of himself as a child, but they had also shown him photos of An Xing from when he was little.

That little dummy was a chubby little glutinous rice dumpling when he was little, and even as an adult, he was just a taller version of that dumpling. From childhood to now, the only thing that’s changed is that he’s grown taller—nothing else has really changed.

Not to mention that he had a baby face, he could still pass for a high schooler even though he was in college now just by changing his clothes. There was no need to worry that the Lu couple wouldn’t recognize him…

“It’s okay. If they don’t recognize you, you can just go up and say hello to them.”

An Rong said blankly.

“After all, you’re the younger one. Taking the initiative to greet them is what a polite, well-behaved child does.”

An Xing nodded thoughtfully.

“What you say makes sense, Da Ge”

An Rong thought the matter was settled and had just let out a sigh of relief when he heard the boy ask again:

“So, Da Ge, what style of clothes do you think I should wear that day? Something tidy and proper, or more college-style, or…?”

An Rong: …

Just as An Rong was about to be driven to his wit’s end by his little brother, reinforcements finally arrived.

Xiao Yi and Chen Bo sat down on either side of the brothers, handed them low-alcohol cocktails, and asked with a smile:

“What are you guys talking about?”

Unable to change the subject in time, An Rong could only watch as the two men came to his rescue.

Coincidentally, An Xing also felt that his Da Ge wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, which made him a little unhappy. When he saw Xiao Yi ask, his eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned in warmly.

Seeing the young boy lean in with such eager eyes—his almond-shaped eyes wide and full of anticipation—Xiao Yi felt both flattered and a little giddy.

—A little cutie is winking at you. Do you accept his request for help?

—Of course!

Then he heard the little cutie ask:

“Bro Xiao Yi, this weekend I’m going to the airport with Shen gege to pick up Uncle and Auntie. What style of clothes do you think I should wear when I see them?”

Xiao Yi: …

The young man’s heart, which had been pounding wildly, froze instantly, leaving a faint pang of sadness.

An Xing looked at Xiao Yi in confusion, not understanding why the young man had suddenly stiffened. He reached out his hand in puzzlement and waved it in front of the young man.

“Huh? Big Brother, are you there? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Chen Bo was already rolling around laughing in the booth, while An Rong, speechless, said flatly:

“Your brother is present, but your brother Xiao Yi isn’t.”

Xiao Yi shot a speechless glance at the boy who was now going out of his way to assert his status as An Xing’s biological brother, then turned to An Xing.

“I’m just a little surprised.”

The young man said, his mouth twitching.

“Are Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu coming back to the country? We didn’t know.”

An Xing tilted his chin haughtily. “That’s right. They’re coming back this weekend. Because during the Lunar New Year, Shen gege and I are going to officially get engaged!”

At the Anning Jewelry annual meeting, the news of An Xing and Lu Tianshen’s engagement had been announced, though no date for the engagement party had been mentioned since. And since Lu Tianshen didn’t seem like the type to be coerced into an engagement, some in the industry speculated that he likely wanted to get engaged, but Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu didn’t agree.

After all, shouldn’t Mr. and Mrs. Lu at least make an appearance at their son’s engagement party?

Xiao Yi had naturally heard these rumors as well, but unlike others, he didn’t think it was necessarily that Mr. and Mrs. Lu opposed the engagement. Rather, it was possible that they simply weren’t very pleased with An Xing.

Although they saw An Xing as a good kid, when it came to matters of the heart, only those involved truly knew how they felt. But the older generation’s perspective was always a bit different from theirs.

Yet now, seeing the boy so happy that his eyes were brimming with light, Xiao Yi knew that they, the outsiders, had guessed wrong again.

Xiao Yi couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle the boy’s hair.

“Xingxing, congratulations.”

The boy squinted his eyes, savoring the touch, then tugged at the young man’s arm.

“So, Brother Xiao Yi, what do you think I should wear for the occasion?”

“…I don’t have any experience with this either. Why don’t you ask Brother Chen Bo?”

Chen Bo was minding his own business, sipping his drink, when he was inexplicably dragged into the conversation, feeling completely innocent.

“You’d think I was anything but single!”

“Tell the kid how you acted when you went to meet your future in-laws.”

“……”

Chen Bo pondered for a moment, then hesitantly replied under An Xing’s expectant gaze.

“Just… be yourself?”

An Rong, Xiao Yi, and Chen Bo were all at a loss. Why on earth were they—a bunch of older single guys—helping the little rascal, the only one among them who’d found a date, figure out how to meet the parents?

They exchanged a look, stood up together, and left the little rascal behind, running off.

An Xing rested his chin on his hand, looking gloomy, and sighed.

Ever since he found out that the Lu parents were coming back this weekend, he’d been feeling anxious. Even though Lu Tianchen had spent ages reassuring him, insisting that no matter what he was like, they’d like him…

But An Xing felt that his “Shen gege” was seeing through rose-colored glasses and wouldn’t mean what he said.

After the Lu couple had left Lu Group to their son, they went abroad to expand their business. Over the past few years, whenever they returned to the country, their visits were always brief; they only managed to see their son when they had a spare moment. An Xing had no interest in business whatsoever, and his interactions with the two elders were limited to greetings during major holidays; they rarely spoke otherwise.

And before this year, he hadn’t even known about Lu Tianchen’s feelings, let alone taken the initiative to show concern for his two elders.

Thinking about it now, given how respectful Lu Tianchen had always been toward his parents, he realized he’d been… a bit thoughtless.

The young man sat on the sofa, cupping his cheek, looking quite troubled. To certain people with ulterior motives, this scene signaled that an opportunity had arrived.

*

The gathering was held in anticipation of the upcoming Lunar New Year. In attendance were the younger generations from various families, along with their dates and a few friends. An Rong, along with Xiao Yi and Chen Bo, was surrounded by a group of people chatting.

An Xing had never been fond of socializing. Since he didn’t recognize most of the people there today, he simply curled up in a corner of the booth and played on his phone.

Perhaps because the corner was secluded enough, before long, An Xing heard two girls whispering nearby.

“That’s so ridiculous! Just because his parents don’t like you, he’s going to break up with you?”

The moment those keywords came up, the boy perked up like a kitten lured by a treat, pricking up his ears to eavesdrop.

The other girl’s voice, tinged with tears, rang out.

“…But what can he do? He’s the heir to a prominent family, while I’m just an ordinary student with no impressive background—I can’t offer his family any advantages. Isn’t it only natural that his mother doesn’t like me?”

“But he was the one who pursued you back then, promising to treat you well for the rest of his life!”

“How many of the things men say when they’re infatuated can you really trust?”

The girl said sadly.

“When we were together, he thought I was perfect and was willing to do anything for me. But in reality, how many men would choose a beautiful woman over a promising career?”

“I really regret it now. I should have realized this sooner and broken up with him earlier. Then we could have stayed friends. But because I was clinging to this fantasy—thinking he’d stand up for me—after a few arguments with his mother, he sided with her and decided I wasn’t a suitable girl… Sniff!”

An Xing was so engrossed in the story that he didn’t even notice An Rong coming back until the guy tapped him on the shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

An Rong asked, glancing toward the corner. The two girls caught his gaze and, as if scalded by fire, hurriedly got up and left.

An Rong immediately sensed something was off and turned to look at the little dummy beside him.

“What were those two just talking about?”

An Xing, having overheard a whole earful of gossip with no one to share it with, hurried over to whisper the details to her brother as soon as he asked.

After hearing her out, An Rong’s face darkened.

It was way too obvious—they were practically urging the little dummy to cut his losses and break up on his own initiative.

“Don’t read too much into what they said. It’s all nonsense.”

An Xing shook his head, strongly disagreeing.

“Bro, that’s the wrong attitude. Even though Mom is very reasonable and probably won’t be like that woman’s mother-in-law, the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is mysterious. Even if you’re single now, you should start learning about it. That way, in the future, you’ll be able to handle the relationship between your wife and Mom!”

An Rong: …

That’s so typical of you, you little dummy. You haven’t even considered how this applies to you, have you?

An Rong was a bit dazed. It took him a while to find his voice again, and he looked at the little dummy with affection.

“Then aren’t you worried at all that Lu Tianchen’s parents might not like you, and that Lu Tianchen might break up with you?”

“How could that possibly happen?”

An Xing replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu aren’t that kind of people.”

“They’re great parents, and Shen gege is amazing too. They trust his judgment. Since Shen gege truly loves me, they won’t dislike me either!”

Back then, he was young, and his parents hadn’t told him the whole truth—they’d only said an older brother was coming to stay for a year.

But looking back now, that year was a time of turmoil for the Lu family. The Lu couple had sent Lu Tianshen to their home for his own safety.

There were plenty of people eager to curry favor with the Lu family, and plenty of places safer than their own home. Then why did they send Lu Tianshen specifically to his family?

Of course, it was because their family had good values. The Lu couple trusted them, knowing they wouldn’t lead Shen-ge astray!

So, even if Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu were in a marriage of convenience, they genuinely loved their son. As long as parents love their children, how could they possibly, for no reason, speak harshly to, humiliate, or oppress the person their child truly cares about?

Unless there’s a serious issue, any reasonable parents—even if they have minor reservations about their child’s love interest—will make an effort to accept and compromise.

Parents are always the ones who compromise.

An Rong’s feelings were a bit complicated. After a moment, he ruffled the teenager’s hair and said gently:

“You’re right. When you go to pick them up, just dress the way you usually do—or maybe be a little more presentable.

“As long as it’s you, they’ll like you.”

Although he thought his older brother was just a lonely single guy and his advice might not be very useful, An Xing racked his brain until his curly hair went flat, but he still couldn’t come up with a style. So on the day of the airport pickup, he was still held down by Shen Ying and Lu Tianshen, forced to put on a sweater and a warm down jacket before being shoved into the car to go pick them up.

Wrapped up like a little ball, the young boy met the Lu couple in the VIP lounge alongside Lu Tianshen.

To An Xing’s surprise, the Lu couple were unexpectedly gentle with him. After exchanging a few words, the group headed to the An family villa together.

Mrs. Lu pulled An Xing to sit on the sofa, then glanced at the An couple and An Rong, raising an eyebrow.

“Your second son’s wife had someone whisper bad things about Xingxing in my ear, trying to make us dislike him so we’d oppose his engagement to Tianshen. But here’s the thing: not only do I hate it when people try to scheme against me, I hate it even more when they use such lousy tactics to do so.”

“How about holding the engagement banquet for the two children on the twenty-eighth of December at the Lu family’s ancestral home?”

The An family: …