Cheng Qiaobei had been waiting for news from Chen Ningxi. It was almost eight in the evening when he finally received her ssage on WeChat.
Chen Ningxi: I just got ho.
north: How did the talk go?
This was his biggest concern and the opportunity that Chen Ningxi had fought all evening to achieve.
She replied excitedly, My mom didn’t explicitly agree, but she wants you to co over tomorrow.
When Cheng Qiaobei saw those words, his heart, which had been in suspense, finally relaxed a little.
north: What did your dad say?
Chen Ningxi: My dad hasn’t gotten off work yet. When he gets ho tonight, my mom will talk to him. There shouldn’t be any problems.
The reassurance he felt monts before was once again lifted, and his expression grew serious.
north: Okay.
Besides trusting in Chen Ningxi, there was nothing else he could do now.
In fact, Ye Yujun’s decision to et wasn’t truly about accepting Cheng Qiaobei. She wanted Chen Ningxi to give up.
After learning about Cheng Qiaobei’s family situation, Ye Yujun was completely unwilling. The daughter she had carefully raised, cherished from childhood to adulthood without a blemish on her background, would have her reputation tarnished by associating with soone with such a disgraceful family.
Considering Chen Ningxi’s urgent persuasion, Ye Yujun decided to give Cheng Qiaobei a chance to et.
Actually, the conversation between the two had not gone smoothly. They almost ended up arguing at first. Unlike in the past, Chen Ningxi was very composed today. Maybe their feelings hadn’t developed to being inseparable, but Ye Yujun didn’t realize that Chen Ningxi’s restraint ca from Cheng Qiaobei’s prior advice and comfort.
After more than an hour of heartfelt conversation, Ye Yujun’s attitude softened, but she still refused to agree to the relationship.
Really, from her mother’s perspective, Chen Ningxi could understand her mother’s concerns. What parent doesn’t hope for the best for their children? Everything was hanging on that Friday. As long as they t, she believed they would co to like Cheng Qiaobei.
Chen Ningxi thought she had convinced her mother, but Ye Yujun had other plans.
Friday, evening.
Cheng Qiaobei made an effort to return to Danjiang early and ended up waiting outside Chen Ningxi’s workplace for over half an hour before seeing her co out through the main entrance.
In the rearview mirror, the reflection of the prepared gift boxes for the eting filled him with joy. He had chosen these gifts with great care.
The door to the passenger seat opened and closed. Chen Ningxi got in, saying, "How long have you been here?"
Cheng Qiaobei said, "Just got here."
"I saw you from upstairs," Chen Ningxi responded, fastening her seatbelt, then noticed the gift boxes in the back seat. "Did you buy all these things?"
Cheng Qiaobei started the car, his face full of smiles. The happiness on his face was hard to conceal.
"Not much, not much."
Chen Ningxi counted them; there were a total of ten items, big and small.
"Ten items aren’t much?" Chen Ningxi raised her eyebrows.
Cheng Qiaobei smiled warmly and replied, "Ten is for perfection, for good luck."
"You know what to say. Wouldn’t two items have been even better, like they say, good things co in pairs?"
Chen Ningxi glanced at the logos on the gift boxes. Two of the gift boxes bore the logo of Linzhou Jiren Hall. While unassuming, those knowledgeable knew that Jiren Hall was a century-old store specializing in precious herbal supplents. These two boxes must have cost quite a sum, but the quality was certainly top-grade. There were also two luxury shopping bags. Adding up the alcohol, tea, and tobacco, it must have been a considerable expense.
"Didn’t we agree not to buy expensive gifts?"
"They’re not expensive, not expensive."
His nonchalant tone left Chen Ningxi unable to get upset. She voiced her complaints but knew clearly that his ticulous preparation resulted from how important she was to him.
Under the guidance of the GPS, Cheng Qiaobei’s car smoothly parked in the space at the residential area.
Cheng Qiaobei opened the rear car door, making several trips to load all the items into the elevator.
Chen Ningxi pressed the elevator button for their floor. Cheng Qiaobei asked:
"Is your dad ho?"
Chen Ningxi said, "No, he has a eting and will be back an hour late."
"Oh, your dad sure is busy."
"My dad, he’s used to it, and so am I," Chen Ningxi said. "The day he’s not busy is when sothing’s not right."
With a ding, the elevator arrived.
Cheng Qiaobei first carried out the smaller items, then hefted two heavier boxes last.
As they entered the house, the sound of stir-frying drifted from the kitchen. Chen Ningxi headed to the kitchen entrance and spoke to the person cooking, "Mom, Cheng is here."
Ye Yujun covered the pot, leaving the beef to simr on low heat for a while longer. She wiped her hands and ca out of the kitchen.
It wasn’t the first ti the two had t. Cheng Qiaobei greeted her courteously, "Hello, Auntie, sorry to disturb you today."
"Cheng, you didn’t need to buy so many things," Ye Yujun said, reaching to take the items from his hands. Cheng Qiaobei replied, "Auntie, just tell where to put them, and I’ll take them over."
Among the gift boxes, there was a box of sea cucumbers and a case of packaged durian and a fruit gift box.
"Put these in the fridge." Ye Yujun headed to the kitchen, with Cheng Qiaobei closely following, "I got it, Auntie."
Cheng Qiaobei opened the fridge, noting how neatly things were arranged inside. He carefully stored the sea cucumbers, then used an anti-bacterial wipe to clean the packaging film on the fruits outside before finding space to store them.
A person’s upbringing and habits can’t be faked. From their small daily routines, you can tell about their living environnt and the parenting they received.
Cheng Qiaobei was thodical in his tasks and very detailed and clean.
Compared to Guo Heming, who once stuffed things haphazardly into the fridge among many other bad habits, Cheng Qiaobei was far superior.
"Mom," Chen Ningxi said, "Cheng also picked two gifts for you. Just a heads up, the items were all his choices. I didn’t have a say."
Cheng Qiaobei took out four items and arranged them on the table—a luxury silk scarf, a branded gold bracelet, a box of bird’s nest soup. The last item, he handed over with both hands, "Ning Xi often told about your work back then. I didn’t realize how impressive you were. She also regrets that you gave up your passion for writing to look after her. This pen was specially customized for you through a friend, engraved with your initials. There’s another one with Uncle’s na on it."
The other gifts didn’t surprise Chen Ningxi, but the last one she hadn’t expected.
"Oh, this pen looks just like one I had when I started working."
Ye Yujun took the pen, studying its body, which shimred gold, evoking familiar mories. Back then, computer typing hadn’t yet beco widespread—everyone wrote speeches by hand using a fountain pen. It was through one such pen and speech that she earned her leaders’ appreciation.
mories couldn’t be captured in words, but seeing a familiar item could awaken many fragnts from the depths of mory.
Ye Yujun looked at him warmly and said, "I can see you put a lot of thought into this."
Cheng Qiaobei’s deanor was sincere, his tone devoid of flattery, "This is my first ti visiting, and honestly, I was apprehensive. I wasn’t sure what gift to bring, worried I’d choose poorly. Since you like them, I feel reassured."
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