"I'll go pick him up and be right back. Do you want anything to eat? I can bring it up when I co back."
Shi Li didn't want to make things too easy for Shi Ruan, so she listed a long string of snacks and drinks she wanted Shi Ruan to bring up.
Shi Ruan didn't mind, since Ji Chunsheng would be the one carrying everything anyway.
Downstairs, the guest still hadn't left. He seed oblivious to the family's disdain and stubbornly refused to leave.
Only Eldest Uncle Shi and Youngest Uncle Shi were entertaining the guest in the living room. Shi Li's parents were out, while Shi's Grandmother and Eldest Aunt were taking their afternoon rest.
Eldest Uncle Shi had been pretending to doze with his eyes closed, only opening them when he heard footsteps coming downstairs. "If you need anything, just ask the housekeeper to send it up. There's no need for you to co down yourself."
Shi Ruan smiled shyly. She didn't want to say that Ji Chunsheng had co to pay New Year's respects to the elders, so she said instead, "I'm not missing anything. Ji Chunsheng ca to hang out with big brother."
The guest looked confused, as he recalled that the eldest son of the Shi family had just left not long ago.
"He only found out my brother wasn't ho after he arrived. Since he's already here, he said he'd like to give New Year's greetings to Grandmother and you."
As a father who understood his daughter's nature, he knew that Ji Chunsheng couldn't possibly have co to see Shi Quan.
Eldest Uncle Shi let out a light snort, "Then you'd better go et him quickly. What if he can't find his way?"
Shi Ruan shrugged with a smile, "I'm going now."
This was Ji Chunsheng's first visit to the Shi family ho. As a new boyfriend making his first visit, he was extrely nervous, with the trunk of his car full of gifts.
When he was about to take the gifts out of the car, Shi Ruan followed behind him with her hands in her pockets, saying casually, "No need to bring those. I told them you're here to see my brother." It would be strange to bring a car full of gifts just to visit a friend.
Under Ji Chunsheng's serious gaze, Shi Ruan felt slightly guilty. She thought that coming to his girlfriend's house for New Year's greetings seed too formal, like seeking official recognition of their relationship.
For her current situation, it felt too rushed.
That's why she had told her father that Ji Chunsheng was here to see Shi Quan, not to give New Year's greetings to the elders.
Ji Chunsheng couldn't help but laugh at Shi Ruan's answer. He barely knew his future brother-in-law Shi Quan, having only t him a few tis before dating Shi Ruan.
With such a relationship, Shi Ruan claid he ca to hang out with Shi Quan during New Year's.
Shi Ruan pushed him, "Co on."
She reached out to take Ji Chunsheng's hand, pulling him forward.
"Since I'm visiting, I should bring so gifts."
He selected a few items from the trunk.
With both hands carrying gifts, Ji Chunsheng obviously couldn't hold Shi Ruan's hand, so she just followed behind him.
"Dad, Uncle, I'm back."
Ji Chunsheng politely greeted the two elders.
Eldest Uncle Shi glanced at the gifts in his hands, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Shi Ruan probably told you on the way, but you've co at an inconvenient ti. Shi Quan just left on so business."
Hearing the sa explanation from both Eldest Uncle Shi and Shi Ruan, Ji Chunsheng maintained his polite smile.
"If you're not in a hurry, you can wait for him upstairs."
Ji Chunsheng very obediently said, "I'm not in a hurry."
"We happen to have many young people visiting today, it's quite lively."
"Ruan, take Chunsheng upstairs and be a good host."
"Alright."
Though Shi Ruan agreed, she rembered Shi Li's request to bring up snacks.
With free labor available, it would be a waste not to use it.
Ji Chunsheng carried all the snacks by himself, while Shi Ruan walked ahead empty-handed.
The guest was confused, thinking he'd never seen a visitor who had to do manual labor upon arrival. He wondered if the reason Mr. Shi hadn't agreed to his request was because he hadn't shown initiative in helping out when he visited.
Eldest Uncle Shi inwardly sneered. As a father-in-law looking at his potential son-in-law, he found everything about Ji Chunsheng increasingly disagreeable. Even Ji Chunsheng carrying all the snacks appeared pretentious in his eyes.
On their way upstairs, Ji Chunsheng lowered his voice to ask Shi Ruan, "Shouldn't I go pay New Year's respects to Grandmother and Auntie?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone was certain.
This ti Shi Ruan didn't make things difficult, "Grandmother and my mom are taking their afternoon nap, so better not."
Ji Chunsheng nodded, "That's different then. I ca at an awkward ti."
The family had been busy in the morning, and he had co to see Shi Ruan as soon as he was free.
But the timing was indeed awkward.
"Li, sister's back, and I brought the snacks up too."
When Shi Ruan pushed open the door, everyone's curious gazes fell on Ji Chunsheng, except for Fu Huixing and Shi Li.
Fu Huixing had t Ji Chunsheng before and even shared a al with him, so he wasn't curious.
As for Shi Li, his gaze was full of hostility.
Ji Chunsheng was equally curious about everyone, his gaze automatically skipping over Shi Li and landing on each male in the room.
Shi Ruan handed Shi Li's favorite snacks to him, then distributed the rest to Fu Huixing and Zuo Hengyi, her two younger brothers.
As both a sister and a teacher, she always took special care of those younger than herself.
The second young master of the Fu family warmly greeted him, "Hello, you must be Ruan's boyfriend."
Fu Zhanyang was the sa age as Shi Ruan, but he was actually older than her. Both Shi Li and Shi Ruan called him brother, just like they did with Shi Quan.
Logically, Shi Ruan's boyfriend should also call him brother, but Ji Chunsheng was older than Shi Quan, and naturally older than Fu Zhanyang.
The second young master of the Fu family couldn't call him brother either, as it felt strange.
Among the second generation of their circle, people were usually either exceptionally outstanding or notoriously infamous – these were the two extres that gained fa.
Though the second young master of the Fu family was unreliable, he didn't fall into either category.
However, he had beco famous because he had a girlfriend who turned out to be a human trafficker, which was unprecedented in their entire social circle. Whether there would be similar cases in the future was uncertain, but probably unlikely.
They say there's always a trade-off – though the second young master of the Fu family lost a girlfriend, he gained fa.
Aliali: 6749083ac4f3f33ac4814cd4
Even his own father wasn't as well-known as him. When introducing Mr. Fu, people had to add a series of titles before his na.
The second young master of the Fu family was different. Whenever people heard the na Fu Zhanyang, one identity automatically ca to mind – "Oh, the one whose girlfriend was a human trafficker."
"Hello, I've heard Shi Ruan ntion you."
The second young master of the Fu family thought that given his current reputation, hearing about him probably wasn't a good thing, yet Ji Chunsheng's eyes were extrely sincere.
"What a coincidence, I often hear Shi Ruan ntion you too."
The second young master of the Fu family was well-versed in the art of small talk. When unsure how to continue a conversation, he would simply rephrase what the other person had said with a different aning.
Nobody would take such pleasantries seriously, but Ji Chunsheng didn't follow the usual rules.
He smiled, "What has Ruan said about ?"
The second young master of the Fu family was stunned – how would he know what Shi Ruan had said about Ji Chunsheng?
Don't you understand social pleasantries? You're not supposed to take them seriously.
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