"Don't wear such a long face, all the relatives are watching!" Fu's father came back after entertaining guests and couldn't help but nag when he saw his wife's gloomy expression.
Fu's mother shot him a glance and said, "Don't you know why I'm unhappy? They aren't complimenting me; they're clearly waiting to see me make a fool of myself!"
"You're thinking too much! They don't mean that at all!" Fu's father felt she was too sensitive and always assumed the worst.
"Me thinking too much? Hah!" Fu's mother couldn't help but roll her eyes. After being married into their family for so many years, didn't she understand them? They were two-faced, putting on a show to your face while acting differently behind your back.
She didn't know how many disadvantages she had suffered, both openly and secretly.
"Alright, don't stay here. Isn't this just asking for gossip?" Fu's father was very confused. The relatives were guests, and shouldn't the hosts entertain them properly? Why was she hiding upstairs?
Fu's father still had to go downstairs to drink with his cousins. He went upstairs to get some wine and then went down, leaving his wife to sulk alone upstairs.
Fortunately, Fu's mother had seen her fair share of storms and had been in the business world for so many years. She quickly adjusted her mood. When she came downstairs, she was already wearing a decent smile and chatting and laughing with the relatives.
Afraid that Su Ying would not adapt, Fu Zheng did not take her home. Instead, he arranged to meet his parents at a hotel.
"Why the sudden change of mind? The relatives are all here!" Fu's mother was a little unhappy when she received the call. "Why are you so impulsive, always changing your mind?"
"Mom, I just said our company is on a trip here. When did I ever say I was bringing my girlfriend back?" Fu Zheng rubbed his temples helplessly.
"You're telling me this, and you don't mean that?" Fu's mother gritted her teeth hatefully.
"I mean it literally!"
"You child... aren't you making things difficult for us? So many relatives were waiting to meet your girlfriend, and now you're telling me you're not coming back?"
"We never asked them to come in the first place..."
"Also, my girlfriend is shy. What if she gets scared with so many people around!"
Fu's mother: ......
How shy!
I don't believe you for a second!
A fashionista who frequently appeared at international fashion weeks and was fluent in four languages would be shy? That excuse was too perfunctory!
"We're here for team building and don't have much free time. Come if you want, or don't!" Fu Zheng said, then hung up the phone.
Su Ying came out after her shower and didn't speak when she heard him on the phone. Seeing him fall out with his mother again, she couldn't help but poke his head. "You need to change that attitude!"
"My mom is too annoying, always making a fuss... I don't want you to be surrounded by people asking you strange questions!" Fu Zheng turned around and hugged her.
"Although I don't know how to get along with elders, meeting them is also an option," Su Ying said after thinking.
"No! Those relatives are very gossipy; they ask about everything!" Fu Zheng, having been through it before, didn't want her to be ambushed.
Su Ying was amused by him. "You're so cute!"
In the end, Fu's mother couldn't win against her son. She found an excuse, saying Su Ying couldn't come, and sent the relatives away. Then, she rushed to the restaurant Fu Zheng had booked and had a simple meal.
The meeting this time was quite pleasant.
At least, that's how Su Ying saw it.
Unlike the overbearing attitude during their last meeting, Fu's mother was much more polite. But it was only politeness, nothing more. However, that was good enough, Su Ying thought.
No need for false enthusiasm on the first meeting.
This was quite genuine!
"Are you staying for a few days?" Fu's father asked.
"Three days," Fu Zheng replied while serving Su Ying. "Tomorrow we plan to visit Grandpa and Grandma's."
"It's been a while since we've been back. It's good to see them." The two elders were getting on in years, their health declining, and they had been longing for their grandson to visit.
After dinner, Su Ying was about to return to the hotel. Before leaving, Fu's mother took a box out of her bag and handed it to Su Ying, saying it was a见面礼 (meeting gift).
Su Ying wanted to refuse, but Fu Zheng had already accepted it on her behalf. "Thank you, Mom!"
Fu's mother: ......
Why did he accept it when it was for the girl?
Fu's mother was speechless.
Her son was truly like a foundling!
Su Ying was also quite speechless.
Before she could even speak, he eagerly accepted it. He was so eager. Anyone would think she had instigated it from behind the scenes.
"Take it. It's a small token from my parents. Although it's not comparable to the gold bars from your family, this jewelry box was passed down from my maternal grandmother to my mother, who said she would pass it on to her future daughter-in-law..."
Fu's mother had already adjusted her mindset and said calmly, "No one in our Fu family is less wealthy than your Su family, but this piece of jewelry has special significance to me. Giving it to you is our token of affection."
Su Ying knew this was their acknowledgment of her.
She was silent for a long time, then took it and thanked them sincerely. "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. I will take good care of it."
Back at the hotel, Su Ying held the jewelry box in her hands, her heart feeling heavy.
Accepting this gift meant she and Fu Zheng had to start planning their future.
Before coming to G City, marriage was part of her life plan.
She was a very career-minded woman, and her life was dedicated entirely to her family and her work. In the next three years, she would buy a building to house her new company, open branches in twelve countries worldwide, and spread this beautiful endeavor across the globe.
She had a grand blueprint and immense ambition, but marriage was something she hadn't really considered.
She truly had little interest in getting married.
Seeing that she had been silent for a long time, Fu Zheng started to feel uneasy. "Yingying, did I make things difficult for you? If you really don't want it, I can take it back and return it to them..."
Su Ying turned her head and looked at the boy who was more than a head taller than her. She suddenly smiled. "No. I was just thinking about what gifts to bring your grandparents tomorrow."
"No need, they have everything. Your presence is enough!" Seeing that she didn't refuse the gift, Fu Zheng's smile returned to his face.
"That won't do! It's the first time meeting elders; you can't go empty-handed." Su Ying took out her phone and started searching for related content.
Seeing that she took it so seriously, Fu Zheng chose to help her take a shortcut.
"Grandpa enjoys a drink or two. You can please him by getting him some wine!"
"As for Grandma... she used to be in the cultural troupe and loved old records with good sound quality. I know a place nearby that sells these things. We can go shopping later."
With Fu Zheng's help, Su Ying successfully bought what she wanted. Besides these two items, she also chose some supplements and medical equipment, showing great thoughtfulness.
Fu Zheng's grandfather had hearing loss, so she chose an expensive hearing aid. Fu Zheng's grandmother loved opera, so she personally designed a qipao and had it made overnight, intending to surprise her.
Fu Zheng scratched his head.
He hadn't expected her to be even more thoughtful than he had imagined.