Madam Qin was furious the moment she saw her precious daughter standing alone, shedding tears.
She made a call to Father Lu, successfully getting an elevator to the top floor and heading straight for Jun Jiuli's office.
Father Lu, having finished his work, went to his son's office to get a closer look at the drama.
"Ling Heng, are you busy?"
Jun Jiuli put down the document in her hand, "Auntie, aren't you asking the obvious?"
Madam Qin gave an awkward laugh, "Then may Auntie disturb you for a moment and take up some of your time."
"Looking at your demeanor, it seems I have no choice but to agree."
"You… is that how you speak to your elders?"
Just as Jun Jiuli was about to reply, Father Lu chimed in.
"Ling Heng has always been blunt since he was young, please don't mind him too much. Get straight to the point; young people are all busy building their careers."
Madam Qin felt stifled. It had been a long time since anyone spoke to her like this. It was true what they say, like father, like son; their tongues were equally sharp.
She wanted to storm off, but looking at her disappointing daughter beside her, she suppressed her anger and continued,
"Old Lu, I believe my Old Qin already spoke to you this morning. What do you think about the marriage between these two children? We are a good match, and with the two families joined, we will surely prosper."
Meng Jiaxiao felt a pang of nervousness. She didn't want to lose this relationship. However, business people were often driven by profit, and she feared Jun Jiuli would buckle under the pressure and abandon her. She also feared Jun Jiuli would break ties with her family for her sake, neither of which she wanted.
Jun Jiuli gently patted her hand and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, watch my dad handle this."
"Don't talk nonsense. Children these days are all about free love. What marriage, what not? Ling Heng has a girlfriend. They're deeply in love, they were even whispering sweet nothings in front of us adults."
Meng Jiaxiao's face flushed beet red. Jun Jiuli stood up, took her hand, and led her out.
"Dad, you and Aunt Qin chat slowly. I'll take Xiaoxiao out to make you both some coffee."
Father Qin looked unhappy. He had come to spectate but was now being tasked with resolving a problem. He waved his hand, signaling them to leave quickly.
"Qin Jiaxiao: Is it really okay for us to leave like this?"
"Don't worry, it's more than okay."
Jun Jiuli brought her to the pantry and sat with her for a while, noticing the blush on her face had faded.
"How do you feel?"
"Much better."
"Do you want to go back in?"
Meng Jiaxiao thought about it with some hesitation before nodding, "Although I'm a bit shy, I still want to see Father Lu's attitude."
"Alright, wait a moment. Once the coffee is brewed, we'll go back in."
Meng Jiaxiao smiled knowingly, watching Jun Jiuli skillfully brew the coffee. She thought that Lu Lingheng was becoming more and more caring. He used to be such a straightforward man.
She didn't have to do anything herself; everything was taken care of by him. The future seemed a little brighter, and meeting the parents didn't seem so scary anymore.
Lu Lingheng: "I'm trying my best to learn, and I'll be even better to you in the future. Can you please stop staring at a woman like a pervert? Even though it's my body, I still feel uncomfortable. (T_T)"
"Dad, how did your chat go?"
Jun Jiuli said as she brought out the coffee and set it down. If they wanted to drink, they could get it themselves; she wasn't in the mood to serve anyone.
Father Lu picked up a cup himself, "It was just like that, nothing much to talk about."
Madam Qin: "What do you mean nothing much to talk about? Ling Heng abandoned Ruan Ruan alone in the hotel last night. Is that something a mature man would do? With so many years of friendship between our families, what if something happened to Ruan Ruan by accident?"
Father Lu: "Whatever happens, happens. Isn't your niece an adult? Let's not interfere too much; she's not a child. Young people have their own ideas and can be responsible for themselves."
"It's our Ruan Ruan who is at a disadvantage. If Ling Heng were a girl in Ruan Ruan's situation, would you still be so nonchalant?"
"That won't do at all. If Ling Heng were a daughter, I would definitely educate her properly, not let her associate with disreputable people, and not let her cling to someone else and resort to such despicable tactics."
Qin Ruanruan cried even harder upon hearing these words. Madam Qin comforted her with heartache and looked at Father Lu with resentment.
"How can you, as an elder, speak like that? Ruan Ruan made a mistake, but her mistake was loving your son too much. How dare you humiliate her like this?"
"Ahem, Ling Heng, did you seduce a young girl, or are you a scumbag who deceived someone's feelings?"
Jun Jiuli shook her head like a rattle drum, denying everything.
Father Lu said earnestly, "No matter how much friendship there is between our families, love requires mutual affection. Ruan Ruan will find someone suitable in the future, and Ling Heng has already found someone suitable. People shouldn't hang themselves on one tree, although my son's tree isn't bad."
Shui Wa: "The artistic charm of language..."
"Uncle Lu, I really cannot live without Ling Heng ge. He has become an indispensable part of my life. Without him, I don't know how I would live."
"Live however you need to live."