"Greetings, Father."
Fang Guyu and the other two bowed in unison.
"Mm, rise. What are you three doing here?"
Old Fang did not treat his other children with the same favor or indulgence as he did Fang Xiaoyu. Instead, he was often stern and had extremely strict requirements for their actions.
Firstly, their aptitude was not as good as Fang Xiaoyu's. If they didn't work harder in handling family affairs, they would only be able to eat and wait for death in the future, becoming a laughingstock.
Secondly, his greatest affection was for Fang Xiaoyu, as she was the youngest. In any family, the youngest daughter was the most doted-upon treasure.
The three exchanged glances. They couldn't possibly say they heard Wan Lei was coming and specifically came to see what he looked like.
Old Fang and Wan Lei's flight had not been fast, and many Fang family members had seen them. By now, the news must have spread throughout the entire Fang family.
"Alright, since you're here, come with me to see your mother. Our family hasn't gathered together for a long time."
"As you command."
It was obvious that these three were quite afraid of Old Fang, unlike Fang Xiaoyu who would grab his ear and call him "Old Fang."
Pushing open the door, Wan Lei saw a beautiful woman sitting at a round table, sipping fragrant tea.
That woman, no, Young Master Lei's mother-in-law, looked only in her early thirties. Standing next to Fang Hanlu, she looked more like sisters.
The moment he saw his mother-in-law, Young Master Lei finally understood why Old Fang never took concubines.
Those who know, know.
"Mother!"
Fang Xiaoyu cried out and, with her nimble little feet, sprinted over and threw herself into her mother's arms.
"You ungrateful girl, you actually know to come back. Calculate it yourself, how many years has it been since you left home to participate in the Ten Thousand Prodigy Rankings?"
Mother Fang lightly tapped Fang Xiaoyu's forehead, her scolding tone unable to hide the pampering in her eyes.
"More than seven years."
"More than seven years! When you left, you were just a little kid. Now you've grown into a young lady. Have you found a young man and are too happy to think of home?"
"How could that be?"
Fang Xiaoyu tugged at Mother Fang's arm, nuzzling against it with a娇憨 (jiāo hān - charmingly naive and sweet) expression.
Looking at Fang Xiaoyu, Mother Fang was secretly surprised. Her husband always said Xiaoyu's personality had changed greatly, but she hadn't believed him. Now, seeing it, it was like a complete transformation. She had never acted so spoiled before.
"Mother, let me introduce you. This is Wan Lei."
Fang Xiaoyu ran back again, pulling Wan Lei to Mother Fang, as if presenting a treasure.
"Your future son-in-law pays his respects to Mother-in-law."
Young Master Lei wasn't being glib this time but was very polite, hoping to make a good impression on his mother-in-law.
After all, his impression with his father-in-law and elder sister and brother-in-law was already quite bad. He couldn't have all of Xiaoyu's family members speaking ill of him.
Mother Fang looked Wan Lei up and down, a smile playing on her lips. It was truly a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, finding him more satisfactory the more she looked.
"You are Wan Lei? Indeed, you are a handsome man, just as the rumors say..."
Young Master Lei smiled in satisfaction.
"Shameless, just like the rumors."
Young Master Lei stopped smiling.
"Uh... Mother-in-law, what do you mean by that? Your humble son has always been very decent."
"Tsk, when did I agree to marry our Xiaoyu to you? You haven't even formally married yet, and you're already calling me Mother-in-law. Aren't you shameless?"
"Ah~, the moment your humble son saw Mother-in-law, he was captivated by the kind, amiable, benevolent, and sincere aura you exude. I believe Mother-in-law must be a kindly elder who dotes on her juniors. How could you possibly object to Xiaoyu and me?
When your humble son sees Mother-in-law, it feels closer than seeing his own mother."
"You're full of sweet talk and have no proper demeanor, just like your father when he was young. No wonder Xiaoyu likes you."
Young Master Lei was startled. Old Fang was so excellent in his youth too?
"I'm not as shameless as he is. Alright, we've met. Bring out the wine and food. Our family hasn't gathered together for so long."
"Indeed. Last time Xiaoyu left, she was just a Foundation Establishment child. After you took her to tour the Wan family, she was snatched away.
Now that she's back, she's already ranked among the elders. She's grown up..."
"Alright, alright, stop nagging."
Old Fang waved his hand, interrupting his wife's chatter, and ordered the wine and dishes to be served.
Old Fang naturally sat in the main seat, with Mother Fang next to him. On the other side were Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu. The other three children could only sit at the lower seats.
After pouring the wine, everyone toasted Old Fang and drank it all in one go.
After finishing the wine, Mother Fang looked at Wan Lei, and indeed, she liked him more and more.
"Speaking of Wan Lei, it truly hasn't been easy. Through all these years of struggling, he's reached this point and gained his current strength. He must have suffered a lot.
Our Fang family has wronged you. We've given you nothing, yet we've benefited from your kindness. This time, if it weren't for you, the Fang family members might not have been able to escape the Water Lily Secret Realm.
Mother Fang had received a detailed report from Fang Jufeng about this matter. As for Wan Lei's experiences, she knew them all by heart.
It was no joke; how could she not pay attention to Wan Lei's affairs? She cared about him more than her own son.
"Mother-in-law praises me too much. This time, it was everyone helping each other and working together in unity to overcome the difficulties, not just my humble son's achievement. Among them, the greatest contribution belongs to Xiaoyu.
Moreover, Old... Father-in-law also saved my life."
"Alas, don't say it like that. Kindness is kindness. The Fang family has given you nothing, yet we have wronged you."
"No, haven't the Fang family already given me their most precious pearl?"
Wan Lei chuckled, a rather shameless smile.
"You're quite good with words. It's different from what her father says. This old man constantly bad-mouths you to me, saying you speak so rudely you could anger people to death and that you're incredibly arrogant.
I say, young people with strength, why shouldn't they be spirited? If they're not spirited, are they still young? Who would take a liking to someone dull and meek?"
Hearing this, Old Fang's head went black. He glared fiercely at Wan Lei, and Young Master Lei grinned shamelessly.
"Xiaoyu, this girl, is exceptionally willful. She must have caused you a lot of trouble over the years, and you've always indulged her. You should pay more attention to her. This girl is very reckless and has a bad temper."
"Ah~ Xiaoyu is much smarter than me. In our family, she's the one who comes up with ideas for everything, big or small."
Listen, she's already using "our family." It's as if their daughter has already married him.
However, what she said was true. Fang Xiaoyu was indeed smarter than him. Usually, it was Fang Xiaoyu who came up with the ideas, but the final decision was always Wan Lei's.
"Alright, alright, stop talking so much and eat quickly."
Old Fang felt increasingly embarrassed. He had actually been outshone by his son-in-law.