Lin Hai, who was right behind me, walked up and said, "I'll call Shi Yu's dad and we can all have dinner together."

I immediately took out my phone and replied, "I'll call."

"Okay, it's more appropriate if you do."

Then I dialed Pei Xianglong's number. It rang for a while before he answered and asked, "What is it?"

"Are you busy tonight for dinner?"

"What's up?"

"My dad wants to treat you to a meal."

"I'm still at the company," Pei Xianglong said, not directly answering.

"Then how about I pick you up later?"

"Is Shi Yu with you?"

"Yes, she's right here."

"I see, I'll get there myself."

As Pei Xianglong spoke, I could hear people talking to him on the phone, so he quickly ended the call.

"What did my dad say?" Pei Shi Yu asked.

"He'll come. Let's quickly find a restaurant."

"How about we invite Lao Wang too?" Lin Hai asked for my opinion.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"It's not appropriate for you to meet him," I flatly refused.

"Lao Wang is Lao Wang, and your mom is your mom. I'm inviting him to dinner purely for business."

"Forget it, I'll thank him for you. Besides, he's a very busy man and doesn't have time to come whenever we ask."

Lin Hai didn't insist anymore. My arbitrariness was just because I felt he didn't need to be involved in my mother's life again. I was afraid Lao Wang wouldn't want to come out either. Last time, he already told me he was just helping me, so I felt I could skip Lin Hai altogether.

On the way, after confirming the location, I immediately sent the address to Pei Xianglong. Lin Hai found a three-star hotel, which wasn't particularly crowded.

After we were seated, I first poured a glass of water for Lin Hai and said, "I might be busy later, so I won't say goodbye to you then. Consider this an early farewell."

"Let me know when you're leaving, and I'll go to Pudong Airport to see you off."

"No need, my mom will go then. Uncle Wang's daughter will go with me first. My mom will be embarrassed if she sees you."

Lin Hai was rendered speechless by my reason, and only replied faintly, "Then suit yourself."

Pei Shi Yu, who had been silent all along, said upon seeing this, "You'll have to meet eventually. If you keep blocking it like this, it will only be more awkward in the future. Let bygones be bygones, and you should handle the relationship well."

"Their grudges are too deep. They can't be resolved in a short period of time."

"I've already let it go. It's not as you say."

This was just Lin Hai's side of the story. I understood my mother quite well. Although Lin Hai had changed a lot now, the impression he left in the past couldn't be changed or improved.

Pei Xianglong arrived late, half an hour later. Before he even sat down, Lin Hai eagerly stood up to greet him, "You got here pretty fast."

Pei Xianglong's first reaction seemed to be unaccustomed to Lin Hai's enthusiasm. He just casually pulled out a chair and said, "Sit down, everyone. Make yourselves at home."

This was the difference in personality between me and Lin Hai. Asking me to deliberately curry favor with someone for a certain person or thing was something I could never do. Lin Hai, on the other hand, behaved very naturally in this regard. Of course, that was just his behavior. To me, it looked very unnatural, so I instinctively shrank my neck into the collar of my T-shirt to express my slight embarrassment at the moment.

Pei Shi Yu happened to see my little action, and she showed a knowing smile, a smile with stars in her eyes, as if she was deliberately watching my reaction.

Just then, the cold dishes were served. I stood up and put some on a plate for Pei Shi Yu, then leaned close to her ear and said softly, "My mood is the opposite of yours."

After I finished speaking, Pei Shi Yu tugged at my clothes from behind. This small action seemed very intimate. Returning to my seat, I asked Pei Xianglong, "Dad, would you like some wine tonight?"

"Let's have some. Today is a day to congratulate you both. You drink too," Pei Xianglong said with a smile.

"Lin Che, you pour. First, fill up your father-in-law's glass," Lin Hai said to me enthusiastically.

As I was pouring the wine, Pei Xianglong suddenly asked me, "Aren't you having a wedding?"

"We haven't prepared anything. There's no time to do it now. We'll make it up later."

"Okay, live well. I'll toast you both."

As he said this, Pei Xianglong was about to stand up, but I immediately stopped him and said, "We should be toasting you. Thank you for entrusting Pei Shi Yu to me."

"I didn't entrust her. It was her own choice. I can only give you my blessings."

"Thank you."

"If you really want to thank me, treat Shi Yu well. Getting the marriage certificate isn't the end, it's just the beginning."

"I understand," I replied with a smile.

"Okay, sit down."

As soon as I returned to my seat, Lin Hai said happily, "Lao Pei, I'll also toast you. You've raised Shi Yu so well. Lin Che is lucky to have her."

Pei Xianglong picked up his glass but didn't drink immediately. Looking at Lin Hai, he said very sincerely, "Lin Che is indeed lucky. Shi Yu is better than him in every aspect. But since they've come together, we can only bless them. Your experience is similar to mine. You lost your son and your wife. Their marriage can be considered a happy occasion for us. Live your life well in the future."

Perhaps it was because it touched on Lin Hai's sore spot, but his eyes suddenly turned a little red. I understood his feelings. At this moment, he must have thought of Lin Yang again. Seeing this, I started to smooth things over, "Today, everyone is happy. Let's let the unhappy things go. In another half a year, our child will be born. If they want to leave, we can't keep them. Let's prepare to welcome the new little life."

The scene, which was originally quite happy, suddenly became a little heavy because of Pei Xianglong's words. I was probably the one who felt the least empathy, after all, Lin Yang and her mother's feelings for me weren't very deep, and I didn't know Pei Shi Yu's family at all.

The dinner ended hastily. I found designated drivers for them one by one, and only returned to the car after watching their cars leave. Pei Shi Yu had already fastened her seat belt in the driver's seat. I pulled the seat belt over and said, "It was supposed to be a happy dinner."

"My dad's words were a bit inappropriate."

"His intentions were good. He probably just wanted to comfort my dad," I replied understandingly.

"Do old people become particularly fragile as they get older?" Pei Shi Yu asked with a smile.

"Maybe, so we must grow old together, and no one is allowed to abandon the other."

"No matter how long we live, one of us will always have to go first."

I thought for a while and said, "Thinking about it that way, life feels particularly tragic. Childhood is short, youth is short, and when we get old, we'll feel like we've lost the colorful side of life."

"That's why many old people are trying to recapture their youth."

I smiled and pointed into the distance, saying, "Let's head towards happiness!"