As Tang Yun led Lin Shuang away, Lin Li gestured for Chen Jie to sit down.
No sooner had he sat down than Lin Li said to Chen Jie, "Chen Jie, we've been rather lenient in our upbringing of our daughter. This girl has always been quite independent since she was young, never discussing anything with us. As a result, we're not privy to many of her affairs."
"However, if we were to make any major decisions, Lin Shuang would still listen to us, including whether to annul your engagement, do you understand?"
Chen Jie nodded.
The implication was that whether their engagement would be broken off was not for Lin Shuang to decide.
"Now, I'll ask you, what is your occupation?" Lin Li asked Chen Jie.
Chen Jie was a bit surprised. Hadn't Lin Shuang told them? But then he recalled Lin Li's earlier statement about not knowing much about Lin Shuang's affairs, and Chen Jie understood. Perhaps Lin Shuang had mentioned him but not in great detail.
So Chen Jie replied humbly, "I own a few companies in the provincial capital."
"Oh? So you're a big boss! We've underestimated you!" Lin Li's gaze towards Chen Jie immediately showed disappointment.
"I've heard you already have a girlfriend. If we were to allow you to associate with my daughter, would you be willing to sever ties?" Lin Li continued to ask.
Chen Jie immediately shook his head, "No! My girlfriend and I have a very good relationship, and we won't break up."
Under normal circumstances, parents would have been furious to hear the man their daughter brought home say that. But Lin Li fell into deep thought.
"This is the biggest problem. Therefore, I personally lean towards you breaking the engagement, and from then on, you'll have nothing to do with each other. What do you think?" Lin Li said.
Chen Jie's expression stiffened. He felt a pang of displeasure. He thought to himself, no wonder. He must have already planned to break off the engagement with him, so he didn't care if he had a girlfriend. However, Chen Jie and Wang Xiao Yan indeed had a good relationship, and he would never abandon Wang Xiao Yan. In the current situation, he certainly couldn't force anything. Even if they had a destined connection.
"Alright, I have no objections," Chen Jie said, his heart feeling heavy. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Hehe, good! It's a relief that you're so agreeable! However, it's not entirely impossible for the two of you." Lin Li said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Chen Jie asked in surprise.
"I see you as a straightforward young man, and you suit my taste. Men, as long as they have some ambition, don't they all have flags fluttering outside and a banner standing firm at home?" Lin Li whispered, cupping his hand to his mouth, "I'm the same, I just do a good job of keeping it a secret!"
Chen Jie looked enlightened. It wasn't surprising that Lin Li's wife lacked his elegance, yet he acted so affectionate. So there were other entanglements. He hadn't expected Lin Li to tell him all this.
"But Lin Shuang is my daughter, after all. I can't let my daughter suffer a disadvantage, can I? What do you say?" Lin Li continued. "Do you know what your grandfather said when he found us back then?"
Chen Jie's gaze sharpened. Did his master claim to be his grandfather when they made the engagement? "What did he say?" Chen Jie asked.
"We'll talk about that later," Lin Li said with a smile.
At that moment, Tang Yun came in with dishes, "The food is ready!" She brought in more than ten dishes. It seemed they had prepared in advance, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to cook so many dishes in such a short time.
"Have you finished talking?" Tang Yun asked.
"I was just about to say," Lin Li replied.
"Oh, with your slow-talking nature, when will you ever change? Let me say it!"
"Mom!" Lin Shuang tried to stop her.
But Tang Yun ignored her and looked directly at Chen Jie, "Boy, let's be blunt. This engagement won't be broken off so easily, but don't say we didn't give you a chance. If you can pass our test, we won't interfere with you and Lin Shuang anymore. Are you willing to accept our test?"
Chen Jie was stunned, then recalled what Lin Li had said earlier. He nodded immediately. Regardless of what happened with Lin Shuang, it would be better if they didn't interfere.
"Today we've invited several young talents to meet Lin Shuang for a blind date. If you can outperform them, then we won't bother you anymore!"
"Mom!" Lin Shuang protested indignantly.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"They're here! The time is almost up! The first one has arrived!" Tang Yun exclaimed joyfully and was about to open the door to greet them. She was as enthusiastic as she had been when welcoming Chen Jie.
Lin Shuang wanted to stop her, but it was no use.
"Chen Jie, you..." Lin Shuang was anxious, wanting Chen Jie to say something.
But Chen Jie waved his hand and whispered, "It's okay. Although we don't need to fulfill the engagement, I can still help you resolve some trouble."
Lin Shuang let out a soft huff.
At that moment, a man's voice came, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt!"
Chen Jie turned and looked, and subtly nodded. From an appearance standpoint, this man was qualified. His demeanor was also decent.
"Shao Feng, please sit!" Tang Yun gestured for Shao Feng to join them at the table.
Chen Jie looked enlightened. No wonder they had prepared so many dishes; it wasn't just for them.
"Got it! Uncle, I brought you these cigarettes, they cost quite a bit! They're limited now, you can't buy them even with money!" Shao Feng said with a grin, handing over two packs of cigarettes. Lin Li chuckled and accepted them.
"So, aren't we supposed to have a competition? Then let's compete!" Lin Shuang said, seeing Shao Feng proudly show off even two packs of cigarettes. She looked contemptuous. His capabilities were far inferior to Chen Jie's. Even a small amount of Chen Jie's surplus was no trivial sum.
"Don't rush! There's more!"
Just then, the doorbell rang again. Tang Yun eagerly welcomed the new arrival. Soon, another man walked in.
"Peng Ze is here, please sit!"
"En!" The young man sat down with a cool demeanor, but his gaze towards Lin Shuang was filled with lust.
Chen Jie's face darkened. Lin Shuang was also somewhat taken aback; two guests arriving at once was truly beyond her expectation. But it wasn't over yet. The doorbell rang again. This time, two people arrived at once. And they were brothers.
"Hehe, we're here to try our luck too." These brothers were also quite handsome.
Tang Yun reminded them, "Don't forget to bring the gifts from the car!"
Lin Shuang's face darkened further, almost fainting. The two brothers slapped their foreheads, "Almost forgot, we'll go get them right away." Two people left, and three returned. An additional young man, imposing and heroic, appeared, looking to be in his thirties.
"Brother, are you also here to try your luck? Come on, let's go in together. Oh, and don't forget to bring your gifts in. You can't come for a blind date empty-handed, right?" The newcomer's face stiffened, as if he truly hadn't prepared any gifts. He immediately took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, "Well, according to our local custom, a pack of cigarettes is sufficient when visiting." Tang Yun's expression immediately soured.