She waved her phone at him in which the call was still connected, and whispered, âDidnât I tell you not to come back homeâŠâ
âYouâre too slow!â
Bai Muchuan twirled the keys around his finger dashingly as he walked slowly over to Xiang Wan. But the smile on his face was gone when he saw the pleading look on her face.
âOkay, okay, okay!â He sighed helplessly, lifting his hands as though surrendering to her and began to walk backwards. âIâll leave, alright?â
ââŠâ Xiang Wan felt her heart clasped.
He took a glance at her. âIâm already worn out for the whole day. I was thinking of taking a restâŠâ
As Bai Muchuan added that sentence, Xiang Wan instantly felt that she was evil.
In order to solve the case, he had not rested properly for several days straight. It was not easy for him to come back for a rest, and she actually wanted to chase him awayâŠ
After putting herself in his shoes, Xiang Wan started to hesitate.
âSigh! All because I have to be kept in the darkâŠâ Bai Muchuan sighed as he turned away slowly, leaving her a desolate back viewâŠ
She had to admit that he was too good-looking that even his figure was the standard figure that frequently appeared in idol dramas: long legs, broad shoulders, slender figure, upright posture, plus that natural brooding lookâhe could totally be an âaunty-killerââŠ
Tan Yunchun was standing at the entrance of the kitchen and witnessed the scene of him looking despondently and giving in to Xiang Wanâs demands.
âWait!â She wiped her hands using the apron and chased after him as though she had seen something very rare. Her eyes were especially bright as she looked at Bai Muchuan. âPlease excuse me⊠Are you my Little Wanâs boyfriend?â
Xiang Wan: ââŠâ
Mom! Youâre too direct!
The moment Xiang Wan saw her momâs âdelightedâ expression, she could already guarantee that as long as Bai Muchuan admitted to it, mom would immediately pack her up like a present and deliver it to him.
Mom would not only deliver her, she would also add in dinner and eggsâŠ
Xiang Wan blinked and squeezed her eyes at Bai Muchuan frantically. Bai Muchuan studied her carefully and put his hands up innocently again. That meant that he was unable to pick up her âsignalâ. Next, he looked at Tan Yunchun in a dilemma.
âAunty⊠she doesnât want me to say it.â
Tan Yunchun gave Xiang Wan a glare. âSay it! Aunty will help you.â
Xiang Wan: ââŠâ
Did anyone find this dialogue strange?
Why did she feel like an evil witch bullying a pure, innocent boy?
âMom!â Xiang Wanâs eyebrows furrowed, and the pounding of her heart was as loud as thunder. It was not as though she was the one meeting his parents, yet she was even more nervous than Bai Muchuan. âHeâs actuallyâŠâ
âYes, Iâm her boyfriend!â Bai Muchuan interrupted Xiang Wan and admitted their relationship to her mom seriously. His eyes looked at Tan Yunchun, together with an elegant, half-smile. âAunty, as this is too sudden, I did not prepare a present for you in our first meeting. Iâll give it to you the next timeâŠâ
This meeting had just started, and he had already fixed that they were going to meet the next time.
Xiang Wanâs dumbfounded expression was in contrast to her momâs elated expression who had a huge smile on her face.
âSure, sure! Weâre family, donât need to be so polite.â
In this world, there were too many people who loved beautiful things⊠They were naturally born with it, which was tough to cure.
Although Bai Muchuan looked a little worn-out that night, he still looked very charming.
Whether it was a young woman like Xiang Wan or a middle-aged woman like Tan Yunchun, they could not escape that lethal, alluring smile of his.
When his eyes curved, his sharp gaze was gone, and he would have a more honest look, totally a looker that could sweep middle-aged women off their feet.
âThank you, Aunty!ââ
With such a young man before her, Tan Yunchun was actually nervous as she wiped her hands on the apron again and stretched out her hand to Bai Muchuan.
Bai Muchuan shook hands with her, using moderate strength and showing a polite smile.
Tan Yunchun was very satisfied with his behavior. âWhatâs your name?â
âAunty, my name is Bai Muchuan,â and he added, âyou can call me Little Bai.â
He was from the prestigious Bai Family in the capital after all. He knew exactly how to behave to give the best first impression. In a few minutes of dealing with him, he had successfully pleased his future mother-in-law and put her on his side.
Seeing how good they were getting along, Xiang Wan, who was being neglected, actually felt a little relieved.
It was lucky that Bai Muchuan had met her mom first and not her Youngest Aunt. Otherwise, he would definitely suffer in the hands of her Youngest Aunt as she would make him give a clear account of his 18 generations of ancestorsâŠ
âLittle Bai, where are you from? Your accent tells me youâre not from Jin City.â
âIâm from the Capital, Aunty.â
âOh, Capital. The Capitalâs a good place, just that itâs kinda far⊠Do your parents support the idea of you looking for a partner here?â
âI make my own decisions.â
âI see, thatâs good as well. Umm⊠I want to ask you what youâre working as now?â
When Xiang Wan heard that, she felt her brain hum for a moment.
It seemed like she had belittled her own momâs capability to dig information. Her capability did not lose to her Youngest Aunt.
âMom!â Xiang Wan cleared her throat and interrupted before Bai Muchuan answered that question. She kept blinking at her mom. âArenât you cooking something in the pot? I think itâs going to get burnt.â
âOh right! You hurry up and help me check itâŠâ Tan Yunchun immediately ordered her daughter.
Xiang Wan: ââŠâ
At this point, nothing mattered more than âinterrogatingâ her future son-in-law.
Tan Yunchun continued the earlier topic. âLittle Bai, where are you working?â
Xiang Wan took a glance at Bai Muchuan and gestured for him not to answer every question truthfully.
However, Bai Muchuan did not seem to understand Xiang Wanâs reminder. After Tan Yunchun asked him about his occupation again, he answered truthfully, âIâm colleagues with Wanwan. Iâm a detective with the Criminal Investigative Unit at Hongjiang District!â
âDetective?â Tan Yunchun seemed a little taken aback.
She took a look at Xiang Wan and then back to Bai Muchuan and suddenly realized something.
âIs it because of you that my Wanwan could get a job at the Criminal Investigation Unit?â
Eh? Bai Muchuan narrowed his eyes and gave a smile. âYou can say that, too.â
Tan Yunchun nodded her head and remained silent for a while. She did not feel as enthusiastic to continue asking anymore.
âEh, is my cooking in the pot burnt?â She got up fast and looked at Bai Muchuan with a smile. âLittle Bai, Iâll go to the kitchen for a lookâŠâ
âAlright, Aunty.â Bai Muchuan saw her going into the kitchen and did not think too much of it. He got up from the sofa and walked toward the room which Xiang Wan had told her mom that it belonged to the âlandlordâ.
ââŠâ
Xiang Wan had a bitter expression, wishing she could get swallowed up by the ground that moment.
Her lie was exposed directly in her face. From the expression on her momâs face, she was as though walking the old path of Fang Yuanyuanâher boyfriendâs occupation was being frowned upon.
Tan Yunchun entered the kitchen. In just a moment, she poked out her head to call for Xiang Wan.
âWanwan, come and help out mom for a while.â
âOh, coming.â
Xiang Wan knew her mom must have something private to talk to her. She heaved a sigh inside her head, walked slowly to the kitchen, closed the kitchen door, and leaned against the door with her back. âYou can tell me now, what do you want to ask?â
Tan Yunchun had one hand holding the spatula and had a worried expression as she stared at her. âWhy is he also a detective?â she asked softly.
ââŠâ Xiang Wan rolled her eyes. âWhatâs wrong with being a detective?â
âHave you forgotten Yuanyuanâs ex-boyfriend by the name of what Huang?â Tan Yunchun gave her daughter another glare and made the gesture of using the spatula as though knocking on Xiang Wanâs head. âYou silly lass, what is your brain thinking about?â
Xiang Wan shrunk her neck but stared at her mom as if not admitting defeat. âWhatâs the problem with liking a detective?â
âYour Youngest Aunt has already said that this occupation has a very high risk factor.â Tan Yunchun was agitated with Xiang Wanâs behavior. âDetectives wonât have much time for their family, and their workload is heavy. He wonât have time to take care of you and canât help you in your housework. If you marry a detective, youâre no different from being a widowâŠâ
Xiang Wan was speechless.
Since when was being a detective despised upon to such a level?
Xiang Wan and her mom had different views. and there was no point arguing over it. Therefore, she chose to divert the topic of occupation and said something else.
âBut⊠Mom, donât you think that heâs really good-looking?â
Tan Yunchun was startled for a moment, shot Xiang Wan an unfriendly gaze, but couldnât resist laughing over her remark. âThat young man is indeed very pleasant looking. He seemed to have a good character, too. Itâs a pity that heâs a detectiveâŠâ
âWhatâs the problem with detectives?â Xiang Wan had come into contact with the detectives and couldnât bear to hear them being criticized. âWhatâs moreâŠâ Her tone was higher than usual. âIsnât Cheng Zheng also considered to be a detective? But Youngest Aunt never said anything?â
âThatâs not the same. Heâs specialized in his area of expertise and works in the office.â
ââŠâ
Her mom actually knew all about these.
It seemed like Youngest Aunt really liked Cheng Zheng and pinned a lot of hopes on him.
Xiang Wan poutedâshe saw the hesitation on her momâs expression and knew she was actually satisfied with Bai Muchuan but found it hard to tell Youngest Aunt about it.
Sigh!
She was helpless to have a mom like this, too.
Use strong medicine when it was a serious illness! Since she had already seen that Bai Muchuan went inside that room, Xiang Wan decided to give it her all and grabbed her momâs hands.
âMom, you need to agree or your daughter canât live on anymoreâŠâ
Tan Yunchun was stunned and shoved Xiang Wanâs hands away. âDonât give me that! Donât think I donât know you well, whatâs so serious about this?â
âItâs very serious. Didnât you see that weâve alreadyâŠâ Xiang Wan bit her lower lip and said the rest of the words with determination, âalready cohabiting with each other?â
Tan Yunchun furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Xiang Wan.
Youngsters nowadays fell in and out of love like the wind.
Hence, when she saw Bai Muchuan entering the room, Tan Yunchun already had that notion in her head, just waiting for her daughter to affirm it.
âYou youngsters, you may be together today, but you may part your ways tomorrow. Ainât this normal nowadays? Look at Yuanyuan, she has a few ex-boyfriends tooâŠâ
âIâm different from her.â Xiang Wanâs lips curved downward at the corners, looking all pitiful. âMom, this is my first love, the first man in my life. I donât want to give up⊠I beg of you!â
âHmph!â Tan Yunchun tried to remove Xiang Wanâs hands as she tried to hold her momâs hands again. Tan Yunchun turned to fry the vegetables. âWhy are you begging me? Arenât you someone who always know what to do and would never lower your head?â
ââŠâ
Xiang Wan did not get angry with her momâs sarcasm, but instead she let out a happy cry.
âOh my! My mom really knows me bestâI love you, Mom!â
She gave her mom a hug from behind and kissed her on the cheek.
Tan Yunchun was unsure whether to laugh or to cry. She stared at her daughter. âI havenât fully agreed, but you already got carried away⊠I need to warn you if your Youngest Aunt asks you about it, you better answer her carefully.â
âI know! I know youâre the open-minded and greatest mom of all!â
âŠ
This was totally like a huge improvement of the times.
What could be happier than having her boyfriend getting âapprovedâ by her dearest mom?
Xiang Wanâs happiness was shown on the face as well as her behavior. She helped to put the dishes on the dining table, helped her mom at one moment, and chatted with Bai Muchuan the next. That thrilled look of hers was totally like she was an 18-year-old who had fallen in love for the first time.
âŠ
Fang Yuanyuan returned when dinner was about to be ready.
She couldnât believe her eyes at the sight she saw when she opened the door.
After finishing changing her clothes, she dragged Xiang Wan into her room.
âSis, you arranged for Detective Bai to meet your mom?â
âNo!â Xiang Wan pursed her lips into a smile. âItâs just a coincidence.â
âOh heavens! Youâre great, Sis.â Fang Yuanyuan gave Xiang Wan a thumbs-up and could not resist laughing. âYou know something? Youâre so happy that youâre behaving like a silly woman!â
âGeez!â Xiang Wan changed topic. âCome out for dinner.â
Watching Xiang Wanâs blissful look, Fang Yuanyuan shrugged her shoulders and felt a little melancholic inside.
This was because she got reminded of Huang He.
That Huang He who had entered the detention center once again.
She sat alone inside her room for two minutes, trying to soothe and calm herself down before going out with a smile.
âŠ
In the dining room, a wide variety of dishes filled the table.
Although Tan Yunchun did not have any other skills, she was skilful in housework and cooking. Her food was always well-received by the family, and she even put in effort to make them look good. Even if the dishes were to be served in a banquet, no one would know they were actually home cooked food. Hence, if Youngest Aunt invited guests home for dinner, she would usually get Tan Yunchun to cook.
As she met her future son-in-law today, she put in more effort in her cooking, and the dishes looked even more exquisite than usual.
The moment Bai Muchuan ate the food, he started to give his praises.
âAunty, your foodâs really nice! I feel that the chef in a Michelin restaurant should be around your level.â
Tan Yunchun did not know what he meant by Michelin, but from the way he put it, she knew it must be something prestigious. âIâm just glad you like the food,â she shook her head and said humbly, âI just made them casually, how can I compete with the chefs?â
âAunty, youâre too modest! Youâre already at the chefâs level when you make the food casually. If youâre serious, how are those chefs going to survive?â
âThis child sure knows how to talk.â Tan Yunchun laughed.
Anything could fail but not flattery.
In just a dinnerâs time, Tan Yunchun was âenchantedâ by Bai Muchuan. She was so glad that she couldnât stop smiling. All her worry and unease earlier were gone with the windâŠ
Bai Muchuan had, as though, deprived Xiang Wan of her existence completely.
Of course, Tan Yunchun did not forget to continue to pry into his background.
In front of his future mother-in-law, Bai Muchuanâs performance could be said to be very outstanding. He was gentle and polite, talked well and answered the questions confidently, totally behaving like an elite of the society. His mannerisms were also elegant and appropriate.
However, when it came to questions about his family, he was especially cautious.
Every question had been answered seriously, but after careful consideration, his personal background was still vague and almost blank.
About his familyâan ordinary family in the capital.
About his parentâordinary worker in a state organisation.
About his incomeâable to survive, average.
About housing propertyâtwo fully-paid up houses.
About carsâowned a car.
Due to his overly gentle and humble replies, Xiang Wan had actually wanted to remind him a couple of times.
Sometimes, one should brag in front of the elders! Why did he want to âdeductâ his own marks?
Xiang Wan did not understand Bai Muchuan.
Nevertheless, Tan Yunchun did not feel disappointed at his replies. This was because Bai Muchuan had a car as well as two houses plus a stable job. At his age, that was already considered not bad.
She had nothing to nitpick on⊠What she was worried about was only Xiang Wanâs Youngest Aunt who might not be satisfied with his background.
The people Youngest Aunt came into contact with were different from them. The people she usually liaised with were people from the upper-echelons of the society.
Youngest Aunt had been instilling Xiang Wanâs mom a thoughtâthat with Xiang Wanâs good looks and good temper, she should pick a husband who could elevate her social status.
When Youngest Aunt chose Cheng Zheng to be Xiang Wanâs blind date, it was because he had a wealthy family.
As for exactly how wealthy the Cheng Family was, Tan Yunchun did not know about that. Nevertheless, she was sure that Cheng Zhengâs family was several hundred times wealthier than this young fellow by the surname Bai?
When she compared it this way, what competitive advantage did he have before Xiang Wanâs Youngest Aunt?
âŠ
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