Chapter 151 Extra Chapter 1 (2) Duan Lansheng meets the parents...

Duan Lansheng readily agreed to her proposal.

Lu Yuanyuan lives in the bustling downtown area of ​​the city. The surrounding area is a thriving commercial hub with towering skyscrapers and several super-large shopping malls connected by pedestrian bridges.

As night fell that day, the neon lights on the street shone brightly.

Lu Yuanyuan led Duan Lansheng and Tangyuan to a large plaza nearby. Since they had eaten too much at noon, none of the three were hungry for the time being, so Lu Yuanyuan decided to take them to the supermarket first to familiarize them with local prices and products.

The air conditioning in the plaza was blasting, and the air was filled with the luxurious scents of the high-end stores. People thronged the plaza. From the second floor to the basement, there was a large chain supermarket. It offered everything from snacks and drinks, rice, flour, soy sauce, raw meat and vegetables, seafood, daily necessities, and home appliances. There was even a section dedicated to imported goods, where, of course, the prices were several times higher.

As soon as they left home, Duan Lansheng and Tangyuan were like country bumpkins visiting the Grand View Garden. This was even more true in the bustling supermarket; everything was so new and exciting, and Tangyuan wanted to examine each item closely. Fortunately, he was very well-behaved, following his parents like a little tail, firmly remembering Lu Yuanyuan's teaching: always hold an adult's hand and don't run around.

Duan Lansheng, being much older, was far better at managing his expressions. He quickly suppressed his surprise, pushed the shopping cart, and walked beside Lu Yuanyuan. As she looked at the shelves, he subtly shielded her from anyone who might bump into her.

Lu Yuanyuan pointed to the neatly stacked, colorful instant noodles on the shelf and said, "These are the instant noodles I cooked for you last night. Besides the beef flavor you ate, there are also seafood and chicken flavors..."

Tangyuan tiptoed and picked up one flavor of each to put into her shopping cart. Duan Lansheng grunted and looked at the other shelf: "What are those jars of black liquid? Medicine?"

"No, no, no, this is cola, a kind of soda, it's sweet, and when you drink it it feels like lots of little bubbles bursting on your tongue."

Duan Lansheng: "?"

He looked bewildered, clearly unable to imagine the taste she was describing. Lu Yuanyuan smiled and took a few bottles, putting them in her shopping cart: "It's hard to describe, you'll know once you try it."

Duan Lansheng's gaze lingered on the other end: "And what are those packages?"

"That's the frozen food section. They have frozen dumplings, glutinous rice balls, wontons, and all sorts of things. Let's buy some to take home."

“Those are…”

"We already have these garbage bags in a pack of 100, so we don't need to buy any more."

The three of them strolled and chatted, with question marks constantly rising above Duan Lansheng and Tangyuan's heads, only to be popped one by one by Lu Yuanyuan.

Unconsciously, they arrived at the household goods section. Duan Lansheng glanced up and noticed the posters in front of him, and frowned slightly.

A few meters away, on a shelf, neatly arranged men's underwear was displayed, with an enlarged advertisement hanging next to it. The model was wearing only underwear and confidently showing off his good physique to the camera, with his six-pack abs as clearly defined as bricks.

"Ah, I found it!"

"..."

Lu Yuanyuan was clearly used to this scene. She walked over quickly, picked out a few packs of pure cotton underwear from the shelf, threw them into her shopping cart, and said, "Let's continue."

Duan Lansheng withdrew his gaze, took two steps behind her, and silently pressed his abs through his T-shirt, as if confirming something, his brows relaxing slightly.

Halfway through their walk, Lu Yuanyuan felt that the area around them was getting increasingly crowded, whether it was her imagination or not. Turning around, she discovered that there was a large group of people following behind them.

Could it be that they were walking too slowly and blocking other people's way?

Lu Yuanyuan, feeling embarrassed, pulled Duan Lansheng and Tangyuan aside. However, even though they had made way as much as possible, the people behind them did not pass them.

Lu Yuanyuan: "?"

She turned around again, puzzled. As soon as they met her gaze, everyone started looking up at the sky, down at the ground, and at the shelves. Some even started studying the labels on the soy sauce bottles with an intensity comparable to reading academic papers, as if they had only been there by chance.

Lu Yuanyuan: "..."

She finally realized, belatedly, that the culprit was right beside her.

Having spent so much time with Duan Lansheng, she had become immune to his face, completely ignoring how strikingly handsome he was, attracting attention wherever he went. Sure enough, someone had already followed him.

This is not a good sign.

Lu Yuanyuan made a quick decision, pulling him to the corner of the shelf and pulling a dust mask out of her bag: "Bend over."

Duan Lansheng lowered his head, letting her do as she pleased. The rope hooked around his ears, and the mask covered his face, revealing only a pair of crescent-shaped eyes: "Don't you want others to see me?"

There was something he kept to himself, something he didn't say aloud—"Are you jealous?"

Lu Yuanyuan was puzzled: "Of course, you don't have any identification right now, so it's best not to attract too much attention."

Upon hearing her answer, Duan Lansheng paused, seemingly displeased, straightened his back, and gave a flat "Oh."

Having bought almost everything, the three checked out of the supermarket, leaving Duan Lansheng with two heavy bags. It was almost eight o'clock, perfect timing. Several floors upstairs were filled with restaurants, offering Chinese, Western, and Southeast Asian cuisine. Lu Yuanyuan let them choose what they wanted, and they ultimately opted for a Thai restaurant.

This restaurant uses tropical-style rattan screens to divide the main hall into small private rooms, offering excellent privacy, and the food is also quite good. When we came out, it was already past nine o'clock, and the crowds in the square had visibly thinned out considerably.

That's right, the next day isn't the weekend, we still have to work.

There was a bubble tea shop on the floor below, and Lu Yuanyuan decided to pack three cups to take home before leaving. As she walked towards the shop, her phone suddenly rang. It was her mother calling, probably asking if she was coming home for dinner this weekend.

Duan Lansheng stopped and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"It's my mom's phone," Lu Yuanyuan said softly, gesturing for them to go order first.

Duan Lansheng knew that Lu's parents were unaware of his existence, so he nodded, took Tangyuan's hand, and walked forward. Lu Yuanyuan slowed her pace and pressed the answer button: "Hello? Mom, what's wrong?"

...

It was almost closing time at the plaza, and the two young female employees in the milk tea shop were sitting at their seats playing on their phones when they suddenly caught a glimpse of someone approaching the counter.

The shop assistant looked up and his eyes lit up instantly.

Since there were hardly any people around, Duan Lansheng naturally didn't wear a mask. He held Tangyuan in one hand and stood in front of the counter with his child, looking down at the menu and talking quietly about what to order.

Just before closing time, a customer like this arrived, and the two employees immediately perked up, quickly walking over: "Welcome! What would you like to drink, handsome?"

Meanwhile, the two were also exchanging excited, silent glances—

Holy crap, a living, long-haired beauty!

This child is so pretty and looks so much like him. Could it be that the handsome guy got married young and already has a son?

She's in her early twenties, she wouldn't have a child that big, right? Probably a younger brother or some kind of relative?

...

The telepathic exchange between the two individuals naturally couldn't reach their ears.

Duan Lansheng looked up and said, "We want two jasmine boba milk teas, one roasted sugar boba milk tea, all extra large, and four cream puffs."

The shop assistant said enthusiastically, "Thank you for your patronage of seventy yuan, handsome. You can just scan the code to pay."

To everyone's surprise, Duan Lansheng made no move to pay the bill. He casually turned around and said to the person behind him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Yuanyuan, come and pay the bill."

Shop assistant: "?"

A girl's voice came from afar, hurrying closer: "Oh, coming, coming!"

As soon as Lu Yuanyuan hung up the phone, she arrived at the milk tea shop. Without asking a single question, she skillfully took out her phone and obediently scanned the code to pay: "Done."

Shop assistant: "..."

The two shop assistants, who had just been exchanging pink bubbles, looked at each other, then at Duan Lansheng, their expressions becoming somewhat subtle and indescribable.

The milk tea and cream puffs were ready quickly. Lu Yuanyuan took the delivery bag and turned to leave. Even after she had walked away, the two shop assistants could still faintly hear her voice.

"There's no time today. I'll take you to buy a phone tomorrow after I get off work..."

"Um."

Shop assistant: "..."

Lu Yuanyuan took a big sip of milk tea, chewed the tapioca pearls with satisfaction, held Duan Lansheng's hand, and watched Tangyuan hopping and skipping in front of her. Suddenly, she heard a surprised and somewhat familiar voice from behind: "Yuanyuan?"

Lu Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and saw a curly-haired woman who was nearly fifty years old, with an elderly woman with gray hair and a sprightly appearance standing next to her.

This auntie is her neighbor in the same building as her parents. She is very active in the community. To put it nicely, she is talkative, enthusiastic, and well-informed. To put it bluntly, she is very gossipy and likes to ask about the neighbors' lives.

Sure enough, once she saw Lu Yuanyuan's face clearly, the curly-haired auntie exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "Oh my! It really is you! I saw you just now at the milk tea shop, and I was wondering if I had mistaken you for someone else!"

Lu Yuanyuan laughed twice: "Hello Aunt Wu, hello Grandma Li, why are you still out so late?"

"I came here with my mom for dinner. We're free tomorrow anyway, unlike you young people who have to go to work early in the morning. We enjoyed the cool air in the courtyard for a while before heading back." Aunt Wu answered with a smile, then glanced at Duan Lansheng beside her, a glint of shrewdness in her eyes: "You're out shopping with your boyfriend?"

Lu Yuanyuan said awkwardly, "Yes."

She had originally planned to formally introduce Duan Lansheng to her parents after some time, but now things were messed up. Aunt Wu knowing was practically the whole world knowing.

Plans can never keep up with changes; that's life.

Duan Lansheng also greeted them politely: "Hello."

Aunt Wu covered her bright red lips and smiled enigmatically: "Hehe, young man, you're quite handsome and energetic. How old are you? Where are you from? Where do you work?"

Duan Lansheng: "?"

Lu Yuanyuan took out her phone, pretended to glance at it, and exclaimed, "Oh no! Aunt Wu, the car we called has arrived. We have to go out now. Let's talk next time!"

Aunt Wu: "..."

Making an excuse to escape, though an old trick, can effectively interrupt spellcasting.

Lu Yuanyuan pulled Duan Lansheng and Tangyuan up and ran to a place where Aunt Wu and her daughter couldn't see them before she stopped, breathless.

A large hand gently patted her back to help her catch her breath. Duan Lansheng wasn't as nervous as she was; he even had the mood to tease her: "Yuanyuan, have you noticed that your stamina is now even worse than Tangyuan's?"

Tangyuan nodded vigorously, looking at her earnestly.

Lu Yuanyuan slapped Duan Lansheng's hand away and rolled her eyes at him: "Nonsense, I've never cultivated immortality in this world."

Duan Lansheng chuckled twice before turning to look at the square they had just run out of and asking, "Who were those two people?"

Lu Yuanyuan said helplessly, "They're my parents' neighbors."

Well, some things are meant to happen, and there's no stopping them. But since it hasn't happened yet, there's no need to make Duan Lansheng anxious. Let's go home first.

After arriving home, Lu Yuanyuan told Tangyuan to wash up and rest. Suddenly, she remembered that she had an old cell phone at home. She could let Duan Lansheng use it for now and then get a new phone card. There was no need to buy a new phone.

She rummaged through drawers and cabinets and sure enough, found the old phone. After charging it for a few minutes, it turned on smoothly, and Lu Yuanyuan was overjoyed.

Just then, a warm body pressed against her back, and she smelled the fragrance of shower gel: "What are you doing?"

Lu Yuanyuan waved her phone proudly, "It's my old phone, I can't believe it still turns on. I'm going to take a shower first, you can explore it on your own for now, I'll teach you in detail later."

Duan Lansheng nodded: "Okay."

Lu Yuanyuan took a nice hot shower and came out of the room. She saw Duan Lansheng still sitting on the sofa, head down, holding her phone, seemingly lost in thought.

Lu Yuanyuan, shuffling through her slippers, walked over and casually asked, "Is the battery fully charged yet?"

"Um."

"What are you looking at so intently?"

Duan Lansheng remained silent. Lu Yuanyuan leaned closer, took a closer look, and immediately jumped up: "Why are you looking at the photo album!"

She panicked and tried to snatch the phone back, but Duan Lansheng seemed to have anticipated her move and switched the phone to his other hand. The phone screen displayed her photo album, and most embarrassingly, the enlarged image was a still from a relatively obscure but well-known film, *Sixty Shades Darker*. The male lead in the photo was shirtless, his belt emphasizing his full chest, while the female lead's face wasn't shown at all, only a hand hooking her belt was visible.

Lu Yuanyuan: "..."

By the way, back in college, the movie "Sixty Shades Darker" was all the rage, and she saw it too. This still must have been saved from that time, right?

Objectively speaking, she'd only changed her phone three or four years ago. But subjectively, it felt like she'd never used that old phone in two lifetimes. If she hadn't seen this picture, she would have almost forgotten she'd even seen the movie.

"Didn't you let me explore freely? I just randomly clicked on a few places and saw this picture." Duan Lansheng smiled: "I didn't even know that Yuan Yuan liked this kind of thing until I saw it.

"No, I just saved it randomly!"

Lu Yuanyuan's lips twitched. She tried to snatch the phone back several times, but then her ankle was firmly grabbed, making her dizzy and her back pressed against the sofa.

Duan Lansheng knelt with his knees apart on either side of her waist, looking down at her. His black hair hung down, and his face was shrouded in shadow, making him appear like a demon.

Lu Yuanyuan swallowed hard, then felt her right hand being grabbed and pulled along the hem of his pajamas, touching his warm, well-defined muscles: "Let's continue what we did yesterday."

What happened yesterday?

Lu Yuanyuan stepped back: "...No need, I already know you like me a lot."

Duan Lansheng dragged her back to where she was and said calmly, "No, you don't know."

Her hometown has nurtured a unique, developed, and open civilization, a vibrant world blooming in another dimension, so fresh and so rich.

He didn't want Lu Yuanyuan to think he was old-fashioned and boring, and he didn't want anyone else to steal her attention. Even though he knew that such attention couldn't be taken seriously, he still longed for her to only look at him.

To win her heart, he didn't mind keeping up with the times and learning new things to win her affection and favor.

"Wait... the glutinous rice balls are still here!"

“He’s asleep.” Duan Lansheng leaned down, his lips close to her ear, like a wild beast licking the artery beneath her thin skin before feeding. “But if you keep struggling so loudly, he really will wake up.”

"…………"

.

The next morning, Lu Yuanyuan was woken up by a phone call from her parents.

After hanging up the phone, she sat on the sofa, lost in thought for a while, then turned her head and saw Duan Lansheng coming out with breakfast. Suddenly, without any preamble, she asked, "Do you want to see my mom and dad?"

Duan Lansheng paused for a moment, put down the bowl and plate, quickly walked to her, squatted down, and his eyes brightened slightly: "Is it alright?"

“Of course.” Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, revealing a slight worry: “However, I originally wanted to gradually build up your image before bringing you there. Now there’s no build-up at all, and I don’t know how they will react when they see you.”

Duan Lansheng placed a kiss on her lips and comforted her, "We'll have to let them know eventually."

“That’s true.” Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath and made up her mind: “Come home with me.”

This Saturday was the day Lu Yuanyuan had told her on the phone that she would be home for dinner. She had promised to bring Duan Lansheng home to meet her parents that day.

On that day, before the appointed time, the elderly couple from the Lu family were already sitting on the sofa in the living room, seemingly on high alert, staring at the door with solemn expressions and a hint of worry.

The clock ticked to four o'clock, and familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the door, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock.

The wooden door opened, and the first thing that rang out was Lu Yuanyuan's voice: "Mom and Dad, I'm home!"

The entryway blocked the way in, but one could vaguely see a young man following behind her, who seemed to be carrying gifts.

The elderly couple's hearts were in their throats, and they couldn't help but straighten their necks.

Finally, as Lu Yuanyuan came into their view, the young man behind her also revealed his true identity: "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."

The Lu family elders: "…………"

A few days ago, their neighbor, Ms. Wu, who lives in the same building, told them that she saw their daughter, Lu Yuanyuan, walking with a boy while she was eating out. She said that Lu Yuanyuan was shopping with her boyfriend.

The elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lu, had never heard their daughter mention being in a relationship. Perhaps it was still early, and the relationship wasn't stable enough for her to tell her parents so soon. They weren't feudal or authoritarian parents who would interfere in their daughter's love life; they simply hoped she could find a decent, responsible, and genuinely good partner. However, after hearing Ms. Wu's description, the elderly couple felt as if struck by lightning, their hearts sinking.

Ms. Wu said that Lu Yuanyuan seems to have found a gigolo as her boyfriend. He not only expects her to buy him this and that, but he also asks her to pay for his milk tea!

Not only that, the guy was also holding a child who looked a lot like him, suggesting that he might already have a son!

The elderly couple spent a restless night, and the next day, unable to wait any longer, they hurriedly called to inquire. Lu Yuanyuan then said that she would bring her damn boyfriend home on the weekend.

Although they haven't met him in person yet, the elderly couple have already conjured up an image in their minds of a second-marriage fox who has their daughter completely bewitched.

Of course, they could also anticipate that the other person would be good-looking.

However, upon seeing the real person, I realized that "not bad" was an understatement.

He was a young man in his early twenties, about the same age as my daughter, with dark eyebrows, red lips, fair skin, handsome features, and neat and tidy clothes, and a warm smile.

Meeting the surprised gazes of the elderly couple, Lu Yuanyuan took Duan Lansheng's hand, cleared her throat, and formally introduced him: "Mom, Dad, his name is Duan Lansheng."

Upon hearing their daughter's introduction, the elderly couple seemed to snap out of a daze. Their previously serious expressions vanished, and they stood up shakily, saying, "Hello, hello, you must be Xiao Duan, please sit down..."

...

This unplanned meeting went far better than Lu Yuanyuan had expected.

There was no beating or scolding, no questioning; her parents' acceptance of Duan Lansheng was much higher than she had expected.

In her (and often fabricated) account, Duan Lansheng is a wealthy second-generation heir who has lived a life of luxury. His parents passed away a few years ago, leaving him a large inheritance. Currently, he frequently stays abroad, managing the family business. He keeps his hair long because he studied art in university and has an artist's style.

The reason he made Lu Yuanyuan pay that night was because he had just returned to China and had not yet activated the domestic quick payment method. As for the child, he was Duan Lansheng's younger brother.

The explanation regarding Tangyuan's identity was decided upon after discussions between Lu Yuanyuan and Duan Lansheng.

If they can't explain the time travel situation clearly for now, then let her parents believe it that way. If there's an opportunity in the future and they find the elderly couple can accept it, they can slowly reveal more of the truth. Therefore, they didn't bring Tangyuan with them this time.

Before the formal visit, Duan Lansheng asked her if she needed to cut her hair short. Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment and then refused: "You can't cut your hair every time you see my parents. Just go to see them looking your natural self."

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Perhaps because this guy's appearance was so convincing, his speech was so proper, and he was equally adept in the kitchen and the living room, Lu Yuanyuan's parents' initial doubts were largely dispelled after the meal. After the meal, Duan Lansheng even took the initiative to clean up the dishes.

While he was away, Lu Yuanyuan's mother pulled her aside and whispered her opinion: "Xiao Duan is not bad. He's well-off, polite, and knows how to handle things. You won't have any in-law problems if you marry him. You should seize the opportunity."

Lu Yuanyuan: "..."

After dinner, I spent some time with my parents; it was already getting late.

Lu's parents saw the two into the elevator. The elevator doors closed slowly with a ding, leaving only the two of them in the quiet space.

Lu Yuanyuan and Duan Lansheng glanced at each other and, for some reason, burst into laughter together.

"why are you laughing?"

"I'll laugh at whatever you laugh at."

"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. Before we came, I was afraid they would kick you out." Lu Yuanyuan coughed, stopping her laughter, and glanced at him sideways: "My parents like you quite a bit."

Duan Lansheng looked at her earnestly: "I like your parents very much too."

Stepping out of the apartment building, Lu Yuanyuan looked up at the moon in the sky above the old neighborhood: "Tomorrow, we'll have to start looking for a new place. We need a bigger place to live. We can't let you sleep on the sofa every time you come over."

Duan Lansheng didn't mind her leaps in thought and simply replied, "Mm."

"Let's talk about it when we get home. Moving is such a big deal, the whole family should choose the house together."

Duan Lansheng paused for a moment, then clasped her hands together, their fingers intertwined, and smiled, "Okay, let's go home."