Chapter 89 Why are they urging them to... after only meeting the person...?

As luck would have it, the door to room 601 across the street was pushed open again.

A series of crisp collision sounds made the two of them turn their heads at the same time.

The person who opened the door was Lü Feng. He was carrying a bag of kitchen waste in one hand and holding onto the door frame with the other while bending down to change his shoes. When he turned around, his eyes met Zhu Liushuang's.

"Xiao Shuang? You're off work so late today..." The man's smile froze mid-sentence, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. "This is... your boyfriend?"

Although it was a question, it carried an extremely confident tone.

The atmosphere was subtle. Zhu Liushuang closed her slightly open mouth and nodded.

The trash bag rubbed against his trouser leg, making a soft rustling sound. Lü Feng calmly closed the door, turned his back to the two of them, and said, "Looks like today is a good day! You didn't even tell me you were dating. We've been neighbors for over ten years. How about we invite your boyfriend over for a late-night snack sometime... so you can get to know him... I'll give you my opinion."

Before Zhu Liushuang could speak, a forced, relaxed smile appeared on his face: "Well... I'll go downstairs first, in case I miss the opening time of the garbage sorting room." As he spoke, he raised his chin, looking directly at the man he had deliberately ignored, his eyes arrogant and sharp with a critical edge.

The motion-sensor lights above suddenly went out, then quickly came back on with the rhythmic sound of footsteps. A man carrying a garbage bag hurried downstairs, and in no time, his figure disappeared into the dark night.

Time seemed to stand still as the two people on the sixth floor quietly waited for Lü Feng to walk away until he disappeared from sight.

The stairwell window was wide open, and a chilly night breeze brushed against my neck.

“His name is Lü Feng. He was my classmate in elementary and middle school…” Zhu Liushuang swallowed a few times before finding her voice.

"Hmm." He Ming's expression remained unchanged. He looked down at his palm, which had been marked with red marks by the rope, and said calmly, "Open the door."

His memory was excellent; although he had only seen Lü Feng's face once before, at the entrance of the Mengyuan Hotel, he recognized him immediately. A man's intuition told him that the other man was filled with hostility. He could sense it simply from the man's overly direct gaze as he left.

He Ming had no intention of discussing other men in front of Zhu Liushuang, but he couldn't help wondering: whether it was Lü Feng or Yue Lin, why did she choose him, someone she barely knew, instead of her admirers?

The key turned three times in the lock, and the wooden door opened.

"We don't have men's slippers at home... Would shoe covers be okay?"

The dusty, disposable shoe covers dangled in mid-air, looking rather shabby. Zhu Liushuang glanced down at He Ming's gleaming black leather shoes, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Without hesitation, the man put down the gift box, took the shoe covers, and half-squatted down to put them on his feet.

"Why wear shoe covers! Just let Xiao He walk in..." Gu Chunling slammed the casserole down on the dining table. "Anyway, the floor needs to be mopped."

Zhu Liushuang fell silent after being given a cold glare by her mother. He Ming, who was beside her, seemed not to have heard her and continued to put on the other shoe cover. After he finished, he straightened up and politely greeted her, "Hello, Auntie."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he looked gently at the middle-aged woman who was not entirely unfamiliar with him.

Gu Chunling thought to herself: Still calling him "Auntie"? Shouldn't she change her address? She was about to blurt it out, but then stopped herself. She hadn't even acknowledged this hasty marriage yet, so naturally she couldn't accept someone as her son-in-law so quickly.

Thinking this, she put on a stern face and said to her daughter, "Aren't you going to bring Xiao He over for dinner..."

Zhu Liushuang's momentum weakened slightly because her mother's tone was neither warm nor cold.

“Learn…” she covered her lips and changed her words, “You go sit at the dining table first, I’ll go get the bowls and chopsticks.”

When she came out of the kitchen with three sets of bowls and chopsticks, the dining table had become a veritable courtroom for her mother's probing questions. She didn't know how much they had talked about, and her heart pounded with anxiety.

"Mom—why are you just talking without eating? The food's getting cold." Zhu Liushuang wanted to ease the tension, but as soon as she finished speaking, she received a glare from her mother. That glare was clearly reproachful: You haven't even put down your chopsticks and bowl, how are you going to eat?

She quickly set out the bowls and chopsticks, then awkwardly withdrew her hand, shrank back, and sat back in her chair.

Steam rose from the top of the casserole, and the aroma of crucian carp mixed with the oily fragrance of poached eggs wafted over.

"It smells so good! I'm starving..." Zhu Liushuang picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and tasted it herself. "The fish isn't tough at all, it's so delicious!" Her tone was more exaggerated than ever before, clearly flattering her mother.

Gu Chunling could naturally see through her daughter's inner thoughts. Not wanting to make things too awkward, she took the initiative to break the ice, saying, "Xiao He, please start eating too, it won't taste good if it gets cold. I heard from Xiao Shuang that you usually eat light food, and there's no chili in today's dishes."

"Auntie, you've gone to so much trouble." He Ming continued, following Gu Chunling's words, "Xiao Shuang is so thoughtful; she always remembers my preferences."

Praise is always pleasant to hear, and Zhu Liushuang chuckled awkwardly, "It's alright, I've remembered it after seeing it so many times." Her chopsticks reached for the steaming hot pot again, but before she could pick up the fish belly, Gu Chunling interrupted her.

"Don't just eat the meat on your belly all by yourself, leave a piece for Xiao He."

Zhu Liushuang paused, stuck out her tongue, and turned her chopsticks towards the stir-fried yam beside her. Her mother usually didn't concern herself with picking food for her; she was frugal in her own spending, always keeping the good food for herself. It was probably because He Ming, an outsider, was present tonight that she specifically called for her.

He Ming looked up and circled the dining table. He reached out and scooped up a piece of meat with a soup spoon, then naturally placed it on Zhu Liushuang's bowl.

"Auntie, I like to eat fish tails," he said with a faint smile.

Zhu Liushuang, who had been eating in silence, slowly looked up. The piece of fish on top of her white rice was the belly of the fish she had dropped into the soup halfway through. Joy flickered in her eyes. She silently picked up some food and put it in her mouth, chewing it repeatedly, almost reluctant to swallow it.

She thought: Even if it's just a show, it doesn't matter. He Ming's cooperation makes her very satisfied.

Gu Chunling watched the young couple's back-and-forth banter, not even missing her daughter's furtive attempt to suppress a laugh. A sense of relief washed over her, and her tightly pursed lips slowly relaxed.

"Xiaoshuang said that you two were dating before. When did that start?"

“It started in April,” Zhu Liushuang quickly replied.

"I didn't ask you!" Gu Chunling rolled her eyes at her daughter, her face displeased.

"oh……"

He Ming put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Come to think of it, we've known each other for quite a few years. Xiao Shuang is my junior from high school. We would occasionally run into each other at school, but we weren't close. It just so happens that our two companies have a collaboration this year, and after working together for a while, we found that we get along very well, so we decided to give it a try."

"Do your parents know?" Gu Chunling interrupted with a spoon, picking up a piece of pork rib with the porcelain spoon. "Xiao Shuang kept it a complete secret from me."

He Ming rubbed his hand between his thumb and forefinger, and said carefully, "My father knows about our relationship, and my maternal grandfather knows about it too. As for my mother... she passed away unexpectedly many years ago. However, I took Xiao Shuang to the cemetery to visit her."

"I'm so sorry, Xiao He. Auntie has brought up something painful for you..." Gu Chunling said, but her gaze towards her daughter deepened. So everyone knew except her?

Zhu Liushuang poked a small hole in Bai Ying's rice with the tip of her chopsticks. She didn't receive her mother's signal at all; her entire attention was focused on the conversation between the two of them.

The mother's questions were numerous and caught everyone off guard. Fortunately, He Ming was quite resourceful, and he answered each question thoroughly and meticulously.

It's as if... the ethereal romance between them actually exists.

"Auntie knows about your grandfather's situation. Dr. Xie is a very good person... I am very grateful to him." Speaking of Xie Jingzhi, Gu Chunling couldn't help but feel regretful. She then changed the subject and asked, "Although the situation was urgent at the time, marriage is a major life event. You two went to get your marriage certificate without informing either of you. Wasn't that taking marriage too lightly?"

“No…” Zhu Liushuang retorted.

Unfortunately, her mother didn't even glance at her, but instead asked He Ming, "Auntie is a reasonable person. If you two are truly in love, I would consider it... How could you keep it from me for so long?"

They had already rehearsed their statements downstairs, but He Ming remained silent, which made Zhu Liushuang anxious. She quietly lifted her foot under the table and kicked He Ming's shoe covers. The kick was light, like a cat scratching an itch.

Gu Chunling was unaware of the subtle ripples under the table. Under her probing gaze, she noticed the young man in front of her frowning, his handsome face looking quite troubled.

“Auntie, I’m so sorry. I told Xiaoshuang not to tell you. This matter… I didn’t think it through and didn’t fully consider your feelings.” He Ming spoke slowly and calmly, his tone seemingly flat, yet it possessed a captivating charm. “I originally planned to appear before you as Xiaoshuang’s boyfriend after some time. Next year, after Grandpa’s mourning period, we could discuss our marriage. Everything needs to proceed gradually, so you’ll be more likely to accept me.”

The small indentation at the bottom of the bowl had become a large hole, and Zhu Liushuang was sullen, unable to put anything in her mouth.

He took all the blame upon himself in every word he said.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the man's sharp chin twitching slightly, and the light brown mole on his chin swaying back and forth, which stirred up tears in her eyes.

Gu Chunling kept a straight face and didn't say anything. She tapped her chopsticks on the table twice without rhythm. She turned her gaze to her silent daughter. Eyes don't lie. Just from her daughter's silly look as she stared at him, she knew that her daughter genuinely liked He Ming.

As for He Ming, she hadn't known him long enough to draw any conclusions. However… the young man was handsome, had a good job, and judging from his words and actions just now, he seemed to be a considerate and caring person. It's just that his family was rather small…

Gu Chunling still had concerns. Since his mother had passed away early, what about his father? Had he remarried?

"Xiao He, I'm not very well-educated, so my questions might be a bit presumptuous, but there are some things I need to clarify." She rubbed her temples and said, "Your mother has been gone for so many years, has your father remarried? What was their relationship like?"

He Ming didn't want to talk about the details of his father's remarriage, so he simply said, "My father has a new family, and we don't usually have much contact. After my mother passed away, I lived with my maternal grandparents."

"Oh!" Gu Chunling said with a sigh after a moment of reflection, "You've had it tough, child."

"Mom—the food hasn't been touched much! We can't let anyone go back hungry, can we?" Gu Chunling asked several questions in a row, all trying to get He Ming to reopen old wounds. Zhu Liushuang couldn't bear to listen anymore, so she pretended to be angry.

"Yes, yes, Xiao He, don't be shy, come and eat..."

The tug-of-war without gunfire has finally come to an end, and the three people present each have their own thoughts.

Gu Chunling's dissatisfaction with her daughter and He Ming for deceiving her was only one aspect. Her greater worry was whether the other family would look down on her daughter. After all, getting married so hastily without even consulting them made it seem to outsiders that her daughter was eager to marry into their family. Having suffered greatly from her own experience with mother-in-law relationships in her youth, she naturally feared her daughter would repeat the same mistake, especially since the groom's family had a stepmother. Now that she had found out the truth, her heart finally found some peace.

Zhu Liushuang couldn't guess her mother's concerns. She ate a few mouthfuls of rice, secretly rejoicing at her narrow escape.

Joy briefly made her forget the guilt of deceiving her mother, but this unease quietly transferred to He Ming. The Zhu family's living room stretched as far as the eye could see, about the same size as the dormitory he used to live in in Yunhe. No one spoke, making the clatter of bowls and chopsticks all the more noticeable.

He had run into Aunt Gu a few times at the old house. Although they hadn't spent much time together, he could tell she was a simple and honest person. Now, the fact that she was so seriously questioning him about the details of his relationship with Zhu Liushuang and their marriage registration, and was also inquiring about his family background, showed that she was genuinely considering him as her nominal son-in-law for her daughter's sake.

He spoke words against his conscience, yet a sense of guilt welled up within him. He didn't know how heartbroken, or rather, angry and disappointed, this mother would be if her lie were exposed.

————

After dinner, Zhu Liushuang volunteered to wash the dishes, but as soon as she turned on the tap, her mother chased her out of the kitchen.

"It's a shame to leave Xiao He out alone. Mom will wash up. Go make him a cup of smoked bean tea and keep him company." The sound of running water drowned out her mother's voice, and Zhu Liushuang had to listen twice to hear it clearly.

She wiped the water stains onto her apron, then turned and rummaged around in the cupboard.

An advertisement was playing on the TV in the living room. Zhu Liushuang didn't listen carefully. She carried a cup of smoked bean tea to He Ming's side and said, "These are freshly smoked beans this year. They smell very good... Would you like to try some?"

The sofa beside him had dented, and He Ming stared blankly at the smoked beans and sesame seeds floating in the glass.

"Liu Shuang, Auntie just said..." He hesitated, his face showing a rare look of unease, as if the matter he was about to discuss was something he found difficult to broach.

"What did my mom say?" Zhu Liushuang tilted her head, looking at him in confusion.

She said that since they had gotten their marriage certificate, they shouldn't live apart.

Zhu Liushuang's eyes widened suddenly, and she was speechless. Her mother was still furious that afternoon about being kept in the dark about what had happened! How could she be urging them to live together after only meeting them?

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Author's note: I fell asleep halfway through writing last night after finishing overtime work [cheek resting on hand]. I'll make up for it today.

The competition is finally tomorrow, and I can finally relax once it's over!