74. Go Home

It was already noon when the plane landed smoothly at Jichuan Airport.

To avoid an unexpected encounter between her parents and Chen Yunsheng, Jiang Nan hadn't even told them her exact flight time. But when she turned on her phone after landing, she was surprised to find it was completely silent. Given her parents' temperaments, she should have had at least five or six missed calls, or seven or eight unread messages.

But now, her phone was unusually quiet.

Jiang Nan was suspicious, but said nothing and planned to go home to see what was going on.

Afterwards, Jiang Nan put down her phone and softly introduced the climate of Jichuan to Chen Yunsheng. She then helped him pick up his luggage and left the airport. Then, the two of them got into the car Zhao Ming had arranged in advance. Jiang Nan had originally planned to take Chen Yunsheng to the hotel first, but Chen Yunsheng wanted to take Jiang Nan home first.

Jiang Nan thought about it for a moment and agreed with Chen Yunsheng's decision.

Her concern was that Jichuan was a small city, in other words, a large society of acquaintances. If someone saw her sending Chen Yunsheng to the hotel, things would become a bit troublesome. But on the other hand, if someone saw Chen Yunsheng talking to her at the entrance of the community, she could easily argue that they were just carpooling.

When the car pulled up to the old neighborhood where Jiang Nan lived, Chen Yunsheng quietly surveyed the surroundings through the car window. The buildings weren't tall, but the landscaping was well done. Vines still grew on some of the walls, creating a tranquil and comfortable atmosphere.

He couldn't help but imagine Jiang Nan wearing school uniform and walking in a hurry with a schoolbag on his back. Then he suddenly smiled, and a gentle look appeared in his eyes.

Jiang Nan didn't see his smile. She pointed to a six-story building not far away and said to the driver, "I'm downstairs of that building in front."

The driver agreed and, following Jiang Nan's instructions, stopped in a secluded spot not too far from the building. Chen Yunsheng then helped Jiang Nan with her luggage. He gently reassured her, "Don't be nervous. Talk slowly. If you feel the timing isn't right, don't say anything yet. But no matter what the final result is, I'll wait for your call."

His calmness infected Jiang Nan. She nodded and said, "Well, go to the hotel and get settled first. I...I'll contact you later." After that, Jiang Nan drove Chen Yunsheng into the car, pretended not to know him well, and said goodbye to him indifferently.

Hearing this, Chen Yunsheng suddenly stopped, then stared at Jiang Nan very seriously: "Then Miss Jiang, goodbye."

While speaking, he nodded politely to Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan smiled and said, "Goodbye, Mr. Chen."

Then, Jiang Nan stood there, watching the car leave the complex before she turned and walked towards the entrance of the apartment building, dragging her suitcase with a feeling of almost going to die. Before she got close, she saw a flashy, high-end car parked in front of the building.

She sighed that rich people have unique tastes, then turned and went upstairs.

But as soon as Jiang Nan reached the door of his house, he heard vague sounds of talking and laughing coming from inside.

Mixed in with the laughter and chatter was the slightly shrill voice of her aunt Hong Wenzhen.

Jiang Nan's heart sank and he couldn't help but spit, wondering why his aunt and her family had to come today.

She sighed and knocked on the door.

It was Jiang Youhua, Jiang's father, who opened the door. Seeing his daughter Jiang Nan return, he immediately smiled, "Nannan is back! Come in, come in!" He took the luggage from Jiang Nan's hand and said quickly in a low voice, "Your aunt and the others are here, as well as your sister Qianqian and her boyfriend."

Jiang Nan nodded in understanding, gave him a look that said, "I understand," and probably understood why her phone had been silent all morning. Then she followed Jiang Youhua into the house.

As she changed her shoes at the door, she saw through the glass of the storage rack that the living room was indeed full of people. Her mother, Hong Qiuping, was chatting with her aunt, Hong Wenzhen, her uncle, Guan Jianguo, her cousin, Guan Qianqian, and a young man dressed fashionably, with a shiny watch on his wrist. Jiang Nan guessed that man must be Guan Qianqian's boyfriend.

"Nannan is back?" When Hong Qiuping saw her daughter, her expression suddenly became complicated. Her smile was almost half happy and half solemn.

"Aunt, Uncle, Sister Qianqian." Jiang Nan greeted them politely and nodded slightly to the strange man as a greeting.

"Oh, Nan Nan is such a busy person. You finally came back from Jiangcheng?" Hong Wenzhen looked Jiang Nan up and down, her eyes moving around her simple T-shirt and jeans. "You've seen the world in Jiangcheng, so you almost don't recognize us poor relatives anymore, right?"

Jiang Nan smiled and didn't respond. Then she immediately handed some local specialties she brought back to her parents and aunt's family: "Mom, aunt, these are some snacks from Jiangcheng, you can try them."

Hong Qiuping took the pile of local specialties and said angrily, "You're back, so why are you buying so many things? You're wasting money every day."

"It's a thoughtful child, so just keep it." Jiang Youhua, who had returned Jiang Nan's suitcase to her room, came over and tried to smooth things over happily.

Guan Qianqian's boyfriend, who had been silent for a long time, finally stood up and extended his hand to Jiang Nan with a smile: "This is your cousin Nannan, right? I often hear Qianqian mention you, you are indeed very beautiful. I'm Fan Zijian, you can just call me Brother Fan."

His attitude seemed enthusiastic, but there was an evaluative quality in his eyes that made Jiang Nan uncomfortable. She simply shook his hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Fan."

After a few pleasantries, everyone sat down again, and the topic inevitably turned to Jiang Nan's work and love life.

"What job does Nannan do in Jiangcheng now? I heard that she works in an advertising company?" Hong Wenzhen asked with concern.

Jiang Nan raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling a bit unhappy. Her aunt's family always acted as if they cared about her work, but she had repeatedly said she worked for an advertising company, yet they always started with a question.

"Well, I work as a planner in an advertising company." Jiang Nan answered patiently and briefly.

"An advertising company? You'd be dealing with a lot of different people, right?" Hong Wenzhen drawled, glancing at Hong Qiuping meaningfully. "Girls, you should be careful when you're out there. Don't get involved with just anyone. Especially those wealthy bosses. They might look glamorous, but who knows what they're like behind the scenes."

Hearing this, Jiang Nan frowned slightly, feeling that there was something wrong with this statement.

Hong Qiuping was also a little embarrassed. She gently touched Hong Wenzhen and said, "Wenzhen, what are you talking about?"

Guan Qianqian chimed in, her tone a bit boastful: "Mom, don't worry about it. Nannan is so smart, she will definitely know her limits. But Nannan, it's quite a coincidence that Xiaofan's family has a big business and a wide network of contacts. A few days ago, a friend of his took a photo at some high-end event, and the girl in the photo looks a bit like you."

As she spoke, she suddenly touched Fan Zijian's arm. Fan Zijian immediately understood. He took out his phone, flipped through a photo, and handed it to Jiang Nan with a look of surprise. "Cousin Nannan, look, is this really you? I think it looks quite similar. It was taken at a very high-end birthday party. The person next to you... has an extraordinary demeanor."

My uncle Guan Jianguo snorted and added slowly, "Young people should not take shortcuts."

Jiang Nan looked at the photo and narrowed his eyes slightly.

The photo was a little blurry, but it was recognizable as having been taken on the night of Mr. Chen's birthday party, when she and Chen Yunsheng stood side by side at the main hall entrance to greet guests. She was wearing her light blue cheongsam, and Chen Yunsheng was protecting her from the side, looking very intimate.

Jiang Nan immediately understood everything. No wonder her mother sounded strange on the phone, and no wonder her aunt and her family came today, bringing Fan Zijian with them. It turned out they had seen the photo and were here to question her, and to watch her laugh.

Hong Qiuping and Jiang Youhua had obviously seen the photo as well. Their expressions changed, and they looked at Jiang Nan with mixed feelings, half worried, half angry.

Jiang Nan suppressed her anger and even smiled slightly. She took the phone, looked at it carefully, and said calmly, "Oh, this one. It's a little blurry, but it's definitely me."

Her frank attitude actually made Hong Wenzhen and Guan Qianqian stunned.

A hint of pride flashed in Fan Zijian's eyes, and he asked with feigned concern, "Cousin Nannan, who's that person next to you? He doesn't look like an ordinary person. That kind of occasion isn't something ordinary people can enter. How... did you meet?"

This question was tricky and full of implications.

Jiang Nan raised her head slightly, her eyes calmly looking at Fan Zijian, then her aunt, uncle, and cousin, all looking pleased with themselves, before finally settling on the worried faces of her parents. She put down her phone, her tone neither humble nor overbearing, even a bit casual: "He, he's my boyfriend."

She paused, then, facing their astonished gazes, continued in a calm and controlled tone, "He's just an ordinary office worker. Maybe he was dressed a little too formally that day. Did Mr. Fan's friend mistake us for someone else and take pictures of us?"

She directly revealed her boyfriend's identity, but lightly blurred Chen Yunsheng's background. This way, she acknowledged the relationship without revealing too much information, and also avoided the trap set by Fan Zijian's words.

"Boyfriend?" Hong Wenzhen clearly didn't believe it. "Nannan, don't talk nonsense just to save face! How could the people in that kind of place be ordinary office workers? Qianqian said that the man looked either rich or noble! Could it be that you are..."

She didn't say the rest of the words, but the mistress's guess was almost written on her face.

Jiang Nan's smile faded a little, and her eyes turned cold. "Aunt, what do you mean by this? If I want to have a boyfriend, do I need to give you a detailed account of his family background? Or, in your eyes, can't I find a boyfriend with better conditions?"

Her tone remained calm, but the edge of her words was already revealed.

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Hong Qiuping quickly tried to smooth things over: "Okay, okay, Wenzhen, stop talking. It's a good thing for Nannan to have a boyfriend. As long as he's a good person and treats Nannan well, that's all that's fine."

Jiang Youhua also said: "Sister, you know, Nannan has always been sensible since she was a child. She knows her own business."

Seeing that Jiang Nan handled the situation appropriately and her parents were defending her, Fan Zijian rolled his eyes and shifted focus. He smiled and said to Jiang Youhua, "Uncle is right. But it's normal for an elder to show some concern. Cousin Nan Nan is so outstanding, her boyfriend must be outstanding too. I wonder which company he works for? Maybe our family has business dealings with them."

He is not giving up and still wants to get more information.

Jiang Nan sneered inwardly and was about to continue to perfunctorily pass it over when her phone suddenly rang. She took it out and saw Chen Yunsheng's name popping up on the screen.

When I feel sleepy, someone will bring me a pillow.

Jiang Nan immediately smiled sweetly and apologetically, waving her phone at everyone. "Sorry, my boyfriend's calling. Let me take it."

After saying that, she didn't shy away from answering the call directly in front of her aunt's family, her voice soft and gentle: "Hello? Have you settled in the hotel?"

Chen Yunsheng's calm and gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Well, I just checked in. How's your side? Is everything going well? I hope I didn't disturb you?"

His voice came through the receiver, sounding calm and concerned.

Jiang Nan deliberately let the call last a few more seconds, speaking in a natural and intimate tone: "I'm fine, I just have a guest at home. Okay, I see, I'll talk to you later. Okay, then you rest first, I'll contact you when I'm done."

She hung up the phone, a smile still on her face. Then, with a normal expression, she looked at her aunt and her family, all with varying expressions, and said in a relaxed tone, "He's worried about me and called to ask about me. Okay, shall we continue our conversation?"

At this moment, Hong Wenzhen and Guan Qianqian's expressions became a little ugly.

Fan Zijian and Guan Jianguo smiled awkwardly and didn't ask any more questions.

Jiang Nan struck while the iron was hot and turned to ask about Guan Qianqian and Fan Zijian, deftly steering the topic away. In the following conversation, although his aunt's family occasionally made sarcastic remarks, Jiang Nan maintained a lukewarm attitude, neither giving in nor becoming overly insistent, striking a perfect balance.

She knew in her heart that she had managed to cope with this sudden interrogation for the time being. But she also knew that sooner or later she would have to give her parents a more detailed explanation about Chen Yunsheng.

Now, she had to find a way to properly introduce her boyfriend, who was still waiting for her call at the hotel. Seeing the doubts and worries in her parents' eyes, as well as the unwilling looks of her aunt's family, Jiang Nan felt that tonight's dinner would not be easy.

However, things are unpredictable. Chen Yunsheng's ability to say one thing to one person and another thing to another person may allow this matter to be smoothly concluded.

Thinking of this, Jiang Nan couldn't help but smile secretly.

She was actually looking forward to seeing Chen Yunsheng meet her parents.