Chapter 156 Ask him yourself
Joey was delighted. She immediately walked over to He Fen and, without any hesitation, took her hand.
"Really? You guys are so kind to raise Xingxing to be so big. I should thank you too."
Auntie looked a little embarrassed, but still forced herself to say, "Isn't this what we should do? We're all family. Xingxing is a pitiful child. She's been without parents since she was little. If we don't take care of her, then no one will."
When Joey heard about Qiao Xing's background, she was slightly taken aback.
He Fen immediately added, "Oh dear, Xingxing is lucky to have married your Qin Ce. Her mother came back a few days ago, so her hardships have finally come to an end."
Joey smiled again. "Oh, I see. That's true. You've really had a tough time, in-laws, all these years."
Qiao Xing's expression turned sour upon hearing these words.
Although my aunt only told half the truth, it was almost true; she did indeed grow up in their family, that's an indisputable fact.
Because of this, no matter what her aunt said, she couldn't refute it.
Otherwise, others will see you as an ingrate.
Qin Ce glanced at her, then suddenly took her hand and said, "Grandpa should have gone out. I'll give him a call."
Qiao Xing nodded.
He Fen was about to go out, but when she saw Joey and the others arrive, she warmly opened the door and invited them in.
Joey quickly waved her hand and said with a smile, "Oh my god, I didn't bring anything with me, how can I go in! How about tomorrow, when your family is all here, I'll come back then?"
"I see you have things to do, my dear in-laws, why don't you go ahead and take care of them?"
Auntie thought about it and agreed that it made sense. Everyone had gone outside, and Joey hadn't brought any gifts, so there was no point in letting her in.
Judging from how nicely she's dressed, the gift she brought probably isn't cheap either.
"Alright, we haven't prepared anything today. You can come tomorrow, and I'll buy the groceries tonight. You can come and have dinner right away. We can also invite Xingxing's mom over so you can meet her."
Joey looked pleasantly surprised, quite exaggeratedly, "That's great! I haven't had any Chinese food in so long, I really want to try my in-laws' cooking, we'll definitely come tomorrow!"
When her aunt heard that she wasn't in the country, her eyes widened in surprise, and Joey's expressive face made her laugh so hard she couldn't stop.
My aunt chatted with me for a while before leaving, reluctant to say goodbye.
The old man received the call and returned within two minutes. He walked with a cane in a hurry, having heard that Joey had arrived.
"You brat!" The old man walked over angrily, intending to lash out, but he held back because Joey was there.
This kid, Joey wasn't even telling me he was coming, and he went outside to play chess with someone. Seriously.
His relationship with Joey was already awkward, and now he's been neglecting her, making it seem like he hates seeing Joey.
Qiao Xing could understand the old man's frustration, after all, she had just gone through it herself.
Before she could speak, Joey walked over first, smiled and bowed to the old man, "Dad, I've come to see you. It's been a long time."
Unlike before, when she faced the old man, her smile was very proper and dignified.
That elegant and virtuous demeanor of a well-bred lady immediately came to the fore.
So, although she seems carefree, she is actually quite sensible and has different attitudes towards different people; she is not just unreliable all the time.
Qiao Xing suddenly understood that it was only natural for Qin Ce to have achieved such success.
The old man's eyes were a little red. He looked at Joey with a complicated expression, nodded, and all his words could be summed up in three words: "You're back."
After saying that, she quickly realized what she meant and said, "Don't stand outside, come in quickly."
After the old man finished speaking, he quickly took out his key, opened the door, and invited the group inside.
Joey took the gift from Qin Ce and handed it to the old man. "Dad, this is a gift I brought for you. I know you don't need anything, but it's just a small token of my appreciation. It's not an expensive gift, so please don't find it offensive."
These words left the old man speechless, so he could only accept them, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll accept them. You're very kind."
The old man placed the gift on the table, then glanced at Xue Ling, "This is...your child?"
Joey pulled Xue Ling over. "Yes, she's my daughter, her name is Xue Ling."
Xue Ling was also very perceptive and greeted, "Hello, Grandpa."
The old man looked at Xue Ling with approval and nodded repeatedly, "She's a good girl."
He then exclaimed, "Time flies!"
Joey smiled, but then, as if remembering something, asked, "Xiao Ce's company has been back in China for so long, how is it now? He doesn't tell me anything."
Upon hearing this, the old man's neck stiffened, and he subconsciously exchanged a glance with Qin Ce.
Both of them glanced at Qiao Xing out of the corner of their eyes.
Just as Joey was feeling puzzled, the old man coughed twice forcefully, "Oh dear, why don't you have lunch here? Xingxing, why don't you go buy some groceries first? It's almost ten o'clock."
Qiao Xing snapped out of her reverie and nodded. "Okay, I'll go buy groceries then. You guys chat."
Qiao Xing glanced at Qin Ce with a puzzled look, but didn't say anything. She then turned and walked out.
"What are you doing here?" Joey could tell that the old man had deliberately sent Qiao Xing away.
The old man sighed, glaring at Qin Ce with a hint of disappointment, "Ask him yourself!"
"I'm an old man, and you still have to bother me."
Qin Ce pursed his lips, indicating silence.
Joey pulled Qin Ce to sit down on the sofa and looked at him seriously. "Ce Ce, is there something you're hiding from Mom?"
Qin Ce remained silent for a while before saying, "Qiao Xing doesn't know my identity yet."
Joey frowned, somewhat puzzled. "I didn't understand."
The old man chimed in, "That brat! I kindly found him a wife, but he's so suspicious, thinking everyone else has ulterior motives, and he won't let me tell him what he does for a living."
"Now look what's happened, there's no way to salvage the situation, serves them right."
Joey finally understood what they were saying. "I see. Cece, when do you plan to tell me?"
Qin Ce pinched his temples and sighed, "It's not that simple."
"oh?"
The old man said, "Xingxing's family isn't very good. She grew up with her maternal grandparents since she was little. If this were said out of the blue, she might really not be able to handle it."
Joey seemed lost in thought, her mind unreadable.
Silence fell in the room again.
Xue Ling didn't like the silence, so she said, "I'm going out to play for a bit."
Joey told her, "Don't go too far."
"knew."
The old man was also a little embarrassed. He meant well, but now he was caught in the middle and didn't want to be in a good position. He simply moved on from the topic.
"Shanshan, didn't your boyfriend come back with you?"
Shanshan is Joey's name. Her real Chinese name is Gu Shan, and Joey is a transliteration of her English name.
Joey laughed and said, "He has work to do and can't leave."
"Oh, I see. Now that you've all moved abroad to settle down, you probably won't be coming back as often, right?"
Joey laughed and said, "How could that be? I can come back anytime I have time."
"Oh, so Xiao Yi doesn't know you're back yet? Didn't anyone tell him?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
