Force her to answer
Zuo Xiao stared at Luffy, his eyelids twitching slightly.
Lao Zuo turned around and saw a pretty boy with delicate skin and a pair of watery peach blossom eyes.
You can tell at first glance that it's not a good thing.
"This is my dad." Zuo Xiao bravely introduced him. Luffy's expression suddenly became serious, and he puffed out his chest and said solemnly: "Hello, uncle! I am Luffy, Xiaoxiao's... friend."
Lao Zuo said "hmm" lightly. Then he turned around and said, "Let's go home and eat."
The five of them walked out of the tea shop. Luffy asked Zuo Xiao to sit in the wheelchair and pushed her forward. Old Zuo followed behind them at a distance of two meters, observing them calmly.
This Luffy is quite suspicious. Why is he pushing Xiaoxiao instead of that guy surnamed Zhuang? He is obviously closer to Xiaoxiao.
Thinking back to the way he looked at her, so sticky and affectionate, she was even more certain that their relationship was not ordinary.
Suspenders! This pretty boy is even worse than that guy surnamed Zhuang! He won’t just cheat on her for money, will he?
He bought a few more vegetables downstairs, but they were not as fresh as those in the vegetable market outside - just eat them for what they are, it's good to have something to eat.
When he got home, he asked Zuo Xiao to greet the guests while he went into the kitchen. A moment later, the boy surnamed Zhuang came in and said, "Uncle, let me help you."
Lao Zuo raised his eyes: This little guy is so tall and strong that he can poke through the ceiling with a jump of his forehead. The already compact kitchen has become even more crowded because of him.
He raised his hand to push the frame of his glasses and raised an eyebrow: "Can you cook?"
"Yes. Often."
Lao Zuo smiled slightly: "Alright, if you dare to compete with me in talking nonsense, I'll give it a try." He pointed to the chopping board: "I'll wash the vegetables, you cut them."
He never expected that the boy would chop the carrots without stopping, not only faster than him, but also with slices of the same thickness. Lao Zuo was stunned and thought: Could it be that the company is in charge of the food?
In the living room, Luffy said he was going downstairs to buy gifts. Zhuang Jinghao realized it later and chased after him after he left the house.
When the two of them came back with bags full of food, the meal was almost ready.
After everyone was seated, Lao Zuo raised his beer glass and said, "Thank you all for taking care of our Xiaoxiao, and welcome to Nanjing. Come, I'll drink first!"
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Luffy and the Zhuang family siblings hurriedly followed suit, quickly finishing their glasses.
"Eat, eat, don't be polite." Lao Zuo greeted them warmly and everyone started eating.
Luffy picked up a piece of sweet and sour fish and put it in his mouth. After a moment, he exclaimed in amazement: "Delicious! Uncle's cooking skills are really amazing!"
Old Zuo curled his lips and said, "This was made by Xiaozhuang." Zuo Xiao couldn't hold back his laughter and burst out laughing.
While eating, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Lao Zuo was about to get up, but Zhuang Yu'an got there first: "I'll go open the door."
After a moment, he brought Wang Xuemei in.
"Oh, a distinguished guest is coming to our house?" She said with a smile, holding a lunch box.
"Colleague Xiaoxiao is here." Lao Zuo put down his chopsticks and stood up to greet him. "Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten, I've eaten. Please sit down." She came to the dining table and put down the box. "I made some braised beef, which is a good dish for you."
Lao Zuo saw that she seemed to have something to say, so he stood up and walked to the balcony with her.
"Dr. Hu likes your girl!" She lowered her voice and said that after Dr. Hu returned home, he had no appetite and couldn't sleep. He mustered up the courage to send a WeChat message to Zuo Xiao, but there was no reply. He was shy, so he asked her, the introducer, to ask.
She glanced at the dining table and asked, "Does Xiaoxiao have a boyfriend?"
Old Zuo was a bit embarrassed. He hadn't even learned his daughter had a boyfriend until Wang Xuemei and Dr. Hu showed up the other day. Feeling embarrassed, he kept it to himself and decided to play it safe.
“These are all colleagues.”
After he finished speaking, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He didn't like this kid named Luffy, and besides, if he wanted a son-in-law, it would be better if he was a local, someone he knew well.
"It's different from other people coming to play. Xiaoxiao is with me every day and has no time to check WeChat." He asked Wang Xuemei to convey this, and said that Xiaoxiao recognized Dr. Hu very much and asked him not to worry.
After seeing Wang Xuemei off, Lao Zuo sat back at the table and turned to Zuo Xiao and said, "Your Aunt Wang said that Dr. Hu is very satisfied with you. Why don't you reply to his WeChat?"
Zuo Xiao was stunned for a moment, and then said, "Didn't I tell you, I have a boyfriend!"
Lao Zuo glared at him. "How should I know if it's true? Young people nowadays don't like blind dates. Some even rent boyfriends to go home and fool their parents!" He turned to Zhuang Jinghao and said, "Xiao Zhuang, don't you think so?"
Zhuang Jinghao was caught off guard and froze. Lao Zuo smiled and said, "Eat, eat."
As he ate, he said, "Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties, is the most livable place. Parents here don't want their daughters to marry out of town." He also said Beijing is bad in every way, with air pollution, dry climate, and high housing prices, making it unfriendly to young people.
"You, like Xiaoxiao, are migrant workers in Beijing, so you should understand this very well," he said. "Going to Beijing is just a place to suffer. What quality of life can you expect? I just want Xiaoxiao to return to Nanjing for development. If that doesn't work, Shanghai is also fine."
Zuo Xiao felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. He reminded him several times in a tactful way but it was no use. He wanted to seal his stinky mouth with tape.
"I'm full." She put down her chopsticks and left the table first. After a while, Luffy and Zhuang Jinghao also left one after another, leaving only Zhuang Yu'an still eating and drinking with Lao Zuo.
After dinner, Zhuang Yu'an helped clean the table and wash the dishes. Luffy sat on the sofa with his lips tightly pursed. Zhuang Jinghao stared at the TV, silent.
Seeing that the cleanup work had been completed, Zuo Xiao quickly sent them away: "You go downstairs first, I'll be down in five minutes."
The three young men said goodbye to Lao Zuo at the door. He pointed to a pile of gift boxes at the door and said, "We are just having a simple meal, why bring so many gifts? Take them away!" The three men shook their heads, waved their hands, and left as if they were escaping.
The living room fell silent. Old Zuo sat on the sofa, while Zuo Xiao stood beside him on crutches, examining him with displeasure.
She guessed that Lao Zuo must have seen through Luffy's identity and deliberately said those words to him. But on the surface, the three of them were just colleagues, so there was nothing wrong with what he said.
So cunning!
In the end, she said nothing and turned and left.
At midnight, Luffy took her to the hotel room and questioned her why she went on a blind date. Zuo Xiao knew she was in the wrong and explained to him that it was Old Zuo who acted first and asked him later. She also said that she had no interest in Dr. Hu at all. After much persuasion, she finally let go of the matter.
But the story is not over yet.
Luffy hugged her, leaned against the head of the bed, and said, "Your father doesn't seem to like me very much. His words and deeds show that he doesn't agree with me being with you."
"Don't worry about him." Zuo Xiao rubbed his palm and said, "He can't stretch his arms that far."
Luffy frowned: "I don't quite understand why he is so hostile to me?"
Zuo Xiao thought: Luffy comes from a wealthy family and is used to a life of luxury. He didn't expect to be so angry the first time he went to his girlfriend's house. It's normal for him to be a little angry. Put yourself in his shoes. If she went to Luffy's house and was treated like this by his own father, she would definitely turn around and leave.
"He's just like that. He kills everyone who comes close to me." Zuo Xiao laughed. "You don't know, in high school, a boy was chasing me down the street with a spatula after he placed heart-shaped candles downstairs from my house and called my name! Zhou Zhihui had a tough time too. The first time we met, my dad scolded him like a grandson."
"Then why did he arrange another blind date for you?" Luffy's brows were still furrowed. "I think he's quite fond of that Dr. Hu."
"He thinks I'm too old, and a girl shouldn't be kept at home. He's old-fashioned, and he always feels more at ease with locals or acquaintances who know each other well..." Zuo Xiao's hand climbed up his earlobe and gently kneaded it. "That's why I told you not to come to my house and put up with his anger, but you still didn't believe me."
Luffy fell silent. Zuo Xiao thought he had finally let it go and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, he continued, "Well, I'll have to get through this sooner or later anyway. How about I pay you a formal visit tomorrow?"
Zuo Xiao was startled and blurted out, "That's not necessary, is it?" After thinking for a moment, he added, "There's no point in trying to get away with something that's not worth it!"
"It's okay." Luffy hugged her and rubbed his chin on the top of her head. "I'll accept whatever your father says. I have to make him agree that we can be together. I have the confidence to do that."
Zuo Xiao felt increasingly uneasy. After a moment's reflection, he said, "Let's not do it this time. Let's wait and see next year. After all, we just said we were colleagues today, and then we change it the next day. Doesn't that seem like we're deliberately deceiving him?"
Luffy fell silent again. After a long moment, he let go of her hand and looked into her eyes. "Tell me honestly, have you ever thought about our future together?"
Zuo Xiao panicked for a moment. Then, remembering that a similar topic had been discussed some time ago, he felt more confident.
"I remember we discussed this a while ago." She said forcefully, "At that time, I told you not to worry about the future and just live each day to the fullest, and you agreed."
Luffy shook his head. "Not seriously considering it and never thinking about it are two completely different things. We can put off discussing marriage for now, but if two people truly love each other, they will definitely have imaginations and aspirations for the future, right? But you give me the feeling that you have never thought about going on with me. We can just talk casually."
"What do you mean?" Zuo Xiao sat up straight and distanced himself from him. "You make it sound like I'm being a hooligan. Ha, dating without the intention of getting married is hooliganism. Is that what you mean?"
Hurt flashed in his eyes. "I don't mean to blame you. I'm just wondering: why? What about me makes you feel inadequate? Which of my actions makes you feel untrustworthy? Or am I simply not your ideal type, and no matter how hard I try, I can never meet your expectations?"
"I feel like you're just blaming me and trying to kidnap me," Zuo Xiao sneered. "You're just accusing me of playing around. But I think love and marriage are two completely different things. Why tie them together? Are you and all your ex-girlfriends dating with the intention of getting married?"
Luffy's face suddenly turned pale, and his lips trembled, as if he had suffered great harm. This made Zuo Xiao feel even more that he was practicing emotional kidnapping.
"To be honest..." Luffy said with difficulty, "Before I met you, I really hadn't thought about getting married. It was you who made me want to be with someone for the rest of my life..."
He paused and said solemnly, "Xiaoxiao, I want to build a happy family with you, and I am confident that I can make you live a very good life. Whether it is materially or emotionally, I can give you the best and make you the happiest woman in the world."
His words were practically a marriage proposal. Zuo Xiao was surprised, yet also confused by his overly radical emotions, and was stunned for a moment.
"No, this is too weird..." she stammered. "We've only known each other for less than half a year... and we've only been together for less than two months... Don't you think it's too early and too hasty to talk about starting a family? To put it bluntly, we haven't even seen each other clearly yet!"
Luffy's expression changed again and again, and after a long while he said, "I'm not saying we should get married right now, but I'm saying we should work hard towards the goal of staying together for a long time, rather than just living for today."
"Oh my god, isn't this tiring?" Zuo Xiao retorted, "I'm in a relationship, not working! And I'm working hard..."
"So you never thought about being with me from the beginning to the end." Luffy's voice turned cold, and his gaze on her suddenly cooled. "You just want to have fun, right?"
Zuo Xiao felt that the person in front of him suddenly became cold and unfamiliar. He felt a little panicked, and also felt a kind of anger as if he was being coerced. He simply said, "So what? I am just like that. I only think about today and not tomorrow. If you can't accept it, don't waste your time on me."
Something seemed to be broken in Luffy's eyes. He looked at him dejectedly without saying a word.
"I'm leaving." Zuo Xiao said and got out of bed.
Luffy didn't make any more movement until she left the room with her cane.
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