Xiao Junnan started complaining yesterday after learning that his wife was going to cook for him, saying that she hadn't cooked for him much throughout the year and that it was unfair to him. He felt uneasy about it all day.
Before Lu Wanzheng arrived, Mu Qinshu was just about to enter the kitchen when Xiao Junnan stopped her and asked her what she wanted to eat today.
Although Mu Qinshu is a young lady from a wealthy family, she was proficient in everything before she got married. She was good at cooking and entertaining guests, a strong woman when she went out, and a virtuous and gentle woman at home.
"My son gave me a list of dishes that my daughter-in-law likes to eat."
Xiao Junnan was naturally unhappy. His wife had gone to great lengths to cook, but it wasn't what he liked to eat. He felt somewhat uncomfortable and had a little "resentment" towards his daughter-in-law whom he hadn't even met yet.
"You haven't cooked for me in a long time, shouldn't you... make some of my favorite dishes?"
"What are you thinking about?" Mu Qinshu slapped Xiao Junnan's hand away. "Aren't you going to eat the food I make for your daughter-in-law? It's all my cooking, what's the difference? Don't delay me from cooking for my daughter-in-law, or you know the consequences." As she spoke, her gaze towards Xiao Junnan turned sinister, as if to say, "If you dare to waste my time, I'll destroy you."
Under that gaze, Xiao Junnan felt a chill run down his spine. Just thinking about how he had been in a high position for so long, and how he was frightened by a single look from his wife, how embarrassing it would be if word got out. His hands stiffened, and he gripped them with difficulty. His body felt slightly uncoordinated. He pretended to be nonchalant and said, "I was just worried that you haven't cooked in a long time and your skills have become rusty. I was afraid my daughter-in-law would end up with some terrible cooking."
Seeing that he couldn't eat the dishes his wife cooked for him that he loved, he started trying to get Mu Qinshu to rest, suggesting she simply stop cooking altogether and leave the cooking to the family chef. If he couldn't eat what he liked, neither could his daughter-in-law!
His struggles were clearly futile. Mu Qinshu rolled her eyes at him, said, "Then don't eat later," and turned and walked into the kitchen without looking back.
Unable to get what he wanted, Xiao Junnan slunk back to his study. He had a lot of work to do, and he couldn't abandon his work for a meal. Although it wasn't made especially for him, it was all prepared by his wife.
With this in mind, Xiao Junnan forced even the saddest feelings to vanish.
He had barely finished eating when Mu Qinshu dragged him out of the study. Before going downstairs, Xiao Junnan held Mu Qinshu's hand, telling her to cook fewer dishes, as it would be wasteful to cook too much. Mu Qinshu naturally wouldn't listen to this. She gave Xiao Junnan another cold glare and pulled him to wait in the living room, where Lu Wanzheng arrived shortly after.
With Lu Wanzheng's arrival, everyone in the house busied themselves. The housekeeper was all over her, asking her if she wanted some water or fruit. Without waiting for her reply, he ordered someone to prepare juice and cut fruit.
The housekeeper's enthusiasm overwhelmed Lu Wanzheng. In this unfamiliar environment, she was reserved in every move, and she couldn't bring herself to refuse the housekeeper's kindness.
She felt just like when Xiao Qifeng went to Biyue Garden and Aunt Ye treated him; she was somewhat at a loss and looked to Xiao Qifeng for help.
Xiao Junnan sat to one side without saying a word. His judgment was not bad. Xiao Qifeng was his son, so his judgment was certainly not bad either. Moreover, the girl looked like a good child. In this unfamiliar yet magnificent house, her eyes showed no greed, only restraint and nervousness from meeting the parents. This quality was truly commendable.
Many girls nowadays are vain, but there are also girls who don't care about material things. In Xiao Junnan's eyes, Lu Wanzheng belongs to the latter.
Sensing Lu Wanzheng's restraint, he glanced at the housekeeper and said, "Uncle Sun, stop hovering around her. I'll take her out for a walk to familiarize her with the house so she doesn't get lost. You should go and rest."
"Alright, alright." Butler Uncle Sun smiled at Lu Wanzheng. The young master had already spoken, so his enthusiasm must have frightened the young mistress. "Then, young master and young mistress, have fun," he said, and left immediately.
Lu Wanzheng was surprised that the housekeeper would call her "Young Madam," and she nervously grabbed Xiao Qifeng's hand.
"Then go take a look around, I'm going back to my study to work." He had just finished reading the documents when Mu Qinshu pulled him down. He had forgotten everything he had just read, and now he had to read the documents again. His son was currently focused on dating, and he had basically delegated the company's affairs to his son. However, ever since Mu Qinshu learned that Xiao Qifeng had found a girlfriend, she had ordered him to help his son share the company's responsibilities.
Watching Xiao Junnan's tall figure ascend the stairs and gradually disappear at the top, Lu Wanzheng felt a weight lifted from her heart and breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as Xiao Qifeng said, his parents were very good and kind. Even though Xiao's father's facial expression was somewhat cold, the pheromones he exuded were gentle.
Facing Xiao's father, she felt neither fear nor nervousness, but Uncle Sun's enthusiasm made her feel somewhat disoriented, and her amber eyes were filled with apprehension.
"Let's go," Xiao Qifeng stood up and led Lu Wanzheng outside.
The Xiao family home is really big. If you were to walk around on foot, it would take at least an hour or two to walk through the entire house. By then, your legs would probably be trembling.
As winter approaches, the days are getting shorter and the nights are falling earlier.
The streetlights in the manor were all lit up, casting a warm, dim glow.
Xiao Qifeng didn't take Lu Wanzheng running around. He held Lu Wanzheng's hand tightly, which was sweating slightly from nervousness, and walked towards the back garden.
The back garden is quite beautiful, with many rare and precious flowers planted there. In a quiet, slightly secluded corner, there is a swing, the kind that can be used by two people. The swing is padded with soft cushions, so it should be very comfortable to sit on.
There was a stone table in the garden, surrounded by three stone benches. The entire back garden was very quiet at this time, and no one was walking around except for Xiao Qifeng and Lu Wanzheng.
The back garden is usually a place to pass the time and relax, but now is the perfect time for the two to talk and be affectionate. Any sensible servant would not be here.
Lu Wanzheng was led to the swing by Xiao Qifeng. Xiao Qifeng took off his coat and covered Lu Wanzheng with it, tucking it in for her. Then he sat down next to her, put his hand behind her neck so that her neck could rest on his arm, so that the back of her head would not directly touch the cold back of the swing chair.
At this moment, the night sky was a deep, dark inky black, while the stars that twinkled in the sky were a vibrant, colorful spectacle.
The coolness was completely blocked by her coat, not touching her skin at all. Her body heat kept dissipating, but the coat kept it all inside, making Lu Wanzheng feel warm and cozy.
Lu Wanzheng rested her head on Xiao Qifeng's shoulder, quietly keeping him company. The two looked at the sky at the same time. The dark clouds in the sky were very obvious. A gust of wind blew, and the thick clouds moved involuntarily, revealing more stars.
If stars could talk, what do you think they would say?
Lu Wanzheng gripped Xiao Qifeng's other hand tightly inside her coat. The hand that had just touched the air wasn't very warm, and she tried to bring it into a warmer place. Under the coat, she gently squeezed Xiao Qifeng's hand.
“I don’t know what the stars will say, but I will say I love you, I will love you for a lifetime,” Xiao Qifeng said in the most tender lover’s tone. The simplest words of love were sincere. He tilted his head slightly and rested his head on Lu Wanzheng’s head.
From a distance, the two looked like they were leaning against each other, heads touching, a picture of peaceful bliss.
"Yes, I love you too," Lu Wanzheng said, no longer feeling burdened, bold, or shy about declaring her feelings.
Saying the most appropriate words at the most appropriate time, Xiao Qifeng kissed Lu Wanzheng's forehead with his enthusiasm, and then left without any lingering emotions.
"The stars in the sky are too far away, but your eyes are the closest stars to me."
The unexpected words of love made Lu Wanzheng's heart tremble. She had never expected such words to come from Xiao Qifeng's mouth.
Lu Wanzheng leaned on Xiao Qifeng's shoulder, comfortably squinting her eyes. Her lazy gaze could only peek out from between her eyelashes. She didn't like the noisy scenes outside; she just liked sitting here simply with the person she loved beside her. For her, this was relaxation for both body and mind, and tranquility for her soul.
The two sat there for a while in the not-so-warm environment until the housekeeper came to find them and told them that dinner was ready, and then they went back to their house.
Xiao Qifeng led Lu Wanzheng to the restaurant. A crystal chandelier hung in the center of the restaurant, casting a cool light throughout.
The dining table was rectangular and could seat a maximum of six people at a time. To avoid putting pressure on Lu Wanzheng, Mu Qinshu removed the chair at the head of the table, leaving only four chairs beside it.
The two patriarchs were already seated, waiting for Xiao Qifeng and Lu Wanzheng. Upon seeing the two enter the restaurant, Mu Qinshu stood up and invited Lu Wanzheng to take a seat.
When Mu Qinshu saw Lu Wanzheng enter wearing Xiao Qifeng's coat, she smiled knowingly. She hadn't expected her emotionally naive son to be so considerate to his girlfriend. Indeed, what comes late is never love, but rather the person you love.
Xiao Qifeng sat opposite Xiao Junnan, while Lu Wanzheng sat opposite Mu Qinshu.
After the butler called the two men, he went into the dining room first and went into the kitchen to have the dishes prepared. He stood at the kitchen door and saw that the four men were already seated. He immediately told the servants to bring the dishes prepared by the lady to the table.
Before dinner, Xiao Junnan had instructed him to open a bottle of red wine and prepare juice for the two ladies present.
The juice was freshly squeezed and had just been delivered. He placed the decanted wine on a tray, took two wine glasses from the wine cabinet, and carried them out to Xiao Junnan and Xiao Qifeng.
Mu Qinshu was excited to meet her future daughter-in-law and noticed Lu Wanzheng's restraint. To ease her tension, she naturally set a good example, "Today is the first time we've met, let's have a toast first."
She raised the juice in her hand. Her every word and action showed no trace of her former elegance. At this moment, she was just an ordinary mother who had seen her ideal daughter-in-law.
Lu Wanzheng and Xiao Qifeng raised their glasses openly and generously. Having gotten to know the two parents better, Lu Wanzheng had grown fond of them and was no longer as reserved as when she first arrived. She began to act more freely.
The only awkward one was probably Xiao Junnan. Under the dangerous gazes of the people around him, he reluctantly raised his glass, casually clinked glasses, and then performed the "drink first as a sign of respect" gesture. This was probably the most "uncultured" moment in Xiao Junnan's life.
The servants brought the food Mu Qinshu had prepared to the table one after another. The table was full of food, most of which were Lu Wanzheng's favorites, and a small portion of which were Xiao Junnan's favorites. Having shared a bed for many years, how could Mu Qinshu not know Xiao Junnan's thoughts? Seeing that he had behaved well just now, she reluctantly made a few dishes that Xiao Junnan liked.
The servants knew their masters' tastes perfectly, and with Mu Qinshu's "guidance" in the kitchen, they placed the dishes Lu Wanzheng liked in front of her and the dishes Xiao Junnan liked in front of him.
As for Xiao Qifeng's favorite foods, none of them were made this time. With both the person in front of him and the person next to him having their own favorite dishes, he didn't complain. He believed that whatever Lu Wanzheng liked to eat, he would eat too.
Today's soup is tofu and fish head soup, Lu Wanzheng's favorite soup. The tofu is white and tender, and the soup is simmered to a milky white color. The steam carries a fragrant aroma from the soup.
Before making the soup, Mu Qinshu specially pan-fried the fish until it was slightly golden brown and the skin was crispy, making it look very appetizing.
Mu Qinshu handed Xiao Qifeng an empty bowl. After taking it, Xiao Qifeng immediately ladled a bowl of soup for Lu Wanzheng and placed it in front of her. "Try it. Mom's cooking tastes very good."
"Okay." Lu Wanzheng scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and the surface of the spoon rippled slightly.
She drank it all in one gulp. The fish was cleaned very well, and the soup had no fishy smell at all, but was very fresh and fragrant. "Auntie's soup tastes really good," she said, giving Mu Qinshu a thumbs up. The soup she made was just as good as hers.
"Drink as much as you like, there's plenty. If you want to eat Auntie's cooking in the future, just call her in advance and come over for a meal." This can be considered as her future daughter-in-law's satisfaction with her. She never thought that one day she could use her cooking skills to gain points for her son.
Lu Wanzheng nodded blankly, as if the progress was a little too fast.
Xiao Qifeng was both amused and exasperated. "I'm afraid that if Wanzheng comes to our house for a few more meals, she won't like my cooking anymore. Aren't you making me 'fall out of favor'?"
Mu Qinshu's cooking skills are far superior to his, who has only recently started learning. If he spoils Lu Wanzheng's palate, things will get complicated later.
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