"Aunt Liu, Aunt Sun, Aunt Wang, Sister Zhang! Be careful when you're handling these flowers, and don't damage them!"
Shi Jing lazily slumped on the sofa, holding his phone and waiting for Zhu Jinzhao's reply, while loudly giving instructions.
Aunt Liu smiled and replied, "Don't worry, we know what we're doing."
Sister Zhang: "Mr. Shi is back. Would you like some late-night snacks?"
Shi Fei's voice came from the doorway: "No need, why would there be so many flowers in the house?"
"I bought them all!" Shi Jing proudly raised his right hand, ready to confess his relationship.
But when Shi Fei walked into the living room, he gave Shi Jing a speechless glare as he passed by: "What are you doing? You've gotten used to being a young master, now you want to be a princess?"
Shi Jing: "..."
"Old man, can't you think about things on the bright side? Couldn't I have bought these flowers to use as a way to express my feelings?"
"...Confess?" Shi Fei paused, then immediately turned back from the stairwell and sat down on the sofa opposite Shi Jing.
"Tell me more about your confession. How do you plan to do it? What's the timeline? Do you need Dad to sponsor you anything?"
"Hmph!" Shi Jing said smugly, deliberately wiping his lips with his thumb. "Old man, you're too late to ask."
"...What do you mean?" Shi Fei frowned, his eyes filled with apprehension. "What do you mean by 'too late'? Does that mean you've already failed in your confession?"
Shi Jing: "..."
"No, my dear father, am I really that useless in your eyes?" He looked at Shi Fei, somewhat angry and sad. "I am wealthy, handsome, humorous, emotionally intelligent, deeply affectionate, and caring. How could I possibly fail so easily in confessing my feelings?"
"..." Shi Fei automatically ignored the string of inexplicable adjectives before him, raised an eyebrow and looked at Shi Jing, "You didn't fail to confess... so you've already succeeded in confessing?"
Shi Jing smirked, "It's not just a successful confession, I've already kissed her..."
"Huh?!" Shi Fei exclaimed in surprise, "Really? You not only confessed your feelings successfully, but you also kissed her?!"
Shi Jing wiped her lips again, her cheeks flushed. "Of course it's true! Chaochao is now my official girlfriend."
"..."
Shi Fei stared wide-eyed in disbelief, and after a moment, suddenly jumped up from the sofa.
"I'll go burn incense for your mother right now and tell her this wonderful news!"
After saying that, he impatiently turned and ran upstairs, but stopped halfway up and looked back at Shi Jing, asking, "How old is Jinzhao? Is he old enough to get married?"
Shi Jing: "I'm twenty years old today, just in time for the legal age."
Shi Fei: "How about you two get your marriage certificate next month? I'll go to the Zhu family to propose tomorrow!"
"No!" Shi Jing stood up from the sofa and followed Shi Fei upstairs. "Chao Chao's three older brothers are difficult to deal with. Let me settle things with them first before slowly bringing up the topic of marriage with them. Besides, Chao Chao is still young. I'm afraid she'll be unhappy if I put the pressure of marriage on her so soon."
Shi Fei: "So you mean..."
"I want to date her properly first, and only when she completely accepts me and feels comfortable giving herself to me will I talk to her about marriage."
Shi Jing was serious. Although he had only just started dating Zhu Jinzhao, the moment he kissed her, he had already begun to fantasize about marrying her.
However, it was still too early for him to do so. He only dared to bring up marriage with Zhu Jinzhao in a joking manner and did not dare to talk to her about it too seriously, for fear that she would think he had ulterior motives.
But he wasn't in a hurry, because he believed he wouldn't let Zhu Jinzhao down, and that Zhu Jinzhao would definitely be willing to marry him.
"As long as you know what's going on," Shi Fei smiled with relief and continued walking upstairs.
The father and son went up to the second floor together, walked through the corridor, and came to a room in the far corner.
The room door was locked, and could only be opened with the fingerprints of Shi Fei, Shi Jing, and Sister Zhang.
Shi Fei raised his hand and placed the pad of his right thumb on the sensor for two seconds.
Then, with a sharp "beep," the tightly closed door automatically cracked open.
Shi Fei gave it another gentle push, and the door slowly opened.
The father and son walked in silently.
The room was spacious, about the same size as Shi Jing's bedroom, but there was no bed or any other furniture. There was only a lonely pink altar and some random trinkets.
"Mr. Shi, Xiao Jing."
Just then, Sister Zhang arrived at the door carrying two bouquets of flowers.
Shi Jing stepped forward, took the flowers from Sister Zhang's hand, and said softly, "Give them to me."
Sister Zhang responded with an "Eh," and then tactfully left.
“The flowers I bought this time are of particularly good quality. My mother will definitely like them very much.” Shi Jing carried the flowers to the altar and placed one bouquet next to the portrait in the center of the altar, while placing the other bouquet on a piano by the window.
"Your mother loved any flower." Shi Fei looked at the portrait of the deceased, his smile suddenly tinged with sadness, and his eyes filled with grief.
But the woman in the portrait always had a bright smile on her face, and even though the photo was black and white, it couldn't hide her joy.
She looked very young, at least twenty years younger than Shi Fei. Her eyes were gentle, her features delicate, and at first glance, she bore a striking resemblance to Shi Jing.
Shi Jing walked over, stood close to Shi Fei, and obediently called out "Mom" to the woman in the portrait.
"Mom, I'm in love." He looked at the dusty portrait of the deceased, all his arrogance and coolness vanished, replaced by obedience and primness.
"Her name is Zhu Jinzhao. She's a very well-behaved and kind person. I like her very much, and she likes me very much too! I'll bring her over to meet you in a couple of days."
Shi Fei: "Xiao Yun, although this brat is usually unreliable, he's especially serious when it comes to dating. I've met that girl a few times, and she's definitely a very well-behaved and outstanding person. When he's with her, he's more obedient than a dog. From now on, you and I won't have to worry about him anymore. With Jinzhao watching over him, he won't dare to cause any more trouble."
"...Old man, what do you mean by 'more obedient than a dog'?" Shi Jing was very dissatisfied with this description and immediately expressed his protest, "I'm your own son, how can you describe me like that?"
"Am I wrong in my description?" Shi Fei glanced at him sideways. "If I tell you to go east, you won't dare to go west; if I tell you to herd ducks, you won't dare to chase chickens. If I just give you a slight smile, you'll turn yourself into a lapdog. My description is quite accurate!"
"Hey, hey, hey, you have the nerve to say that about me?" Shi Jing rolled her eyes indignantly. "Aren't you the same way in front of my mom? You're so decisive and efficient in public, you can scare a bunch of employees with just a slight frown, but when you see my mom, you smile like an idiot!"
Shi Fei: "...Did I give you too much face?"
Shi Jing: "You didn't force me to accept it!"
The father and son started arguing at the slightest disagreement, while the woman in the portrait watched with a smile, her helpless yet indulgent expression revealing the truth that she had long been accustomed to it.
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