The summer air is filled with the sweet fragrance of pears.
Lu Yu was sweating profusely in the gym on the third floor, while Jiao Yuyin was fast asleep in the master bedroom on the second floor.
Sure enough, after Lu Yu finished his physical training, he waited for this "sleep-back master" in the living room on the first floor.
"I've already had breakfast, but I saved some for you. I made the white fungus soup so it was warm and mellow." Lu Yu leaned back on the sofa and swung her legs.
Jiao Yuyin was dressed impeccably. His navy blue suit fit his body well, with delicate cufflinks and fine workmanship.
Lu Yu glanced down at her casual clothes, and her dangling legs immediately stopped.
"Promising."
Jiao Yuyin gave a light scolding, then walked towards the dining table while dialing a phone: "Come over now."
Lu Yu was watching a basketball game video on her phone when she suddenly felt a disdainful look from Jiao Yuyin.
It's really baffling.
"Call Ariana over here too." Jiao Yuyin ended the call with an unfamiliar name.
Lu Yu ignored him, still engrossed in the amazing touchdown pass in the video.
After a long while, a somewhat helpless complaint finally came from the dining table.
"I've prepared half a dressing room full of clothes, but I can't take my eyes off the sportswear."
"..."
Soon after, the woman named Ariana followed Assistant Qin to the Pear Blossom Villa.
Lu Yu then realized that this person had come to "change her appearance".
Lu Yu was given a makeover, from her clothes to her hairstyle and makeup. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt like she looked a bit like a socialite.
The royal blue suit was adorned with a silver brooch. The overall look was neither too elaborate nor too complicated, but just right, giving off the air of a well-bred young lady.
*
The Jiao family's old house is quaint and antique.
Every blade of grass, every tree, every step, and every door seems to have been meticulously designed.
"Yu-yin brought his friends back, come upstairs quickly." A clear female voice came from the second-floor staircase.
Lu Yu followed Jiao Yuyin's steps to the stairwell.
Jiao Yuyin, expressionless, forced a smile and asked, "Where's my dad?"
Jiao Yuyin neither greeted him nor gave him a smile.
Lu Yu guessed that this beautiful woman was probably his sixth wife. Lu Yu didn't know what expression to make, so he could only nod awkwardly at the woman.
"The west study on the second floor."
[So difficult to please!]
The beautiful woman's answer and her inner thoughts reached Lu Yu's ears one after the other, and Lu Yu silently followed Jiao Yuyin upstairs.
Once they reached the second floor, Jiao Yuyin mentioned, "Her name is Mi Yang, and she is my sixth wife."
Lu Yu dared not say more and nodded silently.
Upon arriving at the study, Lu Yu finally met the head of the Jiao family.
Jiao Cheng sat in the sunlight in his study, flipping through documents while holding his reading glasses. He looked pale and thin, probably because he had just recovered from a serious illness, except for his bright, piercing eyes.
"dad."
"uncle."
"Sit wherever you like." Jiao Cheng closed the file, got up from his desk, and sat down at the coffee table.
The tea water splashed into the cup, creating a puff of fragrant steam.
Lu Yu was still nervous, staring down at the teacup in front of her, paying attention to Jiao Cheng's thoughts.
"Dad, who drinks tea in this heat?" Jiao Yuyin complained, taking a sip of tea.
Jiao Cheng glanced at Jiao Yuyin and said, "Little Yu, I don't know if it's appropriate for me to call you that?"
Lu Yu rarely had the opportunity to deal with this kind of situation, and afraid of saying the wrong thing, she awkwardly replied, "Okay, okay. Hehe."
"Yu-in told me about my family's rules, right? If you date a star athlete, you're supposed to get married in my family."
This child is quite clever and bright.
"Mmm," Lu Yu said in a low voice.
"How long have you been talking?"
Lu Yu knew that she had already been thoroughly investigated, so she answered truthfully: "We've known each other for a little over a month, but we haven't really dated for more than a few days."
Jiao Yuyin added from the side, "Dad, don't worry about how many days we talk, we're planning to get married soon anyway."
Jiao Cheng smiled, drank a cup of tea, and continued to look at Lu Yu, as if his third son were invisible. "So, what are your career plans for the future?"
[Now that Yu-in is thinking about marriage, he's probably given up on the idea of settling abroad, which puts my mind at ease.]
"I will continue playing basketball, but how far I can go and how long I will play remains to be seen."
The old man, nearing sixty, looked rather grim, but his voice remained unchanged. "Little Yu, I don't mean to interfere with you. But in competitive sports, there are always winners and losers. It's inevitable that the Jiao family will be involved, and it's not good to attract too much attention."
Jiao Cheng's heartfelt words echoed in the voice.
[We need to find out if this girl has any ulterior motives. If she's solely focused on getting into the Jiao family business, she'll definitely use this opportunity to retire.]
"They're treating the Jiao family like a hot commodity, huh?" Jiao Yuyin continued his sarcastic remarks.
Lu Yu was confident and said, "Uncle, with the Jiao family's influence, they don't need the attention I bring as a player. Even if I have to put aside the ridicule I receive online, I shouldn't back down from my dream. If I were to personally extinguish the passion in my heart, I would probably regret it for the rest of my life."
"Good job, young man, you have ambition."
Jiao Cheng poured another cup of tea and continued, "Since you're thinking about getting married, let's do it sooner rather than later. Xiaoyu, is there anyone in your family who can attend the wedding?"
"I live alone..."
“It’s not like I’d have to tell you all my ancestors.” Lu Yu had barely started to say this when Jiao Yuyin interrupted him. “The wedding is up to the family to arrange. We can only send two people; we won’t interfere with anything else. If you have any questions, ask Assistant Qin.”
Jiao Yuyin's words were sharp and cutting, making his father so angry that his eyes blazed with fury. "You brat!" he sighed again before saying, "You take Xiaoyu for a walk around the old house. You're not allowed to leave until lunchtime."
"Is someone coming at noon? Is lunch absolutely necessary? I have something to do and don't want to stay here."
"What could you possibly have to do on a weekend? You absolutely have to eat this meal! Shouldn't you introduce Xiaoyu to your family before the wedding?" As he spoke, Jiao Cheng's voice grew even louder.
“Alright, then let’s meet them,” Jiao Yuyin said calmly. “Family. Hehe.”
Jiao Cheng's heartfelt words resonated in Lu Yu's ears; she hadn't expected this...
The pear tree in front of Pear Fragrance Villa represents such a profound past...
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