Chapter 438

When did you get together?

Seeing dozens of eyes in the room fixed upon him, Li Heng glanced at Jiang Yue, then at Song Yu. He really wanted to climb up the ladder the eldest aunt had provided and corner Jiang Yue, his future mother-in-law.

But this thought appeared for only a fleeting moment before vanishing. Song Yu was not just anyone; he didn't want to use those devious tricks and schemes. After weighing it, he spoke truthfully with a smile: "Eldest Aunt, I am still working hard to pursue Song Yu."

What does "still" mean? It implies that I have already been pursuing her for a long time.

What does "working hard" mean? It implies that Song Yu is not easy to pursue.

Hearing this, the gazes of everyone in the Song family shifted, falling from Li Heng onto Song Yu.

It was still that question that had troubled everyone for so long: Why? Such a rare, top-tier man—what is Yu Bao hesitating about? He has even actively pursued her all the way to her home, and has come twice now; what exactly is Yu Bao thinking?

Both aunts and the uncle's wife were anxious for Song Yu, anxious to the point of desperation.

Song Yu's grandmother was equally confused and perplexed. Twice she had almost impulsively asked, wanting to ask her granddaughter, but the words died on her lips. The occasion was not right; asking such things would be disrespectful to Li Heng.

Who is Li Heng? Who present didn't know of his fame and status? This was also the reason the Song family had gathered this time. Thinking of preserving Li Heng's face, Song Yu's grandmother ultimately let the matter drop.

Jiang Yue looked at Li Heng, and for no reason, she felt a sense of relief in her heart. Just like her own misgivings, her daughter was likely also concerned about his philandering, which was why she hadn't dared to agree to be with Li Heng.

They aren't together yet! The two of them actually aren't together yet! The aunts and great-aunts looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

A brief silence descended upon the room.

In the end, it was the eldest aunt who broke the subtle atmosphere at the table. She felt that since she had started this topic, she should bring it to a close to avoid embarrassing Li Heng. Thus, she said with a face full of smiles, half-truth and half-jest: "Then you must keep at it! Eldest Aunt thinks very highly of you both. If there's anything you need help with, Eldest Aunt will help you."

The meaning of the eldest aunt's words was as good as saying: If you need anything, just ask; Eldest Aunt can act as your matchmaker.

Hearing this, Jiang Yue calmly swept a glance at her sister-in-law, then at the younger sister-in-law.

Her gaze met the younger sister-in-law's unexpectedly. After looking at each other for a moment, Jiang Yue, with no expression on her face, got up and went to the kitchen to serve rice for her husband, Song Shi.

Watching the back heading to the kitchen, the younger aunt, Song Song Song Shuyu, saw it as clearly as a mirror: It seemed she and the eldest sister had displeased the sister-in-law, but the sister-in-law's personality had always been relatively virtuous; even if she had something on her mind, she wouldn't speak it out, fearing it would affect family harmony.

That the eldest aunt could say such things was naturally a sign of her respect and high regard. Li Heng smiled and responded repeatedly, even drinking a glass of wine with the eldest aunt.

The shift in her mother's thoughts was not only sensed by the younger aunt; the clever Song Yu had also sensed it.

When Jiang Yue returned and sat back in her seat, Song Yu pondered for a moment, and later, under everyone's gaze, picked up her chopsticks and placed three helpings of food into Li Heng's bowl in succession.

She served him fish, wild rabbit meat, and a helping of long beans—all things he loved to eat.

After serving the food, Song Yu said to him softly, with an orchid-like grace: "Don't just drink wine; the liquor has a strong kick and makes one drunk easily. Eat some food."

One sentence was worth more than a thousand words.

One sentence helped Li Heng out of his predicament.

With this action, she was subtly telling the whole family of relatives: Li Heng is indeed pursuing me, but it is not a meaningless pursuit. If I did not permit it, if I had no intention, I would not be walking so close to him, nor would I have brought him home.

At this moment, between worrying about her own mother and maintaining Li Heng's dignity, Song Yu did not hesitate much; she chose to preserve the sense of transcendence Li Heng held before all the relatives.

He was, after all, a man of status; wherever he went, he should carry an air of purity and be the center of attention.

Even if it were exposed in the future that he was stepping on several boats at once, or that his lifestyle was improper, at this moment, Song Yu would rather tarnish her own reputation to maintain his. Setting aside all else, she truly cared for this man in her heart.

And ever since the first year of high school, he had left an indelible impression on her heart.

This impression—she couldn't explain the reason, nor did she want to get to the bottom of it; it was just that every time she saw him, a faint joy would involuntarily rise in her heart. This joy was not intense, not ardent; it was like the water of Dongting Lake outside the house—calm, yet accumulating more and more.

With a mutual understanding, Li Heng also felt Song Yu's affection. Regardless of so many people watching, he also served her a piece of fish: "Don't just look after me; you eat too."

Song Yu's eyes carried a faint smile as she said, "Okay."

Seeing this scene, Sun Manning's teeth felt sour, and she felt secretly indignant: I don't know what kind of dog-shit luck this guy stepped in? It's one thing for Mai Sui to have a crush on him, but now even the impossibly beautiful Song Yu is openly supporting him. Look at that look and smile in Song Yu's eyes—my god! Even a dead tree can bloom, and a boar can give birth to 13 piglets, alright.

Seeing this scene, the eldest aunt and the younger aunt looked at each other for a while, then smiled meaningfully. Does this count as a lucky strike? If the sister-in-law hadn't had that reaction, and if they hadn't asked Li Heng that question just now, given Yu Bao's mild temperament, she surely wouldn't have made it clear in front of the family.

Don't look at this as just three helpings of food; in the eyes of the Song family, it was as heavy as a thousand jin, and the implied information was truly vast.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Yue, who had just felt much more relaxed, felt her mood sink. After thinking it over, she finally figured out where the slip-up was.

Fearing his wife was still upset, Song Shi secretly held Jiang Yue's left hand under the table.

Jiang Yue understood her husband's worry. She stood up again; this time, in the image of a hostess, she added wine to everyone at the table one by one. After a full round, when she reached Li Heng, she glanced at her daughter and said to Li Heng: "Drink slowly; Auntie will make you a bowl of hangover soup in a while."

"Oh, thank you, Auntie." Li Heng hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

After pouring wine for Li Heng, Jiang Yue directly ignored her daughter and went to the other tables.

Song Yu smiled; her mother's intentions were obvious. She was dissatisfied with her own behavior, but more than that, she was likely confused, yet she did not make things difficult for Li Heng in front of others.

With Jiang Yue's wine-pouring, the atmosphere at the table instantly revived, even better than before. Some cousins who didn't know the ins and outs, after drinking a bit of liquor, even started offering Li Heng advice, shouting out what cousin Song Yu liked to eat, what she liked to wear, and what hobbies she had, telling Li Heng everything in one go, urging him to win his cousin over quickly so the red envelopes would be thicker next year. This made everyone burst into laughter.

This meal lasted quite a while. As the primary subject of conversation, Li Heng no longer hid his light under a bushel; he directly switched on his erudite and talented "bluffing" mode, using the life experience and advanced knowledge of the decades to come to completely win over everyone in the room.

Such as the eldest uncle, the principal of Yueyang No. 1 High School; the younger uncle, the second-in-command of the Changsha Public Security Bureau; as well as the uncle and aunt who also worked for the state, and the two aunts.

One and all, they were completely bluffed by Li Heng. After the meal, they had only one realization in their minds: No wonder he could write world-renowned classics like "To Live," "Cultural Travel Notes," and "White Deer Plain." He truly had a vast landscape in his heart; he was not famous for nothing! They were far inferior.

Honestly speaking, setting aside Li Heng's private life, at this very moment, Song Shi and Jiang Yue were also conquered by Li Heng's talent.

After the meal, Jiang Yue kept her word and really made him a bowl of hangover soup, handing it to Li Heng and saying: "It's a bit hot; wait for it to cool down before drinking."

Li Heng took the bowl and thanked her again.

PS: Taking a day off; my hands feel stiff. Posting a short chapter first to find my rhythm.

Posted first, edited later.

(More to come)

(End of chapter)