Chapter 10: Arranging her marriage with Xu Yanfeng

Xia Xi hadn't eaten dinner, so hungry her front stuck to her back; everyone at home had already eaten, she rummaged through the kitchen cabinet, found a packet of instant noodles, set up a small milk pot to boil water and cook the noodles.

"How come you didn't eat after going on a blind date? Wasn't the meeting set for a Western restaurant?" Su Jinru, unaware of the details, saw the situation, rolled up her sleeves and pulled her aside, "Eating instant noodles this late is unhealthy; I'll make you something else."

"No need to trouble yourself."

Xia Xi glanced at the pot; the water had boiled, she tore open the package and dumped the noodle cake in, cracked an egg, sliced some luncheon meat, and tossed in a handful of washed greens, looking quite hearty.

Su Jinru: "Hurry up and tell me, what's the situation tonight?"

Xia Xi tore open a few seasoning packets and poured them in, stirred with chopsticks in the pot, utterly unable to complain about tonight's affair. She took out her phone, opened the previous recording, then handed the phone to Su Jinru: "After you listen, you'll know what kind of guy that man is."

Su Jinru held the phone and stepped aside to listen.

Xia Xi pulled out a noodle bowl, rinsed it under the faucet, and scooped the noodles out of the pot.

The two little ones, smelling the aroma, stopped watching TV and waddled over. Youyou tiptoed to peek into the bowl, swallowed, and asked feigning innocence, "Mom, what are you eating?"

Zi Heng also blinked his eyes, the meaning obvious—he wanted to eat.

No child can resist the temptation of instant noodles; Xia Xi placed the bowl on the island counter: "You two didn't have dinner either?"

Grandma heard this and laughed: "Each of them polished off a big bowl of rice, drank half a bowl of soup, and gnawed on half a plate of lamb chops."

"With such an appetite? Then don't fight Mom for her dinner—Mom hasn't eaten a bite tonight." Xia Xi sat on the high stool, ruffling each of their heads, "Kids shouldn't eat instant noodles; it's unhealthy."

"Mom~" Youyou whined in a soft voice, raising a finger at her, "Just one bite, okay?"

Zi Heng rarely acts coquettish, but he'll give you those deer-eyed looks until you soften.

Xia Xi sighed, unable to refuse them, got up and fetched two small bowls, putting a chopstickful of noodles plus a piece of luncheon meat in one: "We agreed, just one bite."

"Yay! Long live Mom!"

The two kids instantly beamed, happily eating from their bowls.

Having finished the recording, Su Jinru strode over, shaking with anger, pointing a trembling hand at the phone: "Is this guy a scoundrel?"

Xia Xi buried her face in slurping noodles, mumbling: "Probably."

Su Jinru looked at her worriedly: "Did he do anything to you?" She deeply regretted listening to Aunt Su's advice and arranging tonight's blind date: "If I'd known that guy was like this, I would never have let you go. What kind of person is he, basically a beast! How could anyone say such things?"

Xia Xi naturally wouldn't doubt her mother's love for her; she took a sip of soup, lifted her face and smiled: "I'm fine, the restaurant was crowded, a kind stranger helped out, and he didn't take advantage."

"Really aggravating." Su Jinru grew angrier the more she thought: "I'll call that Ms. Su to ask what's going on, introducing that sort of person to my daughter—who is she trying to annoy!"

Su Jinru put down Xia Xi's phone, picked up her own, and called Aunt Su. Her voice rose and fell, as if she were arguing with the other party.

Xia Xi filled her stomach, kept the two kids company watching TV for a while, then went back to her room, took a shower, and lay down.

It was still early; she wasn't sleepy, so she opened her phone and browsed through all her social apps.

The class chat, silent for ages, somehow suddenly became lively; she had previously set it to "Do Not Disturb," unintentionally tapped in, and found the messages scrolling past—over a hundred of them.

Xia Xi scrolled up to see what they were talking about, and realized they were discussing a class reunion.

"Class monitor, can we bring family members?"

"Just asking ahead, what is everyone currently doing, so I have a sense of it; I'm embarrassed to attend if I'm doing too poorly."

"Eh, we're all office workers, what's with ranking high and low, noble and base?"

"We shouldn't engage in one-upmanship; a class reunion is for keeping in touch with classmates, and it'd be even better if we could help each other out."

"Agreed, cut the pretense, it's pointless."

"Agreed, +1"

"I switched to PR, busy as a dog every day."

"Our advertising industry is truly the busiest—up before the chickens, to bed later than the dogs, eating worse than pigs, working harder than oxen!"

"Hahahaha." "I work in investment banking, it's fine, just scraping by."

"At the real estate firm, the industry is sluggish, overall shrinking and declining, everyone wants to go back to their original trade."

"Just getting by at the building materials company, face covered in dust all day."

"Li Guihang upstairs, don't act humble here, still dusty-faced; the last time I saw you, a crowd behind you nodded and bowed, calling you Manager Li, saying you're just getting by—hey, at least you've made it to 'manager'!"

"Looks like not everyone is in the construction industry after all."

The class monitor spoke up, asking who definitely wanted to attend the reunion; he was compiling a list to book a private room, and added that family members could come along.

Everyone signed up eagerly; Xia Xi saw that several classmates worked in fields that could become collaborative ventures, her heart itching to join, yet she worried that showing up would invite gossip about her love life.

Back then, her romance with Xu Yanfeng caused such a sensation that the whole school knew about it.

Xia Xi scratched her forehead, feeling torn.

After the class monitor finished tallying, he tossed an Excel sheet into the group: "Anyone else coming? If not, this is it."

Xia Xi pulled up the sheet; adding the guys and girls gave about twenty people total. Architecture majors were already few among women, and only four were coming—among them her roommate Zhao Lei.

Just as she thought of her, Xia Xi received a private message from Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei: "Sweetie, did you see our class group messages or not?"

Xia Xi pretended not to have seen it: "What's up?"

Zhao Lei: "I knew you hadn't looked! The class monitor organized a reunion for the evening of the 11th, right during the break. I heard you're back in the country—want to come over and hang out?"

Afraid Xia Xi might refuse, Zhao Lei immediately sent another: "Come on, come on, just think of it as keeping me company. I'm not close with the other three girls, I'd feel awkward otherwise."

Xia Xi had wanted to go anyway, and she was easily persuaded: "All right."

Zhao Lei was thrilled, sending voice messages with a series of "mua mua": "I'll go tell the class monitor to add your name."

*The next day was Mid-Autumn Festival; in the evening, the Xu and Ling families had a dinner together.

It was the Ling family that extended the invitation, saying the two households hadn't gathered in a while, taking advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival to share a meal.

The venue was set at the large hotel under the Ling Clan.

In the luxurious private box, crystal lights sparkled; the round red-lacquered table was laden with exquisite, delicious dishes, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Ling Yan dressed to the nines, sitting beside Xu Yanfeng. Tonight's dinner was arranged at her urging, with the purpose of settling her marriage to Xu Yanfeng.

Yesterday, in the restaurant, she happened upon Xia Xi, witnessed Xu Yanfeng defending Xia Xi, which dealt her a heavy blow; she hadn't slept all night, feeling anxious and unsettled, no longer wanting to wait, urgently hoping their relationship could be set in stone.

She stole a glance at Xu Yanfeng, lifted the juice beside her and took a light sip, praying that things would go as she wished.

After the elders of both families exchanged pleasantries, the topic naturally turned to the two children.

Ling's mother lightly patted her daughter's back, smiling, and said: "Our girl has no ambition, she's completely focused on Afeng; we two can't do anything about her."

"Mom, how can you say that?" Ling Yan's face turned bright red, she gave her mother an annoyed look, her shy demeanor fully showing the attitude of a little girl, and her voice also became small.

Xu Yanfeng's mother Zhong Yinghong took over: "Ling girl has grown up before our eyes; where does she lack ambition? She's outstanding, a role model for many young ladies of noble families. You don't know how much I wish for such a daughter. Alas, this wish cannot be fulfilled, but finding such a daughter-in-law is something we can consider."

Ling's father took the opportunity to propose: "Yanfeng is thirty this year, right? As they say, at thirty one should establish oneself; it's time to start a family. The two kids are fond of each other; I think we could set the marriage this year, or at least get engaged. The wedding can't be arranged in time, but we can first get engaged."

Xu Guanshan, father of Xu Yanfeng, readily agreed: "I think it's fine."

Everything proceeded unbelievably smoothly; Ling Yan's heart leapt with joy, though her fingers trembled with excitement, she kept a faint smile on her face, expressing no opinion at such a moment, appearing as if she would let her parents decide.

Zhong Yinghong had always respected Xu Yanfeng's opinions, not being as decisive as Xu Guanshan; she looked at the calmly seated Xu Yanfeng and asked gently: "Afeng, what do you think?"

(End of chapter)