Chapter 223: Her Opportunity Has Come

Xu Yanfeng came home in the evening to have a meal with Zhong Yinghong; Xu Guanshan was not home, so only mother and son were at the dinner table, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

Zhong Yinghong held the serving chopsticks, constantly putting dishes onto Xu Yanfeng's bowl; soon the small bowl in front of him piled up like a small hill, with no space left, so Zhong Yinghong laughed and stopped.

Xu Yanfeng did not utter a single word of refusal, silently eating the food in his bowl.

"Don't just focus on eating, chat with me," Zhong Yinghong said. She had eaten two extra snacks during afternoon tea, so she was full after just a few bites of dinner; she propped her chin on her hand, watching her son eat the dishes she herself had cooked, a look of satisfaction on her face.

Xu Yanfeng: "What to talk about?"

"Let me think," Zhong Yinghong said, smiling gently. She recalled a question that had lingered in her mind for a long time: "A long time ago, I saw you in the study, agitatedly practicing calligraphy, and I asked if you were dating; you didn't deny it. If I count the time, you must have been together for quite a while. When can I get a look at that girl? I'm too curious. I still remember you saying back then that she might not meet the standards I and your father have for a daughter-in-law; is that why you haven't brought her to see me?"

Xu Yanfeng's brows and eyes softened: "I haven't asked her; I don't know if she's willing to meet. I'll wait until I find a time to ask her."

"Oh, the girlfriend's opinion comes first; Mom's opinion doesn't matter," Zhong Yinghong said, drawing out her words for emphasis.

"You clearly know I don't mean that," Xu Yanfeng said. When the topic turned to Xia Xi, his words became more cautious: "We can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do."

"I'm just joking."

"However, given her personality, she's very unlikely to refuse. She's not intimidated by anyone."

"You put on a cold face all day; isn't she not intimidated by you either?"

Xu Yanfeng fell silent, self-reflecting; he didn't have a perpetually cold face. Moreover, speaking of Xia Xi, even when they first met, she had never been intimidated by him; she is extraordinarily bold, often skirting the edge of provoking him, and after they got together, she became even more uninhibited.

Seeing Xu Yanfeng lost in thought with a slight upturn of his lips, Zhong Yinghong knew he was extremely fond of his girlfriend.

Xu Yanfeng briefly replied: "She's never been afraid of me."

Zhong Yinghong served him soup, then said: "Can I talk more with Mom about that girl? I want to know her better." Afterwards it would be good to be prepared; seeing her son's serious and devoted attitude, that girl is very likely to become her future daughter-in-law.

Her eldest son is lackadaisical; every time he comes home he talks about not marrying, making marriage seem like a death sentence for him. She wants to be a mother-in-law, so she can only pin her hopes on this one.

Originally she was worried that, given Xu Yanfeng's aloof personality, he would follow his older brother's path; now she can put her mind at ease.

Xu Yanfeng talked about Xia Xi while eating. He had endless things to say about her, but he only picked some memorable incidents to tell her. Zhong Yinghong kept laughing: "She sounds like an interesting girl."

The sound of the door opening broke the pleasant atmosphere in the dining room; the maid called out "Sir," and Xu Yanfeng knew who had returned. He collected the smile on his face, wiped his mouth, got up, and bade farewell to Zhong Yinghong: "I've finished eating; I have something early tomorrow, so I won't be staying at home. I'll come see you again when I have time. Lately the weather has been fluctuating between cold and hot; please take care of your health."

Zhong Yinghong wanted to see him off, but he stopped her.

Walking into the living room, father and son met; Xu Yanfeng gave a slight nod: "Dad."

With nothing more to say, he took the car keys, changed his shoes, and left.

Zhong Yinghong glanced at the clock on the cabinet and said to Xu Guanshan: "Today's social engagements ended early; would you like to eat something more?"

Xu Guanshan's gaze swept over the table; seeing that all the dishes were Xu Yanfeng's favorites, he knew they were made by Zhong Yinghong: "I won't eat more. Please make me a cup of tea."

Zhong Yinghong turned to prepare tea, but suddenly stopped, called the maid once, instructed her to make the tea, then linked arms with Xu Guanshan, led him to sit beside the sofa, and shared a secret: "Do you know about your son's dating?"

Xu Guanshan's brows furrowed briefly, then instantly returned to normal: "I don't know. Did he tell you?"

"I asked him, and then he said so," Zhong Yinghong laughed. "You don't know what kind of person your son is? Would he voluntarily disclose his relationship status? Unless the sun rises in the west."

Xu Guanshan remained silent.

Zhong Yinghong continued: "Look at his expression when he talks about that girl—it's like he's become a different person; I almost don't recognize my own son anymore, which shows he cares about her. Old Xu, we might soon have a daughter-in-law."

Xu Guanshan furrowed his brow; although he didn't want to interject, hearing her say this, he couldn't help but burst her fantasy: "You should know that Ah Feng will one day sit in that position; not just anyone is worthy to stand beside him."

For the first time, Zhong Yinghong opposed his view: "Precisely because the burden on his shoulders is heavy, with no one to share it, I want him to be happier in other aspects. If he can't even choose the person he likes, even if he stands high he won't be happy—that would be too pitiful. I hope you won't interfere and let him decide for himself."

Xu Guanshan didn't want to argue with her, and it was impossible to tell her he had already sought out Xia Xi, put his arm around her shoulders and lightly patted twice: "Alright, it's still too early to tell; don't worry needlessly."

Xu Yanfeng drove back to the apartment; missing Xia Xi, he inevitably felt it was empty. He took a shower, with nothing to do went to the study to read, flipped a few pages, then took out the key to open the locked bottom drawer of the desk.

Inside lay a black square box, its outer layer made of soft-touch leather; pinching the sides with his fingers and pulling gently, the box opened from the middle, and on the velvet cloth lay that simple yet exquisite pink diamond ring.

It was the birthday gift he had prepared for Xia Xi.

She had begged him for a long time yesterday, but he endured and did not reveal it.

Xu Yanfeng took out the ring to admire it silently, rubbing the diamond; its hard edges grazed his fingertip, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, he put the ring back and locked it in the drawer.

He felt Xia Xi would surely like it. Although she usually appears carefree and unconcerned with details, the things most girls like, she would probably like as well.

He was very much looking forward to her seeing the ring's appearance.

After the weekend passed and Monday came, Xia Xuan was to have surgery; Xia Xi did not go back, her visa for going abroad was being processed, and she attended classes as usual.

She frequently called Xia Yue; knowing Xia Xuan's surgery went smoothly, but unfortunately Xia Yue felt unwell in the hospital, a check revealed she was pregnant, already nearly two months.

Xia Yue said anxiously on the phone, "This child really came at a bad time."

Xi comforted her, saying to relax, since the child has come, it means they are fated; she told her to take good care of her body, not to overexert herself, and if the hospital couldn't cope, to hire another aide.

Xia Yue still had something on her mind, asking her where she got so much money, whether she had borrowed it from Xu Yanfeng.

Xia Xi had no way to explain, only saying she would detail it when they met again.

In a flash it was Friday; with no afternoon classes, Xia Xi stayed in the dorm; a few roommates went out shopping, they called her, she said she had something to do and didn't go with them. She was pondering how to take that step.

The script Chairman Xu arranged for her was really difficult.

The evening glow replaced the dazzling sunlight; the sun had already slanted westward, Xia Xi walked onto the balcony, both hands holding the railing, gazing at the sky for a long time.

The phone on the table rang, pulling Xia Xi back to her thoughts; she turned and walked into the dorm, propping her hand on the chair back, bending to pick up the phone pressed under a stack of books—it was Xu Yanfeng calling.

Before answering, she patted her face, cleared her throat: "Hello?"

Xu Yanfeng had been busy all day, finished work, his tone relatively relaxed: "Want to have dinner together tonight?"

Xia Xi's fingers picked at the wood chips on the chair back, speaking evasively: "I already have an appointment with friends; what should we do?"

Xu Yanfeng had no choice but to respect her decision, saying they could meet tomorrow if he had time; but he missed her a little—no, more than a little—he pursed his thin lips slightly, deciding to follow his own thoughts: "Or, whenever your gathering with friends ends, let me know and I'll come pick you up."

In an instant, Xia Xi felt her nose sour and eyes hot; she covered her eyes with the back of her hand, hearing how much he wanted to see her, wondering why he liked her so much.

How annoying; she had clearly decided not to cry anymore, but hearing his voice she couldn't control herself.

Xu Yanfeng asked: "Is that okay?"

Xia Xi couldn't bear to refuse him: "Sure."

Xu Yanfeng's schedule opened up, so Tang Yizhou called to invite him to a meal; he didn't refuse and drove over.

Half an hour later, Xia Xi saw Fu Li's latest update on her social media; the accompanying photo shows a pool table in a luxurious private room, with the caption: "How should I shoot this shot?"

It was probably Fu Li's turn to take a shot; the few balls on the table were arranged in a tricky way, and he didn't know how to proceed, so he casually posted a moment.

A hand was visible in the corner of the photo, resting on the edge of the pool table, its fingers slender and bony, veins faintly bulging on the back, and a precious silver metal watch on the wrist. From just that hand, Xia Xi recognized it as Xu Yanfeng's—she had played with his hand countless times and knew it well.

Xia Xi knew her chance had come.