Chapter 296: He's Really Stubborn

Xu Yanfeng stood there, thinking for a while, feeling that something was off, yet also feeling that nothing was off.

He wore a thoughtful expression, walked back to sit beside Xia Xi, and casually placed his phone on the sofa.

Seeing his expression, Xia Xi couldn't help but feel uneasy: "What did you and Auntie say?"

"Do you think I'm joking with you?" Xu Yanfeng raised his eyebrows, his voice somewhat nonchalant, "I said I'd tell the truth, I'm telling the truth, not a single word is a lie."

Xia Xi's heart raced as she stared at Xu Yanfeng: "Then... what was her reaction?"

Xu Yanfeng fell silent.

Xia Xi instantly felt something was wrong, and for a moment couldn't say anything else.

"My mom said she needs to do some mental preparation," Xu Yanfeng said without hiding anything, "It might be too sudden for her; she needs some time to adjust and accept."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xi slowly lowered her eyes, feeling that Xu Yanfeng was comforting her, deliberately phrasing it gently; in reality, his mother could not accept her existence at all, including Zi Heng.

She now deeply regretted agreeing to Xu Yanfeng's request to move in and live with him.

Xu Yanfeng's mother knowing meant that Xu Guanshan would likely find out soon; did she still need to meet Xu Guanshan once?

After all, when she returned to China and met Xu Guanshan, she had sworn that she would have no involvement with Xu Yanfeng beyond work, no matter what happened later; from Xu Guanshan's perspective, she had broken her promise.

In a daze, Xu Yanfeng touched her cheek with the back of his hand; the cool sensation brought Xia Xi back to her senses. She slightly lifted her eyes and said lightly, "You shouldn't have told the truth."

Just make up an excuse to get past it.

"You don't want my family to know?" he said, his expression turning somewhat stern.

He felt they had long understood each other silently; he had never let go of her, and she still liked him. Seven years had passed, and though they seemed to have changed, it also seemed nothing had changed—getting back together was just a matter of her saying the word. He didn't know where things went wrong; she seemed to have become resistant.

Could it be just because today Zhong Yinghong bumped into her at his place, making her feel embarrassed and uncomfortable?

But if they were together, they would eventually have to meet the parents and get married; has she not even thought that far ahead?

"At least in my view, my mom was surprised to see you, but she certainly didn't dislike you." Xu Yanfeng's Adam's apple moved as he lowered his voice, "Do you have any concerns?"

"I..."

Xi Xi had just uttered a word when Zhangyi happened to come over, unaware they were talking, and cheerfully said, "The food is ready, you can eat."

The words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed whole; Xia Xi put down the unfinished chestnut pastry and said, "Let's eat."

The three of them sat around the dining table; Xia Xi had an average appetite, eating slowly, and after drinking some soup she stopped moving her chopsticks.

"You're full after just a few bites?" Xu Yanfeng gave her a piece of yam, "Eat a bit more."

Xia Xi shook her head: "I just ate half a chestnut pastry; I'm not very hungry."

Xu Yanfeng: "If I had known, I would have let you eat it after the meal."

Zi Heng glanced at Xia Xi, scooped a spoonful of mixed vegetables into her small bowl, and urged crisply, "Mom, eat a few more bites; you've gotten thin."

"All right." Xia Xi looked at the bowl full of colorful corn kernels, peas, bamboo shoots, and ham dice; her appetite picked up a little, she picked up her chopsticks again and ate the pieces one by one.

Xu Yanfeng: "……"

This preferential treatment is too obvious.

Zi Heng pursed his lips and smirked; Xu Yanfeng stared at him, their gazes met, Zi Heng tilted his head, stuck out his tongue, and made a funny face. Xu Yanfeng was speechless yet amused.

After leaving Xu Yanfeng's residence, Zhong Yinghong had no mood to wander around; she took a vehicle home.

Xu Guanshan was resting at home today, knowing his wife had gone to see that unfilial son; at lunchtime he didn't wait for her and sat alone in the large dining room.

The surroundings were cold and quiet, so silent that a pin drop could be heard; the servants didn't dare make any loud movements while working.

The clear sound of Zhong Yinghong's high heels arrived; Xu Guanshan's eyelids twitched, he turned his head and looked, somewhat surprised: "You're back so early? Have you had lunch?"

Zhong Yinghong lowered her eyes to look at her feet, then realized she had forgotten to change into slippers upon entering; she was about to turn back to the foyer when the housemaid quickly brought her slippers, bent down to place them by her feet, and then took the bag from her hand.

Holding onto the back of the nearby sofa, Zhong Yinghong changed into her slippers and walked toward the dining room.

"I haven't eaten," Zhong Yinghong said, "I just chatted a bit and came back."

She hadn't even seen Xu Yanfeng's face; the so-called "chatting a bit" was with his girlfriend. Strictly speaking, she isn't even a girlfriend yet, because Xu Yanfeng himself admitted he hasn't won her over.

Xu Guanshan noticed her expression was off, put down his chopsticks, pulled out a napkin to wipe his mouth, and asked, "Was the conversation unpleasant?"

"Not really," Zhong Yinghong frowned, then quickly relaxed, not wanting her husband to notice anything.

The servants, hearing their conversation, brought over a set of chopsticks and asked if they needed a few more dishes; Zhong Yinghong shook her head and made do with a few bites of the food on the table.

Xu Guanshan had already finished eating; it was rare for him to have the patience to keep her company here, so he leisurely lit a cigarette: "Have you asked him what he thinks? Aren't you considering the marriage matter?"

Zhong Yinghong choked a little; the servant poured her a cup of warm water, she lifted it and took a sip, turned her head to observe her husband's expression, and secretly resolved to keep it from him for now.

Xu Yanfeng had fallen for a woman with a child, and that child was five or six years old; he brought that mother and child onto his turf, showing genuine interest, not just playing around.

He even treated that woman's child as his own beloved son...

Zhong Yinghong rubbed her brow; even she found it somewhat hard to accept, let alone her short-tempered husband. The father-son relationship was already mediocre; if he found out, it would only make things worse.

"I didn't ask," Zhong Yinghong said.

Xu Guanshan pinched the cigarette, resting it on the ashtray's edge, flicked his fingers to shake off ash, and from afar snapped at Xu Yanfeng: "You're really stubborn."

Zhong Yinghong thought it over and felt it best to first change her husband's viewpoint; even if it couldn't be completely changed, shifting it a little would help, so she wouldn't be caught in the middle if things blew up later.

"Old Xu, you need to understand this: Junmo has already made up his mind not to marry, and A Feng at least has no resistance to marriage; you shouldn't press him too hard, or it could backfire." Zhong Yinghong said, "When A Feng was young, he liked soccer and taekwondo; you, to cultivate his temperament, forced him into calligraphy and Go interest classes—he wasn't happy, but he obeyed. However, choosing a marriage partner is not like choosing an interest class; you can't force him to marry someone he dislikes; you must respect his own wishes."

Xu Guanshan spoke coldly through the swirling smoke: "You think I don't know? You always secretly took him to play soccer and go to the taekwondo hall. That's indulgence."

Zhong Yinghong froze; she had never mentioned this to anyone before—it was a secret between her and her son, yet her husband actually knew.

She didn't defend herself, but simply admitted: "Even if it's indulgence, what's the harm? He's grown up this big; is he inferior to others?"

"Indulgence has fostered his willfulness; do you think this problem isn't serious enough?"

"Do you think his not following your idea of marrying into the Ling family is just willfulness?!" Zhong Yinghong unintentionally raised her voice; she usually spoke and acted gently, rarely speaking so harshly.

In comparison, Xu Guanshan remained calm: "How isn't it?"

Zhong Yinghong sighed deeply: "Old Xu, we've been married for how many years? I thought our harmony came from me listening to you on small matters and us negotiating on big ones. You previously brought up the alliance marriage; I went along and met with the Ling family, but you also saw that A Feng is unwilling. We originally came together based on mutual genuine affection and matching social standing; why, when it comes to A Feng, are you so obstinate?"

The two words "obstinate" ignited Xu Guanshan's anger; he straightened his face, endured and endured, and didn't argue with Zhong Yinghong, lest the servants see a joke.

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, his tone tinged with resentment: "Go ahead and eat; I'm going upstairs to rest."

Zhong Yinghong frowned, watching, eyes wide open, as her husband shifted the chair and walked away.