Chapter 18.2

Although she had always urged Wen Hongyu to find a companion soon, now that she had actually found one, Wen Yi did not feel the happiness she had imagined. Instead she rather understood the saying about “one’s own family’s cabbage being rooted by a pig.”

Wen Hongyu recovered from the initial awkwardness and introduced them. “Old Xu, this is my daughter Wen Yi and my son-in-law Qin Nanshan.”

Xu Lang spoke in a gentle tone. “Hello.”

Wen Yi’s gaze was still on the man. Qin Nanshan took over the conversation. “Are you and Mom going out? Have you eaten yet?”

Wen Hongyu and the man had been about to go out to eat. Now that the daughter and son-in-law had arrived, two people became four.

Xu Lang chose the restaurant. Wen Yi looked at the luxurious decoration and gave him a few more glances. So her mother really had found someone with money.

While they ordered, Wen Yi called Wen Hongyu outside to speak alone. The usually direct middle-aged woman rarely looked awkward. “Do not ask. It is just what you saw.”

Wen Yi took a deep breath and forced herself to accept it, then said, “Then at least you can tell me about his situation now, right?”

Wen Hongyu had already thought of how to handle her daughter. “Forty-five years old…”

!!!!

“Stop!” Wen Yi interrupted in surprise and held up five fingers. “Five years younger than you?!”

Wen Hongyu stiffened her neck. “So what? Is that not allowed?”

“Fine, fine, fine. Impressive. What else?”

“He runs a small-to-medium foreign trade company. He is from out of town. He has a house and a car…”

Wen Yi interrupted again. “Does he want your household registration?”

Wen Hongyu scoffed. “At this age who still wants a household registration? Are you going to listen or not?”

“Continue.”

“His wife passed away more than ten years ago. He has a daughter in her early twenties who is studying abroad.”

The more Wen Yi listened the stranger it felt. “How could a diamond bachelor like this…” She caught Wen Hongyu’s unfriendly look and hurriedly said, “I am only thinking the way ordinary people would. I am not saying anything bad about you. How exactly did you two meet?”

Wen Hongyu was beautiful. The years had left only charm on her face. Her education was high as well. A bachelor’s degree thirty years ago was not much different from a graduate degree now. According to her uncle, before giving birth to Wen Yi she had also been a teacher. If not for Wen Yi, she would probably be a senior teacher waiting for retirement by now.

So what Wen Yi doubted was not whether Wen Hongyu was worthy, but that a man of this age and condition could easily choose a younger girl instead of her mother.

Wen Hongyu said, “My group of sisters always love to take me along when they drink tea. He also loves tea. After coming and going we got to know each other.”

So that was where the can of Dongting Biluochun on the dinner table earlier had come from. But Wen Yi was still hung up. “But Mom…”

“His previous wife was ten years older than him.” Wen Hongyu comforted her daughter. “We knew each other for almost half a year before deciding to be together. Mom is not foolish. Besides, what could he possibly want from me? I am not a rich woman with tens of millions in assets. On top of that I have a pregnant daughter. A pile of trouble.”

Wen Yi: “…”

“We do not plan to get married. We are just dating and having fun. Do not act like some busybody managing this and that.”

Wen Yi had not intended to manage much either. She simply needed to understand the situation clearly. She cautioned, “Anyway, stay alert. Tell me right away if anything comes up. Dating is fine. Just do not get too carried away.”

“I know, I know. Look how long-winded you are.” After the daughter finished asking, it was the mother’s turn. “I have not asked you yet. How are things between you and Xiao Qin?”

“Pretty good.”

Wen Hongyu raised an eyebrow. “On the way over just now I did not see anything good. What kind of husband and wife do not say a single word the whole way?”

“Your mother-in-law and her boyfriend were right beside us. What were we supposed to say?”

Wen Hongyu was stuck for a moment and stiffly changed the subject. “You are married and about to have a child. Do not keep putting on airs, and do not wear that strong face all the time. He is the man in your bed, not a client at your hospital.”

“I know, I know. So long-winded.”

After the mother and daughter finished talking they went back into the private room. Dishes were already arriving one after another. The two men seemed to be chatting happily. Xu Lang smiled. “I did not expect Xiao Qin to be a university professor. Truly impressive.”

Wen Hongyu said proudly, “Xiao Qin’s whole family is like that. My future grandson will be the same.”

Wen Yi felt speechless. Raising others’ prestige while diminishing her own. She cleared her throat and asked Xu Lang, “Um, I heard from my mother that you have a daughter studying at university abroad?”

Xu Lang: “Yes. She graduates this June and will come back.”

“Does she know about… the two of you?”

Wen Hongyu and Xu Lang exchanged a glance. After a moment Xu Lang said, “I have not told her yet. But Xiaoyi’s mother left early. I think she will not reject Hongyu.”

He added, “Xiaoyi has an outgoing personality. Since she was little she has wanted an older sister. When she comes back we will all meet.”

Wen Yi had no intention of being anyone’s older sister. If these two really ended up together it would count as a blending of two families. Wen Hongyu might even move into their house. She simply did not want Wen Hongyu to be mistreated over there.

But it was still too early to talk about that. Wen Yi set it aside and asked Xu Lang other questions covering family and career. The situation was roughly the same as what Wen Hongyu had described.

Wen Yi organized her words to prepare the next question. Wen Hongyu shot her a glare. “Are you going to let people eat or not?”

Wen Yi silently rolled her eyes. She was even protecting him now. Favoring an outsider!

Qin Nanshan poured her a drink and said gently, “Eat first.”

After Wen Yi finished her water and looked up, she saw Xu Lang across the table putting a piece of meat into Wen Hongyu’s bowl. Mrs. Wen gave a shy smile, finished the meat, then thoughtfully put food into Xu Lang’s bowl in return. The two went back and forth. The atmosphere was so intimate it was almost unbearable. Pink bubbles seemed to float above Mrs. Wen’s head.

Wen Yi’s feelings grew even more complicated.

The person across from her was not just anyone. It was her mother… Her daughter had not even dated yet, and she herself was already sweet as honey in a relationship.

Wen Yi tugged at the sleeve of the man beside her. Qin Nanshan leaned over. “What is it?”

Wen Yi pointed at a dish on the table. “I want to eat that meat.”

Qin Nanshan naturally put some into her bowl. Wen Yi looked at the meat, then looked up at the sticky couple opposite, and felt not the slightest bit of sweetness. Ah, this marriage of hers.

The opposite side kept serving dog food. Wen Yi could not take it anymore. She also put food into Qin Nanshan’s bowl and matched it with exaggerated words. “Husband, this is delicious. Try it.”

As soon as she finished, Qin Nanshan turned to look at her. His usually calm dark eyes showed surprise. When he met her exaggerated eyebrow-raising and eye-signaling, he understood and could not help finding it funny. How had he never noticed before that Wen Yi could sometimes be as childish as a kid?

He answered in a low voice, “Thank you, wife.”

This time it was Wen Yi who was shocked. Her almond eyes widened in disbelief. Then she said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Do not call me that!”

Qin Nanshan smiled and continued adding food to her bowl. “All right.”

Wen Yi turned back and quietly calmed herself.

Wife… It was still a rather strange form of address. Truly hard to get used to.

The meal finally ended at half past eight. The few of them parted at the restaurant entrance. Wen Yi linked her arm through Qin Nanshan’s and lowered her eyes. A thought rose. Her left hand dropped to take his, while her right arm stayed linked. Her whole body almost leaned against him, the gesture intimate.

This way Wen Hongyu could no longer say their relationship as husband and wife was poor.

Wen Yi: “Mom, we are leaving then. We will come back another day.”

Wen Hongyu could not wait for her to leave. “Go on, go on.”

There was a stretch of road from the restaurant to the parking lot.

On the way Wen Yi asked, “What do you think of my mom’s boyfriend?”

Qin Nanshan looked ahead. “Quite good. Solid family background, gentle personality, and he seems to treat Mom well.”

“Have there been any recent fraud cases involving elderly twilight romances? I keep worrying my mom will be cheated, and I also fear she will get too carried away. If they really get married, would that not mean I am almost thirty and suddenly have a stepfather?”

Qin Nanshan turned to glance at her and laughed softly. “Fraud is unlikely, but we do need to guard against her falling in too deep. We should keep in contact more often afterward.”

“That is what I think too.” Wen Yi looked at him and asked seriously, “Qin Nanshan, how do you evaluate my mom finding a partner?”

“Very normal. People have emotional needs at every stage of life. Mom has been single for so many years. She should find a companion.”

Wen Yi was fairly satisfied and also felt fortunate. Thankfully Zhong Lan was not his mother. If her mother-in-law had been Zhong Lan, she would never have married him.

They walked all the way to the parking lot. Qin Nanshan stopped. Wen Yi was puzzled. “Why did you stop? Our car is not here yet.”

Qin Nanshan’s gaze dropped. Wen Yi followed it and only then released the hand she had been holding tightly. She explained awkwardly, “Do not misunderstand. I was just afraid my mom would overthink.”

Qin Nanshan’s eyes flickered slightly. The palm that had remained clasped tightened a little. “I did not overthink. I understand.”

Including that “husband.”

He stepped forward. Wen Yi’s gaze moved from his straight back to the hand hanging at his side, then she held out her own palm and looked at it. The corner of her mouth secretly curved upward.