Xiao Cheng was sitting on the side closest to He An. He didn’t know what he was thinking, but in that instant, he grabbed the car door, trying to avoid meeting the parents by simply not getting out.
Luo Jingshu looked at him faintly, like a wronged little wife, gently grabbing Xiao Cheng’s sleeve and whispering in his ear, “Brother Cheng.”
But Xiao Cheng was no longer buying his act.
“Didn’t we agree to meet the parents after graduation?”
Luo Jingshu had broken his promise!
How could he sneakily drive the car to his house while Xiao Cheng was off guard?
What was worse, he hadn’t even realized it. He knew full well that Luo Jingshu was capable of such things, yet he still forgot to be on guard.
Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but regret that he’d been too focused on chatting with Luo Jingshu earlier, failing to check the view outside the window.
Luo Jingshu straightened his clothes. “Brother Cheng, if anyone should be nervous, it should be me. You don’t have to worry.”
He was the one meeting his in-laws—he should be the anxious one.
Although Luo Jingshu had maintained a calm demeanor throughout, even appearing more eager than Xiao Cheng, deep down, he was far more nervous.
As He An got closer, Luo Jingshu couldn’t help but exhale lightly, rubbing his sweaty palms against his pants. Then, realizing he might wrinkle them, he quickly withdrew his hands.
He An knew this car belonged to Luo Jingshu. Seeing that it had been parked for a while without anyone getting out, she couldn’t help but raise a finger and knock on the window.
“Cheng Cheng?”
Why weren’t they getting out?
Hearing He An’s voice, Xiao Cheng knew he had no way to escape. He turned and shot a sharp glare at Luo Jingshu.
That look was filled with warning and threat, as if to say, I’ll deal with you later!
Luo Jingshu received the message loud and clear. His back straightened even more, the muscles in his thighs tensed, and his whole body nearly went stiff.
Before He An could knock a second time, Xiao Cheng finally opened the car door. With one long stride, he stepped out, his face already covered with a bright smile. “Mom.”
He An looked at him suspiciously. “What were you two doing in the car?”
They had been inside for so long, she almost thought they were…
But after examining him, it seemed like Xiao Cheng’s eyes were only a little red. His clothes were neatly in place, and even the small cut on the corner of his lips didn’t seem fresh.
He An sighed in relief. Though she knew her son had a boyfriend, seeing her precious son being “taken” still left her feeling a little conflicted.
Luo Jingshu got out from the other side and quickly walked over. Xiao Cheng grabbed his arm and smiled at He An. “Mom, let me introduce you—this is my boyfriend, Luo Jingshu.”
It was the first time he had brought Luo Jingshu to meet He An, and the first time Luo Jingshu was formally introduced as Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend.
Luo Jingshu stood straight, dressed in a long black trench coat over a light gray sweater, with a white shirt collar peeking out. His long, elegant neck was reminiscent of a swan’s.
Further down, his waist was cinched neatly by a belt, emphasizing its slim yet powerful form. His long legs extended smoothly, perfectly proportioned.
He An scrutinized her “daughter-in-law” from head to toe, growing more satisfied the longer she looked.
At least in terms of appearance, Luo Jingshu was a good match for her son.
Though his face was almost too stunning, bordering on overly sharp and striking, at that moment, his soft smile tempered the sharpness of his features, giving him a touch of warmth.
He An withdrew her gaze and patted Xiao Cheng’s arm. “Alright, hurry up and take Jingshu inside to rest.”
Xiao Cheng linked arms with Luo Jingshu. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the subtle way Luo Jingshu exhaled, his once-tense posture easing slightly.
He couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Luo Jingshu had acted so eager, making it seem like he wasn’t nervous at all—but it had all been an act.
This meeting had been planned behind Xiao Cheng’s back.
But Luo Jingshu had discussed it with Xiao Yu in advance.
Everyone except Xiao Cheng had wanted a proper, formal meeting. Since Xiao Cheng’s resistance wasn’t too strong, Luo Jingshu simply went ahead and arranged it with his father.
On this matter, he had indeed wronged Xiao Cheng, and he was fully prepared to face punishment.
In fact, back in the car, he had been carefully watching Xiao Cheng’s reaction.
If Brother Cheng had shown strong resistance, Luo Jingshu wouldn’t have forced him.
Fortunately, Brother Cheng wasn’t against the idea of meeting his parents—he just hadn’t been mentally prepared yet.
That said, Xiao Cheng still held some resentment over Luo Jingshu’s decision-making.
So once they entered the house, he left Luo Jingshu to be interrogated by Xiao Yu.
Even when Luo Jingshu occasionally struggled to answer certain questions, Xiao Cheng made no move to help him.
However, those moments were rare.
Luo Jingshu had come well-prepared. He was articulate and persuasive. If he truly wanted to, he could have outtalked Xiao Yu.
But because this was Xiao Cheng’s father, Luo Jingshu chose to show humility, treating him with the utmost respect.
Xiao Yu knew how capable Luo Jingshu was.
His main concern was whether this young man was truly devoted to his son—he didn’t want Xiao Cheng to get hurt.
After a round of questioning, however, Xiao Yu couldn’t find anything to fault.
Just then, the housekeeper brought out a plate of fruit.
Xiao Cheng picked out a large orange from the pile and casually stuffed it into Luo Jingshu’s hand.
Luo Jingshu was talking to Xiao Yu when a mandarin was suddenly stuffed into his hand. He wasn’t surprised at all; he continued speaking while deftly peeling the fruit.
His movements were clean and quick—clearly, he was used to doing this.
Once he finished peeling, Luo Jingshu reached out and handed the mandarin to Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng had been feeling bored earlier, so he started a game.
He was so focused on playing that he forgot his parents were watching. Absentmindedly, he opened his mouth and said, “Ah—”
Without hesitation, Luo Jingshu placed a segment of mandarin into his mouth. His fingers brushed against Xiao Cheng’s lips, and as Xiao Cheng bit down on the fruit, his tongue curled slightly, licking off a trace of mandarin juice from Luo Jingshu’s fingertips.
The action was so natural that even Luo Jingshu didn’t react in time.
Xiao Yu was momentarily stunned, while He An simply smiled and nodded subtly.
Luo Jingshu was quite considerate—he knew how to take care of people.
Luo Jingshu himself didn’t think much of it, but he worried that Xiao Cheng would feel embarrassed once he realized what had happened. So, he cleared his throat lightly to remind Xiao Cheng that his parents were still there.
Xiao Cheng, waiting to respawn in his game, looked up and saw that everyone was staring at him.
Startled, he gripped his phone tightly, his voice uneasy. “Why are you all looking at me?”
He had completely forgotten what he had just done.
“I wanted to ask, when do you plan to get engaged?”
Xiao Yu set down his teacup. “Since you’ve already made your decision, why not get engaged first? What do you think?”
Xiao Cheng had never thought about this before. He was still young and in no rush to get married. Even though he was certain about Luo Jingshu, he still wanted to enjoy a few more years of freedom.
People always said that marriage was the grave of love. He was afraid that deciding too early might lead to regret in the future.
But he couldn’t say that outright—if Luo Jingshu found out, he might start suspecting that Xiao Cheng wanted to break up.
Xiao Cheng stammered, unable to give an answer for a long while. Xiao Yu, guessing what his son was thinking, continued, “It’s just an engagement, not the marriage certificate.”
This was to solidify their relationship and let everyone know that Luo Jingshu was Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend.
As for officially getting married, that could wait until they were more mature.
Xiao Cheng, finally understanding, sighed in relief. “After Jingshu graduates from high school?”
His boyfriend was still a high school student—no matter what, that fact couldn’t be ignored. Whatever plans they made, they had to remember that Luo Jingshu hadn’t even taken his college entrance exams yet.
Luo Jingshu also knew they couldn’t rush things. Mentally, he was far beyond eighteen, but this body was indeed only eighteen, and he hadn’t even sat for the exams.
Brother Cheng always used this as an excuse to refuse him. But after the exams, there would be no more excuses, right?
Xiao Yu suddenly remembered—his “daughter-in-law” was still a high school senior preparing for college entrance exams.
It was Luo Jingshu’s maturity that made him forget.
“It’s up to you,” Xiao Yu said.
For now, the topic was set aside, and Xiao Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Meeting the parents had gone unexpectedly smoothly—perhaps all the pressure had been on Luo Jingshu, so Xiao Cheng didn’t feel much of it himself.
After some brief conversation, He An told Xiao Cheng to take Luo Jingshu to his room to rest.
This was the first time Luo Jingshu could openly walk into Xiao Cheng’s room.
Last time, he had snuck in and snuck out, like a thief. There was none of the comfort and satisfaction he felt now.
“Brother Cheng, do you remember? Last time we were here…”
Before he could finish, he received a glare from Xiao Cheng. The man was flustered and angry, dropping onto the sofa with a cold expression, staring at Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu’s heart tensed—he realized Xiao Cheng was about to settle accounts with him. Quickly, he apologized, pitifully kneeling at Xiao Cheng’s feet.
“Brother Cheng, your little puppy was wrong.”
Calling himself a little puppy, he even mimicked one, resting his head on Xiao Cheng’s lap, eyes tilted up with an innocent gaze.
Xiao Cheng was completely trapped. He couldn’t bring himself to scold or ignore Luo Jingshu. In the end, he could only pinch Luo Jingshu’s cheek hard, gritting his teeth. “You really have me wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”
Luo Jingshu had predicted his reaction and deliberately used this tactic to gain his forgiveness.
Xiao Cheng, of course, fell for it.
But Luo Jingshu didn’t look smug. Instead, he appeared even more aggrieved, rubbing his face against Xiao Cheng’s fingers. “I just really want to marry Brother Cheng, to have our names on the same household registration.”
His voice softened, carrying a sense of longing and anticipation.
“I want to be Brother Cheng’s wife and let everyone know that I belong to you.”
Wife, huh?
A faint blush crept onto Xiao Cheng’s face. His gaze wavered, his heart pounding rapidly.
Images of that scenario flashed through his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he realized—it actually didn’t seem so bad.
Luo Jingshu had already called him “husband” so many times. Didn’t that mean he really was his wife?
As Xiao Cheng entertained these thoughts, he couldn’t bring himself to say them out loud.
Luo Jingshu hooked his finger around Xiao Cheng’s. “Brother Cheng, do you want to marry me?”
“Would you be willing to?”
Xiao Cheng’s face turned even redder. He stared at Luo Jingshu for a long time before finally giving the tiniest nod.
He was willing.
Luo Jingshu’s eyes warmed, and his voice became even softer. “Then after my college entrance exams, we…”
“We’ll go to Rome again.”
“Okay?”
This time, Xiao Cheng was silent for much longer. Luo Jingshu didn’t rush him, simply meeting his gaze quietly.
After a long while, Xiao Cheng finally nodded slightly, his voice husky—
“Okay.”
aww 💓💓