251. Meeting the Parents
Earlier, they were still debating whether to let Wen Yang meet the parents when Ning Chu’s mother arrived.
But surprise! Mom made a stealthy entrance, catching her completely off guard.
Ning Chu took a deep breath, glanced at her mom standing by the roadside in a long dress, then quickly left Wen Yang behind and rushed over.
Pasting on her sweetest smile, she hooked her arm through her mother’s. “Mom~ What brings you here so soon?”
“Isn’t it because I couldn’t wait to see you?” Mom smiled warmly, yet her eyes were fixed, not on her daughter, but on the man she had been holding onto just moments before. “Is that your boyfriend?”
“Uh… yeah.”
Ning Chu realized she couldn’t hide it anymore.
And there was really no need to. The only concern was that Wen Yang seemed excessively tense.
She waved to Wen Yang while introducing him to her mother. “This is Wen Yang, my classmate.”
“Oh~ He’s quite handsome!”
Though her mother’s smile was gentle, her scrutinizing gaze was firmly set on Wen Yang.
He stood tall, almost six-foot-three, dressed simply yet appropriately, muscular and broad-shouldered, but his face was plastered with anxiety. Aside from being a tad too handsome and potentially attracting other women, he seemed okay.
It was normal for young girls to crush on good-looking guys.
Her mother nodded amiably at Wen Yang, which eased some of his nerves.
“Hello, Auntie…” Wen Yang stepped forward, utterly at a loss for words.
It was all too sudden, and he had come completely unprepared.
Luckily, he’d been hanging out with Ning Chu and hadn’t played sports before, or else his sweaty, smelly self would surely have sent his future mother-in-law running for the hills.
Mother nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Ning Chu. “Why are you out of class so early? I was thinking of visiting your school and calling you around five or six.”
“Just a PE class this afternoon.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ning Chu discreetly signaled to Wen Yang to play it cool and sweeten up his talk.
“Mom~ Let’s take your car to the rental apartment! Black Bean’s waiting at home.”
“Where did you come up with that name…”
“I’ll have to change Black Bean’s name when we register him anyway.”
Mom shook her head helplessly. “I’ve worked so hard raising your brother and you. Just got a breather, and here you are giving me another headache.”
Ning Chu grinned sheepishly.
“Don’t wait a few more years, and when I’ve raised that little cat, you’ll give me a grandson too~”
“……”
She knew her mom was just joking, not actually complaining. Still, her cheeks flushed slightly as she muttered, “No worries, I don’t want kids.”
“That’s not an option! Who says you can skip having kids?”
Her mother shot her a sideways glare as they reached her parked white sedan.
“Whose car is this? Rented?”
“Your uncle’s. I happened to visit your grandfather this afternoon, so I borrowed it.”
“Oh~”
Mom turned to Wen Yang. “Can you drive?”
Wen Yang awkwardly shook his head.
“Take some time and get a driver’s license. Even if you don’t have a car, having it once in a while helps.”
Mom offered him a friendly reminder, but Ning Chu could definitely sense her tone was a bit chilly.
Ning Chu just couldn’t figure out why her mom wasn’t thrilled with Wen Yang.
In terms of looks, Wen Yang could easily be a star. With his height and build, he might not rival an athlete, but he’s definitely robust. As for personality and family background… they’d barely exchanged a few words!
Her mother slid into the driver’s seat, but before she could close the door, Ning Chu leaned in and whispered, “Mom, do you not like Wen Yang?”
“Eh, it’s fine.”
Translation: not a fan?
Mom lowered her voice, “Men who are too good-looking attract trouble, and he’s just too tall.”
Sure, he could attract trouble, but that was Ning Chu’s own responsibility…
And being tall? That was a plus! Sure, it could be awkward with their height difference, especially when it came to kissing—standing on tiptoe was tiring!
Ning Chu pondered this as she hopped into the passenger seat, turning back to glance at Wen Yang, who was sitting stiffly in the back, looking like he was about to take an exam.
It was the first time she’d seen him so frazzled.
She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Turning to her mother, she said, “Just drive straight, and I’ll tell you when to stop.”
“Is it far?”
“About a ten-minute drive.”
Taking advantage of the drive, Mom occasionally glanced at Ning Chu, checking in the rearview mirror at Wen Yang.
She could clearly see her daughter was serious about this relationship—she probably had thoughts of wedding bells and baby names already.
“How long have you two been together?”
“A few weeks, I guess?”
Mom blinked, taken aback. “So quick? Have you always liked boys?”
“……”
So now she was misunderstood too!
Sure, she had transitioned quickly, but before all that, her orientation had been perfectly normal!
Ning Chu’s face blushed as she vehemently denied it. “My orientation has always been totally normal!”
“Oh~”
Normal enough that the moment she became a girl, she was suddenly attracted to boys.
Mom nodded knowingly and continued questioning Wen Yang. “How old are you, Xiaoyang?”
Wen Yang straightened up earnestly. “Eighteen.”
“Where do you live?”
“What do your parents do?”
“Oh~ I see…”
It was an obvious interrogation aimed at Wen Yang, and suddenly Ning Chu felt a wave of unease wash over her, fearing her mother wouldn’t find Wen Yang’s family up to par.
She tightened her face, nervously watching her mom’s expression.
Sure enough, she detected a flicker of discontent.
After all, forget about dowries and houses; with Wen Yang’s background, even putting food on the table seemed like a stretch…
Ning Chu quickly interjected, changing the subject. “Mom, Black Bean likes meat, and he enjoys fish and shrimp too.”
“She’s usually well-behaved, doesn’t cause any trouble…”
Mom sighed dramatically. “The elbow’s turning outward~”
“……”
Fortunately, the drive wasn’t too long, and soon they reached the familiar bus stop. “Mom, stop near the bus stop ahead; my rental apartment is in the village behind it.”
“Got it.”
Pulling to a stop by the curb, they all got out. Mom turned to Wen Yang. “You head up first; I’ll take Ning Chu to grab some snacks for Black Bean.”
“Okay, Auntie.”
Wen Yang’s heart raced as he politely nodded and walked away.
Once he was out of earshot, Mom grabbed Ning Chu and said, “You need to be careful.”
“Huh?”
“He was just like this, a good-looking poor kid, and before two years were up, he ran off with another woman.”
“……”
Ning Chu finally understood why her dad had left back in the day.
Let’s be honest: men really can be creatures of fleeting fancy…
But they wouldn’t just bolt, right? I mean, her mom, even in her forties, looked fantastic—her figure and appearance were still as alluring as any thirty-something mature lady.
She gazed at her mom, puzzled, until she saw her face flushing and looked away.
“Maybe it was because his health wasn’t good…”
He probably couldn’t keep up with your demands!
——————
Taking a day off for National Day isn’t too much, right? No bonus chapter today!
