Chapter 38

Seeing that her future daughter-in-law had an unusual expression, Fang Qiuci asked, “What’s wrong?” 

Lu Jiu hesitated, unsure whether to reveal her boyfriend’s secret. 

However, Fang Wenyi, who also knew the reason, had no such reservations. She smiled and said, “We had too many cats at home and couldn’t take care of them all, so we gave one to Peony.” 

Wei Jun, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly choked. He couldn’t believe his son had such a shameless side. 

Fang Qiuci, on the other hand, didn’t think much of it. As she rummaged through her bag, she continued, “That boy is really something. On the way here, he even texted me, insisting I go to his dorm first to pick up the gifts he had prepared for this visit.” 

As she said this, she pulled out a jewelry box and a thick red envelope from her bag, placing them in her future daughter-in-law’s hands with a proud smile. “He texted me several times and even called, but I ignored him. He can give his gifts, and I’ll give mine. I can’t let him steal all the spotlight.” 

Though these words seemed to criticize her son, they actually showed how much she cared about Peony. 

Looking at the many gifts piled up in the living room, Fang Wenyi felt even more at ease. 

No matter what, just from this, you could see that Xiao Wei’s parents were reasonable, kind, and valued their daughter. 

Meanwhile, Lu Jiu, holding the gifts awkwardly, blushed, unsure whether to accept them gracefully or politely decline first. 

“Don’t feel pressured, Peony. Auntie really likes you. Besides, it’s customary to give a meeting gift.” 

Lu Jiu looked toward her mother. 

Fang Wenyi smiled and nodded. “Your Auntie is right.” 

So, Lu Jiu smiled and said, “Thank you, Auntie.” 

“It’s nothing, nothing.” Seeing how beautiful she looked when she smiled, Fang Qiuci, if not for the fact that they weren’t that close yet, would have hugged her future daughter-in-law and given her a kiss. 

Remembering something, she turned to her in-law and said, “Wenyi, you wouldn’t believe it. Around New Year’s, my son told me he liked someone, and I…” 

Fang Wenyi was curious, “What did you say?” 

Fang Qiuci laughed heartily, “I thought he was tricking me with a celebrity poster and scolded him.” 

Not only Fang Wenyi but even Lu Jiu didn’t expect this, and they all burst into laughter. 

— 

“What’s wrong?” 

In the hospital room, noticing his girlfriend looking at him strangely again, Wei Shian finally couldn’t hold back and asked, feeling a bit uneasy. 

Lu Jiu suppressed her laughter and looked away. “Nothing… It’s getting late. I’ll go get some warm water so you can wash your face and brush your teeth.” 

Something felt off. Watching his girlfriend leave, Wei Shian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. 

She was fine in the morning, but after going home… 

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Wei Shian closed his eyes in resignation, looking a bit deflated. 

Lu Jiu returned quickly, and seeing her boyfriend’s low spirits, she immediately came over, first checking his temperature. Not noticing anything unusual, she asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell? Or is your leg hurting?” 

Wei Shian opened his eyes, looking somewhat resigned. “Did my mom say something to you?” 

“Pfft,” Lu Jiu couldn’t help but burst into laughter, realizing that was the reason. 

“I knew it,” Wei Shian’s expression darkened as he tightly held his girlfriend’s hand and asked through gritted teeth, “What exactly did my mom say?” 

Lu Jiu continued to smile. “A lot, and it really changed the way I see you.” 

Wei Shian’s face turned even darker. 

Seeing him looking utterly defeated, Lu Jiu finished wringing out the towel and tapped his nose. “Still upset?” 

Wei Shian opened his eyes and looked at his smiling girlfriend, who was wiping his face with a towel. He sighed, “It’s not that I’m upset, just a bit… embarrassed.” 

“Embarrassed about what?” 

“I just always hoped… to be tall and reliable in your eyes.” 

Lu Jiu’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then she glanced at the curtain behind her to make sure it was tightly closed. Under Wei Shian’s gaze, she bent down and kissed his forehead, whispering, “You’ve always been tall and reliable. And according to Auntie, you’re not embarrassing at all. You’re actually quite cute.” 

Cute? What kind of word was that? 

Wei Shian found it hard to imagine such a soft and adorable adjective being applied to him. 

But none of that mattered now. Suddenly feeling a lot better, he stared deeply at his girlfriend until her cheeks turned pink, then smiled and pointed to his lips. 

His meaning was clear. 

Lu Jiu… 

Lu Jiu gave him a playful glare, ignored him, and turned to rinse the towel, then began wiping his hands. 

Wei Shian’s hands were large and wide. Whenever he held hers, they completely enveloped hers, giving her a strong sense of security. 

That’s why Lu Jiu loved holding hands with Officer Wei. 

However, this time, whether out of boredom or because she didn’t give him a kiss, he was reluctant to let her wipe his hands, dodging and refusing to cooperate. 

Lu Jiu found it both amusing and annoying, glaring at him several times before he finally settled down. 

After cleaning his hands, Lu Jiu hesitated and asked, “Do you want to wipe down your body and change your clothes?” 

The surgery had been painful, and Officer Wei had sweated a lot today. As someone who loved cleanliness, he must be feeling uncomfortable. 

Thinking of this, Lu Jiu’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward his collar. 

When he wore fitted sweaters, his chest muscles filled them out. If he were to take it off… cough, cough. 

Her emotions were always visible to Officer Wei, and right now, she wasn’t hiding her gaze at all. 

Wei Shian actually wanted her to help, but just thinking about it made him almost lose his composure. 

He quickly closed his eyes and took several deep breaths until sweat started to form on his forehead. Then he reluctantly refused, “Just help me get some water. I’ll do it myself.” 

“Oh, oh.” Lu Jiu suddenly realized what she had done, her face flushed with embarrassment. She picked up the washbasin and quickly ran out. 

At the same time… 

Fang Qiuci had already freshened up and was half-reclining on the bed in the guest room, chatting with her husband on the phone. “I really didn’t expect it. Our second son, a bachelor for 30 years, finally found someone, and it turns out she’s such a wonderful person. Do you think the gifts I prepared are too modest?” 

She had only heard from her son that his girlfriend owned a flower shop, so she hadn’t thought much about it. Even though she had prepared some substantial gifts in a hurry, compared to the Lu family’s background, Fang Qiuci still felt that the gifts were a bit too modest. 

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but scold her son, “Why can’t he be a bit more talkative? If he had told me earlier about his future in-laws’ situation, I would have brought along that jade bracelet I’ve been saving.” 

But Wei Jun, her husband, wasn’t as worried as she was. “I think you’re overthinking it. The Lu family has a good reputation. You can always add more gifts when the kids get engaged or married.” 

“That’s true. They’re all businesspeople, and even if we haven’t worked with them before, I’ve heard of Lu Pengfei.” Fang Qiuci agreed, then added, “Let’s not dwell on this. Wenyi told me that Lu Pengfei is coming back tomorrow. It’s definitely because of us, so you should come over as well.” 

“Sure, I’ll check in with the office in the morning and then head over. I’ll also take the opportunity to formally propose on behalf of our son.” 

Fang Qiuci’s eyes lit up. “You’re right, Old Wei. Since we’re the groom’s side, we should be proactive. Oh, and make sure to bring the jade bracelet from the safe.” 

“Which one is the jade bracelet with spring color?” Wei Jun asked, clearly confused. 

Fang Qiuci was speechless. 

— 

The hospital was actually quite noisy. 

This was Lu Jiu’s first time staying overnight at a hospital, and she was worried about Officer Wei, so she hardly slept all night. 

At four in the morning, her boyfriend had a slight fever again. 

Lu Jiu went to find the on-duty doctor and nurse. 

Fortunately, the doctor said it was normal, gave him some saline, and then left. 

Wei Shian, concerned about his girlfriend, noticed she wasn’t willing to lie down on the accompanying bed, so he moved over and said, “Come up and sleep for a while.” 

“No, I’m watching the IV.” Besides, Officer Wei was so big that he almost filled up the small hospital bed. Even if he moved over, she wouldn’t be able to squeeze in. 

Wei Shian frowned and insisted, “I can watch the saline myself. You should get some rest.” 

Lu Jiu shook her head again. “Don’t worry about it.” Not wanting to listen to her boyfriend nagging anymore, she quickly bent down, grabbed the washbasin from the shelf under the bed, and said, “I’ll go get some water so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.” 

Wei Shian was left speechless. 

Fang Qiuci arrived very early. 

It was just past five in the morning when she came in with a lunchbox. 

Upon seeing her future daughter-in-law, she naturally expressed her gratitude again. 

In fact, she didn’t want to trouble the young lady, especially since Peony was clearly raised delicately and probably had never experienced the hardship of staying up all night to take care of someone. 

But the two kids had a good relationship, and her in-law agreed, saying it was no big deal for young people to stay up late, so Fang Qiuci shamelessly agreed. 

Still, she was worried, so she set out before dawn to come over. 

When she saw the dark circles under the young lady’s eyes, she was both touched and pained. 

The beautiful girl looked haggard. 

So, Fang Qiuci poured some meat porridge from the lunchbox for her son and urged, “Eat up.” 

Wei Shian didn’t start eating right away. “What about Peony?” 

Fang Qiuci rolled her eyes at her son. “Once you’re done eating, I’ll take Peony home to rest.” She then took the young lady’s hand and, in an especially kind tone, said, “Auntie made some delicious food for you, several dishes. They’re all being kept warm in the pot.” 

Wei Shian looked down at the bland meat porridge in his bowl… 

Lu Jiu said, “If you want to eat something, just let Aunt Liu know. Why did you cook yourself?” 

Fang Qiuci waved her hand. “I got up too early and didn’t want to bother your family’s housekeeper.” 

She probably hadn’t slept well, just like me, Lu Jiu thought, not knowing how to comfort a mother. She could only squeeze her hand tightly in return. 

After a night of worrying, Fang Qiuci, who had been trying to appear composed, felt a lump in her throat and instinctively looked at her son. 

Then she noticed that the brat was quietly drinking his porridge. 

Fang Qiuci sighed inwardly. Daughters are always more thoughtful. 

She took a deep breath and couldn’t help but say mischievously, “Shian, you’d better get ready to tidy yourself up. Your father-in-law—Peony’s dad, your Uncle Lu—is coming back today.” 

Wei Shian choked on his porridge, coughing hard.