Chapter 17: Mom, Dad, He’s Not My Friend, He’s My Husband

It wasn’t Zhao Li—it was her parents.

The people she had planned to keep the truth from today.

Yet here they were, showing up unexpectedly…

Weren’t they supposed to visit next time during the holiday to make her sweet and sour pork and crispy fried pork? Why today?

She was shocked.

“Zhixian, do you have a guest over?” Wen Xingzhi glanced at Qi Yanjing. This man standing in front of him seemed quite satisfactory—he looked like an intelligent and refined gentleman. But ever since the whole thing with Gu Yuchen, Wen Xingzhi no longer judged people by appearances. Looks meant nothing; actions spoke louder.

Wen Zhixian forced a smile and walked over slowly. “Mom, Dad, how come you came over today?”

Shen Ling leaned forward, tapping the food containers on the table, and smiled. “Yesterday, you didn’t get to eat the dishes we made, so we thought we’d surprise you and bring them over today.”

“Thank you, Mom and Dad, you’re the best.” She sat down next to Qi Yanjing.

Shen Ling let out a soft hum, but with a smile. “You and that sweet tongue of yours.”

“You must be Zhixian’s friend, right? Why don’t you stay for dinner with us? You’re the first person she’s brought home for a meal besides Zhaoli and Kairui,” Wen Xingzhi remarked with a smile.

Wen Zhixian laughed awkwardly, her heart racing. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke, “Mom, Dad, he… he’s not my friend.”

“Huh?” Wen Xingzhi and Shen Ling looked at Qi Yanjing, confused. “Then who are you?”

Qi Yanjing introduced himself. “Mom, Dad, my name is Qi Yanjing, I’m 28 years old, from Yannan, and I’m a university professor.”

Shen Ling understood immediately. “So, you’re pursuing our Zhixian? But you can’t just call us ‘Mom and Dad’ right away—that’s not how it works.”

Wen Xingzhi felt like Qi Yanjing’s name sounded familiar. When he heard the words “university professor,” it clicked. He had recently discussed him with other professors. Qi Yanjing was the youngest professor in the Chinese department at the neighboring Hua A University. Wen Xingzhi had even praised him as a remarkable talent, someone even more impressive than he was at that age.

Wen Zhixian, keeping her head down, spoke softly, “Actually, he’s my husband.”

Wen Xingzhi stopped pondering Qi Yanjing’s name, and both he and Shen Ling turned to stare at the couple in shock.

“What did you just say?” Shen Ling stammered, suddenly panicking. “Did I say something too harsh yesterday? Did you get married impulsively because of me? It’s my fault! If you’re upset, blame me. But why would you—how could you just…”

Wen Zhixian stood up and sat beside Shen Ling. “Mom, I didn’t act impulsively! Does he seem like the kind of person I’d marry on a whim? Is he ugly? No! He’s handsome, has a respectable job, and he treats me well. I didn’t want to worry you, so I planned to keep it quiet for a while. But Yanjing bought so many things and was just waiting for me to agree to let him meet you. I realized that hiding it wasn’t fair. He’s more mature than I am, more thoughtful, and he takes good care of me.”

She smiled at Qi Yanjing and continued, “Yes, I was impulsive yesterday. He was the first person I ran into, and I asked him if he’d marry me. But he didn’t agree right away. He told me I was acting rashly and that I shouldn’t make decisions out of anger. He brought me home, made dinner for me, and comforted me. Honestly, Gu Yuchen never did anything like that for me.”

“This morning, he came over to check if I’d calmed down. Only after I was clear-headed did he ask if I still wanted to marry him. Maybe you think it’s all too sudden. I don’t know if I made the right choice, but at least I don’t regret it.”

Qi Yanjing knew he wasn’t as perfect as she made him sound. She was just trying to present him in the best light in front of her parents.

Shen Ling hesitated, her gaze lingering on Qi Yanjing, before finally sighing. She had placed her hopes on Gu Yuchen before, and look how that turned out…

“Rushed or not, talking too long doesn’t matter. What’s important is whether you’re a good match. Maybe you’ve really found the right person.” Now, all they cared about was Zhixian’s happiness.

Shen Ling studied Qi Yanjing. Zhixian was right—he wasn’t ugly, had a decent job, and was quite impressive. How could it be said she was being irrational?

“Let’s eat,” Shen Ling said as she and Wen Xingzhi stood up to plate the food.

Wen Zhixian moved closer to Qi Yanjing and squeezed his hand. Qi Yanjing gently squeezed back and whispered, “I’ll go to the kitchen.”

He released her hand and headed into the kitchen. “Mom, Dad, why don’t you chat with Zhixian? I’ll handle things here.”

Her parents did come out, but they took the couple’s marriage certificate and examined it repeatedly.

Wen Zhixian went to the kitchen to fetch plates and chopsticks and set them on the table.

As they started eating, Shen Ling and Wen Xingzhi began questioning him.

Wen Xingzhi seemed quite interested in Qi Yanjing. “This isn’t the first time I’ve heard your name. We’ve discussed you at the office before.”

He hadn’t expected that Qi Yanjing would also have such an outstanding appearance.

Shen Ling looked at Qi Yanjing as well. “You’re already a professor at 28?”

“Yes, I got the title last year.”

It was hard not to be surprised, but they also felt proud.

“So… Yanjing, you married Zhixian—does your family know?”

Qi Yanjing looked a bit apologetic. “I don’t live with my parents and haven’t told them yet. I realize that’s not proper etiquette. Mom, Dad, whenever you have time, how about we arrange a meal for both families?”

His respectful and tactful manner left nothing to criticize.

“We’ll follow your parents’ schedule. Just let us know when you set a date,” Wen Xingzhi said.

Qi Yanjing nodded. “Sure.”

“Yanjing, what do your parents do?” With Qi Yanjing being so accomplished, they figured his parents must also be quite capable. It was natural to learn more about their future in-laws.

Qi Yanjing paused for a moment before replying, “My parents used to run a small business. They’re semi-retired now.”

That was enough for them; they didn’t ask further questions, just getting a general idea.

Wen Zhixian quietly ate, listening to her parents’ questions, and it seemed like there were no major concerns.

The meal passed peacefully—much smoother than she had anticipated.

After finishing, Shen Ling and Wen Xingzhi left. Qi Yanjing helped load the gifts they brought into the car and maintained his polite demeanor. “Today was quite rushed. I’ll come by properly another day.”

His eager attitude left her parents in high spirits, and they had all but forgotten about Gu Yuchen.

After seeing off her parents, Qi Yanjing turned to Wen Zhixian and asked, “Did I do okay?”

Wen Zhixian chuckled, “From my perspective, my parents were very happy.”

She added with a smile, “I didn’t expect it to go this smoothly. Otherwise, I would’ve brought you home at lunchtime!”

Qi Yanjing sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear.”

When they returned home, Qi Yanjing headed to the walk-in closet to finish unpacking his clothes. Upon entering, he noticed that his clothes were already neatly hung, and his suitcase was placed exactly where it belonged.

Just then, he heard Zhixian’s voice. “Mr. Qi, do you usually work from home?”

Qi Yanjing stepped out of the closet. “When I don’t have classes, I work from home.”

“In that case, you can use my study from now on. I don’t use it much, just for reading or occasionally playing some games on the computer.”

“Alright.”

Just as she was about to head for a shower, Qi Yanjing called out to her. She stopped and turned to look at him.

“Don’t call me Mr. Qi anymore. It sounds too formal, like we’re strangers.”