Chapter 39

Wei Shian thought that meeting his future mother-in-law for the first time, and in a hospital bed no less, was awkward enough. 

But he didn’t expect that his future father-in-law would also come. 

After a thunderous coughing fit, all that remained was pure joy. 

What a sharp person he was. 

If only his future mother-in-law had come, it might have been just a matter of saving face. 

But his father-in-law, who had been out working, made a special effort to return, which clearly indicated his approval of him. 

Thinking of this, Wei Shian’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he suddenly grabbed his girlfriend, who was helping to pat his back, by the hand. “Peony!” 

Surprised by the sudden hand-holding, and in front of her mother, Lu Jiu blushed and instinctively tried to pull away. “What are you doing?” 

Feeling his hand empty, Wei Shian instinctively wanted to grab her hand back. 

But just as he noticed his mother suddenly turning away, he refrained from reaching out again and instead cleared his throat. “Nothing.” As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up his phone and started typing. 

Lu Jiu was suspicious—he had just been so happy and seemed like he had something to say. 

But since he wasn’t speaking up, she didn’t push him for answers. Just as she was about to ask if he wanted more porridge, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. 

Lu Jiu reached for her phone, only to see her boyfriend subtly waving his phone at her. 

So, the vibration was from him? 

Blushing, Lu Jiu quickly glanced at her mother, ensuring she hadn’t noticed anything, and then glared at the man. 

But instead of stopping, he proudly and persistently waved his phone at her again. 

The patient comes first, so the kind-hearted girl reluctantly gave in. 

As expected, it was a text from Officer Wei: “Can we leave half an hour later?” 

That’s it? Lu Jiu looked at him in confusion. 

It wasn’t a big deal, so why couldn’t he just say it out loud instead of sending a message? 

Though still puzzled, Lu Jiu replied with two words: “Okay.” 

Wei Shian continued typing on his phone: “Good girl, it’s something important.” 

What could be so important? Though she didn’t know what had gotten into him, insisting on texting, she replied again: “Got it.” 

“How about… I step out for a bit?” An abrupt voice startled Lu Jiu, who was deeply focused on the texts, causing her to blush even more. 

Wei Shian looked at his mother, a bit displeased with her constant teasing. 

Fang Qiuci wasn’t intimidated by her son at all. After adding another bowl of porridge for him, she explained in a tone that was both helpless and teasing: “I didn’t want to, but your phones have been buzzing back and forth. I couldn’t pretend not to hear even if I tried.” 

Lu Jiu’s face turned even redder. 

Seeing his girlfriend’s intense embarrassment, Wei Shian quickly explained, “I just wanted Peony to stay with me for another half hour.” 

Lu Jiu quickly nodded to show he wasn’t lying. 

But to their surprise, Fang Qiuci, who had been teasing them just moments ago, suddenly turned serious: “Are you blind? Didn’t you notice the dark circles under Peony’s eyes? How could you turn into this, my second child?” 

Wei Shian twitched his lips: “Would your son do such a thing? It really is something important.” 

Her son was indeed not that heartless. After pondering for a few moments, Fang Qiuci asked, “What’s so important?” 

Wei Shian replied, “I can’t tell you; it’s something I can only share with my girlfriend.” 

Lu Jiu felt like her face had become a color palette, turning red in waves. 

She wanted to pinch him, but felt too shy to do so in front of his mother, so she kept her face innocent and composed. 

Just as she was thinking that she’d definitely get back at him later, she heard a loud “smack!” 

Lu Jiu’s eyes widened. 

It turned out that her mother-in-law had already taken action. 

Fang Qiuci slapped her son’s arm with a resounding smack and wasn’t done yet. She turned to her future daughter-in-law and advised earnestly, “Peony, remember, you can’t trust sweet-talking men like him.” 

Lu Jiu smiled so much her eyes curved. “Auntie, I understand.” 

Wei Shian’s face turned black. “Mom!” 

“What are you shouting about? You provoked me first. Don’t you know? A mother’s revenge is best served all day long! Not even a minute of tolerance!” 

Lu Jiu… 

Wei Shian… 

— 

They said to wait another half hour. 

But just after 25 minutes, Luo Wei came rushing in, panting and carrying several bags. “Boss, I’ve brought everything.” 

Wei Shian said, “Thanks, brother. I’ll treat you to a meal later. Hand me the stuff and go out for now.” 

Luo Wei, who had rushed over with all his might, didn’t even get a sip of water? 

Feeling wronged, he then heard his boss say to his mother, “Mom, can you wait in the corridor for a bit too?” 

Fang Qiuci exchanged a look with her son and instantly guessed what he was about to do. 

She smiled with satisfaction, then turned and pulled Luo Wei out with her. “Little Xiao Luo, haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Come, come, come, Auntie will treat you to the cafeteria.” 

Luo Wei had already eaten two meat buns on the way. 

With everyone who could get in the way gone, even the patient in the next bed had gone for a walk in the corridor, the double room was left with only the two of them. 

Wei Shian reached out to his girlfriend and spoke gently, “Peony, help me change my clothes.” 

Lu Jiu wanted to say that his hands weren’t injured, but when she met his gaze, she found she couldn’t say it out loud. 

She lowered her head and looked at the dark blue police uniform peeking out of the bag, realizing why he insisted on her staying an extra half hour. 

Lu Jiu thought she would be shy and avoidant as usual. 

But surprisingly, she wasn’t. 

She responded calmly and gently, “Okay.” 

Officer Wei did indeed have a strong and well-built physique. 

With his upper body exposed, every muscle on him showcased his strength and power. 

Under the man’s gaze, Lu Jiu inevitably blushed. 

Fearing the patient next door might suddenly return, she quickened her pace. 

After putting on the shirt, tying the tie, and donning the neatly pressed jacket, Wei Shian wanted to change into pants to look more formal. 

But Lu Jiu, worried about his leg, firmly refused. 

Though a bit disappointed, Wei Shian had to give in. He handed another paper bag to his girlfriend. “Open it and take a look.” 

Thinking she had guessed wrong, Lu Jiu held the sizable gift in confusion. 

Seeing her not moving, Wei Shian urged, “See if you like it?” 

Well, it turned out she had guessed wrong. Feeling a mix of awkwardness and disappointment, Lu Jiu slowly pulled out a large gift box. 

However, when she saw what was inside, her eyes widened instantly. “This…this is…” 

“It’s a golden Cinnabar Peony.” 

Back when Lu Jiu was still a flower demon, her true form was the Cinnabar Peony. 

She had once mentioned to her boyfriend that the Cinnabar Peony was her favorite among all peonies. 

She hadn’t expected him to have a peony crafted from gold for her. 

And it was twice the size of her face, weighing quite a bit. 

Lu Jiu had never been particularly fond of gold. 

But looking at the massive peony in front of her, she found it so stunning that she couldn’t take her eyes off it. 

At that moment, countless questions popped into Lu Jiu’s mind. 

But in the end, the first thing she asked was, “How much does this weigh?” 

Wei Shian replied, “1000 grams.” 

That’s… two pounds? 

Realizing what this meant, Lu Jiu immediately looked up at him in disbelief. 

But before she could scold him for wasting money, her attention was drawn to the red velvet box in his hand. 

Seeing his girlfriend finally focused on him, Wei Shian quickly opened the velvet box, revealing a ring inside. 

The ring wasn’t overly extravagant, with a simple band encrusted with small diamonds, making it sparkle. 

Noticing that his girlfriend was just staring at the ring without saying a word, Wei Shian nervously pushed it closer. “You once said you liked simple yet sparkly rings like this, so I had it custom-made…” 

“When did I ever say that?” Lu Jiu finally looked up at him, unsurprised to see the nervousness in his eyes. 

Wei Shian felt sweat starting to form on his forehead and back again, but this time not from pain. “I asked Fang Jingjing to find out what you liked.” 

Lu Jiu paused for a moment, then quickly remembered that about a month ago, Fang Jingjing had dragged her to a jewelry store while shopping for a bracelet and had indeed asked her preferences. 

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Jingjing managed to keep this secret from me all this time?” 

Wei Shian laughed too. He took his girlfriend’s hand, gently rubbing her middle finger as 

Wei Shian continued holding up the ring with one hand while gently rubbing his girlfriend’s right middle finger with the other. He smiled wryly and said, “I’m sorry. I originally planned to propose in a field of flowers, with our friends and family there, kneeling down to ask for your hand. But…” 

He glanced at his injured leg and continued, “Plans changed faster than expected. After I got hurt, everything seemed to fast-forward. I wanted to make our relationship official before your father met me.” 

There’s nothing wrong with a future father-in-law coming to meet his daughter’s fiancé. But if it were just a boyfriend, there could be rumors and judgment about her, like saying she’s desperate to get married or throwing herself at him. He couldn’t bear that. 

Of course, Wei Shian didn’t plan to share these negative thoughts with his girlfriend. After all, his desire to propose was sincere. Thinking of this, he added, “This is just the engagement ring. When we get married, I’ll propose properly on one knee.” 

Even if her boyfriend didn’t say it, Lu Jiu understood his intentions. She sniffed, holding back the tears in her eyes, and extended her hand. “I’ll accept it, because you look very handsome right now.” 

Wei Shian breathed a sigh of relief, carefully slipping the ring onto his fiancée’s slender, fair finger. He then kissed the spot where the ring sat several times before speaking in a husky voice, “Thank my mother for giving me a decent face.” 

Lu Jiu chuckled. 

“Peony, I’m sorry to put you through this.” Wei Shian leaned in and hugged her tightly. 

“I’m not suffering,” Lu Jiu said, resting her head against his chest and gently hugging him back. 

But Wei Shian still felt like his little girl was being wronged. So he added, “When we get married, I’ll get you a big diamond. The one on your hand is too cheap.” 

Lu Jiu pulled away from his embrace, raising her hand to show him. “I don’t like those. Even if you buy one, I won’t wear it. I like this one with the small, sparkling stones. Isn’t it beautiful?” 

How could it not be? Wei Shian couldn’t resist holding her hand again, kissing it several more times before smiling and saying, “My fiancée is so easy to please.” 

He was quick to adjust to his new title, and after giving him a playful glare, Lu Jiu looked at the large golden peony on the bed. “This must have cost at least tens of thousands.” 

Her mother liked gold, and according to her, gold was nearly 120 yuan per gram now. This peony weighed 1000 grams, plus the craftsmanship… 

Wei Shian reassured her, “You don’t like big diamonds, and using a few thousand yuan ring to propose would be too shabby. So, I had to give you a flower instead. Fresh flowers didn’t seem right, and I’d have to buy them from your place first, which felt odd. A golden flower is perfect—never wilts and even appreciates in value.” 

When it came to arguments, Lu Jiu knew she was no match for him. Still, she hugged the peony, which was as big as a washbasin. “It really is lovely. I like it a lot. Thank you.” 

“To show my sincerity, I used my savings from the past few years to buy the flower and the ring. For that, don’t you think your fiancé deserves a kiss to celebrate?” Officer Wei, now officially engaged, started asking for a kiss. 

Lu Jiu gave him a sideways glance. “Are you aware of what you’re wearing?” 

Wei Shian, ever cooperative, began unbuttoning his shirt. “I’ll take it off right now. Give me one minute.” 

Lu Jiu was speechless. 

“I’m not talking to you anymore,” she said, blushing, as she stood up to put the peony back in its box. The gold wasn’t particularly hard, and the thin petals could easily get deformed if bumped. 

But as she walked to the table at the end of the bed, she noticed several pairs of eyes peering through the slightly open door. Standing there were her aunt and Officer Luo, but to her surprise, one of them was her childhood friend, Fang Jingjing. 

Lu Jiu was stunned for a moment before her face turned bright red. “You… you all…” 

Wei Shian called out, “Peony, what’s wrong?” 

“They…” Lu Jiu felt like her face was about to catch fire, especially after Officer Wei’s earlier talk of kisses and undressing. 

Before she could finish, the guilty parties at the door attempted to flee. But except for the topmost person, Fang Qianci, the other two, including Luo Wei, who had been at the bottom, were quickly tangled up together, rolling into a heap on the floor. 

Acting as the human cushion, Luo Wei grumbled, “You’re bad luck! Nothing good ever happens when you’re around. I should never have invited you to watch the fun!” 

Fang Jingjing initially felt a bit embarrassed, but when she heard that, she immediately snapped back, “You’re the bad luck!” 

The mother had already fled the scene, so Lu Jiu was no longer embarrassed. She crossed her arms and walked over, looking down at the two on the floor. “You two have been in contact behind my back?” 

Luo Wei and Fang Jingjing were speechless.