Chapter 24: Lu Manman Can’t Be Wronged

Fu Yun was clearly stunned, her gaze shifting from Lu Manman to her, her expression becoming troubled.

“How could this be so coincidental.”

A wardrobe malfunction is awkward anywhere, especially at an occasion like this.

When they meet later, the scene will likely be even more delicate.

Shen Yu didn’t expect this either. He paused and reassured her, “It’s okay, Manman isn’t petty.”

“Even the most broad-minded woman wouldn’t be happy about a wardrobe clash. What day is it today anyway?” Fu Yun frowned in worry. “The first time they meet, and you make her feel embarrassed. In front of her parents, I’m afraid they’ll have a grudge.”

Shen Yu unbuttoned his suit jacket and handed it to Shuangxu, “Wear this for now.”

Fu Yun furrowed her brows even tighter, “It’s obvious that this is your jacket.”

Before Shen Yu could say anything, Shuangxu stood up.

She knew that she wasn’t the main character today. This was the first time meeting her future in-laws, and she couldn’t let Lu Manman feel wronged.

Therefore, she needed to avoid the situation.

“I’ll go change clothes.”

Fortunately, the private room in this Chinese-style restaurant had two doors. Before the Lu family arrived, she quickly slipped out through the small side door.

She asked the manager if they had any spare clothes, but this request was too much for a restaurant. So she asked for directions to the nearest women’s clothing store and quickly ran out of the restaurant, intending to buy a replacement outfit.

She lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. As she turned a corner, she almost bumped into someone.

He Tingzhou steadied her arm, preventing her from bumping into him.

Shuangxu took a step back to regain her balance. He released her arm, his dark, casual eyes looking at her. “You almost tackled me.”

But Shuangxu didn’t have time to engage with him today. “Tingzhou, I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry…”

She saw the car behind He Tingzhou, and the situation was urgent. She didn’t care about being formal with him. “I need to buy an outfit now. Can you give me a ride?”

The driver had dropped them off at the restaurant. This meal would take at least two hours, and they would usually use this time to eat nearby and then call for a ride back, which would also take time.

She didn’t have a domestic driver’s license, and taking a taxi wouldn’t be as quick as having a ride.

She rarely looked at him with such a pleading expression, even when negotiating deals with him, she was always formal and businesslike.

He Tingzhou glanced at her.

The qipao itself wasn’t particularly flashy, the dark floral embroidery was subtle, designed for a low-key look.

But the size fit her perfectly, the black color made her skin look like pearls, her neck was long and slender, she really did look like a swan, her waist was thin and delicate, connecting to her hips in a graceful curve.

“You’re already beautiful, what are you trying to do? Dress yourself up as a celestial being and outshine everyone?”

Shuangxu didn’t have time to explain to him. Seeing that he didn’t seem willing to help, she bypassed him and ran to the side of the road to hail a taxi.

He Tingzhou leaned against the car door, arms crossed. “The nearest shopping mall is a fifteen-minute drive, round trip is half an hour. Are you sure you want to make both families wait that long?”

“The manager said there’s a clothing store to the east…”

Before she could finish, He Tingzhou said, “Yeah, I saw it on my way here, it sells sportswear.”

“…”

She couldn’t wear sportswear for this occasion.

Shuangxu didn’t know what to do, she stood stiffly on the side of the road, thinking, if she just ran away today, would Shen Yu be disappointed in her?

He Tingzhou wasn’t driving his sports car today, it was a four-door sedan. He opened the car door and took a spare shirt from the car, throwing it at her.

Shuangxu quickly reached out to catch it, looking at the men’s shirt in her hand, there seemed to be no better solution.

“Tingzhou, thank you.”

When Shen Yu called, she had already taken the clothes back to the restaurant.

“I found clothes, brother, I’ll be back after I take care of things, don’t worry.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Shen Yu’s voice came through, his tone unreadable. “That’s good.”

Shuangxu asked the waiter to borrow a changing room and scissors, and she directly cut the qipao in half at the waist, making it into a skirt.

He Tingzhou’s shirt was too big for her, luckily the silk fabric was thin and had a good drape, so it wouldn’t look too exaggerated.

She rolled up the sleeves a few times and tied a knot at the bottom. The white silk shirt and the embroidered skirt actually looked pretty good together.

Although it looked a bit casual for the occasion, it was the best she could do.

When she returned to the private room, the atmosphere was just right.

Lu’s father was wearing a proper Zhongshan suit，his face was kind and he loved to smile. Lu’s mother was younger than Shuangxu expected, her hands were well-maintained and delicate, clearly a woman who had been pampered at home since she was young.

She smiled, her eyes looking just like Lu Manman’s, and she praised Shuangxu with great warmth, “You’re really beautiful. I have to say, you’re prettier than those celebrities on TV.”

Lu Manman must not have told her about her feelings for Shen Yu.

Shuangxu smiled politely and said, “Thank you, Auntie.”

She sat at the end of the table, next to her was He Tingzhou.

He was Lu Manman’s cousin, and today he represented the He family.

Shen Changyuan asked about He’s Commander, “I haven’t seen him in a long time, how is the Commander’s health?”

“He’s doing great. A sixty-year-old body with a twenty-year-old physique, he’s stronger than me.” He Tingzhou crossed his legs, his usual nonchalant demeanor.

“How old are you this year? I remember you’re two years younger than Ayu.”

“Twenty-eight.”

Fu Yun said, “Then you should be settling down soon. You and Ayu are about the same age and good brothers, get married early, so the Commander can have a grandson.”

Since He Tingzhou’s mother passed away, He’s Commander had never remarried. Other wealthy families had many children, and even illegitimate children on the side, but the He family, with such power, only had a cold father and son.

“She’s already got him,” Frost muttered to herself.

 He Tingzhou leaned back in his chair, a smile playing on his lips. The smile was loose and superficial, not reaching his eyes. “I don’t have the good fortune that Shen Yu does.”

This was a roundabout way of complimenting both of them, and the remark brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Shen Yu chuckled lightly. “You call that good fortune? Others wouldn’t even be able to live.”

Frost heard everyone laughing and smiled along.

He Tingzhou glanced at her.

She was like a robot programmed with a specific routine. She didn’t speak, nor did she reach for food with any great movement. She simply stared at the spicy bullfrog in front of her, eating quietly.

She was quiet, her presence faint.

Only certain conditions, like the laughter around her, could activate her program, causing her to react briefly before retreating back into her own world to eat.

The shirt she was wearing looked like a simple oversized style, except the collar was noticeably large, revealing a delicate, elegant collarbone. Her white skin and the silk fabric were indistinguishable in their smoothness and softness.

He Tingzhou’s gaze lingered on that stretch of porcelain white skin. Her long hair, which had been tied up, was now loose, cascading down her back like another kind of silk.

“Can you help me remove the fish bones?”

Frost looked up at the sound of the voice, seeing Lu Manman tilting her head as she spoke to Shen Yu. “I love fish, but I always get bones stuck in my throat.”

Her tone was a touch flirtatious, just the right amount to avoid being annoying.

Of course, Shen Yu wouldn’t refuse.

He was a man who made everything he did look pleasing, even removing fish bones. Frost had seen him do it many times.

The plate of tender fish was placed in front of Lu Manman，and she smiled, saying, “Thank you!”

Frost lowered her head and continued eating the bullfrog.

The bullfrog was flavorful and the meat was tender and chewy, but it was a bit spicy.

As she was eating, she heard someone say, “Does it taste better when it’s your own relative?”

At first, Frost didn’t understand. She turned her head in confusion, meeting He Tingzhou’s narrow but meaningful eyes, and slowly understood.

She looked at the bullfrog on her chopsticks…

Wasn’t it a relative of the toad?