Chapter 42.2

Xie Zhen had been full of anger, but when he saw his lover, he couldn’t help but laugh, and his anger dissipated with a “puff.”

He gently patted his lover, who looked like she wanted to disappear on the spot, and reminded her, “Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for surgery? ”

Su Xi quickly checked the time. It was half past five. She hadn’t realized that she had been chatting with the beautiful… Xie Zhen’s mother for so long.

She glanced awkwardly at Tang Siyun, who had already stood up.

Tang Siyun, with a charming smile and covering her mouth, said, “Go on, go on; work is important. I’ll be here with Xiao Zhen. When you have time, we can continue discussing skincare.”

Su Xi nodded vigorously, grabbed the items she had prepared earlier, and then bade the mother and son farewell as gracefully as she could.

“Mom, you’re being unreasonable,” Xie Zhen said, his face darkening immediately after his girlfriend left.

Looking at his mother with disapproval in his eyes, his handsome face darkened.

Tang Siyun wasn’t afraid of him. She slowly sat back down on the stool, crossed her legs lazily, and glanced at her son. “Did that woman, He Qiong, inform you?”

Xie Zhen replied, “Did you call Dad to let him know you’re safe?”

Tang Siyun felt guilty when Old Xie was mentioned. She had grown up in a wealthy family, and even in tough times, she was pampered. As the only girl in the family, her brothers doted on her.

Later, she married her childhood sweetheart, Xie Bo. After the marriage, Xie Bo continued to spoil her, to the point where, even in her fifties, she still retained a trace of innocence in her eyes.

However, the only person who could control her was Old Xie. When she recalled the “tragic” past of being disobedient and getting spanked on the bed, she panicked. She didn’t dare to call him anymore.

Seeing her mother’s evasive expression, Xie Zhen understood everything. He wiped his face tiredly, feeling a throbbing pain in his head.

He said, “Come with me to my dormitory and settle in first.”

He decided to let his father handle the rest, although he was unsure how his father managed to tolerate his mother’s temperament.

This time, Tang Siyun didn’t resist. To be honest, after sitting in a car for a whole week, she felt almost ready to fall apart, so he followed her son immediately.

Still displeased with her son and Old Xie’s stony faces, she rolled her eyes and proudly remarked with narrowed eyes, “I came here, and instead of thanking me, you’re giving me attitude. What an ungrateful son.”

Xie Zhen ignored her and went to Dean He’s office to pick up his mother’s luggage. After thanking Dean He, he took his mother to his single dormitory.

Tang Siyun curled her lips. “How could such a sweet girl like Su Xi fall for a dull guy like you?”

Xie Zhen’s forehead veins bulged, and he couldn’t help but retort, “Comrade Xie Bo is so outstanding, yet he fell for you.”

Tang Siyun wasn’t angry because she had a trump card: “Go call your dad and tell him I’ve arrived safely.”

“No!”

“Are you going or not?”

“No!”

“Okay, then who have I been running around for all these days?” Tang Siyun deliberately picked up her handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, where there were no tears.

Xie Zhen responded with a sarcastic, “Heh…”

Tang Siyun gritted her teeth. This brat, the older he got, the harder he was to manipulate. She decided to play her trump card: “I just think that after the engagement, it would be disrespectful to the girl if none of the man’s relatives and friends were present. As the mother, I need to personally visit and propose to show our family’s sincerity.”

Xie Zhen suddenly stopped in his tracks. A flicker of light passed through his eyes, and he hesitated. “Engagement?”

Tang Siyun pretended not to notice her son’s sudden change in tone and continued walking forward. “Yes, marriage can wait, but an engagement is still necessary. A fiancé always has more status than being an object for marriage, right? Especially since Su Xi is so outstanding, what if someone else catches her eye one day? Then you’d be single for the rest of your life.”

Xie Zhen, although irritated, found the title of “fiancé” too enticing to ignore, so he… held back his rebuttal.

Ignoring the heat rising to his ears, Xie Zhen caught up with his mother’s brisk pace and asked, “When are you planning to propose the marriage?”

Tang Siyun raised her chin and countered, “When are you planning to call your dad?”

Xie Zhen: “…”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next morning.

Chen Xiangyun placed the last bowl of pickles on the table looked at her granddaughter and asked, “Why didn’t Xiao Xie come today?”

Xie Zhen had already mentioned last night when he was sending Su Xi home, that he wouldn’t be coming for breakfast today.

However, last night, when Su Xi came home, it was already ten o’clock, and Grandma was already asleep.

In the morning, during her run, she was still half asleep and forgot to mention it to Grandma.

Taking a sip of porridge, Su Xi explained, “Xie Zhen’s mother is here, so he probably won’t be coming over for dinner these next few days.”

Su Xi said this casually as if she were simply discussing what she planned to have for lunch.

But the other three people at the table stopped eating in surprise.

Su Dong’s eyes flickered, and in a gentle voice, he asked, “Have you met his mother?”

Su Xi took a bite of the mixed-flour pancake and nodded. “Yeah, she came to the hospital to see me as soon as she landed on the island yesterday.”

“You silly girl, why didn’t you tell me yesterday?” Chen Xiangyun frowned.

Su Xi felt wronged. ‘Didn’t you go to bed early last night?’

Sensing her granddaughter’s unspoken complaint, Grandma raised her hand and tapped her on the head. “Even if I was asleep, why didn’t you tell your brother and the others? Even if they were asleep, if I hadn’t asked this morning, would you have kept it to yourself?”

Su Xi buried her head in her meal. 

‘It was her fault; she genuinely forgot.’

Su Dong remained calm. He raised his hand to stop Xi Yannan, who was about to speak, and asked in a gentle tone, “Did she come to see you?”

Su Xi pondered for a moment before nodding. “Probably. Aunt Tang came to see me as soon as she arrived on the island, so it’s obvious she came specifically for me.”

Su Dong sensed his sister’s light-hearted tone, and his tense mood relaxed. “You two seem to get along well.”

This was a statement, not a question.

Thinking back to yesterday’s conversation, Su Xi’s eyes curled into a smile. “Aunt Tang is a great beauty. I like her a lot.”

Su Dong: “….”

‘Is that the point? ’

Xi Yannan interjected, “Did Xie Zhen mention anything about his family situation to you?”

Ever since his commander had a relationship with his sister and took her away, Xi Yannan’s opinion of Xie Zhen has soured significantly.

Except for work or training, he rarely had a good attitude toward him.

Su Xi blinked and, after swallowing her food, replied, “He mentioned his family is from J City and gave a basic overview of his family members. He also said his father is a soldier, but didn’t elaborate much. However, I saw Aunt Tang yesterday, so Xie Zhen’s family should be quite well off, right?”

Xi Yannan shot back, “Are you being naive? You’re dating someone without asking clearly about his background?”

Su Xi rolled her eyes at her brother. “We’ve only been seeing each other for a few days.”

It wasn’t really Su Xi’s fault. She still maintained the mindset of dating from the past, thinking that such a short period of dating didn’t warrant too much inquiry.

Xi Yannan curled his lips. “Fortunately, Xie Zhen is sensible. He explained his family situation to me the day after he started dating you.”

Su Xi was puzzled. “Why did he tell you? He could have just told me directly.”

Xi Yannan replied, “Xie Zhen said that, given your personality, you wouldn’t ask directly, so he felt it was important to explain everything clearly to us as your family. That’s why he told me.”

Su Xi felt a bit pleased.

Xi Yannan continued, “Xie Zhen’s grandfather, father, and uncle are all soldiers. Strictly speaking, Xie Zhen is a true third-generation military family. His grandfather was a major general, just like our father, at the level of deputy director. However, he retired early due to poor health. What I want to emphasize is that Xie Zhen’s father, Xie Bo, is a formidable man. He’s 54 years old this year, holds the rank of general, and has truly fought his way through the ranks. He’s currently the commander of a major military region in J City.”

Su Xi listened intently to her brother’s story and unconsciously finished her breakfast.

Xi Yannan said impatiently, “Are you a pig or something? I’m giving you all this information, and all you’re doing is eating. Were you even listening?”

Su Xi grinned. “You’re the pig, and eating doesn’t stop me from listening.”

Xi Yannan pressed further, “Since you were listening, then tell me, what did you understand?”

Su Xi responded, “Both our families are exceptional.”

Xi Yannan was at a loss for words. It was hard to refute. Could he really say their family wasn’t outstanding?

Chen Xiangyun smiled warmly. “Alright, Nannan, I know you’re worried that Xixi might be bullied in the future, but there’s really no need to be concerned. Families that raise someone like Xie Zhen won’t be bad. Even if they were, we could just end things. There are plenty of good guys out there.”

Su Xi laughed. “Grandma knows me best.”

She patted her brother’s shoulder again. “Brother, don’t worry. Xie Zhen’s mother is very nice, and we get along very well.”

After finishing breakfast, Su Dong put down his chopsticks, wiped the corner of his mouth, and urged Xi Yannan, “Go to work. Xixi knows her limits.”

Xi Yannan: “…”

‘So, is he the only one who’s worried?’

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hospital Cafeteria.

Su Xi looked at her boyfriend, who had joined her for lunch, and smiled with her eyes squinted. “How come you have time to see me now?”

His team was busy, and Xie Zhen usually only had time to see her in the morning and evening, sometimes not even then. Apart from the few days of rest, this was the first time they had eaten together at noon since they started dating.

Xie Zhen picked up a piece of lean meat from his bowl and placed it in Su Xi’s bowl, then took a few pieces of fatty meat from hers before replying, “I have something to tell you.”

Su Xi nodded to show she understood, raised her eyebrows, and motioned for Xie Zhen to continue.

Xie Zhen took a sip of soup and hesitated. “Let’s talk after we finish eating.”

Su Xi laughed. “So mysterious?”

September was still quite hot, especially at noon, with the blazing sun making the skin feel sore.

“Alright, tell me now!” After finishing their meal, Su Xi led Xie Zhen to the bamboo grove behind the hospital, seeking some shade and treating it as a casual walk.

It was usually quiet there.

Xie Zhen moved closer to Su Xi, said nothing, and suddenly reached out to pull her into his arms.

Su Xi’s height only reached the man’s shoulders, and at that moment, her small face was buried in his broad chest. Although she was a little confused, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.

Tsk, tsk, tsk… 

She couldn’t help but marvel again—what a perfect waist!

She rubbed her little face against his chest and murmured through his clothes, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xie Zhen took a deep breath until his chest was filled with the scent of his lover and gathered the courage for his proposal before releasing her.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, bent down, and looked steadily at Su Xi. His dark eyes sparkled with soft starlight as he spoke in an extremely serious tone, “Xixi, let’s… get engaged!”

Su Xi’s already large eyes widened in surprise. She had never expected Xie Zhen to come and tell her this out of the blue.

After a long pause, she stuttered, “Why… why do you suddenly want to get engaged?”

Xie Zhen explained the reason for his mother’s arrival, and then, seeing Su Xi’s look of realization, continued, “Actually, that’s not the most important thing.”

Su Xi looked at him curiously. “Then what is the most important thing?”

Xie Zhen raised his hand and gently touched the birthmark at the corner of her eye, sighing softly. “The most important thing is that I really want to be engaged to you. I want to change from being your boyfriend to becoming your fiancé, and then…”

Su Xi’s face gradually flushed with warmth. In her entire life, this was the first time she had encountered such a marriage proposal-like vow. Her dark eyes sparkled as she smiled and asked, “And then what?”

“Then, when the time is right, I want to become your husband, the father of your children, and eventually the grandfather of your grandchildren. I’ve imagined this for a long time,” Xie Zhen confessed.

Su Xi stared at him in a daze. She… had never thought that far ahead. This man loved her deeply, and she had never felt it as clearly as she did at this moment.

Strangely, amid the sweet emotions, a few threads of bitterness emerged—subtle but not to be ignored. Her long, raven-like eyelashes trembled, and her voice was slightly hoarse as she asked, “Isn’t it… too soon to be thinking that far ahead?”

Xie Zhen’s gaze was serious. “I thought about this even before we got together.”

Su Xi: “…”

She felt an urge to both laugh and cry.

However, Su Xi took the matter seriously and began to think it over.

Although she was only 20 years old and still a freshman in college in her past life, she was not considered young in the 1960s. Moreover, Xie Zhen was already 28.

Getting engaged this year and married next year didn’t seem so far-fetched after all.

Whether they are a good match or not, they had more than half a year to reconsider before the marriage.

Su Xi secretly analyzed the situation.

As she was deep in thought, Xie Zhen’s eyes never left her. His palms were sweating, and he couldn’t tell how long he had been waiting. 

He realized that every time he felt time was torturing him, it was always related to this petite girl.

Oddly enough, he was happy to endure it.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Xi finally looked up and asked, “Your family doesn’t object, right?”

It wasn’t that Su Xi felt inferior, but in Chinese culture, social status and family background were traditionally important. Even if Su Xi’s parents were still alive, their family’s status was far from the prominence of the Xie family.

This was an undeniable fact.

Xie Zhen’s eyes brightened as he replied, “My family approves. They like you very much.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The Xie family’s ancestors had been farmers, and although the recent generations had been relatively successful, they did not hold strict views on social status.

For a family as accomplished as the Xie family, the most important thing when choosing a partner is the character of the person.

So, the day after Xie Zhen had confessed to his family about his relationship, all of Su Xi’s information appeared on Xie Bo’s desk.

The Xie family was very pleased with Su Xi. Even the usually stern and serious father, Xie, made a special call to Xie Zhen to tell him to cherish her and strive to bring her home as soon as possible.

It was clear how satisfied they were with Su Xi.

Hearing her boyfriend’s words, Su Xi proudly straightened her posture. “I’m so amazing; it’s only natural that they like me.”

Xie Zhen smiled. “So, my amazing lover, Xixi, are you willing to let my status move up? To become your fiancé?”

Su Xi grinned, then dove into his arms, her voice soft as she said, “I approve.”

She was immediately rewarded with a strong embrace and the sound of his particularly satisfied laughter.

The intense sun shone through the bamboo forest onto the embracing couple, the dappled sunlight seeming like nature’s warmest blessing.

September 23, 1965, was the autumnal equinox—a perfect day for an engagement banquet! The weather was clear and sunny.

Su Xi and Xie Zhen’s engagement banquet took place on that beautiful day.

The two had agreed to hold the engagement banquet in a low-key manner in the small courtyard of the Su family. Only close relatives and friends were invited to gather together. Between the families of the bride and groom, there were just two tables in total.

The day before the engagement party, to show their sincerity, Old Master Xie, Xie Bo, and Xie Zhen’s sister, Xie Ying, made a special call to Su Xi and Su Dong, who were still on Red Mountain Island, to send their blessings.

They expressed their regrets for being unable to attend, sent their heartfelt congratulations to the young couple, and informed them that the engagement gifts had been mailed.

Honestly, after the engagement, Su Xi did not feel much had changed.

She had originally planned to have two rings made, but considering the current situation, she decided against it.

Aside from receiving a bunch of expensive gifts that only a daughter-in-law of the Xie family would receive, nothing else seemed to have changed.

The only thing she wasn’t accustomed to was that Tang Siyun, who had been enjoying the role of her future mother-in-law just a few days ago, was suddenly taken away by the guards sent by Father Xie.

Su Xi had grown very fond of Tang Siyun. They would chat about everything whenever they had free time, completely ignoring the frowning Xie Zhen.

Eventually, Tang Siyun even moved in with Su Xi and slept in the same room.

Having grown accustomed to the daily companionship of such a beautiful woman, Su Xi was really reluctant to see her return to J City so suddenly.

However, before she could fully process her feelings of reluctance, the entire military camp suddenly erupted in excitement.

After some inquiries, Su Xi learned that the much-anticipated art troupe had landed on the island today to celebrate National Day, which was just around the corner.