Chapter 54: The Shen Family’s Proposal  

After the ancestral worship ceremony, the four of them left the shrine and returned to the villa.  

By then, it was already past nine in the morning. The guests would be arriving soon, so they needed to make final preparations.  

At almost ten o’clock, the first guests arrived—Shen Linghao and his parents, Shen Changfeng and Liu Lanzhi.  

The reason they had come so early was simple: they could not wait to meet their future daughter-in-law.  

As soon as Zhao Jiaying saw Shen Linghao, she ran up to him excitedly and said sweetly: “Brother Linghao, you’re here! Do I look pretty today?”  

After speaking, she lifted the hem of her dress with both hands and spun around in front of them.  

Shen Linghao patted her head affectionately and replied indulgently: “You look beautiful! Yingbao is beautiful every day!”  

Liu Lanzhi, watching this scene, could not help but smile. She had never expected her cold and aloof son to have such a gentle side—to even know how to sweet-talk his little fiancée.  

Zhao Jiaying then noticed the two adults behind Shen Linghao and greeted them politely: “Hello, Uncle and Auntie! You must be Brother Linghao’s father and mother. My name is Zhao Jiaying. Welcome to Yingbao’s birthday banquet!”  

Liu Lanzhi had already noticed Zhao Jiaying the moment she stepped in. The little girl was not only adorable and beautiful but also incredibly well-mannered. Now she finally understood why her son always ran off to the Ou family estate—who wouldn’t like such a sweet child?  

Unable to resist, Liu Lanzhi picked Zhao Jiaying up and said: “Yes, little Yingbao, I am Shen Linghao’s mother. I’m so happy to meet you!”  

Shen Changfeng then handed Zhao Jiaying a gift and said gently: “Little Yingbao, I am Shen Linghao’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is a birthday gift from your auntie and me. We wish you a very happy birthday!”

　　

“Thank you, Uncle!”  

Zhao Jiaying accepted the gift, politely expressed her gratitude, and gave Shen Changfeng a sweet smile, revealing two deep dimples.  

Seeing Zhao Jiaying’s adorable smile, Shen Changfeng finally understood why his son, this iceberg, had melted. Because her smile could warm anything.  

After putting Zhao Jiaying down, Liu Lianzhi leaned close to Shen Changfeng’s ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Husband, I must have this daughter-in-law. You have to finalize this with Ou Zichen today. Otherwise, if we miss out on little Yingbao, our son will definitely end up a bachelor in the future.”  

The reason Liu Lianzhi was so eager to arrange the engagement was not that she lacked confidence in her son, thinking no other girl would like him if they missed this chance. It was because she knew her son too well. Once he liked someone, he would love them for a lifetime. If he missed Zhao Jiaying, she was certain he would rather stay single forever and grow old alone.  

Besides, Zhao Jiaying was clearly someone highly sought after. If they could finalize it early, they could rest easy.  

Shen Changfeng shared the same thought, so he made an “OK” gesture to Liu Lianzhi.  

At that moment, Ou Zichen walked over and greeted them politely.  

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you’re here. Please, come inside and have a seat.”  

The group entered the living room. Lin Zhenzhu was seated on the sofa, and Shen Changfeng and his wife were the first to greet her.  

“Madam, how have you been feeling lately?”  

“I’m doing well. Thank you for your concern. Come, have a seat.”  

After Shen Changfeng and Liu Lianzhi sat down, Liu Lianzhi nudged him, signaling him to bring up the matter they had just discussed. Since the other guests had not arrived yet, this was the perfect time to talk.  

Another concern was that if they waited too long, someone else might also take a liking to Zhao Jiaying. If they didn’t speak up first, wouldn’t someone else seize the opportunity?  

Shen Changfeng understood her meaning instantly. Without hesitation, he addressed everyone present, including Ou Zichen.  

“Madam, Zichen, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you both.”  

“Big Brother, please go ahead!”  

“I think our son, Linghao, and your Yingbao are a perfect match. So today, I want to propose an engagement and settle their future marriage!”  

Shen Changfeng did not say much; he went straight to the point.  

Lin Zhenzhu, Ou Zichen, and Ou Zilong were taken aback by his words. Their little Yingbao was only four years old today, and they were already discussing her engagement?  

Ou Zichen responded: “Big Brother, isn’t this marriage arrangement a bit too early? Linghao is only eleven, and our Yingbao is just four.”  

He was not against the engagement itself. He knew the Shen family well, and if Yingbao truly married into their family in the future, she would undoubtedly be treated well. However, his daughter had only recently been reunited with them, and now they were already discussing her engagement. It felt as if she would be married off tomorrow—it was hard for him to accept.  

“It’s not early at all. You know how quickly children grow up. If we settle this now, we as parents can have peace of mind!”

　　

“Your little Yingbao is so popular. If we don’t settle this early, someone else might beat us to it.”  

Ou Zichen was at a loss for what to do and turned to Lin Zhenzhu for help. Lin Zhenzhu immediately understood and shared her thoughts.  

“Changfeng, Lianzhi, we know your Linghao is a good child, and he treats Yingbao very well. If she marries him in the future, she will surely be well taken care of. But after all, this is a lifelong decision for Yingbao, and we don’t feel right making it on her behalf, so…”  

So this matter should wait until Zhao Jiaying was older and able to decide for herself.  

Liu Lianzhi immediately thought: “That’s easy! Why don’t we just ask Yingbao for her opinion?”  

She then turned to Zhao Jiaying and asked: “Little Yingbao, tell Auntie, do you like Brother Linghao?”  

Without even thinking, Zhao Jiaying answered without hesitation: “Yes, yes! Yingbao likes Brother Linghao the most!”  

Back when she wanted to transfer to Grade Five (Class Three), it was because of Shen Linghao. She had even gone on a hunger strike to protest against her daddy over it—how could she not like him?  

Hearing Zhao Jiaying’s answer, Liu Lianzhi was very satisfied and continued to ask: “Then, Yingbao, do you want to marry Brother Linghao in the future and become his bride?”  

“Yes, yes! Yingbao wants to marry Brother Linghao and be his bride!”  

Shen Linghao slightly curled his lips upon hearing Zhao Jiaying’s words. He had known from the start that his parents were not only here to attend Zhao Jiaying’s birthday banquet but also to arrange his future marriage. That was why he had remained silent.  

He wanted to see if they could settle this today. If not, he still had a final bargaining chip—the promise Ou Zichen had made when he saved Zhao Jiaying. At the time, Ou Zichen had agreed to grant him any request. However, it seemed there was no need for that now, since Zhao Jiaying had already agreed on her own.  

Liu Lianzhi happily patted Zhao Jiaying’s head and said: “Good, good! Yingbao is such a good girl!”  

“Madam, Zichen, now that Yingbao herself has agreed to this engagement, I believe you both will support her decision, won’t you?”