In the afternoon, she had told Wen Hongyu in advance that she would be going home for dinner, but she didn’t reply. It was normal for Ms. Wen not to return messages, so Wen Yi didn’t think much of it.

But when they got to the door, Wen Hongyu was walking out hand-in-hand with a strange middle-aged man. The people inside froze, and the ones outside were stunned.

Eight eyes and four mouths, not a single person spoke. Even the plants in the window seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere between them, silently drooping their leaves.

It was Qin Nanshan who reacted first and called out, “Mom.”

Wen Hongyu hurriedly pulled her hand away, flustered, “What are you doing here?”

Wen Yi said, “I sent you a message, didn’t you see it?”

“I didn’t check my phone.”

Wen Yi looked at her mother’s flushed face, feeling a complicated emotion. She turned her gaze to the man beside her. He looked younger than Ms. Wen, fairly handsome, and his figure was better than most middle-aged men—at least he didn’t have a beer belly or a receding hairline.

Although she had always encouraged Wen Hongyu to find a companion, now that she had actually found someone, Wen Yi didn’t feel as happy as she had imagined. In fact, she understood the saying “a family’s cabbage is being eaten by pigs.”

Wen Hongyu recovered from the initial awkwardness and introduced, “Lao Xu, this is my daughter Wen Yi, my son-in-law Qin Nanshan.”

Xu Lang spoke gently, “Hello.”

Wen Yi’s gaze was still on the man. Qin Nanshan followed up, “So, Mom, are you two going out? Have you eaten yet?”

Wen Hongyu and the man were planning to go out to eat, but now that her daughter and son-in-law had arrived, the two became four.

The restaurant Xu Lang chose was fancy, and Wen Yi looked around at the luxurious décor, casting a few more glances at him. It seemed her mom really found someone wealthy.

While they were ordering, Wen Yi took Wen Hongyu outside to talk privately. The direct, middle-aged woman surprisingly became awkward, “Don’t ask, it’s just like what you saw.”

Wen Yi took a deep breath, reminding herself to accept it, then asked, “So now you can at least tell me more about him, right?”

Wen Hongyu had already thought of how to handle her daughter’s questions: “He’s 45…”

!!!!!

“Stop!” Wen Yi interrupted, holding up five fingers. “He’s five years younger than you?!”

Wen Hongyu straightened her neck, “What? Is that a problem?”

“Okay, okay, really impressive. What else?”

“He runs a foreign trade company, it’s not too big, not too small. He’s from another city, has a house and a car…”

Wen Yi interrupted again, “Does he want your household registration?”

Wen Hongyu snorted, “What age is he, still wants a household registration? Are you still listening?”

“Continue.”

“His wife passed away over ten years ago, and he has a daughter in her early twenties who is studying abroad.”

The more Wen Yi listened, the stranger it felt, “How could such a diamond bachelor…?” She noticed Wen Hongyu’s unfriendly look, and quickly added, “I’m just saying from an ordinary person’s perspective, I didn’t mean anything bad. How did you two meet?”

Wen Hongyu was beautiful, and the years had left nothing but grace on her face. She had a high level of education, with a bachelor’s degree. Thirty years ago, there was no difference between a bachelor’s degree and the master’s degrees people get now. According to her uncle, before having her, she had been a teacher. If it weren’t for her, she might have been a senior teacher waiting for retirement by now.

So,

Wen Yi’s concern wasn’t whether Wen Hongyu was worthy or not, but whether the man, at his age and with his status, could have chosen a younger woman instead of her mom.

Wen Hongyu said, “My friends always drag me to drink tea, and he loves tea too, so we got to know each other through that.”

So the tea they had earlier at the dinner table, the Dongting Bi Luo Chun, had an explanation. But Wen Yi was still conflicted, “But Mom…”

“His late wife was ten years older than him,” Wen Hongyu reassured her daughter, “We’ve only been together for about six months before deciding to be together. I’m not a fool. Besides, what does he want from me? I’m not a rich lady with millions in assets, and I have a pregnant daughter, a whole lot of trouble.”

Wen Yi: “…”

“We don’t plan on getting married, we’re just dating. Don’t act like you’re in charge of everything,” Wen Hongyu added.

Wen Yi didn’t want to control her mom, but she needed to understand the situation. She warned, “Just be cautious, let me know if anything happens. It’s fine to date, but don’t get too carried away.”

“Got it, got it. You’re so naggy,” Wen Hongyu said. After Wen Yi asked, it was her turn to ask, “I haven’t asked you yet, how are things with Little Qin?”

“It’s good,” Wen Yi replied.

Wen Hongyu raised an eyebrow, “But I haven’t seen it, how come you two didn’t talk at all on the way over?”

“Your daughter and her boyfriend were sitting next to us, what should we talk about?”

Wen Hongyu paused, then awkwardly changed the topic, “You’re married, and you’re having a baby. Don’t put on that tough face, he’s the man in your bed, not your patient at the hospital.”

“Got it, got it, you’re really nagging,” Wen Yi said, rolling her eyes.

The two of them went into the private room, and the dishes started coming out. The two men seemed to be chatting happily. Xu Lang smiled and said, “I didn’t expect Little Qin to be a university professor, he’s really impressive.”

Wen Hongyu proudly said, “The whole family of Little Qin is impressive. My grandson will be the same in the future.”

Wen Yi was speechless. He was boosting his own family’s image at her expense. She cleared her throat and asked Xu Lang, “I heard from my mom that you have a daughter studying abroad?”

Xu Lang replied, “Yes, she’ll graduate this June and come back.”

“Does she know about you two…?” Wen Yi asked cautiously.

Wen Hongyu and Xu Lang exchanged a glance, and after a moment, Xu Lang said, “I haven’t told her yet. But her mother passed away early, so I think she won’t mind Hongyu.”

He continued, “Xiao Yi has an open personality. She’s always wanted an older sister. When she comes back, we can meet.”

Wen Yi didn’t want to be an older sister. If these two actually ended up together, it would be like two families merging. Wen Hongyu might even move into their house. She just didn’t want her mom to be mistreated.

But it was too early to be thinking about that. Wen Yi held back her thoughts, asking Xu Lang more questions about his family and career. The situation was similar to what Wen Hongyu had described.

Wen Yi was organizing her thoughts for the next question when Wen Hongyu shot her a look, “Can we eat now?”

Wen Yi silently rolled her eyes and gave in. She leaned her elbow out to get Qin Nanshan’s attention.

Qin Nanshan poured her a drink and gently said, “Let’s eat first.”