Before Chen Ru could respond, Wen Dongrong jumped in:
“Of course, it’s fine to invite friends over, but Li Mengjiao’s still filming in Shanghai. Wouldn’t it be better to have friends over after the New Year? This year, your mum and I want to bring your grandma and the others here. Your aunt’s family is in the same neighborhood, so it’ll be lively with everyone together!”
He’d mentioned this before Wen Ying returned, but Chen Ru hadn’t agreed yet.
Saying it in front of Wen Ying made it harder for Chen Ru to object.
Plus, Wen Dongrong figured, since he’d kept quiet about “Black-Hearted Cotton” and Xie Qian returning on the same flight, shouldn’t she owe him one?
In a rare moment of father-daughter sync, Wen Ying caught his signal and was speechless: *Pretending to be clueless the whole way wasn’t enough? Old Wen’s no good at much, but he’s a pro at these little tricks!*
She played along, “With so many people for the New Year, who’s cooking? Won’t it tire Mum out?”
Wen Dongrong shot Black-Hearted Cotton a look, “As if you can cook. It won’t tire your mum. I’ll order two tables of New Year’s dinner delivered, and the restaurant will send someone to clean up afterward!”
Old Wen was feeling cocky.
His year-end bonus had eased his financial strain… at least after handing most of it over, he had enough left to cover two tables of dinner!
No cooking, no dishwashing, just lively fun without the hassle. Sure enough, Chen Ru only glanced at Wen Dongrong, not objecting.
More relatives meant more festivity, and the New Year needed that. Chen Ru didn’t mind a big family gathering, especially since Wen Dongrong no longer played favorites and included Chen Li’s family in his plans.
—*That’s some progress for the dog-man, at least!*
Wen Ying agreed.
Before the New Year, her friends couldn’t gather—Li Mengjiao and Wang Shuang were in Shanghai, and Xie Qian might not make it back to Chengdu. Post-holiday was better.
Had Xie Qian reached home yet?
Was he packing again for Beijing?
Every time Xie Qian went to Beijing, Wen Ying couldn’t help worrying.
She knew he was clever, capable of handling anything, so why the unease?
It wasn’t her fault.
Blame Xie Jinghu’s sleaziness and his high-maintenance mistress abroad. That shameless pair naturally made her worry Xie Qian couldn’t cope!
Wen Ying thought about the *Nine Cauldrons* series. With Old Fu’s help, she’d gathered some materials and should start writing.
Xie Qian had his battlefield; she had hers.
Only by excelling could she support him in the future!
…
Zou Weijun never mentioned the Xie family but didn’t stop Xie Qian from returning to Beijing. She, however, would never go back. The Xie family cared for her, but their concern felt like pity to Zou Weijun, a reminder of her marital misfortune.
She craved normal treatment.
Pity was a repeated stab at her dignity, highlighting her failures.
While Xie Qian packed, Zou Weijun came upstairs, “No need to rush back to Chengdu. Stay in Beijing for the New Year if you want.”
Last year, Xie Qian had juggled both cities, rushing back to Chengdu to be with her.
This year, she didn’t want him so exhausted. She planned to spend the holiday with her family.
Since marrying, aside from the first couple of years, she’d spent nearly every Spring Festival with her in-laws. Thinking back to her carefree pre-marriage days, Zou Weijun missed them.
One can’t wait too long to care for parents. Xie Qian’s grandfather, Professor Zou, had passed, but his grandmother was still alive. She’d stayed in Chengdu for treatment in the summer of ’04, then was sent to Hainan when Xie Qian started school. This year, Zou Weijun wanted to spend the holiday with her mother in Hainan.
Xie Qian nodded, “After the New Year, I’ll visit Grandma too.”
Zou Weijun smiled, “Good. She’s always talking about you.”
Living apart from Xie Jinghu, the Zou family knew her marriage was troubled but kept it from her mother for her health.
Xie Qian suspected his grandmother knew.
What son-in-law never visits his mother-in-law during holidays?
But she never said anything.
Everyone was protecting his mother.
When would his mother take up arms to protect herself?
Xie Qian hoped that day would come soon!
In Beijing, he avoided Xie Jinghu, heading straight to his uncle Xie Yuping’s home. Xie Tang had arrived two hours earlier.
At dinner, Xie Tang mentioned wanting to continue her studies.
Her mother, Hou Zhixiu, was baffled by her choice to study in Shanghai, “People aim high, water flows low. If you don’t want to do grad school, fine, but if you do, why settle for less when you can aim for the best?”
Skipping Beijing’s top universities, Xie Tang had other options. Studying abroad at a world-class university was within her reach—why not go for it?
Hou Zhixiu had long suspected her daughter’s motives for staying in Shanghai. In a heated moment, she blurted, “Xie Tang, do you have a boyfriend in Shanghai?”
Xie Tang denied it outright.
She *had* a boyfriend, but they’d broken up, so no boyfriend now—no lie there!
Staying in Shanghai for grad school wasn’t about Yan Yuchuan, so she was confident.
Hou Zhixiu wasn’t fully convinced and turned to Xie Qian, “Is she really not dating someone in Shanghai? Don’t cover for her. Your cousin’s almost done with college. Your uncle and I won’t oppose her dating, but if she’s seeing someone, we should at least know what kind of guy he is!”
Raising a daughter was exhausting.
Worrying about early romance.
Worrying she’d never date.
Worrying she’d date the wrong guy!
Xie Qian sided with Xie Tang, “If Sister Tang says no, then there’s no one. Don’t you trust her? If she had a good match, she’d bring him home.”
No one brought home meant no good match—like Yan Yuchuan.
Hou Zhixiu scanned the siblings.
She sensed they were hiding something, but their lips were sealed, and she couldn’t pry.
Xie Yuping was more open-minded about Xie Tang’s grad school plans.
It was her life; she should choose.
“She’s not a kid anymore. Can you plan her whole life?”
Times had changed. The old ways didn’t work. Graduates hadn’t been assigned jobs by the state for a decade—how could parents control everything?
Hou Zhixiu shot Xie Yuping a mild glare.
Let the father spoil her!
Wait till some unreliable guy tricks her, then he’d be the one glaring at the future son-in-law?
Too late then!
At dinner, Xie Yuping asked about Xie Qian’s logistics company in Shanghai. Instead of mentioning the demolition, Xie Qian brought up wanting to take over a film company.
The logistics company wasn’t even fully established, and now a film company?
Xie Yuping was surprised. This wasn’t like Xie Qian.
The kid was too hasty.
Haste led to mistakes.
Xie Yuping suspected Xie Jinghu had done something to provoke him!
“Come to the study. Let’s talk.”
