Chapter 131: A Worthy Son-in-Law

That evening, Pei Xiaoru personally cooked dinner for her parents, who had come from far away.

It should have been a time of family reunion, but both her father and mother could only force smiles, their hearts heavy with worry.

Pei Xiaoru’s mother couldn’t sit still at home and wanted to go out for some fresh air.

As soon as she stepped outside, she happened to run into the neighbor across the hall.

“Oh? Are you Pei Xiaoru’s mother? Hello, Auntie,” the girl from across the hall said with a smile the moment she saw her.

Pei Xiaoru’s mother quickly smiled and greeted her back.

The two of them went downstairs together and chatted along the way. Pei Xiaoru’s mother learned that this girl had already been Pei Xiaoru’s neighbor for more than half a year, and that the two of them were on quite good terms.

“By the way, why don’t you come eat dinner with us tonight? That way you won’t have to cook for yourself,” Pei Xiaoru’s mother invited.

“No, no, Auntie, I already have plans tonight,” the girl said shyly with a smile.

“With your boyfriend?” Pei Xiaoru’s mother smiled, then changed the subject. “By the way, Auntie wants to ask you something. Has any boy come over to Xiaoru’s place?”

The girl thought about it, shook her head, then suddenly seemed to remember something and hesitated a little.

“It’s fine. Auntie is reasonable. I’m just worried and want to understand the situation,” Pei Xiaoru’s mother said with a smile, doing her best to maintain the image of a calm mother.

“A while ago… I think there was a boy,” the girl said softly.

“What did he look like?” Pei Xiaoru’s mother’s heart tightened.

“He was very handsome. I think he stayed here overnight once, but only that one time. Other than that, I basically haven’t seen him again,” the girl answered honestly.

“Overnight?” Pei Xiaoru’s mother froze for a moment, then nodded and thanked her.

“Well then, Auntie, I’ll head off first,” the girl said cautiously after seeing the expression on Pei Xiaoru’s mother’s face.

“Yes, go ahead.” Pei Xiaoru’s mother quickly nodded.

After the girl left, Pei Xiaoru’s mother stood there for quite a while, her thoughts racing.

If he had already stayed the night here, then the two of them were most likely in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. To be honest, if his character was decent, then even if Xiaoru had lent him the money, she might not like it, but it would still be something she could accept.

What she feared was that the other person had bad intentions, that Pei Xiaoru had fallen for him and been deceived while still helping him count the money.

But what kind of proper boyfriend would accept his girlfriend emptying out her savings to help him? Subconsciously, she felt the man couldn’t be decent, but rather the kind who specialized in tricking girls.

“No, I have to find a way to get the money back,” Pei Xiaoru’s mother muttered to herself.

Her heart felt heavy as she returned to Pei Xiaoru’s place.

That night, the family of three sat down to dinner.

The dishes on the table had all been prepared by Pei Xiaoru herself, colorful, fragrant, and delicious. Normally, her parents would have praised her over and over, but tonight, neither of them said a word.

“So, he really is your boyfriend, right?” Pei Xiaoru’s mother suddenly asked while eating.

Pei Xiaoru had absolutely no mental preparation and instantly turned red with embarrassment.

How could she possibly tell the truth? If he really were her boyfriend, that would be one thing, but the problem was that from beginning to end, the most legitimate and presentable relationship she had with Zhang Yang was simply that they were classmates.

As for everything else, that kind of relationship was not something she could present openly.

But in her parents’ eyes, her silence was as good as an admission.

Just as the couple was sighing inwardly, suddenly-

“Mom, Dad.” Pei Xiaoru suddenly raised her head with courage. “You just want to meet him, don’t you?”

“That’s right.” Her mother forced a smile and deliberately avoided mentioning the money. “The man who took away the daughter I raised for over twenty years-shouldn’t I at least have a proper look at him so I can feel at ease?”

“Then if you really do meet him, you can’t bring up the money in front of him,” Pei Xiaoru added, still uneasy.

Pei Xiaoru’s mother tightly held her husband’s hand and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. We just genuinely want to meet him. Your father and I have already thought it over. If he really is a decent person, then fine-if the money was lent, then it was lent. We’re not some stubborn old-fashioned people.”

“Alright, then I’ll contact him and see,” Pei Xiaoru finally nodded.

At the same time, both her mother and father let out a long breath of relief.

Pei Xiaoru’s apartment had two rooms, though one of them sat unused.

Late at night, the couple slept in one room, while Pei Xiaoru was in the other. Deep into the night, each of them lay awake with their own thoughts.

“When we meet him, what do we say?” Pei Xiaoru’s mother whispered to her husband.

“What else is there to say? We make him return the money. In public, I don’t believe he’d have no sense of shame. How could he have the nerve to keep that money?” Pei Xiaoru’s father said without hesitation.

“Let’s wait until we meet him first. Don’t make things too awkward for Xiaoru,” her mother said thoughtfully. “We’ve both lived long enough to know what kind of person someone is the moment we see them. If he really is the sort with bad intentions, then there’s nothing more to discuss.”

“And what if he is a proper person?” Pei Xiaoru’s father couldn’t help asking. “That’s not just one or two yuan. Do we just let it go?”

“What else can we do? Your daughter’s heart is already with him. This is simply the best of bad options. Enough now. We’ll talk about it after we meet him,” Pei Xiaoru’s mother said firmly, making the final decision.

“Oh, and lower your voice. Don’t let Xiaoru hear.”

“Fine, I know. Alright, we’ll do it your way. But I’m telling you, what decent person could that boy possibly be? Just wait and see tomorrow,” Pei Xiaoru’s father snorted.

Next door, Pei Xiaoru wasn’t asleep either.

She had just finished showering and was lying on the bed in her sleepwear, her long hair spread over the pillow, chatting with Zhang Yang.

“There’s… something I want to ask your opinion about,” she sent hesitantly.

“What is it? Go ahead and ask,” Zhang Yang replied.

“My parents just happened to come to Shanghai, and they seem to know about you. Would it be convenient for you to meet them? Don’t worry, just think of it as putting on an act so they can feel reassured and go back,” Pei Xiaoru sent nervously.

“Sure,” Zhang Yang replied directly.

The moment she saw his reply, Pei Xiaoru’s brows and eyes curved into a smile, and she became especially happy.

Even if this was only, in her words, putting on an act.

She arranged a meeting place with Zhang Yang, and that night she slept extremely soundly.

On the other side, after receiving Pei Xiaoru’s message, Zhang Yang already had a plan in mind.

Once one lie had been told, it needed countless more lies to patch it up. He was, after all, a rich man-would he really use this kind of lie to deceive a girl? Didn’t his face burn?

He decided to just tell the truth directly.

As for exactly how to explain it, he would deal with that depending on the situation.

After all, because of Pei Xiaoru’s 880,000 yuan, he had received a full 88 million in cashback from the system.

He had already prepared a generous gift for Pei Xiaoru.

In a way, it was partly repayment and partly a small form of compensation.

The next morning, Zhang Yang woke up in the master bedroom of COFCO Haijing No. 1. As usual, he greeted the morning light, stood by the river breeze from the Huangpu for a while, then went to take a proper shower.

Standing in front of the mirror, as always, he was faced with the male lead’s face-handsome to the bone-and a flawless physique.

Before leaving, he put on all the usual accessories: his watch, custom-tailored clothes, and then took his Cullinan key and headed straight out.

Outside a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant, Zhang Yang got out of the car and walked straight inside.

On his phone, he had just received the table number from Pei Xiaoru.

He had actually wanted to arrive earlier, but Pei Xiaoru and her parents had gotten there first.

Inside the tea restaurant, a cool breeze drifted through.

At a glance, Zhang Yang spotted Pei Xiaoru sitting near the window, along with a middle-aged couple.

Those two must be Pei Xiaoru’s parents.

Without hesitation, he walked straight over.

“Hello, Uncle and Auntie. Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Zhang Yang greeted them while taking a seat beside Pei Xiaoru.

“You’re here.” The moment Pei Xiaoru looked up, her face lit with joy. She immediately hooked her arm tightly around Zhang Yang’s and said, “Mom, Dad, this is Zhang Yang.”

Across from them, Pei Xiaoru’s parents were both a little stunned.

Actually, they had caught a distant glimpse of him yesterday, but since it was from afar, they hadn’t seen him clearly.

But now, seeing him up close-his looks, his presence-he was extraordinary.

A person’s appearance reflected their inner nature. Looking at the young man before them, they couldn’t help doubting themselves. Could someone like this really be the sort with bad intentions?

“Hello, young man,” Pei Xiaoru’s father said, nodding solemnly.

A good first impression was one thing, but this boy had borrowed over 800,000 yuan from their family. Every question, every challenge they had prepared still had to be asked.

“Have you two eaten breakfast, Uncle and Auntie?” Zhang Yang asked casually.

“We already ate,” Pei Xiaoru said with a smile. “Just something to drink is fine. I already ordered.”

“Alright then.” Zhang Yang closed the menu.

Pei Xiaoru’s father gathered his thoughts and said, “Young man, actually, the main reason we came to Shanghai this time was because of you.”

Pei Xiaoru’s face immediately became tense.

“Dad, Mom, didn’t we agree already?”

“You stay out of this.” Her mother shot her a look.

Now that they had met him in person, they had their own plans for what came next. It was no longer up to Pei Xiaoru to decide.

“It’s alright, Uncle and Auntie. Please go ahead,” Zhang Yang said with a smile, tightening his hold on Pei Xiaoru’s hand.

“A few days ago, Pei Xiaoru went back home and directly took the money we had prepared for buying a house… We…” Pei Xiaoru’s father had just worked up his emotions and was about to start confronting him.

“Uncle,” Zhang Yang interrupted without hesitation. “I was only joking around with Xiaoru. Xiaoru, when you said you were planning to buy a house back home, I took it upon myself to have a look for you.”

Pei Xiaoru’s father and mother stared at him blankly, unable to react for a moment, not understanding what Zhang Yang was trying to say.

Pei Xiaoru didn’t know either.

Her hand was still held in Zhang Yang’s, and she simply blinked at him with wide eyes.

“I looked around, and the houses in your Yunlong District seemed quite good. I thought if we were buying, we might as well buy something larger, so I added a few million to give Uncle and Auntie more room to choose,” Zhang Yang said as he pointed at the phone.

Pei Xiaoru stared blankly at the screen.

Just moments ago, she had received a bank notification that 5 million yuan had been transferred into her account.

Then she was completely stunned. In a daze, she slid the bank notification across the table toward her parents.

“T-this is…” Pei Xiaoru’s father and mother widened their eyes, their hearts pounding violently. Every word they had prepared, every accusation, every question-they all collapsed at this moment.

Pei Xiaoru’s father stared almost petrified at the transfer notification, then slowly raised his head to look at the handsome young man before him, feeling the aura of wealth and status radiating from him.

Still in a daze, he suddenly stood up.

“My worthy son-in-law, this… this…”

“Hey! Uncle, please sit.” Zhang Yang leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Don’t be so formal.”

Pei Xiaoru’s mother was also stunned. She clutched her husband tightly and couldn’t say a single word.

All the prepared words, the worries hidden in her heart, the pressure that had built up for so long-at this moment, they all vanished in an instant, as if it had all been a dream.

“Zhang Yang, what are you doing?” Only Pei Xiaoru stared at Zhang Yang blankly, hesitating to speak.

Zhang Yang met her gaze and gently patted the back of her hand.

He knew some things would need to be explained to Pei Xiaoru privately.

“Uncle, Auntie, let’s have lunch together later. By the way, I have something to say to Xiaoru alone.” Zhang Yang said with a smile. “Xiaoru, how about we go out for a walk?”

Pei Xiaoru nodded blankly.

“You two go ahead and walk around. We’ll find something to eat ourselves at noon,” Pei Xiaoru’s father said with a wave of his hand, his face full of smiles.

A moment later, outside the tea restaurant.

Zhang Yang had Pei Xiaoru sit in the front passenger seat of the Cullinan and turned back to greet her parents.

“Alright, alright, take care, worthy son-in-law,” Pei Xiaoru’s father and mother said repeatedly as they looked at the Cullinan in front of them, smiling from ear to ear.

Zhang Yang nodded, got into the Cullinan, and drove away.

Along the way, Pei Xiaoru remained silent the entire time, looking as if her soul had left her body, sitting there in a daze.

Zhang Yang glanced at her but didn’t say anything. He drove straight to a quiet place, got out of the car, and pulled Pei Xiaoru out of the passenger seat.

Pei Xiaoru let him pull her along.

“Where’s your soul?” Zhang Yang waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Pei Xiaoru snapped back to her senses and looked straight at Zhang Yang.

“That house of mine… I don’t need to sell it anymore.” Zhang Yang smiled and casually took her hand.

“Not selling it anymore?” Pei Xiaoru murmured to herself. “So actually, you were never short of money? And there was never any family bankruptcy at all?”

“Selling the house was just to get some cash. I never said I was bankrupt,” Zhang Yang said while looking at her. “As for everything that happened afterward… just treat it as me joking with you. But you can’t blame me entirely. You were the one who first said I was bankrupt, and I just went along with it.”

“A joke?” Pei Xiaoru pressed her lips together, her chest rising slightly. “You were clearly testing me.”

“Testing you for what?” Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

“Testing whether I’m someone who chases money, whether I’m the kind of woman who’s materialistic.” Pei Xiaoru finally recovered and said angrily. “Zhang Yang, you went too far.”

Zhang Yang looked at Pei Xiaoru and knew she wasn’t truly angry.

She was just putting on a show for him.

“Why would I test you?” Zhang Yang smiled and pulled Pei Xiaoru into his arms. “You were the one who took the initiative to lend me money. I was actually planning to tell you the truth, but what can I say? Since you had such good intentions, if I had rejected it, that would’ve been too ungracious.”

“Really?” Pei Xiaoru stared at Zhang Yang and asked after taking a deep breath.

“Of course it’s true,” Zhang Yang replied firmly without the slightest hesitation.

Pei Xiaoru lifted her face, and her eyes suddenly softened like water.

“So you accepted everything, and then took advantage of today’s opportunity to give me a surprise?”

“Of course. You know me, I’ve always-” Zhang Yang had just started to say something when he suddenly felt a soft warmth on his lips, and a sweet fragrance rushed toward him.

“Now I’m starting to fall in love with you,” Pei Xiaoru whispered softly in his ear.