Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Even Chen Ming, who had always been calm and collected, was shocked by Bai Rong’s sudden question.

He slowly put down his chopsticks and pondered for a moment as Qin Shaotao and Bai Rong gazed at him expectantly.

He felt that it was too early to talk about marriage now.

He and Qin Qing had not even been in a relationship, and he was not officially dating Qin Qing. If he skipped this process and went straight into marriage, it would be unfair to Qin Qing.

Naturally, Chen Ming would not do that.

He wanted to complete this process before talking about marriage.

Hence, after thinking of an answer, Chen Ming said seriously, “Uncle, Aunty, Qing Qing and I are not ready to get married yet.”

After Chen Ming said this, Qin Shaotao and Bai Rong were both confused. They wanted to ask Chen Ming about his answer, but Chen Ming beat them to the punch.

“Uncle, Aunty, I want to start dating Qing Qing first to develop our relationship. When our relationship is strong enough, we will consider marriage.”

Qin Qing’s parents were moved by Chen Ming’s serious attitude.

If someone else had said this, they might not have believed it and would have taken this as a rejection. However, Chen Ming’s determined expression convinced them that he was serious about this matter, so they chose to believe him.

“Alright, that’s a good idea.” Bai Rong’s smile was bright.

“You young people can handle your own matters. Sigh, this is so sweet. I’m so envious.”

Her eyes were full of goodwill.

“I agree as well,” Qin Shaotao chimed in, “We should let the children decide on their own matters!”

Seeing that they were agreeable to this, Chen Ming heaved a sigh of relief.

Little did he know that while Chen Ming was talking to Qin Qing’s parents, Qin Qing’s eyes were filled with disappointment.

Qin Qing mistakenly thought that Chen Ming’s words just now were to stall for time to decline.

She felt that only Chen Ming’s “unwilling to get married” part was true. As for the rest, he was just putting on an act because he did not want to reject her on the spot.

Her parents did not know the truth, so they chose to believe it. However, she felt she knew the truth very clearly.

Even though she already knew that Chen Ming had come to see her parents because of a misunderstanding, she still felt uncomfortable when she heard that Chen Ming was unwilling to marry her.

Qin Qing recalled every little thing that had happened between her and Chen Ming. She did not know why her sweet daily life felt bitter when she thought about it.

She smiled bitterly, raised her glass, and drank the red wine in one gulp.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Qin Qing could not help but cough because she drank too fast.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ming and the others finally realized that something was wrong with Qin Qing.

Chen Ming quickly passed the delicate handkerchief to Qin Qing and patted her back considerately.

After a while, Qin Qing returned to normal.

She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

However, at this moment, Qin Shaotao and Bai Rong’s eyes were filled with emotions.

They had accurately captured the dejection and helplessness in Qin Qing’s eyes.

And it was this little bit of depression that made Qin Shaotao and Bai Rong sense that something was wrong. They could not help but start to suspect that something was amiss.

Why did Qin Qing feel so down when Chen Ming mentioned marriage?

Qin Qing’s abnormal behavior made them suspect that the relationship between Chen Ming and Qin Qing was not what they thought it was.

“Qing Qing, what’s wrong with you? When we were chatting just now, you were already acting strangely,” Bai Rong asked with concern.

Qin Shaotao chimed in, “I think Chen Ming’s right. You should nurture your feelings first. Based on my understanding of you, you wouldn’t be depressed over this. Could it be that your relationship isn’t what it seems?”

As it was only a suspicion, Qin Shaotao purposely left the rest of his sentence hanging. He wanted to wait for Chen Ming and Qin Qing to explain the situation.

Just as Qin Qing’s parents were about to start suspecting Chen Ming’s relationship with Qin Qing, Chen Ming quickly explained.

“Uncle, Aunty, you’ve misunderstood.”

Chen Ming still answered in an orderly manner, “Qing Qing and I just started our business together. I was so busy with work that I didn’t pay attention to our relationship.”

“Later on, because of my personality, I didn’t understand Qing Qing’s intentions. Now that I’ve thought about it, I feel that I owe her a lot. Maybe Qing Qing hasn’t gotten used to it yet, which is why she’s lost in thought.”

After saying that, Chen Ming held Qin Qing’s hand.

Sensing the touch on her hand, Qin Qing was stunned at first. Then, she suddenly felt her body stiffen. She was at a loss for what to do after realizing that this was her first intimate contact with Chen Ming.

After digesting Chen Ming’s words, Qin Qing was shocked and surprised.

She slowly calmed down and got used to being held.

On the other hand, Qin Shaotao and Bai Rong felt that Chen Ming’s explanation was reasonable and well-founded. They also believed that he was honest and was not trying to obscure anything.

They were completely relieved and had a particularly pleasant meal. Before they left, they even asked Qin Qing to bring Chen Ming home more often.

This time, Chen Ming had completely won over Qin Qing’s parents ‘hearts.

…

Chen Ming was still in charge of driving on the way home.

Qin Qing, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, felt uneasy.

She felt that everything that had happened just now was a little unreal, especially when Chen Ming took the initiative to hold her hand.

Qin Qing could not help but wonder if Chen Ming’s actions were an act in front of her parents or…

Something he felt from the bottom of his heart?

After that, Qin Qing felt that her thoughts were really chaotic. She took a deep breath and asked quietly, “Chen Ming, what you just said and did, does it mean what I think it does?”

As soon as Qin Qing finished speaking, she lowered her head unconsciously.

She somehow felt scared now.

This was the first time that she had expressed her feelings. Success or failure depended on this move.

Because she was afraid of the uncertain answer, Qin Qing’s eyes were filled with tears of excitement and fear. She wanted to force herself to hold back her tears, but for some reason, it was as if her tear glands had suddenly developed sentience, and she could not hold back her tears.

“Why are you crying?”

Chen Ming wanted to answer Qin Qing immediately, but when he saw her tears, he quickly parked the car by the roadside, took out a tissue, and carefully wiped her tears.

However, Qin Qing’s tears continued to flow, as if they could not be stopped.

Seeing this, Chen Ming knew that if he did not give Qin Qing a definite answer, she would not be able to stop crying.

Therefore, Chen Ming unbuckled his seat belt and looked at Qin Qing with a serious expression.

“Can you guess what it means?” Chen Ming deliberately laughed to liven up the atmosphere.

“Of course, it’s because I want to pursue you properly. I’ve made you feel so insecure. It seems that I have to work harder and try not to let you overthink things next time.”

“…”

Qin Qing even forgot to cry.

After a long silence, Qin Qing’s tears turned into laughter.

She hugged Chen Ming in excitement.

She had won the bet. She and Chen Ming were now a couple.

However, Qin Qing did not know that as long as she had decided to bet in the first place, Chen Ming would not let her lose.

The lights were on, and the neon lights on the street were flashing with various colors.

The road was filled with traffic and pedestrians were also hurrying home. Not far away, there were the sounds of small stall owners hawking their wares.

In this noisy environment, there was a pair of lovebirds.