Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
âMom, weâre already at the hotel. Why are you still looking so upset?â
Chen Teng asked worriedly.
Since the morning, Fu Jinglanâs attitude had remained unchanged.
Now that both families were about to meet, it would be impolite if she continued like this.
âI told you a long time ago that I donât agree with your relationship. Why do you think Iâm upset?â
âBut the thing is, Xin Yuâs situation isnât bad,â Chen Teng argued.
âShe has a decent appearance, works in finance at a pharmaceutical company, and even plans to take the civil service exam. Whatâs wrong with that?â
âItâs not her appearance thatâs the issue, itâs her family!â Fu Jinglan responded sternly.
âThey come from a third-tier city and donât have much money. I canât agree to you marrying someone from such a background.â
Fu Jinglanâs attitude remained firm, showing no signs of relenting.
âThis is a different era. You canât keep looking at things with old-fashioned ideas,â Chen Teng insisted.
âThis isnât about superstition; itâs about the fact that people from families with such different financial backgrounds arenât compatible,â Fu Jinglan said, growing more agitated.
âI introduced you to someone whose father is a director-level official, someone who is a better match for our family, and you turned her down behind my back! I donât even know what to say to you!â
âBut we really werenât suitable,â Chen Teng countered.
âThat woman seemed like trouble. It would have been a waste of time to get involved with someone like her.â
âAnd how can you tell she wasnât decent? You barely know her!â Fu Jinglan retorted.
âIn any case, I wonât approve of you and Xin Yu.â
Chen Tengâs expression darkened. He had hoped that by the time they arrived at the hotel, his motherâs attitude might soften, but it was clear that wasnât happening.
âSis, why donât you say something? Give some advice.â
Chen Teng asked, turning to his sister, Chen Ya.
âI havenât said anything, but even if I were to give my opinion, I still wouldnât agree with this relationship. After all, our Chen family is well-established. What kind of a match is it to marry a bumpkin?â
Chen Yaâs way of speaking was even sharper than her motherâs. In a way, she had surpassed her teacher.
âBut her cousin seems quite wealthy. You canât look down on them just because of that.â
âHer cousin being rich has nothing to do with her family,â Chen Ya said.
âYour girlfriend is still just an ordinary person. If you marry her, our family will definitely be dragged down.â
Bang!
Hearing the mother and daughter echoing each other, Chen Teng slammed the table in anger. âIf I had known that you two would still have this attitude after coming here, I wouldnât have arranged this meal at all!â
âWhat are you doing?â
âI wonât be eating anymore!â
âIâm going to call them right now and tell them not to come.â
Chen Teng had realized that if his mother and sister kept this attitude, there was no point in having this meal. It would only make things worse, so it was better to cancel it altogether.
The only regret was that his father was busy with work and whether he could make it was still uncertain; otherwise, the situation might be better.
âSit down!â
Seeing her son getting angry, Fu Jinglan said, âSo youâve grown wings and donât listen to us anymore, is that it?â
âThis has nothing to do with me. With your attitude, how are we supposed to eat? Weâre planning on getting married, and you two shouldnât ruin it.â
âFine, if you leave now, we wonât care about your wedding in the future. Youâll have to figure out the house and car on your own!â
âFine, I donât believe I canât live without this family!â
It had to be said, Chen Teng had quite a temper.
âAre you trying to give me a heart attack?â
Fu Jinglan was so angry she sat down in her chair, her chest heaving as she struggled to find words.
âAlright, we were just expressing our thoughts, werenât we? Weâre only trying to look out for you.â
Chen Ya, who had been watching coldly, softened her stance a little.
After living together for almost thirty years, she naturally understood her brotherâs temper.
Running away from home and cutting ties with the family were things he was genuinely capable of.
âBut with your attitude, I really donât see how youâre looking out for me.â
âThen letâs meet and see. But let me make this clear: if their conditions are acceptable, Iâll reluctantly stay out of it,â Fu Jinglan said.
âBut if theyâre not, even if you cut ties with us, I wonât agree.â
Having said this, Fu Jinglan had no other options left.
For so many years, the family had invested everything in Chen Teng. If they really had a falling out, it would be a laughingstock if word got out.
But she had also made up her mind: if even this approach didnât make her son give up, then she would make the girl retreat in the face of difficulty.
Hearing this, Chen Tengâs expression softened a bit.
âThereâs no problem with that. Xin Yu is excellent; youâll see when you meet her.â
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
At this moment, Chen Tengâs phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Zhou Xinyu.
âMom, sis, theyâve arrived. Theyâre downstairs.â
âIâve never seen your girlfriend before. Let me take a look first.â
Chen Ya walked to the window, looked down from the third-floor window, and saw a car door open from an Audi A4. Lin Yi and Yan Ci got out of the car and walked inside.
âSis, the one in the blue dress is your future sister-in-law,â Chen Teng said with a smile.
âWhy is she involved in this?â
Chen Yaâs attention wasnât on Zhou Xinyu at all. She was focused on Yan Ci.
âSis, what are you talking about?â
âYou mentioned your girlfriend had a cousin. Is it the one in blue jeans?â Chen Ya pointed at Yan Ci.
âYeah, why? Do you know her?â
âWeâre old rivals,â Chen Ya said.
âRivals?â
Chen Ya nodded, her tone indifferent. âWeâre both in the entertainment industry. She released a movie earlier this year that did quite well at the box office.â
âThatâs pretty impressive,â Chen Teng said.
âBut I heard her boyfriend is even wealthier than she is.â
âHeâs just a pretty boy. How could he have money? Youâre overthinking it.â
âSis, youâre wrong about that,â Chen Teng said.
âWhen we first met, I thought he was just a pretty boy too, but did you know? He lives in Jiuzhou Pavilion. A single apartment there costs over a billion yuan. Can an ordinary person afford that kind of place?â
âJiuzhou Pavilion!â
Hearing these three words, not only Chen Ya but even Fu Jinglan was surprised.
The Chen family had some clout in Zhonghai, so they naturally knew about Jiuzhou Pavilion.
But they never expected that man to live there.
âThat canât be right. Even though Yan Ci is doing well, do you really think someone who can afford Jiuzhou Pavilion would be interested in her?â