Ding dong!
Pressing the doorbell next to the villa’s entrance, the housekeeper quickly opened the door grill for the trio.
They greeted the housekeeper with a warm smile before changing into slippers and entering the place.
“Ge Ge, Elder Sister-in-law, you guys are here.” Liu Yan, who was sitting in the living room, surprisingly welcomed them affectionately when they entered.
Pei Ge shivered on reflex at her warm reception of them.
“Something is definitely up if she’s this passionate in welcoming us,” Tang Xiaoyu muttered under her breath.
While she shared her friend’s opinion, she did not express it openly for fear of the latter taking cue from that to be more outspoken with her thoughts.
“Hm? This is…” Noticing Tang Xiaoyu, who was standing beside Pei Ge, Liu Yan asked in puzzlement.
“Oh, this is Ge Ge’s childhood best friend, Tang Xiaoyu. She was in the same school as Shishi,” Zhang Manhua explained. Seeing that Liu Yan could still not recall, she continued, “She’s the daughter of your elder brother’s college classmate, Mr. Tang.”
“Ah, I know! She is the daughter of Mr. Tang, the toy factory owner!” Liu Yan recalled who Tang Xiaoyu was at the mention of her father’s name.
She looked at Tang Xiaoyu and then affectionately gushed, “Aiya, Xiaoyu is getting progressively prettier by the day. Look at how beautiful she is!”
Liu Yan walked up to her as she continued, “Xiaoyu, didn’t your family emigrate to America? Why are you back in the country? Are your parents also coming back to set up their business operation here?”
Tang Xiaoyu was made speechless by Liu Yan’s impassioned look as she bombarded her with questions. Even the mother-daughter pair felt awkward and embarrassed by her display.
“Liu Yan, where are Ah Hui and Shishi?” Zhang Manhua quickly pulled Liu Yan to sit on the sofa.
“They are still at the office. Sigh… That pair of father and daughter seems to be working on a huge project, so they are barely at home.” While Liu Yan was stingy, practical, and petty, she was simple-minded in some ways.
Thus, when Zhang Manhua directed the topic to her husband and daughter, Liu Yan quickly forgot about Tang Xiaoyu’s presence and started to complain about her family to Zhang Manhua.
Pei Ge sighed in relief when Liu Yan stopped her overly affectionate treatment of Tang Xiaoyu.
She was just worried that her hot-tempered friend would erupt and say something without saving Liu Yan face.
Pei Ge grinned and joined in on Liu Yan and Zhang Manhua’s conversation shortly after thinking of this.
“I thought second uncle is treating guests today? Where are the other guests? Why does it seem that we are the only ones here?”
“Sigh, don’t bring it up anymore. We invited Zhuoyang’s family over today, but they have something on, so they couldn’t make it.” Liu Yan lightly sighed a little grudgingly.
Zhang Manhua and Pei Ge fell silent at this, not knowing how to react to her words.
Pei Ge and Zhou Zhuoyang were past lovers. Knowing that, they still invited her family over to join them for dinner when they were intending to share a meal with their future in-laws. What were they trying to achieve by doing this?
“Auntie, if I remember this correctly, Zhou Zhuoyang seems to be Pei Ge’s ex-boyfriend. Since it’s a dinner gathering between the two future in-laws, why did you invite her family over when you guys know very well how awkward it is going to be for Pei Ge’s family, given their past relationship with the Zhou family? What kind of vile motives do you guys have?” Tang Xiaoyu chuckled and gave Liu Yan a mocking look.
“Ugh…” Liu Yan’s face stiffened at her remark.
She then dryly laughed and continued softly, “Hur hur hur, it’s not a big issue, anyway.”
“Hng, of course, it’s not a big issue. It’s just a—” Before the word ‘jerk’ went past her lips, Pei Ge interrupted her.
“Alright, alright, Xiaoyu, stop it.” With an ugly expression, she lightly admonished.
Tang Xiaoyu glared at Liu Yan and then, after muttering something under her breath, fell silent.
“Ah Yan, why did you call us over if you guys have an appointment with your future in-laws? if we knew that you invited Zhou Zhuoyang’s parents over, we wouldn’t have come,” Zhang Manhua seriously asked, feeling slightly miffed.
Liu Yan was stunned for a moment by her admonition and then guiltily answered, “I was just thinking of having a family gathering.”
Family?
Pei Ge mirthlessly laughed inside. If Liu Yan were not her elder, she would really give it to her.
We are not ‘family’ with the Zhous; we are more like enemies. What ‘family’? How laughable!
Her gaze slowly shifted to her auntie’s face, and when she saw the hesitation and guilt on it, she became puzzled.
Why did they call us over if they have dinner engagement with Zhou Zhuoyang’s family?
Could it be cousin’s idea? Did she want to flaunt to me? There’s no need to do something like that, though. She should be under the impression that I’m in a relationship with Ji Ziming, so she shouldn’t have thought of inviting us over to do that.
Unless… She already knows that my relationship with him is fake!
Thinking of this, her forehead slowly scrunched up.
When she thought of this more, she found it highly likely for her cousin to know about her real relationship with the man – that they were not really dating.
“Auntie, did cousin tell you to invite us over for dinner?” she asked while gazing at her solemnly.
“Huh? Of course, not. It’s your second uncle who told me to do so,” she clarified.
Pei Ge had a gut feeling that something was not right.
“Alright, alright. We were wrong, alright? I’ll make sure not to invite you guys the next time we have Zhuoyang’s family over. Is that fine?” Her auntie readily promised upon noticing Pei Ge’s frown and Zhang Manhua’s sullen look.
Once she successfully placated the mother-daughter pair, she inwardly grumbled at her husband and daughter.
If they had not suggested inviting their relatives over for dinner, she would not have been complained at by this mother-daughter pair.
Really… That father and daughter are either rarely home or always having me do things! Zhuoyang’s family luckily canceled at the last minute, or I wouldn’t know how to keep everyone satisfied!
Ding dong!
Pressing the doorbell next to the villa’s entrance, the housekeeper quickly opened the door grill for the trio.
They greeted the housekeeper with a warm smile before changing into slippers and entering the place.
“Ge Ge, Elder Sister-in-law, you guys are here.” Liu Yan, who was sitting in the living room, surprisingly welcomed them affectionately when they entered.
Pei Ge shivered on reflex at her warm reception of them.
“Something is definitely up if she’s this passionate in welcoming us,” Tang Xiaoyu muttered under her breath.
While she shared her friend’s opinion, she did not express it openly for fear of the latter taking cue from that to be more outspoken with her thoughts.
“Hm? This is…” Noticing Tang Xiaoyu, who was standing beside Pei Ge, Liu Yan asked in puzzlement.
“Oh, this is Ge Ge’s childhood best friend, Tang Xiaoyu. She was in the same school as Shishi,” Zhang Manhua explained. Seeing that Liu Yan could still not recall, she continued, “She’s the daughter of your elder brother’s college classmate, Mr. Tang.”
“Ah, I know! She is the daughter of Mr. Tang, the toy factory owner!” Liu Yan recalled who Tang Xiaoyu was at the mention of her father’s name.
She looked at Tang Xiaoyu and then affectionately gushed, “Aiya, Xiaoyu is getting progressively prettier by the day. Look at how beautiful she is!”
Liu Yan walked up to her as she continued, “Xiaoyu, didn’t your family emigrate to America? Why are you back in the country? Are your parents also coming back to set up their business operation here?”
Tang Xiaoyu was made speechless by Liu Yan’s impassioned look as she bombarded her with questions. Even the mother-daughter pair felt awkward and embarrassed by her display.
“Liu Yan, where are Ah Hui and Shishi?” Zhang Manhua quickly pulled Liu Yan to sit on the sofa.
“They are still at the office. Sigh… That pair of father and daughter seems to be working on a huge project, so they are barely at home.” While Liu Yan was stingy, practical, and petty, she was simple-minded in some ways.
Thus, when Zhang Manhua directed the topic to her husband and daughter, Liu Yan quickly forgot about Tang Xiaoyu’s presence and started to complain about her family to Zhang Manhua.
Pei Ge sighed in relief when Liu Yan stopped her overly affectionate treatment of Tang Xiaoyu.
She was just worried that her hot-tempered friend would erupt and say something without saving Liu Yan face.
Pei Ge grinned and joined in on Liu Yan and Zhang Manhua’s conversation shortly after thinking of this.
“I thought second uncle is treating guests today? Where are the other guests? Why does it seem that we are the only ones here?”
“Sigh, don’t bring it up anymore. We invited Zhuoyang’s family over today, but they have something on, so they couldn’t make it.” Liu Yan lightly sighed a little grudgingly.
Zhang Manhua and Pei Ge fell silent at this, not knowing how to react to her words.
Pei Ge and Zhou Zhuoyang were past lovers. Knowing that, they still invited her family over to join them for dinner when they were intending to share a meal with their future in-laws. What were they trying to achieve by doing this?
“Auntie, if I remember this correctly, Zhou Zhuoyang seems to be Pei Ge’s ex-boyfriend. Since it’s a dinner gathering between the two future in-laws, why did you invite her family over when you guys know very well how awkward it is going to be for Pei Ge’s family, given their past relationship with the Zhou family? What kind of vile motives do you guys have?” Tang Xiaoyu chuckled and gave Liu Yan a mocking look.
“Ugh…” Liu Yan’s face stiffened at her remark.
She then dryly laughed and continued softly, “Hur hur hur, it’s not a big issue, anyway.”
“Hng, of course, it’s not a big issue. It’s just a—” Before the word ‘jerk’ went past her lips, Pei Ge interrupted her.
“Alright, alright, Xiaoyu, stop it.” With an ugly expression, she lightly admonished.
Tang Xiaoyu glared at Liu Yan and then, after muttering something under her breath, fell silent.
“Ah Yan, why did you call us over if you guys have an appointment with your future in-laws? if we knew that you invited Zhou Zhuoyang’s parents over, we wouldn’t have come,” Zhang Manhua seriously asked, feeling slightly miffed.
Liu Yan was stunned for a moment by her admonition and then guiltily answered, “I was just thinking of having a family gathering.”
Family?
Pei Ge mirthlessly laughed inside. If Liu Yan were not her elder, she would really give it to her.
We are not ‘family’ with the Zhous; we are more like enemies. What ‘family’? How laughable!
Her gaze slowly shifted to her auntie’s face, and when she saw the hesitation and guilt on it, she became puzzled.
Why did they call us over if they have dinner engagement with Zhou Zhuoyang’s family?
Could it be cousin’s idea? Did she want to flaunt to me? There’s no need to do something like that, though. She should be under the impression that I’m in a relationship with Ji Ziming, so she shouldn’t have thought of inviting us over to do that.
Unless… She already knows that my relationship with him is fake!
Thinking of this, her forehead slowly scrunched up.
When she thought of this more, she found it highly likely for her cousin to know about her real relationship with the man – that they were not really dating.
“Auntie, did cousin tell you to invite us over for dinner?” she asked while gazing at her solemnly.
“Huh? Of course, not. It’s your second uncle who told me to do so,” she clarified.
Pei Ge had a gut feeling that something was not right.
“Alright, alright. We were wrong, alright? I’ll make sure not to invite you guys the next time we have Zhuoyang’s family over. Is that fine?” Her auntie readily promised upon noticing Pei Ge’s frown and Zhang Manhua’s sullen look.
Once she successfully placated the mother-daughter pair, she inwardly grumbled at her husband and daughter.
If they had not suggested inviting their relatives over for dinner, she would not have been complained at by this mother-daughter pair.
Really… That father and daughter are either rarely home or always having me do things! Zhuoyang’s family luckily canceled at the last minute, or I wouldn’t know how to keep everyone satisfied!
