bookrandom Chapter 881 Mom and Dad, We Are Back
Chapter 881 Mom and Dad, We Are Back
The next morning's light was like crushed gold foil, seeping in through the gaps in the hotel curtains and casting several thin strips of light on the carpet.
Yu Qianqian was still in a chaotic sleep when suddenly there was a soft knock on the door, not fast or slow, but enough to pull her out of her dream.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, sleepiness still hanging on her long eyelashes. She got out of bed barefoot, put on her slippers, stepped on the slightly cool floor, and dragged herself to the door.
Only when she saw the waiter's neat uniform reflected in the peephole did she let go and open the door.
"Good morning, Miss Yu," the waiter nodded slightly, his tone impeccably polite. "Mr. Deng is waiting for you in the restaurant on the first floor."
"Okay, thank you." Yu Qianqian's voice was still hoarse from just waking up. When she closed the door, her fingertips felt the coolness of the door panel, and she finally woke up - she was going home to see her parents today.
The hot water in the bathroom flowed for a while, and the mirror was covered with a layer of mist.
She patted her cheeks in the mirror, trying to suppress the anxiety in her eyes.
But when I thought about having dinner at the same table with Deng Zhouyi and Teng Zijing, and facing the scrutiny of my parents together, my heart couldn't help but beat faster.
I changed my clothes and walked out of the room. The carpet in the corridor absorbed the sound of my footsteps.
She walked to the elevator holding the room card. The sound of the jumping numbers was particularly clear in the quiet space.
Arriving at the restaurant on the first floor, the aroma of breakfast mixed with the richness of coffee hit me.
Well-dressed guests were scattered in various corners in groups of three or four, and the sound of knives and forks clinking and low conversations formed a lively background sound.
Yu Qianqian stood at the entrance, looking around, her eyes sweeping across the dining tables, wondering which way to go, when suddenly she heard a rustling sound of fabric rubbing against each other behind her.
She turned around and was stunned by the scene she saw - Deng Zhouyi and Teng Zijing had both changed into black sportswear.
His sleeves were casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms. Beads of sweat hung on his forehead.
He had obviously just come out of the gym, exuding an unadulterated, hot energy.
"Come down?" Deng Zhouyi's voice was deeper than usual, perhaps a little hoarse from the exercise. "Why are you just standing there? Why aren't you going to get something to eat?"
Yu Qianqian felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. She hurriedly turned to Teng Zijing and greeted him softly, "Good morning, Mr. Jing, and good morning, Assistant Deng."
"Assistant Deng?" Deng Zhouyi frowned slightly, coughed lightly, and spoke with a deliberately serious tone.
"Qianqian, call me Zhou Yi, or A Yi. Calling me 'Assistant Deng' might cause misunderstandings when we meet your parents later."
He paused, his gaze falling on her slightly drooping eyelashes, "We're meeting the parents now... We can't be so distant, right?"
Yu Qianqian's eyes suddenly turned red. It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything, but the moment he mentioned his parents, the fear she couldn't hide welled up in her heart.
He is a man who can call the shots in Fengteng International. He is used to big scenes with Jing Ye.
But she is just an editor in an ordinary small advertising company. The gap between them is more than just one of status.
Just like the clouds in the sky and the grass on the ground, they don't look like a couple that can be together.
Her voice was as low as a mosquito's hum, almost drowned out by the background noise of the restaurant:
"If...if President Jiang hadn't shown up that day, would you...not have taken responsibility for me at all?"
As soon as these words came out, the air was silent for a few seconds.
Teng Zijing was at the front desk, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a tissue. He looked up at the two of them.
His tone was calm but carried an undeniable calmness: "This is the exit, people are coming and going. Go get some food first, then sit down and talk."
Deng Zhouyi didn't respond, but turned and walked to the dining table, took out a white porcelain plate and handed it over.
His fingertips carelessly brushed the back of her hand, bringing with them the warmth from exercise. "I don't know what you like to eat. Can you choose it yourself?"
Yu Qianqian took the plate, her fingertips trembling slightly as she nodded. The three of them each took their food and sat down in the far corner of the restaurant.
There wasn't much on the plate in front of Yu Qianqian, just a boiled egg, half a corn, and a small meat bun.
There was also a small bowl of red bean and eight-treasure porridge. She lowered her head and gently stirred the porridge with a spoon.
She didn't dare look at Teng Zijing's expressionless face - she always felt that his gaze and aura were like the weight of ice, making it extremely difficult for her to breathe.
"Is this enough to eat?" Deng Zhouyi's voice rang out from the other side. He looked at her and saw that she was almost not ready to eat.
She said with special concern: "We still have to sit in the car for a while on the way home, we can't go home hungry."
Yu Qianqian nodded, still not looking up.
Deng Zhouyi put down his fork and was silent for a moment, as if he was considering his words:
"I know that I, Deng Zhouyi, have been following Mr. Jing in business for many years and have a bad reputation. But that doesn't mean I'm not loyal."
His voice was deep, with a rare frankness, "But playing along is one thing, and the attitude towards people and things is another.
Many times, disguises are necessary in the business world, but it is only to achieve the goals of a business project that some trickery is normal."
Seeing that Yu Qianqian still didn't move her chopsticks, he simply picked up the boiled egg on her plate and peeled the eggshell with his fingertips.
He carefully tore off the thin film on the egg white, revealing the smooth egg body.
He put the peeled eggs back on her plate and pushed it forward: "Eat quickly. After eating, let's go to the mall and buy something for your parents. It's our first time visiting, so we can't go empty-handed."
Teng Zijing drank his porridge slowly and leisurely, his spoon making a soft sound as it touched the edge of the bowl. He did not interrupt the whole time.
But he didn't show any impatience. His cool expression and slow chewing created an inexplicable harmony.
Yu Qianqian tightened her grip on the chopsticks, and when she heard the words "buy things for mom and dad", the tension in her heart seemed to loosen a little.
She raised her head and glanced at Deng Zhouyi quickly, and saw that he was looking at her.
There was no longer the aloofness of the past in his eyes, but instead there was a subtle gentleness.
She pursed her lips, finally lowered her head, and began to eat in small bites.
The sweet and sticky taste of the eight-treasure porridge spread on the tip of her tongue, mixed with a little bit of the granularity of red beans, making her feel that this breakfast didn't seem so difficult to swallow.
Before the heat from breakfast had dissipated, the business car arranged by the hotel was already waiting at the door.
The black car body glowed calmly in the morning light. When the driver saw the three people coming out, he immediately stepped forward and opened the car door.
The largest shopping mall in the city had just opened, and the marble floor reflected the glass light from the dome, making it a little dazzling.
Deng Zhouyi walked in front with a leisurely pace, his eyes swept over the dazzling array of shops, and went straight to the tobacco and alcohol counter.
"These two are limited editions this year, I think uncle will like them." He pointed at the wine and Zhonghua on the counter.
The tone was as familiar as if he was selecting daily necessities, and then he turned to the tea area.
"Two boxes each of Mingqian Longjing and Pu'er, with elegant packaging."
Yu Qianqian followed behind, looking at the number on the price tag and was secretly shocked - that bottle of wine alone was worth half a month's salary for her.
She wanted to pull his sleeve to say something, but he had already turned to the health supplement section, his fingertips tracing over the beautifully packaged gift boxes:
"A set of calcium, iron, zinc and selenium, and two boxes of bird's nest, it's just right for Auntie at her age."
When we walked to the skin care products counter, the salesperson was about to start introducing the products when Deng Zhouyi listed several brands:
"I want these moisturizing lotion and lotion sets, plus an eye cream."
He turned his head to face Yu Qianqian and lowered his voice, "Auntie, this brand should be suitable for you, what do you think?"
Yu Qianqian opened her mouth and wanted to say "It's too expensive", but was stopped by the seriousness in his eyes.
Teng Zijing stood by with his arms folded, occasionally glancing at the shelves, like a bystander who had nothing to do with the matter. However, when the shopping guide was packing,
He calmly added two boxes of imported chocolate to the shopping cart - that was the brand that Yu Qianqian had just taken a closer look at.
This big brother is really careful enough! When checking out, the POS machine "beeped" and swiped over 60,000 yuan, and Yu Qianqian's heart trembled.
When she walked out of the mall, she was carrying a few light paper bags, but they felt heavier than carrying stones.
"This is too extravagant," she finally couldn't help but speak, her voice filled with anxiety, "My parents are just ordinary workers, how could they afford to use these..."
Deng Zhouyi took the bag from her hand and handed it to the driver, then turned around and looked at her straight in the eyes:
"It's my first time meeting my uncle and aunt, so I can't look too shabby. Besides, my brother is not short of money."
Teng Zijing's mouth curled up, and he was in a very good mood to be recognized by his brother Deng Zhouyi.
Deng Zhouyi paused, and gently touched her arm with his fingertips. His tone was unfamiliar, but it was filled with soothing confidence.
"These are just a small token of my appreciation. The price has nothing to do with it. Don't overthink it, and don't feel pressured."
Teng Zijing had already gotten into the car and was now leaning back in the back seat with his eyes closed. He didn't even raise his eyelids when he heard this, and simply said, "Let's go. Don't waste time."
The driver stacked the gifts neatly in the trunk. When he opened the door, the morning light slanted in through the window and fell on Yu Qianqian's slightly flushed face.
The car drove smoothly out of the mall and headed towards Yu Qianqian's hometown. The street scene outside the window gradually changed from bustling to familiar city life.
Yu Qianqian looked at the low residential buildings, her heart beating like a frantic deer - she had no idea what kind of waves these expensive gifts would bring to this meeting.
When the car drove into the village, the speed was so slow that it seemed to be strolling. The country road was not wide, barely enough for one car to pass.
There was still last night's dew on the ridges of the fields by the roadside, reflecting the morning light and shining finely.
The road was either a muddy dirt road or a path paved with bluestone slabs. The wheels rolled over the cracks in the slabs.
There was a soft "clunk, clunk" sound, which startled the chickens at the foot of the wall and made them flap their wings and hide away.
The driver parked the car under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village and turned around and said, "Mr. Deng, the road inside is too narrow and the car can't drive in."
Deng Zhouyi nodded, got out of the car first, turned around and opened the door for Yu Qianqian.
The driver took out several heavy gift boxes from the trunk. The red and gold packaging was particularly eye-catching in the simple village scenery.
Yu Qianqian looked at the gift boxes, her palms slightly sweaty. She walked in front and led the way, "Turn this way, it's not far."
The villagers had never seen such a scene before, and when they saw the gift boxes in the hands of the three people, they all started talking about it.
"Hey, isn't this Qianqian, the girl from Yu Shui's family?"
"Yeah! He graduated from college, did well in the big city, and came back to visit his parents!"
Suddenly someone shouted, "Hey Qianqian, you didn't come home for the New Year, so you're here to watch the lanterns during the Lantern Festival!"
"Hello, Second Auntie, let's have dinner at home tonight!"
Second Aunt responded, "Okay, I have something to do, so I'll go into town. See you tonight."
The village is like a maze, winding through several narrow alleys, with a few wintersweet branches sticking out from the top of the wall.
Some are red, some are pink and some are white. Petals fall on the bluestone slabs, adding a touch of poetic charm of the hidden fragrance of plum blossoms.
Finally, we arrived at the entrance of an inconspicuous alley, where there was a small courtyard hidden. The courtyard wall was made of yellow mud, and there were two quaint stone pillars at the door.
The yard was swept clean, even the weeds in the cracks between the bricks were pulled out. Smoke was rising from the kitchen chimney, mixed with the aroma of food.
"Dad, Mom, we're back!" Yu Qianqian shouted at the gate of the yard, with a hint of subtle excitement and nervousness in her voice.