After all, that was the beginning of them.
She touched the soft, smooth petals. But since the flowers were so beautiful, Ye Qingli smiled and said, "Then I'll forgive you this time, but no next time, okay?"
"You're easy to please."
At that moment, Ye Yaohui returned from buying groceries, carrying two large bags. Ye Qingli took Xiao Yu's hand and said excitedly, "Dad, you're back! This is my boyfriend. He just arrived!"
His hand was held tightly in hers. Xiao Yu lifted the corners of his mouth. "Hello, Uncle. I'm Xiao Yu."
Ye Yaohui briefly looked the young man up and down, then glanced at the flowers in Ye Qingli's arms. He smiled and patted Xiao Yu's back in a friendly manner. "Hello, hello! So you're Xiao Yu! This girl never showed me a photo. Whenever I asked, she just said how handsome you were. Now I see—you really are a fine young man!"
Tall and slender, with excellent brow bone—he had passed the looks test for sure.
Xiao Yu maintained his smile, his brows lifting slightly. "Thank you for the compliment, Uncle, but I'm sure I still fall short compared to you."
"Fell short where?" Ye Yaohui rarely pressed for details. Even though he was asking Xiao Yu, Ye Qingli found herself nervously worrying for him.
What kind of question is that?
Secretly, his fingertips gently traced her anxious fingers as he answered calmly, "In the way of temperament, Uncle. Although you seem approachable with a kind smile, your brows reveal the maturity and steadiness a man should have. Compared to you, I appear particularly green..."
Ye Qingli frowned even deeper. Where did he learn these lines? They were so bizarre.
Xiao Yu continued speaking calmly on the surface, but inside he was so embarrassed he could have cringed into a ball. Where did Xu Qingsong find this script? Why did it feel more and more off?
Fortunately, this trick worked well on Ye Yaohui. He was so flattered he was almost beside himself. Zhang Luan watched from upstairs with her arms crossed and rolled her eyes. How did he manage to turn Ye Yaohui into a grinning fool right after meeting?
Sly—that was Zhang Luan's first impression of Xiao Yu.
Ye Yaohui was grinning from ear to ear. He raised a hand to signal Xiao Yu to stop. He had passed the smooth-talk test as well. Just as he was about to urge Xiao Yu upstairs, he glanced and noticed the gift boxes behind him.
"You, kid! Didn't I tell you not to buy anything?"
"Just a small token."
The pile of supplements Xiao Yu had bought looked expensive. Ye Yaohui thought about what his daughter had said about Xiao Yu and felt a pang of sympathy. How could this kid be so thoughtful? He had bought supplements, clearly having done his homework. Ye Yaohui sighed inwardly and asked how much he had spent.
Xiao Yu shook his head. "Not much, less than 1,500."
It wouldn't do to say too much; too little wouldn't sound genuine.
1,500 was about right.
But Ye Yaohui wasn't easily fooled. He had seen bird's nest boxes before; one box cost several hundred. Xiao Yu had bought several, and all these things together would easily exceed 2,000. But in the end, he chose not to expose him. He just helped carry the things to the elevator, reminding him along the way not to splurge next time.
"Okay, Uncle."
The three of them entered the elevator one after another. Ye Qingli carried the flowers and the groceries her dad had just bought, while the two men’s hands were full. Xiao Yu also had to drag his suitcase. Fortunately, there was no one else in the elevator, or they wouldn’t have been able to move—there wasn’t an inch of space left.
Xiao Yu kept his lips tightly pressed together during the elevator ride. After they got off, Ye Yaohui walked ahead, and Ye Qingli stayed close to Xiao Yu, whispering softly, "Don't be afraid. My mom and grandma are both easy to get along with. It's just that my grandma has trouble walking, so they didn't come down. Don't overthink it."
"Mm, I'm not afraid. Just a bit nervous meeting the parents for the first time." His tone was light.
Ye Qingli was good at picking out words and only hearing what she wanted. She knew it was his first time, but she still felt secretly happy. She blinked her curved lashes. "It's okay. I'll sit right next to you. When I stand, you stand. We'll stick together all the time."
"Then what about when you need to use the bathroom?"
"And when we sleep?" He leaned forward slightly, his lips moving as they almost touched her ear.
"My dad is still here. Watch yourself." Ye Qingli made a face at him, then blushed and shot him a glare.
Xiao Yu straightened up with a smile and stopped teasing. He couldn't upset her. What if the girl abandoned him later and left him to suffer alone?
Actually, his worries were not unfounded. Ye Yaohui pushed open the door and found the two of them still sitting on the sofa. They stood up when they saw them come in. Xiao Yu noticed that the old woman walked quite easily, not like someone with difficulty walking as Ye Qingli had described. He immediately understood that they were putting on a show for him. His eyes dimmed for a moment but quickly brightened again.
"Hello, Auntie. Hello, Grandma."