“Wow, Chu Chu, your boyfriend’s pretty impressive,” Song Yumian quickly accepted it after her surprise. “Only a guy of that caliber can be worthy of our Meng General.”
Meng Chu asked, “So do you want to take the car or the high-speed rail?”
“Definitely the car. I have a standing ticket on the train.”
So Meng Chu accepted Cheng Jinyu’s arrangement.
The next day when she left, Cheng Jinyu looked refreshed and handsome, with none of the sickly look he’d had the previous two days.
“My illness is gone. So don’t worry—go home without a care,” he said quietly.
Only then did Meng Chu smile.
***
Just as Song Yumian had said, once the holiday started, everyone’s hearts were restless.
Meng Chu went straight to pick Song Yumian up from the hospital. Song had taken half a day off, and the two went home directly.
Song Yumian got in the car, intending to speak to Meng Chu, but held back because the driver was there.
Instead, Meng Chu’s phone started ringing nonstop.
Song Yumian: [It’s a business car, huh.]
Song Yumian: [This seat is so spacious and comfortable. Good thing I’m not standing on the train.]
Song Yumian: [My Chu Chu, I’m just riding along now.]
Song Yumian: [Can you ask your boyfriend if his driver can take us home every holiday?]
Song Yumian: [Never mind, once is enough. I’m not greedy.]
Meng Chu looked down at her phone’s beeping and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Maybe because the car was so comfortable, the two soon fell asleep.
When Meng Chu woke up and looked outside, the sky was already dimming, and the scenery along the highway was familiar.
Almost home.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Master Liu stopped in front of Song Yumian’s apartment complex.
Meng Chu often came to Song Yumian’s place, so she told Master Liu to stop by her building.
“Yumian, we’re here,” she called.
Song Yumian, half-asleep, slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked. “Already home?”
“Yes, at your place,” Meng Chu smiled.
Just then, the car door opened, and Meng Chu saw Song Yumian’s father nearby. She hurriedly greeted him, “Uncle Song.”
He took a few steps over. “Chu Chu, I heard Yumian came back in your car. Thank you so much.”
“No problem, Uncle,” Meng Chu smiled.
As they talked, Song Yumian’s mother arrived.
“Oh my, why do you look so sleepy?” she said, just as Song Yumian got out of the car, still groggy.
Yumian yawned. “I just woke up.”
“You watch yourself, and you watch Chu Chu,” Song Yumian’s mother scolded her playfully.
Song’s father quickly said, “Kids just got back; don’t nag.”
“Exactly,” Song Yumian muttered.
Song’s father added, “Don’t you dare say ‘Mom.’ She made a table full of dishes waiting for you.”
“Uncle, Auntie, I should get going,” Meng Chu greeted the three of them with a smile.
Song Yumian’s mother nodded. “Your mom must be waiting for you too. I won’t keep you today. When you have time, bring your mom over for a meal, okay?”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Meng Chu nodded lightly and said goodbye.
Then she got back in the car and left.
Sitting inside, Meng Chu looked through the window at the Song family.
Mr. Song was carrying a suitcase for Yumian, who was holding her mother’s arm.
An ordinary yet happy scene.
Meng Chu closed her eyes briefly, not wanting to think too much.
Master Liu drove according to the address Meng Chu gave and stopped at her apartment complex.
It wasn’t far from Song Yumian’s—only twenty minutes.
This time, Master Liu stopped right at her building.
Meng Chu got out and was about to get her luggage when she suddenly saw a familiar figure by the entrance.
“Mom,” she called out.
Sure enough, the person standing there turned at the sound.
Xu Qingying immediately came up to greet Meng Chu.
Meng Chu looked at her. “You wouldn’t have been waiting downstairs for me all along, would you?”
Xu Qingying denied it. “Of course not. I just came down for a walk.”
Meng Chu’s eyes glistened slightly, especially when she thought of her mother standing there, waiting so lonely.
She couldn’t help but recall the earlier scene of the Song family.
At least Song Yumian’s mother wasn’t alone.
“Mom, I miss you so much,” Meng Chu said, reaching out to hug Xu Qingying.
Xu Qingying was about to say something, but being hugged like this, she felt an indescribable emotion.
Chinese parents were always reserved and not good at expressing feelings, and Xu Qingying was no exception.
Including Meng Chu herself.
They were both introverted and reserved, making this the first time Meng Chu had expressed herself so openly.
“You’re all grown up, and you’re still spoiled with your mom,” Xu Qingying scolded lightly after a long moment.
But Meng Chu could tell from her tone that she wasn’t upset.
“Alright, go get your luggage, and don’t forget to thank the driver,” Xu Qingying said as she saw Master Liu standing nearby.
Meng Chu went to get her luggage. Unexpectedly, Master Liu took out a box of gifts from the trunk.
He said, “Meng General, these are all from Mr. Cheng. He said they must be delivered to your home.”
Meng Chu’s luggage was in the trunk, so she hadn’t seen these gifts.
“All these things?” Meng Chu was shocked.
Master Liu nodded and asked, “What floor do you live on? I can help you carry them up.”
Xu Qingying, still not understanding, asked, “What’s going on, Chu Chu?”
Meng Chu whispered, “All these have to be brought inside.”
Xu Qingying glanced and said, “So many things?”
Master Liu helped carry the gift boxes inside. Just as he was about to leave, he handed one box to Meng Chu. “This one, Mr. Cheng specially instructed to handle with care. He said it’s just for you.”
Meng Chu nodded and accepted it.
Xu Qingying still hadn’t figured out the situation and was just looking at the items laid out in the living room.
She couldn’t help but say, “How come you never had this many things when you came home before?”
“They weren’t bought by me,” Meng Chu said with pursed lips.
Xu Qingying looked at her. Suddenly, a faint blush appeared on Meng Chu’s face—it was her first time talking about this face-to-face.
This was very different from showing off on social media.
She softly said, “They were gifts from my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend?” Xu Qingying caught on. She was surprised. “He hasn’t even come, yet he bought so many things?”
“That’s too polite of him,” Xu Qingying said, her smile blossoming.
Seeing her so sincere, Meng Chu wanted to explain but suddenly felt it unnecessary.
“He really wanted to meet you. I just worried our time would be too short,” Meng Chu whispered.
Xu Qingying immediately said, “There’s no need to worry about time. As long as you feel right. Your mom is willing to meet him and thinks he’s very good, kind to you, and polite.”
After all, someone who sends a whole carload of gifts to their future mother-in-law without even meeting her must be quite likable.
Meng Chu realized that Cheng Jinyu really had his ways.
Though he came off as cold and distant, hard to approach,
if he wanted, he could easily win someone’s favor,
even if they hadn’t met him.
“What’s that in your hand?” Xu Qingying asked, looking at the box Meng Chu held.
Meng Chu didn’t open it, so Xu Qingying reached out and opened it.
Inside was a silk lining, and in the center lay a perfectly round, translucent jade bangle.
Though Meng Chu knew nothing about jade, she could still feel the smooth warmth of the piece.
“This was from your boyfriend too?” Xu Qingying asked.
Meng Chu hesitated but nodded, “I think so.”
“Mom, I’m going to make a call,” Xu Qingying said.
Meng Chu nodded.
She walked to the window in the living room and called Cheng Jinyu.
When he answered, he asked, “Are you home?”
“Yeah. Why did you prepare so many things for me?” Meng Chu said softly.
Cheng Jinyu: “As your boyfriend on social media, shouldn’t I show off a bit?”
Meng Chu immediately laughed.
It was sweet that he still remembered.
Soon, she whispered, “And that jade bangle—was it expensive?”
But Cheng Jinyu said, “Everything else can be refused, but this one can’t.”
“Huh?” Meng Chu was puzzled.
“This was specially blessed by a master. I want your mother to wear it. Maybe it can protect her and keep her safe,” Cheng Jinyu’s voice was low and solemn.
Meng Chu knew that rich people weren’t all superstitious. She’d encountered some herself.
But she hadn’t expected Cheng Jinyu to believe in this.
“Meng Chu, sometimes it’s not about whether we believe. It’s just that this is the only way to carry our blessings.”
For some reason, Meng Chu sensed an indescribable sadness in Cheng Jinyu’s voice.
Even from afar, she could feel it.
She looked down at the smooth jade bangle in the box.
He said this was his blessing for her mother.
Even though he had never met her.
For the first time, Meng Chu deeply understood the phrase ‘loving someone also means cherishing those around them.’
It turned out that treasuring a person means treasuring everyone close to them as well.