The front yard of the villa was vast.
As the car drove along the path, fireworks would periodically explode to welcome them.
In addition, Qiao Le noticed that the potted plants lining the road were adorned with delicate little lanterns and the character “double happiness.”
Is it really just a casual dinner visit?
Isn’t this my own wedding banquet?
Amidst the colorful fireworks, Qiao Le grew increasingly bewildered.
He turned to look at the man driving beside him: “Shen Hechuan.”
Shen Hechuan: “…”
Qiao Le poked his arm with his finger, feeling the firm muscle beneath: “Say something, did you see all this?”
Shen Hechuan remained as composed and calm as ever, as if the wedding-like elements appearing at his home were completely normal: “I saw it.”
It was hard to miss, given how extravagant it all was.
“Don’t pay attention to it,” he said.
“We’ll proceed as planned.”
Proceed as planned?
Qiao Le was genuinely afraid that once he stepped through the Shen family’s door, he might not be able to leave.
He now had a new understanding of what Shen Hechuan meant by “the elders at home are in a hurry to see me married.”
This wasn’t just “in a hurry”-this was extremely urgent!
As his thoughts began to spiral, Shen Hechuan suddenly spoke: “Don’t be nervous. Just stick to the story we came up with earlier about how we met and started dating. For the rest, feel free to improvise.”
On the way over, they had concocted a story to satisfy the family.
Qiao Le’s persona was that of a freshman in college who had kept his relationship a secret from his family due to his young age.
Before arriving, Qiao Le had felt quite confident, but now he wasn’t so sure: “Are you really sure this will be okay?”
“Yes,” Shen Hechuan reassured him.
“They’ll be reasonable. And even if they’re not, I’ll be there.”
“I’ll be there.”
In Shen Hechuan’s steady and gentle tone, those three words seemed to carry a magical power, slowly calming Qiao Le’s nerves.
Since I’m here, I’ll make the best of it.
If trouble comes, I’ll deal with it.
This 100,000 yuan-I’m definitely earning it!
Qiao Le mentally pumped himself up.
Just thinking about the transaction amount made him feel like he could handle anything.
After a while, the car finally came to a stop in front of the main building.
Shen Hechuan said, “Let’s get out,” and Qiao Le pushed the door open.
As he stepped out, he looked up and saw two large red lanterns hanging on either side of the ornate carved columns.
Qiao Le: “…”
Do I really have to go through this door?
Shen Hechuan got out of the car and followed his gaze to the two massive, eye-catching lanterns.
He paused for a moment, then offered a kind reminder: “…Just ignore them.”
“Actually, they’re quite nice,” Qiao Le commented objectively.
The craftsmanship and design of the lanterns clearly weren’t something you could just pick up at any market.
Although Shen Hechuan’s family’s approach seemed exaggerated, it also showed how much they valued their “son’s boyfriend.”
Even someone they hadn’t met yet was being treated with such thoughtfulness.
It must be nice to have parents like that, Qiao Le thought.
It’s a shame I’m just a fake.
I’m bound to disappoint them.
But it’s fine.
I’ll just act convincingly enough to make the elders happy.
At least I won’t let their efforts go to waste.
With his mind made up, Qiao Le reached out and patted Shen Hechuan, taking the initiative to say, “Let’s go.”
As the two walked inside, Aunt Liu was the first to notice them.
She came running up with a beaming smile: “Young Master Hechuan is back, and the little master is here too!”
Little master?
Qiao Le and Shen Hechuan exchanged a glance.
Qiao Le blinked in confusion: Who’s the “little master”?
Shen Hechuan responded with his eyes: I’m calling you.
Qiao Le: Thanks for the invitation, letting me experience how the wealthy address each other.
Aunt Liu didn’t know what they were communicating, but seeing the intimate exchange of glances between the two, she smiled so widely her eyes nearly disappeared.
“I’ll go inform Madam and the others. They’ve been waiting!”
With that, she dashed off like a gust of wind, her speed rivaling that of a hundred-meter sprint champion.
Shen Hechuan: “Let’s go, to the side hall.”
It was Qiao Le’s first visit, and he wasn’t familiar with the exaggeratedly large layout of the villa, so he followed closely behind Shen Hechuan.
The moment the two entered the courtyard gate, Wu Huilan and the others knew.
After all, the fireworks along the path in the yard were prepared by them, and the successive explosions of the firecrackers made it impossible not to notice.
As soon as Aunt Liu mentioned that they had entered the house, Wu Huilan immediately asked, “Is my hair messy?”
“Not at all, not at all, it looks great,” Aunt Liu praised, then leaned in to whisper, “The young master is so handsome. Standing next to Hechuan, they look like a perfect match!”
“Really?” Wu Huilan hadn’t even seen a photo of Qiao Le, only knowing his name.
Hearing Aunt Liu’s words, she was overjoyed.
Who doesn’t like a good-looking child?
She turned to Shen Laoye and Shen Zhenghe and said, “Dad, husband, stay calm later. Don’t scare him.”
This was the daughter-in-law she had been eagerly waiting for.
Shen Laoye and Shen Zhenghe had already been reminded countless times by her, and they patiently agreed, “Don’t worry, don’t worry.”
As they were speaking, Shen Hechuan and Qiao Le arrived.
Hearing the footsteps, everyone turned their gaze, automatically skipping the already familiar Shen Hechuan and focusing directly on Qiao Le beside him.
“This is my grandfather, my parents,” Shen Hechuan introduced.
“This is Qiao Le.”
Qiao Le steadied himself, put on his brightest smile, and took the initiative to greet them, “Hello, Grandpa, Uncle, Auntie. I’m Qiao Le. I’m sorry for the sudden visit.”
Initially, Shen Hechuan had been reluctant to bring anyone home or acknowledge that he was in a relationship, which had made Wu Huilan worry.
But now, seeing Qiao Le, all her recent concerns vanished.
The young man before her was not only good-looking but also polite, with a clean and pure demeanor that clearly marked him as a good kid.
Standing next to her son, he truly looked like the “perfect match” Aunt Liu had described.
He just seemed a bit young.
Could he really be underage?
While she observed Qiao Le, Qiao Le was also subtly observing Shen Hechuan’s three elders.
The kind-looking elderly man with completely white hair was undoubtedly Shen Laoye.
The middle-aged man next to him bore a striking resemblance to Shen Hechuan, so it was clear he was Shen Hechuan’s father.
The remaining lady, with her beautiful appearance and elegant demeanor, must be Shen Hechuan’s mother.
No wonder Shen Hechuan’s height and features were so outstanding he had clearly inherited the best traits from both parents.
Qiao Le couldn’t help but wonder if his ordinary self would pass muster in their eyes.
In truth, Qiao Le had nothing to worry about.
Wu Huilan’s first impression of him was excellent.
She nodded in satisfaction, “Oh, no trouble at all. We’re all very happy you’re here. Your name is Qiao Le, right? Can I call you Lele?”
Qiao Le quickly replied, “Of course, Auntie. Feel free to call me whatever you like.”
“No need to be formal,” Shen Zhenghe chimed in.
“We’re all family here. Just relax.”
Qiao Le nodded, “Alright, Uncle.”
“Since everyone’s here, let’s start the meal,” the old man announced.
“I heard from Hechuan that you like Cantonese and Hunan cuisine, so I had the chefs prepare some dishes. Let’s see if they suit your taste.”
The family moved to the dining room, with the old man leading the way and chatting with Qiao Le.
Shen Hechuan lagged behind a couple of steps and whispered to Wu Huilan, “Mom, didn’t we agree not to make it too extravagant?”
“What’s extravagant about this?” Wu Huilan retorted, clearly displeased.
“I’ve already held back a lot. No banners, no hot air balloons, no drones. If others found out, they’d laugh at me for not putting on any show at all.”
“…” Shen Hechuan reminded her, “He’s just here for a meal, not to get married. You’re going to scare him off.”
“So when are you two getting married?”
Wu Huilan pressed on, “Does Lele prefer a Chinese-style or Western-style wedding? I heard he likes Chinese food, so I arranged everything with a Chinese theme tonight. But if he prefers a Western style, that’s fine too.”
“It’s too early to talk about that,” Shen Hechuan said.
“Too early? What do you mean too early?” Wu Huilan disagreed.
“He’s already meeting the parents. The next step is discussing the betrothal gifts, don’t you know that?”
“…Let’s just eat first,” Shen Hechuan said, leaving her behind and quickly catching up to walk alongside Qiao Le.
Wu Huilan sighed in disappointment, and Shen Zhenghe patted her shoulder.
“Keep at it.”
When they reached the dining room, the old man said, “It’s just a family meal, so we didn’t go overboard. Lele, if there’s anything you’d like to eat, just let the kitchen know.”
“Alright, thank you, sir…”
Qiao Le paused mid-step, his gaze first landing on the large round table filled with dishes.
Without counting, he could tell there were at least twenty dishes.
Five people, twenty dishes.
And this is what you call not going overboard?
And then-
Qiao Le’s eyes shifted to the bright red tablecloth beneath the dishes.
From the red carpet on the mountain path, to the red lanterns at the entrance, and now this red tablecloth.
Without exaggeration, he and Shen Hechuan could have a wedding ceremony if they just changed their clothes.
And then there was the giant screen on the dining room wall with the bold characters:
[Warmly Welcome Qiao Le’s Visit]
Shen Hechuan shot a helpless glance at Wu Huilan: And you said there were no banners?
Wu Huilan pretended nothing was out of the ordinary and stepped forward to say to Qiao Le, “Just a little touch of ceremony, Lele. Don’t mind it.”
Qiao Le: “…”
This “little touch of ceremony” gave him the uneasy feeling that he might be ushered into the bridal chamber with drums and gongs on his very first visit.
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