Chapter 157: Chapter 157 - 157 157 Cliche Guess

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Cliche Guess Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Cliche Guess Luo Qiluo laughed, taking a seat opposite Bai Wei. “Lady Bai Wei, I presume? Please sit down. I’m not Qinghe’s sister; I am his mother.”

“Mother?” Bai Wei covered her mouth, exclaiming in surprise, “How is that possible? You only look a few years older than Luo Qinghe.”

“It seems that the money I’ve spent on my face over the years was well worth it.” Luo Qiluo held her face and laughed, her narrow eyes squinting, much like a languid fox.

Bai Wei scrutinized her thoughtfully, silently noting to herself that at first glance, she indeed bore a strong resemblance to Luo Qinghe. However, their demeanors were completely different. The mother exuded femininity to its utmost while the son was the epitome of a roguish, handsome young master.

And though their face shapes and noses were the same, their eyes and lips were different; the mother’s lips were slightly fuller, paired with foxy eyes that were quite charming; the son, with his thinner lips and peach blossom eyes, was seductive.

Feeling that her observation had caught the other’s attention, Bai Wei smiled politely, “Indeed, every penny a woman spends on herself is worthwhile, especially if I could look as beautiful as you at your age.”

These words reached the heart of Luo Qiluo, who couldn’t help but grow fonder of the girl before her, thinking that by looks alone, she was indeed a match for her son.

The smile on Luo Qiluo’s face deepened as she sized up Bai Wei, casually asking some questions, such as how many people were in Bai Wei’s family, what they did, and where they were now.

This was an indirect way of prying. If someone else had been so inquisitive, Bai Wei would have grown impatient long ago, but since the person asking was Luo Qinghe’s mother, she obediently answered each question.

“I’m the only daughter in my family, born and raised in M Country. Both my parents are in M Country, and they have settled there for over twenty years.”

As the two chatted, Luo Qinghe approached, calling “Mother” from a distance. His and Bai Wei’s eyes met briefly before they looked away, both blushing.

Luo Qiluo gracefully stood up, smoothing out her slightly wrinkled cheongsam, “What’s the rush, child? Are you afraid that I would bully Bai Wei?”

“No, Father is looking for you,” Luo Qinghe replied awkwardly, still avoiding eye contact with Bai Wei.

“Then let’s go over there,” Luo Qiluo suggested with a smile to Bai Wei before heading towards the villa. Luo Qinghe hastily followed, leaving Bai Wei standing there, uncertain whether to follow or not.

The banquet was not at all what Bai Wei had expected. Although she hadn’t really anticipated any breakthrough in her relationship with Luo Qinghe at the banquet, it certainly wasn’t like this, with Luo Qinghe seemingly avoiding her on purpose.

If that was the case, why had he invited her to begin with? Bai Wei had been proactive in pursuing Luo Qinghe, but she was not about to demean herself.

With that thought, the feeling of grievance in Bai Wei’s heart started to spread silently like fine cracks on glass, eventually spreading across the entire pane. It was barely noticeable on the surface, but at any moment, it could shatter into fragments.

She followed the mother and son from a distance. Luo Qiluo turned back every few steps to look at Bai Wei, while Luo Qinghe only turned to glance at her once he had one foot in the villa’s door.

Finally, standing by the entrance, Luo Qinghe seemed to be waiting for Bai Wei. After they entered the villa, he led her straight upstairs, “My father is in the study meeting my brother’s girlfriend. He said… said he wanted to meet you.”

“What is my relation to you, that I should meet your parents?” Bai Wei said, partly out of pique and partly out of grievance, stopping in her tracks and refusing to move.

Her striking appearance, coupled with her status as a superstar, meant that as soon as she entered the villa, countless eyes were fixated on her. At that moment, many people were clearly converging around them, clearly there to watch the drama unfold.

Luo Qinghe’s face turned even redder. He took a couple of steps towards Bai Wei, brushing the back of her hand with his, and whispered into her ear, “Although we aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend right now, we could try interacting based on the premise that we are.”

An immense joy spread through Bai Wei’s heart. She looked at Luo Qinghe in disbelief, the happiness felt so sudden that she feared she had misheard.

Grasping Bai Wei’s hand, Luo Qinghe led her upstairs. When they were not far from his father’s study, he stopped, leaned down, and kissed the back of her hand. “I can’t make any promises to you right now. All I can say is that I feel differently about you than about other girl friends, but as for what that feeling is exactly, I don’t know right now.”

Bai Wei committed every word Luo Qinghe said to memory with utmost seriousness, feeling as if she had been walking in pitch darkness for a long time and had finally seen the first light of dawn.

“Can you now meet my parents?” Luo Qinghe gently shook Bai Wei’s arm, speaking softly, “They consider you as a potential daughter-in-law.”

“Of course, I can,” Bai Wei said, smiling, blooming like her namesake, the beautiful white rose, the most exquisite of flowers.

When they arrived, the two long couches were already occupied by Luo Qinghe’s parents and “brother and sister-in-law.” He greeted them with Bai Wei and had her sit on a single-seater couch, while he perched on the armrest, making it seem from a distance as if Bai Wei was nestled in his arms.

Luo Qinghe’s father, Li Huazhi, was talking to his brother Li Qingjiang, but upon hearing them, Li Huazhi looked up at Bai Wei. What should have been an indifferent glance changed dramatically in expression.

He took in Bai Wei from head to toe, struggling to remain calm as he asked, “What’s your name?”

This was not the look of an elder scrutinizing a younger relative. Bai Wei felt puzzled but responded with a smile, “Uncle, hello, my name is Bai Wei.”

While she spoke, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Luo Qiluo’s expression changing to one of shock and surprise.

“Do you know Bai Qian?” Li Huazhi’s hand tightened into a fist on his knee, his voice trembling slightly.

Bai Wei was now the surprised one, “You know my mother?”

Luo Qinghe casually laid his hand on Bai Wei’s shoulder with a faint smile, “Dad, you know Bai Wei’s mother? What a coincidence.”

“Know… know her,” Li Huazhi replied, seemingly just realizing Luo Qiluo was sitting beside him. His face flushed slightly as he awkwardly laughed, “Know her, but… not well-acquainted.”

Luo Qinghe and Bai Wei exchanged a look, both detecting deep confusion in each other’s eyes.

But Li Huazhi did not give them a chance to inquire further. In fact, it was evident he purposefully avoided looking at Bai Wei thereafter, choosing instead to pull Luo Qiluo into a conversation. However, she was clearly distracted, and if Li Huazhi managed to get one response from Luo Qiluo after three attempts, it was considered good.

This surprised both Luo brothers, as it was a complete reversal from the usual dynamic—typically, it was Luo Qiluo who would speak thrice before Li Huazhi replied once.