As they got closer to the airport, Yuan Yi's posture became increasingly rigid, his back straight as a statue. In order to alleviate his nervousness, Yan Xi tried to distract him with conversation.
"Why did you think of having someone deliver lunch to me today?" Given Yuan Yi's usual style, if he came across something delicious, he would probably take her to eat it together next time rather than having the driver drive all the way just to deliver a box of food to her. He wasn't the type of person who acted thoughtlessly; in a place like the TV station, where there were many people, sending food and flowers might seem like a public display of affection to some, while others might view it as showing off, leading to gossip.
Though Yuan Yi had a stubborn side, he still had his own way of doing things.
"I just thought you might like it," Yuan Yi hadn't expected Yan Xi to bring up the lunch delivery. "There's no particular reason."
"No reason?" Yan Xi looked at Yuan Yi until he started to feel uncomfortable, then smiled and said, "I thought you were worried about me, afraid others would think I've lost your favor, so you specially had someone deliver lunch and flowers."
"I'm not a woman, why would I think about things like that?" Yuan Yi lowered his head and noticed Yan Xi was still looking at him. He straightened his suit jacket and, trying to keep a serious face, said, "You women are so troublesome, always overthinking everything."
Yan Xi laughed, turning her head to look out the window. "We're almost at the airport."
Yuan Yi saw the airport buildings from afar and tightened his jaw even more.
"Old Song, finally back in the country, how about we go out for a drink tonight?" One of the executives from the inspection group patted Song Hai's shoulder. "After being abroad for so long, I've been dreaming of domestic food. Those so-called Chinese dishes abroad can't compare to the ones I cook at home."
"Old Wang, you cook at home?" Another executive joked, "Didn't expect you to have that talent."
"Go, go, just because I can cook doesn't mean I do it at home."
The men took turns bragging about how they had the upper hand at home, with the wives afraid to speak up. After chatting for a while, they noticed that Song Hai had been silent, and curiously asked, "Old Song, are you joining us tonight for a bit of relaxation?"
"You guys go ahead," Song Hai smiled helplessly. "My daughter is coming to pick me up. A young girl, she hasn't seen her old man in so many days, she must miss me."
"Still so filial, Old Song, your daughter is coming to pick you up after just a month abroad? My son wouldn't do that," said the executive surnamed Wang, both envious and jealous. "My son is a pain every day."
Soon, the conversation among these successful people turned to their children, starting a "disguised bragging" session about their kids. Song Hai had no strong opinions on the matter and secretly felt proudâhis obedient daughter could outshine everything else.
However, that feeling of pride vanished as soon as he stepped out of the airport and saw the man standing next to his daughter. It was like a balloon being popped.
"Dad," Yan Xi waved her hand at him as soon as she spotted him. "I'm here."
Song Hai's gaze swept over his daughter and then landed on the young man standing beside her. He recognized the manâYuan Yi, the second son of the Yuan family, the boss of Hengtai, the one he had recently aligned himself with.
Although Yan Xi was standing next to Yuan Yi and there was no overly intimate behavior, Song Hai immediately sensed something wasn't right.
Yuan Yi had intentions toward his daughter.
After turning to say goodbye to the executives and leaders from the inspection group, everyone could see that Song Hai wasn't lyingâhis daughter was indeed there to pick him up. They joked a few more times and didn't insist on dragging him out for dinner.
After walking a few steps, one of the executives said, "Did anyone else think that young man standing by Song Hai's daughter looked familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, he does look familiar." Executive Wang turned back a few times, squinting his eyes and saying, "I think he's the second son of the Yuan family."
"Which Yuan family?"
"Which other Yuan family in the capital?"
The executives suddenly realized and inwardly cursed, thinking, Old Song, this sly fox, has quietly climbed onto the big ship of the Yuan family. No wonder he was able to secure the cooperation project with Hengtai recently.
"Dad," Yan Xi hooked her arm through Song Hai's. "I've booked a table at the hotel with Yuan Yi for dinner to welcome you home."
Song Hai looked at Yuan Yi with a smile: "Mr. Yuan, you're too polite. There's no need for you to spend money. I'm just a simple man, not particular about these formalities. Eating out is not as good as having some noodles at home."
"That's fine too," Yan Xi bent down to grab the suitcase from Song Hai's hand and handed it to Yuan Yi. "I'll go home and cook for you."
"We'll just have noodles, father and daughter. We wouldn't want to make Mr. Yuan eat something so humble with us," Song Hai said, trying to reclaim his suitcase.
"Just let him carry it," Yan Xi shook Song Hai's arm. "He's young and strong."
Yuan Yi nodded, "Uncle, I'm not picky about food."
Song Hai thought, I actually don't care if you're picky or not about food.
As they got into the car, the three of them sat in the back seat, with Yan Xi in the middle, and Song Hai and Yuan Yi sitting on either side. There was a palpable, unspeakable tension between the two men.
Yan Xi didn't mind, and helped herself to a yogurt from the small fridge, since the food at lunch had been a bit salty.
Seeing how familiar Yan Xi was with the car, Song Hai felt a complex mix of emotions, like a dam had burst inside him. He had countless thoughts running through his mind, but looking at his daughter's relaxed demeanor, he ultimately didn't say anything that might cause awkwardness.
Yuan Yi had never been one to consider trying to please elders, but today was an exception. He had prepared several things to say, but now, sitting next to Song Hai, he couldn't bring himself to say any of them.
"Uncle," Yuan Yi broke the silence in the car, "How did the inspection go? Was everything progressing smoothly?"
Song Hai was silent for a moment before replying, "It went well. There's a lot of potential for cooperation in certain industries, but some conditions aren't fully mature yet, and people are worried about risks. I'm in my fifties now, and I just want to hold onto the family business and save up for Yan Yan's future. I'm not willing to take risks with investments like that."
Song Hai was very clear about his own abilities. He had never been one to rush ahead. Admitting that he was someone with a conservative approach wasn't embarrassing. "The future belongs to the younger generation. My vision is no longer in sync with the times. This trip abroad was really just to broaden my horizons."
Yuan Yi realized that Song Hai and his own father were complete opposites. His father had acted recklessly when he was young, and although his eldest brother now ran Longfeng, his father was still often dissatisfied with his brother's decisions. Only after a major fallout between the two did things start to improve. Yet, his father's need for control hadn't lessened much.
"Uncle, you built such a large company from scratch. That's something many people can't even dream of," Yuan Yi complimented Song Hai. "You're too modest."
"Generations of people have built from nothing," Song Hai laughed. "Starting a business is nothing remarkable. A family like yours, with over a hundred years of heritage, that's truly impressive. People like us, who suddenly came into money, are in no position to compare with the Yuan family."
After finishing a bottle of yogurt, Yan Xi started unwrapping a chocolate bar, seeming to ignore the conversation between the two men.
"It's all thanks to our ancestors," Yuan Yi put the empty yogurt bottle into the trash bag beside him, then took out a handkerchief and handed it to Yan Xi before continuing his conversation with Song Hai. "Hengtai is my own business. Running a company has made me realize how hard it is to start a business. But relying on yourself is more reassuring than relying on family."
A smile finally appeared on Song Hai's face. "You're right. Relying on yourself is the true skill, and it allows you to be your own master."
Although he didn't have much experience dealing with wealthy families, Song Hai understood the inherent pride that came with them. So, when he saw his daughter with Yuan Yi, his first concern was whether she would be treated well. He knew of someone in the industry whose son married an actress. While it looked like she had married into wealth, in reality, her in-laws didn't treat her well, and her life wasn't easy.
Their family wasn't poor, but the difference between them and the Yuan family was vast. If Yuan Yi couldn't make decisions for himself, even if his daughter married into the Yuan family, she wouldn't have a happy life. But Yuan Yi was a determined young man, much stronger than those rich second-generation kids who relied on their parents for everything and couldn't make their own decisions.
When they arrived at the Song family's villa and got out of the car, Yan Xi finally saw just how many gifts Yuan Yi had bought.
The entire trunk was full of presents. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were opening a supermarket.
"I wasn't sure what Uncle likes, so I bought some gifts for our first meeting. I hope you won't mind," Yuan Yi said, helping the driver take out the large boxes of gifts from the trunk, filling the area with them.
This reminded Song Hai of the time when he met his own in-laws. Back then, he didn't have much money, but he worried his future father-in-law and mother-in-law wouldn't be satisfied with him. So, he bought everything he thought would please them, from the most popular market gifts to the ones thought to be best for ingratiating himself.
More than twenty years had passed, and the anxious young man from back then had now become the one pursuing his daughter.
He didn't care about all the gifts, but he appreciated the thoughtfulness behind them.
A man only goes to such lengths to please a woman's family when he truly cares about her. Because of love, he fears that her family won't like him, and because of that fear, he becomes anxious.
"Why bring so many things? Just come on in," Song Hai said, seeing how much stuff there was. Yuan Yi and the driver couldn't carry everything, so he bent down and picked up a few large boxes, leading the way.
Yan Xi noticed Yuan Yi's hands were full of things, making it hard for him to walk, so she secretly took a few steps back, intending to help him carry some.
"No need. It's just a few things. A man can't let a woman carry them," Yuan Yi refused her help. "You're still wearing high heels, just focus on walking."
Yan Xi gave him an amused look. If his face wasn't so red and the veins not bulging, she might've found his words more convincing.
However, she didn't insist. At this moment, if she helped too much, her father would definitely be displeased.
The four of them entered the house. Yan Xi invited the driver to stay for dinner, but he declined and quickly left. If he had stayed any longer, he probably would've been looking to get fired.
"Dad, you and Mr. Yuan sit for a while, I'll cook some noodles," Yan Xi said. Her cooking skills weren't great, but she was good at making noodles.
"Uncle, let me help," Yuan Yi handed the remote to Song Hai and followed Yan Xi into the kitchen.
Song Hai watched his back as he walked away, then turned on the TV, but his attention kept drifting to the kitchen door.
"What are you doing in here?" Yan Xi laughed when she saw Yuan Yi entering the kitchen. "Can you cook?"
"No," Yuan Yi turned around, blushing, "I'm a big guy, I can't just let you do everything while I sit and watch TV."
Yan Xi laughed at his words and handed him a bunch of green onions and garlic. "Then help me clean these up."
Taking the onions, still covered with dirt, Yuan Yi saw Yan Xi lowering her head to wash the pot. He secretly pulled out his phone and began searching online for how to handle the green onions and garlic for the noodles.
Thanks to the magic of the internet, even a man like Yuan Yi, who couldn't tell the difference between grains, learned how to handle these ingredients.
"By the way, isn't there this idea that men shouldn't cook?" Yan Xi wiped her hands dry and turned on the stove. "How does it make you any less of a man to be in the kitchen?"
"What does that even mean?" Yuan Yi was slightly embarrassed after Yan Xi exposed his thoughts. "It's a new era, of course, a man's role has to evolve."
"Oh."
"What 'oh'?" Yuan Yi felt his pride slightly wounded.
"It's just that I know now," Yan Xi turned to him with a bright smile. "You're a good man from the new era."
Yuan Yi snorted, "Glad you know. With such a good man chasing you, you better not look at any other men." Especially not someone like Song Chao, who was a fake and a schemer.
Yan Xi chuckled and watched as Yuan Yi awkwardly squatted by the trash can peeling garlic. His tall frame of over 1.8 meters curled up like that, which made him look quite cute.
The water hadn't boiled yet, so Yan Xi started washing the vegetables and meat. While cutting the vegetables, Yuan Yi noticed how the knife in her hand gleamed as it moved back and forth, and he couldn't help but hold his breath, afraid that she might accidentally cut her delicate fingers.
Her fingers were so thin and soft, what if one wrong move caused her to cut them?
Once she finally finished cutting the meat and vegetables, Yuan Yi let out a sigh of relief and continued peeling garlic. He took quite a bit of time but did it very neatly, even removing the small black spots on the garlic cloves.
"Cleaned up nicely," Yan Xi praised him as she took the green onions and garlic.
Yuan Yi gave a light hum, "It's nothing, a small thing."
Yan Xi nodded with a smile, "Mhm."
After stir-frying two dishes, the water boiled, and Yan Xi began cooking the noodles. Yuan Yi noticed her skillful movements, as though she had done this countless times.
When the noodles were done, Yuan Yi saw her about to serve them, so he quickly said, "Let me do it."
He reached out to grab a bowl, but the moment he touched it, his index finger was instantly burned, turning red.
"Ah!" Yan Xi quickly grabbed his hand and rinsed it under cold water, only relaxing when she saw that his finger was only slightly red. She gently blew on his finger. "Next time, wear an oven mitt before you serve."
Yuan Yi, who had just experienced a little embarrassment in front of his girlfriend, felt a bit down. But seeing her worry about him, he suddenly thought that getting burned a few more times was worth it.
Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Song Hai was about to walk in to check. However, when he reached the door, he stopped and sat back down on the sofa with a resigned expression.
The noodles couldn't stay too long; they'd get soggy!