When Saturday came, Lin Que arrived at Lily's apartment with breakfast in his hand. Half an hour ago, he received her morning message and decided to visit her before the dinner tonight. Since it was Saturday, both of them were free.
After ringing the door, he waited patiently for her to open it. As expected, she looked surprised to see him standing in front of her door. He lifted the breakfast he bought and smiled. "You haven't had breakfast yet, huh?"
"Eh? Did you come just to bring me breakfast?" She squinted her eyes suspiciously at him. After inspecting him for two minutes, she stepped aside and let him into her apartment.
"Hehe. Since we are both free today, how about we go shopping later? Maybe some herb supplements and clothes for your grandpa? It is the first time I am meeting him. I need to leave a good impression." Lin Que said as they set the table for their breakfast.
Smiling, Lily wrapped her arms around his waist. "Oh? Somebody is running the grandpa route now? What? Is taking over my parents' side not enough? Are you trying to take my grandpa's good side too? What if I have a lot of family members? Will you do the same for each of them?"
"Of course not. I am only doing what a future grandson-in-law should do. You know, I only care about the family members who are important to you. I won't bother sparing a glance at those who treated you badly. Since this is our first dinner together with your grandpa, I should bring gifts. It'll stuff some people's mouths closed for a while."
His intention was obvious. He knew who else would be present during the dinner and he planned on giving them a nice show. Of course, if her family members would keep certain remarks to themselves, then he wouldn't say anything. However, if they challenged his fiancée during dinner, then he wouldn't let them off easily.
"Mhm. Since my fiancé is being such a gentleman and filial future grandson-in-law, then this future wife of yours will accompany you to buy a bit of everything. I'll give the stores a call to save me specific products he likes. We'll go pick it up after eating. How about it?" She poked the tip of his nose and squeezed it between her fingers lightly.
"Mm. Then, shall we eat while jotting down the list of products we should get for your grandpa?" Lin Que leaned forward until the tip of their noses touch and rested his forehead against hers. While both of them smiled in their own world and enjoyed their time together, things were different on Meng Meng's side.
In a luxurious villa, smashing sounds could be heard from outside the garden. Fragments of broken vases were scratching the furniture in the living room. Paintings were scratched and tables were flipped over.
Glass shards scattered all over the floor. Cushions were ripped apart mercilessly. As if it wasn't enough, the culprit of this mess, Meng Meng continued venting out her anger on items around her. The television screen had an insightful crack across its surface. Stomping her heels against the carpet floor, Meng Meng leaned breathlessly against a broken cabinet.
Her father, Jiang Jun came back home to discover that his antique collections were all broken. "What is going on here? What's wrong, Meng Meng? Did you do all this?"
"I did it. Just ask grandpa for more money and replace all of these items! I'm too tired of tossing and shredding things. Oh, right. Hawk isn't joining us for dinner tonight." She recalled their earlier conversation over the phone. The extinguished anger started spreading again when she thought about how she forced herself to sound as sweet and understanding as she could.
"What?! But tonight is your engagement dinner. How could he not attend? How about his parents? He said he would introduce them to us but the meetings kept getting postponed. We've never met his parents even once!" Jiang Jun frowned in displease. Every time they mentioned Hawk's parents, he seemed to be reluctant and kept using work as an excuse to reschedule the meetings.
"I know, but he is from the Fu family. Remember, the family has always been low key. Even the media couldn't get their faces. Eventually, I will meet his parents. Besides, we are getting married and everything is being planned already. I just need to be patient. Just a little more patience. Dad, remember to keep these small details from grandpa. I don't want anything to go wrong tonight."
Jiang Jun nodded, comprehending the importance of tonight's dinner. They scheduled tonight's dinner with one purpose - dowry money!
"I know. I will tell your mother to not speak recklessly during dinner either. But your grandpa did give us a generous amount for your dowry in the past. I'm not sure if he would give us more money for your wedding. Remember to know when to stop talking. You know how your grandpa is. He speaks heartless words, but his heart is still soft."
Jiang Jun reminded Meng Meng to hold back her temper in front of the elder. After all, which grandfather would watch their granddaughter be the laughing stock of her own wedding? At least this was what Jiang Jun and Meng Meng had in mind before the dinner.
Meanwhile, Lily and Lin Que had finished picking up the items for her grandpa from several locations.
"How are my clothes? Is it wrinkly? Does my hair look fine? How about my breath? I took two mints and made sure nothing was stuck between my teeth before coming. Do we have everything?" Lin Que sniffed his breath from his palms and checked the mirror to make sure he looked tidy.
Lily laughed at his nervous behavior. "Relax, my grandpa won't bite. Come, I'll introduce you to Uncle Jong. He is in charge of my grandpa's meals and everything around the mansion."
The couple parked in front of the mansion and waited by the gates. A few minutes later, Uncle Jong appeared and unlocked the gates for them. "Young miss! It's been a while since I've seen you!"
"Hello, Uncle Jong! How are you? I came to visit grandpa with my fiancé. Let me introduce him to you. This is Lin Que, my fiancé. Lin Que, this is Uncle Jong." Lily smiled as the two men shook hands and stood awkwardly facing each other.
"Oh, right. Where is grandpa? Is he in the garden?" Lily asked, wondering where her grandpa was. Usually, he would be the one greeting her.
"Miss, Master Jiang isn't at the mansion. He said he wanted to visit the restaurant first before dinner to make sure the dishes were prepared right. It's been a while since the whole family gathered together for a meal, so he wanted everything to be smooth. He should be at the reserved room already." Uncle Jong took a look at the time and informed Lily about the elderly's whereabout.
"I see. Then, we will go now. Oh, right. We prepared a gift for you too. Give me a minute." Lily opened the door to the backseat and took out a few herb supplements. "These are for you. You have joint pain when the weather changes. These herb patches and tea are great for blood circulation. Let me know when you run out and I'll order more for you."
Lily handed him the bags. With a grateful smile on his face, Uncle Jong took the bags from her and thanked her. After handing the gifts to him, the couple left the residence and headed to the restaurant. Due to a few accidents on the highway, Lin Que and Lily arrived just in time for dinner.