"I love your hospitality so much. Thank you for letting Muchen stay here at your home."
"Xiao Haoran, you are embarrassing me. He is like my son. How can I let him stay at the hotel when he has his uncle's home here?"
Wang Bowen poured the white wine into his good friend's glass. Xiao Haoran took a sip of the most expensive white wine in the world and indeed his mouth took the strong flavour that burnt his throat in contentment.
"Domaine grand cru as expected. This wine is making me its fan. You have a great collection of alcohol, dear Wang Bowen. I love it."
"Yes, I always liked the best things in the world, Xiao Haoran and you know me for a long time. But why did you suddenly plan to come to the States? I mean I know you don't waste your time just mingling."
Wang Bowen said sipping his favourite rice wine while they were sitting in the comfort of the serene atmosphere of his restaurant.
"I have one thing in my mind that I have wanted to ask you for a long time and I think this is the right time to ask about it."
"Xiao Haoran, I don't know why I am feeling that you have distanced from me so much. I know we are meeting after a long time but still, we are good friends."
Wang Bowen said remembering the old days.
"Your wife and Yue's mothers were best friends and because of them we got close but since the death of Yue's mother, we haven't met. I know I never came back to China but that doesn't mean that we are not friends like before. You can tell me what's on your mind."
When Wang Bowen said that, Xiao Haoran got up from the chair and looked out of the window taking the city view in his mind.
"I was hoping this business partnership is ready to change into a family partnership soon. As our wives promised each other before, I am here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage with my son. Are you ready for it, Wang Bowen?"
The glass of rice wine slowly slipped from his hand as the words hit him hard. Tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision for a long time.
"Wang Bowen, are you okay?"
Xiao Haoran came running to Wang Bowen and held his arms, holding him a bit.
"I…I…Xiao Haoran…My Mey, my Lihua…"
"I know…I know…You have to be strong, Wang Bowen."
When Wang Bowen calmed down a bit Xiao Haoran took a seat near him.
"You okay, now?"
Wang Bowen nodded his head and assured him before looking outside the window.
"You need to understand that we lost them a few years back in that accident. We could never find out even their bodies but we need to move on… Can't we?"
"What do you mean by that, Xiao Haoran? I should forget that I lost my wife and my elder daughter in a car accident. Then whose hand you are asking for marriage with your son?"
"I am asking for Wang Yue's hand for marriage with my son. The dream your wife Wu Mey saw can come true. Our friendship can turn into a family relationship. I am asking for Wang Yue's hand for marriage to my son Xiao…"
Wang Bowen was about to say what was on his mind but a soft knock on the door of the entrance.
"Dad, uncle good afternoon. I hope I am not stopping you from discussing anything important."
Xiao Haoran immediately turned to look at Xiao Muchen and walked near him. He put his hand on Xiao Muchen's shoulder and got him to sit at the table with them.
"No, my dear, you have not interrupted anything. We were just remembering the past, nothing much. We met after a long time. Come and have lunch with us."
Xiao Muchen sat on the chair near Xiao Haoran and took the glass of wine which his father offered him.
"So Xiao Muchen, I heard you are going back tomorrow but why are you suddenly changing your plans? I thought you were going to stay here for more than a month."
"Uncle, some urgent work has come but I got all the papers ready for the project as we got a quality assurance certificate for the product. Only the formality of signing papers is remaining. We will sign papers after a week."
"Wow, that's fast. I thought all legal permissions would take a month. You finished it in just a week. Everyone says you are the best in business is not wrong at all."
Wang Bowen was impressed and put his hand on Xiao Muchen's shoulder.
"I had a few people there who I know and our product is genuine so, a favourable outcome was expected but most importantly Wang Yue's efforts made it possible to get everything this early."
Wang Bowen smiled proudly thinking about his daughter and his gaze then went to Xiao Haoran realising what he wanted to say a few minutes before.
At that point, Xiao Haoran took the glass of wine up and behind him, the other two followed suit.
"To our success…"
"To our success…"
"To our success…"
And they enjoyed the lunch without any interference from other people deciding on the next steps that needed to be taken care of.
~~~
"Baba, Xiao Haoran was pretty sure about this thing. I think we should positively think about his proposal. I like Xiao Muchen very much. He is a caring, mature and sensible person. He will keep our Yue happy after marriage."
Wang Bowen turned to check on Wang Zhipeng who was busy studying a file in his hand.
"Baba, are you even listening to what I am trying to tell you? I am talking about our Yue. about her marriage…"
"And I am also reading about Yue's future husband and I have decided that she is going to be the daughter-in-law of Xiao."
"What? But what are you reading and if you liked Xiao Muchen so Muchen then why haven't you asked me yet, I would have told you all the things you needed to know about Xiao Muchen."
Wang Bowen was almost jumping from his heart while talking with his father but his next words hit him hard like always and he did remember that his father was the one who they all called heartlessly.
"So when were you planning to tell me that Xiao Muchen was just an adopted child of Xiao's, not the real one?"
Wang Bowen looked at the floor and panic started to run through his spine.
"Baba, I was about to tell you…"
"Yes, it is just that you were going to tell me after Yue's marriage with him, right?"
Wang Zhipeng threw the file he was reading at Wang Bowen's face and crashed all the things that were on the table.
"How dare you? How dare you hide this important thing from me, Wang Bowen? There is no way I can give away Wang's daughter to some cheap blood. I will kill her by my own hands if required but I will never get her married to him."
"But Baba, you said yes to get Yue's marriage to Xiao's son and how can you say all these things when we are living in the twenty-first century? This is all ridiculous…"
"WANG BOWEN, HOW DARE YOU QUESTION OUR TEACHINGS? THERE IS NO WAY I AM EVER GOING TO CONVINCE TO THIS MARRIAGE."
Wang Bowen looked at his father all scared and screwed when he saw him fuming with anger.
"Baba, I am sorry but I don't understand what you are saying…"
"If you would have been that smart then you would have suggested Xiao Haoran about Yue's marriage with their biological son Xiao Hui, not their adopted son Xiao Muchen."
"But before that, I have to ask Yue for her heart. She needs to know about this first. It's her life after all."
Wang Bowen turned around to go to Wang Yue's room but before that he heard a loud sound of breaking glass from behind and he turned around to see scattered pieces of flower vases near his feet.
"But you don't need to do anything. I have already spoken with Xiao Huoran and he already said yes. There is no need to ask Yue about this. Just use her friends to fit this thing in her head just like we always do."
"But baba…"
"I said it, that means it's done."