Xiyu Garden is a Chinese restaurant famous for its black pearl dishes, located in an old alley within the Second Ring Road, providing a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. True to its name, as soon as you step inside, you are greeted by the gentle sound of flowing water and swaying bamboo shadows.
Securing a reservation here can be quite challenging, but the manager happens to be a close friend of Yu Jiyan's, and he immediately arranged the best private room, the Fu Xiang Pavilion, for Mr. Yu.
"Mr. Yu." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The manager of Xiyu Garden approached with a warm and welcoming demeanor, extending his hand to Yu Jiyan as soon as he arrived.
Yu Jiyan smiled, "Manager Han, it's been a while."
Manager Han replied, "Indeed, it has. I believe the last time we met was in June last year. Your business is on the verge of going public now. It's hard to meet such a big shot."
Yu Jiyan just chuckled.
All this idle chit-chat didn't interest Xu Zi, and she had no desire to enter his social circle. That is until Manager Han glanced at her and said, "Mr. Yu, is this your newlywed wife?"
Yu Jiyan nodded, "Yes."
"She's beautiful, incredibly beautiful," Manager Han praised, and who doesn't love a beautiful woman, especially in the eyes of visually inclined men.
Xu Zi offered a polite smile.
The word "beautiful" had been a constant in her life since childhood, and she had grown accustomed to living in admiration. So she was confident, and occasionally, a bit arrogant.
Yu Jiyan responded to Manager Han, "She's alright."
Xu Zi's smile faded in an instant. What did he mean by "alright"? Did he think she wasn't attractive enough?
Manager Han patted Yu Jiyan's shoulder, "Your wife's beauty can rival that of top celebrities. Mr. Yu, you are indeed humble."
Without much further conversation with Manager Han, Yu Jiyan hurried to the private room to celebrate his grandfather's birthday. Xu Zi followed him at a slight distance, always standing side by side with him just before opening the door.
She smiled and said, "Mr. Yu, it seems you've seen a lot of the world. I'm quite curious, how many gorgeous women have you been with?"
Her teasing was on the level of playing with a knife in front of Guan Yu.
Yu Jiyan remained silent, only slowly raising his hand to make a "1" gesture.
Xu Zi guessed, "One?"
She felt that wasn't right, "Ten?"
Still not right, "One hundred?"
She stared at his body, raising an eyebrow with a playful smile, "I didn't expect our Mr. Yu to have such great stamina despite not looking very strong."
Yu Jiyan played along with her guessing game, remaining silent all the while.
"Mimi."
A woman's voice at the end of the corridor grew closer. Yu Jiyan's mother was the only one who called Xu Zi by her nickname. She was wearing an emerald green qipao, swaying gracefully as she walked.
Yu's mother, upon seeing Xu Zi for the first time, already wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. But her excessive enthusiasm made Xu Zi feel a headache. She had no intention of blending into the Yu family, even though Yu's mother was a good mother-in-law.
Yu's mother tapped her son's shoulder, lacking tact, "Help Zi Zi take off her coat."
She switched to Xu Zi's nickname, probably out of consideration.
Xu Zi got nervous and clutched her coat, "It's okay, I can do it myself."
If she could avoid him touching her, she would. She disliked him so much that even touching her through clothes made her nauseous.
As she began to unbutton her coat, a pair of male hands reached out to her chest. The hands were exquisite, fair with distinct knuckles, and the warm fingertips touched her skin, causing her body to shiver slightly. If the person in front of her wasn't Yu Jiyan, she had to admit that this gesture of unbuttoning and removing her coat was quite seductive.
Yu Jiyan draped the heavy cashmere coat over his elbow and then extended his other arm, a silent agreement between them. Although she reluctantly allowed him to encircle her, she still wore a beautiful smile on her face.
Yu's mother was very satisfied.
Fu Xiang Pavilion was filled with joy, and all the elders of the Yu family were present. They were all businesspeople, dressed in their best with expensive jade and jewelry adorning their necks. Some were chatting, and some were humming operas.
"Zi Zi."
... Everyone kept calling her Zi Zi, not just Mr. Yu, but every elder.
Every time Xu Zi appeared in the Yu family, she attracted attention. She wore a festive red silk dress that showcased her curvaceous figure elegantly.
Yu Jiyan and Xu Zi returned to the elders together, greeting each of them. However, compared to Yu Jiyan, her tone sounded as if she had lost her soul.
But when it came to the highly respected Grandfather Yu, Xu Zi's attitude was sincere. She just had to smile sweetly, and Grandfather Yu doted on her like a granddaughter.
Grandfather Yu, despite being in his nineties, was full of vitality, and his white hair didn't make him look old.
Xu Zi handed the gift bag to Grandfather Yu, saying, "Grandfather, happy birthday! I wish you a long and healthy life, like the flowing waters of the East Sea and the ageless pines of Mount Nanshan."
Grandfather Yu patted her hand, "Thank you, Zi Zi. Grandfather wishes you and Jiyan a hundred years of happiness and the birth of a noble child soon."
They say red events bring good luck, and he was indeed having a comfortable year.
The people at this dinner table wore masks, appearing warm and welcoming but harboring ulterior motives. They all saw Yu Jiyan as a thorn in their side because he was too outstanding and overshadowed their own elders.
At this moment, they were all eager to see what kind of generous gift the newlywed granddaughter-in-law of the Yu family would give.
The gift bag was quite heavy, and with Yu Jiyan's help, Grandfather Yu finally opened the hefty box. When the box was placed on the table and opened, it revealed a small pine tree sculpture and a golden rabbit figurine beside it. The golden items shone brilliantly under the bright white light.
It was indeed a heartfelt and generous gift.
Although Xu Zi was certain that this marriage wouldn't last, she was sincere when it came to Grandfather Yu. It wasn't about saving face for Yu Jiyan; it was about her own principles.
But the more attentive she was, the more Grandfather Yu cherished her. Normally, the reserved seat at the table was reserved for the eldest son, but today, he gave it to Xu Zi.
This action by Grandfather Yu caused some discontent among certain people.
Unable to find fault with the gift, they could only nitpick elsewhere. It was Yu Jiyan's aunt who spoke up first.
"Auntie Zi Zi, you've been married to Jiyan for
more than a year now, and there's been no news yet?"
Xu Zi was well aware that by "news," she meant pregnancy. She could still manage a smile and replied, "We're still young; there's no rush."
Auntie Zi Zi continued in her affected tone, "Yes, you are young, but Grandfather is not. Jiyan is Grandfather's only grandson, so naturally, he wants to see you two have children within three years."
Her words were met with a sharp silence, and all eyes were fixed on Xu Zi. She was skilled at handling legal matters but not at managing family relationships.
However, in such situations, it was usually the man's responsibility to ease tensions. Yu Jiyan stood up to pour tea for Auntie Zi Zi, saying, "It's my fault. I've been busy with AsiaHui's IPO this year, flying all over the world."
Auntie Zi Zi didn't dare to find fault with Yu Jiyan, so she sipped her tea and said, "Well, you both should still plan accordingly. Grandfather is 90 years old."
Even when he smiled, Yu Jiyan didn't reveal his true emotions. "Rest assured, we've discussed it, and we plan to have a child next year."
Xu Zi: "..."
The dining table erupted with surprised chatter.
Xu Zi was stunned, her body stiffening, her heart racing. Yu Jiyan was clearly pushing her into a difficult situation. This millennium-old fox was deliberately going against her plans.
Grandfather Yu was delighted, saying, "Is that true, Zi Zi?"
Xu Zi was clearly thrown off balance but had no choice but to offer a false answer, "Yes... it's true."
It was all a lie, but she kept her eyes fixed on Yu Jiyan, who paid her no attention as he served tea to each elder.
"Children" could indeed ignite a family's discussion. The private room suddenly became lively.
Grandfather Yu continued holding Xu Zi's hand, saying, "Zi Zi, don't feel pressured. I don't have traditional thoughts like that. I'd be happy with a boy or a girl."
Yu's mother also approached, hugging Xu Zi with excitement, "If you're planning for a baby next year, you should start preparing this year. In a little while, I'll bring you some tonics. By the way, next month, you should visit Yong'an Temple with your mother. We can start with some prayers."
Xu Zi was feeling overwhelmed. This was not part of her plan at all.
After pouring tea for everyone in the room, Yu Jiyan finally walked up to Grandfather Yu. He exchanged a glance with Xu Zi and then, together, they picked up their tea cups to serve Grandfather Yu.
Drinking this tea felt like taking a sip of alcohol for Grandfather Yu, and he couldn't stop laughing, "Zi Zi, now that you both are willing to have children, can you be a bit more intimate?"
A few months ago, during a dinner gathering, Xu Zi's evasiveness at the dining table had made Grandfather Yu somewhat unhappy and turned into a subject of mockery among the elders.
Several families gossiped after returning home, saying that a forced marriage like the one in the Yu family wouldn't last long. Grandfather Yu wanted to see the birth of Yu's family's descendants, and it seemed unlikely.
Elderly people, in fact, had simple desires— they just wanted some joy in their twilight years.
Xu Zi realized that she hadn't been as generous as she should have been and had been too petty. Furthermore, she had promised Yu Jiyan before coming here that she would cooperate with anything.
So she leaned on Yu Jiyan's shoulder, smiling, "Grandfather, thank you for raising such an outstanding grandson." She glanced up at him and swallowed her pride to say, "Thanks to that, I have such a wonderful husband."
She was forced to use the word "husband."
Fine, he won this round, but she was determined to find out this old fox's weakness.