Su Qing struggled to get out of bed, feeling exhausted from not sleeping well last night. She made her way downstairs.
Zhao Yi had already set the breakfast on the table. Su Qing nibbled on a piece of toast while watching Lu Xiu come down from upstairs. His gait was lazy as he casually descended the stairs, finally sitting beside Su Qing. With a casual step, he hooked his long legs around hers and smoothly pulled her chair closer to him.
The chair slid on the tiles, forming an arc, startling Su Qing. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed.
Lu Xiu pinched her chin with one hand, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he leaned in to kiss her. "Isn't it obvious?" he murmured against her lips.
Su Qing was used to his antics by now and just gave him a fleeting glance before continuing to eat.
---
Outside, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was at its peak. Su Qing watered the flowers outside before returning indoors. Lu Xiu was busy working on his computer, while Su Qing boredly played with her phone beside him, feeling increasingly lazy.
After finishing his work, Su Qing lifted her foot and sat on his lap, resting her chin on his shoulder and murmuring, "Hug."
She heard a soft laughter in her ear, tickling her. "Going home with me for the New Year in a couple of days?" Lu Xiu asked as he embraced her, his warmth enveloping her.
She reflexively met his gaze, shaking her head. "I don't want to, I'm scared," Su Qing admitted.
Lu Xiu chuckled and reached out to brush away her stray hair. "What are you afraid of?"
She was afraid his mother wouldn't like her, despite always saying those evil mother-in-law characters on TV were just fiction. But now, facing the reality, she couldn't help but feel hesitant and anxious.
---
The days passed quickly, and Su Qing found herself regretting agreeing to go to his family's home. She reluctantly got into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and took the water Lu Xiu offered her, tactically asking, "Are we really going?"
"There's no turning back now," Lu Xiu replied, driving and glancing at her.
Su Qing's voice suddenly raised, "I'm not regretting it, I was just asking casually," she said, shaking her head in disbelief even to herself.
"Oh," Lu Xiu followed her lead, not revealing her true thoughts.
---
When they arrived at his home, the grand villa was a bit overwhelming for Su Qing. She felt a heaviness in her heart as they walked towards the entrance. The door opened—
Inside, cheerful music played, and several apron-clad aunties stood there, their smiles brightening as they saw the newcomers.
"This must be Qingqing, I've heard about you from Madam every day," they greeted her warmly.
Su Qing smiled shyly in response.
Just then, a voice from upstairs called out urgently, sounding somewhat anxious, "Has my son come back?"
Su Qing looked up to see a figure appearing at the corner of the staircase. It was Lu Xiu's mother, dressed in a light beige long sweater, with a graceful demeanor and a smile on her face, rushing downstairs.
Shen Yuqing saw her son standing beside Su Qing and hurried over to them, pulling Lu Xiu aside and introducing herself to Su Qing. "I'm Qingqing's mother," she said, a bit embarrassed at the situation, then glanced at Lu Xiu, hoping he would come up with a topic.
Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"Hello, Auntie," Su Qing said, her eyes bright and clear.
"Ah, he's always like this, taking so long to bring you here. From now on, treat this place as your own home. Don't feel shy; I've always wanted a daughter. I don't know why I ended up with a son; I always feel like he's not my biological child," Shen Yuqing joked.
She then linked arms with Su Qing and led her to the sofa, with Lu Xiu sitting beside them, playing with her long hair.
"Thank you, Auntie," Su Qing blushed, feeling even more awkward since she wasn't naturally talkative, and now she was at a loss for words.
"We're family now; no need for thanks. I bought you a lot of clothes when I went shopping the other day. I'll bring them over later," Shen Yuqing said, her smile making Su Qing's heart soften. It had been a long time since she felt this way. Actually, there was a wardrobe full of clothes at home, all picked out by Lu Xiu, as it seemed their family loved shopping. It was hard to refuse their kindness.
Lu Xiu had already briefed Shen Yuqing about Su Qing's family situation, and she looked at Su Qing with a mixture of pity and affection.
She couldn't imagine what Su Qing had been through, especially with Su Haiguo. Now, she knew her instincts about him were right.
She had been liking the person her son had liked for several years. She believed in that.
Shen Yuqing chatted with Su Qing, recounting embarrassing stories from Lu Xiu's childhood, and gradually, Su Qing relaxed, no longer feeling distant.
"I'll cook later; I haven't been this happy in a long time," Shen Yuqing said, smiling.
Just then, Lu Yijun, who had just finished his work and come downstairs, heard her words. "You're cooking? What's got you so happy?" he asked, walking over to them and looking down at Shen Yuqing.
"None of your business," Shen Yuqing said, hooking her arm through his, exchanging a glance with him.
Lu Yijun's face was filled with indulgence.
Watching the atmosphere in his family, Su Qing whispered softly, "Your parents are here; don't play tricks on me."
Her words were met with a soft laughter, and Shen Yuqing's gentle face displayed a gossipy smile, something Su Qing hadn't seen before. To be honest, it was a bit rare.