"You're the godson Mrs. Tie adopted?" The young man's imagination left Xiang Ri utterly astonished.
Xiang Ri fixed him with a meaningful gaze, feeling compelled to reevaluate this impeccably packaged yet seemingly frivolous man. Perhaps his intelligence didn't even reach 75.
"Sort of," Xiang Ri replied, his reasoning crystal clear: a son-in-law is like half a son, and a godson is also half a son. If both can be reduced to the same fraction, calling a son-in-law a godson wasn't entirely inaccurate.
The handsome young man furrowed his brow. What he had initially assumed was a small-time opportunist aiming to curry favor turned out to possess a surprisingly "unique" status. Cautiously, he introduced himself with polite diplomacy. "My name is Ouyang Jian. As it happens, we share a distant familial connection—my mother is Mrs. Tie's second cousin."
"Oh, so you're Brother Ouyang Jian. What an intriguing connection we have…" Xiang Ri let his sentence trail off deliberately. That was sufficient, especially for someone relatively dim-witted. Misunderstandings often took root in such vague gaps.
Inwardly, Xiang Ri couldn't help a malicious smirk. A name like "Jian" fit him all too perfectly. Even if the man wasn't inherently despicable, Xiang Ri was prepared to paint him as such, especially since he dared to encroach on his territory.
Ouyang Jian was irked by the deliberate emphasis Xiang Ri placed on his name but managed to suppress his displeasure. Instead, he shifted focus to inquire about Xiang Ri's profession. "May I ask where Brother Xiang is employed?"
"Employed? Not quite. I'm still a student," Xiang Ri replied nonchalantly.
"Oh? Which prestigious institution, if I may ask?" Ouyang Jian, initially wary of Xiang Ri's supposed "godson" status, began to relax. After all, proximity often breeds opportunity. But hearing he was merely a student dispelled any apprehension. Comparing his towering physique to Xiang Ri's slender frame, Ouyang Jian was convinced the imposing Tie Wan wouldn't favor such a stick-thin individual.
Xiang Ri maintained his leisurely tone. "Just a small school. Gao Da."
"A small school? Nonsense! It's a renowned institution," Ouyang Jian remarked, though his inner contempt remained unchecked. The university was indeed respectable, likely within the nation's top five. But compared to his own Harvard credentials, it was a beggar versus a king.
Despite Ouyang Jian's well-masked disdain, Xiang Ri detected it effortlessly. This was precisely what he wanted—Ouyang Jian's arrogance would make the impending blow all the more satisfying.
"What are you two talking about?" Tie Wan emerged from the kitchen, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Xiao Wan, you're back! Why didn't you let me pick you up?" Ouyang Jian rose eagerly, stepping forward to greet her.
Tie Wan sidestepped his hand gracefully and instead approached Xiang Ri.
"Lu Lu, come here," Xiang Ri said teasingly, patting the seat beside him with a radiant grin.
Tie Wan shot him a murderous glare before sitting next to him with feigned obedience. Meanwhile, her slender fingers dug mercilessly into the tender flesh of his waist under the guise of linking arms.
Ouyang Jian was utterly dumbfounded by this sudden display of intimacy, his face contorting in shock. "You two…"
Xiang Ri, unfazed, said casually, "Oh, I forgot to mention—Tie Wan is my fiancée." His hand subtly removed the punitive fingers from his waist, though to onlookers, it appeared as though he affectionately caressed her hand.
"You're not…" Ouyang Jian stammered, pointing at Xiang Ri in disbelief, his whole body trembling.
"You're wondering if I'm not Mrs. Tie's godson?" Xiang Ri's tone was leisurely, his gaze amused. "Well, as a son-in-law, I'm half a son, wouldn't you agree?"
"You…" The realization hit Ouyang Jian like a ton of bricks—he'd been played like a fool. Fury surged, veins bulging on his forehead, yet with Tie Wan present, he refrained from physical outburst. With a cold snort, he turned on his heel and stormed out.
"Done!" Xiang Ri snapped his fingers, a smug expression lighting up his face.
"Let go of me!" With no one else around, Tie Wan's face turned stormy as she coldly stared at the arm still wrapped around her waist.
"Lu Lu, you're not looking your best like this. How about a smile? Then I'll let go immediately," Xiang Ri proposed shamelessly, grinning. What he got instead was a sharp pinch from Officer Tie, targeting the offending hand without an ounce of mercy. "Call me that again, and see if I don't cut ties with you!" she snapped.
"If I can't call you 'wife' and can't call you 'Lu Lu,' what should I call you? Tie Wan? That seems a bit too formal. Xiao Wan? But you seem older than—"
"Go to hell!" Before he could finish, Tie Wan shoved him away. "Are you calling me old? Fine, go back to your little fling!"
"Impossible! My Xiao Wan is still so young—"
"What do you mean by that?" Hearing him call her "Xiao Wan" mollified her anger somewhat—it implied she was still youthful. But recalling her earlier decision, she pressed, "Let me ask you: if I asked you to move in with me, would you agree?"
"Move in with you?" The sudden offer of bliss stunned Xiang Ri, and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes—" But then an image of Chu Xiaoniu's angry face flashed through his mind, and his enthusiasm faltered. "No, I can't."
"What did you just say?" Tie Wan, pleased moments ago with his barely concealed joy, was now livid at his sudden reversal. "Say that again!"
"Xiao Wan, aren't you putting me in a tough spot? Didn't we agree I'd have two weeks?" Xiang Ri said with a wry smile.
"Hmph." Tie Wan sneered. "Two weeks to spend more time with her, right? Then once you're done with her, you'll come back to me?"
"That's not what I meant! Actually, I don't want to give up on either of you…"
"So, you want both of us? Let me tell you, dream on! I'll never agree to that! Just answer me: are you moving in with me or not?"
"I…"
"Either nod if you agree or shake your head if you don't. And if you don't, from now on, we're done!" Her voice was icy, her words a cold ultimatum.
Xiang Ri was on the verge of breaking under the pressure, but just then, Tie Wan's mother emerged from the kitchen. "What's going on here, arguing like this? Lu Lu, are you giving Xiao Xiang a hard time again?"
"Mom, stay out of this!" Tie Wan snapped, resolutely ignoring her mother's growing ire. She turned back to Xiang Ri. "What's your answer?"
"No!" The reply came not from Xiang Ri but from Tie Wan's mother, her face dark as she glared at her daughter. "If Xiao Xiang doesn't want to do something, why are you forcing him? Do you want to drive me to my grave?"
"Mom…" Tie Wan felt like coughing up blood but couldn't reveal the real reason. "You don't understand."
"It doesn't matter. Bullying Xiao Xiang is unacceptable!" Tie Wan's mother was adamant about protecting her future son-in-law from any perceived mistreatment.
"Enough!" Tie Wan stomped her foot and stormed back to the kitchen, her fury palpable.
"Don't mind her," Tie Wan's mother turned to console Xiang Ri. "That's just her temperament."
"It's fine. I know what Xiao Wan's like. Honestly, it's my fault for not going along with her wishes," Xiang Ri replied, putting on an expression of contrite self-blame.
"Nonsense! How could it be your fault?" Tie Wan's mother, blindly satisfied with her prospective son-in-law, naturally absolved him of all blame. Seeing his sincere, slightly aggrieved expression, she shifted all responsibility to her daughter. "You shouldn't spoil her so much in the future, or she'll only get worse."
"Mom, the food's burning!" Tie Wan shouted from the kitchen, clearly eager to cut the conversation short before her mother could be charmed further by Xiang Ri's silver tongue.
"I'm coming!" Tie Wan's mother called back, hurrying off to the kitchen.
Xiang Ri rubbed his nose helplessly, casting a glance toward the kitchen. Having multiple women in his life suddenly felt like more trouble than it was worth. Just resolving their disputes alone was exhausting.
Yet he couldn't help but muse: in today's world, how many reasonable women would willingly emulate ancient tales of sisters sharing a husband? Could it be like the novels, where hordes of lovesick women throw themselves at one man? Pure wishful thinking!