Chapter 75: Extra 5-1
In the end, she still had to face his parents. Yuli’s heart was inexplicably calm at this moment.
She was just looking for a reason to break up. If his parents were not satisfied with her later, she could take the opportunity to end the relationship.
She had saved a lot of money working in his company. She could go back to her hometown’s provincial capital, buy a small house, find a suitable job, and start a new life.
Although she would surely miss him in the future.
Yuli prepared the dishes but did not go out. She leaned against the door and stared at Xie Yao.
He had a face that seemed out of this world, yet he was focused on creating a worldly atmosphere. How could there be a person with such a strong contrast, and so captivating?
A ripple suddenly appeared in her calm heart. Yuli suppressed it. A single bit of presumption would bring endless suffering. It was better not to.
Xie Yao sensed her gaze and turned his head back. He saw her face was smiling, but her eyes were inexplicably red.
Yuli coughed to cover it up.
How could Xie Yao not see the abnormality? He paused, and thinking of Yuli’s reaction when he had mentioned his parents before, he quickly understood.
She was afraid that the disparity in their family backgrounds would make his parents look down on her, and even make things difficult for her.
This was in line with the development of the original novel.
He laughed to himself.
In his previous life, he had been insecure in front of her. Now it was completely reversed.
He did not feel annoyed, but rather a little proud.
He had experienced it and knew this psychology well. She must have loved him to the extreme to be so insecure.
Xie Yao continued to cook. Because he was in a good mood, this meal was made very happily, and the final product was also excellent in color, aroma, and taste.
At the rectangular dining table, Yuli and Xie Yao sat on one side, and the couple sat on the other.
No one spoke during the meal. Xie Weifeng ate the fastest. The other three were not even halfway through when he had already left the table.
The moment Xie Weifeng left the table, Du Hongyun was obviously more relaxed and began to talk to Yuli about some daily matters.
She asked her, “Little Song, where are you from? What is your zodiac sign?”
Her face was kind, like an ordinary elder. When she asked questions, she would glance at Xie Yao from time to time.
Xie Yao was silent and served Yuli a chopstick-full of her favorite dish.
Yuli also answered her as if it were normal.
Until she asked about her parents, Yuli was at a loss for words.
Xie Yao said nonchalantly, “Ms. Du, I don’t think you’re here today to inquire about privacy.”
His tone was calm, without any emotion. Du Hongyun seemed to be used to it and smiled. “Yes, I’m here to spend the festival with you. Seeing Little Song is an unexpected surprise. Mom is happy.”
She then turned to Yuli. “Little Song, Auntie has no ill intentions. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Yuli replied, “Auntie should have asked. My mom is an ordinary woman from a county town, with no education. My dad, a few days ago, went to prison for robbery.”
The atmosphere in the living room froze for a moment.
Du Hongyun’s smile stiffened for a moment. She looked at the expressionless Xie Weifeng, and then at Xie Yao, whose face was so dark it was about to drip water.
She maintained a kind smile again. “It’s not easy for you to have gotten into university. You’re a good child.”
Yuli’s impression of Du Hongyun was still from the original novel, where she had once offered her money to leave Xie Yao. Now, whatever she said, she felt that there was a hidden meaning behind it.
But she didn’t care much anymore.
Xie Yao reached out his hand under the table and pressed Yuli’s leg.
Yuli told herself in her heart that it was nothing. When he suddenly touched her, a crack opened in her heart, and she almost failed to maintain her composure.
Fortunately, Du Hongyun quickly left the table, and Yuli also stabilized.
After the meal, she took the initiative to do the dishes. Her mind was in a mess. For a moment, she felt that having such a dad was a stain on her life. For another, she felt that even with such a dad, she had lived to this day. She was amazing, very good.
Just as she was in a mess, she heard Xie Yao’s dad finally speak in the living room.
“You don’t even come home for the festival. You’ve really forgotten your own surname.”
His voice was deep and thick, with a bit of chest resonance. It was clear that he was used to speaking in public. His tone was much more severe and majestic than the routine and steady one on TV.
Yuli’s scalp tingled when she heard it.
Here it comes. This was the real nemesis of the original male lead. Every time Xie Yao saw him, he would surely explode, and after exploding, he would surely be defeated.
Yuli couldn’t help but stop her movements.
But she heard Xie Yao reply to him, “That’s your home. You didn’t invite me. I won’t go without a reason, just like today, I didn’t invite you, but you came.”
His tone was calm and relaxed, with no emotion, but his words had a sharp edge.
The living room was silent for a moment. Xie Weifeng did not fight back.
Yuli was stunned. What was going on?
After a while, she heard him speak. “The meeting at the ministry last month, it was you who was invited. Why didn’t you come in person?”
“That is my freedom as a citizen.”
“That is also your duty as an entrepreneur!” Xie Weifeng said righteously, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold again.
Xie Yao was still relaxed. “Mingyan Capital has done enough of its duty. I didn’t go, and the meaning is very clear. Minister Xie should not be unaware.”
“A tall tree attracts the wind. Do you think your company can withstand a few setbacks?”
“That’s better than giving it to Minister Xie to waste.”
Xie Weifeng was so angry that his eyebrows stood on end. He slapped the table. “To have you support the emerging industries is to give you a chance!”
Hearing the table being slapped outside, Yuli in the kitchen didn’t dare to breathe.
Du Hongyun on the side came to smooth things over. “It’s a festival. Let’s not talk about business first.”
But Xie Weifeng was here to talk about business. Guiding the flow of private capital was his duty.
Xie Yao picked up a water glass and took a sip.
Du Hongyun also advised Xie Weifeng to have a sip of water to calm down.
After a two-minute pause, Xie Weifeng calmed down from his somewhat agitated state.
Xie Yao’s expression did not change.
Compared to his previous life, his parents in this life were extremely good to him.
From a young age, they had given him love. When he grew up, they had done their best to cultivate him. He had done very well and had always been their pride. It was only after he had become an adult and had not followed Xie Weifeng’s wishes to go into politics that there had been a conflict.
His company grew bigger and bigger, and Xie Weifeng had determined that he was the kind of capitalist who had forgotten his ancestors, which was common in the financial world.
Xie Yao was too lazy to explain to him and had moved out of the house at the age of nineteen. He would only go home on holidays at Du Hongyun’s invitation, but he was always at odds with Xie Weifeng.
But in his heart, he treated them as his parents.
When he was a minor, they had truly loved him and had let him experience the love of normal parents.
And now that he had found Yuli, he would have to live a normal family life. He no longer had any intention of competing with him. Although he was surely more brilliant than him. But as a son, he had to give in to him a little.
Xie Yao looked at his father, who was majestic without being angry. “Dad, I rarely ask others to cooperate with me, because I know that if you want the other party to give something, you have to at least have an equal attitude.”
There was still no emotion, but the content of his words had a hint of warmth. “But you came today without any notice, and you are not even willing to call me ‘son.'”
It was clearly he who had called him “Minister Xie” as soon as he had arrived. Xie Feng held back from refuting and looked at Xie Yao coldly.
Xie Yao: “I saw on the news that you were meeting with entrepreneurs. You would first reach out to shake their hands. Am I not worthy of this treatment? Or is it that I am your son, and you want to talk to me about father-son feelings?”
Xie Weifeng was not a stubborn person. Hearing this, he also understood, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He leaned forward slightly, picked up a water glass but did not drink. “You know and you still ask.”
Although Xie Weifeng’s tone was not good, this was an admission. The corners of Du Hongyun’s mouth wanted to smile, but seeing that Xie Yao was not satisfied, she held back in the end.
The head of a ministry, so concerned about his face. How could he succeed? Xie Yao did not indulge him and said calmly, “Then you tell me.”
Xie Weifeng held it in for a long time before saying in a negotiating tone, “The companies we chose, what’s wrong with them?”
That’s more like it. Xie Yao also put away his confrontation and said to him seriously, “The entry mechanism you designed is not right…”
Yuli in the kitchen was a little magical. Was this still the irritable male lead who was scolded by his dad and didn’t dare to say a word in return?
How did it seem like it was Xie Yao who was scolding his dad in return? No, it wasn’t scolding, but more like a higher level of guidance.
At this point, Yuli’s impression of the original novel’s male lead was completely overturned.
*
By the time she saw the couple off, Yuli was still in a daze.
Although from beginning to end, Xie Weifeng had not said a word to her, Yuli could feel that he was not so cold and hard anymore.
That was true. His son was completely out of his control, and he had to condescend to talk to him about business. He probably couldn’t interfere with his marriage.
When they reached the door, Du Hongyun stopped, turned back, and looked at Xie Yao behind Yuli.
“Son, when you get married, you have to let me know,” Du Hongyun said, and then looked at Yuli. “Leave me your phone number, Little Song.”
Xie Yao did not speak, and Yuli could not refuse. Perhaps she would really look for her later and ask her to leave Xie Yao or something.
After the couple left and the main door was closed.
Yuli let out a huge sigh of relief.
Xie Yao immediately leaned over. “How about it? Are you still satisfied with them?”
Yuli looked at Xie Yao with a strange gaze, as if she no longer knew him, and also as if she wanted to see another soul in his body.
Yuli: “They are elders. How can there be any talk of being satisfied or not?”
“Then you don’t like them,” Xie Yao knew her feelings well. “Then we won’t see them in the future.”
Yuli did not speak. Xie Yao held her gently. “Yuli, a person’s birth does not determine anything. Man can conquer nature, and heaven helps those who help themselves.”
These were the words she had once said to him, which had given him great encouragement. Now he was returning them to her.
“You have gone through these hardships and have survived. The strength you possess is many times stronger than those who were born into wealth.”
“Really?” Yuli still seemed a little insecure.
“Of course. And you have maintained your kindness even after encountering great malice, which is different from everyone else in the world.”
When he had first come to this world, he had indeed been shocked. It turned out that there was really a society with no famine, human rights, equality, and the rule of law, as Yuli had said. Yuli had said that she was just the most ordinary one, but gradually he discovered that she was not. She was unique. He could not find a second one, nor did he have the heart to.
“How do you know me better than I know myself?” Yuli said with a smile.
“That’s natural.” They had been husband and wife for fifty years.
But the her now had no memory of that. A full fifty years, only he remembered.
Yuli knew that he was not just a simple love-struck fool. His judgment had always been very accurate. She held him a little tighter. “I believe you, Mr. Xie.”
Xie Yao chuckled, held her to the sofa, held her face, and bent down to kiss her.
In broad daylight, the light was very bright. Yuli was not used to it but did not refuse.
She hooked her arms around his neck, and the fire was lit at once.
Xie Yao bent his leg and pressed down on her, holding her wrist, caressing the small mole on her wrist, and rubbing it until it was red and hot.
The wind and snow were fluttering outside the window. Inside, the panting grew heavier, and the words were intermittent.
*