“Linchuan, why did you come back at this hour?”
Cui Ping looked at the suddenly returned Chu Linchuan with some surprise. After all, he rarely came to the Air Force Compound on weekdays. Even when he did return, it was not at this neither early nor late time when dinner was not yet served.
However, her second son, who always acted steadily and appropriately in front of outsiders, did not answer her question. Instead, he was ‘rude’ in front of outsiders.
Because at that moment, all his attention was drawn to Qiao Shu, who was sitting in the Glass Greenhouse.
At that time, he simply stared dazedly at Qiao Shu. His face, with its sharp lines, three-dimensional features, and extraordinary handsomeness, was filled with—stunned admiration.
Chu Linchuan believed his composure was very strong. No matter what grand occasion he faced, he could handle it with ease.
But today, when he saw the girl sitting in the Glass Greenhouse, he could not only not control his body, but he also could not control his wildly beating heart.
He, who was always shrewd and sharp in the business world, now seemed like a green boy in his early twenties—inexperienced and tense, unable to speak.
He just stared blankly at Qiao Shu, standing motionless like a fool.
Seeing her second son like this, Cui Ping was startled. She wondered in her heart if her difficult second son had fallen for Qiao Shu???
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, just a few days ago, her second son, who never listened to his parents, had said he would never get married in his lifetime…
No matter how Cui Ping’s thoughts twisted and turned, she showed nothing on her face. She stood up, walked to Chu Linchuan’s side, and quietly tugged at him.
“Linchuan, this is your Aunt He Hong, and this is your little sister Qiao Shu…”
Chu Linchuan, who had been staring dazedly at Qiao Shu, finally came back to his senses upon hearing his mother’s words.
He coughed lightly in an unnatural manner. Though embarrassed in his heart, once he adjusted himself, he showed nothing on his face.
“Hello, Aunt He. Hello, Qiao… Shu little sister.”
Even when saying Qiao Shu’s name, he still stuttered a bit, and his expression was not very natural.
“Cui Ping, your second son has grown even more handsome! I didn’t think he looked this stylish before.”
Although He Hong noticed Chu Linchuan’s unnatural expression when facing her own little girl, she did not think much of it.
After all, her little girl was extremely beautiful. Who wouldn’t be stunned the first time they saw her?
Even her own wooden son had reportedly been briefly dazed upon seeing Qiao Shu.
So, He Hong fully understood Chu Linchuan’s ‘loss of composure.’ And because of his age, she did not take him seriously. After all, men over thirty who got clingy were kicked out of her consideration for suitors.
Her little girl was only nineteen. She definitely could not marry someone too old~!
“Hehehe, my second son deals frequently with people from Peng City, Sheep City, and international friends from abroad. So, this kid has become a bit ‘vain,’ wearing and using the most fashionable things. That suit of his cost over ten thousand yuan, custom-made from abroad! They say it’s a big foreign brand, worth that price. I say it’s just wasting money. What tailor in our Capital couldn’t make a suit like that…”
As soon as He Hong praised her second son for being more stylish, Cui Ping’s floodgates opened. She could not help but complain about her son even in front of outsiders.
Of course, she would not complain like this to others. A suit worth over ten thousand was too eye-catching and would attract envy.
But with He Hong, Cui Ping had no such concerns. After all, the Feng Family’s background was no worse than theirs. Though her two children were in the military and their assets were certainly less, He Hong’s maternal family was wealthy, and the family He Yingzi married into was a scholarly household with substantial assets.
Most importantly—He Hong had impeccable character and values. She was not the type to gossip about others.
So, Cui Ping vented all her pent-up frustration to He Hong.
“…Huh? Just the clothes on him cost over ten thousand?”
He Hong’s eyes widened as she looked at Chu Linchuan again upon hearing Cui Ping’s words. She stared incredulously at the well-tailored black suit on his body.
Honestly, apart from the suit having a better cut, a slimmer fit, perfectly hugging his body without excess or shortage, and perfectly showcasing his lean and tall figure, she really could not see where it was worth so much money.
So, she echoed Cui Ping’s sentiment.
“Yeah, with that much money, you could have ten suits made by a skilled old tailor in our Capital!”
Hearing the two mothers’ exclamations, Chu Linchuan worried that the girl sitting beside Tian Tian might misunderstand him. He hurriedly explained.
“It’s actually not that expensive. And when doing business with those foreigners and Hong Kong people, you have to dress expensively. After all, fine clothes make the man. If you dress ordinarily, those superficial people might look down on you, and you’d lose in presence.”
This was the first time Chu Linchuan had explained so much in front of outsiders, or even his own family.
Though what he said was true, more importantly, he was a hedonist.
Since he earned money, he naturally spent it on enjoyment. He was never stingy with his family or himself.
Unfortunately, the national virtue of frugality was not accepting of his lifestyle.
Over time, he stopped revealing prices even when buying things.
The expensive suit he wore had unluckily been seen with its price tag by his cousin Tian Tian, who lived in their house. It became ‘evidence’ for his mother to nag him, criticizing him from time to time, which he usually ignored.
He just had not expected his mother to bring up his suit in front of outsiders, especially… when the girl who stirred his heart was among them.
Yes, from the first glance at Qiao Shu, he had fallen for the little girl sitting amid the flowers, more vibrant and beautiful than the blooms.
He was no longer an ignorant youth naive to love. At thirty, after all he had experienced, he knew he had fallen for the girl more radiant than the flowers.
In that instant, he even fantasized about her in a white wedding dress, and them having two children…
These thoughts flashed by in a moment, so Chu Linchuan clearly knew he was done for.
He, the hedonist who believed in love but not marriage, for the first time wanted to quickly marry this little girl home and cherish her properly.
In that moment seeing Qiao Shu, he realized it was not that he did not want to marry, but that he had not met someone who moved him to want marriage…
Because Chu Linchuan’s gaze had always been on Qiao Shu during his explanation, she sized up the man before her amid her puzzlement.
If speaking of the man’s appearance, his most striking feature was that pair of peach blossom eyes, which softened his sharp lines and added a touch of romance to his elegant and steady aura.
But because his eyes were clear and his posture carried the uprightness unique to soldiers, the romantic air he exuded was open and upright, evoking no ill feelings.
Instead, it made the man before her even more charming.
“Yes, yes, yes. That mouth of yours can argue black is white. Keep making excuses. I just don’t like you buying such expensive clothes. Clothes should just be wearable…”
Cui Ping’s nagging was not finished when Chu Linchuan interrupted her.
“Mom, are Aunt He and Qiao Shu little sister here as guests today? How about tonight I treat and invite Aunt He and Qiao Shu little sister to the new Seafood Private Cuisine House that just opened in our Capital to try it out?”
Upon hearing Chu Linchuan mention the Seafood Private Cuisine House, Qiao Shu’s eyes lit up immediately.
As a foodie, how could she not love seafood!
Unfortunately, resources were scarce in this era. Even the Feng Family at most bought some crabs. A seafood feast? Not even worth dreaming about!
So, how could she not be tempted by the Seafood Private Cuisine House Chu Linchuan mentioned?
But it was merely temptation. Not very outgoing by nature, she just blinked and subconsciously licked her lips, saying nothing.
After all, seafood and private cuisine houses were surely not cheap. They were not close, so it would be too much to let him spend.
Moreover, her future mother-in-law would not agree~!
Sure enough, He Hong refused without thinking.
“Hehe, Linchuan, thank you for the kind offer, but we’ll skip the meal.”
Seeing his proposal rejected by He Hong without hesitation, Chu Linchuan did not take it to heart.
Because—he seemed to have discovered a ‘little weakness’ of the girl who stirred his heart.
She seemed to… love food a lot.
Chu Linchuan, whose gaze had been secretly watching Qiao Shu, keenly noticed that when he mentioned the Seafood Private Cuisine House, the little girl’s beautiful clear eyes blinked, and she even stuck out her pink tongue to lick her lips, looking just like a little glutton cat.
This made his heart race and blood surge, while also letting him know he could approach this heart-stirring little girl through food…
“Alright, it’s getting late. We won’t stay. We’re heading back.”
After finishing her last cup of Bi Luo Chun, He Hong stood up to leave.
Cui Ping grew anxious and frustrated watching He Hong about to take Qiao Shu away.
Of course, all that anxiety and frustration was aimed at her youngest son, Chu Linyan.
She had finally kept them here, but her unpromising youngest had not returned yet!
“How about staying for dinner…?”
Cui Ping intimately linked arms with He Hong, acting like close sisters as she persuaded.
Unfortunately, He Hong had already eliminated Cui Ping’s youngest son from suitors. Staying for dinner at the Chu Family was out of the question.
“No need. Our Old Feng and the old master are waiting for us to come home for dinner.”
He Hong smiled politely, withdrew her arm, took Qiao Shu’s hand, and prepared to leave.
However, just as she led Qiao Shu away, Chu Linchuan, who had been very quiet and had not interacted much with Qiao Shu, called out to He Hong.