96 Meet the Parents

Dan was sweating buckets as he looked over the menu. The tranquil ambiance of trees, plants and bonsai beyond the vermillion walls failed to calm him down.

They took a private room overlooking the bridge outside. The cool wind was flowing freely, rustling the bamboo leaves. It was very relaxing, for a normal visitor.

Well, Verdan Zhou did not actually come to appreciate the cultural design and landscape. He came to be grilled!

Midori giggled as he continued to gulp down his cold water. His handkerchief had swept over his forehead and neck multiple times. The tie which she secured around his collar had already been loosened.

She sipped her green tea in amusement. They had arrived at the meeting place half an hour early.

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Back in City S, Michelle and Riley were playing with the dogs in the park.

After tossing frisbees for the two dogs to catch, they took a rest under the cool shade of a tree.

Riley suddenly stood up. "I'm gonna get some coffee at Zesty. What will I get for you?" he casually asked Michelle.

"Caramel macchiato. Drop the whip on top, honey intead of sugar." She kept on petting the ButterScotch duo. The dogs were actually more fond of her than their real owner.

Riley squinted his eyes. His girlfriend would not even look at him. Dam* friendly dogs. He should've gotten hyenas!

He stood up, defeated. As he made two steps, her voice interrupted him.

"Get something for the dogs too!"

He pouted, without looking back at her. "Got it."

She was rolling on the grass laughing as the dogs played with her, licking her arms and face.

Then, she heard a familiar voice. "Min-hee?"

Her expression turned into shock, even prompting the dogs to stop playing and looked towards the approaching people.

Michelle gasped as the couple came closer. "Eomma(1)"

A middle-aged Asian looking couple slowly approached her.

The lady gave a gentle smile while looking at the two fluff balls. "When did you get dogs?" Her accent was a bit thick. She knew her daughter's aversion to dogs.

"And you even got two! Two big dogs!" The man chuckled. Surprisingly, his accent is a lot better than his wife's.

"Appa(2)!" There was a hint of longing in her voice. A total daddy's girl.

If we will be strict about saying so, Michelle is not technically half-Asian, as her mom is only half-Caucasian and her dad is also Asian. The name that she heard is her original name. Michelle is her English name.

"Min-hee, bogo sip-eo...(3)" the lady took Michelle into a warm hug.

Just then, a voice rang. "What's going on?"

Riley was carrying a two paperbags with Zesty's logo.

Scotch made a friendly bark, running towards him.

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Xiu Jin held his wife's hand as they walked towards the restaurant.

The private room was lined with tatami mats and there were no chairs for the low table.

Dan and Midori stood up and bowed as they greeted their elders.

There was an eerie silence in the room. After a few minutes, it was broken by the attendants who brought the food in, setting up a full kaiseki ryoki.

"Douzo(4)." Dan gestured for the elders to begin their meal.

Aoi Xiu shot him a stern look without saying anything. After awhile, she picked up her chopsticks.

The younger ones anticipated her verdict on the food, but to their surprise, she placed some meat and vegetables on Xiu Jin's bowl.

Midori had a suppressed smile on her face. Her dad was pleasantly surprised and was in a daze.

"Why are you spacing out? The rice gods will get angry." Aoi Xiu snapped him from his daze.

Xiu Jin chuckled. "I was just touched by how sweet you are lately."

Midori snickered. Her parents had always been affectionate, even in public. However, they had some issues lately so her mother declared a cold war. It seems they had sorted things out.

"I was letting you check for poison." Aoi Xiu had a serious face.

Xiu Jin coughed hard, trying to expectorate the food that he almost aspirated. His woman is too cruel. He reached for the water and drank half of it.

Seeing her parents were eating peacefully, Midori started eating as well, placing some food on her husband's bowl.

Aoi Xiu furrowed her brows as her daughter mimicks the actions of her father. She looked at Verdan Zhou. "CEO Zhou, we apologize for missing your engagement party. Are you here with your fiancée?"

The mushroom Dan held between his chopsticks fell on the table. A cold sweat accumulated on his forehead and nape.