CH 87

Meeting His Parents

Su Shen didn’t want to talk with him at all. This man was too cunning, appearing to be unassuming on the surface. No wonder He Hua had not been able to take advantage of him.

After breakfast, Su Shen went to change her clothes into a simple and elegant blue dress. If she overdressed, she would definitely appear too lofty. It was better to be down-to-earth and friendly. 

After getting in the car, it suddenly occurred to her that she still didn’t know what Xie Yan’s parents did, but she didn’t want to talk to him, so she just sat there and went on her phone.

The drama starring her and Jiang Yin was not broadcasted weekly, so the ending would already be airing next week. The viewership rating was steady at Top 2. Simultaneously airing, the popularity of Immortal Road had been dropping because it aired weekly. He Hua said that she had been nominated for the annual most popular actress of the year award at one of the small screen award ceremonies. Other nominees include popular young starlets such as Yang Zhi, Li Xue, Mu Yao, and Ye Qianqian. This was also a kind of affirmation of one’s fame, mainly based on various news media rankings of artists. Although their drama was not a huge hit, it was definitely a small hit. It was just that Zhu Qinqin had too many scenes in the latter part of the drama that wrecked the overall feel of the drama.

Netizen A: Poor Su Shen, only appearing for a total of 5 minutes in 3 episodes combined. Did this supporting actress join the production with investment? [smiley face]

Netizen B: Zhu Qinqin’s shitty acting has consistently been the same for the past decade. Whenever I see her, I just want to [vomit].

Netizen C: This drama’s to prop the supporting actress, right? Poor Su Su. [aggrieved]

Netizen D: The female lead is reduced to a supporting character. The supporting female lead won’t end up with the male lead later, right?

Netizen E: It’s said that Su Shen has a powerful background. If she really did, would her scenes be deleted to this extent?

Netizen F: I used to like Jiang Yin a lot, but after watching this drama, I’m suddenly repulsed by him. Why did he choose a scumbag role? [vomit]

Nowadays, people were all criticizing the latter part of the drama. He Hua must’ve enlarged the fact that her scenes were cut to gain the public’s sympathy. This was the best time to gain popularity since people generally sympathized with the underdog in unfair situations. 

Su Shen’s Weibo fan count has also increased to 15 million. Now, even a casual selfie could get tens of thousands of comments. Having experienced being attacked all over the internet, this feeling of being famous overnight did not excite her too much. The entertainment industry was ever-changing, and who knew if she would fall again tomorrow? it was better to keep a calm mindset. 

“We didn’t seem to use any protective measures yesterday.”

Su Shen: “…….”

His sudden words made her look up blankly. Looking at the man who was still driving, her face gradually warmed up. 

Turning his head slightly, he looked at her in all seriousness and said, “It’s alright. I’m not young anymore, and my parents have been wanting a grandchild.”

As their eyes met, Su Shen couldn’t help blushing, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. In the entertainment industry, getting married in your 30s or 40s was common, and getting married before 30 was already considered early. In the eyes of ordinary people, Xie Yan was at the right age to get married. However, in the entertainment industry, there were many people his age who had not yet gotten married. 

“But.… what if I’m not pregnant?” Su Shen couldn’t help but glance at him, feeling like she had already been subtle enough with her words. 

Hearing this, Xie Yan’s expression remained unchanged, and said in a deep voice, “We can get married first, then have a child.”

Su Shen: “………..”

Looking down, she didn’t say anything, but her cheeks were slightly flushed. Regarding marriage, she had always thought it was better to go with the flow, and she hadn’t even met Xie Yan’s parents yet, so she didn’t know if they would like her. 

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Xie Yan turned to look at her and chuckled, “You weren’t so unconfident when you rejected me back then.”

At that, Su Shen immediately looked up and frowned. “When have I rejected you?”

She clearly agreed so quickly. Where was the rejection?

“I hinted at you so many times, but you ignored it. Isn’t that a form of rejection?” said Xie Yan, his voice tinged with inquiry as he turned the steering wheel. 

At that, Su Shen blushed and coughed lightly, keeping silent. She did notice Xie Yan’s feelings for her, but she didn’t want to date so early. However, Xie Yan had been persistent for so long that even if she was made of stone, she should have figured things out by then.

Under a weird atmosphere throughout the drive, the car eventually stopped at the entrance of a small mansion. Su Shen was a little nervous. Regardless, she still hoped to receive the blessings of both parents.  

After getting out of the car, she saw many kinds of flowers planted in the garden at the front, blooming beautifully in this season. There were beautiful purples and brilliant reds blooming gorgeously. The trees and branches were neatly trimmed. It could be seen that there was someone taking good care of them regularly.  

Su Shen didn’t not have any preparation at all. Upon hearing that Xie Yan’s mom liked Su embroidery*, Su Shen prepared a piece of embroidery showcasing various flowers in bloom that she had previously started when she was bored. Although she had only embroidered half of it, she recently fished it out again and had been working on finishing the other half whenever she had time. Su embroidery required a lot of time. If she hadn’t already embroidered half of it, she wouldn’t have been able to finish it in such a short amount of time.

Su embroidery* – one of the four major traditional styles of Chinese embroidery that originated from Suzhou; it is known for its delicate and intricate stitches, which are often used to depict natural scenery, flowers, and birds

For Xie Yan’s dad, she prepared some tea, as Xie Yan said that his dad did not particularly like anything, which made it somewhat difficult for Su Shen to decide what to prepare. 

“What should I do? I’m a little nervous.” She stood at the door and suddenly felt hesitant to go in.

This was the first time seeing her being so nervous. She wasn’t even so nervous at the awards ceremony last time. Xie Yan lowered his head and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Still nervous?” 

Su Shen widened her eyes and glared at him. The latter then held her hand and slowly led her inside. 

In the living room, there seemed to be Chinese opera playing, more specifically Peking Opera. The decor of the whole living room was reminiscent of the old generation, even the sofa was made of leather. On the wall hung a framed landscape painting, which was clearly the work of a famous artist. Upon closer inspection, Su Shen felt that she could paint something similar if she put in the effort. 

Just at this moment, a middle-aged woman wearing purple athletic clothes suddenly walked out of the kitchen. She looked very young and had a great temperament. She was holding a plate of fruits. When she saw the two of them, her complexion immediately changed, and came over with a smile. “You heartless brat, you’re finally willing to bring your girlfriend home.” 

Approaching them, Mama Xie inadvertently glanced at Su Shen from top to bottom. Looking at her pretty face, she immediately smiled happily and said, “You must be Su Shen, right? What a beauty! Auntie has been abroad for a while. If I had known earlier, I would’ve come back to see you two earlier.”

As she spoke, the person sitting on the sofa watching Chinese opera also turned around and coldly snorted at the sight of Xie Yan. However, upon seeing Su Shen, his expression softened and put on his glasses before walking toward them.

“Uncle, please have a seat.” Su Shen hurried forward and gave her greetings. She couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised upon seeing him, who was in his 50s or 60s. 

Xie Quan was a well-known director for his expertise in producing works set in the Republic of China era and during the Anti-Japanese War. He had won three Best Director awards but had remained low-profile over the years as his works were mainly fictional historical works. Su Shen had heard of him before because her dad enjoyed watching these types of works, so she also followed the director in passing. However, Xie Quan hasn’t directed any work in recent years. Su Shen didn’t expect that he was actually Xie Yan’s dad!

“No need to be so formal, just sit down and make yourself at home,” said Xie Quan, pushing up his glasses and sitting across from her with a kind expression.

“Right, right, make yourself at home. Xiao Su, what kind of fruit do you like? Auntie will go get it for you,” said Mama Xie with a smile.

Su Shen immediately got up and said politely, “Auntie, it’s alright. I’m not very hungry.”

The TV was still playing Chinese opera. Mama Su kept smiling at Su Shen, becoming more and more satisfied as she looked at her. This girl had a beautiful smile and a great temperament. She had heard that she was also skilled in the four arts*. It turned out that her son also liked girls with classicality. 

four arts – guzheng, Go, calligraphy, painting

Speaking of which, seeing that Xie Yan was still looking at Su Shen, Xie Quan, who was sitting on the sofa, glanced at him and frowned. “You still know how to find a girlfriend! I thought you wanted to be single forever!”