CH 5

There was a vague density floating in the evening sky. The air was full of scattered particles and rendered the daily landscape into an oil painting-like texture.

‘Today’s sunset is pink,’ Chi Xueyan thought as he walked into the house.

The huge house was very quiet, apart from the faint movements from the kitchen and the smell of food wafting out from time to time.

The aunt specially hired to cook was busy. She stuck her head out when she heard the sound and greeted him with a smile. “Xiao Yan is back.”

Chi Xueyan smiled back in greeting. “Aunt Ling, what are we eating today?”

“It is all your favorite food and I even made chicken soup.” Aunt Ling worked in his house all year round and they had a close relationship. “You said that you really wanted to drink soup.”

Chi Xueyan thought for a moment. “Is there a sweet soup to lower the heat?”

“Are you hot? This season is so irritating.” Aunt Ling immediately calculated it carefully. “Then stewed white fungus? Mung bungs are also available. I have all the ingredients, so I will prepare it right away.”

“Thank you, Aunt Ling.” Chi Xueyan specially gave her instructions. “Remember to serve my father a bowl later.”

Aunt Ling was stunned. Then she showed an understanding expression and smiled helplessly. “I got it. Leave it to me.”

After preparing means to reduce the fire, Chi Xueyan went upstairs. He found Han Zhenzhen’s safe, put back the household registration book and ignored the alert light that was triggered on the side.

A quarter of an hour later, a familiar voice was heard from downstairs on time.

First, there was an irascible female voice who spoke very fast. “Did you notice Lao Li’s expression during the meeting? Did he really think you would be fooled? Sooner or later, I will find a chance to put a sack on him and beat him so that he couldn’t even find north—”

Then there was a rough and powerful male voice. “It was agreed that we wouldn’t talk about business when going home. Talk about it tomorrow.”

“Isn’t the door not closed yet? It isn’t counted as going home. Why don’t you use the excuse of training to clean him up?”

“…Okay.”

This was followed by a resolute slam of the door.

After a brief silence, Han Zhenzhen’s gentle voice was heard from downstairs. “Yanyan, we are back.”

Faced with the huge contrast that happened every day, Chi Xueyan couldn’t hold back and laughed.

He put the little red book in his pocket and went downstairs as if nothing had happened. “Mom, Dad.”

Han Zhenzhen was dressed in a dark red business attire with a strong aura. She casually threw off the high heels on her feet and raised the plastic bag in her hand toward her son. “The uncle opposite the company has finally come out to fry chestnuts again. Eat them while they are hot.”

Immediately behind her, Chi Zhongyuan squatted down obediently and put his wife’s high heels upright. His skillful movements didn’t match his burly physique of 1.9 meters, but there was a strange harmony.

Chi Xueyan took the sugar-fried chestnuts from his mother, washed his hands and sat down at the dining table to peel the chestnuts in peace.

He peeled the first fragrant chestnut and waved toward Han Zhenzhen. “Mom.”

Han Zhenzhen ate it with a smile and praised it like she was coaxing a child. “I will buy it for you next time.”

After Chi Xueyan handed her three pieces of chestnuts in a row, she realized something and became alert. “Do you want to go bungee jumping again on the weekend? Or do you want to ask the two of us to go to a haunted house together?”

Han Zhenzhen observed her unusually well-behaved son today and frowned. “No, it looks like a new trick.”

Chi Zhongyuan interjected from where he was taking beer from the refrigerator. “Is it the safe?”

Han Zhenzhen was reminded of this matter. “By the way, why did you open the safe twice this afternoon? What were you looking for? If it wasn’t for the fact that the alarm outside didn’t respond, I would’ve thought it was a thief.”

Chi Xueyan’s parents ran a sizable security service company that was a leader in the industry. It ranged from high-tech hardware that provided systematic security solutions to highly-trained high-end security services.

Therefore, it might not be obvious from the appearance but a lot of safety equipment was actually installed in the Chi house.

Chi Xueyan turned to look out the window and answered, “Mom, look. Today’s sky is pink.”

Han Zhenzhen: “……”

She followed Chi Xueyan’s gaze and instinctively sat up straight, trying to figure out her son’s mysterious brain circuit.

Chi Zhongyuan noticed the unusual atmosphere and immediately sat down while holding a beer bottle.

Chi Xueyan faced his parents and smiled. “Don’t be nervous. I just briefly borrowed the household registration book.”

Han Zhenzhen’s expression was dazed for a moment and she asked with surprise. “Household registration book? What are you doing with…”

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Chi Xueyan take out a small red book from her pocket and calmly put it on the dining table. “I got the certificate with someone.”

Against the romantic peach-pink dusk, the large, golden characters of the marriage certificate shone brightly on the cover.

Han Zhenzhen’s eyes widened.

Chi Zhongyuan, who had been silently drinking beer, choked suddenly.

Amidst the splashing beer foam, Aunt Ling quickly ran over with a rag in her hands. “Oh, be careful—”

In the midst of the chaos, Han Zhenzhen immediately found the contact information of the fortune teller on her phone. She was ready to ask for a way to solve the disaster for her determined son.

Before calling the number, she sighed deeply and said bitterly, “What should come will always come. Fate is fate.”

Chi Xueyan had been forced to participate in blind dates for a long time because Han Zhenzhen took him to a fortune teller when he was a child and his fortune said he would incur disasters due to his emotional stubbornness in the future, and his fate was bleak. Han Zhenzhen believed in this prediction very much.

Looking at it now, it was strangely consistent with the plot of the novel that He Qiao said.

Chi Xueyan heard Han Zhenzhen’s words and shook his head seriously.

He wouldn’t submit to his preordained fate.

“I didn’t mess around,” he said. “This person is the object of your satisfaction.”

Han Zhenzhen was stunned. She put down her phone, picked up her son’s marriage certificate and took a deep breath before opening it.

In the photo against a blue background, Chi Xueyan and his handsome other half were wearing the same white shirt. They stood shoulder to shoulder and were smiling brightly.

She blurted out, “It is He Qiao?”

Chi Zhongyuan, who was still in shock, came over and blurted out, “Why isn’t it a photo with a red background? Ours is a photo with a red background.”

Then he turned the little red book over and over again. “This must be a false certificate!”

Chi Xueyan was silent for a moment before helplessly pointing to his flamboyant hair. “Red hair can’t be shot against a red background.”

Han Zhenzhen mercilessly slapped away the hands of her rough husband and carefully observed the marriage certificate photo.

Then she looked up at her son, her tone slowed a bit. “You are smiling very happily when taking the photo.”

A mother could always detect the subtle differences in the child’s expression.

Chi Xueyan nodded without changing his expression. “I like him a lot.”

An exciting and novel matter like a flash marriage in one day would naturally make him smile happily.

“But you just went on a blind date yesterday. It is too soon after meeting once.” Han Zhenzhen said this and Then corrected herself. “No, you also ran out last night. Then there is today… you met three times since your first meeting. It seems to be quite frequent.”

Chi Xueyan spoke nonsense. “Love at first sight is like this. It is fierce.”

Han Zhenzhen didn’t know how to ask further questions. She was silent for a moment before suddenly thinking of one thing. “You didn’t tell us in advance. Then what about He Qiao? Does his family agree?”

He Qiao’s brother He Xiao might be the one who initiated the blind date this time, but both families were in business and their business was doing well. It wasn’t small. It was inevitable that they would think more when it came to their child’s marriage.

“Marriage is a matter between two people. I think mutual willingness is the most important thing,” Chi Xueyan said. “We have also signed a prenuptial agreement. All properties before and after marriage are independent of each other and won’t affect the family.”

There was no question of who would receive what.

“He has a reliable temperament that makes people trust him. I suddenly have the urge to get married. Once I have this feeling, the effect of meeting him once is the same as meeting him a hundred times.

Chi Xueyan’s tone was quite serious. “In that case, why wait? It is better to seize the occasion. We decided to get the certificate today.”

“I hope that marriage is a simple and pure thing. There isn’t the constraint of property matters between us; no one is attached to anyone. It is only related to feelings. If we don’t love each other in the future, we will simply separate.”

“Of course, if you are very opposed and it will affect the family relationship due to this, I can go and get a divorce certificate.”

Chi Xueyan spread out his hands. “In any case, it is just a certificate. It isn’t a big deal.”

Hearing their son’s words, Han Zhenzhen and Chi Zhongyuan looked at each other in blank dismay.

Chi Xueyan had loved to play since childhood and always had the ability to persuade them to do things that seemed deviant to others. The couple often resisted before accepting it, so their psychological endurance was constantly being tempered.

Hearing it this way, it seemed that a flash marriage in one day really wasn’t a big deal.

They believed that with their son’s personality, it was possible to get a divorce tomorrow.

During the time when the two people were frowning and thinking about it, Aunt Ling came out of the kitchen and served the steaming dishes at the right time. “Eat.”

Chi Xueyan took the initiative to get up and help her with the dishes and chopsticks.

As night fell, the lights were warm and yellow. The dishes on the table were rich and the room was filled with the relaxed atmosphere of daily life.

Han Zhenzhen had an initial good impression of He Qiao and started to try and accept it.

She was most worried about one issue now.

Han Zhenzhen poured vegetables into Chi Xueyan’s bowl with a serious expression. “Yanyan, tell me the truth. Did I annoy you by making you go on the blind dates, so you wanted to find someone to deal with it?”

If so, she absolutely couldn’t agree.

Chi Xueyan’s tone was normal and he asked rhetorically, “Mom, do you think I will marry someone I don’t like?”

It was precisely because he didn’t want Han Zhenzhen to have such worries that Chi Xueyan wanted to pretend this marriage was born of love.

He couldn’t explain the real reason to his mother, so he couldn’t let her bear the unwarranted self-blame.

Han Zhenzhen stared at her son for a while before shaking her head. “You won’t.”

She sighed with relief before holding her cheeks and muttering, “It is really love at first sight? It is so fast. It is worthy of a  young man…”

Meanwhile, Chi Zhongyuan complained slowly. “I haven’t even met this kid. Why did you get married?”

Unlike Han Zhenzhen, who arranged the blind date, he knew nothing about He Qiao and only glanced at the photo on the marriage certificate.

A stranger inexplicably became his son’s partner and his future family member.

Chi Zhongyuan became even angrier the more he thought about it. He put down his chopsticks and said angrily, “I see that his body isn’t strong enough. He must not be reliable. I have to train this kid.”

Aunt Ling saw the opportunity to bring over a bowl of white fungus soup. “Don’t be angry and drink some sweet soup.”

Chi Zhongyuan loved sweets. After eating half a bowl of soft, glutinous and sweet white fungus soup, Chi Zhongyuan was quiet for two seconds before finding a new problem immediately. He said with a straight face, “You are married but he didn’t take the initiative to see us. He is too rude. I have to clean him up.”

Han Zhenzhen couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “How long has it been? The two of them have only seen each other a few times, okay?”

Chi Zhongyuan was immersed in anger. His tone became aggravated and he emphasized, “How can a marriage certificate photo have a blue background!”

Aunt Ling laughed when she heard this. Then she hurriedly brought over a large pot of mung bean soup. “It is iced and can cool down the heat.”

Chi Xueyan winked at her and Aunt Ling winked back.

Listening to her husband’s unreasonable words, Han Zhenzhen clenched her fists and said angrily, “Your son has red hair. He can’t take photos against a red background!”

Chi Zhongyuan didn’t dare to contradict her. He instantly shut up and drank the mung bean soup sullenly. Then he said honestly, “Tomorrow, I will go to the company to clean up Old Li.”

Han Zhenzhen calmed down a bit. “Yes, he should be cleaned up.”

Chi Zhongyuan added angrily, “Then clean up that kid.”

“……” Han Zhenzhen didn’t want to talk to him any longer. “You are a martial artist!”

Chi Xueyan drank the mung bean soup while watching the excitement. He couldn’t help thinking of He Qiao, who should be home with his parents at the moment.

He had successfully passed the test. Then how would He Qiao convince his family?

In his moment of distraction, the doorbell rang.

Aunt Ling, who was barely holding back her laughter, walked over quickly. She looked at the video screen and pressed the call button. “Who is it?”

Through the intercom, a slightly distorted magnetic male voice spread through the room.

“Hello, I’m He Qiao.”

Hearing this unexpected voice, Chi Xueyan was rarely stunned.

This time, Chi Zhongyuan choked on the mung bean soup. He blushed and hurriedly said, “W-Why did he come without saying hello?”

Han Zhenzhen glanced at him. “There are so many times. Sometimes you want a person to come and the next moment, you don’t want a person to come.”

She quickly calmed down and tugged at her collar> Then she got up and walked to the door.

He Qiao on the screen was no different from what she had seen in the photo before. The only difference was that his hair was a bit messy from the wind and he was slightly sweaty. He seemed to have arrived in a hurry and his eyes were surprisingly bright.

Chi Xueyan recovered and walked quickly to his mother’s side with interest in his eyes.

Chi Zhongyuan managed to stop coughing. He grabbed a golf club and strode over as well.

He Qiao didn’t know a family of three and an aunt was already standing behind the screen. He stood outside the courtyard gate, looking at the suddenly quiet intercom. He added, “Sorry, I didn’t tell you in advance that I was coming. I just wanted to send a gift over and didn’t want to disturb you. I will deliver it and leave.”

He spoke sincerely. Aunt Ling and Han Zhenzhen looked at each other and tacitly clicked on the side of the visual screen. They brought up the surveillance outside the gate of the courtyard.

A large area of dazzling red instantly occupied their field of view.

It was the same as Chi Xueyan’s sapphire blue sports car, but the body was a dazzling fiery red. The roof was open, and the front passenger’s seat and back seat were all full of roses.

Aunt Ling was taken aback. “So many! How many flowers are there?”

He Qiao didn’t know that his car and flowers had been seen. He explained in a somewhat apprehensive tone, “I was too hasty when I went to get the marriage certificate in the afternoon. I forgot to buy flowers and there should be flowers. I bought some flowers and some gifts…”

Chi Zhongyuan looked at the ‘some’ flowers on the screen and snorted coldly. “How old-fashioned.”

The hand holding the golf club became a bit looser.

Han Zhenzhen’s eyes softened faintly. She pressed the button to open the gate and asked, “What gift?”

The gate outside the courtyard slowly opened for cars to enter.

Chi Xueyan opened the door of his house at the same time. He looked across the lawn path and the roses at the end of his gaze were even more distinct. The fragrance seemed to linger.

He Qiao’s voice was still pouring in from the intercom as he honestly answered the questions from the strange, female voices.

“It is just a small gift for my uncle and aunt.”

He turned around and walked to the sports car. He took out two beautifully wrapped gift boxes from under the roses and his voice became a bit distant. “There is a bottle of wine that my father has kept for many years and a piece of good quality jade. My mother said it was consecrated at a temple…”

Chi Zhongyuan loved to drink while Han Zhenzhen was keen on praying to the gods and worshiping Buddha.

Aunt Ling jokingly said, “Oh, he is quite careful.”

Looking at the young man walking in with the gifts in his arms, Han Zhenzhen glanced back at her husband. Chi Zhongyuan had to look away and reluctantly hid the gold club behind him.

She whispered to her son, who had never said a word. “Why only give it to the two of us?”

Chi Xueyan laughed softly. “My guess is that I also have a share.”

It seemed time for him to update his impression of his newlywed partner.

He Qiao walked in and greeted the elders respectfully. Aunt Ling warmly accepted the gifts in his hand.

Once his hands were free, he took out a small velvet box from his pocket.

Seeing what looked like a jewelry box, Han Zhenzhen finally raised an eyebrow. They exchanged some simple pleasantries and she went to the kitchen to get a bowl of iced mung bean soup.

Chi Zhongyuan didn’t know how to communicate with He Qiao for a while. He could only open the gift box containing a famous wine with a stiff expression.

During the time when the elders couldn’t care about him, He Qiao put the velvet box in Chi Xueyan’s palm and said apologetically, “The time was too short and I wasn’t able to ask for your opinion. Let’s wear this temporarily and we can customize it together for the wedding.”

Chi Xueyan asked knowingly, “What is this?”

He Qiao stared at him for a moment. He leaned slightly close to Chi Xueyan’s ear and the rich rose fragrance from his clothes swept over Chi Xueyan in a flash. There was a warm smile on his face as he whispered, “It is the details of love.”

The author has something to say:

Kiss with the smell of roses =3=