“Mind your own business! Go away,” she shot him a glare.
“Tch, coward.”
After saying that, Su Haoxuan picked up his phone with a look of disdain and started playing with it, head bowed.
“Anyway, I don’t care. If he doesn’t bring it up, I definitely won’t either. A girl should be reserved, understand? Reserved!”
“Alright, as you wish. We were just mentioning it, but you should also pay a bit more attention, okay?”
Grandfather relented, comforting her.
“That’s more like it,” Su Zhaotang was satisfied.
“My marriage is my decision.”
Mother heard this and rolled her eyes at her.
“I think you’ve never suffered hardship!”
And honestly, that line rhymed quite well.
“Well, there’s no helping it. It’s hard for me to suffer hardship in this lifetime~” Su Zhaotang said with a proud expression.
Her greatest confidence was the Su family. Even if that failed, she now had Zhou Lingjing. No matter how bad things got in the future, they couldn’t get much worse.
Old Madam looked at her with doting affection and smiled helplessly.
As they chatted, noon arrived before they knew it. Suddenly, a rich aroma of food wafted through the house. Su Zhaotang felt her stomach react immediately. She sniffed deeply, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She exclaimed, “Grandmother, what delicious food did you make today? It smells so good!”
Unable to resist, she got up and headed toward the kitchen, where the scent grew even stronger.
Auntie Wang said with a smile, “This is the dumplings Old Madam got up early to make herself. She knows you and Haoxuan love her dumplings the most.”
Su Zhaotang looked at the dumplings in the pot, almost drooling. It had been a long time since she’d had them, after all, she had just returned from being abroad for so long.
After all the dumplings were cooked, Auntie Wang arranged the food neatly on the table, and they all took their seats one by one.
Su Zhaotang asked curiously, “Grandmother, how did you make today’s dumplings? They’re so fragrant!”
Grandmother replied with a smile, “I prepared these especially for you all. The fillings are pork with scallions, pork with corn, and chives—several different kinds. The dumpling wrappers are handmade, and the cooking time is just right. I guarantee you’ll want more after eating them.”
Su Haoxuan licked his lips and said eagerly, “Grandmother, stop talking, let’s start eating!”
Old Madam smiled and nodded, personally placing a steaming bowl of dumplings in front of him.
Although she often teased and scolded this grandson, he was, after all, the Su family’s only male heir. How could she not dote on him?
Watching him eat hurriedly, Old Madam was secretly delighted. It was good that her grandson liked her cooking; she just worried he might burn his mouth from eating too quickly.
She said worriedly, “Eat slowly, there’s plenty more.”
Su Haoxuan waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine, I’m tough. I won’t burn myself.”
“You rascal,” Old Madam scolded with a laugh.
Su Zhaotang looked at the dumplings—thin wrappers, generous fillings, and rich broth—her appetite soared.
She picked up her chopsticks, lifted a dumpling, and put it in her mouth. Instantly, the savory broth and meat filling burst in her mouth, filling it with fragrance.
She couldn’t help but praise, “Grandmother, even five-star hotel meals can’t compare to these dumplings you made!”
Old Madam was so amused by the two of them, each chiming in with compliments, that she couldn’t stop laughing. She quickly called for a halt.
“Alright, alright, let’s all eat. If you keep this up, Grandmother won’t be able to eat from laughing so much.”
Mother watched the scene from the side, covering her mouth with delight.
After lunch and the midday break, Su Zhaotang and the others settled into the rooms at the old man’s small villa, where their respective rooms were already prepared.
The midday sun was bright, streaming through the window into her bedroom. The bed in the room was neat and tidy, with a pink-and-white bedsheet embroidered with a few delicate flowers.
She flopped onto the bed, her cheek pressed against the soft pillow, feeling the warmth brought by the sunlight.
The sun spilled onto the quilt, casting a golden glow, filling the entire room with a cozy atmosphere.
Su Zhaotang closed her eyes and gradually drifted into a sweet slumber.
After an unknown amount of time, the ringtone of her phone sounded particularly loud in the quiet bedroom, shattering the original tranquility. Su Zhaotang frowned in her sleep, slowly opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat dazed.
Without paying much attention to who was calling, she extended a finger from under the covers and swiped to answer, then closed her eyes again.
On the other end, as soon as the call connected, Zhou Lingjing saw Su Zhaotang’s small face magnified directly before his eyes.
Her hair was tousled and messy, with a few strands playfully sticking to her forehead. Her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, like a ripe peach, tender and delicate.
Her long eyelashes fluttered gently like tiny brushes.
Her entire demeanor displayed the adorable look of someone who had just woken up.
Zhou Lingjing couldn’t bear to disturb her.
So, he placed his phone on the side of his desk at an angle where he could see it and quietly began working, occasionally glancing at the screen.
After a while, Su Zhaotang suddenly realized she was still on the video call.
“Mmm…” she let out a soft groan,
slowly opening her eyes, which were initially hazy but gradually focused on the screen before her.
At the sight, she was instantly startled.
“!!! Ah,” she exclaimed, reflexively covering her head with the blanket.
Su Zhaotang: Wait, why is it Zhou Lingjing? Ahhhh, why did he video call me?!
Zhou Lingjing watched Su Zhaotang’s series of actions and let out a light chuckle. He picked up the phone, and the screen magnified his handsome face, his flawless features showing no imperfections.
He spoke with a light laugh, “No need to hide. I’ve been watching you for a while now.”
“Our Zhaozhao is so adorable when she’s asleep,” Zhou Lingjing said with a smile.
Su Zhaotang slowly pulled the blanket down, revealing two bright, almond-shaped eyes as she stared at the phone screen.
Muffled by the blanket, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, “Why did you suddenly video call me?”
Zhou Lingjing reached up and tugged at the tie around his neck. He turned and stretched his neck slightly before saying slowly,
“I thought, since I don’t have any other plans today, I’d call to ask if you’re free. I wanted to take you out to buy something.”
???
“Buy something? What is it?”
Su Zhaotang’s big eyes were filled with confusion. She couldn’t think of anything the two of them needed to buy together.
“Wedding rings.”
Zhou Lingjing’s voice was deep and resolute.
“Oh~…”
Su Zhaotang drew out her tone. Indeed, they didn’t have wedding rings yet.
“I’m free tonight. I’m at Grandfather and Grandmother’s house right now.”
“Alright, then stay there. I’ll pick you up after work, and we can go out together.”
Zhou Lingjing looked at her steadily, speaking in a gentle tone.
Su Zhaotang wasn’t sure if she was seeing things, but she thought she detected a hint of tenderness in Zhou Lingjing’s eyes as he looked at her.
“Okay,” she replied obediently.
“Then why don’t you get up first? Get ready, because—”
Zhou Lingjing glanced at his wristwatch.
“It’s almost five o’clock already.”
He knew girls needed time to get dressed when going out—after all, his mother Mrs. Liang always took forever to get ready.
“Ah, it’s already five? No one woke me up!”
Su Zhaotang abruptly sat up in bed.