The next afternoon, Su Jingyang arrived at Mid-Mountain Villa on time.
Today, Jiang Yao had rarely taken care to dress herself properly. She wore a beige knitted sweater with a camel-colored long skirt, topped with a matching coat. Her long hair was loosely tied up, giving her an elegant and gentle appearance.
When Su Jingyang saw her, his gaze paused for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yao looked down at herself. “Is something inappropriate?”
“No.” The man averted his eyes. “Let’s go.”
Su Muzhe came downstairs and, upon seeing her outfit, grinned mischievously.
“Hey, beautiful, where are you going? Add me on WeChat.”
Jiang Yao raised her hand and gave him a light knock on the head.
“Get lost!”
The Su Family Old Residence was located in a semi-mountainous area in the north of the city. It was a three-story standalone villa. Although it was not as modern and luxurious as Mid-Mountain Villa, it carried a sense of time-worn elegance.
When the car entered through the gate, Jiang Yao saw several vehicles already parked in the courtyard. An elderly man with white hair but a vigorous presence stood at the entrance. The moment he saw the car stop, a smile immediately spread across his face.
“Grandmother!” Su Muzhe was the first to jump out of the car and ran over to hug the elderly woman.
Jiang Yao watched the scene, feeling a faint emotional stir. The boy was clearly much more relaxed here at the Old Family Residence.
Old Madam Su patted her grandson’s back, her eyes slightly moist.
“You’ve lost weight. Haven’t you been eating properly?”
“I’ve been eating, eating every day.”
“Your Mom cooked for you?”
Su Muzhe paused, then vaguely replied, “Auntie Li cooked.”
Old Madam Su’s gaze moved past him and landed on Jiang Yao, who was approaching. Her look carried scrutiny, but it was still warm.
Jiang Yao stood still and slightly bowed her head.
“Mom.”
Old Madam Su froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting that form of address. After a brief pause, she smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes softening.
“Good child. Come in.”
Jiang Yao followed her inside. Su Jingyang walked at the back, carrying the gifts they had brought.
In the living room, Old Master Su was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. When he saw them enter, he put the paper down and let his gaze rest briefly on Jiang Yao before nodding.
“Dad.” Jiang Yao also slightly bowed.
Old Master Su gave a quiet “Mm,” saying nothing more. However, Jiang Yao noticed that his gaze was gentler than she had expected.
Dinner was very lavish—every dish was something Su Muzhe liked.
Old Madam Su kept serving him food, murmuring constantly, “Eat more,” “This was your favorite when you were little.”
Su Muzhe accepted everything without hesitation, head down as he ate. Occasionally he spoke a few words to his Grandmother, making her laugh continuously.
Jiang Yao ate quietly. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Su Jingyang occasionally glanced at her, as if observing her reaction.
“Yaoyao,” Old Madam Su suddenly said, “I heard you’re going to film a show?”
Jiang Yao put down her chopsticks.
“Yes, Mom. It starts next Saturday.”
“What show is it?”
“A parenting reality show called Growth Diary.”
Old Madam Su nodded, then looked at Su Muzhe.
“Yanyan, do you want to go?”
Su Muzhe paused and glanced at Jiang Yao before vaguely replying, “It’s okay.”
“What do you mean ‘okay’?” Old Madam Su laughed. “If you want to go, go. If you don’t, then don’t. Don’t force yourself.”
“I’m not forcing myself.” The boy lowered his head and continued eating. “If she wants to film it, I’ll go with her.”
A warm feeling rose in Jiang Yao’s heart, though her expression remained calm.
Old Madam Su observed everything and a trace of relief flashed in her eyes.
She then looked at Su Jingyang.
“What are your plans for winter break? Didn’t you say you were going abroad for New Year?”
Su Jingyang glanced at Jiang Yao.
“It’s changed. Since she’s filming, we’ll stay home.”
“Perfect,” Old Madam Su said with a smile. “Then everyone can spend New Year here at the Old Family Residence. It’ll be lively.”
Jiang Yao froze slightly and looked at him.
The man remained calm.
“Alright.”
Su Muzhe’s eyes lit up for a moment, then he quickly pretended to be indifferent.
“Whatever.”
Jiang Yao noticed the boy’s reaction and found it amusing. Clearly happy to death, yet still acting cool.
After dinner, a strong wind suddenly picked up outside.
Standing by the window, Jiang Yao watched the tree branches in the courtyard being whipped around violently, her brows slightly furrowed.
“Blizzard warning,” Su Jingyang said as he walked over and stood beside her. “We can’t go back tonight.”
Jiang Yao turned to him.
“So?”
“So…” the man paused. “We’ll stay here tonight.”
Jiang Yao raised a brow.
“Where?”
He fell silent for a moment.
“Upstairs. My room.”
Jiang Yao paused slightly before realizing it. In the Old Family Residence, rooms were allocated by person. There were no guest rooms. Since they came as a couple, they were naturally assigned to one room.
“Oh.” She responded calmly, showing no emotion.
Su Jingyang looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but in the end only said:
“You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Jiang Yao laughed softly.
“The dignified head of the Su Family sleeping on the floor? That wouldn’t sound good if it got out.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
After thinking for a moment, she honestly had no better idea. She did not mind sharing a room with him, but they had only known each other for a short time. Sleeping in the same bed still felt a bit inappropriate.
“Let’s go upstairs and see first.”
The master bedroom upstairs was large—over forty square meters. A two-meter-wide bed sat in the center. By the window was a sofa set, along with a separate bathroom and walk-in closet.
After walking around, Jiang Yao nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad.”
Su Jingyang took a blanket from the closet and placed it on the sofa. Jiang Yao looked at the one-and-a-half-meter sofa, then at his tall frame.
“Are you sure you can sleep on that?”
“Yes.”
“Curling up into a ball?”
He did not answer and continued arranging the blanket.
Watching him, Jiang Yao suddenly smiled.
“Forget it. Sleep on the bed.”
His movements paused as he looked up at her.
“The bed is big enough,” she said, pointing at it. “We’ll each take one side. No interference.”
The man was silent for a moment.
“Are you sure?”
“What? Afraid I’ll take advantage of you in the middle of the night?” She raised a brow. “Relax. I’m very picky.”
He looked at her, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
“Then one side each.”
Night deepened. Outside, the wind and snow grew stronger. The sound of snow pellets hitting the glass crackled sharply.
After showering, Jiang Yao came out wearing conservative sleepwear, her hair wrapped in a towel.
Su Jingyang was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone. Hearing the movement, he looked up briefly, his gaze lingering on her for a second before shifting away.
“You go wash,” Jiang Yao said as she sat down at the dressing table and began drying her hair.
He gave a quiet “Mm” and went into the bathroom.
Through the mirror, Jiang Yao watched the closed door and slightly curved her lips.
This man really was quite gentlemanly.
After drying her hair and applying skincare, she slipped under the blanket. The bed was large, and she lay at the very edge, leaving plenty of space for him.
Ten minutes later, Su Jingyang came out.
He was wearing dark gray sleepwear, his hair still dripping water. Seeing where she lay, he paused briefly before walking to the other side of the bed and lying down under the blanket.