“Son, I heard you have a girlfriend?”
Far away abroad, Si Ruohan’s mother was so excited to hear that her son had a girlfriend that she ignored the time difference and called him immediately.
After accompanying Pei Xi for her prenatal checkup, Si Ruohan returned to the office that afternoon. Just as he arrived, his mother’s call came through.
“Mom, who told you that?” he asked.
Although he hadn’t stopped anyone from talking, only a few close people—like Ji Huaiyu and Bai Minglang—had seen her. He was sure they wouldn’t tell his mother.
If his mom knew, then their parents would also find out, and the marriage pressure would intensify.
He was certain it wasn’t them, and not even Song Shaojin would do such a thing.
“You heard it from Guan Xinyue, didn’t you? Did she message you or call? Did she say anything else? Why do you still have her number?”
Si Ruohan could guess exactly who had leaked the news.
On the other end, his mother immediately stood up to explain:
“I don’t have her number! I don’t even know how she got mine. I wasn’t going to answer, but I didn’t want to miss work, so I picked up. I planned to just say a few words and hang up. But then she said you have a girlfriend. I didn’t pay attention to anything else she said.”
“Good that you know now—it saves me from having to tell you. My girlfriend is Pei Xi. She just graduated from college. She’s a really nice girl—you’ll like her when you see her.”
His mother had originally thought her son was still hung up on Guan Xinyue and was planning to arrange blind dates for him.
Who would have thought—before she could do anything, her son already had a girlfriend! What wonderful news!
Guan Xinyue had apparently mentioned that her son had introduced his girlfriend at the company as the CEO’s wife. It seemed he truly cared for this girl.
Si Ruohan’s parents weren’t bothered by social status or family background—what mattered was that she was a good girl and their son liked her.
“Son, I want to see what your girlfriend looks like now. Do you have a photo? Send me one! When I come back, I’ll meet her and prepare a gift.”
Si Ruohan had some photos of Pei Xi on his phone from their previous walks, so he sent one casually.
“When will you come back? Don’t come in just a few days—that might scare her. Stick to your original plan and enjoy yourselves now; otherwise, you won’t have time later.”
His mother wanted to meet her future daughter-in-law quickly, but she agreed with her son—it would be better to wait until their relationship was settled, so she wouldn’t scare Pei Xi.
“Alright, then we’ll come later. Treat her well, okay? Don’t let her slip away before I get there!”
Si Ruohan smiled: “She can’t run—she’s already married, and we already have a child.”
If he told his mom now that she would be a grandmother, she would probably rush over immediately. With his gentle guidance, she controlled her excitement, waiting for their relationship to stabilize before visiting.
She was delighted. She had thought her son would stay single forever, but he had surprised her with such wonderful news.
“See? My son is such a good man. If someone doesn’t appreciate him, someone else surely will. Look—fate has arrived!”
After the call, she was in high spirits. Looking at the photo Si Ruohan sent, she beamed and told her husband:
“Look, see? Our son has such good taste. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Si Ruohan’s father, just finishing work, hadn’t heard the conversation before. Now seeing the photo, he nodded knowingly:
“Not bad, even prettier than that Guan girl.”
Si Ruohan’s mother nodded enthusiastically:
“Exactly! And she just graduated, much younger than that Guan girl. My, my! Our son really acted fast!”
Truly, it was like an older man dating a younger woman!
She decided she needed to prepare plenty of gifts for her daughter-in-law. She even shared Pei Xi’s photo in the family group chat to reassure everyone, especially the younger sisters who had been worried about Si Ruohan being single.
The family chat blew up, with everyone tagging Si Ruohan. Annoyed, he just replied briefly and then muted notifications. Too much harassment would make it impossible to work.
Si Ruohan’s grandmother, clever as ever, remembered that he had once asked Liu Ma to help at home. She quietly confirmed with Liu Ma that Si Ruohan really had a girlfriend and that their relationship was going well.
For her youngest grandson, this was reassuring news. She chuckled, thinking she wanted to see whether he or the Guan girl would marry first.
Although she saw the photo, she wanted to see Pei Xi in person. Remembering the nutrition gifts sent a few days ago, she picked out two boxes of bird’s nest and some fresh fruits that had arrived that morning, planning to visit Si Ruohan.
At home, the grandchildren who were already married had been settled for years. Now, with a new joy in the family, she felt she finally had something to do.
Pei Xi, unaware anyone was coming, woke from her nap and went to the garden with her laptop, watching a show while enjoying afternoon tea.
She had wanted to write, but she was pregnant, and prolonged laptop use wasn’t good for the baby—even with a radiation-proof skirt.
So she decided to hold off on starting her next book until after giving birth.
She wasn’t short of money; it was just about not disappointing her fans.
Pei Xi found herself hungry soon after her nap, even though it had been less than three hours since lunch and she hadn’t exerted herself. Fortunately, Liu Ma had already prepared some afternoon treats—today, it was sweet and fragrant white fungus soup, nourishing and good for beauty.
Just then, she heard a voice:
“Oh! Madam, you’re here?”
Liu Ma had thought it was Si Ruohan returning. Seeing the grandmother, she hurriedly went forward to help.
The grandmother smiled warmly:
“I heard the youngest has a girlfriend. I couldn’t resist coming to see her. Do you think I might have scared her by showing up suddenly?”
Liu Ma laughed:
“No, madam, don’t worry. Your youngest’s wife is very kind. I’ll take you over—she’s in the back garden.”