Meeting the Parents

On Friday, Ye Shuang didn’t go to the academy or the company. He simply got in the car and took Chen Qin straight to the Chen family estate.

“Is what I’m wearing today a little off?” While waiting at a red light, Ye Shuang adjusted his clothes and asked, “Should I dress more formally? Maybe wear a suit?”

“Hehe, A Ye, you’re being so serious. It’s just going home, not a blind date,” Chen Qin said with a grin, noticing how nervous he seemed.

“Still, since we’re going back to talk about this, I can’t show up looking sloppy. That wouldn’t be right.” Ye Shuang shook his head. Even the stuff he’d put in the trunk—he had to follow basic etiquette.

“You look great like this,” Chen Qin said, reaching over to straighten his collar. “A Ye, don’t be scared. You’re at your best when you’re confident.”

She gave a little fist pump, looking so cute and girlish that even Ye Shuang couldn’t help but laugh.

“You should start handing over the simpler tasks at the company too. It’s best if you stop traveling abroad and skip any lectures. Just try to rest as much as possible,” Ye Shuang continued. Even though he knew Chen Qin couldn’t drop everything at once, she still needed to cut out all the unimportant stuff.

“Mm-hmm, I know.” Chen Qin nodded obediently. The usually formidable CEO of the Chen Group, the little devil of the Chen family, only ever acted this well-behaved around Ye Shuang.

Watching him act like he was meeting the parents for the first time, Chen Qin couldn’t help but sigh. “A Ye, I never thought we’d get to this day.”

“What do you mean?” Ye Shuang glanced over at her.

“Nothing, hehe.” Chen Qin shook her head. “I thought Zhao Mengyao would have swallowed you whole by now.”

“Zhao Mengyao… oh.” Ye Shuang nodded, completely indifferent to the name.

Sensing his attitude, Chen Qin grew curious. “A Ye, the doctor said your memories would gradually come back over time, right? Do you still not remember anything about Zhao Mengyao?”

Ye Shuang thought for a moment.

“No,” he said finally. Honestly, he felt nothing toward Zhao Mengyao. She was like a stranger from a story he’d heard once.

“A Ye… you won’t forget me one day, will you?” Chen Qin’s voice suddenly carried a note of worry.

Ye Shuang just smiled. “I won’t.”

From his diary, he already knew why he lost his memories. This exchange of memories as a cost—he couldn’t keep paying that price forever, could he?

His life couldn’t be that tragic.

“We really should get you a thorough checkup,” Chen Qin said, still looking concerned, unaware of the truth behind his condition.

“Yeah, we’ll find a time,” Ye Shuang said with a smile, just to ease her mind.

After driving for a while, the two finally reached the Chen family estate. Parking the car in the garage, Ye Shuang had barely stepped out when he saw a golden retriever bounding toward him from a distance.

“Woof!”

“Morning, Salted Egg,” Ye Shuang said as the golden retriever excitedly jumped up on him, wagging its tail. He gave its head a good scratch.

“He’s really happy to see you, since you haven’t been here in a while,” Chen Qin remarked. When the golden retriever tried to jump on her too, she quickly put her hand out.

“Sit. No jumping.”

The dog stuck out its tongue, looking a little confused, but obediently sat down.

“I’ve got a little one on the way now, you know. I can’t afford any accidents,” Chen Qin said, pointing a finger at the dog. She didn’t care if it understood; she just patted her belly with a serious expression.

“Woof!” As if understanding her, the golden retriever didn’t try to jump again.

“Getting old, practically a genius dog,” Ye Shuang said with a chuckle. Some dogs really were smart—goldens and shepherds were among the sharpest breeds.

“Shuang’er, dear!” A voice called out. Ye Shuang and Chen Qin turned to see Chen’s mother walking out with an auntie. When she saw them, she beamed.

“I saw Salted Egg dash out, so I knew you two had arrived,” she said.

“Where’s Uncle?” Ye Shuang asked as he started pulling things out of the trunk.

“Your uncle’s off fiddling with his antiques again. Why did you bring all this stuff? Didn’t I tell you not to? We’re family,” Chen’s mother scolded lightly when she saw the bags in his hands.

“Waste of money—we can’t even finish all this ourselves.”

“Ha, you can give some to others. It’s good luck to have it around the house,” Ye Shuang said cheerfully. “It’s for good fortune.”

“No more next time, okay?”

“Alright, alright.”

After a bit of casual chatter, they headed into the living room. Soon, Chen’s father came downstairs. When he saw Ye Shuang, he grinned and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“It’s rare to see you two coming home together. Did something good happen?”

“Kind of,” Ye Shuang said with a slight cough. He didn’t say much right away—figured they should sit down first.

Once they were all settled in the living room, Chen’s father started brewing tea. Noticing that Ye Shuang and Chen Qin were both quiet, he asked, “What’s the good news? Tell your uncle.”

With the topic directly on the table, Ye Shuang cleared his throat. Chen Qin just smiled without saying a word.

“Uncle Chen, Chen Qin and I are having a baby,” Ye Shuang said.

“Oh, having a baby?” Chen’s father replied calmly at first. “You’re both at the right age. Better to have them early.”

But as he spoke, the words sank in. He didn’t even notice the teacup overflowing in his hand.

“Huh?” Chen’s father looked at Ye Shuang, then pointed at Chen Qin. “You two?”

“Yeah, us two,” Ye Shuang nodded.

“Dear, did I hear that right?” Chen’s father turned to his wife.

“You’re not deaf, are you? Of course you heard right. Shuang’er and dear are having a baby,” Chen’s mother said, seeming to accept the news much faster. To her, it was only a matter of time anyway.

“So I’m going to be a grandfather?” Chen’s father’s face lit up with a grin. “I broke a vase this morning—I knew it meant something good would come from the shards.”

“Didn’t you say this morning that smashing the vase meant nothing good would happen today?” Chen’s mother retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Hey, no superstition allowed right now—what do you know?” Chen’s father shot back. “Isn’t this good news?”

“Oh, I’m going to be a grandpa!”

“It’s maternal grandfather,” Chen Qin corrected.

“Isn’t Shuang’er basically my son anyway?” Chen’s father added with a wink.