Where have you been wandering around lately

Su Yang turned to Pan Ning at this moment: "Aren't you going out to greet them?"

"They’ve been here before. No need for formalities."

Su Yang swallowed his words and didn’t press further.

Soon, Pan Chonghai and Meng Simin arrived at the entrance. Meng Jianyun and Yao Huiqin immediately stepped forward, and the four exchanged cheerful words, though their conversation remained unclear.

After a brief exchange, Pan Chonghai and Meng Simin entered the reception hall.

Su Yang took a deep breath and glanced toward the door.

Upon entering, the two first shook hands with three middle-aged individuals who approached them, exchanged a few words, and then turned their attention toward the tea lounge area.

After greeting the others, Pan Chonghai led Meng Simin toward Su Yang and the group.

Chu Qiunan, who had been sitting and playing on his phone, immediately stood up with a smile upon seeing them. "Uncle Pan, Auntie Meng, you’re here!"

"Mhm, Qiunan, how long have you been here?" Pan Chonghai asked with a chuckle.

"A while now."

"Oh? Where are your parents?"

"Haven’t seen them. They disappeared somewhere after coming in."

"Alright, let’s go sit."

"Sure thing."

Seeing them approach, Su Yang couldn’t remain seated—it would seem impolite. He stood up and stepped forward, nodding at Pan Chonghai with a smile. "Uncle Pan, good to see you again."

"Su… Su Yang!" Pan Chonghai pointed at him after a moment’s thought, grinning.

"That’s me."

"Heh, you rascal. I knew you’d be here."

"Of course. Pan Ning, Wenzhou, and I are close."

As they spoke, Meng Simin subtly observed Su Yang.

She had heard about him from Pan Chonghai before, and though this was their first meeting, her initial impression of him was favorable—at least on a surface level.

To her, Su Yang seemed like a composed young man, and another notable point was that he was exceptionally handsome.

Truth be told, it wasn’t just men—most women were the same. People often joked that men, regardless of age, always had an eye for young, pretty girls.

But women were no different. They, too, appreciated young, well-built handsome men—they were just more reserved about it, better at keeping their reactions in check.

Of course, this only applied to normal, well-adjusted individuals.

Though Meng Simin was around the same age as Su Yang’s mother, age wasn’t a defining factor. Everyone had their own personality and perspective.

Her mindset was youthful, and in her eyes, a man’s good looks were a definite plus. After all, her daughter was beautiful—it was only fitting she’d end up with someone equally attractive.

So Su Yang had already scored points with her.

Moreover, he wasn’t as timid or nervous as she had imagined before meeting him.

Instead, he carried himself with confidence and grace in their presence.

The more she saw, the more she liked him. Wealth wasn’t her primary concern—though having money and capability was a bonus.

If Pan Ning had brought home some awkward, tongue-tied guy who couldn’t string a sentence together in front of them, she would’ve outright refused.

After exchanging a few words with Pan Chonghai, Su Yang turned to Meng Simin with a polite nod. "Auntie Meng, I’m Su Yang. Pleased to meet you."

"Su Yang—yes, I’ve heard about you. Hello." Meng Simin took a step forward and extended her hand.

Su Yang reciprocated, lightly clasping her fingers with a smile.

Meanwhile, Liu Bo, Zhang Ziming, and the others also stood to greet Pan Chonghai and Meng Simin.

Liu Bo, having met them before, greeted them warmly.

Zhang Ziming and Ji Bo, unfamiliar with the couple, politely addressed them as "Uncle and Auntie."

Once the greetings were over, Pan Chonghai glanced at Pan Ning, who remained seated on the sofa, absorbed in her phone.

"Ahem—" He deliberately coughed into his hand.

Hearing this, Pan Ning finally looked up at them and said flatly, "Sit."

"Tch, this daughter of mine—I’ve lost all control over her," Pan Chonghai joked to Meng Simin.

Meng Simin rolled her eyes. "Our daughter just has character."

She then walked over and sat beside Pan Ning, leaning in to whisper, "Where have you been running off to lately?"

Pan Ning didn’t even look up. "Su Yang’s place."

Meng Simin: "..."

The moment those words left Pan Ning’s mouth, the entire room froze—especially Su Yang.

An unprecedented wave of awkwardness washed over him.

He lowered his head slightly, scratching his cheek as he internally groaned, ‘Good grief, why did you have to say it like that?!’

"Ahem, couldn’t you have been a little more subtle?" Meng Simin muttered, her face flushing slightly.

"What’s the big deal? I don’t lie. I say it like it is."

"Alright, alright, let’s drop it." Meng Simin waved at Pan Chonghai and the others. "Why are you all standing around? Come sit."

"Right, right." Pan Chonghai nodded, shooting a glance at Su Yang before taking a seat.

The others pretended not to have heard anything and returned to their spots.

With his seat now occupied by the older couple, Su Yang had no choice but to sit beside Liu Bo.

After a moment, Meng Simin turned to Su Yang and asked casually, "Xiao Su, how old are you this year?"

"Twenty-four."

"Twenty-four—that’s a good age. What’s your zodiac?"

"Dragon."

"Oh? A Dragon—that’s an excellent sign!"

"Mhm… and your height?"

"One-eighty."

Meng Simin nodded. "Not bad. What’s your star sign?"

"Scorpio."

"Scorpio? That works."

At this point, Pan Chonghai coughed and deliberately interjected, "Xiao Su, have you been keeping up with your martial arts training?"

"I practice when I have time."

"Good, good. Your skills are impressive—don’t slack off. When you’re free—" Before he could finish, Meng Simin shot him a glare, and he promptly shut his mouth.

Meng Simin then continued her questioning. "Xiao Su, how old are your parents?"

"My dad’s 48, my mom’s 47."

"Oh? I’m 47 too—same as your mom. You should introduce us sometime."

"Sure, no problem," Su Yang replied with a smile.

Meng Simin chuckled before resuming her neutral expression. "Where are you from?"

"Yangcheng originally, but I live in Haicheng now."

"Yangcheng’s nice. I stayed there for a while before. So what do you do in Haicheng?"

"Mom, are you conducting a census here?" Pan Ning finally cut in, unable to take it anymore.

"Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just chatting with your friends."

"By grilling Su Yang alone?"

"One at a time, no rush."

Pan Ning rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Beside her, Pan Chonghai struggled to suppress a laugh before turning back with a straight face. "Simin, didn’t I tell you? The hottest Western restaurant in Haicheng right now—Moonlight Bistro—is Xiao Su’s."

"Oh! Right, right. My memory’s slipping. I thought he worked at a company."

"By the way, Su Yang, besides the restaurant, do you have any other... um, businesses?"

Su Yang nodded with a smile. "Yes, Auntie. I also hold some shares in Haicheng Starling Media."

Hearing this, Meng Simin nodded in approval. "That’s quite good. I’ve heard of Starling Media—it’s currently the largest media company in Haicheng, isn’t it?"

Su Yang chuckled. "I suppose so. I haven’t paid much attention to that."

"Mmm, not bad at all. Did you achieve all this without relying on your family?"

Su Yang nodded again. "It’s all from my own hard work (and enjoyment)~"

"Well, you’re quite the impressive young man, building so much of your own success at such a young age. Keep it up!"

As the two spoke, Liu Bo, Zhang Ziming, and Ji Bo, who were standing nearby, didn’t dare make a sound, barely holding back their laughter as they listened quietly.

Seeing Meng Simin’s satisfied expression, Chu Qiunan could only look on, torn between resignation and heartbreak.

It seemed he was completely out of the running now.

......