half thorns, half joy

"Mom, here we are. This is Tang Xuan." Xiao Zihan smiled slightly and introduced to the woman sitting in the chair.

Tang Xuan suppressed all her emotions, and smiled shyly, "Hello, Auntie, my name is Tang Xuan."

"Well, sit down."

Xiao Zihan and Tang Xuan sat down hand in hand, made a gesture to call the waiter, and ordered a few dishes skillfully.

Tang Xuan kept her eyes slightly lowered the whole time, not looking directly at Xiao Zihan's mother, she acted cute and sensible, but also shy and nervous.

Shyness and nervousness are real, but being cute and sensible is just pretending.

"Mom, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can chat with Tang Xuan. Tang Xuan's personality is very similar to yours, so you can definitely chat." Xiao Zihan actively said good things for Tang Xuan.

"Oh, really?" Zhao Suizhi, Xiao Zihan's mother, smiled slightly and looked at Tang Xuan, "It can be seen that Xiaohan likes you very much."

Tang Xuan pursed her lips, quickly exchanged a glance with Xiao Zihan, and replied weakly, "I like him very much too..."

Zhao Suizhi is well maintained. Although he is over fifty, he looks like he is just in his early forties. Only when he smiles can he see the deep crow's feet in the corners of his eyes.

"Xiaohan has already told me a lot about you. Seeing that Xiaohan can find someone he likes so much, I am also very happy for him." Zhao Suizhi smiled, "This child has been aloof since he was a child, and he is not easy to get along with. People come and go, I was worried before, what will he do in the future."

"Mom, don't talk about this, talk about something else." Xiao Zihan was extremely embarrassed when his mother started to tell Tang Xuan about his embarrassment.

Zhao Suizhi smiled even more, she sighed helplessly and dotingly, and really changed the subject.

"By the way, I heard from Xiaohan that both your parents died a long time ago, right?"

The smile on Tang Xuan's face faded, and she hummed lightly.

Zhao Suizhi nodded, "It's been hard for you these years, but it's hard for you. It's really not easy for you to get to where you are today. Even I admire it."

These words surprised Tang Xuan, she looked at Zhao Suizhi in surprise, and couldn't believe the truth of these words.

"Both of your parents died, and you grew up alone. You must have suffered a lot. It is really rare to be able to maintain a clean and kind heart after suffering so much."

Listening to his mother's words, Xiao Zihan kept focusing on Tang Xuan's life experience, and couldn't help worrying that Tang Xuan would feel uncomfortable, so he interjected, "Mom, this is all in the past, so don't mention it again."

Tang Xuan pressed Xiao Zihan's hand, smiled and shook her head, "It's okay, Auntie is complimenting me."

Zhao Suizhi nodded, "It is because of this that I am willing to come to see you. I think it is also the fact that you are not stained by mud, which makes me rest assured that Xiaohan will be handed over to you."

"Mom..." Xiao Zihan was also a little stunned, why did the conversation go so deep at the beginning.

Zhao Suizhi ignored Xiao Zihan and still looked at Tang Xuan. She looked deeply at Tang Xuan and said with emotion, "I see the shadow of my youth in you."

Tang Xuan didn't understand what this sentence meant, and looked suspiciously at Xiao Zihan, but Xiao Zihan didn't understand either, with a blank expression on his face.

"Okay, let's talk far away, let's eat first, and talk while eating." Zhao Suizhi reacted, realized that he was too emotional, immediately picked up the wine glass as if nothing happened, and took a sip .

Next, the meal was quite comfortable.

Zhao Suizhi didn't embarrass Tang Xuan at all, not only did he not embarrass him, he even showed that he liked Tang Xuan very much, and he praised Tang Xuan every word.

In the end, after the meal was over, and the topics that could be discussed were almost covered, Xiao Zihan got up to pay the bill, leaving Tang Xuan and Zhao Suizhi to spend time together.

As soon as Xiao Zihan left, Tang Xuan immediately clenched her hands on her lap.

Based on her experience, what Zhao Suizhi wants to say next is what she really wants to say.

"Do you really like Xiaohan?" Zhao Suizhi asked.

Tang Xuan didn't hesitate, and nodded heavily, "Yes, I really like it."

"Even if he has nothing, like ordinary people, he can only guarantee basic living every month, will you still like him as much as you do now?"

Tang Xuan thought to herself, if Xiao Zihan had nothing but Xiao Mingyuan's son, she would probably like Xiao Zihan even more than now. "Yes, I still like him as much as I do now."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Seeing Zhao Suizhi's serious question, Tang Xuan stopped laughing and replied very seriously, "I like Xiao Zihan, not his identity and status. He... is very good, even if he doesn't With these statuses, he is still a man worthy of my liking."

Zhao Suizhi nodded in satisfaction and let out a long sigh.

Tang Xuan saw that Zhao Suizhi was worried, so she asked, "Auntie, what's wrong? Is there something wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Zhao Suizhi shook his head with a wry smile, "Seeing you reminds me of me back then, and I miss you a bit."

Tang Xuan suddenly thought of Officer Liu's reminder, gritted her teeth, and pretended to be sincerely flattering: "I heard from Zihan that you and uncle have a very good relationship. I'm very envious. I hope we can be as good as you in the future."

A trace of embarrassment suddenly flashed across Zhao Suizhi's delicate face.

It was short, but Tang Xuan caught it.

Tang Xuan continued, "Even the meeting this time was because Zihan told me that Uncle listened to you very much and let me pass your test first, so he brought me to meet you first."

"...That's it." After all, Zhao Suizhi is a person who has seen big storms, and he did not show the slightest gaffe, but smiled lightly.

It's just that smile, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like happiness, let alone satisfaction.

If the facts are really as Tang Xuan said, then Zhao Suizhi should be happy. After all, being praised as a good husband and wife is something to be happy about.

But she didn't.

Then there is only one reason, because it is not the case, so she feels embarrassed.

Tang Xuan took all Zhao Suizhi's emotional changes into perspective, and she began to believe that the rumors in the company that Xiao Mingyuan had someone outside were probably true.

The atmosphere was stalemate, Xiao Zihan came back.

Xiao Zihan seemed much happier than Zhao Suizhi. He unbuttoned his suit and sat down beside Tang Xuan, and asked with a smile, "What are you talking about?"

Tang Xuan replied, "I just told my aunt that I envy my uncle and aunt's good relationship. I hope that the two of us can be as good as them."

"Ah? You and my mother have similar personalities, but I am different from my father." Xiao Zihan squinted, "My father has a much more stinky temper than me. In this world, only my mother can subdue him .”

Tang Xuan continued to compliment her calmly, "Really? That auntie is really amazing."

"Then what do you think?" Xiao Zihan's brows were full of complacency, and it could be seen that he was very proud of his parents' happy marriage.

Tang Xuan suddenly felt sorry for Xiao Zihan, and couldn't bear to say anything further on purpose.

But compared to her, Zhao Suizhi couldn't listen anymore.

Zhao Suizhi coughed lightly, looked at Xiao Zihan and said, "Xiaohan, it's getting late, I'm a little sleepy, so I'll go back first."

Xiao Zihan immediately got up and said, "Then I'll take you back."

"No need." Zhao Suizhi waved his hand, "The driver brought me here by car. It's fine if he takes me home. You can take Tang Xuan home."

"That's fine too."

Tang Xuan also stood up immediately, grabbed her handbag, and suggested, "Then Auntie, let's take you down."

Zhao Suizhi's face was a little pale, but he forced a smile, "Okay."

Tang Xuan and Xiao Zihan sent Zhao Sui downstairs, watched Zhao Sui get into the car, and watched Zhao Sui's car leave.

"How about it? Is my mother easy to get along with?" Xiao Zihan withdrew his gaze and landed on Tang Xuan.

Tang Xuan stared closely at the direction Zhao Suizhi's car left, and did not respond.

"Xiaoxuan?" Xiao Zihan called again.

"Ah?" Tang Xuan finally came to her senses.

Xiao Zihan took Tang Xuan's hand and walked towards his car, "I just asked you if my mother is easy to get along with."

"Yes, very gentle." Tang Xuan said honestly.

"What are you thinking? Why do you look absent-minded?" The two got into the car, Xiao Zihan looked at Tang Xuan suspiciously.

Tang Xuan bit her lip and frowned, "It's nothing, I'm just... Seeing that Auntie doesn't seem to be in a good mood, I'm a little worried."

Xiao Zihan was taken aback, "Really?"

"Well, didn't you notice that she was quite pale just now?"

"I really don't have one." Xiao Zihan had a deep affection for Zhao Suizhi. Hearing what Tang Xuan said, he immediately became worried, "Then why don't I call and ask her? What's the matter?"

Tang Xuan held Xiao Zihan's hand out of the phone, "Wait a minute, if you ask Auntie like that, Auntie will definitely say it's fine. You should have a nanny or something at home. You should tell them to be more careful."

Xiao Zihan listened to Tang Xuan's suggestion and thought it made sense, "You're right, I'll tell the others and let me know if there's anything my mother has to say. I have to say, you know my mother quite well. Just like you, don’t tell me anything, just hold on alone.”

"Really?" Tang Xuan laughed.

"Yes." Xiao Zihan himself found it incredible, "Before you met, I only thought that you sometimes had similar personalities. After you met, I realized that you are simply the incarnation of my mother."

Tang Xuan felt awkward hearing these words, "Er... so, do you have a love, a mother, a fetish?"

"of course not!"

"Well... I don't think so either, I don't think you like someone older than you."

Xiao Zihan explained to Tang Xuan, "When my mother was young, she was also a little girl who liked literature and art. She was a top student in school, but she was not aggressive at all. She was very gentle. It is said that she was very popular at the time."

Tang Xuan listened carefully. These points seem to be similar to her.

"It's just that my mother's family was better at that time, better than my father." Xiao Zihan thought it was interesting, and smiled, "This is the opposite of the two of us."

Tang Xuan thought back to Zhao Suizhi with delicate makeup and soft voice, but she could imagine the scene decades ago.

Just now Zhao Suizhi was satisfied with himself, isn't he also satisfied with himself a few years ago?

But what happened that turned her from a self-reliant girl into a woman who showed embarrassment about marriage but kept silent and pretended nothing happened.

Among them, what has she experienced?

Even if she didn't know the inside story, Tang Xuan could tell that Zhao Suizhi definitely loved Xiao Zihan very much. If she didn't really love Xiao Zihan, she wouldn't be so gentle with herself, and she wouldn't swallow all the pain alone and do her best for her. Xiao Zihan weaves a dream of happiness.

Thinking of this, Tang Xuan was a little moved.

"Zihan, your mother is really good." Tang Xuan couldn't help but said to Xiao Zihan sincerely.

Xiao Zihan raised the corner of his mouth, "I told you a long time ago, I'm also very happy that you can get along so well, now, I'll just wait, my mother convinced my father."

Hearing Xiao Zihan's optimism, Tang Xuan sighed for Zhao Suizhi from the bottom of her heart.

At the same time, he also sighed for Xiao Zihan.

She couldn't imagine that if Xiao Zihan knew one day that the perfect marriage she thought her parents had was just a scam, would Xiao Zihan collapse?

She even had a little hope that this day would never come.