The engagement is over, but the black-bellied president won't let go

"Hello? Big brother? Yes, there is no way. You know Ms. Qin Lan's temper. She insisted on coming to see Big Sister-in-law and Chenchen, and I couldn't stop her...Okay, it's okay. I'm here. Fei'er will pick up Chenchen and come over later. Don't worry, just come back after get off work. Let's have a good meal as a family. I have booked a restaurant..." Xiao Yiyang stood on the balcony, holding the phone tightly in his hand, with a hint of helplessness and ridicule in his tone. He unconsciously smiled, and that smile was a joke to his big brother, and also a smile of laughter at the situation in front of him.

This was the first time he saw his elder brother so nervous. The elder brother who used to be calm and composed in the face of anything was now confused because of Qiao Chu. Xiao Yiyang couldn't help but recall his elder brother's vigorous and decisiveness in the business world and his calmness in the face of various crises. But now, just because his parents wanted to meet Qiao Chu, his elder brother was so anxious. Haha, it seems that his elder brother really cares about Qiao Chu. Thinking of this, Xiao Yiyang's smile became even deeper, and his eyes flickered with curiosity and expectation.

After finishing the call, Xiao Yiyang took a deep breath and tried to tidy up his expression to make himself look calmer and more composed. He slowly returned to the living room, and as soon as he entered the living room, he saw a slightly embarrassing scene.

Qiao Chu sat awkwardly opposite Qin Lan, her body slightly leaning forward, her hands neatly placed on her knees, her fingers twisting unconsciously because of nervousness, looking very restrained. Qin Lan stared at her with a smile, her eyes were full of curiosity and scrutiny, as if she wanted to see through Qiao Chu's appearance and see her innermost thoughts and secrets.

Xiao Zhengchun picked up the teacup and blew gently on the hot air from the cup. The hot air rose and drifted in the air. He took a sip, as if savoring the taste of the tea. Then, he deliberately coughed, the sound was neither loud nor soft, but just enough for everyone present to notice, as if he was quietly reminding Qin Lan to get down to business.

Qin Lan then quickly said, "Qiao Chu, right? We are Xiao Yichen's mother and father. We just met today. I'm sorry that you have been wronged!" Her voice was gentle and polite, and the smile on her face was just right.

Hearing this, Qiao Chu waved her hands and said, "Auntie, look at what you said, how could it be?" Her face instantly flushed, like the gorgeous sunset glow in the sky. She secretly glanced at Xiao Yiyang, her eyes full of helplessness and help. That look seemed to say, "What should I do? I have no idea how to deal with this."

At this moment, the living room was filled with a subtle and tense atmosphere. Qiao Chu's hands were tightly grasping the corners of her clothes, which had been wrinkled by her, showing her extreme anxiety. Although Qin Lan was smiling, there was still a trace of scrutiny in her eyes, as if she was evaluating whether the daughter-in-law in front of her was qualified and whether she was worthy of her outstanding son. Xiao Zhengchun seemed to be sitting there calmly, holding a teacup in his hand, but he was actually secretly observing Qiao Chu's every move. From her sitting posture to the subtle changes in her expression, nothing escaped his sharp eyes.

Xiao Yiyang sat on the sofa nearby, crossing his legs in a relaxed manner, but in fact he was secretly speculating on the development of this meeting. He looked at Qiao Chu for a while, with a hint of concern and encouragement in his eyes; he looked at his parents for a while, trying to capture more information from their expressions and looking for an opportunity to break the awkward atmosphere.

Qiao Chu tried to calm herself down. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her pounding heart. Then she said, "Auntie, uncle, please sit down for a while. I'll go cut some fruit." Then she hurriedly got up and walked into the kitchen. Her steps were more flustered than when she came in, as if she was escaping from this place that made her feel so stressed.

In the kitchen, Qiao Chu's heart was still beating rapidly, as if it was about to jump out of her throat. She could clearly hear the sound of her heartbeat, "bang, bang, bang", one after another. As she cut the fruit, she thought silently in her heart: All this happened too suddenly. I don't know when Xiao Yichen will be back, and how I can deal with the current situation. Every time she cut, it was like releasing the tension and anxiety in her heart, and the fruit knife seemed to become heavy in her hand.

In the living room, Qin Lan and Xiao Zhengchun were talking in low voices.

"Look at this child, isn't he too nervous?" Qin Lan frowned slightly and whispered. She still looked towards the kitchen from time to time, with a trace of worry on her face.

"It's inevitable when we first meet. But he seems sensible enough." Xiao Zhengchun responded, his voice steady and low, his eyes deep and restrained.

Xiao Yiyang looked towards the kitchen from time to time, thinking about how to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the sofa, his mind spinning rapidly.

After a while, Qiao Chu came out with a fruit plate. The fruit was cut into small and delicate pieces and arranged neatly. The colors were colorful and looked very tempting. She put the fruit plate on the coffee table and said, "Uncle and aunt, have some fruit." Her voice was still a little trembling, but she was much calmer than before.

Qin Lan picked up a piece of fruit and said with a smile, "Qiao Chu, you must have worked hard raising the child alone all these years." There was a trace of pity in her eyes.

Qiao Chu forced a smile and said, "Auntie, it's not hard. Chenchen is very well behaved." Her eyes fell on the wall not far away, as if she was recalling the warm times she had spent with Chenchen.

"My dear child, this is a little gift from mom. You gave birth to Yi Chen's child, and you are also the daughter-in-law of our Xiao family. This is a gift from mom. I came here in a hurry today and didn't prepare any gifts. Don't doubt mom's sincerity." Qin Lan smiled and handed a thick envelope full of cash to Qiao Chu. The envelope seemed to have a heavy weight in her hand, and her eyes were full of expectation and sincerity.

The moment Qiao Chu saw the envelope, she panicked and waved her hands to refuse, "Auntie, this is impossible. It's too valuable. I can't accept it." Her voice was trembling with nervousness, and her hands unconsciously retracted, as if she was avoiding something terrible. Her eyes were wide open, full of fear and anxiety.

Seeing this, Qin Lan's smile froze slightly, and she turned to look at Xiao Zhengchun, with a look of help in her eyes. Her eyes were full of hesitation and uncertainty, not knowing what to do.

Xiao Zhengchun also spoke at this time: "Child, accept it. If you have any difficulties in the future, tell us. We are a family." His voice was low and powerful, with a majesty that could not be refused. He looked at Qiao Chu firmly, making people irresistible.

When Qiao Chu heard what Xiao Zhengchun said, she didn't know what to do for a moment. Her eyes moved back and forth between her parents-in-law and her mother-in-law. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead unconsciously, and even her back felt cold sweat flowing. She was struggling fiercely in her heart. On the one hand, she felt that the gift was too expensive and she was unworthy of it; on the other hand, it was not easy to go against the wishes of her parents-in-law. Under such insistence, she felt that she could no longer refuse, so she had to carefully stretch out her hands, took the envelope, and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "Thank you, uncle and aunt."

"Still call me uncle and aunt?" Qin Lan said with a smile, with a hint of expectation and kindness in her eyes.

Qiao Chu blushed, glanced at Xiao Yiyang, and seeing him nod at her, she quickly said, "Dad, Mom."

"Oh——" Qin Lan couldn't stop laughing after hearing this, her eyes full of joy and relief.

Qiao Chu nodded gently, feeling mixed emotions. She didn't know how to deal with this sudden "generous gift", nor did she know how to understand her parents-in-law's feelings at the moment.

At this moment, the door rang again. The crisp doorbell sounded at this time, like a key, instantly breaking the somewhat solemn atmosphere in the house.

It turned out that Leng Ruofei had come back to pick up Chenchen. As soon as Chenchen entered the room, she saw two strangers in the living room. Her lively little face instantly became timid. She hid behind Leng Ruofei tightly, only sticking out half of her head. Her big eyes like black grapes were full of curiosity and a little fear. She looked at the two strange elders carefully.

Qiao Chu hurried forward, squatted down, and said gently: "Chenchen, come here and call grandpa and grandma." Her voice was gentle and expectant, and her eyes were shining with encouragement, trying to guide the child to break through the strangeness and timidity.

Chenchen opened her big, clear eyes, and held Leng Ruofei's clothes tightly with her little hands. She hesitated for a long time. Her little mouth was slightly pursed, as if she was having a fierce struggle in her heart. Finally, she squeezed out a small voice from her little mouth: "Grandpa and grandma." The voice was as light as the breeze, and if you didn't listen carefully, you would almost ignore it.

Qin Lan's heart melted when she heard this. An extremely bright smile immediately bloomed on her face. She quickly stretched out her hands, gently pulled Chenchen to her side, and looked at him carefully. Chenchen's pink little face was as delicate as a newly blooming peach blossom, and her big watery eyes were full of innocence and purity, which made her love him very much. "This child is so beautiful, just like Yi Chen when she was a child. Yi Chen was like a little girl when she was a child, fair and clean, and adorable." Qin Lan couldn't help but stroke Chenchen's hair gently while speaking. The soft hair slid through her fingertips like the most delicate silk.

Xiao Zhengchun also showed a kind smile, and his usually serious face became extremely kind at this moment. He bent down slightly, looked at Chenchen level, and said, "Little guy, you are so good." His voice was full of kindness, as if it could melt people's hearts.

Under the gaze of her grandparents, Chenchen seemed to relax gradually, no longer so scared, and a shy smile appeared on her face. She secretly glanced at her grandparents, and her little hand slowly loosened the corner of Leng Ruofei's clothes.