Free Web NovelChapter 428: Chapter 427: Accidentally Boarding a Pirate Ship
Gao Cuiyun took her son at his word.
She had introduced He Zichen to plenty of young women before, but she was never completely satisfied. She felt that since her son was a city-dweller now, any partner he chose shouldn’t be lacking.
She never expected him to bring someone back on his own, and a city girl at that. It was a bit of a surprise, but the young woman was quite pretty. Looking at them, they made a good pair.
When He Zichen returned to the room, he saw Yun Shu sitting obediently on the kang, looking like a young newlywed. He couldn’t help but crack a smile.
Yun Shu’s heart was pounding with anxiety, and she was already fidgeting. Seeing her boss actually smiling only made her more frustrated.
Seeing this, He Ziming tactfully excused himself. "I’ll go see what Mom’s doing."
After He Ziming left, Yun Shu glanced cautiously outside before whispering to He Zichen, "Your mom doesn’t believe us, does she? I told you, I’m a terrible actress. How could I ever fool them?"
"She believes us."
Yun Shu froze. "She believes us?"
He Zichen nodded.
Yun Shu felt a complicated mix of emotions. She had been afraid his family wouldn’t believe her, but now that they did, she felt guilty for deceiving them.
Lost in thought, she shot a glare at He Zichen.
He Zichen was confused. "I told you she believes us. Why do you still look unhappy?"
Yun Shu huffed, not wanting to talk to him. ’I’ve really gotten myself into a mess this time,’ she thought.
He Zichen couldn’t figure out what on earth this girl was thinking. ’They say a woman’s heart is as hard to fathom as a needle at the bottom of the ocean,’ he thought. ’It seems they’re right.’
A moment later, Gao Cuiyun came in carrying two bowls of steaming hot noodles.
"You two must be hungry. Have some of this to tide you over. We’ll have a proper dinner tonight."
Yun Shu nodded and took the bowl and chopsticks. "Thank you, Auntie."
Yun Shu really was hungry. The food on the train had been terrible.
Gao Cuiyun said, "Don’t be shy, go on and eat. If it’s not enough, I can make you more. We have plenty of noodles."
After speaking, she didn’t rush out. Instead, she sat down on the edge of the kang to watch them eat.
A small table, convenient for holding things, was set up on the large kang. He Zichen and Yun Shu each had a bowl of noodles and sat before it.
Yun Shu lifted some noodles with her chopsticks and noticed two poached eggs in her bowl. She glanced at He Zichen’s bowl; he only had one.
Yun Shu’s eyes flickered, and an unpleasant feeling stirred in her heart.
Seeing her hesitate, Gao Cuiyun asked, "Do you not like noodles? If not, I can make you some rice. I just figured noodles would be quicker since you must be starving."
Yun Shu shook her head. "No, that’s not it. I’m just a little moved. Thank you, Auntie. I haven’t had noodles this delicious in a long time."
With that, she began to eat heartily. He Zichen looked up, giving Yun Shu a thoughtful glance.
Gao Cuiyun watched as Yun Shu quickly finished the entire bowl of noodles, drinking even the last of the broth. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
"Let me get you another bowl."
"No, thank you, Auntie," Yun Shu refused. "I’m already full."
Afraid Gao Cuiyun wouldn’t believe her, she even patted her stomach. "Really, see? My belly is sticking out." ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Gao Cuiyun laughed. In truth, you couldn’t see any difference. Yun Shu was quite thin and had very fair skin; you could even see the faint blue veins on the back of her hand.
Gao Cuiyun had He Zichen, who had also finished his noodles, take the bowls and chopsticks out. Then, she brought in a plate of roasted pine nuts and hazelnuts.
"Have some. We picked these from the mountains nearby. I roasted them myself."
"Okay."
Yun Shu picked up a pine nut, slowly shelled it, and popped it into her mouth. It was rich and fragrant.
"These are delicious! So much better than the ones you buy at the supermarket."
Gao Cuiyun smiled. "If you like them, have as many as you want. We have plenty at home."
Yun Shu nodded.
Gao Cuiyun asked Yun Shu, "How long have you and Little Chen known each other? When did you get together?"
Hearing this, Yun Shu’s hand, which was holding a pine nut, froze. Her nerves instantly tensed.
She answered seriously, "We’ve known each other for over half a year. I started at the hotel at the beginning of this year as the bo— as his secretary. We only made our relationship official last month."
Yun Shu was repeating the story exactly as He Zichen had coached her on the train.
In fact, everything was true, except for the part about their relationship.
"How old are you? Are you from Beijing City? And what about your family?"
Yun Shu replied, "I’m twenty-three. I’m from Beijing City, and I’m an only child. My mom and dad are—still with us."
Gao Cuiyun was pleased to hear this. A local from Beijing City with no one in her family needing financial support—she met the criteria.
Gao Cuiyun was a true country woman. In her mind, the most important prerequisite for a daughter-in-law was that her family wasn’t a burden. She didn’t want someone like Guo Jinfeng, who funneled her in-laws’ resources to her own family. The other crucial thing was that the girl’s looks had to be worthy of her son.
It seemed this young woman met all her requirements. Plus, her son had found her himself. There were no issues at all.
Gao Cuiyun was visibly delighted, and she began telling Yun Shu about Little Chen.
"My Little Chen has been an obedient boy since he was young. In his teens, he followed his third uncle to Beijing City to do business. A few years later, he came back and built this very house. Everyone in the village envies me. They say our Little Chen is capable, that I’m a lucky mother. Little Chen used to be the pillar of our family, but I know it was very hard on him. His third aunt told me that Little Chen is a workaholic and hasn’t taken a single day off for personal reasons in years. It breaks my heart to hear that. That boy carries too much on his shoulders. He doesn’t like to tell me about some things, and we can’t help him anyway. I just want him to start a family soon, to have his own kids like Xiao Yang. Maybe then he wouldn’t worry so much, and he’d have someone to share the burden with."
"But I waited and waited. He was about to turn thirty, and he was still all by himself. I was so worried. I was afraid that what happened in the past had affected him, that he would be alone forever. But now that he has you, I can finally rest easy."
Yun Shu’s heart grew even heavier with guilt. It’s true what they say about the boundless love of parents.
And here it was, a mother getting on in years, hoping for her child to grow up, start a family, and have children of their own. It was only natural. But that wasn’t her!
Yun Shu screamed internally: ’This wasn’t my idea! I didn’t want to deceive you! It’s all your son’s fault!’
Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. She didn’t dare face the consequences.
"It’s true, he’s very dedicated to his work and very capable. He’s our boss, and all the employees really admire him."
Gao Cuiyun said with a smile, "Really?"
Yun Shu nodded.
Gao Cuiyun took Yun Shu’s hand. "Oh, you have to tell me more about his life in Beijing City. He never says a word when he comes back."
Yun Shu tried to soothe her. "Men tend to be less talkative. He’s probably just embarrassed. Our hotel has over a hundred employees, and he’s in charge of all of them, so he always has to keep a stern face at work. We’re all pretty scared of him."
"You’re afraid of him too?" Gao Cuiyun asked, surprised.
The corner of Yun Shu’s mouth twitched. She quickly corrected herself, "I used to be, but not anymore."
Only then did Gao Cuiyun let out a sigh of relief.
