novelraw Chapter 037 He's More Nervous Than You
Chapter 037 He's More Nervous Than You
Outside the Zhou family villa area.
The night was dark.
A black Volkswagen Phaeton slowly pulled up to the side of the road.
The car stalled.
The carriage was quiet, with only the faint hum of the air conditioning vents.
Wen Ning sat in the passenger seat.
The seatbelt was still fastened.
Her hands gripped the strap tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Through the windshield, I looked at the brightly lit villa in the distance, which seemed like a giant beast crouching in the night.
That was her home.
But she didn't want to go down.
Jiang Ci did not urge her.
He sat sideways, one hand on the steering wheel and the other casually placed next to the gear shift.
He looked at her.
Looking at her furrowed brows and slightly trembling eyelashes.
"Don't you want to go in?"
He spoke, his voice sounding particularly low in the enclosed carriage.
Wen Ning looked away.
She turned her head and looked at Jiang Ci.
The car was dimly lit, making his outline somewhat blurry, but his eyes were bright and deep.
This was her last straw.
Wen Ning took a deep breath.
My heart was pounding violently in my chest, striking my ribs.
The absurd task instructions from the system were still running through her mind, but at this moment, she only wanted to follow her own heart.
"Jiang Ci."
She called his name, her voice barely audible.
"Um."
"This year's Chinese New Year..."
Wen Ning bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, and blurted out everything in one breath:
"Could I... come to your house?"
The air seemed to freeze.
Wen Ning dared not open his eyes.
She was afraid to see his troubled expression.
After all, according to the system's settings, he comes from a poor family and may have to take care of his elderly parents. Bringing a "spoiled" girlfriend home would be not only an economic burden but also a psychological one.
She quickly tried to cover for herself, speaking rapidly:
"My mom is so annoying. She forces me to go on blind dates every day. I really don't want to stay in that house anymore."
"I...I'm not a picky eater! Really!"
"And I can pay the rent! I can pay for food! I absolutely won't eat and drink for free!"
"I have money, I can even buy gifts for your parents..."
She became more and more anxious and humble as she spoke.
Afraid of being rejected.
however.
A hand reached out.
Warm palms covered the back of her hands that were gripping the seatbelt tightly.
Wen Ning's voice stopped abruptly.
She opened her eyes.
Jiang Ci was looking at her.
Those eyes, which were usually cold and indifferent, seemed to be ignited with a flame at this moment.
It was throbbing violently.
That was astonishment.
It was shocking.
Then, in an instant, it turned into ecstasy.
A kind of intense, suppressed joy that still overflowed from the corners of his eyes and brows.
The hand gripping the steering wheel tightened suddenly.
The knuckles made a slight cracking sound as they exerted force.
"You want to come to my house?"
His voice was a little hoarse, as if he wanted to confirm again.
"To meet my family?"
"Want to spend Chinese New Year with me?"
Wen Ning nodded.
She looked at him cautiously: "...Is it okay? If it's inconvenient..."
"convenient."
Jiang Ci interrupted her.
Without the slightest hesitation.
He took her hand in his own and held it tightly in his palm.
The force was so strong it hurt a little.
"it is good."
He said.
"I couldn't have gotten it."
Nothing sounds more beautiful than these four words.
"No rent required."
He looked at her with incredibly tender eyes.
"No need to pay for meals either."
"Just bring yourself."
Wen Ning stared at him blankly.
Did you really agree?
Don't you mind that she's a nuisance?
"Then...then will your parents not like me?"
She was still a little nervous, "I'm not very good at housework, and I'm not good at talking..."
Jiang Ci smiled.
He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"rest assured."
"If they saw you, they probably wouldn't even want me, their own son."
……
Wen Ning got off the bus.
She ran lightly into the villa area, her back view radiating joy.
Jiang Ci sat in the car.
I watched her figure disappear around the corner.
He did not start the car immediately.
Instead, he took out his phone.
His previously nonchalant expression vanished instantly.
Instead, there was a sense of tension and readiness, as if facing a formidable enemy.
He took a deep breath.
I dialed a number.
The note reads: [Old House].
The phone was answered after only one ring.
A deep, aged voice came from the other end: "Young Master?"
He is the Jiang family's old steward.
"Uncle Fu".
Jiang Ci's voice was somewhat hurried, a rare display of his erratic behavior.
Is Grandpa asleep?
"Not yet, the old man is looking at calligraphy and paintings in his study."
"Give the phone to Grandpa."
Jiang Ci paused for a moment, then said, "I have something important to say."
A few seconds later.
Grandpa Jiang's booming voice came from the other end: "You brat, what have you been up to, fooling around outside so late at night?"
"grandfather."
Jiang Ci held his phone, looking out at the night view.
His lips couldn't help but curl upwards.
"I'm bringing my girlfriend home for Chinese New Year this year."
There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.
Followed by.
It was the crisp sound of a teacup lid falling onto the table.
"What did you say?! Who are you bringing? Your girlfriend? Alive?"
"Yes."
Jiang Ci spoke earnestly.
"It's Wen Ning. I've brought him back."
Before the old man could even start shouting excitedly...
Jiang Ci immediately switched to "wife-protecting mode," issuing commands at lightning speed:
"Grandpa, please listen to me."
"She's very timid and easily startled."
"Please put away those antique paintings and calligraphy that look too serious in the house for now, so as not to frighten her."
"Also, tell your aunts and uncles not to be too enthusiastic, and not to interrogate her like they're checking her background; she's easily embarrassed."
"Especially Mom."
Jiang Ci pressed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
"Tell Mom to tone it down and stop looking at her with that critical eye you'd use to judge a wealthy family's daughter-in-law. If she gets scared and cries, I'll take her away."
The old man on the other end of the phone was so happy that his beard stood on end.
"Okay, okay! I'll do whatever you say!"
"I'd do anything to bring my granddaughter-in-law back, I'd even tear down the house, let alone collect antiques!"
hang up the phone.
Three minutes later.
That long-dormant WeChat group, "The Loving Jiang Family (excluding Jiang Ci)".
Blasted.
Grandpa: [@Everyone! Attention everyone! Level 1 alert activated!]
Grandpa: [Aci is bringing his wife home! It's Wen Ning!]
Jiang's mother: [Really?! Oh my god, I have to go to the beauty salon right away! I can't embarrass my son!]
Jiang's father: [Butler! Quickly! Find that set of red jadeite jewelry in the storeroom! It's a gift for our first meeting!]
Second Aunt: [I'm buying a plane ticket back to China right now! I want to see my niece-in-law!]
The entire Jiang family's old residence.
Because of this phone call.
Utter chaos ensued.
Wen Ning was completely unaware of this.
Lying in bed, she was still worried about going to Jiang Ci's "poor" hometown to suffer.
She silently calculated in her heart:
Should I secretly bring some hand warmers?
I heard it's very cold in the mountains.
I also need to bring some cash, just in case his family doesn't have internet access.