novelraw Chapter 466 - 383: Better Not to Mention It
Chapter 466 - 383: Better Not to Mention It
Chapter 466: Chapter 383: Better Not to Mention It
Mrs. Leng shot her a glance, "Your brother and sister-in-law are a completely different case. Why are you so serious about this? I’m talking about you and Xiao Jin now. Besides, getting a wife and marrying off a daughter are not the same thing."
"Got it! Please continue! Carry on!" Leng Ning shrank her neck back, looking like a student receiving a lecture.
Mrs. Leng suddenly thought of something, "Do your sister-in-law and her family know nothing about you and him?"
Considering how close Leng Ning and Li Si were, it seemed impossible that she wouldn’t know anything! Yet, one by one, they all kept Mrs. Leng in the dark!
Thinking about that, Mrs. Leng felt a little uneasy.
Leng Ning immediately noticed her mother’s displeasure and quickly tried to cover for Li Si, "My sister-in-law doesn’t know either. I didn’t tell her. It’s just that one time at the Bright Moon Palace, I ran into him, and we talked briefly."
She didn’t dare say she hadn’t seen him at all. After all, if something slipped tomorrow during their meeting, she would be doomed. A single lie always required a mountain of other lies to keep it afloat—she found that utterly exhausting.
"Oh, I see! Then let your brother, sister-in-law, and Buding come tomorrow as well. When your future brother-in-law visits, it’ll be more lively with everyone around!" Hearing this, Mrs. Leng felt much better.
"Alright!" Suddenly, she remembered Leng Mo, who she hadn’t heard from in a while, and casually asked, as if unintentionally, "Mom, what’s Leng Mo been up to these days? Have you seen her?"
Mrs. Leng looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression. Why was Leng Mo suddenly being brought up in this conversation?
At the thought of Zeng Qiuping’s family, Mrs. Leng pursed her lips in displeasure, "What can Leng Mo be up to? Busy with work, probably! A few days ago, I saw her driving out of the gate. She seems to have lost weight again! Sigh! Leng Mo is actually a pretty good kid!
But Zeng Qiuping’s been jumping around, trying to overturn that ungrateful Leng Mohao’s case! I even ran into her once, and she accused our family of being heartless! Can you believe it? She said that to her own family!
She doesn’t even stop to think: If your brother hadn’t been lucky and survived that ordeal, maybe by now, he’d be six feet under! And all those horrible things they did—who’s the ruthless one here? They think they can get out of it? Just dreaming!"
Recalling all this left Mrs. Leng fuming with anger.
The major breakthrough in Leng Mohao’s case by Heizi’s team was something Leng Ning had learned from chatting with Li Si. "Mom, can we not talk about them anymore? Let’s discuss tomorrow’s meal plan instead, shall we? Are we hosting at home, the old house, or going out?"
Trying to redirect the conversation, Leng Ning knew that talking about those matters would only make Mrs. Leng’s temple veins jump with frustration. Anyone this agitated must have been seriously provoked.
Mrs. Leng squinted slightly, thinking it over. "Anywhere is fine. Your grandpa has been in much better health lately. I’ll ask your dad after he gets out of the studio!"
Leng Ning glanced toward the studio’s direction and stuck out her tongue mischievously, "Dad’s working on another piece?"
In recent years, her father’s artworks had become less frequent as he devoted more time to exhibitions and administrative work.
I wonder what’s up today—did some sudden inspiration strike him?
Meanwhile, Jin Yichen had informed Jin Jiachao about his plan to visit his girlfriend’s family, and Jiachao reacted even more enthusiastically than Yichen himself, practically like a eunuch more anxious than the emperor.
When it came to choosing the appropriate gifts for the visit, Jin Jiachao racked his brains. He was about to sacrifice all his brain cells debating if jewelry and accessories might be too extravagant or if a gift box of liquor and tobacco would appear too inadequate.
When Yichen walked out of the shower, he spotted his father still fussing over the preparations, and he felt an odd pang of emotion in his chest.
Turns out Dad cares this much about me finding a girlfriend!
If he had known, he thought, perhaps he should have casually introduced someone years ago just to make the old man happy.
"Old man! Hey! Stop fussing already! Xiao Ning said we should keep it casual for the first visit!"
Who’s kidding who? If they came heavy-handed right on the first visit, what would Leng Ning’s family think?
The Lengs weren’t lacking in wealth or status; if their intentions were mistaken as showing off, wouldn’t that be catastrophic?
The desk was already cluttered with jewelry boxes of various sizes. Jin Jiachao had initially planned to appeal to everyone’s tastes—sending standout jewelry pieces to Yichen’s future mother-in-law and sister-in-law. As for the father-in-law and brother-in-law? Naturally, those wouldn’t do.
Fortunately, throughout the years, he’d steadily collected numerous paintings and antiques, picking out two exquisite items for the occasion.
And for his future daughter-in-law, he aimed for nothing but the best. He considered giving her a brooch from his wife’s early collection, a piece of timeless elegance and undeniable quality.
"Son! Even though your girlfriend said to keep it casual, you can’t truly take that at face value! Our family may not have everything, but we do have some precious treasures. Look, check out these items on the table—tell me which ones seem suitable. Your young eyes are sharper than mine, go on and choose!" As he spoke, he turned back to rummage through the safe, retrieving more of his auctioned treasures from over the years.
He felt quietly grateful for hoarding so many valuables—if he had to prepare gifts out of thin air, where would he even begin?
"Dad! Don’t pull out any more! Let me tell you, their family may be even wealthier than ours! For a first visit, if we overdo it, what if they read too much into it?! Look, if you’re so eager to part with these treasures, no problem! Wait until your daughter-in-law officially marries in, and then just hand them all over to her, okay?"
Yichen stopped Jiachao mid-movement, preventing him from dragging out even more prized possessions from the safe.
Jiachao nodded thoughtfully and happily promised, "Alright then, it’s settled! The moment you successfully bring that girl into the family, all these jewels and accessories will go to your wife. She can pass them down to your kids in the future!"
Oh, the mere thought that in a short while, he might have a soft, sweet little grandchild calling him "grandpa" made his heart overflow with sweetness.
Yichen’s hand, which had absentmindedly been flipping through a jewelry box, paused. He couldn’t help but be amazed at how quickly his old man’s mind jumped from one topic to another—he almost broke out in a cold sweat. "Old man! We don’t even know which direction their front door faces yet, and you’re already imagining passing treasures on to a future grandchild. But hey, at least you’re not the type to favor grandsons over granddaughters. That’s a good mindset! Keep it up!"
"Get out of here! Are you messing with your dad for fun? I’m serious—if you get married this year and have a baby next year, does what I’m saying sound far-fetched?" Jiachao bristled, glaring at his son with indignation. He knew that this kid never took things seriously.
Yichen recognized where to draw the line, shutting up before he riled his dad too much. Instead, he earnestly sifted through the jewelry in front of him, exclaiming exaggeratedly, "Wow, Dad! This one’s fantastic!" Holding a pair of vivid green jade bracelets, he admired how they glowed softly under the light.
Jiachao’s mood lifted instantly as he shared the story behind them, "These jade bracelets used to be one of your grandmother’s favorite pieces! Later, she passed them down to your mother, but your mom didn’t get to wear them much before she passed away. Sigh, some memories are too painful to recall, let’s not dwell on them."
By the end, Jiachao’s expression turned wistful. The past was full of regret, and bringing it up served no purpose anymore.
Yichen, skillful as ever, gently returned the bracelets to their place, leaning into the safe to examine the assortment of boxes within. Changing the subject, he said, "Old man! You’ve got quite a collection in here! Whoever my future wife is, she’s going to hit the jackpot! Marry into this family, and she’s instantly a rich woman!"
Jiachao composed himself, thinking that this son of his finally growing up and having a girlfriend could only be a good thing. Why dig up old grievances?
"Listen, kid, when you’re at your future in-laws’ place, don’t act so flippant—you need to come across as reliable, do you understand? Most parents respect men with a sense of steadiness. Otherwise, how could they trust you with their cherished daughter? And another thing..."
Yichen listened to his dad’s lecture with one ear and let it out the other, casually rummaging through the safe. Suddenly, in the left corner, he uncovered a red cloth-wrapped bundle. Intrigued, he reached in and pulled it out. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support means everything to me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)