Chapter 22
The elders kept a regular schedule, and after lunch, they took a short nap, so Shen Yan and the others didn’t linger and bid farewell after the meal.
The grandmother warmly escorted them to the door, reluctant to let go of Shen Yan’s hand. “Yanyan, you have to come and play often! Grandma can make more than just sweet and sour ribs; I have plenty of delicious dishes I haven’t cooked for you yet. Next time, I’ll make them all for you. And this…”
She handed him various food containers, saying, “You live alone, and I bet your meals are pretty haphazard. That won’t do! I happened to make a lot of dumplings and wontons these past few days. Take some home to eat. And I made some spicy shrimp and crab too; I noticed you really like them, so I got some for you. When you finish these, come back for more.”
On top of all that, she even washed some fruits and shoved them into his hands, insisting he eat them on the way home.
Shen Yan felt quite embarrassed but couldn’t refuse her kindness, continuously thanking the elderly lady while feeling puzzled—shouldn’t these things be for her grandson to take home? Why was she giving them to him, an outsider?
Meanwhile, the grandson was standing off to the side with his father, seemingly unconcerned.
Su Mubai nudged Su Yunzhe and whispered, “Wow, this is the first time you’ve brought a girl home, isn’t it?”
Su Yunzhe nodded, tilting his chin slightly. “Look how happy they are.”
“You really just did it to make them happy?” Su Mubai adjusted his glasses, inquiring further.
Su Yunzhe shot him a glance. “What else would it be for?”
“Well, you should also try to make me happy. When are you bringing someone home for dinner?” Su Mubai pressed.
Su Yunzhe hesitated for a moment before responding, “Maybe someday.”
Su Mubai was taken aback, and a smile spread across his face, his lips curving upward. “Alright, I’ll be waiting!”
Seeing his father smile so uncharacteristically, Su Yunzhe couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation. “Mind your image! And keep an eye on Su Yingying; she hasn’t been attending school properly since the semester started. How can you be a father to her?”
Clearing his throat, Su Mubai regained his composed demeanor. “I’ve been too busy lately to pay attention to her. But is she in her rebellious phase? She used to be so well-behaved that I didn’t have to worry about her. Why has she changed so much since starting high school?”
“How would I know? You’re the parent, after all.”
“But honestly, she seems to listen to you more. Why don’t we…”
“No way!”
Before Su Mubai could finish his sentence, Su Yunzhe decisively interrupted him. He wanted to say more, but the grandmother finally released Shen Yan. Seeing this, Su Yunzhe turned to leave, effectively ending the conversation.
Their car was parked outside the school, and by now, the rain had stopped. The sun was shining brightly, making it uncomfortable to stay outside. As a result, both Su Yunzhe and Su Mubai climbed into their cars without much formality.
Just before getting into his car, Su Mubai called out to Shen Yan, “Yanyan, come over to our house when you have time! My cooking skills are pretty good too; you should come by to taste sometime.”
Shen Yan smiled politely in response, readily agreeing while feeling utterly confused.
He couldn’t wrap his head around why Su Yunzhe had brought him there today.
To put it bluntly, the whole situation made it seem like Su Yunzhe’s family mistakenly thought he was the future daughter-in-law of the Su family.
The key point was that Su Yunzhe hadn’t explained a word of it nor shared what he was thinking.
“Um… President Su, are you being pressured into marriage by your family?” Shen Yan couldn’t help but ask on the way back.
Su Yunzhe turned to look at him, his tone calm and indifferent. “Did you figure it out?”
“Ah? Really?” Shen Yan was somewhat surprised.
Although he asked, he didn’t truly believe Su Yunzhe would bring someone home just to appease his family’s marriage pressure.
Su Yunzhe nodded. “It’s true.”
His expression was quite serious, unlike someone who was joking.
Shen Yan was taken aback, suddenly recalling how Su Yunzhe had inexplicably signed a contract with him and offered him a salary the first time they met. It all started to make sense.
So, it turned out that despite appearing aloof and distant, Su Yunzhe was an ordinary person too. He had experienced his own rebellious phase, and now, nearing thirty, he was facing pressure from his family to marry.
As Shen Yan thought about this, he found Su Yunzhe more relatable and smiled. “You should’ve told me sooner, President Su. That way, I could’ve cooperated better. Thankfully, I didn’t slip up today.”
Su Yunzhe raised an eyebrow, teasing him. “I think you did well. If you could’ve called me ‘Dad’ a few times, it would’ve been perfect.”
Shen Yan rolled his eyes helplessly. “President Su, do you have any common sense? Who calls their partner’s parents ‘Dad’ the first time they visit? You’d have to pay a fee to call them that!”
Su Yunzhe smirked. “Sounds like you’re familiar with the process.”
“Of course! Let’s just say… I’ve been married before, okay?”
Shen Yan almost let slip, “Well, I was involved in my brother’s wedding from start to finish,” but he caught himself just in time.
Su Yunzhe looked at him, curious. “So how much did they pay you as a fee for changing how you address them?”
Shen Yan didn’t expect him to take such an interest in this topic, and he felt a bit overwhelmed.
He knew there was such a thing as a ‘fee for changing how you address someone,’ but he had no clue how much his parents had given his sister-in-law. Whatever amount they had given certainly wouldn’t be a useful reference.
“Honestly, it’s just a formality. If you’re happy about it, even a hundred would feel right, right?” He chose to deflect with humor.
“Were you really happy about it at that time?” Su Yunzhe turned to him, his dark eyes serious and probing.
Shen Yan hesitated, then shrugged and sighed. “Are you asking just to hear yourself talk, President Su? If I was happy about it, would I have ended up in this situation?”
“Then why did you get married?” Su Yunzhe pressed on.
Shen Yan couldn’t help but stare at him, feeling that Su Yunzhe was unusually inquisitive today, showing a surprising interest in his past.
“Well, getting married… how should I put it?” Shen Yan tilted his head, pondering for a moment. “I was basically forced into it. I suppose I was a bit blind and naive at the time. I didn’t think to resist much and just went along with it, ending up getting married. Looking back, I really want to strangle my past self!”
He truly wanted to strangle the original character he had inhabited!
That way, even if he had the bad luck of being reborn into this story, he wouldn’t have to face that lunatic Duan Yang anymore.
That was Shen Yan’s true sentiment.
“If you really want a divorce, it’s not that complicated. I can help you find a lawyer, and you can file for divorce right away,” Su Yunzhe said.
Shen Yan looked at him, noticing that Su Yunzhe was focused on the road ahead, his expression unchanging and his tone casual, not seeming to be joking at all.
Shen Yan knew that if Su Yunzhe genuinely offered to help, getting a divorce from Duan Yang wouldn’t be a challenge.
Moreover, it seemed that only after divorcing Duan Yang could he completely cut ties with the original story’s fate.
So, it had to be said that Su Yunzhe’s offer was very tempting.
But…
Why was Su Yunzhe suddenly so willing to help him?
