Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The weekend is almost here.

Liu Yunshu, dressed in a moon-white cheongsam, sat in the passenger seat, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress.

Lu Yan moved one hand away from the steering wheel and gently placed it on the back of her hand: "Don't be nervous, my parents are very easy to get along with."

"I'm not nervous," Liu Yunshu said defiantly, but she didn't pull her hand away.

Lu Yan chuckled softly and tightened his grip on her hand: "Yes, yes, my Yun Shu, don't be nervous. My mom was just saying this morning that she'd make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."

"Did you tell Auntie that I like to eat this?" Liu Yunshu turned her head to look at him, the tension in her eyes fading a little.

"Yes, you mentioned it last time, and I remembered it." He looked straight ahead, his tone as natural as if he were just saying that the weather was nice today.

Liu Yunshu felt a sudden warmth in her heart, and she gripped his hand with her fingertips. It turned out that he had secretly remembered all the things she had said casually.

As the car entered the Lu family's old residence, an old locust tree stood in the courtyard with its green bricks and gray tiles, its lush branches and leaves covering half of the wall.

As Lu's mother stood at the door looking around, she saw the car stop and immediately greeted her with a smile: "Is that Yun Shu? Come in, come in quickly."

She wore an elegant cotton and linen cheongsam, her hair neatly tied back, and even the fine lines around her eyes exuded gentleness.

As soon as Liu Yunshu got out of the car, Lu's mother grabbed her hand, the warmth of her palm making her heart melt: "This child is even more beautiful than in Ayan's photos."

Mr. Lu followed behind, wearing a light-colored shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and scholarly.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt." Liu Yunshu bowed slightly with a polite smile.

"Alright, alright." Mrs. Lu pulled her inside, her eyes lingering on her cheongsam dress. "This dress is so beautiful. The orchids embroidered on it are so lifelike. Did you embroider it yourself?"

"It was made by a master craftsman," Liu Yunshu replied with a smile. "If you like it, Auntie, I'll take you to that shop next time."

"Oh, this is wonderful." Mother Lu laughed even more heartily, holding her hand tightly.

Lu Yan followed behind, carrying the gifts, and shook his head helplessly as he watched his mother snatch the person away.

The living room was decorated in an antique style, with the mahogany furniture polished to a shine and a traditional Chinese ink painting of landscape hanging on the wall.

Lu's mother pulled Liu Yunshu to sit on the sofa and busied herself having tea poured: "Try this Biluochun tea, it was just sent from Suzhou a few days ago."

Liu Yunshu took a sip of tea, the delicate fragrance spreading on her tongue. Just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by Lu's mother's question: "What does Yunshu's family do?"

"My father runs a small business in Hangzhou, and my mother is a university teacher."

Lu's mother's eyes lit up: "A university professor? That's amazing, so knowledgeable and reasonable. What kind of business does your father run?"

"I opened a small art gallery, and I also sell antiques and calligraphy," Liu Yunshu replied with a smile, her fingertips gently stroking the rim of her teacup.

"Galleries are great, they have a cultural atmosphere." Mrs. Lu was increasingly pleased as she listened, and patted her hand. "Your uncle and I both like these things. We'll have your father keep an eye out for some good stuff, and we can exchange ideas."

Mr. Lu, who had been listening nearby, finally spoke slowly: "Yun Shu opened a flower shop?"

"Yes, it's over there in Wutong Lane." Liu Yunshu looked up at him, her smile still gentle. "I usually sell fresh flowers and also take on floral arrangement design jobs."

"I've been there once." Mr. Lu adjusted his glasses, his tone softening. "Last time I bought a birthday bouquet for your aunt; the white roses in the shop were quite nice."

Liu Yunshu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "So it's you, Uncle. I happened to be out delivering goods that day and couldn't personally entertain you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, the young lady at the shop is very friendly." Mr. Lu nodded. "Opening a flower shop must be hard work, coming and going in all kinds of weather."

"It's alright, I don't feel tired doing what I love." She lowered her head and took a sip of tea.

Lu Yan listened from the side and, seeing that his parents didn't make things difficult for him, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Liu Yunshu a reassuring look.

"Mom and Dad, Yunshu is amazing! Her flower arrangements won an award!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Mrs. Lu became interested. "Tell me quickly, what award is it?"

Liu Yunshu gave him a helpless glare, but still smiled and explained, "It was just a flower arrangement competition held in the city. I won a small prize by chance, it's nothing to mention."

"How is it not worth mentioning?" Lu Yan picked up the conversation, his eyes full of pride as he looked at her. "The judges said her work had a spark, and that she interpreted the word 'vitality' exceptionally well."

Mother Lu beamed with joy and held Liu Yunshu's hand even tighter: "Our Ayan has such good taste; he found a capable and beautiful girl."

Just then, Zhang Ma came over to report, "Madam, lunch is ready."

"Come on, let's go eat." Lu's mother pulled Liu Yunshu to her feet. "I specially made sweet and sour pork ribs for you today. Try Auntie's cooking."

The restaurant's round table was laden with dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs with a bright red color, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish with its tail curled up, and several stir-fried seasonal vegetables—it all looked incredibly appetizing.

Lu's mother kept piling food onto Liu Yunshu's plate, which quickly became a small mountain: "Eat more. Look at your skinny arms and legs, you must not eat properly usually."

There's definitely a kind of thinness that only elders perceive as such.

"Auntie's cooking smells so good, I'm already stuffed." Liu Yunshu thanked her with a smile, put a piece of pork rib in her mouth, the sweet and sour sauce coating the tender meat, the taste was indeed more authentic than that of restaurants outside.

Mr. Lu took a sip of his drink and looked at Lu Yan: "How did the negotiations go with the other party regarding next week's collaborative project?"

"Almost done, all the details have been finalized, just waiting for the signatures." Lu Yan put down his chopsticks, his tone calm. "Then we'll have the legal department review it again, and if there are no problems, we can get started."

"Yes, it's better to be careful in your work." Mr. Lu nodded, then looked at Liu Yunshu, "Yunshu, do you know anything about Ayan's work? He's a workaholic and sometimes neglects his family."

Liu Yunshu swallowed the food in her mouth and said seriously, "He mentioned some things to me. Although he's busy, he always tells me when he's done, which is quite reassuring."

She paused, looked at Lu Yan and smiled: "Besides, he's incredibly focused when he's working, which is very charming."

Lu Yan blushed slightly at her praise, reached under the table and touched the back of her hand, his eyes filled with a smile.

Seeing this, Lu's mother secretly exchanged a glance with Lu's father, both of them showing satisfaction in their eyes.

After lunch, Lu's mother took Liu Yunshu to the backyard to admire the flowers, leaving Lu Yan and his son alone.

A patch of roses grew in the backyard, their red, pink, and yellow blossoms in full bloom. Lu's mother pointed to one that had a pinkish-white gradient: "This is a variety that Ayan specially had imported from abroad last year. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

Liu Yunshu leaned closer to smell it; the fragrance was sweet and delicate. "It's beautiful. It's not the same style as the white roses in my shop. Each has its own unique beauty."

"This child, I knew you liked flowers." Mrs. Lu smiled and patted her shoulder. "To be honest, Yunshu, Ayan may seem cold, but he's actually very thoughtful. When he was little..."

Lu's mother chattered on about Lu Yan's childhood anecdotes, while Liu Yunshu listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word. Sunlight filtered through the flowers and leaves, bathing the two of them in a warm glow.

In the front yard living room, Lu's father was asking Lu Yan, "When do you plan to get engaged?"

Lu Yan paused for a moment, then said seriously, "I'll prepare after I finish the project I'm working on. I'd like to hear what Yun Shu thinks."

"Take the initiative if you should." Mr. Lu glared at him. "That girl is so wonderful, don't miss out."

Lu Yan chuckled softly, his fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup: "I know what I'm doing."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the backyard, Lu's mother suddenly took out a brocade box and handed it to Liu Yunshu.

"Knowing that Ayan was bringing you here, I specially picked out this jade bracelet. See if you like it?"

Liu Yunshu stared at the brocade box that was handed to her, and hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. Her fingertips touched the soft and warm velvet surface of the box.

She gently opened it, and inside lay a white jade bracelet, its texture warm and translucent, gleaming with a delicate luster in the sunlight, and carved with a lotus scroll pattern.

"Auntie, this is too precious..." Liu Yunshu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but before her hand could even touch the jade bracelet, Lu's mother pressed her down.

"What's so precious about it?" Mother Lu held her hand and gently slipped the jade bracelet onto her wrist. "It's a gift for our first meeting, so please accept it."

"Then Yunshu will accept it without hesitation. Auntie has excellent taste. I like it very much." Liu Yunshu accepted it generously upon seeing this.

Seeing that Liu Yunshu accepted the gift so readily, Lu's mother was even more pleased, thinking that she was a polite and generous person.