You are my wife, don't doubt it!

"My brother told me," Yu Lihua finally broke the silence, "you are going to be baptized next Easter?"

Xiao Yao had three black lines on his forehead: "I did say that..."

"Very good, very good," Yu Lihua said with a smile, "I'll let Yu Bo teach you catechism during the summer vacation. After you are baptized on Easter next year, you can go to pre-marital counseling..."

"Mom!" Yu Luying's face was red all the way to her neck. "It's too late to make up for the missed lessons, so what's the point of teaching theology? He's going to be held back!"

Xiao Yao could only smile awkwardly.

"That's right," Yu Lihua frowned, "Just catch up on your studies first. If you repeat a grade, you won't be in the same class anymore, and you won't be in the same school in the future. It's not good for your relationship to be in different places."

Xiao Yao:?

At this moment, Xiao Yao's cell phone beeped twice, followed by a series of notification sounds indicating that a MMS message had been received.

Xiao Yao decided to ignore it, but Yu Luying said, "Look."

"No." Xiao Yao said.

"Look." Yu Luying pushed him gently.

Xiao Yao took out his cell phone and opened the MMS. In order to prevent Yu Lihua from seeing it, he had to deliberately move towards Yu Luying.

The contents of the MMS were all photos of Shen Jie’s dinner tonight.

The dinner at this wealthy family is very exquisite, and each dish looks like a work of art made by the chef himself.

The first photo is a golden roast suckling pig with a crispy surface. It is placed on a beautiful roast meat plate, surrounded by a circle of green vegetables, and there is an apple in the pig's mouth. You can feel the taste of this dish at a glance...

Damn, I'm greedy. I've never seen a real roasted suckling pig in my life. I've only seen pigs running in the countryside.

The second photo is a colorful roast duck, its skin is crispy and shiny, with some scallion and pancake skin, making the dish look more delicate. The third photo is a cold jellyfish, its color is red and green, and it is seasoned with some sesame, mashed garlic and vinegar, making the dish look very appetizing.

The next dish was... a fish I didn’t recognize, but I knew from its shape that it wasn’t cheap.

There is also a tempting dish... Butter fried shrimp? Golden and crispy, with...

Really, why did she send these to me? I can’t eat them... Wait, I think I asked her to take pictures for me?

The home-cooked dishes made by Yu Lihua can be said to be delicious, but when compared with these photos, they are simply "ashamed of themselves".

As Xiao Yao was flipping through the MMS, he met Yu Luying's half-smiley gaze, which seemed to be teasing him: "I'm sorry, Mr. Xiao, it's my family's fault for not hosting you well."

"Ahem..." Xiao Yao secretly reached out and pinched her hand under the table.

He kept clicking "Next Page" and a photo of himself and Shen Jie appeared on the screen. This was taken secretly by Shen Jie when he was sleeping on Shen Jie's shoulder on the bus from Zhouzhuang back to Modu.

Who would have thought that the girl who took these photos secretly would break up with him an hour later?

I don’t know if Yu Luying saw this photo - probably she did, as Xiao Yao quickly took the phone back.

Speaking of which, no matter how the suspect who sent the informative text message thought, Yu Lihua in front of him must be the number one suspect, right?

But right now, there is no way to question him face to face.

"Okay," Yu Lihua said, "Let's eat. You young people just like to play with your phones while eating. Let's finish eating and start studying, okay?"

After dinner, Yu's mother and daughter cleared the table. Xiao Yao went over to help, but was firmly sent back to the sofa. He was extremely restless.

Tonight's topic is to revise the math paper in which he scored 47 points. With Yu Lihua present, Xiao Yao feels the atmosphere is very tense. But it's a good thing this way, as it's not easy for him to be distracted or chat idly, and his learning efficiency should be a little higher.

Yu Lihua selected two of the largest peaches that Xiao Yao had bought, washed them, peeled them, put the white peaches on an iron tray, and brought them to the two of them.

"Thank you, Auntie." Xiao Yao bowed.

"Be careful not to drip on the paper."

After a while, Yu Lihua brought two cups of freshly brewed milk.

Xiao Yao felt very warm and at home, or rather, it reminded him of his own mother - who had been like that in the past, so when he expressed his gratitude he did so from the bottom of his heart, and Yu Lihua's face actually began to look friendly.

Yu Luying was a little impatient, annoyed that her mother kept bothering her: "Don't you have anything else to do?"

"Well," Yu Lihua was surprisingly easy to talk to, and she was completely different from before. She said cautiously, "Then I'll go out for a walk. Don't get into trouble."

What kind of trouble could he get into? Xiao Yao was puzzled.

After Yu Lihua left with her high heels clacking away, Xiao Yao couldn't help but say, "Yingying, it's not good to chase your mother away like this, and..."

Yu Luying answered him by turning the test paper to the back: "Xiao Yao, let me tell you something."

"?"

“Next time you come to my house, don’t worship to that photo.”

"Oh, can I ask why?" Xiao Yao wanted to ask her about this as well: "Is it because we can only worship God? Uh..."

"Because," Yu Luying said calmly, her eyes fixed on the question on the test paper, "Because that man is still alive."

--split line--

"Yunxuan, just eat, why take pictures?" Shen Jie's father, Shen Hongsheng, was standing in his own dining room.

The high ceiling of this restaurant is inlaid with exquisite ceiling paintings, and the central chandelier hangs high, illuminating the entire room. There are huge gold-decorated mirror frames and ancient paintings on the walls, and the curtains are bright red.

The rectangular dining table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, with golden tableware on one side and crystal wine glasses and plates on the other. In the center of the dining table was a bouquet of flowers and a candlestick with candles lit on it.

The servants were placing tonight's dishes on the table one by one. This was the banquet to welcome their daughter.

A girl in white is opening the lids of the dishes one by one and taking pictures with the device in her hand.

Shen Hongsheng couldn't help but frowned slightly. With his more than 20 years of experience in the business world, he was sure that this kind of ostentatious and wasteful behavior was a ritual to summon bad luck.

"Xiao Jie asked me to take the photo." The girl was wearing white casual clothes and a ponytail with her hair neatly tied behind her head, looking very fresh and natural. Her skin was fair and delicate, her eyes were bright and clear, and her smile was curved like a crescent moon, revealing the vitality of youth and the beauty of health. Her smile exuded a sunny atmosphere. No matter from which angle you look at it, this is a female college student in her early 20s.

Shen Hongsheng walked to the table, sat in the chair that the girl called Yunxuan had prepared for him, and asked, "Where is Xiao Jie? Is she still crying in the room?"

Yunxuan stood on tiptoe and sat sideways on the table next to Shen Hongsheng with her legs crossed: "I'm such a grown-up girl, and you still spanked me, and you don't even allow me to cry?"

"When have you ever seen me hit her before? She got so powerful that she ran away from home and stayed away for such a long time, causing chaos at home. She came back and said casually that she just went out to stay in a youth hostel to relax, and she wanted to get away with it?" Shen Hongsheng put his hand on Yunxuan's thigh and gently pinched it: "Her? Sleeping in a youth hostel? Don't youth hostels require ID cards?"

Yunxuan raised her hand and slapped Shen Hongsheng's hand lightly, making a loud "slap" sound. She said, "So that's how I have to hit him?"

"What else can I do if I don't beat him? Throw him into the Huangjiang River? I've always told you to take care of it, but you want to play the good guy." Shen Hongsheng withdrew his hands and rubbed them together helplessly.

"Let me take care of it? How can you let me, a stepmother, take care of it? Although she is called a stepdaughter, I can only call her sister based on age." Yunxuan swung her legs, got off the table, walked around behind Shen Hongsheng, and massaged his shoulders and back. "The owner of this family is surnamed Shen after all. As an outsider surnamed Luo, shouldn't I have to get along well with the future mistress?"

"Don't make jokes here today," Shen Hongsheng took Luo Yunxuan's hand on his shoulder and asked her to sit in the chair beside him. He looked into her eyes and asked, "How true do you think Xiaojie's words are today?"

Luo Yunxuan tilted his head to think for a moment, then replied, "You've already fought, so it's all considered a lie."

Shen Hongsheng shook his head and said, "I know Xiaojie, and Xiaojie also knows me. She knows very well what kind of lies I can accept, but she still came up with this set of lies that I absolutely would not believe to evade me. There must be a reason for it."

"You mean, there is a part of the truth in what she said, and that's why she can't lie completely?" Luo Yunxuan leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and seemed to be thinking about something.

"Yeah, what is she hiding?" Shen Hongsheng frowned and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a "knock," "knock," "knock" sound.

Luo Yunxuan asked: "Maybe he was bullied outside and didn't dare to tell you?"

Shen Hongsheng still frowned: "Why don't you dare to say it? Obviously you are not afraid of being spanked by me."

He reached out and took Luo Yunxuan's hand, holding it between his own palms: "You really have to take extra care this time. After all, you are the mistress of this family."

Luo Yunxuan also leaned forward, put his hand on Shen Hongsheng's, and said seriously: "Now that everyone has returned safely and the lesson has been learned, pursuing the deeper reasons behind it is not only tiring, but also meaningless. As you often say, it's rare to be confused."

"That's true, but she's my biological daughter after all, so I can't help but feel bad." Shen Hongsheng sighed, "Besides, she came back safe and sound this time, but what if she comes back pregnant next time?"

Luo Yunxuan chuckled and said, "Aren't you the one who has always wanted to hold a grandchild?"

Shen Hongsheng: "...Don't joke."

Two servants brought over a large metal tray. Shen Hongsheng and his wife stood up and asked them to work together to place the tray in the middle of the long table.

Watching the servant leave, Luo Yunxuan whispered in Shen Hongsheng's ear, "From what I've observed, Zhengkai probably won't be too bothered by that."

"This is not what Zhengkai thinks." Shen Hongsheng shook his head, walked to the cover plate that had just been served on the table, and reached out to pinch the handle of the dish cover: "Behind the door, I can be confused, and District Chief Zhang may also be confused. I say it can be fish or bear paws, or even fish and bear paws cooked together..." He gently turned the handle, and the friction between the cover plate and the tray made a "sizzling" sound.

Then he raised his hand and the metal cover was lifted up, revealing a golden, crispy roast suckling pig underneath. It was placed on an exquisite barbecue plate, surrounded by a circle of green vegetables, and there was an apple in the pig's mouth. The restaurant was filled with fragrance.

Shen Hongsheng said to Luo Yunxuan in a deep voice: "However, once the lid is opened and exposed to the sunlight, neither he nor I can pretend to be confused anymore."

Luo Yunxuan picked up his phone, took a few photos of the roast suckling pig, and sent them to Shen Jie: "I was wondering why you refused to open the lid. What do you need me to do?"

Seeing that Luo Yunxuan had finished filming, Shen Hongsheng gently closed the lid and sat down: "Since you are willing to be a good person, then continue to do it. You and Xiaojie are of similar age. If you have a good relationship, she should be able to tell you more about anything."

Luo Yunxuan took the opportunity to sit on Shen Hongsheng's lap and said coquettishly, "I am a whole generation older than Xiaojie, how come we are the same age?"

Shen Hongsheng patted her back and calmly took her off his legs. "Is it my fault to praise your youth? Dig out some more truth for me. Pay special attention to that guy named Xiao... I don't know how he got in touch with Xiao Jie, but they seem to be very close. No matter what, I have to give District Chief Zhang a decent explanation."

"Okay, I'll go and coax her first." Luo Yunxuan shrugged and walked towards the stairs.

Shen Hongsheng gave another instruction towards her back: "Tell her to come down quickly for dinner. Tell her that I am no longer angry."

"understood."

"Oh, that's right," Shen Hongsheng said, "...ah, forget it."

Luo Yunxuan turned around and smiled: "If you want to see what's inside the lid first, I can have a couple of drinks with her in a couple of days, and then we can find out what's inside. Then you can have an idea, okay?"

"But...it's okay?" Shen Hongsheng said.

Chapter 180 The Eldest Lady's Family Dinner II

2023-05-03

With Luo Yunxuan's personal support, Shen Jie limped down the stairs and came to the restaurant.

Shen Hongsheng, wearing a dining scarf, sat at the head of the table. Luo Yunxuan helped Shen Jie sit on his right, and then she sat opposite Shen Jie. Sitting on Luo Yunxuan's left was Johns, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Such a long table, so many dishes, only these four people were enjoying them.

Two waiters stood on the left and right of the long table. They were wearing black suits, white shirts and black ties, their clothes were well-tailored, the buttons on their shirts and the knots on their ties were neatly tied, the light was reflected on their shiny shoes, and they held silver plates and cutlery in their hands, ready to provide service at any time.

Their presence was very low-key, as if they had blended into the entire environment. Their movements were very smooth and skillful, their expressions were serious and focused, and they glanced at the four people at the table from time to time, ready to capture their needs at any time.

As Shen Hongsheng picked up the tableware at hand, the meal began in silence. Shen Jie lowered her head aggrievedly, glancing at her father's face from the corner of her eyes, while Shen Hongsheng pretended not to notice.

Miss Shen, who is always confident, calm, elegant and has a strong aura, reveals her lamb-like side that she only shows in front of Shen Hongsheng.

Shen Hongsheng finally spoke: "Did you miss the food at home during these days away?"

Shen Jie forced a smile: "I have money with me, I can buy whatever I like to eat. There are still a lot of delicious food in Shanghai."

Luo Yunxuan said, "When it comes to eating, taste is only one aspect. In this day and age, people are no longer lacking in nutrition. The key is to keep it clean and hygienic. After all, diseases come from the mouth."

Shen Jie could only nod repeatedly: "Yes, yes."

Shen Hongsheng continued, "It's good for this person to have some ability to endure hardships. Our family is not a royal family, so we can't afford to raise a princess and the pea."

Shen Jie frowned and retorted in a low voice: "I am not the Princess and the Pea. Youth hostels are already good. With me, I am not afraid to sleep under a bridge."

She thought of the dilapidated bridge tunnel that led in and out of the "Hall of the People".

Luo Yunxuan smiled and said, "Yes, yes, our Xiao Jie is not the Princess and the Pea. Xiao Jie has been able to live alone in a youth hostel where all kinds of people come together for so many days. She is like a copper pea that cannot be steamed, boiled, pounded, or fried, but can still make a jingling sound."

"It's hard to go from luxury to frugality," Shen Hongsheng put a large piece of barbecue on Shen Jie's plate. "Back then, our family was just an ordinary small family with no living conditions. But when I was in Lingnan in 73, I frowned as soon as I entered the house arranged by my fellow villagers."

Shen Jie secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Shen Hongsheng begin to talk about his experience of working in the countryside. The girl's mind was wandering, but on the surface she looked very focused and interested.

"That's enough," Shen Hongsheng sighed and stopped reminiscing about the good old days. "If you are really like what your Aunt Luo said, it would be good if you are a copper pea. I am afraid that you are not only a princess, but also a mermaid princess, and in the end, only foam will be left."

"Old Shen, stop talking nonsense," Luo Yunxuan scolded Shen Hongsheng, then said with a smile, "How could Xiao Jie fall for such an ungrateful man, even if he's a prince? Don't you think so?"

"Of course," Shen Jie quickly replied, "The Xiao Yao you met was the one I brought along that day to annoy Zhang Zhengkai. We don't have any special relationship."

I'm sorry, Gouzi, it's just a temporary solution, a temporary solution. Shen Jie secretly apologized to Xiao Yao in her heart.

"Who did you learn this set of unorthodox tricks from?!" Shen Hongsheng suddenly slapped the table, scaring Shen Jie so much that she shrank her neck and Luo Yunxuan also closed his mouth.

"I know I was wrong," Shen Jie stammered, "but Zhang Zhengkai..."

Shen Hongsheng softened his tone and said, "I know you don't like Zhengkai that kid very much. He's younger than you and particularly immature. I said in the message I sent you that this matter can be discussed - don't think that I said this just to trick you back. I don't regret it."

"Okay." Shen Jie was genuinely happy again when she heard this.

"But no matter what choices you and Zhengkai make in the future, the child has done nothing wrong to you. No matter who you get engaged to, you can have fun but you still have to have a bottom line. I have repeatedly emphasized this bottom line to you. When you are out there, you must remember that you represent our Shen family and are the face of our Shen family. If you run away from home without saying goodbye again, or do something that makes people laugh at us, I will be very, very disappointed in you."

Shen Jie probably understood the weight of this "very, very disappointing" and nodded again: "Dad, I understand."

Let's take a step by step.

Shen Hongsheng let out a long sigh, leaned back on the high chair, and looked at Luo Yunxuan.

Luo Yunxuan understood: "You should have a good rest today. You have wasted a lot of time recently. Johns has arranged four tutors for you. In the next month, you should make up for the missed lessons and stop running around."

"I know." Shen Jie hung her head.

"You didn't pass the AP exam. Your father and I didn't say anything to you, did we?" Luo Yunxuan said calmly, "If you fail the ACT again and study for another year, won't you make a fool of our Shen family?"