What are your and Diandian's plans for the future?

Cheng Xingye took in the entire scene, finding it both amusing and immensely satisfying.

The young lady he had set his eyes on was indeed terribly pampered.

Even Mr. Cheng Sr., who was usually stern and humorless, was sitting alongside them now with cautious politeness, terrified of startling the young girl.

Seeing Lu Qingyue surrounded by his parents, chatting and laughing, Cheng Xingye let out a quiet sigh of relief, suddenly feeling that his insomnia the previous night caused by worrying over the little brat had been completely unnecessary.

She was such an adorable little creature, who wouldn't hold her in the palm of their hand?

Because of Lu Qingyue's arrival, Cheng Li had specially pushed aside his work commitments to stay home and host his prospective daughter-in-law.

The couple sat around her, chatting for a while, until it was finally time for dinner.

Lu Qingyue ran off to wash her hands, and upon returning, she discovered that almost everything prepared on the dining table was her favorite food.

Lu Qingyue did not eat spicy food; although Cheng's parents usually loved Sichuan cuisine, they had specifically instructed the chef today to prepare only light dishes.

Halfway through the meal, Guo Mengyun suddenly remembered something and asked casually, seemingly out of nowhere,

"When is Diandian's birthday?"

Lu Qingyue paused slightly. Though she didn't understand why this was brought up out of the blue, she quickly replied,

"August eighth."

Guo Mengyun fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.

That meant she wasn't even nineteen yet.

Indeed a bit too young. Viewed in this light, the matter of marriage didn't seem like something they could rush.

She didn't say anything further, merely offering a gentle smile and a soft remark,

"That makes her more than six years younger than Xingye."

Unsure of what Mrs. Cheng had in mind, Lu Qingyue uttered a flustered "Oh." Seeing that the older woman had no intention of probing further, she obediently lowered her head to continue eating.

Some fruit wine had been served at the table. Lu Qingyue had a little bit, leaving her feeling somewhat dizzy after the meal.

She hadn't originally planned to stay overnight, but Guo Mengyun enthusiastically led her upstairs to a guest room she had prepared in advance.

The bedding in the room had been completely replaced with butter-yellow sheets and pillowcases. Freshly cut "Juice Balcony" roses were placed in a European-style vase on the nightstand, and even the walk-in closet was stocked with a girl's intimate apparel and robes.

Having settled her comfortably, Guo Mengyun had just stepped out of the room when she saw Cheng Xingye lingering outside, having followed them up out of worry.

Observing his pathetic, anxious expression—as if he couldn't bear to be separated from her for even half a step—Guo Mengyun was simultaneously amused and speechless.

She gently closed the bedroom door and motioned him over to a quieter spot.

"Diandian has already fallen asleep. I need a word with you."

Cheng Xingye glanced at the tightly shut door, withdrew his gaze, and gave an indifferent "Mm."

A wall sconce glowed in the hallway, casting a warm light over him.

Looking at her son's handsome features, Guo Mengyun suddenly felt that her previous worry about her son failing to secure a wife might have been somewhat redundant.

Still, she remained uneasy, so she lowered her voice and asked,

"What are your plans regarding you and Diandian?"

This question came completely out of left field. Cheng Xingye raised an eyebrow slightly, failing to grasp her meaning.

Seeing that he remained clueless, Guo Mengyun grew a bit impatient and couldn't help but nag,

"Why don't you get engaged first? Then, when Diandian reaches the legal age next year, you two can go register the marriage."

So that was what she meant.

Cheng Xingye leaned his head back against the wall in helpless resignation, practically at a loss for words.

"Did she even agree to marry me yet, and here you are making plans all on your own?"

Yet Guo Mengyun refused to let up and pressed on,

"Did you even ask her?"

Cheng Xingye replied, "Not yet."

She was still such a little kid, why would he ask her that?

Seizing the loophole in his words immediately, Guo Mengyun retorted methodically,

"Then how do you know Diandian won't agree?"

Cheng Xingye: "..."

He discovered that arguing with women yielded absolutely no benefits.

His biological mother was like this, and so was the little brat inside the room.

He pressed his lips together in silence.

To Guo Mengyun, however, his silence looked like he had no intention of getting married. Growing anxious, she couldn't help but advise,

"You were angry at us for arranging a marriage for you previously, and you didn't come home for over half a year. Now that you've chosen someone yourself, how come you're suddenly in no rush at all?"

Cheng Xingye fell silent.

How could he possibly not be in a rush?

But what good would his rushing do?

Could he push through an amendment to the Marriage Law regarding the legal age of marriage by sheer willpower alone?

Leaning lazily against the wall, he tilted his head to glance at the guest room door and muttered,

"...We'll talk about it later. I don't want to pressure her either."

Guo Mengyun sighed. She didn't want to be a mother who constantly nagged about marriage either.

However, she genuinely adored the young girl Lu Qingyue. She was afraid that since the two of them were young, they might treat breaking up and getting back together as a regular occurrence.

Should their relationship ultimately end in a split, finding another girl in the future who suited her preferences as much as Lu Qingyue would likely prove difficult.

With this thought, Guo Mengyun paused for a moment and decided it was best to lay down some harsh truths first.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. With Diandian's qualifications, finding another boyfriend would be effortless. If you want to secure your position, you'd better keep a close eye on her. If she gets snatched away by someone else by then, you'll be crying too late."

Cheng Xingye paused, a cool gaze sweeping over her.

It was true that Lu Qingyue was lovable. But his own credentials weren't lacking either!

Was there any other mother who disparaged her own son this much?

He lazily twitched the corner of his lips, offering a perfunctory acknowledgment before turning sideways to twist the door knob, intent on going in to check on his little girl.

Seeing him about to enter, Guo Mengyun instantly grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing? Diandian is sleeping in there!"

Cheng Xingye hummed, a hint of smugness playing at the corners of his lips as he sighed with a thoroughly put-upon expression,

"This creature can't sleep without me. I have to go coax her."

Guo Mengyun: ".....?"

I fail to see who cannot live without whom here?!

...

Only a dim night-light was left on in the guest room.

The small mound under the duvet was curled up in the glow, a neat little ball resembling a sleeping crescent moon.

Cheng Xingye realized just how small she truly was. The six-foot-wide bed made her look minuscule, yet the moment she was scooped into his arms, she felt soft and plushy, bearing no relation to the word "small" at all.

He let out a silent chuckle, walked over quietly, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

The mattress dipped slightly under his weight.

Half-asleep, Lu Qingyue sensed someone beside her.

She blinked her hazy eyes, and against the dim light, she managed to make out the facial contours of the intruder.

Then the blanket over her suddenly grew light as someone lifted it and quite naturally lay down on her side.

The alcohol dulled her senses, making her eyelids too heavy to lift. As she was sleepily pulled into his embrace, she asked in a cloud of utter confusion,

"What are you doing?"

Holding her within the crook of his arm, Cheng Xingye gently patted her back and replied with absolute matter-of-factness,

"Coming to coax you to sleep."

Lu Qingyue: "???"

Since when did she need anyone to coax her to sleep?

With her eyes closed, she nuzzled against the soft pillow, her voice slurred and muddled,

"Do you know what the auntie just told me?"

Pressing his forehead against hers, Cheng Xingye replied with a husky hum, "What did she say?"

Allowing his palm to slip beneath her back with a gentle, lingering caress, her eyes still tightly shut, Lu Qingyue spoke at a slow, meandering pace,

"She said you don't know how to take care of people, so we have to sleep in separate rooms tonight."

Cheng Xingye: "???"