"If you were to choose a date for the wedding, when would you like it to be?" Bai Yeqing followed up on this topic.
Xia Xingchen raised her eyes to look at his profile. She knew that he was asking her seriously, not joking, and certainly not trying to coax her.
Talking about marriage with him, she still felt that it was a little too fast and a little unreal. However, she couldn't say no at all.
She wondered, since when did she want to marry him? To marry this man who had a bad temper, was difficult to get along with, and was domineering and narcissistic.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Bai Yeqing didn't hear the answer and pinched her fingers.
She came back to her senses and answered him, "If you really want to get married, you have to wait until after the New Year. The New Year is coming soon."
She still hadn't forgotten what Bai Suye said last time. Under the current circumstances, if they really got married publicly, it would be very bad for his image. Anyway, if they really wanted to get married, there was no rush.
Bai Yeqing pursed his lips, as if in deep thought, and didn't say anything.
At this moment, the cell phone he had put aside suddenly rang. It was a private number.
Xia Xingchen helped him pick it up, and he asked, "Whose phone is it?"
"Old lady."
Bai Yeqing nodded slightly, "Help me listen."
"ah?"
"Listen." Bai Yeqing said without hesitation, holding the steering wheel steadily with both hands, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, "It's not suitable for me to answer the phone on the highway. Besides... you will be mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the future, so you have to keep in touch more."
When he said the last sentence, his eyes fell on her face with interest.
Oops.
Xia Xingchen blushed and decided not to answer him. She just answered the phone and put it to her ear.
"Hello, Ye Qing." The old lady's voice came from the other side.
Xia Xingchen straightened up. Even now, he still felt a little uncomfortable. He coughed lightly and said, "Madam, I am Xingchen."
Bai Yeqing glanced at her and saw that she was tense, holding a mobile phone in one hand and pressing the other hand on her knee. Her tense fingers showed how nervous she was at the moment. He thought it was funny and cute, and couldn't help but say, "Relax, the old lady doesn't eat people."
He didn't lower his voice at all, and the old lady heard it. She only said to Xingchen: "That's right, don't be nervous, Ye Qing is right, I don't eat people."
"..." Xia Xingchen glared at Bai Yeqing quietly, and said quickly: "Madam, Yeqing is driving now, is there anything you want me to tell you?"
"It's something serious."
Xia Xingchen looked at Bai Yeqing inquiringly, lowering his voice, "It's business."
Just as I was about to press the hands-free button, I heard the old lady continue, "This is our Bai family's business, and it's the same as telling you."
"Ah?" Xia Xingchen was stunned for a moment. The next second, he understood. The old lady really treated him as her own. It was different from the attitude she had shown to him on the phone at the beginning.
Her tense body relaxed a lot, "Then tell me and I'll help you convey it."
"Tomorrow his uncle will be officially released, and our whole family will go to greet him. In the evening, the whole family will have dinner together. Xingchen, bring Dabai back with you. Let your uncle take a good look at Dabai and your future daughter-in-law."
Xia Xingchen was very happy with the old lady's cordial invitation. In such a formal and grand occasion, the old lady really did not consider herself an outsider. However, the old man...
"If I go to such an occasion, I'm afraid the old gentleman will be unhappy."
"Why are you afraid of him? Besides, he just looks fierce. You must remember to be with our Ye Qing..."
Xia Xingchen was halfway through her words when her phone was suddenly taken away.
She turned her head.
Bai Yeqing held the steering wheel with one hand and held the phone with the other, his eyes fixed on the front, and said, "Xingchen is not available tomorrow night, I will bring Dabai over."
Xia Xingchen was stunned for a moment. She had a lot of free time tomorrow night.
The old lady was also stunned.
Then, he scolded, "What do you mean you are busy? She said she was busy, what do you mean you are busy? Besides, aren't you going to marry her? You have to bring her back to your uncle."
Bai Yeqing's hand holding the phone tensed a little.
Xia Xingchen glanced over and saw that the knuckles of his five fingers were slightly white. After a long while, he only heard him say, "I'm not afraid of not having another chance in the future. That's it for now. I'm hanging up now."
Without giving the old lady a chance to speak, Bai Yeqing hung up the phone and threw it aside.
Xia Xingchen glanced at him sideways, and then looked out the window. She felt a little embarrassed. In fact, she didn't mean to attend tomorrow's event. As a family, she might not feel comfortable if she went. However, she felt a little disappointed that he rejected her for no reason.
He didn't want to take me back? Was he dissatisfied with her performance last time
Xia Xingchen wanted to ask, but the depression in her chest made it hard for her to ask. She was also afraid that the answer would embarrass her.
so…
On the way back, the two of them were silent.
The atmosphere in the car was somewhat depressing. Bai Yeqing actually did not ask her a single question.
Arriving at the service station, he stopped the car. Xia Dabai woke up and said he wanted to pee, but Xia Xingchen let him go alone. The two of them sat in the car, and it seemed that they could no longer bear this atmosphere. Xia Xingchen opened the door and said, "I'll go down and get some fresh air."
Having said that, he was about to get off the car.
He reached out and grabbed her hand as she was about to remove the seat belt.
She turned around, not looking at him, but just looking at his hand. She tried to break free with a little force.
"Are you angry?" He finally spoke after a few hours. He held her hand tightly.
Xia Xingchen was startled, her eyelashes drooped slightly, and she said, "... No."
Although he said this, his tone was muffled.
He looked at her steadily, "Because I declined the dinner invitation tomorrow night for you?"
“No.”
Bai Yeqing didn't say anything, but just stared at her inquiringly.
She did not break free from his hand, but met his gaze and asked without hiding anything: "Did you feel dissatisfied with my performance when I went to your house last time?"
He rubbed the back of her hand with his long fingers, "Don't think too much. It's just that my uncle just got out of prison, he's all alone, and we have three generations living under one roof, I'm afraid he'll be hurt by the sight. So, I'll let you meet again when I find a chance after some time."
His words made perfect sense. After hearing his explanation, Xia Xingchen felt much more comfortable, and the awkwardness just now disappeared. He just nodded and said, "Your uncle is also a poor man. Then... haven't you been investigating the matter of the lady's daughter? Is it your uncle's child?"
Bai Yeqing gave her a serious look, and Xia Xingchen felt a little confused. After a while, he said, "This matter is over. We will not investigate it anymore. You don't have to worry about it anymore."