Chapter 43
Murong Maohua glared at his son, his expression stern.
“Your mother felt something was off after you received that call tonight, so she asked me to follow you.”
Murong Cheng tried to hide Murong Yan behind him, but the CEO stepped forward and greeted Murong Maohua respectfully.
“Uncle.”
“Aren’t you Xiao Cheng’s boss? What’s going on…?” Murong Maohua asked, trying to maintain a polite tone despite his suspicion.
During the CEO’s previous visit during the New Year holiday, he and Xing Li had assumed it was a work-related matter, not realizing the true nature of their relationship. After all, one was a powerful CEO, the other a junior employee. But seeing them embrace tonight, Murong Maohua realized there was more to it.
“Uncle, I’m Murong Cheng’s boyfriend,” Murong Yan said, despite Murong Cheng’s frantic attempts to signal him to be quiet.
His directness left Murong Maohua speechless.
The gazebo in the apartment complex garden, late at night, wasn’t the ideal place for such a conversation.
Murong Maohua sighed. “You came here specifically to see Xiao Cheng? Where are you staying?”
Murong Yan nodded obediently. “Yes. I haven’t booked a hotel yet. I saw one near the entrance of the complex.”
Murong Maohua hesitated. “It’s late, and Xiao Cheng’s mother just got out of the hospital. Perhaps you could come to our apartment tomorrow morning?”
He hadn’t explicitly approved of their relationship, but he hadn’t rejected it either. Murong Cheng’s eyes lit up. He exchanged a look with Murong Yan.
“Of course, Uncle. Then I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll be going now,” Murong Yan said quickly.
“Yes,” Murong Maohua glanced at his son. “Let’s go home.”
“Okay,” Murong Cheng followed his father, then turned around and waved at Murong Yan.
His father walked in silence, his thoughts unknown. Murong Cheng, his heart pounding with anxiety and worry for Murong Yan, who was staying at a cheap hotel, sent him a message.
[Cheng: Find a different hotel. The one near the entrance is terrible. You won’t like it.]
Murong Yan didn’t seem concerned.
[Y: It’s fine. Don’t worry.]
As they reached the elevator, his father stopped.
“Don’t mention anything at home. We’ll talk to your mother tomorrow morning.”
Murong Cheng nodded eagerly. “Okay, Dad.”
They quietly unlocked the door and found the lights on in the living room. Xing Li emerged from the bedroom.
“Where did you go so late?” she asked, looking at her husband, although the question was directed at Murong Cheng.
His mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse, but his father spoke first.
“Chi Yu came over. They were discussing something.”
Hearing it was Chi Yu, Xing Li lost interest.
“Just like when you were kids, can’t anything wait until tomorrow? Go to bed!” she said, turning back to her bedroom.
“Okay, goodnight, birthday girl!” Murong Cheng said, shooting his father a grateful look, and then quickly retreated to his room.
Worried about Murong Yan at the cheap hotel, and about his mother’s reaction, he slept fitfully.
He woke up early, before his parents, and made breakfast, steaming frozen buns he found in the freezer.
Just as the buns were almost ready, his parents woke up.
“Xiao Cheng, you’re up early. Going out with Chi Yu?” Xing Li asked, still remembering his late-night outing.
He stammered, “No…”
He looked at his father pleadingly.
Since his father had come up with the lie, he should be the one to explain.
“Let’s eat first,” Murong Maohua said, heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. “Come on, try Xiao Cheng’s breakfast.”
He successfully changed the subject. After breakfast, Murong Maohua cleared his throat.
“Xiao Cheng and I are going to the market later. Buying some things for lunch. We’re having a guest.”
Xing Li looked confused. “A guest? Who?”
Murong Maohua glanced at his son. “Your son has a boyfriend.”
Murong Cheng nodded nervously, forcing a smile.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Xing Li’s face lit up. “Since when? Why didn’t you tell us?”
Murong Cheng: “It’s been a while.”
Then she asked the crucial question. “Who is he? A colleague?”
He nodded again.
She looked at her son, then at her husband, noticing his less-than-enthusiastic expression.
“What’s with that face? Your son has a boyfriend! This is a good thing! Are you jealous? Wait, was that him last night? The one who came to see Xiao Cheng?”
Murong Maohua nodded. “Yes.”
Xing Li: “And you two lied and said it was Chi Yu? He came all this way, and you didn’t even invite him in? Where’s he staying? He can stay with us!”
She was overjoyed about her son’s relationship.
Murong Maohua: “He’s a CEO. He probably wouldn’t be comfortable in our apartment.”
“A CEO?” Xing Li’s smile faltered. “Don’t tell me it’s… the CEO? The one who had dinner with us before?”
Murong Maohua: “That’s the one.”
Xing Li’s face fell. She turned to her son. “Xiao Cheng, you’re dating your former CEO?”
Murong Cheng nodded nervously.
“This…” She exchanged a worried look with her husband.
Murong Maohua stood up. “We’re having lunch with him today. We should go to the market. We’ll talk about this later. Come on, Xiao Cheng.”
Murong Cheng wasn’t good at choosing fresh seafood and vegetables.
But his father insisted he come along, not allowing him to help his mother clean or go to the hotel to pick up Murong Yan.
“Dad, shouldn’t we pick him up? He doesn’t know how to get here,” he said after they returned home and started preparing the ingredients.
Murong Maohua scoffed. “Doesn’t know how to get here? He found his way here last night. Why wouldn’t he know now?”
Xing Li’s attitude had also changed drastically. “Does a CEO need to be picked up? We can’t afford such formalities.”
“Mom and Dad! You liked him when he had dinner with us! You even praised him! Why are you acting like this now that he’s my boyfriend?” Murong Cheng protested.
Xing Li sighed. “We’re worried about you, child. You just started working, and you’re dating your boss. It’s an unequal power dynamic. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Murong Yan isn’t like that, Mom. This is serious,” he said earnestly.
He understood their concerns. There was a significant difference in their social status, and he had initially been cautious. But he could feel Murong Yan’s sincerity, his genuine affection.
Xing Li was about to say more when her husband patted her shoulder. “Take this dish to the table. We’ll talk to him later.”
Dismissed from kitchen duty, Murong Cheng sat down on the sofa in the living room.
[Cheng: Are you awake? When are you coming over?]
[Cheng: I don’t think my parents are happy about us.]
He tossed his phone aside and leaned back on the sofa.
A few minutes later, Murong Yan replied.
[Y: Don’t worry.]
[Y: I’m downstairs.]
He jumped up and listened intently.
The faint sound of the descending elevator. Then a ding. His heart pounded. He placed his hand on the doorknob, waiting for the doorbell to ring.
“Mom and Dad, Murong Yan is here!” he called out. Seeing his mother emerging from the kitchen, he opened the door.
Murong Yan stood there, his hands full of shopping bags.
He glanced at the bags. The top two contained expensive-looking boxes of cordyceps and bird’s nest, clearly not from the local supermarket. He had been empty-handed yesterday. Where had he gotten all this?
“Hello, Auntie, Uncle. A small token of my appreciation,” Murong Yan said with a smile, offering the gifts.
Last time, he had been the aloof CEO, a distant figure of authority. This time, he was a respectful, almost deferential, younger man seeking his parents’ approval.
His parents, despite their reservations, couldn’t be openly rude. They forced smiles.
They exchanged a look, both unsure how to address him.
Finally, Xing Li said, “Xiao Yan, is it? Come in, come in.”
Xiao Yan… Murong Cheng winced inwardly.
The powerful, decisive CEO of Guangyu, being called “Xiao Yan” by his mother. Even Chairman Murong hadn’t addressed his son so casually.
It was an intimate, almost affectionate, term.
A flicker of emotion crossed Murong Yan’s eyes, but his smile widened as he accepted the address.
“Sorry for the intrusion, Auntie. I know it’s sudden, coming here like this, especially after Ah Cheng’s mother just got out of the hospital.”
A seasoned businessman, Murong Yan knew how to charm people. He quickly dispelled their initial reservations, and they all sat down for lunch, the atmosphere surprisingly pleasant.
But Xing Li and Murong Maohua were still worried. The more charming and polite he was, the more they worried about their son being overshadowed, taken advantage of.
“Xiao Yan, since you’re here, let’s have a drink,” Murong Maohua said, wanting to test him, but avoiding direct confrontation. He brought out a bottle of baijiu.
Xing Li, who usually disapproved of alcohol, nodded in agreement.
“Xiao Cheng can’t handle alcohol, and his mother just got out of the hospital. Xiao Yan, let’s have a drink together.”
“Of course, Uncle. Let me pour,” Murong Yan said, filling their glasses and handing one to Murong Maohua with both hands.
After two glasses of baijiu, Murong Maohua’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Xiao Yan, we didn’t invite you in last night because we didn’t want to disturb Xiao Cheng’s mother. Don’t take it personally.”
Murong Yan: “Uncle, you’re too kind. It was my fault for coming so late and disturbing you.”
Murong Maohua coughed. “Xiao Yan, when did you and Xiao Cheng start dating?”
Murong Yan: “Late last year, Uncle.”
Murong Maohua: “That’s not long…”
He exchanged a look with Xing Li.
As if anticipating their concern, Murong Yan said, “Uncle, my feelings for Ah Cheng are genuine. I understand your worries, that he might be taken advantage of. But I assure you, I would never do anything to hurt him. I’m with him because I truly like him. We’re just like any other couple. Please don’t let our previous professional relationship influence your perception of us.”
Murong Maohua finished his drink in one gulp. “Xiao Yan, we believe your feelings are sincere. But… I did some research online, haha. You’re quite a famous person. I saw some news about you and… the Oriental Group… an arranged marriage?”
Murong Yan remained calm. “Those are just rumors, Uncle. I won’t agree to an arranged marriage. I can make my own decisions about my life.”
Silence.
Murong Maohua gripped his glass tightly. He hesitated, then asked, “Xiao Yan, I also saw some news about… some problems at Guangyu recently?”
