In the kitchen, Qin Yan's mother heard her husband's hearty laughter and felt relaxed. She came out with a plate of grapes she had washed earlier, smiling brightly.
"Xiao Chu, did you beat our old Qin? Your chess skills are impressive! Here, have some grapes. Later, I'll make something delicious for you to properly welcome you."
Chu Ge acted as if he had truly returned home, showing no restraint. He took a grape and said with a smile, "Thank you, Auntie. How about I cook for you instead, so you can taste my cooking skills?"
"You can cook?" Qin Yan's mother's eyes lit up.
"I can a bit."
"Come on, you must be modest. You said the same thing just now about chess, and yet you defeated me thoroughly."
With Qin Yan's parents smiling contently, Chu Ge also laughed, feeling a sense of joyous family reunion.
The only one not genuinely smiling was Qin Ruojing. Until now, she still couldn't figure out what was going on, or why her father was so happy.
"Xiao Jing, you really should have brought Xiao Chu home sooner if you found such a good partner. Seeing him now makes us feel at ease, doesn't it?"
It wasn't until her mother's voice rang in her ears that Qin Ruojing managed a sheepish smile and responded with a "yes."
Her awkward smile made Qin Yan's parents assume she was being shy, which made them even happier.
"By the way, Xiao Jing, how did you and Xiao Chu meet? Tell your mom."
"We met at an exchange meeting. Chu Ge is the CEO of an IT company," Qin Ruojing said, following the script she had prepared earlier.
However, what she didn't expect at all was that Chu Ge suddenly spoke earnestly, "Xiao Jing, I've thought it over carefully. It's better not to lie to Uncle and Auntie about our relationship."
Hearing this, Qin Yan's parents were stunned, and Qin Ruojing couldn't believe her ears, her face turning pale.
"Chu Ge, what are you talking about? What do you mean by lying or not lying? We..."
Qin Ruojing was really anxious. She couldn't understand why Chu Ge was acting this way when everything was going so well.
"Silence! Xiao Chu, tell us, what's really going on?"
Qin Yan furrowed his brows, his formerly gentle gaze becoming sharp as he turned to Chu Ge and asked.
"Uncle, Auntie, the truth is, I'm not the CEO of an IT company at all."
It was as if Chu Ge didn't see Qin Ruojing frantically signaling him. He calmly said, and as he finished, Qin Ruojing's expression grew even worse, Qin Yan's wife seemed bewildered, and Qin Yan's frown deepened.
"Then what do you do?"
"I was working abroad before, just returned not long ago, and currently, I'm unemployed. In fact, even this expensive suit I'm wearing and the fruits and supplements I brought were all bought by Xiao Jing."
Qin Yan squinted his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, his smile completely vanished. Both Qin Ruojing and Qin Yan's wife knew this was a sign of his impending wrath.
"So, your relationship with Xiao Jing is also fake? Were you just collaborating to deceive us?"
"It's over, everything's over, how did it come to this?" Qin Ruojing muttered to herself, her pretty face full of despair.
But once again, to everyone's surprise, this time Chu Ge shook his head, speaking unflinchingly, "No, Uncle, you misunderstood. Xiao Jing and I are truly in love. She said those things because she was afraid you would look down on me and was protecting my dignity."
Originally, Qin Yan was ready to throw Chu Ge out, but upon hearing this, he froze. He glanced at the equally stunned Qin Ruojing and asked in confusion, "If that's the case, why did you choose to confess this to us?"
Chu Ge scratched his head bashfully, saying sincerely, "Uncle, you might not believe it, but when I saw you two, I felt a deep sense of warmth. I couldn't bring myself to deceive you, and honestly, I don't think I'm unworthy of Xiao Jing. I'm confident that within a few years, I can achieve as much success in my career as Xiao Jing."
Staring into Chu Ge's eyes, Qin Yan looked at him for almost a full minute. The room was filled with tense silence, and everyone could clearly hear their own breath.
Suddenly, without any warning, Qin Yan broke into a smile, patting Chu Ge on the shoulder appreciatively, "Good! Good! You're a determined young man; you speak like a real man!"
As Qin Yan's hearty laughter echoed in the room, Qin Ruojing finally relaxed her taut nerves. The series of scares had really rattled her, causing a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead and leaving her well-shaped legs slightly weak.
However, she found herself increasingly admiring Chu Ge. Though he played by his own rules, his words had made her father laugh heartily, a kind of laughter she had never seen on her father's face before.
Contrasting with Qin Yan, Qin Yan's wife had a less pleasant expression. She preferred a wealthy son-in-law to a poor boy and was concerned that Chu Ge might be after her elder daughter's money.
"Xiao Chu, you mentioned earlier that you worked abroad, right? Didn't you save any money? Why does Xiao Jing have to pay for even your clothes?"
Chu Ge gave a bitter smile, "It's like this, when I was abroad, a neighbor helped me during my most difficult times and took great care of me. However, a sudden disaster took his life, leaving behind a widow and orphan. We have an old saying that even a drop of water should be repaid with a gushing spring, so I left all my savings to them."
Hearing Chu Ge say this, Qin's mother couldn't help feeling moved. People as kind as him are truly rare these days.
Seeing Chu Ge's expression turn slightly bitter, Qin Yan quickly changed the subject, patted his shoulder and said, "Good kid, you did the right thing. A man should be righteous like this. Money can always be earned back. I believe you have the capability. Let's not dwell on the past, tell me about you and Ruojing. How did you two meet?"
Chu Ge was well-prepared for this question and curtly altered the story of how he helped Qin Ruojing retrieve her bag, setting the timing to a month ago.
Qin Yan nodded frequently as he listened. For an old detective, such acts of bravery and righteousness clearly garnered his approval and admiration.
"Dad, we're not leaving tomorrow. Shouldn't we first think about dinner?"
Once Chu Ge had finished talking, Qin Ruojing finally chimed in helplessly.
Chu Ge's stomach cooperated by making a "growl" sound. Although it wasn't loud, everyone in the room heard it clearly.
"Haha, right, right, dear, hurry and make dinner."
Seeing Qin's mother about to grab the vegetables Qin Ruojing bought, Chu Ge quickly stepped ahead to pick them up, "Uncle, Aunt, you must treat me like family and give me a chance to perform."
Qin's mother and Chu Ge argued for a while. Seeing that he insisted on cooking, she only playfully scolded him, feeling secretly pleased with the chance to take it easy.
Chu Ge entered the kitchen while Qin's father sat at the table studying the chess games from earlier, and Qin's mother led Qin Ruojing into a bedroom, chattering away with questions.
An hour later, Chu Ge, wearing an apron, brought out stewed ribs with beans, braised crucian carp, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a cold broccoli dish, and a pot of mixed mushroom soup.
Qin's father cleared the chess pieces off the table, and Qin's mother, with Qin Ruojing in tow, came out of the bedroom. Smelling the delicious aroma in the air and looking at the beautifully presented four dishes and a soup, she couldn't help but view Chu Ge with newfound respect.
"I'm not sure if it suits your taste, Uncle and Aunt. Please try and let me know if there's anything not to your liking, so I can improve next time."
In the kitchen, after removing the apron and neatly placing it back in its original spot, Chu Ge waited for Qin's father and mother to sit down before pulling out a chair for Qin Ruojing, and then sat next to her.
"Haha, okay, I'll try the fish first."
Qin's mother picked a piece of braised crucian carp and savored it carefully, her face immediately showing a look of admiration.
"Little Chu, not to boast on your behalf, but your cooking skills surpass those of the chefs from nearby restaurants. It's really good, such a pity Xiaoying isn't home. She could have devoured both these fish by herself."
Hearing Qin's mother say this, Qin's father sampled a rib and after eating, smiled and nodded, "Great skills!"
Qin Ruojing picked a piece of broccoli. Although equally impressed by Chu Ge's cooking, she didn't show it on her face, instead smiling and saying, "Mom, Dad, I often eat Chu Ge's cooking. You must eat more while he's here, otherwise, when we go back, you won't be able to enjoy it."
The atmosphere at the dining table was very harmonious, clearly showing that Qin's father and mother were genuinely satisfied, and Chu Ge felt quite pleased. Firstly, because his cooking was being appreciated, and secondly, because this feeling of being home was extremely precious to him.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Chu Ge drank quite a bit of wine with Qin's father. When Qin's father finally put down the glass and started on the main course, Chu Ge boldly placed his bowl in front of Qin Ruojing and said, "Serve me rice."
Qin Ruojing was stunned, completely unprepared for such a request from Chu Ge, thinking to herself, "This guy is really making himself at home, isn't he? I paid you to act, and now you're even ordering me around?"
But with her parents watching, Qin Ruojing had no choice but to pick up the bowl and fill it with rice for Chu Ge.
After the meal, Qin's mother and Qin Ruojing cleared the table. He made a show of wanting to help, but Qin's mother said, "No need," and so he didn't insist further.
While Chu Ge didn't mind cooking, he always felt that clearing tables and washing dishes weren't tasks for men, so Qin's mother not letting him help was exactly what he preferred.
This meal lasted over two hours. After dinner, Chu Ge accepted a Hongta Mountain cigarette from Qin's father and chatted with this old detective for a while.
Qin's father, being fifty years old, had drunk quite a bit during the meal. With the alcohol taking effect, he gave a brief wash while hiccupping from the drink, and a bit unsteady, went to the bedroom to sleep before Qin's mother finished washing the dishes.
When Qin's mother emerged from the kitchen, the sound of Qin's father's snores could already be heard from their bedroom.
"Ruojing, since it's Little Chu's first visit to our home, take good care of him. Mom's also a bit tired now, I'm going to bed. You two rest early and have a good sleep. The day after tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and tomorrow we'll make some dumplings."
After advising Qin Ruojing, Qin's mother went into the bathroom.
Once Qin's mother closed the bathroom door, Qin Ruojing lowered her voice to call out, then walked toward a bedroom.
"Chu Ge, come."