Love Rival Is Getting Prettier Everyday - Chap 160
Chapter 160: Meeting the Parents
After such repeated torture, Yan Qiuchi couldn’t fall asleep and woke up early the next morning. Shen Jintai was still sleeping. He was really exhausted from all his work. His schedule was too tight.
Yan Qiuchi got up and washed up, then went out to buy breakfast. It had snowed all last night, and now the outside world was covered in a blanket of white. By the time he returned, Shen Jintai was already awake, leaning on the bed and squinting his eyes in a daze.
“Awake?” Yan Qiuchi said, “Get up and have something to eat.”
Shen Jintai tilted his head and said, “What time is it?”
“Nine in the morning.”
Shen Jintai yawned again, rubbed his eyes, and said, “I want to sleep all day.”
“Don’t arrange your work so full in the future. If they are too tight and one goes over, then your schedules will bump into each other.”
Shen Jintai got out of bed groggily and went to take a shower. Yan Qiuchi was sitting in the living room, waiting for him to come out so they could eat together. The sound of the water rushing made him feel as if all the heat from the hot water was flowing into his heart.
Yan Qiuchi sat on the sofa with his head down, and his legs became antsy and couldn’t help but shake a few times.
After taking a hot shower, Shen Jintai’s mind was completely clear. After blow-drying his hair, he came out of the bathroom and saw that Yan Qiuchi was on the phone.
“I think the snow on the ground is quite thick. Although it didn’t fall much, it rained all night and didn’t stop until dawn.” Fang Fengmei said, “Drive slowly on the road. Safety first.”
Yan Qiuchi said “Nn”. After hanging up the phone, he asked Shen Jintai, “Would you like to go home with me today to see my parents?”
Of course, he would go.
Shen Jintai said, “I haven’t been back to my house for a long time. My dad said that if I have time, I should visit them. I’ll have lunch at home, and I’ll go see Auntie Fang and the others in the afternoon.”
“Today’s the 30th. If you don’t spend New Year’s Eve at home, Uncle Shen may be upset,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Let’s go to my house at noon, and I’ll take you home in the afternoon and pick you up in the evening.”
Shen Jintai thought this would work. He sat down opposite Yan Qiuchi in his bathrobe, and the two of them began eating breakfast. About halfway through, Xiao Tang came.
“It’s rare for you to have a day off. Don’t stay with me in the hotel. Go home and see your parents. We may not be able to rest during Chinese New Year’s.” Shen Jintai said.
Xiao Tang nodded and turned to leave. Yan Qiuchi stopped him and said, “I heard that you are from Nancheng, so your home is here?”
Xiao Tang smiled and said, “My home is in the Changping district.”
Yan Qiuchi got up and handed a red envelope to him. “While the shopping mall is still open, go take your family shopping.”
“Thank you, President Yan!” The red envelope in his hand was quite thick. Xiao Tang smiled with joy. “I wish Brother Yan and Brother Jin a happy Chinese New Year’s in advance!”
“I also want a red envelope,” Shen Jintai said.
“My parents have already prepared a red envelope for you,” Yan Qiuchi said.
When Shen Jintai heard this, he thought he should call Shen Ruhai and ask him to prepare a red envelope for Yan Qiuchi, but he felt embarrassed thinking about it.
Yan Qiuchi took a sip of water and looked at Shen Jintai’s neck unconsciously. The bathrobe Shen Jintai was wearing was loose, showing off a large piece of his neckline. As he looked, he lowered his eyes slightly, gripped the water cup harder, and put it down on the table after he gulped down all the water inside.
He was having a battle between heaven and earth internally. He thought that Shen Jintai rarely had a rest day, and if it weren’t for New Year’s Eve and they had to visit their parents, he wouldn’t go home and instead stay in a hotel with Shen Jintai for an entire day. Thinking about this, he realized that both of them were too busy, and they didn’t have enough time to spend together.
To him, he felt that Shen Jintai kept getting more beautiful the more he looked. He found him extremely attractive. His skin was fair and smooth, his hair was jet black and thick, and he always seemed to look radiant. Due to his fair complexion, it seems to accentuate his ears, making them look pinker, and also his lips, making them look rosier. The more he looked, the better he felt.
Shen Jintai had recently lost weight again. The lines of his chin had become more distinct. As he was eating, he suddenly looked up and shot a glance at Yan Qiuchi.
“Don’t keep staring at me,” Shen Jintai said. Yan Qiuchi smiled and continued to eat.
Before heading home, Yan Qiuchi called his family first. Fang Fengmei said, “It’s perfect you’re coming here first. This year I bought a lot of gifts for the Shen family, so take them with you when you drop him off.”
When Shen Jintai arrived at the Yan’s Manor, he found that the gifts Fang Fengmei had prepared were too many to fit in just one car. They were all packed in wooden boxes and stacked up high, tied together with a red cloth.
“Some were bought by me. Some were given by others,” Fang Fengmei said. “Recently, people have been visiting us every few days, and they don’t come empty-handed. They have brought so much food that we can’t possibly eat it all, so we divided some to give to the household staff to take home, and I picked out the rest for your family. You can give it to your dad and Liu Qi for them to eat or give it to their relatives so it won’t go to waste.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “With so many things, my car may not be able to carry it all.”
Fang Fengmei: “It’s fine. I’ve already ordered the driver to drive another car with you when the time comes.”
“I originally thought you didn’t have time to go home, so I let Qiuchi take things to see your dad and the others on the first or second day. Now it’s better for you to go there before New Year’s and help save them money on buying gifts. I have prepared everything.” Fang Fengmei smiled and said to Shen Jintai, “This also happens to be around the time when our family receives a lot of gifts that we don’t really use. You don’t need to worry. If this really was an engagement gift, it’s much better than what I got when I married your Uncle Yan.”
She laughed as she said this, but Yan Qiuchi became embarrassed and said, “Even if we get married, we won’t need to do this.”
“No?” Shen Jintai joked, “Then I guess our family can save some money on my dowry.”
Fang Fengmei smiled and took Shen Jintai’s arm. “Let’s go and see your Uncle Yan. He has long been wanting to see you.”
Lately Yan Tiefeng was bored. He used to be a busy person, but now he suddenly had to lie in bed all day, making him feel suffocated. In the past few days, he binge-watched and finished the series last night. He still hadn’t emotionally recovered, and seeing Shen Jintai, he felt pity in his heart.
When Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi left, Fang Fengmei helped him up to use the bathroom, and he told her, “Xiao Jin, the older he gets, the better he becomes. Our Qiuchi is also quite good, right? But standing by Xiao Jin’s side, I feel as if he’s inferior.”
Fang Fengmei said, “He has always been brighter than Qiuchi, and now he has a professional team around him to take care of his image.”
However, she didn’t think Yan Qiuchi was inferior. These two have their own merits and were special in different ways. Judging from the outside, it was obvious that Yan Qiuchi was more in love, but she thought it should be rightly so. Yan Qiuchi was more introverted and restrained. If he loves less, he’ll show more coldness, which could make Shen Jintai turn upside down again. Now that the turbulent waves were inside of him, she noticed that from time to time small details would burst out, making their relationship look quite harmonious.
After lunch, Yan Qiuchi sent Shen Jintai back to the Shen’s house. Shen Ruhai was with Shen Xiaomei, hanging New Year’s couplets outside. When he saw the pile of things sent over by the Yan family, his expression became quite shocked.
Shen Jintai is also a man, so why are they acting as if it were the same as marrying a daughter of their family? If Shen Jintai really married into the Yan family, he will have to send much more than this to the Yan’s home in the future!
“Don’t leave tonight. Spend it at home,” Shen Ruhai said.
Yan Qiuchi said, “He still has filming to do, so he has to return to the crew.”
Shen Ruhai said, “You don’t even get a break for New Year’s?”
“It’s like this. One day’s delay is one day of money spent. Many people are still working over the Chinese New Year’s holidays. It’s not easy for me to take a day off,” Shen Jintai said as he gave Yan Qiuchi a glance.
Shen Ruhai originally thought that Yan Qiuchi was leaving, but later learned that Yan Qiuchi would stay and have New Year’s Eve dinner with them tonight. He felt good and went to get the maotai that his friend had been hoarding, promising to have a good drink with Yan Qiuchi in the evening.
It was Fang Fengmei’s idea to let Yan Qiuchi stay and eat at the Shen’s house this year. She said to Yan Tiefeng, “He spent time at our house last year, so this year he should go to his. It’s better to distribute it fairly so Old Shen won’t get angry. He’s stubborn, and it would be nice if he could accept Jintai and Qiuchi together and not let him think he’s marrying off a daughter and that he couldn’t eat New Year’s dinner with her again.”
Yan Tiefeng smiled and said, “I can understand him. You women don’t understand the way men think.”
Shen Ruhai hurriedly asked for two bottles of maotai from his friend’s house and threatened Yan Qiuchi would have to solve at least one bottle tonight.
“He can’t drink very well,” Shen Jintai said. “He’s not even as good as me.”
“Then you should drink more too,” Liu Qi said with a smile.
“How can he drink? This… He still has filming tomorrow. Just drink juice with your sister. Actors shouldn’t drink alcohol.” Shen Ruhai poured a glass for Yan Qiuchi as he said, “Come, let’s drink together.”
Shen Ruhai was a traditional man, and Yan Qiuchi knew it. He was more afraid of Shen Ruhai than his parents. He respectfully nodded, and whenever Shen Ruhai poured him a glass, he held it with both hands as a sign of respect.
Shen Ruhai used a large cup as Shen Jintai watched him fill it up. After touching Yan Qiuchi’s leg with his knee, Yan Qiuchi glanced at him and gave him a restrained smile.
Shen Xiaomei leaned on Shen Jintai and said, “I want to drink too. “
“What kind of child drinks alcohol?” Liu Qi turned to Shen Ruhai and said, “You should drink less too.”
Shen Ruhai didn’t drink much. After drinking a bit, his face was flushed, and he started talking more. At first, he kept the topic related to work but later asked about Yan Qiuchi’s parents and their condition. After a glass, Yan Qiuchi had started to flush, and his neck was already red. He was already sweating, so he took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and poured another glass for Shen Ruhai.
Shen Ruhai was very satisfied with Yan Qiuchi. If he was honest, finding a man was not as good as finding a daughter-in-law, but his son’s sexual orientation had been determined, and he had been chasing Yan Qiuchi for many years. Since his son was deeply in love, he would accept it. After he accepted it, he felt that Yan Qiuchi was still quite a catch.
His family background, appearance, and abilities were all outstanding, but the most important thing was that he had a good personality, was stable, down-to-earth, and was polite. The only drawback was that, from his inferences, Yan Qiuchi was probably the top and thus his son was the bottom.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t open-minded enough to accept it, but, in the end, Shen Jintai was his son, and he still cared for him. Still, there was nothing he could do now that Shen Jintai had recruited this good son-in-law for him.
Both of them drank the same amount, and before they even finished a bottle, they were both tipsy. Shen Ruhai drank a bit more, so it didn’t take long for him to start talking drunkenly, and eventually he slumped over the sofa and fell asleep. Shen Jintai and Liu Qi helped him into the bedroom. Liu Qi said, “We don’t sleep here. It’s next door.”
Only then did Shen Jintai find out that the couple really had been sleeping in the second bedroom, while his master bedroom remained untouched.
When they put Shen Ruhai on the bed, he suddenly sprang up and said, in a daze, “Where is Xiao Yan? Then—then…”
Liu Qi said, “I told you not to drink so much. Now you’re drunk.”
She said to Shen Jintai, “You go. He gets a bit crazy when he gets drunk.”
Shen Jintai smiled and was about to turn around to head back to the living room when Shen Ruhai grabbed him. “Xiao Jin…”
Shen Jintai answered as Shen Ruhai deepened his grip. Liu Qi said, “Old Shen, don’t go crazy again.”
Shen Ruhai didn’t speak but took Shen Jintai’s hand and patted his arm.
“You have drunk too much. Lie down and rest for a while,” Shen Jintai said.
Shen Ruhai tilted his head, squinted his eyes, and said, “Xiao Yan is not bad. You two have a good life… Well, you tell Yan Tiefeng and the others that they don’t need to… Don’t need to deliver things to our house every time. Our house is enough. Ah, this is enough. There is no shortage of food or clothing.”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “I didn’t even know about it.”
“You… don’t interrupt. Listen to me.” Shen Ruhai looked up and said, “Your dad—I have no ability, no ability. I can’t give you anything. I can’t even give you face, but at least you are good enough. This… Eh, why am I talking nonsense…”
Liu Qi’s tone eased a bit, and said, “He tends to babble nonsense when he drinks too much.”
Shen Jintai smiled. Shen Ruhai let go of his hand, fell on the bed again as he said, “Don’t work too hard when filming. You need to rest—to rest…”
His voice became fainter, and eventually he fell asleep.
Shen Jintai was touched. He lightly chuckled as he walked out of the bedroom. Liu Qi closed the door and said, “Your dad doesn’t know how to express his feelings. Before, you two used to quarrel all the time, and now you don’t quarrel anymore. He doesn’t know how to talk to you. Yesterday, during your birthday event, he stood alone outside the arena for a long time.”
Shen Jintai was stunned.
Liu Qi smiled.
Shen Jintai really didn’t have a clue. Shen Ruhai had called him on his birthday to wish him a happy birthday. They had a short, awkward conversation on the phone, and there was more silence during the conversation than words. They made small talk about his birthday event, and eventually Shen Ruhai told him not to work too hard before hanging up.
He never thought to even invite Shen Ruhai, and he didn’t know why the thought never crossed his mind.
“I will try to come back when I have time in the future,” Shen Jintai said.
Liu Qi smiled and said, “Okay.”
Shen Jintai suddenly remembered that he was filming and his mood became somber. When he arrived at the living room, he saw Shen Xiaomei lying on Yan Qiuchi’s lap and looked up at him. Yan Qiuchi’s face was red from the alcohol as he said to Shen Xiaomei, “Of course I’m called brother.”
Shen Xiaomei said, “But our kindergarten teacher said my brother’s partner should be called my sister-in-law.”
Though Shen Jintai still had feelings of lingering sadness, he became amused all of a sudden. Liu Qi laughed and said, “She’s learning all these new terms right now, so things can get a bit messy.”
When Yan Qiuchi saw them coming out, he straightened up. Shen Jintai said, “You outdrank my dad, so you held your liquor quite well.”
“Why don’t you all sleep here tonight?” I just made the beds in your room.” Liu Qi said.
“No, we have to go back,” Yan Qiuchi said as he stood up.
Liu Qi didn’t push the issue and sent them out. When they got into the car, Shen Jintai heard Yan Qiuchi say to the driver, “Go back to the hotel.” He seemed to be much more sober than before.
He was pretending to be drunk?!
The author has something to say:
Thick and long updates.
