Chapter 437: Chapter 437: A Heart Grown Cold
Mr. Li had always looked down on street vendors, but his wife’s words made the idea seem more acceptable.
So he retorted sarcastically, "If he’s as great as you say, countless women would be lining up to marry him. Why would you even get a chance?"
"Well, that’s why I came back for your approval. After dinner, I’m heading to the Gu Family’s place to find him."
The Li family’s son desperately wanted to ask his mom why she wasn’t anxious about him. He was twenty-three and still didn’t have a girlfriend.
What he didn’t know was that his mom had started trying to find a match for him two years ago. But he kept putting it off again and again, until her enthusiasm had eventually cooled.
Second Brother Gu, completely unaware that someone had their eye on him, juiced a few glasses of fruit for everyone after dinner as usual.
He then deftly washed the dishes and chatted for a while with his grandpa, parents, sister, and brother-in-law.
Then he got on his motorcycle to oversee the restaurant’s renovation.
As he was leaving the courtyard, he thought he saw that auntie from before, still lingering by his gate with another woman. ’Didn’t she go home to eat?’
The shock made his hand tremble, and he gunned the engine and sped away.
Aunt Li, who was standing at the gate: ...
"Mom, didn’t you say you knew him well?" Li Xiulan asked, watching Second Brother Gu’s tall, straight back as he rode away.
"He was going too fast, he probably didn’t see me. Why don’t we head home for now."
"Mom, didn’t you want to ask Aunt Gu about her skincare products? You can just knock on the door."
Li Xiulan didn’t want her mother to back out now. If someone else snatched him up first, who could she possibly cry to!
In the Gu Family living room, Gu Jiaojiao was saying goodbye to her grandpa and parents. "Grandpa, Mom, Dad, we’re heading to the Mu Family’s place now to give Mu Ziquan his acupuncture treatment."
"Alright, you two go on ahead. Are you coming back for dinner tonight?" Grandpa Gu asked cheerfully.
"Grandpa, we won’t be back tonight. Jiaojiao has class tomorrow and needs to rest early," Su Shuochi replied seriously.
"Alright then, take care. Shuo Ci, drive safely," Mr. Gu added.
The family walked out of the living room and to the car in the courtyard, just as they heard a knock at the main gate.
"Grandpa, when you have a chance, you should have Shu Ci help install a doorbell. We can’t hear them knocking like that from inside the house."
"Yes, that’s a great idea! Shuo Ci, you know how to make a doorbell? That’s amazing!" Mrs. Gu exclaimed in surprise.
She thought her son-in-law was simply incredible. It was true what they said: the more a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she likes him.
What Mrs. Gu didn’t know was that the doorbell was her daughter’s "invention," and they had already installed one in their own villa.
Seeing that two women were at the gate, Mrs. Gu went to open it. She had been eating well at home lately and using the skincare products her daughter had given her.
Her complexion was now rosy and radiant, making her look more than ten years younger.
"And you are?" Mrs. Gu asked, sizing up the two women. When she saw how poised and pretty the younger one was, her heart leaped with joy.
The young woman, however, shyly lowered her head, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her clothes.
The slightly older woman was probably her mother. ’What could this mother and daughter want, showing up so suddenly?’ she wondered.
This was the first time Aunt Li had seen Mrs. Gu up close. Even though Mrs. Gu was two years her senior, she looked significantly younger in person.
And her skin was so fair, firm, and luminous. ’What on earth are her skincare secrets?!’
As Aunt Li sized up Mrs. Gu, Mrs. Gu was doing the same. ’As expected of someone who lives in the Imperial City,’ she thought, ’her skin is so fair and clear.’
Li Xiulan was also looking at Gu Jiaojiao. She was fair-skinned and stunningly beautiful, with delicate, gentle features and eyes that were large, dark, and bright. She looked just like a celestial fairy.
’No wonder her brother is so handsome,’ she thought. ’His sister is as beautiful as a flower.’ The realization made her feel even more self-conscious.
But she resisted the urge to steal more glances at Gu Jiaojiao. Her hands felt awkward, so she kept her head down and continued to twist the hem of her clothes in silence.
Aunt Li smiled like a Milo Buddha. "You must be Mrs. Gu, right? And that must be your daughter, Jiaojiao. She’s just lovely."
"This is my daughter, Lanlan. She has the day off, so I brought her over to pay a visit. I hope we aren’t disturbing you."
Mrs. Gu quickly replied with a smile, "Not at all, not at all! Please, come in. Lanlan is lovely as well. And I suppose we’re neighbors, in a way."
Although Mrs. Gu didn’t know where the mother and daughter lived, she assumed they must be nearby if they were just "dropping by for a visit."
"Yes, we live right in the middle of this street, so we are indeed neighbors," Aunt Li said. She was really pulling out all the stops for her daughter’s marriage.
Hearing Aunt Gu call her Lanlan made Li Xiulan feel a little happy, but also a little anxious.
She stole a glance at Gu Jiaojiao and saw a warm smile playing on her lips, which helped calm her nerves. She then followed Mrs. Gu into the courtyard.
But just as Li Xiulan’s heart began to settle, she saw Mr. Gu and immediately started to stammer, "P-Pro...fessor Gu... Old Gu..."
"Haha, don’t be so formal, Lanlan. We’re not at school right now. You can just call us Uncle Gu and Grandpa Gu."
Mr. Gu said with a beaming smile, showing none of the stern authority he had at school.
Grandpa Gu was also all smiles, the wrinkles on his face fanning out like a blooming white chrysanthemum.
Seeing her husband’s warm greeting, Mrs. Gu had a flash of insight. ’Could this be the girl he has his eye on for our daughter-in-law?’
So, Mrs. Gu enthusiastically took Li Xiulan’s hand. "Lanlan, dear, don’t be nervous. Your Grandpa Gu and Uncle Gu are very kind."
Li Xiulan nodded obediently. She was, in fact, extremely nervous. After all, this was her first time meeting his family.
She knew Professor Gu’s personality, and it was certainly not this gentle. This was the first time she had ever seen the two professors be so approachable.
Especially seeing how warm Aunt Gu was, she breathed an inward sigh of relief and couldn’t help stealing another glance at her.
’She looks so much younger than my own mother. I heard the Gu Family has an eldest son too, which means Aunt Gu should logically be older than Mom.’
"Mom, why don’t you take Auntie and Lanlan inside to talk? We’re heading out now," Gu Jiaojiao said with a smile, then got into the car.
She could tell that this mother-daughter pair wasn’t just here to ask about skincare. ’They’ve probably taken a liking to my clueless second brother.’
So, as she closed the car door, she shot her dad a mischievous look that clearly said, ’Your daughter-in-law has come knocking.’
Mr. Gu almost burst out laughing. He finished closing the door for her and said, "Nothing’s even started yet, you little rascal."
Su Shuochi had already slipped into the car before the mother and daughter even entered the courtyard. Usually, he would wait for Gu Jiaojiao to get in first.
The moment the passenger door was shut, he started the engine and drove away.
On the way, Gu Jiaojiao was chattering nonstop. "Su Shuochi, we’re going to have a sister-in-law soon!"
"Mm."
"Did you see her? Our future sister-in-law is actually quite pretty. Hehe, she’s just a bit shy."
"I didn’t see. I only have eyes for you. I don’t even notice other people," Su Shuochi said with a perfectly straight face.
His words made Gu Jiaojiao bend over laughing. "Yeah, right! As if I’d believe that."
"Honey, I’m telling the truth. I’ll drop you off at the gate of the Mu Family’s courtyard in a bit, then I’ll go check on the renovation site."
"Okay."
