Her mouth dropped open as she gazed at him, and then she turned back to her husband, wordlessly pointing at him.
How could someone so handsome exist before her? He had strong brows, pronounced cheekbones, a tall nose bridge and a sharp jawline, and his eyes were bright with laughter.
She had a vague inkling that she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't place it.
"Wife? You're choosing this person?" Tai Xuan asked, inwardly smirking. His wife was going to pick the wrong man.
"No I'm not," Xin Yu replied, sensing the glee in her husband's eyes. "I just think he looks familiar, but that can't be. I would recall seeing someone this handsome in the restaurant before."
"Is he more handsome than me?" Tai Xuan asked, his attention focused on the important things.
"Of course," Xin Yu replied easily, without a moment of hesitation. Tai Xuan sulked, while Jingwei shot him a smug smile. Yes, this was why many husbands (like Officer Tang) hated him at first, until they were won over by his stunning personality.
Xin Yu took a closer look at this man. Her husband had looked delighted when she was about to choose him, which hinted that he was most likely the wrong choice.
But it could also be that he purposely chose to look delighted to fool her into thinking this man was the wrong choice, when he was actually the right one! Perhaps it was poor form to be so suspicious of one's husband, but Xin Yu had always been an overthinker.
Xin Yu then took note of his attire.
He was so sharply dressed while Xue Ning was dressed so sloppily! They didn't look like they belonged together, but maybe that's why her husband wanted her to guess.
Not to mention, Xue Ning must have told him the dress code… he shouldn't have dressed so formally…unless he was here to impress her parents!
She smirked; she had discovered his trick!
"Wife, have you made your decision?"
"Yes," Xin Yu said, clearing her throat. All three men listened with various levels of interest.
"Xue Ning's boyfriend is… this one!"
Everyone choked in surprise, Xue Ning the loudest one of all, as she pointed straight at Sun Jingwei.
"You're wrong!" Tai Xuan declared smugly. "Try again!"
Xue Ning caught Jingwei's eyes. He looked so happy to just have someone acknowledge him as her boyfriend, even as a wrong guess.
How could she pretend to date someone else knowingly, especially after all he did just now to stand up for her family?
She thought she could keep their relationship a secret, but not only was it more difficult than expected, she found that she didn't want to keep it a secret, especially not from her own loved ones.
Why did she need to hide it, from the people who loved her? They weren't doing anything wrong!
"Actually, she's right," Xue Ning said, dropping the bomb without any warning. "Jingwei is actually my boyfriend."
"HAHAHAHAHA" Her brother cackled, smacking her back. "Oi, meimei, don't lie just to make sure your sister-in-law wins! You shouldn't joke about things like that."
"Yeah Xue Ning, your brother is right, you shouldn't joke about things like that. Besides, who is going to believe that we are dating, right?" Jingwei said quietly. The last question was meant for himself to hear.
What did Wei Yan have that made him more believable, a better match for Xue Ning than him?
"Who is joking? And you're supposed to support me, since we are actually dating." Xue Ning argued, stomping her feet in irritation as she glared at Jingwei. Why was he throwing her under the bus?
Jingwei shot questioning eyes at Xue Ning, wondering what her game plan was. Was she really thinking about revealing their relationship to her family just like this? After such an exhausting encounter with town bullies without even easing them into it?
After Xue Ning had made so much fuss about keeping things a secret? Did she suddenly change her mind?
Meanwhile, Xue Ning met his eyes evenly, giving him a nod.
Jingwei's eyes widened in surprise. But he couldn't stop the smile from forming, even as his butterflies threatened to escape from his stomach like an alien infestation due to nervousness.
"I'm not joking, I'm really dating Jingwei," Xue Ning insisted, looking at her brother directly to let him know she wasn't joking even as she addressed everyone else. "Guys, Jingwei is my boyfriend, not Wei Yan."
"Lying is bad," her father said disapprovingly as he gave Wei Yan a quick apologetic look. That boy looked so shocked!
"What has Wei Yan done that you have to break up with him in front of all of us? No matter what, you should still try to talk things out first!"
"Dad, there's nothing to talk about!" Xue Ning protested. It would be funny if it were happening to everyone else, but since it was happening to her, Xue Ning could only feel upset. "Wei Yan and I are not dating!"
"I'm tired of lying to people - lying to the Neighbourhood Association was fine, because they were utter bitches to begin with, but I see no reason to continue lying now to you guys, my family, who are supposed to love and support me!"
"I do not support infidelity!" Tai Xuan protested. "And until today, I believed you didn't either!"
"Uncle, Auntie, there is no infidelity involved. Xue Ning is my real girlfriend." Jingwei added. He went closer to her to hold her hand, lacing their fingers together. They raised their clasped hands up to the light.
"HUH?!" Exclamations burst from everyone. No one could tear their eyes away from their clasped hands. Their heads swivelled from their joint hands, to Wei Yan standing alone at the side, and then back again. "HUH?!"
"Meimei, I'm not a slut-shamer, but you can't do this." Tai Xuan said. "Are you cheating on Wei Yan with this guy?"
"I'm not a slut. Ge what the fuck -" Xue Ning began, feeling incensed and hurt by her brother's words.
"Oh my god, I feel faint. I need to sit down." Yue Niang muttered, shaking her head. Her husband and son immediately came to support her, but she waved them off.
With her restaurant mostly wrecked, chairs were in short supply. "Nevermind! One of you, get me a stiff drink instead!"
Mom, you shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach," Tai Xuan chided.
"Do you see any food here?" His mother retorted furiously, grabbing one of the strewn chairs to sit on it. Thankfully, it was sturdy enough to support her weight, even after being flung around to bludgeon people.
"I could cook some!" Jingwei volunteered, but he quailed immediately at the death glare Yue Niang shot him.
"No thank you. Besides, I'm already full of anger! Stress! Indignation! All thanks to you and my daughter!"
Xue Ning grumbled. "It's not that terrible, didn't you always want me to find someone good. Now that I have, why are you complaining?"
"He's good?" Tai Xuan asked incredulously, giving Jingwei a onceover. "Meimei, I know he's definitely rich and good-looking, but were you living under a rock this whole time? Look at his long list of scandals with women!"
"Exactly!" Yue Niang agreed fervently. "I don't even go online often and I know about his bad behaviour. He's a notorious playboy! Are you sure he doesn't have an STD?"
Jingwei winced. There it was - his past was catching up to him again!
Xue Ning squeezed his hand tightly in support.
"Of course he doesn't! I've checked," Xue Ning protested, only for her words to cause a new uproar.
"You've checked? What do you mean you've checked?!" Her mother demanded.
"Oh my god, Xue Ning, have the both of you already done it?" Her father gasped, mouth dropping open in shock.
"Jesus fuck, are you pregnant?!" Her brother exclaimed. "Is that why you're suddenly introducing him to us? He knocked you up didn't he? This bastard! I'm gonna teach him a lesson!"
Before Xue Ning could retort, her brother immediately launched himself at Jingwei, fully intent on beating him into a pulp!
"Careful!" Jingwei cried out, quickly stepping in front of Xue Ning, just to make sure that her brother didn't end up hitting her by accident, a fact that both parents couldn't help but notice.
"Ge! You idiot!" Unfortunately, Xue Ning was equally stubborn! Instead of letting Jingwei take the hit, she launched herself at her brother, and the two siblings began to grapple - or at least, Xue Ning was, while Tai Xuan could only swipe at her half-heartedly, casting wary looks at her belly.
He could fight his sister, but how could he fight a pregnant woman?!
Xue Ning was pregnant, even before his wife got pregnant, and they've been trying for a while now. That thought just made him more upset - did it mean that Jingwei and his sister were sleeping together often? Surely they had to be if she got knocked up!
What was this insanity?
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