Chapter 99

"Xiaobudian, have you made up your mind yet?"

"I'll take another look..."

The two of them have been browsing this tea set store for quite a while, trying to find a gift for their father.

"I don't think you should overthink it. The tea cup you have in your hand is already nice, and it's made of sandalwood."

"Is that so..."

"Yeah..."

"..."

She turned her head to the side and glanced at him, then whispered:

"What about you? What are you giving?"

"Tea leaves."

"But didn't we give him tea leaves last year..."

"What's the problem? Dad only has this one hobby, so what else can we give him?"

After much consideration, he ended up buying tea leaves.

"Xiaobudian, hurry up, everyone at home has already gathered."

He glanced at the time and said so.

In the past, they never invited guests for their father's birthday.

But Mom said reaching 50 is a milestone, and they should celebrate and invite Uncle and the others to have a meal together.

Since it's a 50th birthday, she naturally wanted to choose a better gift.

"..."

After thinking for a while, her gaze fell on a purple sand tea cup.

"Do you want to buy this one?"

He asked, leaning in to take a closer look.

This purple sand cup does appear more high-class, but correspondingly, the price is much more expensive...

"This one is a bit expensive."

He thought that the pocket money she had wouldn't be enough to buy it.

"..."

She stared at the tea cup for a while, then turned her head to look at him.

...

"What's wrong?"

"I want this one..."

She pointed at the tea cup and said softly.

"..."

He was startled and looked at her.

"Do you want me to buy it?"

"Is it not possible?"

"..."

He sighed.

"What will you say when Dad asks where you got the money to buy such an expensive thing? Should I say I bought it?"

"..."

After he said that, she was taken aback for a moment.

After hesitating for a moment, she put the purple sand cup back.

"Never mind..."

Although she was somewhat unwilling, she ultimately chose the small sandalwood cup.

"Your thoughtfulness is enough."

He said, placing his hand on her head.

"Dad will like it."

"..."

...

When they stepped out of the store, it was already starting to get dark outside.

By the time they returned home, Mom had already set the food on the table.

"Samson Nan, where have you two been? You're only coming back now."

Mom asked while wiping her hands on her apron.

"We had something to do."

He smiled and bent down to change his shoes.

"Samson Nan gege!"

"Oh, Wanwan is here too."

He heard her voice and looked up, only to see that Wanwan had also come with Uncle and the others.

As soon as she saw him, she ran towards him excitedly.

She ran up to him, stood on her tiptoes, and started gesturing with her hands.

"Leo Cross Rays! Bi~Bi~Bi~Bi~"

"Oh no... I'm going to die!"

He played along, pretending to clutch his chest.

"Is he silly or what..."

Raina Nan glanced at him, muttered to herself, and walked past them.

"..."

"What's wrong with big sis?"

"..."

"It's nothing, let's not mind her and have dinner."

He smiled and ruffled Wanwan's hair.

Then, he walked towards the living room.

"Oh, Xiao Feng is back."

"Oh... Grandma, when did you arrive?"

He glanced and found that besides Uncle, even Grandma had come.

"I've been here for quite a while. Did you come back alone?"

"No..."

He turned around and realized that Raina Nan was standing alone far away.

Even though they are all family, she still seemed a bit reserved.

"Daughter-in-law, why don't you come and greet Grandma?"

He shouted at her.

Then everyone turned to look at her.

"?"

Her face turned red to the roots of her ears in an instant.

She nervously clenched her fists.

"Say, what do you want to say!"

"Hey, Xiao Feng, are you trying to fool me again?"

Grandma seemed to remember the joke from last time when her old, blurred eyes failed to recognize her granddaughter.

"I won't make a mistake this time! Xiao Yu, come over here!"

Upon Grandma's words, laughter filled the living room.

"..."

Raina Nan felt her face getting hot. After a moment, she walked over quietly and sat beside Grandma.

"Grandma..."

"By the way, what grade is Xiao Yu now?"

"She's in her senior year."

Samson Nan stood behind the sofa and spoke.

"Oh... so she'll be taking the college entrance exam next year? She needs to work hard!"

Grandma held her hand, speaking sincerely.

"Mom, Xiao Yu is doing well in her studies. You don't need to worry," said Uncle Number Two, laughing.

"Hey, Second Brother, stop it with the flattery!" Mom said while setting the table and turning toward them.

"Otherwise, she'll think she's something special!"

"..."

Raina Nan sat there, with everyone talking nonstop. There was no room for her to interrupt.

...

...

"Little one, how does it feel to be the center of attention?"

He laughed and sat beside her, whispering.

"Hmph...!"

She bit her lip and kicked his feet hard.

"Be gentle, my wife!"

"You two, what are you whispering about there? Come over and eat!"

Mom shouted at them.

Looking around, everyone except them had already sat at the dining table.

"Coming right away!"

...

At the dining table

"Oh, right."

Grandma suddenly remembered something and looked up at Samson Nan.

"Xiao Feng, does your girlfriend have something today? Why didn't you bring her along?"

"Uh?"

Samson Nan was suddenly stunned. They said Grandma had a bad memory, but she seemed to remember this very well.

He turned his head and glanced at Mom.

But Mom kept her head down, eating as if it had nothing to do with her...

Hey...

"Xiao Feng, I haven't even seen your 'girlfriend' once, could it be..."

"By the way, today is Dad's birthday, so I specially bought two cans of the best Bitan Snowdrift..."

"Uh, Xiao Feng, you haven't answered me yet!"

Grandma interrupted him, staring straight at him.

It seemed that she wouldn't let it go until she got an answer...

"Well..."

He thought for a moment, slightly raising his head.

Dad nervously pushed his glasses, not daring to speak with Grandma present.

"Well, she..."

"They broke up."

Suddenly, Raina Nan, sitting beside Grandma, spoke up.

"Huh?"

Grandma's chopsticks trembled, and she turned to look at her.

The whole living room fell silent.

Not only Mom and the others, even Samson Nan looked at her in surprise...

"Your brother and that girl broke up?!"

Grandma's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her.

"Hey, little one..."

Samson Nan kept signaling to her with his eyes, but she seemed not to see.

Without much hesitation, she continued speaking.

"Yes, they broke up..."

"Why? Did they have a fight?"

Grandma turned to look at Samson Nan again.

Although they only talked on the phone last time, Grandma seemed to have a high opinion of that "girlfriend"...

She looked at him with a face full of disbelief.

"No."

Before he had a chance to speak, Raina Nan whispered again.

"She dumped my brother."

"Huh? Really?"

Grandma slammed the table and was ready to interrogate him.

"Xiao Feng, did you bully that girl?!"

"I..."

The situation was too sudden. He didn't know how to answer for a moment. He slightly turned his face and glanced at Raina Nan with the corner of his eye.

She seemed completely unfazed.

He turned his head and said to his grandmother, "Grandma, that girl is from a wealthy family. Look, my brother doesn't have much. She probably just doesn't see him as worthy."

...

Hey, what is this girl talking about...

...

"Xiao Feng, is this true?"

This answer seemed completely unexpected to his grandmother.

With her words, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

He had no choice but to go along with it and continue the conversation...

"Hehe... well, embarrassed, embarrassed..."

"Heh! To think such a thing exists! Xiao Feng, don't be disheartened!"

"Huh?"

Grandma slammed the table and stood up.

"I know you're feeling down, but I've seen too many of these materialistic women! We don't need her!"

This temper... it's just like mom's...

"Hehe, you're right..."

"Why didn't I see it before!"

You clearly never saw her...

"She didn't see Xiao Feng's potential! So short-sighted! Typical of a small-minded woman..."

Now the floodgate of words had opened.

At this point, his father, who should have been the protagonist today, had completely become a supporting role, listening to his grandmother's scolding and occasionally nodding in agreement...

Meanwhile, his mother sat across from him, her face turning green with anger, glaring at Raina Nan.

Raina Nan seemed to sense his mother's anger and lowered her head, not saying another word...

...

His grandmother took this opportunity to educate the whole family about what a truly meaningful love should be like. She even promised to introduce Samson Nan to a wife who is a hundred times better than that girl...

He couldn't help but laugh and cry...

...

Dinner ended in this uproar...

After dinner, the whole family gathered in the living room to play mahjong.

He usually didn't play these games, but in such occasions, he would still accompany the older generation for a few rounds.

After three or four rounds, he felt it was enough and gave up his seat to his mother.

Then he walked towards the balcony.

...

"What are you looking at?"

He walked up to Raina Nan, who had been playing with her phone on the balcony since earlier, and put his hand on her head.

"..."

She ignored him and continued playing with her phone.

"You little troublemaker, have you learned how to cause trouble now?"

He grabbed her hair irritably.

"This is called reaping what you sow..."

"..."

He hesitated and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"When was I angry..."

"Huh, don't deny it. From the moment I picked you up from school this afternoon until now, you've been giving me the cold shoulder..."

Ignoring him, acting like I owe her hundreds of thousands...

"Because..."

She paused, slightly turned her head, and looked to the side.

"You're hiding something from me..."

...

"..."

He seemed to realize something.

Hesitatingly, he quietly withdrew his hand from her head.

"Yesterday..."

"What did the dean say to you?"

She didn't look at him but stared at her phone, speaking softly.

...

"Huh?"

An unexpected situation.

He didn't know where she heard these things...

"He didn't say anything, just chatted casually..."

"Really...?"

She turned her head and stared at his eyes intently.

One second...

Two seconds...

...

He wanted to quickly look away,

but he found that he was too late...

"Yeah."

His eyes trembled slightly as he replied.

She lifted her head, looking at him, and desperately trying to find something in his eyes...

But this time, she couldn't see anything...

The quiet balcony seemed to be separated from the noisy laughter inside the house, like two different worlds.

It was calm, yet unsettling.

...

A few street lamps outside flickered on and off, casting a faint light that barely allowed the faces of the pedestrians below to be seen.

A moment of silence.

"Liars."

Her voice permeated the air.

...

He didn't dare to look at her, hesitating before speaking softly.

"Yuyu..."

"Liars."

"..."

...

Finally, he decided to keep silent.

The two of them stood on the balcony like that.

They looked up at the stars in the sky, occasionally hidden by the clouds.

...