June 17, Saturday, 7 am.
Zhao Chen stood in front of the full-length mirror and had changed into three sets of clothes.
The first set is a dark gray suit, white shirt, and silver-gray tie.
It's too formal, like signing a merger and acquisition contract.
The second set is casual jacket and jeans.
It's too casual, like a college student outing.
The third set is a light blue shirt, navy blue casual pants, and brown loafers.
No tie, shirt pressed flat, cuffs rolled up.
He looked at the mirror repeatedly, frowning slightly.
Su Wantang came out of the kitchen carrying coffee and couldn't help laughing when he saw this scene.
"The third set is best." She put the coffee on the coffee table,
"Formal but not rigid, steady but not old-fashioned. It is in line with the identity positioning of 'young entrepreneurs visiting their elders'."
Zhao Chen turned to look at her, feeling a little unsure. "Are you being too deliberate?"
"You've been thinking about 'what to wear' since last night, you've been very deliberate enough."
Su Wantang rarely teases him, "But Shen Zhiyi's parents will understand this deliberateness."
Zhao Chen was silent for two seconds, lowered his head and adjusted his cuffs.
"This is my first time meeting parents," he said, "I have no experience."
Su Wantang looked at his serious profile and suddenly felt a little emotional.
This man is decisive in the shopping mall, facing billions of dollars in gambling without changing his expression, and facing the hysteria of Lin Wanqing calmly and calmly.
"The car keys are at the entrance." Su Wantang put away his smile and spoke in a gentle voice.
"The tea leaves are in the trunk, one box each of Longjing and Pu'er. The silk scarf for my aunt is on the passenger seat, Hermes, elegant in style and not ostentatious.
The Fountain Pen for my uncle is in the same position as the Montblanc Meisterstuck, a classic model and not picky."
Zhao Chen looked at her. "How do you know..."
"You have been distracted occasionally during this period. I guess you are thinking about these things."
Su Wantang interrupted him gently, "I've prepared it for you."
Zhao Chen was silent for a moment.
"... thank you."
Su Wantang shook his head and put the coffee cup into the sink.
"Go. Don't keep Zhiyi waiting too long."
When Shen Zhiyi got in the car, he was stunned for a moment when he saw Zhao Chen adjusting his sitting posture repeatedly in the rearview mirror.
"Are you nervous?"
"No." Zhao Chen looked ahead and started the car.
Shen Zhiyi tilted her head to look at him and found that his knuckles were holding the steering wheel harder than usual.
She didn't expose it, just smiled softly and fastened her seat belt:
"They will like you." Shen Zhiyi said, "I promise."
The car drove out of the city and onto the highway.
Along the way, Shen Zhiyi chattered about trivial matters at home--
My mother's cooking is salty, my father has recently become obsessed with growing orchids, and Aunt Wang's daughter downstairs just gave birth to her second child...
Zhao Chen Listen quietly and respond occasionally.
After exiting the expressway toll station, he suddenly said:
"Your dad works at Design Institute, what is his main area of expertise?"
Shen Zhiyi was stunned for a moment:
"Civil architecture, maybe. He has been engaged in residential design for more than 30 years, and has participated in several affordable housing projects in the city in the past few years."
"You have no business dealings with Henglong recently?"
"No." Shen Zhiyi shook his head,
"They Design Institute mainly do government projects and rarely take on work from private developers."
Zhao Chen nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Shen Zhiyi suddenly reacted:
"You couldn't have... checked my dad's work background in advance, right?"
Zhao Chen looked straight ahead and did not deny it.
Shen Zhiyi is angry and funny:
"Zhao Zong, are you going to visit your future father-in-law, or are you going to do Due Diligence?"
"Be prepared." Zhao Chen said,
"If he asks about the company, I can't help but answer."
Shen Zhiyi Looking at his serious side face, a soft emotion suddenly surged in his heart.
This man really cares.
Shen Family lives in a brand new unit-family building with two households on one staircase.
Zhao Chen carried the gift upstairs with steady steps.
West Building, the security door was half open, and the smell of oil smoke and the aroma of stew came out.
"Come on, come on!"
A middle-aged woman in an apron came out quickly, holding a spatula in her hand, "Zhiyi! Let Zhao Chen come in!"
Li Xiaojuan is more enthusiastic than Shen Zhiyi described.
She handed the spatula to Shen Zhiyi behind her, wiped her hands on her apron again and again, and then took the thing from Zhao Chen's hand:
"Oh, just come and bring anything! Why are you being so polite!"
"That's right, auntie." Zhao Chen bowed slightly,
"It's my first time here. I don't know what you and uncle like, so I just prepared a little."
Li Xiaojuan smiled so hard that his eyes turned into crescents. While he was letting people in, he turned back and shouted into the room:
"Old Shen! People are here!"
Shen Wentao comes out from Study.
He is in his early fifties, has gray hair, wears a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses, has a slim figure and a slightly stooped back - a typical appearance of an intellectual who has spent half his life drawing drawings.
"Zhao Chen, welcome, welcome." He extended his hand and spoke calmly.
Zhao Chen held both hands. "Hello, Uncle Shen, sorry to bother you."
Hold the two hands together.
Shen Wentao looked at the young man in front of him through his reading glasses.
Younger than he thought.
But it was also calmer than he imagined.
There is no arrogance of the nouveau riche, no frivolity of a successful teenager, the strength of the handshake is just right, and the eyes are open and unavoidable.
"Sit down." Shen Wentao took back his hand, "Zhiyi, go make tea."
Living Room is not big, the decoration is in a relatively fashionable style, and it is neat and warm.
The sofa is an old-fashioned three-seater made of fabric, and there are cut fruits on the coffee table - dragon fruit, mango, watermelon, all of which must be freshly cut to be fresh.