132. The Worthy Son-in-Law

In the evening, Pei Xiaoru personally cooked dinner for her parents who had come from afar.

It should have been a time for family reunion, but Mr. and Mrs. Pei could only force smiles, their hearts heavy with worries.

Pei's mother couldn't stay at home any longer and wanted to go out for some fresh air.

I had just stepped out the door when I ran into my neighbor across the hall.

"Oh? Is this Pei Xiaoru's mother? Hello, Auntie." The girl from across the hall greeted her with a smile as soon as she saw Pei's mother.

Madam Pei quickly smiled and nodded in greeting.

The two went downstairs together and chatted for a while. Pei's mother also knew that this woman had been Pei Xiaoru's neighbor for more than half a year and that the two had a good relationship.

"By the way, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? It'll save you the trouble of cooking," Pei's mother invited.

"No, no, Auntie, I have plans tonight." The girl smiled shyly.

"Boyfriend?" Pei's mother smiled, then changed the subject, "By the way, Auntie has a question for you. Has any boy come to Xiaoru's place?"

The girl thought for a moment, shook her head, and then, as if she had suddenly thought of something, her expression became hesitant.

"It's alright, Auntie is a reasonable person. She's just worried and wants to know more." Pei's mother maintained a smile, trying her best to maintain a peaceful motherly image.

"A while ago... a while ago, I think there was a boy," the girl said softly.

"What does it look like?" Pei's mother's heart tightened.

"He was very handsome, and it seems he stayed here for one night, but that was the only time I saw him. I haven't seen him since," the girl said truthfully.

"One night?" Madam Pei was taken aback, then nodded and thanked her.

"Auntie, I'll be going now." The girl looked at Pei's mother and asked cautiously.

"Okay! Go ahead and get busy," Pei's mother said quickly.

After the girl left, Pei's mother stood there for a while, her mind racing with thoughts.

They've already spent the night here, so it seems they're probably in a romantic relationship. To be honest, if they're decent people, she wouldn't mind giving money to help them, even though she'd be unhappy about it.

The worst-case scenario is that the other party has ulterior motives, and Pei Xiaoru falls for their tricks, getting scammed and even counting the money for them.

However, what decent boyfriend would accept his girlfriend emptying her savings to help him out? Subconsciously, she felt that he wasn't a decent person, the kind who only preys on girls.

"No, we have to find a way to get the money back," Pei's mother muttered to herself.

With a heavy heart, she returned to Pei Xiaoru's residence.

In the evening, the family of three was having dinner.

The dishes on the table were all cooked by Pei Xiaoru herself, and they looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. In the past, Pei's parents would have praised them highly, but today, no one said a word.

"So, he must be your boyfriend, right?" Pei's mother suddenly asked while eating.

Pei Xiaoru was completely unprepared and immediately blushed.

How could she dare tell the truth! If he really were her boyfriend, that would be fine, but the key point is that from beginning to end, the only legitimate and respectable relationship she had with Zhang Yang was that of classmates.

As for the others, those kinds of relationships are not presentable.

However, her silence was interpreted by Pei's parents as tacit agreement.

The couple were sighing inwardly when suddenly:

"Mom and Dad," Pei Xiaoru suddenly mustered her courage and looked up, "You just want to see him, don't you?"

"Yes." Mother Pei forced a smile, making no mention of money. "My daughter, whom I've raised for over twenty years, has run off with me. I have to see her properly to put my mind at ease, right?"

"Then, if you really meet, you can't bring up money in person," Pei Xiaoru added, still not entirely at ease.

Mother Pei held Father Pei's hand tightly and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we just want to see him. Your father and I have thought it over. If he's really alright, we'll lend him the money. We're not stubborn old folks."

"Okay, I'll contact him and see." Pei Xiaoru finally nodded.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Pei breathed a long sigh of relief.

Pei Xiaoru's house has two rooms, but one is not used.

In the middle of the night, the couple were in one room, and Pei Xiaoru was in another. In the dead of night, each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts.

"What should we say if we meet?" Pei's mother whispered to Pei's father.

"Of course we'll get the money back. In front of everyone, I don't believe he has no shame. How could he possibly keep the money?" Mr. Pei said without hesitation.

"Let's meet them first and then talk about it. We don't want to embarrass Xiaoru," Pei's mother said thoughtfully. "We've all been through this before. We can tell what kind of person they are at a glance. If they're really that kind of person with bad intentions, we'll naturally not say a word."

"What if they're respectable people?" Pei's father couldn't help but ask, "That's not just a matter of a penny or two, is it? Just let it go?"

"What else can we do? Your daughter's heart is with him, this is the only way. Don't say anything more, let's talk about it when we meet." Mother Pei made the decision directly.

"By the way, keep your voice down, don't let Xiaoru hear you."

"Alright, I know, whatever, I'll listen to you then. But I don't think this kid can be a good person. We'll see tomorrow," Mr. Pei said with a snort.

Next door, Pei Xiaoru was also awake.

She had just finished showering, was wearing pajamas, her long hair loose on the headboard, and was lying on the bed chatting with Zhang Yang.

"Um... I have something I wanted to ask you about." Pei Xiaoru hesitated before sending this message.

"What's up? Just tell me," Zhang Yang replied.

"That's right, my parents just happened to come to Magic City. They seem to know about you. Would it be convenient for you to meet them? Don't worry, just think of it as acting, and let them go back home without worry." Pei Xiaoru said this nervously.

"Sure," Zhang Yang replied directly.

Upon seeing Zhang Yang's reply, Pei Xiaoru's eyes lit up with a smile; she was overjoyed.

Even if it's just what she calls acting.

She arranged a meeting place with Zhang Yang, and that night, she slept very soundly.

··

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang received Pei Xiaoru's message and had already made up his mind.

Once this lie is told, countless more will have to be laid to cover it up. He's supposed to be a wealthy man, so why would he use such a lie to deceive a girl? Doesn't he have any shame?

I've made up my mind. I'll just tell the truth.

As for what to say, we'll just have to improvise when the time comes.

Anyway, because of Pei Xiaoru's 880,000, he received a total of 88 million from the system, making a fortune.

He also prepared a generous gift for Pei Xiaoru.

Well, it's partly a way of giving back, and partly a small way of making amends.

The next morning, Zhang Yang woke up in the master bedroom of COFCO Seaview No. 1, greeted the sunrise as usual, enjoyed the river breeze from the Huangpu River for a while, and then took a good shower.

Standing in front of the mirror, as usual, he has the face of a leading man who is handsome to the bone and an invincible physique.

Before setting off, Zhang Yang gathered various accessories, including a watch and haute couture clothing. Then, he grabbed his Cullinan car keys and headed straight out the door.

Outside a tea restaurant, Zhang Yang got out of the car and walked straight in.

On his phone, he had just received the table number sent by Pei Xiaoru.

He wanted to come earlier, but Pei Xiaoru and the others arrived even earlier.

A cool breeze was blowing inside the tea restaurant.

Zhang Yang spotted Pei Xiaoru and a middle-aged couple near the window not far away at a glance.

Those two must be Pei Xiaoru's parents.

Without thinking, he walked straight over.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Zhang Yang greeted them as he sat down next to Pei Xiaoru.

"You're here!" Pei Xiaoru looked up, her face immediately lighting up with joy, and she quickly took Zhang Yang's arm. "Mom and Dad, this is Zhang Yang."

Across from them, Pei's father and mother were both somewhat stunned.

Actually, they had caught a glimpse of the boy from a distance yesterday, but they were too far away to see him clearly.

But seeing him up close today, his looks and demeanor are absolutely stunning.

The face reflects the heart; if you say that this person is dishonest, they can't help but doubt themselves.

"Hello, young man." Pei's father nodded in a deep voice.

First impressions may be good, but this guy has borrowed hundreds of thousands of yuan from their family. They'll question him and raise any objections they need to.

"Uncle and Aunt, have you had breakfast yet?" Zhang Yang asked casually.

"We've already eaten," Pei Xiaoru said with a smile, "So, just a little something to drink will do. I've already ordered."

"Okay, I've ordered." Zhang Yang closed the menu.

After carefully considering his words, Pei's father said, "Young man, actually, the main reason we came to Magic City this time is for you."

Pei Xiaoru's expression immediately tensed up.

"Dad, Mom, didn't we agree on this?"

"Don't speak," Pei's mother gave Pei Xiaoru a look.

Now that they've met in person, they'll make their own decisions about what to do next; Pei Xiaoru has no say in the matter.

"It's alright, Uncle and Aunt, please go ahead." Zhang Yang squeezed Pei Xiaoru's hand and said with a smile.

"Two days ago, Pei Xiaoru went back and took all the money we were saving to buy a house... We..." Pei's father had gathered his emotions and was about to make his move.

"Uncle," Zhang Yang interrupted without hesitation. "I was just joking with Xiaoru. Xiaoru, you mentioned you were planning to buy a house in your hometown, so I took the liberty of looking at some options for you."

Mr. and Mrs. Pei stared blankly, momentarily stunned, not understanding what Zhang Yang was trying to say.

Pei Xiaoru didn't know either.

She held Zhang Yang's hand, her eyes blinking as she looked at him.

"I looked around and the houses in your Cloud Dragon District are quite nice. I was thinking, if we're going to buy one, we should buy a bigger one. So I added a few million to your account to give your parents more options," Zhang Yang said, pointing to his phone.

Pei Xiaoru stared blankly at her phone.

Just now, she received a bank transfer notification for five million yuan.

Then, she was completely dumbfounded, and just like that, she pushed the bank transfer notification on her phone in front of her parents.

"This... this is..." Pei's father and mother stared wide-eyed, their hearts pounding wildly. All the words they had prepared were now jumbled up and rendered useless.

Mr. Pei stared at the transfer information, almost petrified, then looked up at the handsome young man in front of him, feeling the overwhelming aura of wealth emanating from him.

Completely bewildered, he suddenly stood up.

"My dear son-in-law, this... this..."

"Hey! Uncle, please sit down." Zhang Yang leaned back in his chair and suddenly smiled, "Don't be so formal."

Pei's mother was also dumbfounded. She hugged her husband tightly, unable to say a word.

All the prepared words, the hidden worries, and the long-accumulated pressure vanished in an instant, as if it were all a dream.

"Zhang Yang, what's wrong with you?" Only Pei Xiaoru stared blankly at Zhang Yang, hesitant to speak.

Zhang Yang met Pei Xiaoru's gaze and gently patted the back of her hand.

He knew that there were some things he needed to explain to Pei Xiaoru privately.

"Uncle and Aunt, let's have lunch together. Oh, by the way, I have something to say to Xiaoru alone," Zhang Yang said with a smile. "Xiaoru, how about we go for a walk?"

Pei Xiaoru nodded blankly.

"You guys go shopping, we'll eat lunch ourselves," Mr. Pei said with a big smile.

A short while later, outside the tea restaurant.

Zhang Yang helped Pei Xiaoru into the passenger seat of the Cullinan, then turned around and greeted Pei's parents.

"Good, good, take care, son-in-law," Pei's father and mother said repeatedly, beaming from ear to ear as they looked at the Cullinan before them.

Zhang Yang nodded, got into the Cullinan, and drove away.

Throughout the journey, Pei Xiaoru remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhang Yang glanced at her, but didn't say anything. He drove straight to a secluded spot, got out of the car, and pulled Pei Xiaoru out of the passenger seat.

Pei Xiaoru let Zhang Yang pull her along.

"Where's the soul?" Zhang Yang looked at Pei Xiaoru and waved his hand in front of her face.

Pei Xiaoru snapped out of her daze and looked up at Zhang Yang intently.

"I don't need to sell my house for now," Zhang Yang said with a smile, taking Pei Xiaoru's hand.

"Not selling anymore?" Pei Xiaoru murmured to herself, "So, you've never actually lacked money? And there's no such thing as your family going bankrupt?"

"Selling the house was just to raise some money; I never said I was bankrupt," Zhang Yang said, looking at Pei Xiaoru. "As for what happened after that... just consider it a joke. But you can't blame me; you were the one who said I was bankrupt first, so I just accepted it."

"A joke?" Pei Xiaoru pursed her lips, her chest heaving slightly. "You're clearly testing me."

"What kind of test will I give you?" Zhang Yang asked, amused.

"Testing whether I'm materialistic and a gold digger, whether I'm that kind of pragmatic woman," Pei Xiaoru finally recovered and said angrily. "Zhang Yang, you've gone too far!"

Zhang Yang looked at Pei Xiaoru and knew that she wasn't really angry.

Yeah, I'm doing it for myself.

"Why would I test you?" Zhang Yang laughed and pulled Pei Xiaoru into his arms. "You offered to lend me money back then, and I was thinking of telling you the truth, but how should I put it? It's rare for you to put in such a good idea, and it would be too rude of me to let you down."

"Really?" Pei Xiaoru stared at Zhang Yang, took a deep breath, and asked.

"Of course it's true." Zhang Yang's tone was absolutely firm, without the slightest hesitation.

Pei Xiaoru tilted her head back, her eyes suddenly softening with tenderness.

"So, you accepted everything, and then took this opportunity to surprise me?"

"Yeah, you know, I'm always..." Zhang Yang was about to say something when he suddenly felt a soft, sweet scent on his lips.

"Now I'm starting to love you," Pei Xiaoru whispered in his ear.