Chapter 69: Auntie is Coming, Run!

Chapter 69: Auntie is Coming, Run!

"The two of us are going out for a bit, so you’ll stay home and be good, okay?"

"Okay, Mom, please be careful on the road with Dad!"

"Hmm."

Song Qingyu knew Fu Yining was heading back to the Fu family today and waved them off.

She also had plans for the evening—she was meeting Wu Yuan to console Chen Yujia, who was heartbroken after a recent breakup.

Fu Yining and Yu Zhili got into the car, with all the gifts for their parents securely placed in the trunk. These included gifts that Wang Yue had helped choose, as well as some that Fu Yining had picked out herself.

In the back seat, Yu Zhili noticed Fu Yining’s hands, which were clasped together and fidgeting nervously. He gently asked, "Nervous?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Fu Yining wasn’t sure if she could continue playing the role of "Fu Yining" in front of her biological parents. Although the Fu parents in her memory were gentle and kind people, she was still very nervous.

Her nervousness wasn’t just about her own uncertainty; it also came from the guilt she felt toward her parents.

Yes, guilt. An inexplicable sense of guilt welled up from the depths of her heart.

Fu Yining realized that she had been so focused on her own matters lately that she had completely forgotten about her parents. Even though they lived close by, she hadn’t visited them in over a month, and the guilt hit her hard.

As she was thinking, a pair of strong and warm hands wrapped around her cold, nervous ones.

Yu Zhili’s voice rang in her ear, "Don’t worry, Mom and Dad are doing well and won’t blame you."

Uh, did she accidentally say her thoughts out loud?

Fu Yining was puzzled but lightly responded with a soft "Hmm" as an acknowledgment.

She looked at their intertwined hands and instinctively tried to move, but didn’t pull away.

So, Fu Yining turned her head and gazed at him with her innocent big eyes.

She was speaking, but why was he suddenly acting so forward? Was he pushing his luck?

Yu Zhili seemed not to understand her hint and innocently asked, "Is something wrong?"

Fu Yining hesitated, unsure how to respond.

She didn’t believe this man didn’t understand her obvious cue; obviously, he was just pretending to be clueless!

Without further hesitation, Fu Yining pulled her hand out from his grip and muttered, "Yu, you’re not an eighteen-year-old kid anymore, so why are you still acting like this?"

Yu Zhili: "...?!"

Sure enough, his wife thought he was too old, right?!

"Wife..."

His tone was tinged with hurt, and Fu Yining quickly softened.

"Haha, never mind, I didn’t mean anything by it!"

She wasn’t sure why she’d said that—it had just slipped out—and now she regretted it a little.

But since it’s already been said, what can you do now? Anyway, he didn’t seem to be angry.

Yu Zhili: Can’t smile...

The next stretch of the journey was deadly silent. Fu Yining turned to look out the window, deliberately ignoring the man next to her.

Yu Zhili looked at his wife, whose entire body was screaming “no communication,” and gently sighed. Through the reflection on the car window, he scrutinized himself.

Actually, he wasn’t that old, right? Early forties could hardly be considered old. And his face, his body, were still as they used to be, if not more charming with maturity. Why wasn’t his wife into him anymore?

Could it be that she preferred someone young, naïve, and inexperienced?

Yu Zhili wondered if he should ask Qin Mian to find him some anti-aging tips.

At home, playing with the kids, Assistant Qin suddenly sneezed. "Achoo! Who’s thinking about me?"

Half an hour later, the car drove into another high-end villa community in the city, Penglai Ju.

Before her marriage, Fu Yining had always lived here. Her memories of this place, where she grew up, weren’t very vivid.

She only remembered a few neighboring families, recalling the family they were closest to, the Chen family.

And that was about it.

The car stopped at the gate. Before Fu Yining could even get out, she heard a warm greeting.

“Oh, Miss! You’re back!” The old butler, who had worked for the Fu family almost his entire life, came out excitedly.

Fu Yining didn’t need to move; someone naturally opened the door for her.

“Uncle Liu, long time no see. How’s your health?”

Uncle Liu nodded eagerly. “Good, everything’s good. Miss, come in quickly. Sir and Madam are waiting for you inside!”

“Actually, I brought some things with me…”

“Xiao Yuan, Xiao Jia, grab those for us!”

“Yes, Butler Liu!”

Uncle Liu smiled, his face creasing with age, and led Fu Yining inside.

The door on the other side opened, and Yu Zhili, who had been completely ignored, stepped out by himself.

Yu Zhili: Did they forget about someone?

Seeing him, Uncle Liu slapped his forehead. “Oh, my memory. Miss brought her husband back today.”

But it wasn’t entirely his fault. The number of times the husband and wife came back together could be counted on one hand. Most of the time, it was just Miss who came back alone, so it was understandable if he forgot sometimes, right?

“Uncle Liu.”

Yu Zhili walked up to them and greeted the grey-haired Uncle Liu.

Uncle Liu smiled and gestured. “Come on in, sir!”

It was clear that his smile toward Yu Zhili wasn’t as warm as it was toward Fu Yining.

But Yu Zhili didn’t mind.

Fu Yining had just stepped through the door when she saw two people walking towards them.

"Our Ningning is finally home! Come here, let me see you. Oh, sweetie, why do you look so thin? Haven't you been eating properly?"

*Is it possible that I've actually gained two pounds?*

"Mom, Dad, I haven't lost weight; if anything, I've gained a little."

Fu Yining's mother, Zhou Helian, was nearly seventy but looked like she was in her fifties. The fine lines around her eyes were filled with the grace of someone who had always been beautiful.

"Mom thinks you look thinner. You haven't come home for so long, and your dad and I have been thinking about you."

"Yes, yes."

Standing next to her, Fu Yuan Sheng, with a white beard and mustache, spoke little, but the concern in his eyes, visible through his glasses, was unmistakable.

"Dad, Mom."

Yu ZhiLi stepped forward and greeted the two elders.

Zhou Helian, holding Fu Yining's hand, said, "Oh, ZhiLi is here too. Come and sit for a while. The food will be ready soon. We're all together today, so let's enjoy a nice family dinner!"

"Okay!"

"Ningning! Brother-in-law!"

Fu Yichen and his wife, Ming Hua, appeared and walked towards them.

Zhou Helian asked, "Where are the kids, Yuanyuan and Manman? Where did those two run off to?"

"Mom, they are playing upstairs. I'll go get them right now."

"Go ahead."

At the staircase corner, two children who looked about 70% alike peeked down, exchanged glances, and then dashed deeper into the room, shouting, "Auntie's here—run!"