Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Zhou Huaichen cast a cool glance at the old man. "Dad."

Under his son’s gaze, the elder seemed to recall something and immediately turned to Ye Weian with warm enthusiasm. "Son-in-law! You're here!"

Ye Weian: "..."

Zhou Huaichen said flatly, "You might as well just call him by his name."

The old man shot his son a disapproving look but quickly turned back to Ye Weian with a radiant smile. "Ignore him. It's cold outside—let's go in first."

Ye Weian had brought a car full of gifts and glanced at Zhou Huaichen upon hearing this.

Zhou Huaichen took his hand. "I'll have someone bring them in."

The old man glanced at the car and waved dismissively. "Your presence is gift enough; no need for presents!"

Leaning on his cane as he walked inside, he kindly told Ye Weian, "Anyway, whatever betrothal gifts you give, I’ll just turn them into that rascal’s dowry and send them back."

Ye Weian: "..."

He finally understood just how eager the old man was to marry off his son.

Zhou Huaichen looked exasperated.

He had previously discussed with the old man not to overwhelm Wei An, and the elder had readily agreed. Yet now, upon meeting Ye Weian in person, he went all out immediately, bringing up betrothal gifts and dowries from the very start...

Glancing over, Zhou Huaichen noticed Ye Weian’s evasive eyes.

He squeezed his hand gently and whispered in his ear, "Baby?"

Ye Weian silently met his gaze.

—"If A Chen were as enthusiastic as your father, we would’ve long become proper bedmates."

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

He got it—his Wei An wasn’t frightened at all, but quietly complaining about his slow progress.

It seemed they’d have to set the engagement date today.

Afterward, Ye Weian happily chatted with the old man and stayed for dinner. Zhou Huaichen remained quiet throughout, occasionally serving food, acting merely as a companion at the table.

Only the three of them were present at the Zhou residence tonight. Zhou Huaichen’s elder brother and sister-in-law were still abroad overseeing Zhou Yongnan, and the old man hadn’t informed any other relatives.

Ye Weian quietly asked the system, "Why hasn’t Zhou Yongnan returned to the country yet?"

When Yan Qing was detained, the system had informed him that Zhou Yongnan secretly booked a flight, but there had been no news since.

System: "His parents stopped him."

System: "Host, don’t you think it’s strange? Zhou Yongnan is the canonical male lead, practically Yan Qing’s top suitor. Why don’t we have a mission involving confronting Zhou Yongnan?"

Ye Weian: "Isn’t having one less mission a good thing?"

After all, Zhou Yongnan was Zhou Huaichen’s nephew. Unless absolutely necessary, Ye Weian really didn’t want to oppose him.

System: "I just find it odd."

Ye Weian remarked, surprised, "System, you’ve actually learned to think?"

System: "...This system is an advanced AI!"

System: "Hmph!"

Ye Weian quickly placated it: "My mistake, I shouldn’t have doubted your intelligence."

Satisfied, the system chose to forgive him: "Maybe Zhou Yongnan is the final mission."

It added a hint of schadenfreude to its mechanical voice: "You’re in trouble. By then, you’ll be engaged to Big Boss Zhou, maybe even have slept with him, but you’ll have to make an enemy of Big Boss Zhou’s nephew... That'll be messy."

Ye Weian: "..."

When did the system learn to be sarcastic?

He said leisurely, "Don't worry. Have you forgotten he’s this world's big boss? As long as he steps in, whether it’s Zhou Yongnan or Zhou Yongdong, neither stands a chance."

Ye Weian expressed confidence in his own charm. "A Chen will definitely have my back."

System: "..."

Alright, the host isn’t the one in trouble—it’s Big Boss Zhou.

When the time comes, Big Boss Zhou will have to choose between family and lover... Poor domineering CEO.

But Ye Weian wasn’t too worried.

He hadn’t told the system, but he had a feeling Zhou Yongnan wouldn’t become one of the missions.

As for why he felt this way, it was probably because he sensed both the system and the Chief God seemed to favor him.

After accompanying the old man through dinner, night deepened outside, and snow began to fall.

Knowing that Zhou Huaichen and Ye Weian still planned to visit the hot springs, the old man didn’t detain them.

Just as they were about to leave, the old man pulled out an old almanac with a smile and said, "I’ve already checked—the 20th of next month is an auspicious day. How about you two get engaged then?"

Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen exchanged a glance.

They had originally planned to get engaged after meeting the parents, so neither raised any objection.

The old man beamed. "Great, great, it’s settled then... You two go ahead. I need to discuss the engagement banquet details with the butler."

Ye Weian: "..."

One could say the old man was truly straightforward.

As they left the Zhou family home, warmth filled Ye Weian’s heart.

They had met the parents, and the engagement date was set. How far off could intimacy be?

He looked up at the falling snow.

—"Later, soaking in the hot springs while watching the snow—what a beautiful atmosphere."

—"Maybe... I should just make a move on A Chen?"

Zhou Huaichen gave him an amused look, then turned away thoughtfully.

Perhaps... it's time to put this on the agenda.

It was already past nine in the evening. The two of them drove to the hot springs resort. Lu Cong and Zhu Hongke were already there, while Qi Zhangsong and Zhuang Wenting were on their way.

Ye Weian gazed at the snowflakes drifting outside the car window and felt delighted at the thought of soon soaking in the springs with Zhou Huaichen.

The system suddenly said: "Host, I just took a sneak peek at Old Master Zhou's dowry—tons of gems! You're about to get rich!"

Ye Weian came back to himself and replied lazily, "No amount of gemstones can compare to A Chen."

He did like gemstones, but the grape scent that A Chen had was his absolute favorite.

The system: "..."

The lovey-dovey vibe successfully made me sick!

I need to go into hiding!

An hour later, the car arrived at the resort.

As they got out of the car, Ye Weian suddenly remembered something and said, "...We forgot to pick up Ye Jia."

Earlier, Zhu Hongke had asked him to bring Ye Jia along, and he had agreed. But with all the tension of meeting Old Master Zhou today, he had completely forgotten about it.

And then he had been chatting idly with the system, his mind wandering, only realizing now that someone was missing.

...He had failed his silly little brother.

Zhou Huaichen stroked his cheek and was about to speak when Lu Cong and the others came out of the lobby to greet them.

Zhuang Wenting stood by the entrance, smiling, and said, "We were waiting for you. Come on in."

Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen exchanged a glance and walked toward them.

Qi Zhangsong said, "I heard it's going to snow all night. Wanna hit the springs first and have a late-night snack together later?"

Lu Cong and Zhuang Wenting were fine with that.

"I've already reserved a few private springs," Lu Cong said. "We can go anytime."

As he spoke, he gave Zhou Huaichen and Ye Weian a meaningful glance and added, "The pools are private. You can do whatever you want in there without being disturbed."

Ye Weian blinked.

—"Very good, Lu Cong's got the right idea."

Zhou Huaichen lowered his eyes, hiding the amusement in them.

Zhu Hongke, however, glanced at the car behind them and turned to Ye Weian. "Did your brother not come?"

Ye Weian: "..."

Zhou Huaichen said, "Why don’t you go pick him up?"

Zhu Hongke didn’t think twice and replied, "Sure."

He took the keys Zhou Huaichen tossed him and prepared to head down the mountain to pick up Ye Jia.

As Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen walked toward the entrance, just about to step inside, Ye Weian suddenly turned back to look at Zhu Hongke.

Zhu Hongke had already started the car and was turning it around.

Ye Weian’s keen eyes drilled through the car window, fixed intently on Zhu Hongke.

—"Another pig trying to snag a prized cabbage."

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

Ye Weian deadpanned and shifted his gaze to Zhou Huaichen.

—"But my piggy is still the hottest."

Zhou Huaichen let out a soft laugh.