FORTUNATELY, I MET YOU

61-65

Chapter 61: Invitation
Cheng Xi, her colleagues, Lin Fan, and Meng Qingyang all stayed at the reservoir until the late afternoon. Afterwards, they went over to Cheng Xi's parents' home.

Lin Fan was within a crowd of Cheng Xi's colleagues, so Cheng Xi's mother actually didn't recognize him at first. Only after Cheng Xi introduced him did her mother say, amazed, "Ah, are you really Lin Fan? You've changed so much!" She looked him up and down. "You're even more handsome than you were before!"

The head nurse made beef jerky with Cheng Xi's mother, and even helped prepare a sumptuous dinner for everyone. Everyone kept eating and eating, only going home late into the night.

Cheng Xi didn't leave. It was rare for her to be able to return home, so she had to stay with her parents for at least another day. When she sent them off, Lin Fan was one of the last to leave. He was aggrieved that the first weekend of his official relationship with Cheng Xi had been filled with so many third wheels.

Cheng Xi consoled him, "It's alright, there are so many days ahead of us." Glancing at Meng Qingyang sitting quietly in the car, she then said softly, "It's probably depression. It'd be somewhat hard to treat all on my own, so it's best if she goes to the hospital to get official mental help."

"Alright." He looked at her deeply as he continued, "I'll come back to see you tomorrow."

His meaning was clear: only he would be back here tomorrow.

Cheng Xi smiled, pushed him into the car, and waved goodbye to Meng Qingyang.

Meng Qingyang also waved back at her.

Cheng Xi turned around to go inside, only to see her parents sitting upright on the sofa. As she entered, her mother waved at her amiably. "Come, come. Sit here."

Cheng Xi was wary of their ostensibly congenial attitude. "What are the two of you up to?"

Her mother, now impatient, hit the sofa fiercely. "Sit down! Why do you keep asking questions?"

Cowed, Cheng Xi obediently sat down next to her. Her father felt sorry for her, and tried to mollify her mother by saying, "Be more gentle."

She only stared back at him in response.

Cheng Xi's father didn't say anything else, feeling somewhat sorry for his daughter.

Cheng Xi didn't mind much as she prepared herself for a lecture. She was sure that the contents would include the classics: "even if you're busy, remember to come home," "eat regularly," "you're even thinner now, don't go on a diet arbitrarily," and other similar refrains. She listened intently, satisfying her mother's desire of thoroughly instructing her daughter. She and her mother used to be somewhat estranged, and her mother's mode of getting close to her seemed to involve lecturing her.

At least it didn't last too long. Once her mother had said everything that she wanted to say, she coughed lightly and changed her tone as she asked, "That Lin Fan, when did he get back?"

"About two months ago."

"Oh, have the two of you been in touch?"

"Yes, but only quite recently."

"Did he look for you as soon as he came home?" Cheng Xi's mother was trying to be subtle, but she soon dropped the pretense and shot out a round of questions. "Is he married? No? Does he have a girlfriend? Where is he staying? Where's he working? How's his salary and his prospects at the company? Is his mom doing alright? Have you met her?"

Every mother was a detective. During the day, Cheng Xi hadn't interacted much with Lin Fan, but her mother had still somehow caught onto the fact that something seemed to be going on between them. Now, she was indirectly probing the situation by asking questions nonstop.