Chapter 163: “I mean it. Very seriously.”
As An Wujiu’s father came downstairs, he coincidentally heard the doorbell ringing. He wondered who would visit so early in the morning, and when he opened the door, he saw a handsome young man.
No, “handsome” wasn’t quite the right word, he was exceptionally good-looking.
The young man greeted him politely, with many gifts in his hands.
“Come in, come in,” Father Shen, a somewhat clumsy but very kind researcher, said. Seeing the situation, he didn’t know how to respond, but fortunately, Shen Ti was able to speak, preventing an awkward silence.
“You bought so many things,” Father Shen said with a smile, “You really didn’t need to buy anything. Are you here to see…?”
Looking at Shen Ti’s appearance, he thought, this must be Shen Nan’s friend. The little girl likes good-looking people.
“Uncle,” Shen Ti said with a sincere smile, hands on his knees, “Actually, I’m here to see you and Auntie.”
“Us?” Father Shen was confused, “This is…”
“It’s like this, An’an and I are together,” Shen Ti nodded slightly, “To be precise, we’ve been together for a long time.”
Clang.
Both of them turned to look at the stairs at the same time, seeing An Congnan standing there in a daze, with her hand raised, but the comb had already fallen to the stairs.
“Good morning, Auntie,” Shen Ti immediately stood up and bowed to her.
“Did I hear that right?” Father Shen couldn’t believe it, “It’s Shen An, not Nan Nan?”
Shen Ti immediately shook his head, “How could it be Nan Nan? It’s Shen An. I know this is hard to accept at once. To be honest, we’ve struggled for a long time. We’ve been through a lot together and are determined to spend our lives together. He loves you and Auntie very much, so he’s been hesitant about how to tell you. I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking I should visit today. We’ve been in love for so long, I should have come much earlier. I’m sorry for being late and hope it’s not too abrupt.”
After he finished, Shen Ti quickly added, “If Uncle and Auntie think it’s inappropriate, I can leave the gifts and leave immediately. It’s just…”
He lowered his head for a moment, then looked up again, his eyes as clear as jade, “I really like Shen An. We are truly in love, so no matter what, I will continue to be with him. I hope…”
“Let them be together!”
Shen Nan’s voice suddenly came out, and both adults were stunned and turned to look. Shen Nan ran out from the second-floor corridor in a hurry and said, “I always wondered why my Ge didn’t have a girlfriend. I knew it!”
Then, Shen Nan turned and came to Shen Ti’s side, extending a hand with a bright smile, “Hello, handsome guy. I’m Shen An’s sister.”
“Hello, sister,” Shen Ti immediately responded, “You are even cuter than An’an said.”
“Really?” Shen Nan cupped her face with both hands and pulled her mother to sit down, “Sit down, why are we all standing? Ge, you sit too.”
Shen Ti nodded and sat down again.
Shen Nan curiously asked a series of questions, “Ge, are you mixed-race? Are your eyes natural or cosmetic?”
Mother Shen immediately gave her a look and said, “Children shouldn’t talk like that.”
“It’s okay, she’s just curious,” Shen Ti smiled and said to Shen Nan, “These are real, natural.”
“Your eyes are so beautiful,” Shen Nan was captivated by Shen Ti’s looks, feeling everything he said was right and good. He was already so good-looking and polite, and he brought a lot of delicious gifts, there was nothing to criticize.
“Young Shen,” Father Shen smiled and said, “An’an usually doesn’t oversleep. I’ll go wake him up. You sit first.”
“No need, Uncle, it’s okay,” Shen Ti smiled, “It’s a holiday today, let him sleep a bit longer. Don’t worry about me, I will answer any questions honestly. I know he’s your precious child, so I really hope you can accept me too, so An’an won’t worry.”
Although An Congnan was initially a bit confused, after hearing Shen Ti’s words, she also thought he was a good kid and very handsome.
She couldn’t help but ask, “So… do your parents know about this? Shen An is so inconsiderate, he definitely hasn’t met them yet, right?”
Shen Ti smiled, “It’s okay, because my parents are no longer around.”
Shen Nan’s heart softened a bit more.
Such a handsome guy, and he’s an orphan too, this is like the protagonist of a tragic yet beautiful story.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” An Congnan felt a bit sad, “Do you have any other siblings?”
“No,” Shen Ti half-truthfully but earnestly said, “It’s just me. But it’s okay, I’ve been used to it, always getting by on my own.”
The quickest way to gain someone’s favor is to first gain their sympathy.
“Can I unilaterally agree to this marriage?” Shen Nan raised her hand, her big eyes blinking.
Father Shen was amused by his daughter, “What does it have to do with you? Your brother hasn’t even come down yet. You come out and help me cut the grass outside.”
“Huh?” Shen Nan didn’t want to work, “How about I call my Ge down instead?”
Father Shen was about to get the tools, but unexpectedly, Shen Ti, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up, “Uncle, I’ve already helped with that.”
“What?” Father Shen couldn’t believe it, “Not… outside…”
Shen Ti smiled, “I heard An’an mention yesterday that the lawn at home had grown too high and was messy. Since I came early today and thought you might not be awake yet, I tidied it up a bit. Please take a look. If it’s not good, I can help again…”
As he spoke, he started to roll up his sleeves.
“No need, no need, you’re a guest, please sit,” Father Shen muttered a few words and walked to the door, “I’ll go take a look.”
An Congnan was a bit surprised by how much Shen Ti had done, “You don’t need to do so much. Actually, we are very open-minded parents. Shen An has always been very independent and makes his own decisions. If you two truly love each other, of course, we won’t oppose it.”
“Really?” Shen Ti smiled like a child, “Thank you, Auntie.”
“No need to thank me…” she hadn’t finished speaking when Father Shen opened the door and came back in from outside.
“How did you tidy it up so well? Xiao Shen, what tool did you use? It didn’t make any noise at all,” Father Shen, focused on the lawn and gardening techniques, was very curious and sat down next to Shen Ti, “My previous lawn-mowing robot was not good at all and was very expensive.”
“I’ll give you one,” Shen Ti smiled, trying to cover up the lawn-mowing issue. He couldn’t tell them he wasn’t human and didn’t need human tools.
“Ge, come down quickly,” Shen Nan was already completely on Shen Ti’s side, even helping him, “Xiao Shen Ge’s surname is also Shen. What does that mean? It means we are destined to be a family, right, Mom?”
An Congnan poked Shen Nan’s forehead with her finger, “You’re more concerned than your brother.”
She already had a good impression of Shen Ti and felt sorry for this child, coming alone to another’s home to seek their parents’ approval. Putting herself in his shoes, she thought if Shen An did the same, she would feel upset.
Her only worry was that her son seemed indifferent to everything. If he came downstairs and denied everything, it would be an awkward situation.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t be like that. At the very least, they should stay for a meal.
While she was thinking, there was movement on the stairs.
“Your lazy brother is awake,” Father Shen teased with a smile.
When An Wujiu came downstairs, he was confused.
What was going on? Did Shen Ti come out on his own?
“An’an,” his mother was the first to raise her hand and waved to him, “Come over here.”
“Uh… okay,” An Wujiu, holding a cat, walked over to them.
Father Shen saw the white cat in his arms and was puzzled, “This cat is…”
Shen Nan immediately became alert and looked at An Wujiu.
“It’s a small gift I gave to An’an.”
Before An Wujiu could speak, Shen Ti quickly intervened.
He smiled appropriately and naturally took the cat, petting it a couple of times, smoothing things over, “This little cat is very well-behaved. When An’an is at school, it can keep you company. That’s what I thought. If you don’t like cats or it’s not suitable to have a cat, it’s okay, I can take it back.”
An Wujiu, hearing this, wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to. He crossed his arms, wanting to see how long Shen Ti could keep this up.
How could he act so flawlessly? Usually, he was like a three-year-old child around him.
He had no idea how respectful Shen Ti had been before he came downstairs.
An Congnan quickly said, “Of course not, we also like such a cute cat very much. Since it’s given to An’an, we will definitely take good care of it.”
The white cat seemed to understand the situation, immediately meowing cutely and darting out of Shen Ti’s arms towards An Congnan.
“How smart,” An Congnan petted the cat’s head.
Shen Nan let out a sigh of relief and secretly gave Shen Ti a thumbs up.
This was great. An Wujiu smirked, holding her more tightly.
“Has everyone had breakfast yet?” Shen Ti stood up, took out two kraft paper bags from the pile of gifts, “I brought breakfast for everyone. It should still be warm, let’s eat first.”
Just seeing the packaging, Shen Nan widened her eyes and turned to her mother, “Mom, this brand’s brunch is super expensive, and it can be taken out.”
An Congnan gave her a look to say less, then smiled at Shen Ti, “Xiao Shen, you’ve spent too much. Please, don’t buy so many things for us in the future. Just come and see us, okay?”
“It’s just breakfast,” Shen Ti smiled, “Let’s eat, Uncle and Auntie.”
An Wujiu took a fig muffin from Shen Ti, his eyes full of amusement, watching him the whole time. An Congnan noticed everything.
“Shen An,” An Congnan took a sip of coffee and said deliberately, “Don’t you plan to tell your parents the truth?”
An Wujiu paused, quickly swallowed his food, “Uh…”
He pursed his lips, his expression becoming serious, “I like Shen Ti, very much. Today was a bit unexpected because I hadn’t thought about how to tell you, but he took the initiative to come. He didn’t want to leave the burden to me. But even if he hadn’t come, I would have said it today.”
“Actually, I know you will understand me, but you might worry whether we are serious or just playing around.”
His words were earnest, and he looked at his parents with sincere eyes, “I am serious, very serious. No one in this world can replace Shen Ti’s position in my heart.”
Hearing this, Shen Ti was slightly stunned.
He did not expect An Wujiu to speak so plainly.
Not only was he stunned, but An Wujiu’s parents were as well.
Their son had never shown clear desire for anything since he was young. He was good to everyone and willing to give, but had never been forceful.
This time, he clearly told them he must be with Shen Ti and that there was no other possibility.
An Wujiu smiled, “You must be wondering why I am so direct and leave no room for doubt. It’s because we have indeed gone through a lot, and I will slowly tell you about it in the future. But for now…”
He lifted his eyes and said firmly, “I just want him.”
These words were so unexpected that his parents didn’t immediately respond.
It was Shen Nan who started sniffing, “Oh, I feel like I’ve already attended the wedding. I will definitely cry at the wedding.”
Everyone couldn’t help but laugh.
The smile on An Congnan’s face faded slightly, “An’an, actually, Mom doesn’t oppose it at all. You are right; I was worried because Xiao Shen is so earnest. I don’t want my child to treat relationships lightly.”
“Your mom is right,” Father Shen fully agreed, “I quite like Xiao Shen. You know, Xiao Shen even helped us tidy the garden. Such a good kid, not many like him nowadays.”
An Wujiu couldn’t help but laugh and looked at Shen Ti, extending a hand towards him.
“You are quite diligent.”
“Of course, I have to be a bit diligent.” As soon as Shen Ti finished speaking, the little cat jumped onto his lap, rubbing against his wrist.
Shen Nan pointed at the cat, “Look, even the cat recognizes Xiao Shen Ge.”
An Wujiu laughed, “Do you like Xiao Shen Ge that much?”
Shen Nan lifted her chin, “Then Xiao Shen Ge can also attend my parent-teacher meeting. I would be so proud to have two such handsome brothers.”
“So that’s why!”
“Hahaha, you little rascal.”
An Wujiu didn’t expect the matter to be resolved so easily, even more smoothly than he had imagined. But then he thought, compared to what they went through in the chapel, what was this?
His parents were very happy and suggested making a delicious meal for them. An Wujiu was sent out to do some shopping. An Congnan, being very considerate, pulled Shen Ti, who was being held by Father Shen exchanging lawn care tips, away, “Xiao Shen, go with An’an.” She turned to Father Shen, “Stop talking about the lawn for now, and help me pick some basil.”
Just like that, Shen Ti and An Wujiu had some time alone again.
“Why did you come by yourself?” An Wujiu walked along the roadside, looking at Shen Ti.
“I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep, thinking about this matter all the time.” Shen Ti moved to An Wujiu’s right side, swapping places to let him walk on the inner side of the road, then held his hand, interlocking their fingers.
“I woke up once too, afraid you might disappear.” An Wujiu’s mouth curved slightly, “When I woke up in the morning and found you gone, I was startled.”
Shen Ti’s thumb gently rubbed An Wujiu’s curled fingers, “I was downstairs at that time.”
As they walked, An Wujiu suddenly stopped, and Shen Ti also stopped, looking at him, “What’s wrong?”
An Wujiu reached out his hand, and Shen Ti thought he was going to touch his face. Unexpectedly, in the next second, An Wujiu’s fingers pinched his earlobe.
“Did you purposely take off your earrings?” He looked into Shen Ti’s eyes, as if catching him in a big lie.
“Yes.” Shen Ti admitted directly, patting his pocket with his other hand, which jingled, “Wearing so many things on my ears doesn’t look decent, right? I even thought about changing into more formal clothes, but I was afraid your parents might think I was a door-to-door salesman.”
As he spoke, Shen Ti himself found it funny, not knowing where he got so many thoughts at that time.
Unexpectedly, An Wujiu let go and hugged his waist with both hands, leaning into his arms, making Shen Ti pause for a moment.
“Thank you.” An Wujiu rested his face against Shen Ti’s warm collarbone, rubbing gently, “I love you too.”
“Too?” Shen Ti laughed, also hugging him, “I haven’t said anything.”
The morning breeze was a bit chilly, but Shen Ti’s embrace was warm.
“You don’t need to say it.”
An Wujiu’s voice was muffled, hugging tightly.
He of course knew, more clearly than anyone.
Shen Ti could have, like with others, poured those memories into his parents, which would have saved a lot of trouble, and they could have accepted his bond with Shen Ti more quickly and easily.
But Shen Ti didn’t do that. Always opportunistic, he chose a path everyone knew would be more difficult.
Perhaps he didn’t trust himself enough, fearing he couldn’t please them, so he foolishly did so much, acting obediently and bringing breakfast, even tidying the lawn in advance to make them like him as much as possible.
“So silly.”
An Wujiu whispered.
“Who are you talking about?” Shen Ti pinched his waist and said, “I’m so smart, I got it done immediately.”
“Don’t pinch my waist.” An Wujiu grabbed his hand, complaining softly, “It tickles.”
“A bit harder, and it won’t tickle.” Shen Ti said it shamelessly.
An Wujiu pushed him, “Any harder, and I’ll be gone.”
“How could that be?” Shen Ti grinned, hugging his waist, “Now that your parents are taken care of, next is your classmates and friends, right? Quickly take me to meet them.”
“Shen Ti, don’t push your luck.”
“Alright, then let’s wait a bit longer, little friend An’an.”
