"Son, don't speak too confidently," Father Lin quickly stopped Lin Yang. Otherwise, he might be the one to suffer later.
"Don't worry, Dad. Watch me perform."
With that, Lin Yang directly took the onion from Father Lin's hand, which was only half-sliced. Cutting onions is a skill—if you're not careful, tears can flow like pearls on a string, uncontrollable. Father Lin had already started tearing up after just a couple of cuts. He rubbed his eyes, trying to open them, but his movements slowed down more and more.
When Lin Yang took over, he dipped the knife in water and quickly sliced the onion.
"Son, when did you learn to do this?" Father Lin and Mother Lin both stared in amazement. Each slice of onion was almost the same size, and the speed and precision were impressive. He moved like a machine, finishing all the prep work in no time. Even Mother Lin, who had been cooking for years, felt a little embarrassed by her own pace.
"Well, it's all thanks to Mom's example," Lin Yang humbly said, deflecting the praise onto Lin Mom.
Mother Lin beamed with pride, her smile never fading. Father Lin secretly gave Lin Yang a thumbs up.
"Alright, you two, get out of the kitchen," Mother Lin said firmly. "Now it's time to cook. This is my domain."
Lin Yang was about to show off his skills in the kitchen, but before he could even start, Mother Lin had kicked them both out. They sat on the living room sofa. Without Mom and the babies to fill the silence, they had trouble finding a topic to talk about. Eventually, Lin Yang slipped back into the baby room, leaving Father Lin alone in the living room.
[Ding! Baby meets Grandpa and Grandma for the first time. Reward: one pound of Yan Shang Kong Gu You Lan tea.]
As soon as Lin Yang entered the baby room, he heard a familiar notification.
Yan Shang Kong Gu You Lan tea? His parents both liked tea, and he had heard of this particular kind. It was the tea his dad had always wanted but never bought because of its hefty price tag—120,000 per pound. Each cup would cost over 1,000 yuan. For an ordinary family like theirs, it seemed like an unattainable dream. But now, the system had just gifted it to him!
His parents had come to visit, and he hadn't thought about bringing them anything. Now he didn't need to worry about it anymore.
"Lin Yang, Uncle and Aunt are here, and I came empty-handed. Isn't that rude?" Shu Mengyao asked, after puzzling over what to give them for a while. She was clearly anxious but didn't know what would be appropriate.
"Didn't you already show your gesture?" Lin Yang gently took Shu Mengyao's hand and placed it in his palm.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Shu Mengyao's mood calmed a little, but she was still curious. "What gesture?"
"You just agreed to my proposal earlier. Isn't that a commitment to me?" Lin Yang smiled softly. "For my parents, that's more meaningful than anything else."
Shu Mengyao blinked, understanding a little but not fully. Lin Yang patted her head affectionately.
"Hurry up, let's eat," Mother Lin's voice boomed from the kitchen.
The babies were asleep, and Lin Yang guided Shu Mengyao to the dining table.
The table was set with three dishes and a soup, all prepared by Mother Lin.
As soon as they entered, Mother Lin pulled Shu Mengyao to sit beside her, treating her like her own daughter. "Yaoyao, try the chicken soup I made for you. It's fresh, the chicken was just caught before we came."
She served a bowl of soup to Shu Mengyao, who was taken aback by the kindness. She took a spoonful and tasted it. The clear broth and delicate flavor spread across her tongue. While it might not be as good as what Lin Yang made, it was still an exceptional taste.
"It's so good!" Shu Mengyao praised, her eyes sparkling.
"As long as you like it, if you want more, I'll make it for you," Mother Lin said warmly.
Despite not knowing Shu Mengyao for long, Mother Lin liked her very much. She could tell that Shu Mengyao was sincere, pure, and sweet-natured. Mother Lin felt reassured that her son had found such a wonderful partner.
During the meal, they talked and laughed. Although Shu Mengyao was still a little nervous, with Lin Yang beside her, she started to join the conversation, making great progress.
By the evening, Father Lin and Mother Lin went to bed early. Lin Yang, however, found himself in a dilemma. The apartment had three rooms, but one was the baby room and the other was where his parents were sleeping. If he went to sleep with Shu Mengyao, it might feel too sudden. But not going felt strange too.
After some hesitation, Lin Yang frowned.
To his surprise, Shu Mengyao was still in the baby room. The babies were already asleep, but she made no move to leave. Her face was flushed, and her fingers were fiddling nervously. Lin Yang recognized that when Shu Mengyao was anxious, she would fidget with her fingers. Since she hadn't done that during dinner, it meant…
She was also thinking about the same thing.
"Yaoyao, why don't you go back to your room and sleep?" Lin Yang smiled. "I'll sleep in the baby room. The babies just got home, and they might wake up in the middle of the night. I don't want them to feel lost."
Shu Mengyao took a deep breath, looking determined. "No… I want to stay here with you."
She pointed to the crawling mat in the baby room and then ran to the main bedroom, bringing her blanket with her. She spread it on the mat.
"Lin Yang," she said softly, "I want to be with you."