Lin Yinci hurriedly ran over.
She opened the door and found a travel-worn, unfamiliar man standing outside.
A car was parked behind the man, and dozens of gifts and supplements were placed in front of him. He was well-dressed and handsome.
Lin Yinci smiled gently: "Who are you?"
It was a chilly day, and Xie Wang was only wearing a thin overcoat. But this overcoat was the most suitable formal wear in his wardrobe for meeting his mother-in-law.
He cleared his throat and bowed solemnly: "Mom, I am Xie Wang, and I plan to change my name to Xie Lin in the future. I am also Shuangjiang's legal, compliant, and only betrothed child."
Chapter 54 This is my boyfriend
Xie Wang's words made Lin Yinci burst into laughter.
She looked intently into Xie Wang's eyes, her tone gentle: "Xie Wang, right? Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
Xie Wang nodded: "Thank you, Mom."
Several bodyguards and assistants wearing sunglasses followed Xie Wang. With Lin Yinci's permission, they carried the gifts into the house for Xie Wang and then left in a hurry.
Looking at the rows of gifts displayed in the hall, Lin Yinci smiled at Xie Wang and said, "You're too kind, bringing so many things. Auntie lives here by herself, she won't use them all."
Xie Wang: "It was my first time here, and I didn't know what Mom liked, so I asked her to pick some things for me to bring with me."
It was hot inside, so Lin Yinci helped him hang up his coat: "How did you get here?"
Xie Wang: "I came by plane."
Lin Yinci was about to pour tea for Xie Wang when Xie Wang stopped her, saying, "Mom, you don't need to be so polite with me. I can do it myself."
After a brief exchange, Lin Yinci found Xie Wang to be a very polite child. "By the way, I heard from A-Jiang that you were sick. Are you feeling better?"
When asked about it, Xie Wang didn't hide anything: "Thank you for your concern, Mom. The test results are in, and I'm fine."
Lin Yinci nodded: "That's good. Ajiang is heating up the wine in the kitchen and will be back soon."
"Hmm." Xie Wang glanced in the direction of the kitchen after Lin Yinci, then lowered his eyes apologetically: "Actually, this time, I came to apologize to Shuangjiang. The day before yesterday, I had heart problems and was hospitalized. In order to stay with Shuangjiang for a few more days, I lied and said that I was not feeling well anywhere, which scared Shuangjiang."
Lin Yinci chuckled softly: "Oh, I see."
Xie Wang: "So, I've come here to apologize to him."
"It's okay, it's good that he knows he's wrong." Lin Yinci reached out to smooth out the wrinkles in Xie Wang's sweater on his shoulder. "Shuangjiang has rarely gotten angry since he was little. Take this incident, for example, it might be because his father passed away in the hospital, so he's quite sensitive to hospitals. When he was little, he would try his best not to go to the hospital when he had a cold or was sick, and he was very resistant to it. He's only angry with you because he cares about you."
Xie Wang lowered his eyes: "I know, it's my fault."
"It's alright." Lin Yinci smiled gently at him. "Don't worry. Now that you're here, stay a few more days and spend more time with Shuangjiang."
Xie Wang looked at Lin Yinci gratefully: "Thank you, Mom."
"Mom, why are there so many people in the restaurant all of a sudden—"
When Ling Shuangjiang entered with the wine, she was immediately stunned and it took her a long time to come to her senses.
Xie Wang got up and walked to his side, taking the hot wine with him: "Shuangjiang, I came to see you."
Ling Shuangjiang raised her eyes and quietly studied Xie Wang for a few seconds before lowering her eyes and saying, "Hmm."
After Ling Shuangjiang sat down at the table, Lin Yinci poured Xie Wang a glass of wine: "It's cold outside, have some wine to warm yourself up. I don't know if you can handle it."
Xie Wang nodded and accepted it with both hands: "Thank you, Mom."
Upon hearing this address, Ling Shuangjiang glanced at him while holding her chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and then continued eating on her own, without joining their conversation.
Xie Wang's arrival immediately made the atmosphere heavy. Ling Shuangjiang was clearly not in high spirits and stopped speaking.
Lin Yinci said to Ling Shuangjiang, "Xiao Xie came in a hurry. Could you help him tidy up the guest room later? There are clean bedding and sheets in the closet."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded gently: "Mm."
"Shuangjiang, let's eat shrimp." Xie Wang used serving chopsticks to add food to Ling Shuangjiang's plate. "Mom's Biluo shrimp is very authentic, even much better than those restaurants in Bintan that claim to be Suzhou cuisine."
Ling Shuangjiang took a bite and nodded silently.
Ling Shuangjiang's indifference made Xie Wang uneasy.
He gripped his chopsticks slightly, his movements revealing a hint of tension and unease that he couldn't hide.
Ling Shuangjiang had never been this angry since they met.
Lin Yinci observed the interaction between the two.
But she felt that this was a matter for the younger generation, and it was best to let them resolve it themselves; as an elder, she shouldn't interfere. Besides, she didn't know Xie Wang's temperament.
"Mom, please have some crab." After spending ten minutes cleaning the crab meat, Ling Shuangjiang handed it to Lin Yinci in a white bowl and plate.
Lin Yinci smiled at him: "Eat some yourself too."
"I'll peel it for him."
Despite Ling Shuangjiang ignoring him, Xie Wang was not discouraged. He carefully peeled the crab meat clean for Ling Shuangjiang, sprinkled some ginger and vinegar sauce on it, and put it in a bowl and plate for her.
However, Ling Shuangjiang did not touch her chopsticks, but only ate the food in her own bowl.
Xie Wang's cautious smile slowly faded, and his confidence in coaxing Ling Shuangjiang gradually crumbled.
It seems that Ling Shuangjiang is really angry this time.
To ease the tension, Lin Yinci put some food on Xie Wang's plate and asked, "What did you mean by changing your name just now?"
Xie Wang explained: "Before leaving, Xie Lin kept preventing me from coming to Suzhou to find Shuangjiang, using the excuse that he was Shuangjiang's marriage partner. So I told him that if I changed my name to Xie Lin, Shuangjiang would be my marriage partner."
Lin Yinci chuckled: "Your method is truly unexpected."
Xie Wang told the truth: "He wouldn't budge, so I had no choice but to play along."
Amidst Lin Yinci's laughter, Ling Shuangjiang secretly glanced at Xie Wang.
After the meal, Xie Wang helped Lin Yinci clear the dishes, while Ling Shuangjiang went to the guest room to tidy up Xie Wang's bedding.
The housekeeper comes every day from seven in the morning to seven in the evening. Lin Yinci was worried that it wouldn't be safe for the housekeeper to walk alone in the dark, so she let the housekeeper leave early. Therefore, they had to do everything themselves.
It's often joked online that winter in the South is like a magical attack, completely unbearable, damp and bone-chilling.
Although Ling Shuangjiang's house had been protected against dampness, he was worried that Xie Wangdai wouldn't be used to being cold, so he went back to his own room, took out another cotton quilt, and carried it over, intending to add a few more.
Xie Wang and Lin Yinci finished their work and happened to see Ling Shuangjiang carrying a quilt as she passed by in the courtyard.
Lin Yinci said to him, "The white bedding is from his room. I guess he was worried you'd be cold, so he added another one."
Xie Wang was slightly taken aback, his expression filled with shame, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
The dust inside has been cleaned up. Fortunately, it's usually covered with a dustproof film, so it was quick to clean.
Ling Shuangjiang got out of bed after making the bed, and just as she was about to leave, she bumped into Xie Wang's arms.
Xie Wang took the opportunity to put his arm around his waist: "Shuangjiang, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pretended to be sick to deceive you."
Ling Shuangjiang paused for a long time before saying, "It's nothing."
"How could nothing be wrong? You didn't even smile at me." Xie Wang withdrew his hand, his 1.9-meter-tall frame standing in front of Ling Shuangjiang as if he were being punished: "I swear, I will never lie to you again."
"Get some rest." Ling Shuangjiang clearly didn't want to continue the topic and left directly.
Xie Wang hurriedly turned his head, looked at his back, and slowly raised his hand, but only a faint fragrance of flowers and grass remained around him.
That night, the two tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
—
The next day, Lin Yinci got up very early and prepared breakfast for the two of them with her aunt.
The Ling family mansion has always maintained the style of the Su family garden, and even though it has been renovated, it has preserved the original architectural appearance.
Lin Yinci and Ling Shuangjiang's bedroom was in the main house on the north side, while Xie Wang's bedroom was in the guest house on the east side.
The front yard has a small vegetable garden and a garden fountain, while the back yard is the workshop where Lin Yinci teaches her apprentices to make kesi (silk tapestry).
Xie Wang's room had a private bathroom. After washing up, he went to the kitchen to help Lin Yinci.
The housekeeper, Fang Sao, nodded at Xie Wang after seeing him, assuming he was Ling Shuangjiang's friend.
"Mom, is there anything I can do for you?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Fang was taken aback and stared wide-eyed at Lin Yinci. Lin Yinci winked at her and said to Xie Wang, "Aunt Fang and I are enough here. Go and wake Ajiang up."
Xie Wang nodded: "Okay."
As soon as the person left, Aunt Fang hurriedly asked Lin Yinci, "Is this A-Jiang's?"
Lin Yinci: "Boyfriend."
Aunt Fang exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Jiang has a boyfriend!"
Lin Yinci took the fried egg out of the frying pan. "Yes, we met on a variety show."
Fang's sister-in-law only knew about the entertainment industry from her children. She asked worriedly, "Is this man reliable? My daughter said that the entertainment industry is a big dye vat. Shuangjiang is so beautiful, we must not let him be deceived."
Lin Yinci smiled and said, "Don't worry, he's not in the entertainment industry. His grandfather was a good comrade-in-arms of Frostfall Grandpa."
"Oh, I see. That puts my mind at ease." Aunt Fang placed the tray on the table. "Shuangjiang is still young, but he looks quite grown up to me."
Lin Yinci: "Yes, he is six years older than Shuangjiang."
Outside the main hall, Xie Wang had been standing in front of Ling Shuangjiang's gate for a very long time.
But he remained hesitant.
Just as he mustered the courage to knock on the door, Ling Shuangjiang opened it.
Xie Wang raised his hand, then stiffly put it down: "Time to eat."
Ling Shuangjiang: "Good morning."
On his way to the restaurant, Xie Wang secretly observed Ling Shuangjiang.
It seems his little frost isn't too angry yet.
She's still willing to say good morning to him.
While having breakfast, Lin Yinci asked, "I'm off today, would you like to come with me to the market?"
Xie Wang nodded: "Is this a place that sells vegetables?"