Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Mother and Daughter
Just as Chen Yu was busy doing his accounts, Li Lan and Chen Guang hurriedly came downstairs.
"Xiaoyu, tell me what's all this about?"
As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Li Lan demanded an explanation in a stern voice, pulling Tong Ya along with her.
Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless, "Tong Ya is Tuan Tuan's teacher, she just came over to..."
"Nonsense!" Li Lan was somewhat angry, "Then why is this girl living with you?"
Chen Yu paused, "It's only temporary..."
"What temporary?" Li Lan became even angrier, "Such a fine girl, never married, and now living with you—what will people say? How can she face others?"
Chen Yu was at a loss, standing there not knowing how to respond.
Tong Ya stood by, her face red, awkwardly fidgeting with her fingers like a child.
Tuan Tuan was hiding behind Tong Ya, covering his mouth and giggling.
Li Lan tempered her emotions slightly, then glared at Chen Yu ferociously.
"Give me an answer today, do you like the girl or not?"
Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "Mom, you know I went through a divorce, with a child in tow. Given my situation, even if I like her, I'm not worthy of her."
"So you do like her!" Li Lan was somewhat pushy.
Chen Yu was rendered speechless.
Having been in contact for so long, even if Chen Yu were a stone, Tong Ya had warmed him up.
He indeed liked Tong Ya, but to admit his feelings for her in front of Tong Ya remained a hurdle he couldn't cross.
Li Lan then stopped pestering him and sat down next to Tong Ya, taking her hand.
"Girl, I've already heard from Tuan Tuan, do you like my stinky boy or not?"
Tong Ya nodded eagerly, "I've liked him for a long time; he was even my lifesaver back in university."
Li Lan's face showed great excitement, "I already asked for you just now. Although my boy doesn't say it out loud, I know he likes you in his heart."
Tong Ya's face turned red to the roots of her neck; she had never expected Chen Yu's mother to be so straightforward.
"I can feel it, after all, he agreed to let me stay here."
Li Lan caressed Tong Ya's hand, "It's just his divorce situation..."
"I don't mind," Tong Ya exclaimed with some excitement, interrupting Li Lan.
"Good!" Li Lan was also emotionally moved, her eyes growing moist, "Then what about your family..."
"My mother passed away when I was in university, and my father..."
At this point, Tong Ya hesitated and after a moment's thought, suddenly looked up.
"My father also likes Chen Yu a lot!"
Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, giving Tong Ya a perplexed look as if asking, have I ever met your father?
Li Lan didn't care about such details, "Alright then, from today on, I'll treat you as my own daughter!"
Saying this, Li Lan took out her phone.
"I came in haste and didn't prepare anything for you, so first, let me send you a big red envelope!"
Tong Ya kept waving her hands, "There's no need for that!"
"How is there no need?" Li Lan said seriously, "It's our local custom, and besides, it's just between us, mother and daughter, right?"
Chen Yu listened, dumbfounded—mother and daughter, already.
Before he could react, Li Lan had already sent Tong Ya a big red envelope of six thousand six hundred sixty-six yuan.
Tong Ya was startled; she hadn't expected to receive so much on her first meeting with Li Lan.
Just as she was about to decline, Li Lan took her by the hand and led her upstairs.
"Come on, I have so many more things to ask you."
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, not expecting things to progress this way.
However, he knew very well that it had to be Tuan Tuan, the little girl, playing matchmaker in the middle.
When he turned his gaze to Tuan Tuan, the little girl pouted and followed Tong Ya and Li Lan upstairs.
Chen Guang, on the other hand, pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Chen Yu, your mother and I are very pleased with this girl, and since she doesn't mind that you've been divorced and likes you so much, why won't you accept her?"
Chen Yu let out a light sigh, "Some things, I feel, still need to be carefully considered, after all..."
"I understand what you mean!" Chen Guang interrupted Chen Yu, "But in life, there are many things that don't need to be mulled over. Once you miss them, they're truly gone."
Chen Yu was suddenly stunned, unable to say a word.
Chen Guang didn't say much more, only limping upstairs.
It seemed his rheumatism wasn't fully healed.
Chen Yu sat alone in the hall for a while, then checked the stock in the storeroom.
He then went upstairs to sleep.
That night, Li Lan, Tuan Tuan, and Tong Ya slept in one room, where laughter filled the air all night long.
Fearing he would disturb Chen Yu's opening day the next morning, Chen Guang refrained from going to talk to him.
Perhaps due to restlessness, at three in the morning, Chen Yu got up, went to the kitchen on the first floor all by himself.
Just as he was using a cart to take some pig heads and hocks out of the cold storage, he saw Tong Ya standing not far away looking pretty and alert.
"Did you wake up early, or did you not sleep at all?" Tong Ya walked over and helped him push the cart.
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "I don't know, I slept, but it's like I didn't."
Tong Ya giggled, "That's just like how you like me, but also like you don't."
Chen Yu was amused, "Speaking of which, someone seemed to have lied yesterday. When have I ever met your father?"
Tong Ya pouted, "Someone also said that his parents would never accept me."
Unexpectedly rebuffed, Chen Yu fell silent.
He just threw the pig heads and hocks into the big pot.
"Since you admitted you liked me yesterday, can you tell me how much you really like me now?"
Chen Yu paused in his movements and looked up at Tong Ya.
After a long moment, he finally spoke, "I also don't know."
Unconvinced, Tong Ya boldly lifted a pig head.
"Is it as big as this pig head?"
Chen Yu took the pig head from Tong Ya's hands and put it in the pot, "Bigger than that!"
"Is that enough for you to be my boyfriend?"
Chen Yu exhaled lightly, "It's still a bit short."
"How much is it short?" Tong Ya suddenly moved close to Chen Yu, pressing her nose against his.
Chen Yu's response was no longer as perfunctory as before and even carried a degree of seriousness.
Tong Ya's heartbeat quickened and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Chen Yu's neck.
"Then I'll wait! But if during this time, you start liking someone else, I'll get jealous!"
Chen Yu took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Tong Ya's waist.
"If I'm still lacking even with you, where would I find the energy to like someone else?"
A tremor went through Tong Ya's heart, and she hugged him tighter.
Although Chen Yu's words were ambiguous, this was at least the first real response and he wasn't avoiding it.