Seeing that the atmosphere was about to turn stiff, Lu Yan spoke in a calm voice, breaking the cold atmosphere.
"Miaomiao, this time, you misunderstood Uncle," he said.
Ning Zhijing was very good at judging people. He knew very well that Lu Yan was mature and steady. This was a trait that could only be developed after experiencing a great deal.
If a man was mature enough, he would be more meticulous in his thinking and more sophisticated in handling things.
Ning Anmiao was the daughter he had raised single - handedly. Her innocence and kindness were spoiled by the Ning family. If Lu Yan ever went back on his word one day, she would be no match for him.
Only by obtaining some substantial benefits could she avoid losing too badly in this marriage game.
Lu Yan had long seen this.
"On this matter, Uncle and I share the same attitude," Lu Yan said seriously. "You must sign this agreement. This is not only Uncle's requirement but also my principle."
Ning Anmiao was stunned.
She thought Lu Yan was just joking last time, but she didn't expect him to be serious.
"I..." She was a bit at a loss. Her eyes fell on Lu Yan's serious face, not understanding why he was so persistent.
Seeing Lu Yan's determination, Ning Zhijing raised his eyebrows in surprise. He looked at Lu Yan with a rare look of approval. "You're much more sensible than Ning Anmiao. You're a smart man."
Lu Yan gave a faint smile. "Thank you for the compliment, Uncle."
Ning Anmiao: "..."
She suddenly had a strange feeling that it seemed her father and Lu Yan were now on the same side, and she was left alone.
Lu Yan took out the agreement again and placed it in front of Ning Anmiao. He even carefully handed her a pen. "Miaomiao, sign it."
Ning Anmiao lowered her head, looking at the familiar agreement. Somehow, she felt as if she was being forced to become a rich person.
"Well, I'd like to think about it some more..."
"No!" Ning Zhijing and Lu Yan said in unison, showing an unexpected tacit understanding on this point.
Ning Anmiao: "..."
She was now in a dilemma. She couldn't help but clench her teeth. Then, she made up her mind, flipped to the last page, and quickly signed her name.
Anyway, the one being taken advantage of wasn't her. What did she have to be afraid of!
Seeing that she finally signed, the serious look on Lu Yan's face softened. His voice was gentle. "Thank you, Miaomiao."
Ning Anmiao blinked. She felt that Lu Yan wasn't that shrewd. He seemed a bit clumsy.
"Who on earth would offer money willingly and still thank the other person?" Ning Anmiao murmured to herself, whispering a little complaint.
Lu Yan just smiled without saying a word.
At this time, Ning Zhijing's expression also improved a bit. "Since you trust him so much that he'll treat you well, if you two live a good life together, won't this property still be his in the end?"
Well, it seemed to make sense?
Ning Anmiao wasn't as resistant as before.
Yeah, she wasn't aiming to divorce Lu Yan and divide the property in the future. Why should she care so much about this piece of paper?
As long as they could be together forever, this was just a stack of waste paper.
Thinking of this, she felt much more at ease.
Seeing that they had reached an agreement, Bai Jiaying's face was filled with a smile. She asked, "You two will have dinner at home today. Does Xiao Lu have any food taboos?"
Lu Yan shook his head and replied politely, "No. You can cook whatever you like."
Bai Jiaying really liked Lu Yan's polite words. She couldn't help but smile. "Okay, then I'll show off my skills and let you taste the Ning family's cooking."
"If that's the case, could you please cook more of the dishes Miaomiao likes?" He paused for a moment, and his smile deepened. "I also want to share her good fortune."
"No problem," Bai Jiaying said with a smile. Her eyes fell on Ning Anmiao. "Miaomiao, do you want to come and help Mom in the kitchen?"
Ning Anmiao immediately stood up and replied, "Okay, Mom. I'll change my clothes first."
The mother - daughter duo happily walked into the kitchen arm in arm, leaving only Lu Yan and Ning Zhijing on the living - room sofa.
With two people gone from the living room, the atmosphere became obviously colder than before.
Perhaps because of Lu Yan's attitude just now, Ning Zhijing had a better impression of him. He cleared his throat and said in a neutral tone, "Lu Yan, you're a reasonable person."
Lu Yan nodded slightly.
When facing an elder like Ning Zhijing, he had to show full respect and modesty in order to have a conversation with him.
He gave a gentle smile. His appearance was calm and gentle. "In terms of my attitude towards Miaomiao, it's the same as yours. We both hope that she can be happy and live a fulfilling life."
Ning Zhijing felt a bit uncomfortable.
It wasn't that he had any negative opinion about Lu Yan. He just couldn't accept that another man cared so much about his little girl so soon.
It was as if his precious treasure was being taken away openly, and he was even told seriously that the man would take good care of her on his behalf.
Although he was unhappy, he had nowhere to vent his feelings.
No matter how good Lu Yan was at observing people's expressions, he couldn't guess what Ning Zhijing was thinking at this moment. He took the initiative to start a conversation. "Uncle, do you have a hobby of playing chess?"
Hearing this, Ning Zhijing knew that Lu Yan was just trying to find a topic to talk about. He casually said, "Go. Can you play?"
"I know a bit," Lu Yan nodded and said modestly. "My skills are not very good. If you don't mind, could you please give me some advice?"
...
In the kitchen.
Ning Anmiao was accompanying Bai Jiaying. From time to time, she helped wash the vegetables and hand over the plates, but her eyes always glanced towards the kitchen door.
She was a bit worried about leaving Lu Yan and Ning Zhijing alone.
"You child, you're going to drop the plate in a moment," Bai Jiaying noticed Ning Anmiao's absent - mindedness and couldn't help joking. "Are you so concerned about him?"
Ning Anmiao's face turned a bit unnatural, and her earlobes burned. "No. I'm afraid Dad will make things difficult for him."
Bai Jiaying gave her a smiling look, then lowered her head to cut the freshly washed vegetables. Her voice was gentle. "Don't worry. Xiao Lu is a smart boy. He knows how to behave and is reasonable."
"He knows how to get along with your father. I bet by the time we go out, the two of them will be chatting away."
Ning Anmiao didn't believe it at all.
Her father was like an old - fashioned person and had always disliked Lu Yan. Could these two really get along well?
She would be thankful if they didn't quarrel.
Bai Jiaying poured the cut vegetables into the pan, turned down the heat, and stirred the vegetables with a spatula. She then said, "Actually, your father has already accepted Xiao Lu. He just wants to see your attitude."
Ning Anmiao stood beside her, blinking in surprise.
"You're his only daughter. He's doted on you since you were a child. But then you just ran off with someone without a word. And today, you defended Xiao Lu in front of him. Don't you think it's a bit heartbreaking for him as a father?"
Bai Jiaying was straightforward. She didn't hide anything from her daughter. "Your father is getting old. Parents like us are most afraid of not being able to see our children when we're old."