Bai Jiaying wiped the water off the kitchen counter and advised earnestly, "Tell me, every time you and Lu Yan appear together, you look like you're determined to marry him. What will you do if you forget about your dad and me in the future?"
Ning Anmiao opened her mouth to retort but then felt that her mother's words made sense.
She really hadn't considered her father's feelings. She just took it for granted that her father, who had always fully supported her since childhood, would support her choice this time.
However, she also forgot that getting married was not a trivial matter.
This was completely different from the decisions she had made since childhood. It wasn't as simple as raising a cat or a dog, or going on a trip with friends to another city.
This was a major event in her life, and also a significant matter for the Ning family.
"Your dad and I have lived to this age. Apart from worrying about you, our daughter, we basically have nothing to worry about," Bai Jiaying took out tableware for four people and then said, "If you don't have a good destination, your dad and I won't be able to live in peace for the rest of our lives."
Ning Anmiao listened silently. Her heart was warm, and her eyes couldn't help but turn red. Her vision gradually blurred.
She thought that her impetuosity three years ago would have chilled her parents' hearts and created a rift between them. So she had always been in a negative mood and even prepared to never return to the Ning family for the rest of her life.
But she didn't expect—
"There's no parent in this world who would really be at odds with their child," Bai Jiaying seemed to have guessed what Ning Anmiao was thinking. She laughed and joked, "Both you and your dad are as stubborn as mules. One dares to scold, and the other dares to believe it."
"During the first year you left home, your dad almost engraved the word 'regret' on his face every day. He secretly inquired about your situation everywhere."
Seeing that Ning Anmiao remained silent, Bai Jiaying didn't dwell on this topic and slowly shifted to something else.
"Lu Yan's mother is not easy to get along with. What about his father?"
Ning Anmiao hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Lu Yan's father passed away a long time ago. I've never met him."
Hearing this, Bai Jiaying's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes showed pity, "Then Lu Yan has had a tough time alone all these years."
Ning Anmiao pursed her lips. While tidying up the kitchen, she briefly told her mother about Lu Yan's past.
Bai Jiaying had a kind motherly heart. After hearing this, she felt even more uncomfortable. Her affection for Lu Yan deepened.
Thinking about how such a sensible child had suffered so much in the past and had no one to love him, her motherly love overflowed uncontrollably.
"You should take good care of Lu Yan when you're together in the future. Don't let him feel too lonely. Bring him home for meals and visits more often."
Her concerned tone made Ning Anmiao feel warm inside. She was also happy for Lu Yan in her heart.
Thinking this way, she smiled playfully and stuck out her tongue at Bai Jiaying, "Mom, I'm your daughter. Why do you care more about him than me?"
"You child," Bai Jiaying said gently, "If I'm good to him, he'll naturally be good to you. Besides, we'll all be family in the future. Why should we care about such things?"
She laughed and tapped Ning Anmiao on the nose, "Besides, you've always been mom's good girl."
Ning Anmiao smiled brightly, her eyes shining.
With these words, at least Bai Jiaying had absolutely accepted Lu Yan. This was a good breakthrough.
...
After all the meals were prepared, Ning Anmiao and Bai Jiaying carried the dishes out of the kitchen.
The two people who had been in the living room earlier were nowhere to be seen.
Ning Anmiao looked around in confusion but couldn't find them. However, she heard voices coming from the study.
"Mom, you can start setting the table first. I'll go to the study to call them for dinner," Ning Anmiao said and walked towards the study.
The door of the study was not fully closed. The voices of the two people's conversation could be heard intermittently. She tiptoed over and slowly pushed the door open a crack.
The two of them were sitting in front of the desk, both looking seriously at the Go board in front of them.
They were actually playing Go!
Ning Anmiao thought she was seeing things. She opened the door a little wider and slipped in quietly.
The two of them were clearly very focused on the game and didn't notice that there was an extra person in the room.
Ning Zhijing was clearly fascinated. His face was very solemn. He would deliberate carefully before making each move. It seemed that he had met a strong opponent.
Similarly, Lu Yan didn't slack off either. His eyes were full of concentration. He had a tenacity that was not typical of a younger person. He had turned the tables many times and managed to turn defeat into victory.
Just then, Lu Yan noticed Ning Anmiao coming in. His eyes softened slightly.
Ning Anmiao immediately made a "shh" gesture.
As everyone knew, Ning Zhijing hated being interrupted while playing chess. A true gentleman didn't make comments while watching a game.
Lu Yan smiled and nodded. He slowly withdrew his gaze and refocused on the game.
This game of Go took quite a while. In the end, Ning Zhijing made the last move and narrowly defeated Lu Yan.
"Uncle, your Go skills are superb. I concede defeat," Lu Yan still had a smile on his face. His words were polite and humble. He also didn't forget to compliment Ning Zhijing.
There were few people who had the leisure to play chess with Ning Zhijing throughout the year. Moreover, Lu Yan's Go skills were quite good. Hearing what he said, Ning Zhijing felt extremely comfortable.
"Lu Yan's Go skills are good. With a few years of practice, he will surely achieve great things," Ning Zhijing praised Lu Yan for the second time today.
Ning Anmiao's eyes lit up. She couldn't help but exchange a smile with Lu Yan.
During lunch, Ning Zhijing took the initiative to propose to have a drink with Lu Yan, but was rejected by Ning Anmiao, "Dad, we're going back later. He still has to drive."
Apart from this reason, Lu Yan's stomach couldn't take it. It was better for him to drink as little as possible.
"Sorry, Uncle. Next time I'll bring a driver. We'll surely have a great time drinking," Lu Yan's voice was rich and smooth. He was very polite.
"It's okay. Safety comes first," Ning Zhijing was in a good mood and didn't mind. He waved his hand. After lunch, he asked Bai Jiaying to find his treasured tea and said that he wanted Lu Yan to have a good taste.
Lu Yan clearly had research on tea art. After tasting a cup of tea, he sincerely shared his understanding and feelings about the tea, which won Ning Zhijing's approval and appreciation.
After all this, Ning Zhijing's look towards Lu Yan was obviously much more favorable than before.
In the evening, the two of them were ready to leave the Ning family.
Bai Jiaying was a bit reluctant to part with them and asked them to stay. Ning Anmiao politely declined, saying that she had to go back to work in the company the next day.
Helplessly, Bai Jiaying had no choice but to give up.
"Jiangcheng and Shanghai aren't far apart. If you want to see each other, just call Miaomiao. Lu Yan will surely drive back."