Ning Zhijing beamed, looking extremely magnanimous. He seemed to be a completely different person from the one who had been on high alert against Lu Yan before.
As they were driving away, Ning Zhijing suddenly seemed to remember something. He shouted to the two people in the car, "Find some time for our two families' parents to meet. Xiaolu, there should be no problem on your side, right?"
It was a common practice that the boy's family would visit the girl's family first, and then the parents of both sides would meet to discuss the engagement, and later the marriage and having children. Every step had to be followed.
Hearing this, Ning Anmiao felt a tightness in her heart.
Did Ning Zhijing mean that he was going to meet Lu Yan's mother?
Lu Yan was sitting in the driver's seat. His expression was calm as usual, and his voice was steady. "Sure, Uncle. I'll find some time to discuss it with my mother and finalize the matter as soon as possible."
Lu Yan was sensible and reasonable. Ning Zhijing nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, drive back quickly. It's not safe when it gets dark."
---
On the way back, Ning Anmiao bit her lips. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked him, "My dad said he wants to meet your mom. Won't it be too much trouble..."
After all, they had just had a cold - war with Lu Yan's mother not long ago.
Lu Yan's handsome face was deeply contoured, and there was no sign of unrest in his eyes. "I'll go and talk to my mom. You don't need to worry."
His voice was not loud, but it was reassuring.
Ning Anmiao still felt a bit uneasy. "Or, we could find an excuse to decline my dad. If they meet and start arguing, it won't be good."
It had been so hard for the Ning family to gradually accept Lu Yan. She didn't want anything to go wrong.
Hearing this, Lu Yan raised his eyebrows. His emotions were hard to read. "Miaomiao, do you have so little confidence in my negotiation skills?"
"I'm not lacking confidence in you." Ning Anmiao tilted her head and said seriously, "I'm just worried that something unexpected might happen."
Although Ning Zhijing was easy - going now because he had let go of his prejudice against Lu Yan, it didn't mean he would still be the same when he met Lu Yan's mother.
If Lu Yan's mother accidentally said something wrong and stepped on one of his taboos, this meeting of the in - laws could easily turn into a dangerous situation.
Lu Yan held the steering wheel with both hands. There was still a faint fragrance of tea on him, fresh and elegant.
"A meeting between the parents of both sides is a sign of respect for each other and an acknowledgment of the marriage."
His expression was calm. He had thought these things through clearly. "Moreover, my mom had objections to you because she didn't know your family background.
"If she knew you were the daughter of the Ning family - the heir of the master of Chinese studies, Ning Zhijing - her attitude might change. Maybe she would even apologize to you."
Ning Anmiao pouted.
She actually didn't want to change Lu Yan's mother's attitude in this way, but it seemed to be the only way for now.
As they chatted like this, they didn't realize they had already driven back home.
Seeing that her expression was a bit down, Lu Yan took the opportunity while parking the car. He placed his big hand on the back of her hand and patted it comfortingly.
"Don't worry. I'll handle everything well." There was a meaningful look in his eyes. "I managed to win over your dad, who was such a tough nut to crack."
Ning Anmiao was stunned for a moment. Thinking of Lu Yan's performance today, he had really been perfect and left no room for criticism.
After the car stopped steadily, Ning Anmiao unbuckled her seat - belt. She took the initiative to lean closer to Lu Yan, wrapped her arms around his arm, and said with a big smile, "Tell me the truth. When you were playing Go with him today, did you deliberately let him win?"
Growing up around Ning Zhijing, she was also familiar with Go. She could tell that Lu Yan had deliberately left some flaws for her father.
It wasn't an obvious concession, but rather a seemingly inadvertent mistake. If one didn't carefully ponder, it would be hard to tell that he was deliberately letting the other side win.
There was a smile in Lu Yan's eyes. "Not entirely. Uncle's Go skills are truly extraordinary."
He paused for a moment. "I studied Go for a while during college. I could barely play on par with him."
Rarely seeing the little girl take the initiative to get close to him, he simply turned off the car and leaned lazily on the seat. His tone was lazy. "If that game of Go hadn't ended, the table full of dishes Auntie made would probably have gotten cold."
It was just as she had guessed. Lu Yan had let her father win.
"If my dad knew that you deliberately let him win, he'd be so angry."
She rubbed his shoulder and rested her chin on it. "And, and, how do you know how to do everything? Playing chess, tasting tea, and even cooking. Is there anything you don't know how to do?"
The little girl's eyes sparkled. Her eyes were full of admiration for him. Her eyes were bright, and there was a brilliant smile on her face.
"There should be nothing I don't know how to do." Lu Yan wasn't modest. His voice was enthusiastic. "That's your dad. If I didn't make full preparations, how could I get him to accept me?"
Ning Anmiao's smile became even sweeter. "I really didn't expect that classmate Xiaolu values him so much."
"Because I value you, I also have to value your family." Lu Yan answered seriously. "The so - called love me, love my dog. That's the reason."
Seeing his serious look, Ning Anmiao nodded pretending to be profound. She imitated his serious tone and said softly, "Classmate Xiaolu performed so well today. How should I reward you?"
Her eyes were full of tenderness. Her seemingly innocent eyes were actually full of charm. Obviously, she was hinting at him tentatively.
She even pretended to be innocent and leaned closer to him. Through his shirt, Lu Yan could clearly feel her warmth and touch.
This little girl was becoming more and more of a handful.
Lu Yan closed his eyes for a moment to steady his mind. His voice was deep. "You're already mine. What other rewards do I need?"
Although Lu Yan said so, his big hand began to slide down gently, caressing her waist and kneading it lightly twice.
They had long developed a tacit understanding. Without him saying more, Ning Anmiao straddled his lap directly. Her hands naturally wrapped around his waist.
In the narrow driver's seat, their bodies were very close. Their breathing gradually became heavier, and the atmosphere became ambiguous.
Lu Yan still looked calm on the surface, but his big hand reached for the switch on the door and rolled up all the car windows.
Although there was no one near the parking spot, just to be on the safe side, he didn't want anyone to "appreciate" this scene up close.
"Don't you need a reward?" Ning Anmiao sat on his lap and wriggled restlessly, constantly teasing the man's last nerve.
The little girl seemed completely unaware of how seductive she was. Her little face was smiling in an annoying way, and her eyes were blinking. "Really don't need one?"
In this regard, Lu Yan wasn't good at being patient. Seeing her moving happily in his arms, he raised his hand and placed his big hand on her head. His fingers ran through her hair.
Then, he felt a warmth on his lips.