In the room, only Mother Lu and Lu Yan were left.
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
Looking at the barely - touched dishes on the table, still in a fit of anger, Mother Lu said coldly, "Ordering such a big table of dishes in a high - end place like Shuyuan just to entertain that family. It's really a waste."
Mother Lu clearly showed no sign of repentance. Her words were full of sarcasm. "A great master of Chinese studies? In my opinion, that's just for show. It's all the outsiders' exaggeration."
"Not very capable but with a big temper. Does he really think everyone has to cater to him?" Not getting the calligraphy, Mother Lu was both anxious and angry. Her words were filled with irritation.
"Mom, if you had told me in advance that you were coming here to ask Old Master Ning for calligraphy, I would never have agreed to your coming."
Lu Yan's voice was cold, with a barely perceptible chill. "You're being disrespectful to the Ning family."
"What's disrespectful about it?" Mother Lu didn't try to hide her thoughts anymore. She simply admitted it directly. "Since you're going to marry Ning Anmiao, you'll be family in the future. Is this such a difficult thing?"
Lu Yan frowned, and his face immediately darkened. "What do you want to make the Ning family into? A capital for showing off or a tool?"
Surprised by Lu Yan's great anger, Mother Lu was stunned for a moment.
Lu Yan stared fixedly at Mother Lu. Suddenly, he let out a laugh. "You've ruined my marriage with Miaomiao. Are you satisfied?"
"My life, everything about me has to follow your plan. Only then will you be satisfied, right?"
"I didn't..." Mother Lu was about to defend herself, but when she met his cold eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
When did her son start looking at her with such eyes?
Cold, icy, and emotionless.
A few seconds later, Lu Yan got up and strode out, leaving her alone there.
Mother Lu sat in her original seat, completely unable to figure out why.
She even felt a bit wronged.
She had worked so hard to raise Lu Yan. But after he grew up, instead of being grateful, he seemed more and more impatient with her.
—
Lu Yan didn't want to have a meaningless argument with his mother anymore. He planned to chase after them and apologize to Ning Anmiao's parents.
He ran out of Shuyuan and saw Ning Anmiao standing beside a car, saying something through the window. She was probably giving some instructions.
Lu Yan quickened his steps and rushed over, standing beside Ning Anmiao.
"Why did you come out?" Ning Anmiao was a bit surprised to see the person beside her. "Weren't you inside accompanying..."
"Uncle and Aunt, I'm sorry." He stood there straight and naturally lowered his head to apologize. "My mother was over - eager for quick success. She offended you today."
"I didn't entertain you well this time. I'll come to your place to apologize in a few days."
Seeing Lu Yan's calm and humble appearance, Ning Zhijing managed to suppress his anger a bit. He replied coldly, "With your qualifications, it's hard for me to believe that you were raised by such a woman."
The implication was that Mother Lu was vulgar and vain.
Lu Yan understood what he meant and nodded slightly, accepting all the criticism. "You're right. I'll have a good talk with my mother later."
Ning Zhijing's eyebrows were still tightly knitted, and his face looked extremely unpleasant. "Alright, my wife and I will go back first."
Having encountered an unpleasant incident today, he was angry and now felt exhausted all over.
"Be careful on the way." Lu Yan took a few steps back and respectfully bid farewell to the two. Ning Anmiao also waved to her parents. "Call me when you get home, Mom and Dad."
...
Only after the car drove away did Ning Anmiao let out a long sigh.
The tense atmosphere at the dinner table just now had made her nervous. Now that everything had calmed down, the stone in her heart finally dropped.
Ning Anmiao turned around and saw Lu Yan's tightly - knitted eyebrows and his thin lips pursed into a line. She couldn't help but smile.
She stood on tiptoe and reached out her hand to smooth his knitted eyebrows. "What are you worried about?"
"I'm worried that your parents will change their minds and not let you marry me." Lu Yan lowered his eyes and looked at her small face so close. Her gentle expression made him relax involuntarily.
But it still didn't relieve his anxiety.
"It's okay. You don't need to feel guilty about today's incident. My parents are reasonable people. They won't change their decision because of this."
Ning Anmiao was very good at comforting others. Her soft voice made Lu Yan's originally stiff heart gradually soften.
Ning Anmiao snuggled into his embrace. Her voice was soft and gentle. "Don't blame my dad for getting angry. It was inappropriate for your mother to ask for that thing."
"My dad's calligraphy is never passed on. He only donates it to charity auctions, and all the proceeds must be used to support poor students."
Ning Anmiao raised her face and blinked her eyes. "In a sense, it's truly a priceless treasure."
Every piece of Ning Zhijing's calligraphy carried the future and prospects of thousands of poor students, so it was naturally priceless.
Mother Lu was so brazen as to ask for such a calligraphy with good meaning as a precious inkwork. It was only natural for Ning Zhijing to get angry.
He didn't like businessmen in the first place. Now, to make him turn his principle into a calligraphy hanging at home, it was already the limit of his patience that he didn't overturn the table on the spot.
Lu Yan's expression was calm. He wasn't surprised. Instead, he asked, "So, doesn't it mean that Uncle will be even less likely to agree to our marriage?"
Having offended Ning Zhijing's big taboo, all his previous efforts seemed to have been in vain.
Ning Anmiao lifted her chin and shook her head like a rattle. "No. My dad won't deny your excellence because of your mother's words and deeds."
Then, she comforted him. "Didn't my dad just say that he appreciates you?"
The more Lu Yan listened, the more helpless he felt.
But when he met her gentle eyes, he had to swallow back the words he wanted to say.
He pinched the bridge of his nose painfully, let out a long sigh, and asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want to go back and eat something?"
Ning Anmiao had been a bit hungry after a busy morning, but after this commotion, she had lost all her appetite. "No. I don't have any appetite."
Looking at the table full of dishes, she also felt annoyed.
Seeing her lack of interest, Lu Yan didn't force her. He took her to the car.
When they drove to the supermarket closest to home, Lu Yan turned off the car and asked Ning Anmiao to wait for him in the car for a while.
A few minutes later, he came back with a bag of things.
"What did you buy?" Ning Anmiao asked curiously, watching Lu Yan put the shopping bag on the back seat.
Lu Yan sat up straight, fastened his seat - belt, and started the car. "I bought small glutinous rice balls. I'll cook them for you when we get home."
Ning Anmiao was a bit stunned. She didn't expect that he would remember this.
Her eyes curved into a smile. All her previous bad moods vanished. She hugged his arm and said sweetly, "Thank you, hubby. You're so good."