Xu Zhengxi was a man who valued appearances greatly. Even though he had come to find Liang Yufeng to clean up a mess, he didn't want to appear too subservient. However, Liang Yufeng's prolonged silence made Xu Zhengxi uneasy.
After a moment's thought, Xu Zhengxi added, "Since your mother no longer opposes your relationship, I have no objections either. As long as you stay together peacefully and don't make any news, everything will be fine."
"Your opinions are useless anyway," Lan Lan couldn't help but retort, showing no regard for Xu Zhengxi's feelings.
Xu Zhengxi's forced smile froze on his face. He had always been dissatisfied with Lan Lan. She was too blunt, didn't know how to give people an out, and lacked tact, completely failing to meet his criteria for a daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, Liang Yufeng liked her exactly that way!
Seeing his own father being lectured by Lan Lan, Liang Yufeng didn't make any move to defend him. Instead, he even agreed with Lan Lan's words, "Your opposition won't affect my choices."
Xu Zhengxi could only say, "Yes, yes, I can't control you. You handle this yourself. As long as it doesn't affect the company, you can do whatever you want."
Lan Lan remembered how Xu Zhengxi had "bullied" Liang Yufeng before, and couldn't give him a pleasant look. She argued with him frequently during dinner. Xu Zhengxi was displeased but helpless against her. After dinner, he left first.
Lan Lan, however, felt regret, "I haven't had my fill of venting."
Liang Yufeng chuckled at her words, "Don't bother with him. He's just like that. There's no need to get angry over him."
"It's all because of you." If it were just about her, she wouldn't have been angry. She completely dismissed Xu Zhengxi's sarcastic remarks. But the moment she thought about him bullying Liang Yufeng, she couldn't stand it. "He came to beg you today, and he still had that imperious attitude. If I hadn't retorted, he wouldn't even apologize to you."
The more Lan Lan thought about it, the angrier she became. "And you! You're usually quite capable when you bully me, so why are you so helpless against them?"
Liang Yufeng was too accommodating in this matter. If Xu Zhengxi told him to leave, he left. If he called him back, he returned. Why should Xu Zhengxi have the final say in everything?
Liang Yufeng understood Lan Lan's meaning. "Are you sticking up for me?" He thought Lan Lan was angry because of Xu Zhengxi's previous remarks about her.
"What else?" Lan Lan said, "What he said about my messy affairs isn't worth me getting so angry." What truly angered her was Xu Zhengxi's despicable act of using Jiang Wan and Hetai's issues to threaten Liang Yufeng.
"There's no need to be angry with him," Liang Yufeng had always been indifferent towards Xu Zhengxi. Perhaps it was because he had never held high expectations for his father figure since childhood, so no matter what Xu Zhengxi did, he never felt disappointed.
Moreover, it had been made clear at the dinner table that his condition for returning to Hetai was that Xu Zhengxi would no longer bother Jiang Wan.
Xu Zhengxi had agreed, and Liang Yufeng planned to sign an agreement with him later to prevent Xu Zhengxi from bothering Jiang Wan in the future.
The next day, Liang Yufeng went to Hetai to handle some work. As soon as he returned, the senior executives who had previously held many opinions about Xu Zhengxi and Xu Zhouyue suddenly became very cooperative. No matter what decisions Liang Yufeng made, they unconditionally supported him.
Seeing Liang Yufeng calmly handling official business, Xu Zhengxi felt a mix of emotions. Not only was he unable to hand over the company to Xu Zhouyue, but even if he led it himself, Hetai wouldn't have developed this rapidly. Liang Yufeng was born for this.
Hetai's development was tied to the rise and fall of the Xu family. Now that its fate was in Liang Yufeng's hands, Xu Zhengxi knew that he could no longer interfere in Liang Yufeng's personal affairs.
After leaving the company for more than two months, there was a lot of accumulated work. Upon returning to Hetai, Liang Yufeng worked overtime for several days. Lan Lan, having nothing to do at home, took Mai Xuanfeng out to play.
On the weekend, Liang Yufeng finally had some rest. The two of them went to have dinner with Yu Ran and Lan Zhong, accompanied by Mai Xuanfeng, of course.
Mai Xuanfeng was in her growth spurt. The little puppy she once was had grown to thirty pounds. Sitting in the back seat, she looked like a child of a few years. Lan Lan had recently become obsessed with buying clothes for Mai Xuanfeng. Today, she had specifically dressed her in a small floral print and lace. Currently, she was sitting in the back seat, tongue sticking out, looking excitedly out the window.
Yu Ran and Lan Zhong had learned yesterday that Lan Lan would bring Liang Yufeng over, so they went to the supermarket early to shop and prepare for the meal. Yu Ran and Lan Zhong were not good cooks. After retirement, they had nothing much to do and developed an interest in cooking. Now, they were considered semi-professional chefs.
As noon approached, Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng arrived. After getting out of the car, Liang Yufeng looked at the duplex building in front of him, and his heart rate suddenly quickened. Although it wasn't the first time meeting the elders, his status was different now, and he felt nervous.
Lan Lan's home was a duplex with a small yard. In the yard, there was a swing and a shelf for succulents, covered with various kinds of succulents, all well-cared for.
Yu Ran had already seen their car from the window and opened the door to welcome them. Upon seeing her, Liang Yufeng immediately called out, "Auntie."
"You're here, come in and sit down," Yu Ran said, beaming. She was even more enthusiastic towards Liang Yufeng than before, clearly liking him a lot. Her attention was focused on him, even overlooking her own daughter who was behind him.
Lan Lan entered with Mai Xuanfeng. After exchanging a few words with Liang Yufeng, Yu Ran noticed Mai Xuanfeng. "Oh, this little one is here too. Let me see."
Mai Xuanfeng was not shy. Coupled with Yu Ran's friendly attitude towards Liang Yufeng, she wagged her tail at Yu Ran. Yu Ran petted her head, and she didn't shy away, even whimpering affectionately.
Yu Ran was overjoyed and said, "This little thing is so smart and adorable. Xiao Liang, you've raised her very well."
Liang Yufeng replied humbly, "Lan Lan taught her more."
Finally finding a bit of presence, Lan Lan felt a slight sense of comfort.
Shortly after, Lan Zhong also came out. After chatting with Liang Yufeng, he also went to pet Mai Xuanfeng.
Yu Ran and Lan Zhong were both very interested in Mai Xuanfeng. Seeing how cute she was, they also considered getting a pet. Liang Yufeng then said, "What breed do you want to get? My cousin knows many kennel owners."
Yu Ran and Lan Zhong didn't care about the breed; any they found appealing would do. Therefore, after lunch, Liang Yufeng sent a message to Jiang Rong, asking her to help inquire.
After lunch, the family sat on the sofa and chatted. Yu Ran and Lan Zhong did not rush Liang Yufeng about marriage. They were all well aware that the initiative was with Lan Lan.
Therefore, Yu Ran scrolled through her social media and subtly remarked, "My colleague's daughter gave birth a couple of days ago. The baby is so cute."
Lan Lan showed a helpless expression. Alright, Liang Yufeng was quite capable to make Yu Ran proactively urge them to have children...