Zhan Jingchen poked his head out of the room again.
"Wait, leaving just like that? I haven't had lunch yet."
Pei Kexin was already at the door. "I know. I'll have the kitchen send something up for you later. Don't worry, you won't starve."
"How thoughtful of you, thank you, Miss Pei."
Pei Kexin slammed the door shut again and turned back, looking at him sternly.
"The Pei family is full of watchful eyes, Jiang Jingchen, I'm warning you, don't get carried away! And if you ever call me Miss Pei again..."
Zhan Jingchen raised his hands in surrender. "Got it, I was wrong, sorry, baby."
"...Still saying it? If you call me that again, I'll hit you, believe it or not?"
Zhan Jingchen had a smug look on his face. "Normal couples call each other 'baby', don't you understand romance?"
"Do I have any romance with you? Don't forget..."
"Shh!"
Zhan Jingchen suddenly rushed out of the room and appeared in front of her.
He deliberately lowered his voice and warned her with a serious look but an unserious tone.
"The Pei family is full of watchful eyes. You can't say things that expose yourself like that."
"Alright, alright, I won't call you baby then. At worst, I'll call you wife from now on. Wife, the company has urgent matters waiting for you, hurry and go. I'll be good, okay?"
"..."
As Pei Kexin went downstairs, her eldest and second sisters-in-law were chatting on the sofa.
Seeing her descend, the second sister-in-law, who had been silent all morning, looked at her.
"We were just talking about you, you're here at the perfect time."
"It's the first time the new son-in-law is meeting everyone in this setting, and we haven't even figured out his name. Since we're family from now on, shouldn't we get to know him properly?"
"Since you have some free time now and there are no outsiders, call him down so we can get a good look at him."
Pei Kexin walked over with a smile and affectionately squeezed her second sister-in-law's shoulder.
"I have company matters to attend to, and I won't have time for lunch. I need to go quickly."
"He just returned from abroad. Yesterday, he was busy arranging the proposal and accompanying me to buy tonics for Dad. He didn't even have time to adjust to the time difference. Let him rest first."
"How about this, I'll come back tonight, okay? We'll tidy ourselves up properly and I'll definitely offer my sincere apologies to both sisters-in-law."
Pei Kexin was very busy, usually running around year-round with her feet barely touching the ground, rarely eating at home. Everyone was used to it, and no one paid it any mind.
Seeing her say that, and with making money being the priority, the second sister-in-law didn't insist.
"Alright then, I'll wait for you to come back."
"After all, he's visiting for the first time. Tell me what he likes to eat, and I'll have the kitchen prepare more of your favorites tonight."
"My sisters-in-law are beautiful and kind-hearted, and they dote on me the most."
Pei Kexin hugged her eldest sister-in-law from behind and acted spoiled with perfect impartiality.
"But you don't need to ask me about these things. Your taste has always been excellent, so you decide. We're not picky. Thank you for your trouble, sisters-in-law."
The two sisters-in-law chided her playfully for her sweet talk, and Pei Kexin left.
Getting into the car, she took out her phone to check it and immediately frowned.
The customer complaint Gu Wei sent her was about a new product.
The company had spent an exorbitant amount on advertising to research and promote this new product, participating in numerous industry exchange meetings and exhibitions.
After finally establishing the product as a bestseller, with customers all over the country and some even exported abroad, they were now telling her that the temperature rise was not up to standard, and the product was flammable and explosive?
How did the technical department conduct their tests?
How did the quality control department approve it?
If all the products sold had similar issues, should they all be recalled and redone, or should after-sales service personnel be sent to homes?
Had no one considered the enormous losses the company would incur?
She hadn't expected the problem to be this serious. After a hurried glance at her phone, she immediately called the technical department while driving.
Upon arriving at the company, she convened a meeting with the technical department, arranged for personnel to inspect the warehouse, and organized experiments. She was swamped.
The entire afternoon was non-stop for her, and Zhan Jingchen had no free time at home either.
Half an hour after she left, someone knocked on the door. He thought it was the kitchen bringing food, but it turned out to be a girl in her teens.
The girl had appeared at the hospital that morning, and Zhan Jingchen recognized her.
"Hello."
The girl looked at him listlessly. "My mother asked you to come downstairs for lunch, Uncle."
"Oh... but I'm a bit tired, can I ask the kitchen to..."
The girl interrupted him. "No, we don't have a rule about eating in rooms. Mom said you're an elder, and you shouldn't set a bad example for us children."
These people were truly sharp. Without even meeting him, they had already blocked all his escape routes.
Zhan Jingchen felt speechless and amused. "Is that so? Then... you go first, I'll be right there."
The girl didn't leave, still looking at him.
"Everyone is here already, even Aunt and cousin. Uncle, it's not good to keep everyone waiting."
"...Aunt and cousin are here already?"
"They live nearby."
"..." Zhan Jingchen looked down at his slippers. "Then, let's go."
Downstairs, the dining room was indeed filled with people sitting neatly around the table.
Zhan Jingchen felt guilty and sent a charming smile from a distance.
"My apologies everyone, I'm late. I wasn't planning to eat because of the time difference... look at me... please don't mind."
The younger generation had no right to speak and stared at him blankly.
The eldest and second sisters-in-law were polite.
"We know you've had a tough time, but it's your first day here, and you still need to eat."
"Come, sit down quickly. I don't know if the food suits your taste, try it quickly."
Saying that, they motioned him to sit next to his second brother.
This man looked much older than his father, Zhan Beijue, and he had to call him brother. It was truly ironic.
The meal started harmoniously. Not only were they polite to him, but they also observed all the formalities and took turns toasting him.
Even the youngest girl had an excuse, wishing them a hundred years of happiness and early birth of heirs, and so on. Three drinks for each person, as if they wouldn't stop until he was drunk.
Fortunately, Zhan Jingchen had been rebellious early on and had practiced his drinking capacity with his companions behind his parents' backs.
Otherwise, in a situation like today, even the most hidden secrets would have come tumbling out.
Seeing that this was a banquet of Hongmen, he decided to play along with them.
When the fifth person toasted him, he started talking nonsense.
No matter who toasted him, he pretended it was Pei Kexin.
"Kexin~ my wife~ I'm sorry, I love you, but it's my fault for returning so late to marry you and making you suffer."
"Can you hug me? I don't want to drink anymore, I want to kiss you, come hug me quickly~"
"You're so beautiful, I like you so much. Thank you for being willing to marry me. What have I done to deserve this..."
He said the most mushy things, embarrassing everyone in front of the old and young.
Finally, as he slumped onto the table, appearing to be passed out, the eldest sister-in-law said with annoyance.
"He's just a pretty boy who knows how to please women. I don't see what the big deal is. Let him go back. It's not embarrassing enough."
"If we're really worried, we won't let him go anywhere in the future. We'll just let him take care of Dad alone. I refuse to believe that the two of them can get away with anything under our watchful eyes."