Jiang Jingyu arranged it, and it was arranged.
The next morning, he went to the company and called his mother, Jiang Nanfang.
Upon hearing that he was bringing his girlfriend home, Jiang Nanfang was extremely excited. She asked if they should host at home or go out, and what they needed to do, requesting clear instructions from Jiang Jingyu.
Jiang Jingyu suggested going out. His girlfriend came from a humble background and was well-behaved and honest. He feared that a grand reception at home would scare her.
He asked Jiang Nanfang and the others to dress casually and find a more affordable restaurant.
In short, he valued this relationship highly and forbade them from messing it up.
Jiang Nanfang herself came from a poor family and had never had any notions of social status. Moreover, she was particularly adept at understanding a girl's feelings and guaranteed to complete the task successfully.
During lunch, Jiang Jingyu told Tong An'an that they would be having dinner with his family after work, which startled Tong An'an.
"So soon? Meeting the parents already? I'm not ready yet."
"What's there to prepare? Just bring your mouth. It's mainly a ceremony. To meet each other, to know of each other's existence, to give you an explanation, so you don't always fear I'll change my mind halfway."
Tong An'an was not as relaxed as he was. She looked at her bare face and her strict work uniform on her phone screen.
"You didn't say so earlier. I should have put on some makeup and changed clothes when I woke up this morning. Would it be too impolite to meet them like this?"
"And, didn't you say your sister is very beautiful? Your mother is also very beautiful. I'm so plain, will I embarrass you too much?"
Jiang Jingyu said, "Who says you're plain? You look great like this. My mother and sister are indeed beautiful, but they are natural beauties. They don't like makeup or dressing up, and they're much more scruffy than you. Don't worry."
Under Jiang Jingyu's blind praise, Tong An'an found some confidence.
On the way to the restaurant after work, she asked Jiang Jingyu if they should bring any gifts.
"Even if not for your father and mother, I should bring something for your sister, right? After all, I'm their future sister-in-law. It wouldn't look good to come empty-handed."
That made sense.
Upon hearing the word "sister-in-law," Jiang Jingyu was overjoyed.
"Then let's buy each of them a cup of milk tea."
"Ah, milk tea?"
But then she thought again.
They were the young ladies of the Zhan Group, born with silver spoons in their mouths. What world-famous brands and excellent things had they not seen?
Expecting her to use her credit card, what could she afford to buy them?
What they wanted was not gifts, but thoughtfulness.
But she didn't understand why it had to be milk tea.
Jiang Jingyu explained, "Because Mom and Dad are strict, they still live at home and rarely have the chance to drink these things. I guess they're really craving them."
"If you like them, drink them. If not, forget it, we'll drink them ourselves."
Tong An'an volunteered and bought ten cups of milk tea, one for each person.
It was quite a grand affair, as the two carried a large bag to the restaurant.
To avoid making her feel pressured, everyone was dressed casually without makeup and were lounging in the private room, playing on their phones.
As the two entered, Jiang Nanfang and Zhan Beijue were slightly taken aback when they saw Tong An'an. They quickly stood up politely.
"Hello. An'an, right? Welcome, welcome."
Tong An'an was stunned.
As she bent down to greet them, she quietly asked Jiang Jingyu,
"Who are they? What should I call them?"
"My father's mother, you can call them Uncle and Auntie."
"Your father and mother are so young?"
Jiang Nanfang, without makeup, looked only around 30 years old.
Zhan Beijue wore the same casual attire as her. His features were strikingly similar to Jiang Jingyu's.
He was just slightly shorter than Jiang Jingyu, and the two of them standing together looked like brothers.
My goodness.
Compared to her own parents, looking at their parents, they were truly not on the same level.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."
Tong An'an didn't know how she managed to say it.
They were so young, she should have called them brother and sister.
"Hello, hello, don't be nervous, An'an. Our family is very open and democratic, with no strict hierarchy. If you feel awkward calling me Auntie, you can call me by my name. We'll be friends from now on. Come, let me introduce you to your brothers and sisters."
Saying this, Jiang Nanfang warmly linked her arm and went to introduce Ge'er and Tiantian.
One had long hair and the other had short hair. Both were tall and slender, fair-skinned, beautiful, and vivacious.
Seeing her, they eagerly reached out to hold her hand.
"An'an, you're so beautiful. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"What is my brother holding? You even brought us gifts, thank you."
Then, Tong An'an met the two younger brothers and sisters. After everyone had their milk tea, they sat down happily.
Because the whole family had high emotional intelligence, the meal was very relaxed and harmonious.
Originally, Tong An'an sat next to Jiang Jingyu, fearing she would be constrained and need his help.
However, in less than a moment, she had hit it off with Ge'er and Tiantian, and the three young girls were squeezed together, whispering.
Jiang Jingyu was left alone and could only talk to Zhan Beijue.
To be honest, Jiang Jingyu had sent photos that morning.
Seeing Tong An'an's appearance, they had already prepared themselves psychologically.
But when they actually saw her, their hearts still skipped a beat.
As the dinner was nearing its end, seeing that the girls were chatting happily, Zhan Beijue invited Jiang Jingyu out for a smoke.
As father and son stood in the corridor, before any words were spoken, Jiang Jingyu knew what he was going to say.
"Dad, don't worry. I'm not an 18-year-old kid anymore. I won't be reckless and impulsive. I'm very serious."
Zhan Beijue said, "I know you're serious. But the premise of your seriousness is that you truly understand. Whether you like her or want to compensate for your guilt."
"I can see that An'an is a simple and well-behaved child. Although she looks very much like Jiaying, their personalities are worlds apart. If you're trying to compensate for guilt, it's very unfair to her."
Jiang Jingyu said, "As you said, they only look alike, and their personalities are completely different. How can I mistake her for Lu Jiaying?"
"In the beginning, I noticed her, and it was indeed because of her appearance. But now, it's entirely because of her as a person. I know what I'm doing."
"That's good," Zhan Beijue patted his shoulder.
"Your sisters have been sensible since childhood and haven't caused us much worry. Only in terms of relationships... cherish them well. Mom and Dad hope to drink your wedding wine soon. Oh, by the way, Yaoyao is pregnant, and you're about to become an uncle."
On the way back, Jiang Jingyu was filled with emotion, feeling that he was truly the luckiest person in the world.
Heaven had arranged almost all the good things for him. He was grateful and wanted to cherish it all.
He held Tong An'an's hand, bringing it to his lips and not letting go for a long time.
Tong An'an was also infected by him and felt very happy.
"I was a little worried before, that since your family is so wealthy, they might look down on me. Today, I'm completely at ease."