Oh my god! The back seat of the convertible was filled with roses of all colors, just like in the movies. She couldn't stand his ostentatious display and just wanted to slip away through another door.
"Mengyao!"
As soon as she turned, a colleague called her name.
Mengyao wanted to pretend she hadn't heard and continued towards another door.
But the enthusiastic female colleague grabbed her and said, "Where are you going? The handsome guy in the luxury car at the entrance must be your boyfriend, right?"
Mengyao awkwardly tried to deny it, but the enthusiastic colleague continued, "He just asked me if you work here and if you're off work now. He asked me to call you, and you're just getting off work, so hurry up and go."
Mengyao pressed her forehead, let out a hum, and felt a headache coming on.
After the colleague finished speaking, she patted Mengyao's shoulder with a smile and said enviously, "When did you get such a rich boyfriend? Oh my, your boyfriend is so romantic."
Seeing that she couldn't escape, Mengyao could only chuckle and, steeling herself, walked out the main entrance.
As soon as Hong Jiaxi saw her emerge, he approached her with a large bouquet of flowers, about to say something.
Mengyao had already opened the car door and gotten into the passenger seat. She didn't feel romantic and urgently said, "Let's talk about it after we leave here. Drive first."
Hong Jiaxi was a bit stunned, not knowing what was wrong. But seeing her unhappy and nervous expression, he quickly drove away.
Mengyao let out a sigh of relief when she saw from the rearview mirror that they had driven away from her workplace and said, "Take me home. My mother is waiting for me for dinner."
"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Hong Jiaxi had been happy to surprise her, but it seemed he had upset her.
Mengyao couldn't quite describe how she felt and said, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I just don't want people at my workplace to know about my family background. I don't like people making me a topic of gossip all the time."
"When I come to give you flowers, they'll only envy you for having such a good boyfriend. They won't know about your background," Hong Jiaxi said, reaching out a hand to hold hers. "Don't worry, relax, and don't be so nervous."
Mengyao subconsciously pulled her hand back and said, "Stop messing around. Drive properly."
"By the way, since Auntie asked you to come home for dinner, I'd like to go with you. I haven't had your family's cook's food in a long time. It really tastes good," Hong Jiaxi said shamelessly.
Mengyao was still conflicted and said, "My family has changed cooks several times. The taste is just so-so..."
"Yaoyao, since we've made up, you should at least let me meet your family. Let Uncle and Auntie be happy too. I told my grandfather and parents yesterday, and they were all very happy to hear about you..."
"Jiaxi, Jiaxi... I was drunk last night, and I wasn't in a good mood. I don't remember what I said or did. Let's put our relationship on hold for a while."
Hong Jiaxi suddenly slowed down, pulled the car over to the side of the road, and locked the doors.
Mengyao quickly asked, "What do you want to do?"
"If you don't remember, I can repeat what I said last night," Hong Jiaxi said, turning to gaze at her.
Mengyao dared not meet his eyes and looked away, saying, "No need."
"Look at me, okay? What are you feeling guilty about?" Hong Jiaxi questioned.
Mengyao had to look at him and said, "I'm not guilty. I just want to consider it seriously. After all, we're not the young boy and girl we used to be."
"But my feelings for you, my love for you, have never changed and never will," Hong Jiaxi said passionately. "You're sober now. I'll ask you one more time, will you be my girlfriend again? Will you agree?"
Mengyao remembered the happy times they had when they were studying, and her heart softened. She said, "I agree. Let's try to be a couple again..."
Before she could finish, Hong Jiaxi excitedly hugged her, his eyes red. "Yaoyao, I've waited so long for you to say this. You know, you've been gone from me for too, too long."
Mengyao still wanted to say that she didn't want their relationship to progress too quickly. If they tried and couldn't recapture the old feeling, she wanted to go back to being friends.
But Hong Jiaxi held her too tightly, and she couldn't say the rest.
After a while, when Hong Jiaxi loosened his grip slightly, she said, "You should take me home first today. After I talk to my parents, you can come to my house for dinner next time."
"Okay," Hong Jiaxi agreed readily and started the car again. He suddenly remembered the flowers in the back seat. "But these flowers are all for you. I have to help you take them back."
"Absolutely do not bring these flowers to my house. My second brother just passed away, and my parents haven't recovered yet. Seeing these bright red roses wouldn't be good," Mengyao suggested, offering him a solution. "You can return them to the florist for a discount. At least you won't lose too much."
Hong Jiaxi said regretfully, "How could I have forgotten? I shouldn't be giving you these flowers at this time. It's okay. After I drop you off, I'll drive to places where couples gather and sell them. Maybe I won't even lose money."
"That's a better idea," Mengyao said, glancing at Hong Jiaxi. She wondered if agreeing to him would give them both a new beginning.
...
Mengyao returned home and had dinner with her parents.
Mengqi wasn't home tonight; she had probably gone back to her own home.
Only the three of them were eating at the large dining table. Wu Xiufang occasionally put food on Mengyao's plate but remained silent.
Huangfu Sisong was always quiet during meals, making the atmosphere feel very desolate.
Without her older brothers and sisters, she didn't know how to liven up the mood. She remembered promising Jiaxi that she would talk to her father about their relationship, and perhaps this news would make her parents happy.
"Mom, Dad, I've agreed to Jiaxi. I want to accept him again and try... we..."
"We know," Wu Xiufang smiled at her and said, "Jiaxi's mother has already told me about this. Your father and I both know. We won't interfere with your personal relationships anymore. Who you like and who you want to be with is your decision."
Mengyao looked at Huangfu Sisong again, wanting to confirm if they truly felt this way.
Huangfu Sisong nodded. "I mean the same thing as your mother. I don't object to you getting back together with Jiaxi."
Mengyao didn't know what to say. Did they mean they wouldn't object even if she chose Song Jiaping?
"If I get married in the future and don't choose Jiaxi, but instead choose someone whose family is not as well-off as ours, or someone very poor, would you still agree?"
"Yes, no matter who you choose, as long as you are happy," Huangfu Sisong said affirmatively. "But you need to think carefully before making a choice, and you'll have to take responsibility for any future regrets."
"I understand that," Mengyao thought. If she had known this earlier, she and Song Jiaping would have had no obstacles...
But then she thought again, their obstacle wasn't entirely due to their parents' disapproval, but because Song Jiaping didn't like her.
What was the use of thinking about these things now? It was ridiculous.