Chapter 256: YOU’VE BESTED MY BELOVED HUSBAND

Guiying braced himself for a cold welcome, formal introductions, careful distance held between him and a family still deciding whether to accept him. Instead, the front door burst open before he’d even reached it, four small figures barreling straight toward him.

"Uncle Guiying!" Yaoyao grabbed one hand, Mingming the other, Lele and Xiao Bao trailing close behind, already pulling him inside before he could properly greet anyone.

Dragged through the entryway, Guiying laughed despite himself, letting the children lead him toward the main sitting room.

Then he saw him.

Standing near the fireplace, a tall man turned at the commotion, glass of wine in hand, and Guiying’s breath caught slightly at the resemblance staring back at him.

The same sharp jaw, the same composed posture, silver threading through dark hair in a way that only sharpened rather than softened his features.

Even the way he held himself, unhurried, faintly amused at the chaos unfolding around him, mirrored Liuxian so closely it felt almost uncanny.

No one needed to introduce him. This was unmistakably Liuxian’s father.

If this is what Liuxian will look like at his age, the he had married right.

Guiying stepped forward, offering a proper bow. "Good evening, sir. It’s so nice to finally meet you."

The man’s mouth curved into something amused, eyes flicking briefly toward Liuxian before settling back on Guiying.

"No wonder you were so reluctant to bring him home." He smirked, clearly enjoying himself already, setting his wine glass down to get a proper look at Guiying from head to toe. "You were hiding this beauty all to yourself. Smart, I’ll admit, though I would have done the same in your position. Actually, I did the same for your mother. She’s an expensive woman, I had to buy her half of the country before she accepted my hand."

"Dad." Liuxian’s voice carried a warning, though it did nothing to dampen his father’s grin.

"What? Am I wrong?"

"No." Guiying answered before Liuxian could, a small smile tugging at his own mouth.

"See." Liu Hanchen laughed, delighted, already reaching to guide Guiying toward the dining table. "It’s nice to meet you, my lovely son-in-law. You’ve got my son on a leash. It’s nice to see."

Liuxian trailed behind them, exasperation and affection warring across his face in equal measure.

At the table, Moying and Tiantian greeted them both warmly, Tiantian rising halfway out of her seat to pull Guiying into a quick hug before he could even sit down.

Guiying returned the gesture before exchanging a polite hello with Wen Haoran as well, who offered a easy nod and a plate already loaded with food he’d apparently prepared himself.

Everyone settled into their seats around Liuxian as he finally sat down, the children still buzzing with excitement over having their favorite uncle’s husband finally at the table.

"Where’s Mom?" Liuxian glanced toward the empty seat at the head of the table.

Before anyone could answer, the kitchen door swung open, Fu Wanqing emerging with a tray balanced carefully in both hands.

She spotted Liuxian first, mouth already opening to ask about his partner, when her eyes landed on Guiying instead.

Recognition flickered across her face immediately.

Guiying recognized her in the same instant, the memory clicking into place.

She was the auntie from the mall.

"Auntie!" He rose quickly, bowing his head. "It’s so nice to see you again. I’m so sorry, I disrespected you without realizing it. I didn’t know you were Liuxian’s mother. I would have escorted you properly if I’d known."

Fu Wanqing laughed, loud and sudden enough that the entire table startled, everyone exchanging confused glances at the unexpected reaction.

She crossed the room, placing the tray on the table and took Guiying’s hand in both of hers.

"My gut was right in the end." Her eyes crinkled with genuine warmth. "I thought my son deserved a good kid like you. Turns out he has some keen sight after all. It’s nice to see you’re nothing like your parents."

Laughing again at the bewildered expressions surrounding her, she waved a hand.

"I met Guiying at the mall. You kids refused to come home, so I thought I’d get you some gifts myself. He was the one who helped me out that day."

Liuxian’s brow lifted slightly, something easing in his chest. Guiying had nothing to worry about tonight after all.

His mother already liked him, if not she wouldn’t be this friendly.

"This is for you, ma’am." Guiying held out the wrapped box carefully. "I figured I couldn’t come empty-handed."

"Call me Mom." Fu Wanqing accepted the package, studying it with visible curiosity. "And you shouldn’t have. If I’d known you were the one, I would have kept a gift ready for you instead."

She unwrapped it slowly, and the moment the lid lifted, a genuine smile spread across her face.

"This is beautiful." Her fingers traced carefully along the glaze. "I can tell it’s from the Jin dynasty. Haha, you’ve bested my beloved husband. Thank you, Guiying. I’ll cherish this."

Pleased, she carried the box over and settled into the seat beside Hanchen, who was already grumbling under his breath.

"I gave you an entire island for our anniversary." Hanchen crossed his arms, mock offense written across his face. "How did he best me?"

"I was joking, dear." Fu Wanqing patted his arm fondly. "Don’t be petty."

Hanchen huffed, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward despite himself, reaching over to steal a piece of food off her plate as retaliation, which she allowed without complaint, the two of them settling into an easy, well-worn rhythm that spoke of decades spent together.

Guiying settled into his own seat beside Liuxian, some of the tension he’d carried into the house finally easing at how warmly the evening had begun.

Around the table, dishes were passed, wine poured, the children’s laughter mixing with the adults’ easy conversation.

Yaoyao insisted on sitting directly across from him, studying his outfit with the same critical eye she gave everything, eventually declaring his sweater acceptable after a long, deliberate pause.

Beneath the table, Liuxian’s hand found his knee, a small, grounding gesture that said more than words could have managed after everything they’d both worried about on the drive over.

Then Fu Wanqing set down her chopsticks, her expression shifting into something more deliberate, more serious, cutting straight through the warmth that had settled over the table only moments before.

"Now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way." Her gaze moved slowly from Guiying to Liuxian and back again. "I think it’s time we discussed something that’s been on my mind for quite a while."

The table went quiet, every pair of eyes turning toward her.

"I want grandchildren."