Chapter 235: Let’s Be Frank

"Let’s raise our glasses!" Chen Xi was the first to lift her juice-filled cup, her voice booming and infectious. "To our birthday girl, the prettiest and most beautiful of all! Happy birthday! May you always be happy and blessed!"

"Happy birthday, Yuqing!"

"Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, big sis!"

Glasses were raised high all around the table as a chorus of well-wishes rose and fell, creating a warm ocean of affection that completely enveloped Su Yuqing.

She lifted her own glass, looking at the sincere, smiling faces before her, at the gentle, smiling profile of Chen Mo beside her, and at the tears glistening in her mother’s eyes. An overwhelming sense of happiness and belonging left her nearly speechless.

"Thank you... Thank you, everyone!" Her voice was thick and nasal from holding back tears, yet full of conviction. "This is... the happiest and most unforgettable birthday of my entire life! Really... thank you all!"

She tilted her head back and drained the juice in her cup, the sweet taste flowing from the tip of her tongue to the deepest corner of her heart.

The feast officially began, the atmosphere both lively and warm.

Because Chen Xi had specifically decreed that for Su Yuqing’s birthday party today, everyone could only drink tea or soft drinks, even the adults toasted each other with beverages or tea in place of alcohol.

Even without alcohol, the conversation flowed easily as they caught up on each other’s lives.

The children were busy stuffing their faces, letting out satisfied sighs from time to time.

The young adults bantered with each other, sharing funny stories.

Su Yuqing was surrounded by a constant stream of dishes being placed in her bowl, which was always piled high. Her ears were filled with her mother’s loving words, Auntie Chen Xi’s hearty laughter, and Chen Mo’s quiet words of concern.

Amidst this ultimate bubble of noise and happiness, Su Yuqing’s gaze would occasionally drift toward the kitchen, or to a quiet corner of the living room.

In her mind’s eye, she pictured her grandmother bustling about in the kitchen and her grandfather watching TV calmly in the living room.

’It would be even better if Grandma and Grandpa could be here to celebrate with me,’ she thought. ’It’s a shame they couldn’t be here for this day, for my happiest moment.’

A faint trace of regret, like a speck of dust dropped into a honey jar, vanished in an instant.

But soon, the shrimp—her favorite—that Chen Mo placed in her bowl, the clear, recovered tenderness in her mother Li Fengzhi’s eyes as she looked over... these immense, real, and warm blessings easily washed that little bit of regret completely away.

She was no longer the Cinderella forgotten in a corner by fate.

Right now, she was a princess surrounded by love.

The lively birthday feast went on for a long time.

After the meal, it was time for dessert. A huge cake was wheeled out, adorned with candles representing her 18 years.

Chen Xi had already told everyone to save room, so many had only eaten until they were half-full, waiting for the cake.

Amidst everyone’s chorus of the birthday song, bathed in the flickering candlelight, Su Yuqing pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and devoutly made her birthday wish.

Only she knew what the wish was.

But when she opened her eyes, puffed out her cheeks, and blew out all the candles with a great breath, her gaze traveled past the cheering crowd and landed, unerringly, on Chen Mo’s smiling eyes.

In her eyes, there was determination, longing, and a secret glimmer that only Chen Mo could catch—a light on the verge of breaking free, hinting at the "moment" she had prepared for him.

The party gradually wound down in the afterglow of laughter, cheerful conversation, and a cake fight.

After seeing off the last of the guests, the villa finally returned to a state of quiet, leaving only the soft sounds of the two families cleaning up and the warm atmosphere lingering in the air—a mix of fragrant food and the residual warmth of joy.

Smeared with cream on her face and clothes, Su Yuqing stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the tranquil night outside and reflecting on the dreamlike day.

She gently touched the necklace pendant Chen Mo had given her, now warm from her body heat, and a deeply contented smile graced her lips.

Her heart had never felt so steady, so full of strength.

Everything she treasured was right here.

And the future that belonged to her and Chen Mo was just beginning to unfold.

As for that "big good thing" hidden in her heart and written in her secret little notebook... She glanced back at Chen Mo’s tall figure as he helped Auntie Chen Xi clear the table, her eyes glinting with anticipation and tenderness.

’I hope my wish comes true,’ she silently prayed as she walked over to start helping.

But Chen Xi stopped her.

"You’re the birthday girl. There’s no reason for you to be lifting a finger."

Then Chen Xi turned to Chen Mo and said, "Momo, you don’t need to stay and help. Go on home with Yuqing. Look at you two, covered in all that cream. That must be uncomfortable."

Li Fengzhi and Li Gang, standing nearby, quickly added, "That’s right. You two go get some rest. We can handle things here."

Seeing this, Chen Mo had no choice but to take Su Yuqing home first.

As for Li Mingyu, he was taken home by Chen Mo’s grandparents.

With Chen Mo and Su Yuqing’s departure, only Chen Xi and her husband, and Li Fengzhi and her husband, remained in the villa.

Chen Xi had deliberately engineered this moment.

Seeing that no one else was around, she smiled at Li Fengzhi and said, "Yuqing’s mother, what do you think of our Momo? I’ll share my feelings first. I think Yuqing is a wonderful girl, and I would love for her to be my daughter-in-law. You can rest assured that Ah Miao and I are both very open-minded people. We don’t have any of those old-fashioned ideas.

There won’t be any mother-in-law and daughter-in-law drama in the future. Whether the kids want to live on their own or with us, we’re fine with either.

We also don’t have any rules about things a daughter-in-law must do. I’ve raised Momo since he was little to be good at basically all housework and cooking. We don’t believe that a girl has to do all the washing and cooking just because she marries into our family. We believe everyone should share the work.

So please, rest assured. I can promise you that if you entrust Yuqing to our family, we will absolutely not let her suffer the slightest wrong.

Of course, this is just us adults talking now. What the kids themselves think is something we’ll see from them in the future."

Chen Xi was being completely direct. After all, at a moment like this, there was no need to beat around the bush.

Especially after a full day of observation, Chen Xi had gotten a good read on Li Fengzhi’s personality.

For someone like her, a straightforward approach was best.

Hearing Chen Xi’s candid words, Li Fengzhi found that she already had an answer in her heart.

She, too, had been deliberately observing all day.

She wanted to see what Chen Mo’s family was really like and whether their behavior was just an act.

It was easy for her to tell, because she could gauge from her own daughter’s reactions whether their behavior was any different from usual.

Evidently, Su Yuqing’s reactions to every one of Chen Mo’s gentle gestures showed that she was completely used to it. This was enough to prove that Chen Mo always treated her daughter this gently. The young man himself was good to her daughter, and his parents weren’t the difficult type. What else was there for her to worry about?