After finishing his work conversation with Assistant Liang, he first sent a message to his parents, then waited two minutes before calling them.

He informed them at the last minute that the Mu Family of three would be coming over for a meal.

"The place is set at my place, yes, Half Mountain, you can come over after lunch."

"When did this happen? Just now, Mu Qiu’s dad agreed, yes, I’m at her place for dinner now."

"Evaluation visit, yes, marriage evaluation."

He responded concisely and quietly, Mu Zhi didn’t hear what he was saying. He sat for a while before pacing to the kitchen door.

Yuan Chun was frying eggs, with a plate of pickles beside her that would later be added to the old duck soup.

Mu Qiu was standing next to her, wrapping two pickles with a fried egg like a pancake, eating with great relish.

It was her habit from a young age to eat freshly fried eggs and could distinguish which one smelled the best, insisting on wrapping something in them to eat.

She was scolded a few times as a child, and stopped doing it... secretly started frying eggs on her own.

"Ahem!"

He deliberately coughed, startling Mu Qiu, who quickly finished eating, peering behind him.

"Dad, where’s Cheng Zhirang?"

"On the phone. What dishes did we prepare?"

Yuan Chun stirred the duck soup, poured the pickled radish into the clay pot, and replied, "Nothing special, all the dishes were bought for your daughter’s enjoyment."

Mu Qiu exchanged innocent glances with them, continuing to chew.

Mu Zhi glanced at the soup in the pot, and the ingredients on the counter, then withdrew his gaze and casually said, "He just said his parents invited us to dinner at their place tomorrow."

Yuan Chun and Mu Qiu both paused.

Yuan Chun: "Did you agree?"

"What else? They invited us, how could we refuse? It’s key that we invited them first; when I called, his parents were right there."

Yuan Chun looked at Mu Qiu.

"......" She swallowed the last bite and said, "Why are you looking at me? I didn’t know he was with his parents. And Dad, you already agreed, so what can we do?"

"Have you met his parents before?" Mu Zhi asked.

This question didn’t need her answer, Yuan Chun, with a sense of exasperation, answered on her behalf.

"I asked, you’ve met them once already. How long have you two been together? And you’ve already met his parents, what if you’re not together later?"

"If I worry about so much, I would have gone bald a long time ago."

Actually, she had thought and worried about it, but since it had happened, there was no need to worry anymore.

"Be calm, Mom, we invite him to a meal, they invite us back, it’s like a ritual between boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s not like we’re getting married, but I see you both acting so anxious."

"You date, then marriage follows, you’re still young, what do you know. Besides, he’s a celebrity, if you break up, it’ll definitely attract a lot of attention. You’d better date for a while, and now his parents have invited us over... he has that intention?"

She pouted, about to say certainly not, but Mu Zhi answered for her: "Don’t know if he has, but it was her who brought up those two words ’getting married.’"

Mentioning "her," he felt troubled, and couldn’t help but start lecturing again.

"Seriously, after graduating, you didn’t join a good company, insisted on freelancing. Writing novels is fine, but then you go on a show with celebrities, and not just a show, you even started dating one, now every move you make is under scrutiny! Even doing nothing gets you criticized!"

Here we go again.

Mu Qiu, speechless and helpless, began to feel overwhelmed by anxiety, wanting to immediately escape their encirclement.

"Uncle, Aunt."

Cheng Zhirang knocked on the door frame, smiling as he interrupted Mu Zhi’s lecture, as if unaware that Mu Zhi had just been lecturing Mu Qiu, maintaining his expression, he walked into the kitchen while unbuttoning his cuffs.

"Auntie, let me help you."

It’s unwise to scold a child in front of others, Yuan Chun and Mu Zhi no longer caught Mu Qiu for a lecture, politely declining Cheng Zhirang’s offer of help.

"No need, it’s almost done. Xiao Cheng, if you feel bored, have Mu Qiu show you the upstairs."

What is there to see upstairs? What’s there to see?

Mu Zhi was about to oppose the idea, but Mu Qiu already agreed and took Cheng Zhirang outside in a rush.

"... A daughter is bound to leave!"

Cheng Zhirang followed behind, hearing this sentence clearly.

The person pulling him kept rushing upstairs, stomping loudly on the steps. With his long legs, he covered three steps at a time, keeping pace with her.

When they reached the top, out of sight from those downstairs, he finally stopped, pulling Mu Qiu back.

"Alright. Where are you taking me?"

He was already familiar with this place.

Mu Qiu was pulled into his arms, tiptoeing to look past his shoulder down the stairs.

From this spot, people downstairs shouldn’t see them.

Only then did she relax, draping herself over him like she had no bones, resting her head on his shoulder: "Phew—"

Cheng Zhirang found it amusing, patting her: "Why do you seem even more nervous than me?"

She was just about to speak when she suddenly stood straight, pushing him towards the small balcony.

"Let’s talk over here."

"If we’re going to find a place to talk, why not your room?" He reached behind and grabbed her pushing hand.

Mu Qiu pushed him to the long sofa to sit down, looking at him from above, her gaze was quite subtle.

"My parents are still around, and you want to coax me back to the room to do bad things. You are truly this kind of Cheng Zhirang."

"......"

She bent down, approaching Cheng Zhirang’s face, forcing him to lean back against the sofa.

"Don’t be afraid, this position is good, even if they see us, they’ll think it’s me overpowering you."

Bow: "... Speak properly."

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to sit beside him.

"Why did Uncle and Aunt come so suddenly? Did you know in advance?"

Mu Qiu shook her head: "I received the call on the way back after sending Zhao Yu to the airport, I even thought something was wrong and crazily drove your car back."

"So what happened?"

"No," she thought of the half luggage full of stuff earlier, and her mom’s cautious look when asking if she had a boxed meal and sighed lightly:

"They saw at the end of the program the other day, everyone had agents and assistants bringing meals, Zhao Yu and I didn’t, so they thought we were pitiful kids crouched on the roadside eating boxed meals, and wanted to come check on me."

This reason...

Cheng Zhirang frowned: "Then how did you explain it?"

"Of course I said you prepared dinner, and praised your hard-working and considerate nature."

"And then?"

"Then—" she coughed softly, "then my mom insisted you were someone who orders takeout every day, not knowing how to live properly."

Cheng Zhirang leaned back, closing his eyes.

Mu Qiu giggled dryly, then leaned over to speak in his ear: "Sorry Brother Cheng, I did explain, but my mom just wouldn’t believe it."