Chapter 47: Future Daughter-in-Law
Something feels off…
Was she getting treated like a future daughter-in-law?
No, scratch that. She was already being treated as one!
Chen Cheng quickly counted the cash inside the red envelope, 500 yuan. Not a fortune, but definitely not a small amount either.
She struggled to figure out how to return the money. Handing it back directly was impossible. An Yuan’s mother had plenty of experience giving money during holidays, and Chen Cheng was too soft to refuse.
Maybe she could give it to An Yuan later? Or secretly tuck it into the couch cushions?
She took a few bites of her spaghetti and her eyes lit up. It tasted even better than she expected.
An Yuan returned, carrying a bag of clothes. “Make sure to take this with you later.”
“Got it.”
“So? Did you manage to convince my mom to get a checkup?”
“Nope… she didn’t even give me a chance to speak.”
Chen Cheng pulled the red envelope from her pocket and handed it over. “She even gave me 500 yuan. Hurry up and take it back, I feel bad accepting it.”
“Well… if my mom gave it to you, I can’t exactly take it back either.”
If he took the money and his mom found out, he’d be in big trouble.
“Then what do we do?” Chen Cheng racked her brain and suddenly had an idea. “How about we use this money to buy a health checkup package for her? If we just go ahead and do it, she’ll feel bad about wasting money and definitely go, right? We wouldn’t even need to convince her.”
“That… actually makes sense.”
An Yuan thought it was a solid plan.
“Chengcheng, are you staying over tonight?” An Yuan’s mother peeked in from the dining room. “If you are, I’ll get things ready. I can even call your mom for a mahjong night!”
“Stay over?” Chen Cheng hesitated, tempted to agree.
But before she could answer, An Yuan cut in, “No! She’s not staying over, Mom. Don’t bother preparing anything.”
An Yuan’s mother sighed in disappointment and withdrew.
Her son… really wasn’t very smart.
An Yuan helplessly poked Chen Cheng’s arm with his chopsticks. “Can you be a little more careful? A girl staying over at my place? People are definitely going to get the wrong idea.”
“But we’re brothers!” Chen Cheng argued confidently. She absentmindedly used her chopsticks to separate the beef pieces from her spaghetti and muttered, “It has been a while since I stayed over. Last time was the night after the college entrance exams… We got a family meal bucket and stayed up watching movies…”
“Maybe next time. At least don’t let my family know, or they’ll totally misunderstand.”
“We do look like we’re sneaking around!”
An Yuan was already used to Chen Cheng’s ridiculous way of thinking. He groaned and covered his face. “Just focus on convincing my mom to get that checkup.”
“Didn’t we agree to just buy the package first?”
“If she decides to pay for it herself, then you get to keep that 500 yuan. Besides, 500 isn’t even enough for a full checkup.”
Chen Cheng pouted but finished her spaghetti, ate a couple of fruit slices, and took a deep breath. She mentally rehearsed what she was going to say.
Then, she stood up and walked out of the dining room. “Auntie~”
“What is it? Finished eating?” An Yuan’s mother turned from the sofa, her voice playful, like she was teasing a child. “Still hungry? Want something else?”
“Uh…”
An Yuan’s mother pulled Chen Cheng down onto the couch. “Sit first! No need to just stand there.”
She took Chen Cheng’s hands into her own, her palms warm and slightly calloused. The heat was comforting, but the unexpected closeness made Chen Cheng curl her toes in embarrassment.
Wasn’t this a bit too intimate?
Summoning her courage, she said, “Auntie, why don’t you go for a health checkup sometime?”
“Sure~”
"A checkup once a year isn’t expensive... Huh?"
That was way too easy. Then what was An Yuan so worried about?
Chen Cheng was stunned and hesitated before testing the waters again. “Auntie, you’re really going? But An Yuan said you didn’t want to waste money on a checkup.”
“Well, since Chengcheng is asking me, how can I say no? Besides, I need to stay healthy if I want to hold my grandchildren in the future~”
Don’t worry, Auntie. Even ten years from now, An Yuan still won’t have given you a grandchild!
Chen Cheng was constantly nagged by her family to get married, and An Yuan wasn’t spared either. His family pestered him about having children. Young people these days were always being rushed, as if falling behind their peers was some kind of crime.
“Then, Auntie, you should get a full-body checkup! Maybe take Uncle with you too?”
She smiled and nodded. “That sounds good. We can check when your uncle has time and bring your parents along too. Our families can all go together.”
Ah, as expected of the daughter-in-law she had watched grow up, so thoughtful!
“My parents?” Chen Cheng was momentarily surprised but then shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
Her parents had always been pretty healthy, but a checkup wouldn’t hurt.
Mission accomplished!
And she even got a 500 yuan bonus!
“Well, I’ll head home now, then?” She had finished what An Yuan asked her to do, so there was no reason to stay. “It’s almost ten, and I still haven’t done my homework.”
“Why not do it here? Your mom’s probably not home, and Auntie can take care of you.”
“Uh...”
“You used to do homework at my place all the time, didn’t you? It’s no big deal. I’ll go make you some warm milk. Nights are getting colder.”
Before Chen Cheng could even think of a way to refuse, An Yuan’s mother had already happily gone to the kitchen.
“…Alright.”
She had no choice but to stay. She wasn’t great at turning down offers, especially when elders were being so kind.
At least today, she didn’t have any weird thoughts. So she probably wouldn’t start seeing An Yuan in a different way.
From kindergarten through high school, she had spent countless evenings doing homework with him. Things only changed during adolescence when their parents started being more cautious.
Chen Cheng, familiar with the routine, grabbed her backpack and walked into An Yuan’s room. She plopped down at his desk, pulled out her unfinished homework, turned on the desk lamp, and casually propped one foot on the chair, settling into her usual comfy position.
The desk was long, big enough for two people to sit side by side.
“Mom! Did Chengzi leave yet? She forgot her clothes.”
Moments later, An Yuan walked in after finishing his late-night snack. He pushed open the door while calling out but stopped when he saw Chen Cheng bent over, writing. She waved at him.
“Come do your homework. Did you finish those texts you had to copy?”
An Yuan rolled his eyes, sat on his bed, and peeled off his socks and school jacket. “Did you manage to convince my mom?”
Chen Cheng turned around, puffed up her chest proudly, and put her hands on her hips. “Easy! Once I step in, it’s a guaranteed success!”
“…Didn’t you just say it was impossible?”
Now in just his fitted long-sleeve shirt, An Yuan grabbed a chair and sat down next to her.
Chen Cheng immediately felt like he was a human heater. Just being near him made her feel a wave of warmth, her cheeks heating up slightly.
She found her gaze drifting toward him.
An Yuan had never been into serious workouts, but he was always active. His toned muscles were outlined by the snug fit of his long-sleeved shirt. His chest was subtly defined, giving off a reassuring sense of strength.
Her fingers twitched. I kinda wanna touch those muscles…
Wait, since when did An Yuan have such a good body?
Chen Cheng swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling dry. She covered her flushed cheek with one hand, trying to cool herself down, and quickly buried her head in her homework.
The room was slowly filling with an ambiguous pink atmosphere, making her a little restless.
And An Yuan? He wasn’t doing any better.
He had barely sat down when he caught a glimpse of her delicate side profile and smelled her sweet scent. His brain short-circuited on the spot.
Good thing school pants were loose-fitting…