The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 464 - 413

Chapter 464: Chapter 413
Zhuo Yuqing ran up to him, smiling brightly: "You’re here, why didn’t you call me?"
"Didn’t you want to sleep in?" Bai Chengxi smiled down at her, his clean face free of any makeup, as fresh as the rising sun,
Zhuo Yuqing laughed awkwardly, "Actually, I just woke up, woken by my mom. Let’s go, they are all waiting for you."
Bai Chengxi didn’t rush inside but stood straight and asked her, "Do you see anything inappropriate about me?"
Today he wore a black casual suit, making him appear even more refined and upright; his face was the most perfect, most gentle kind, with long, dense eyelashes, dark bright eyes that were gentle and smiling, possessing an addictive charm.
"Perfect." Zhuo Yuqing gestured a victory sign.
Only after hearing this did Bai Chengxi feel relieved, lifting the box in his hand: "I wonder if your father will like it?"
"You don’t need to worry too much about him. If he says something unpleasant, don’t take it to heart. He has just pampered me too much since I was little, thinking all boys who approach me have ulterior motives. Over time, he stopped trusting anyone, but he is not a bad person at all." Zhuo Yuqing spoke well, trying to dispel Bai Chengxi’s worries, although she herself was also very nervous.
Qiao San was already getting impatient, and stood up toward the door. Before he reached out, the door was pushed open from the outside. Zhuo Yuqing stuck her head out excitedly: "Dad, Mom, this is Bai Chengxi."
She started introducing before her feet were even inside, simultaneously pulling Bai Chengxi in.
Qiao San had seen him before, so naturally greeted him: "Chengxi, you’re here."
"Mrs. Qiao, hello." Bai Chengxi was very polite and humble.
"Come in, let me introduce you to Yuqing’s dad." Qiao San led the way, with Bai Chengxi and Zhuo Yuqing following. When Zhuo Yao sitting on the sofa and Bai Chengxi exchanged glances, both were briefly stunned.
"Chengxi, this is your Uncle Zhuo." Qiao San, not noticing the awkwardness between the two, affectionately linked arms with Zhuo Yao.
Seeing that Zhuo Yao kept looking at Bai Chengxi without speaking, she couldn’t help but pinch him secretly.
It was Bai Chengxi who broke the odd silence first, stepping forward and extending his hand, "Uncle, hello, I’m Bai Chengxi."
Zhuo Yao glanced at his outstretched hand, then scanned his face, and merely nodded before turning away.
Bai Chengxi stood there somewhat awkwardly, having anticipated that Zhuo Yao might not take a liking to him, but never expected the rejection to be so thorough. However, having experienced larger occasions, he wouldn’t be upset about being ignored. Instead, he smiled at an equally awkward Qiao San: "Uncle looks younger and more handsome than I imagined."
"He’s old, not young anymore," Qiao San quietly glared at her husband and didn’t bother with him anymore, instead introducing Zhuo Yan, "Chengxi, this is my son, Zhuo Yan."
Zhuo Yan immediately bounded over, "Hello, brother-in-law."
"Hello," Bai Chengxi smiled back, "Is your Yan character with the ’king’ radical?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"I have a friend named Zhuo Yanbei, his name is similar to yours, and also has the ’king’ radical in Yan."
"Brother-in-law, I heard you’re the boss at Xingdong Media?" Zhuo Yan asked eagerly, pointing to himself, "Do you think I have the potential to be a pop star?"
"Do you sing?"
"Forget it," Zhuo Yuqing said disparagingly, pushing him aside, "When you sing, animals in a ten-mile radius go extinct. It’s fine to torment us, just don’t bother others."
"That’s because you’re jealous of me," Zhuo Yan said indignantly, "Brother-in-law, with your capabilities, you can definitely make me famous."
"Zhuo Yan, you haven’t finished your holiday homework yet," Zhuo Yuqing pulled out her trump card, "Shouldn’t you be doing it now?"
Zhuo Yan huffed and walked away reluctantly,
Soon after, Zhuo Yao, carrying washed teaware, came out from the kitchen. Seeing Bai Chengxi still standing there, he glanced at him indifferently: "Why are you standing? My house doesn’t need a utility pole."
Zhuo Yuqing quickly pulled Bai Chengxi to the living room sofa, seating him in the middle, and she was just about to sit down when Qiao San pulled her away, leaving only the father-in-law and son-in-law in the living room.
Zhuo Yao then sat down, and Bai Chengxi quickly took the teaware from his hands, "Uncle, let me do it."
"You know how to make tea?"
"A bit." Bai Chengxi skillfully picked up the teaware, "My father likes tea, I picked up his habit from a young age,
Bai Chengxi prepared the tea with great proficiency and expertise. Making tea might seem a simple task of just adding water to tea leaves, but brewing truly good tea requires effort. Zhuo Yao, when idle, likes to brew a pot of tea to relieve boredom. Hence, seeing Bai Chengxi’s actions, he knew that Bai Chengxi was genuinely knowledgeable in this area.
"Please enjoy, uncle," Bai Chengxi said as he handed over a cup of tea with both hands.
Zhuo Yao took a look before accepting the cup; the tea was a lush green, its aroma refreshing as it hit the nose. After tasting it, he felt the tea’s fragrant undertone, very refreshing. He couldn’t help but take another look at Bai Chengxi, who appeared humble and was smiling, showing no signs of the typical spoiled young master, nor did he seem like the typical man working in entertainment. His first impression of him was stable, appropriate, and grounded.
"Not bad," Zhuo Yao drank a sip of tea and slowly set down the cup, "Was this morning just a coincidence?"
"Qingzi didn’t mention that you have the habit of morning jogs, uncle." Bai Chengxi told the truth, "Moreover, this is the first time I’m seeing you in person, I was quite startled earlier."
Zhuo Yao looked at him for a while. The young man’s eyes were clear, not seeming to lie. He was good at reading people and believed he wasn’t being deceived. Today’s encounter was indeed a coincidence.
"By the way, this is the gift I brought for you, uncle," Bai Chengxi said, presenting a box of cigars. "It was a rush, and I didn’t have time to prepare, I hope you won’t mind."
Zhuo Yao took the box and glanced at it, "This cigar master, I know him. I went to Cuba one year and visited his workshop. These cigars hand-rolled by him must have been bought at an auction, right?"
Bai Chengxi nodded, "Uncle, you have good eyesight. Indeed, I acquired them at an auction."
"Do you smoke often?"
"A little."
"You should smoke less." Zhuo Yao opened the box in his hand; the small box of cigars was expensive, containing only four pieces, each cigar worth a six-figure sum.
People who smoke often have their favorites, and Bai Chengxi must like them a lot since he bought them and is now giving them away as a gift, a true sacrifice on his part.
In the kitchen, Zhuo Yuqing couldn’t stop looking towards the living room. She was supposed to be helping with the garlic, but she was peeling it messily, hardly in the mood for it.
"Don’t worry," Qiao San said with a smile, "Your dad seems to have a good impression of him."
"How can you tell?" Zhuo Yuqing asked curiously, "I feel like dad’s face has been icy the whole time."
"If your dad didn’t like him, he would have left by now. Would he still be here chatting and drinking tea?" Qiao San knows her husband well. She gestured with her lips towards the living room: "Look, they are getting along well, and your dad hasn’t lost his temper. But indeed, this Chengxi really has a way about him; it’s not everyone who can win your dad over."
"Actually, he is very nervous too." Zhuo Yuqing felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Bai Chengxi, "When I went to his home, I didn’t receive this kind of treatment. Both his grandmother and mother were extremely nice to me. I hadn’t even started to please them, yet they had already begun pleasing me. I was embarrassed."
"What do you think about the Bai family?"
"Although they are from a distinguished family, they are very amiable people. Especially the grandmother, she’s like a playful old child, so fun, and they definitely respect our family. The father-in-law has already said he wants to visit."
"Let’s see if Chengxi can impress your dad first, although they seem peaceful now, your dad isn’t someone easily hooked, Chengxi’s real test is just beginning, his future performance will tell,"
Zhuo Yao found that he unexpectedly got along well with this young man. They both enjoyed morning jogs, cigars, and the art of tea. As they continued talking, he realized even more similarities between them.
Bai Chengxi was eloquent and composed; truly, he found no faults with him.
Soon, lunch was ready, and the family started eating noisily. During the meal, Zhuo Yuqing was worried Bai Chengxi might feel restricted, so she kept serving him dishes.
Zhuo Yao glanced at them and silently noted, indeed, ’a daughter is a loving debt’. Now, she hardly has eyes for her father.
Feeling slightly upset, his bowl suddenly contained a piece of braised bamboo shoot as Zhuo Yuqing’s little head squeezed over, smiling sweetly at him: "Your favorite bamboo shoot."
Zhuo Yao looked at her bright eyes; the gloom in his heart swept away, and while he spoke, "Offering unrequested favors," his mouth didn’t hesitate to eat the bamboo shoot.
Zhuo Yuqing happily served him lots of food, "Eat more, eat more."
After eating, Qiao San suggested playing mahjong. Previously, Zhuo Yuqing couldn’t play, and Zhuo Yan was young, so they often couldn’t enjoy the game. Now, hearing that Zhuo Yuqing had learned how to play, she immediately gathered everyone to join.
Zhuo Yuqing was a beginner, enthusiastic about the game, while Bai Chengxi was an expert, simply there to accompany.
He sat next to Zhuo Yuqing, continuously feeding her winning tiles throughout the game; nearly whatever she needed, he provided, while Qiao San, next to Zhuo Yao, also kept feeding her winning tiles. In the end, Qiao San and Zhuo Yuqing won continuously, while the two men didn’t manage to win a single game.
They played until the evening. Bai Chengxi showed no impatience; Zhuo Yao could see that for Bai Chengxi playing cards with them was like an adult indulging children in play, devoid of any real enjoyment. Yet, for the sake of Zhuo Yuqing’s happiness, he carefully pondered her cards and vigorously helped her to win.
He was reminded of himself when he was younger and how he also doted on his wife. For a moment, it was as if he saw his own past reflected in him.