Dongjiang City — Haifeng Village.
A quiet fishing village nestled by the coast. Though simple, it had grown over the years. Even the narrow paths were now paved with cement, and colorful New Year banners fluttered above the roads. The slogans welcomed the Spring Festival in bright, festive red.
A sleek black car slowly made its way down the road, drawing the curious glances of villagers. In such a quiet place, it was rare to see luxury vehicles.
Inside the car, Xiao Yu sat with clenched fists. She wasn't homesick—just extremely nervous.
This was her first time bringing Chen Mo home.
She knew her parents well and feared they might oppose their relationship. Even though she believed in Chen Mo, the thought of introducing him to her family filled her with unease.
"Stop here," Xiao Yu said, pointing at the small intersection up ahead.
"You lead the way, I'll carry the luggage," Chen Mo said as he got out. "Black Hawk, head into town and find a place to stay. I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Wang Hai had taken leave, so Black Hawk was temporarily acting as Chen Mo's driver and bodyguard. With this visit, Chen Mo made a mental note—I really should learn to drive soon.
Carrying the luggage, Chen Mo walked beside Xiao Yu, glancing around and mentally mapping the route.
He couldn't help but notice how tense Xiao Yu looked. She was clearly trying to stay calm, but her eyes betrayed her nervousness.
"Relax," Chen Mo said gently.
Hearing his voice, Xiao Yu let out a breath and gave him a shy smile. She nodded slightly.
"To be honest, I'm a little nervous too," Chen Mo added, smiling. "I'm about to take your father's most precious daughter away. What if he doesn't like me?"
Xiao Yu chuckled. "My dad's not some angry warlord. Don't worry."
They continued on foot through the familiar village streets.
As they walked, a few neighbors greeted Xiao Yu with smiles and waves. One woman in particular called out, "Xiao Yu, you're back?"
"Hi, Auntie San," Xiao Yu replied politely. "Come visit us when you have time."
The woman's gaze, however, lingered on Chen Mo, who stood silently beside her.
"Your family doesn't have six or seven aunties lined up waiting to interrogate me, right?" Chen Mo joked in a whisper.
Xiao Yu giggled. "No, just my parents and Xiao Man are home. But it's Chinese New Year—we will be visiting relatives, so brace yourself for panda duty."
"Panda duty?" Chen Mo raised a brow.
"You'll be the new baby panda. Cute and surrounded by relatives."
Chen Mo chuckled. "When you come meet my parents, you'll be the panda too."
On the way, more villagers greeted Xiao Yu. She had grown up here, and everyone knew her—especially since there were only a few college graduates in the whole village.
Naturally, their curious eyes shifted to Chen Mo. A few even greeted him, and Chen Mo returned their smiles with polite nods.
Soon, they reached Xiao Yu's family home.
It was a three-story home, neatly built, around 130 square meters per floor. The yard was about 120 square meters, surrounded by a low wall, with a few trees growing inside. It wasn't a luxurious mansion, but it was a comfortable, well-off home—much better than Chen Mo's childhood home.
As soon as they pushed open the gate, Xiao Yu's tension melted away.
"Dad, Mom! I'm home!"
The moment she called out, two middle-aged figures emerged from the house with warm smiles. But the moment they saw Chen Mo beside her, their expressions shifted—surprise, curiosity, and then a little scrutiny.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie," Chen Mo greeted them with a polite nod and a slight bow.
"Oh, hello, hello. Come in, come in!" Wang Lan said warmly, though her eyes still sized Chen Mo up from head to toe. He looked decent, polite, and respectful—so far, so good.
Just as they entered the house, Chen Mo spotted a girl sitting on the couch, tapping away at her phone. She looked up briefly—and for a second, Chen Mo nearly did a double take.
If not for Xiao Yu standing beside him, he might've mistaken the girl for her.
"She's my sister, Xiao Man," Xiao Yu said, noticing his confusion. "She's two years younger than me. Everyone says we look like twins."
"Hi," Xiao Man greeted with a smile, flashing her tiny tiger teeth.
"Hello," Chen Mo replied with a smile of his own.
Xiao Yu and Wang Lan headed into the kitchen to cook, while He Zhenghua motioned for Chen Mo to sit down. He wore a serious expression, but not a hostile one.
"Chen Mo, how did you and Xiao Yu meet?" he asked directly.
Chen Mo answered honestly, "We went to the same university. We got to know each other during our time there."
"I heard you started a company?" He Zhenghua continued, his voice still calm but probing.
"Yes, and it's doing well. Operations are stable, and we have sufficient funding," Chen Mo replied modestly.
Xiao Man looked at Chen Mo with growing curiosity.
Saying that the Marching Ant Company was "doing well" was an understatement. Among younger people who followed tech news, the company's reputation was practically legendary. Her dad didn't follow such things closely—he only knew bits and pieces from friends.
But Xiao Man? She knew exactly who Chen Mo was.
Back in the kitchen, Wang Lan caught sight of the diamond ring on Xiao Yu's finger.
"That ring… he gave it to you?"
Xiao Yu nodded shyly. "He proposed."
"Has he treated you well? He hasn't bullied you, has he?" Wang Lan asked quickly.
"No, Mom. He's always very good to me," Xiao Yu said with a soft smile.
Wang Lan could tell immediately that her daughter was truly happy. As a mother, she could read every expression on her daughter's face.
"Xiao Man already told me he was your boyfriend," Wang Lan sighed. "You should've told your father and me sooner."
That made Xiao Yu almost spit out her drink. So it was Xiao Man who spilled the beans!
"Zhenyu and Uncle Zhang Yang knew too," Xiao Yu added, trying to shift the blame.
"Zhang Yang? You mean that Zhang Yang from Huacheng?" Wang Lan looked surprised. "Your father had a drink with him last time. He didn't mention any of this."
"He's Chen Mo's cousin."
Wang Lan froze. "Wait… that Zhang Yang is his cousin?! You never said anything like that before!"
Xiao Yu winced. "I didn't think it was important…"
"Go tell your dad to come in here. I need to talk to him," Wang Lan said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Okay…" Xiao Yu hurried out of the kitchen.
Meanwhile, He Zhenghua was still processing what he'd heard. Zhang Yang's cousin? And that Zhang Yang's cousin, no less?
He'd already been impressed by Chen Mo's calm demeanor and maturity. Now, with this connection, his respect deepened.
"Go call Old Zhang," Wang Lan said, grabbing her phone. "I need to confirm a few things."
Upstairs, Xiao Yu pulled out a small jewelry box from her suitcase and handed it to Xiao Man.
"Chen Mo got you this. Try it on."
"Thanks, brother-in-law!" Xiao Man chirped happily.
Inside the box was a beautiful necklace. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw it. She hadn't dared call him brother-in-law in front of their dad, but now that he was out of the room, she said it without hesitation—cheeky grin and all.
Even though she looked like Xiao Yu, her aura was completely different. Xiao Yu was gentle and reserved; Xiao Man was lively and playful.
Her words made Chen Mo pause for a second, but he quickly accepted it. Xiao Yu's face turned a bit pink, but she didn't deny it.
"Did you tell Mom about us?" Xiao Yu asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Nope!" Xiao Man said quickly, waving her hands. "Mom saw you shaking hands with the national leader on TV. You were in the news! She said you looked great and asked who the guy next to you was. I just… helped her figure it out."
Her big, innocent eyes blinked.
Xiao Yu wasn't convinced. She knew this sister of hers could twist the truth with a straight face. She'd been fooled by her antics more than once.
"Sis, your ring is so pretty. How did my brother-in-law propose?" Xiao Man asked, swiftly changing the subject with a mischievous grin.