When she came out after finishing cooking, Wu Jianhai and Guan Ling had stopped arguing. Wu Jianhai was drinking gloomily, while Guan Ling's eyes were slightly red as she gave Wu Lecheng some instructions. Wu Lecheng was playing with his phone and listening half-heartedly, looking somewhat impatient.
"I know, I won't skip class anymore."
Wu Lecheng had never been fond of studying, and his grades were worlds apart from Guan Xiaoxuan's. But he loved playing games and was determined to become a professional gamer, often skipping school to go online, which had caused Wu Jianhai and Guan Ling no end of worry.
"Xiao Cheng, no matter what, you still need a bachelor's degree. What good will playing games all day do you? Be like your sister and get into a good university so your father and I don't have to worry…"
Wu Lecheng furrowed his brows and interrupted:
"How many times have you said this? I admit I'm not as good as my sister, okay? I'll take the college entrance exam, so stop nagging me!"
Guan Ling opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.
Wu Lecheng was in his rebellious phase and wouldn't listen to anyone. The only one who could control him was Guan Xiaoxuan, his older sister who had taken care of him since childhood.
Guan Xiaoxuan slapped Wu Lecheng on the back of the head and said sternly:
"Xiao Cheng, how dare you speak to your mother like that? Your mother is only thinking of your best interests. Don't be ungrateful. Go to the kitchen and help me bring out the dishes!"
Wu Lecheng rubbed the back of his head in a pout, dared not argue, and obediently went to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.
Guan Xiaoxuan was an excellent cook. Even a simple three-course meal with soup was prepared by her with the skill of a professional chef, combining color, aroma, and taste. After the entire family tasted her cooking, the kitchen almost became her domain, with Guan Ling rarely helping out.
The family of four sat down at the dining table as usual to eat. Guan Xiaoxuan felt she was almost full, put down her chopsticks, and said calmly:
"Mom, I plan to move out."
The three of them were startled upon hearing this.
Guan Ling immediately objected:
"No way! I've told you so many times, it's not safe for a girl to live alone outside! Haven't you seen the news? A few days ago, a girl living alone was followed into her home and strangled to death with a rope! With society so chaotic these days, how could I possibly feel at ease letting you live alone?"
Guan Xiaoxuan explained with a mix of laughter and tears:
"I'm not moving out to rent a place. I'm getting married and moving in with my husband."
"Marry?!"
Guan Ling blurted out in disbelief.
Her daughter had been staying at home since graduating and had never mentioned having a boyfriend. How could she suddenly be getting married?
As a mother, Guan Ling was more worried than hopeful about her daughter. She fired off a series of questions:
"Why didn't you discuss such a big decision with your family beforehand? Who is he? How old is he? What does he do? How long have you been together? Is he reliable? You silly girl, what if you get scammed?"
Guan Xiaoxuan was overwhelmed by the questions and could only answer the most important ones:
"His name is Huo Siyu. He's the grandson of Mrs. Huo from the building next door. Mrs. Huo, you remember her, right? He's watched me grow up and has always been kind to me. Don't you trust her grandson?"
Guan Ling was momentarily speechless.
Wu Jianhai thought for a moment and suddenly realized:
"You mean the elderly woman who lives alone in Building 7? I remember her. When her husband was alive, she helped me secure a job."
"That's right."
Guan Xiaoxuan nodded.
Wu Jianhai's current job was arranged by Mrs. Huo's late husband. After Mr. Huo passed away, Mrs. Huo rarely went out, and the two families interacted less frequently. However, Guan Xiaoxuan felt sorry for the elderly woman living alone, so she often visited her, bringing food and drinks and chatting with her.
Huo Lao Tai treated her like her own granddaughter. Upon learning of Guan Xiaoxuan's troubles, she immediately 'offered' her grandson. It was said that Huo Siyu, at 27, was already a senior executive at a listed company.
Without hesitation, the elderly woman called her grandson in front of Guan Xiaoxuan and then stated that as long as she was willing, she could marry into the Huo family at any time and become a true member of the family with Huo Lao Tai.
Guan Xiaoxuan had initially taken this matter as a joke, but after hearing Guan Ling and Wu Jianhai arguing today, she finally made up her mind.
Fearing that Guan Ling wouldn't believe her, Guan Xiaoxuan had to make up some lies:
"Actually, I've been getting along with Siyu for some time now, and we both feel good about each other, so we've decided to get married. Mom, you can rest assured."
In fact, she didn't even know what Huo Siyu looked like.
However, since he was Huo Grandmother's grandson, and she had assured her that her grandson was on par with Guan Xiaoxuan in terms of conditions and was a good person, he shouldn't be too bad, right?