Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 33 - The Things of the Past

As the New Year approached, Xia Chen often stayed late at the office to finish his work before returning to his hometown, especially since Little New Year’s Eve was just around the corner. Xu Xiaoyou, on the other hand, was already on vacation and found herself bored at home, so she started preparing home-cooked meals to bring to Tianchen and keep him company during lunch. Over time, many employees in the company learned about Xu Xiaoyou, even though they weren’t exactly sure about her relationship with Xia Chen. However, the fact that she could come and go freely in the CEO Office made their relationship quite apparent.

The day before Little New Year’s Eve, Xia Chen finally wrapped up all his plans. In the past, Chen Zihan had always been by his side to work on the planning, but this year, he was doing it alone, which felt a bit strange. It had been more than a month since Chen Zihan left, and he had received little news from him. Several times, Shu Yuqing had asked about Chen Zihan, and he had dodged her questions. Deep down, everyone understood that Chen Zihan’s situation was not as simple as it seemed.

On Little New Year’s Eve, the two of them returned to the Xia Family home to have dinner with Mom Xia. Seeing Xu Xiaoyou’s rosy complexion, Mom Xia couldn’t have been happier; if her health improved, how long could it be before she would become a mother?

During these days, Mom Xia had been trying to dig up information about Xu Xiaoyou, but there seemed to be no leads. From what she heard, it seemed like powerful forces were suppressing this matter. This issue had been a constant worry for Xu Xiaoyou, and Mom Xia was determined to help her resolve it.

Mom Xia personally cooked a variety of dishes that Xu Xiaoyou loved. Xia Chen joked that Mom Xia was being biased, which earned him a playful smack on the head. Mom Xia scolded him, “You’ve run off with such a young girl, of course, I have to pamper her! You, my child, hardly ever come home; I’ve almost forgotten about you.”

Xia Chen sat on the couch, cradling his head, and mumbled, “I do come back, but every time you drag me into blind dates, I’m scared to come home.”

“Don’t you dare bring up blind dates!” Mom Xia yelled, getting frustrated at the thought. How many girls had she introduced him to, and none of them were suitable? It nearly drove her to the hospital until Xu Xiaoyou showed up, which lightened her spirits.

“Mom, has Ah Xia been on many blind dates?” Xu Xiaoyou chimed in, now feeling comfortable enough to joke with Mom Xia. “The idea of President Tianchen going on blind dates is so unbelievable that no one would believe it!”

Mom Xia nodded and said, “I introduce him to girls every day, but he never likes them. He complains about this and that, and honestly, I don’t know what kind of girl would satisfy him. Ever since you showed up, I’ve realized that he likes younger girls. Marrying him might be a bit of a sacrifice for you.”

Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t help but cringe at her words. Marrying a golden bachelor from City S was a sacrifice? If anything, that would be a sacrifice for Xia Chen.

Xia Chen was already well aware of Mom Xia’s favoritism and didn’t want to argue with her, so he headed to the study to play video games. Before long, Xu Xiaoyou also came upstairs. Xia Chen glanced up at her and asked, “Aren’t you and your mom supposed to have a lot to talk about? Why did you come up here?” His tone was tinged with jealousy.

Xu Xiaoyou walked behind Xia Chen, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face against his back, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was comforting.

“Ah Xia, what did you see in me back then?”

Xia Chen knew that Xu Xiaoyou’s sudden intimacy meant trouble, and sure enough. He turned around and hugged her, letting her sit on his lap, and echoed Mom Xia’s earlier statement, “I liked your youth.”

Xu Xiaoyou was not pleased with this response. They were already a married couple, and he still couldn’t admit it.

“Seriously,” Xia Chen insisted. “Back then, I thought you were vibrant and lively, and very brave. I figured my mom would like that kind of girl. Plus, she insisted that I take responsibility for you, so…”

“And what about now? What do you like about me?” Xu Xiaoyou pressed on.

Xia Chen frowned, finding the question difficult to answer. If he messed it up, it would come back to bite him. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I like you in bed…”

Xu Xiaoyou immediately placed a hand over his mouth when she heard him mention “in bed.” This man always had a way of turning the conversation that direction!

Xia Chen kissed Xu Xiaoyou’s palm lightly, sending tingling sensations through her. Unable to take it anymore, she finally let go, which gave Xia Chen the chance to lean in and kiss her softly, savoring her sweetness.

Xu Xiaoyou wrapped her arms around Xia Chen’s neck in response, and they momentarily forgot time and place. It wasn’t until they heard Mom Xia clear her throat that Xia Chen reluctantly released her. Xu Xiaoyou buried her face in Xia Chen’s chest, blushing and breathing heavily. Mom Xia simply called out that it was time to eat before walking away. After a few moments, Xu Xiaoyou finally lifted her head from Xia Chen’s embrace, mortified at having been caught by Mom Xia.

“Time to eat,” Xia Chen said, pulling Xu Xiaoyou downstairs. When they reached the first floor, Mom Xia merely smiled at them without saying anything else, although Xu Xiaoyou still felt a bit shy in her presence.

At the dining table, Mom Xia brought up the topic of returning to the Xia Family for ancestral worship. Every year during the New Year, they would make the trip back home, and since Xia Chen was the only son, the elders in the family placed great importance on this tradition. Moreover, this year, since Xia Chen was married, it was time for him to bring Xu Xiaoyou home to meet the family.

Xu Xiaoyou then mentioned how her mother wanted Xia Chen to go and pay New Year’s respects, asking when they would be leaving.

Mom Xia thought for a moment and replied, “We’re going back on the twenty-eighth. We can get there in the afternoon and stay for a couple of days. After the New Year celebration, you both can leave.”

Xu Xiaoyou was taken aback. If they were only going back on the twenty-eighth, what would they do for the next few days? Shouldn’t they go back earlier?

“Mom, shouldn’t we go back early for the ancestral worship? If we go back so late, won’t the elders think we’re being disrespectful?”

“Forget about them; as long as we’re happy, that’s all that matters. Besides, Ah Xia is my son, and I don’t want them fussing over him all the time,” Mom Xia replied, recalling how her parents would swarm around Xia Chen every year during the New Year, treating him like a child despite his age. It annoyed her.

Xia Chen nodded in agreement. “It’s better to go a bit later. If we head back too soon, they’ll insist on teaching you all kinds of formalities. That would be so annoying.”

“Formalities?” Xu Xiaoyou exclaimed, surprised. “What era are we in? Do we really have to learn formalities? Mom, did you have to learn them too?”

Mom Xia chuckled and said, “They would have to dare me to learn them!”

Xia Chen jumped in to explain, “Years ago, when Mom first went home with Dad for ancestral worship, my grandparents insisted that she learn all the formalities. But Mom didn’t grow up as a classic lady, so she naturally didn’t want to learn. My grandparents said she wasn’t good enough for Dad, which made Mom so mad that she took Dad and left that very night. They were furious and vowed never to let her back in, but Mom didn’t care. A few years later, after I was born, she surprisingly suggested going home for the New Year, and Dad was so excited he didn’t know what to do.”

“And what happened then? Did Grandpa and Grandma let Mom back in?” Xu Xiaoyou asked eagerly, shocked that Mom had dared to confront her in-laws directly.

“Initially, of course, they didn’t,” Xia Chen chuckled at the memory-who would have thought that a daughter-in-law would openly defy her in-laws?

“My grandparents were very stubborn and refused to let her back in. Mom, on the other hand, acted like nothing was wrong and spent her days wandering around the small town with Dad until New Year’s Eve…”

“Mom got me up early to head back to the Xia Family and then hid me in a crowd, asking my grandparents if they really wouldn’t let her in. They thought she would back down, but Mom said, ‘If I’m not allowed in, then fine. I don’t even care about this Xia Family. I just worry that some people will grow old without ever seeing their own grandchild and will die with regrets.'”

“Then she called me out and, in front of everyone, made me call my grandparents ‘Grandpa’ and ‘Grandma,’ and she tried to pull me away. My grandparents were so delighted to see their grandson all grown up that they asked her to stay. But Mom refused.”

As Xia Chen recounted this story, he paused, leaving Xu Xiaoyou eager for more. She quickly pressed him for the reason why Mom Xia wouldn’t stay.

Xia Chen glanced at Xu Xiaoyou and then at Mom Xia, saying, “You should really ask my mom about that.”

Xu Xiaoyou turned to Mom Xia with a pleading look, hoping she would continue the story.

Mom Xia thought for a moment and replied, “Of course, I refused. I brought Ah Xia back to show them I wasn’t to be trifled with. I wasn’t there to please them; I wanted to show them my strength.”

Xu Xiaoyou admired Mom Xia’s boldness. It took courage for a daughter-in-law to stand up to her in-laws like that. She reassured herself that Mom Xia wasn’t the kind of person who would shy away from challenges; otherwise, entering the Xia Family would be quite difficult.

Over the years, since that incident, Xia Chen’s grandparents had treated Mom Xia much better. With Papa Xia often busy with work, it fell to Mom Xia to take care of Xia Chen and fulfill her filial duties. Her approach towards the elders had also softened significantly. After Papa Xia passed away, Mom Xia had been the pillar of the Xia Family, and many family members learned to tread carefully around her.

As Xia Chen spoke about this, Xu Xiaoyou could imagine how hard Mom Xia had it over the years. She had to deal with her in-laws and manage the household. Curious about the family business, Xu Xiaoyou asked what exactly Mom Xia was overseeing these days.

Xia Chen, holding Xu Xiaoyou in his arms in the study, said, “Honestly, I’m not too sure. I never took over that side of things, and Mom hasn’t filled me in. I heard from Dad that it’s something in real estate, but beyond that, I don’t really know.”

This might have sufficed as an answer for Xu Xiaoyou, but others would find it hard to believe that someone from the Xia Family wouldn’t know what the family business was. It would be as if all those years had been in vain.

Xu Xiaoyou then asked, “Will Mom want me to take over the family business in the future?”

“Do you want that?” Xia Chen replied.

Xu Xiaoyou shook her head vigorously. She wasn’t interested in those kinds of dealings, especially not in real estate where she would have to engage with officials. No way!

“Then that’s good to hear,” Xia Chen smiled. “I won’t let you take over those things. All you need to focus on is taking care of me; I’ll handle the rest.”

“But what about Tianchen?” Xu Xiaoyou worried that Xia Chen would be overwhelmed and, little did she know, Xia Chen was actually managing three companies on his own.

“Just focus on keeping our baby healthy. You don’t need to worry about anything else,” Xia Chen reassured her.

They sat together in silence, allowing the quiet moments to pass, time drifting by unnoticed.