Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 48 - The Two Families Meet

cting more visitors.

Xu Xiaoyou felt relieved once she learned this; she had been worried about this issue for over a month. She feared that things wouldn’t turn out well, but now she could finally breathe easy.

“Ah Xia, now that we’ve settled this, it’s time for us to talk about our own matters,” Xu Xiaoyou said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Xia Chen’s waist.

“Our matters?” Xia Chen was confused. “What matters are you talking about?”

“The discussion about our parents coming to City S to talk about our marriage,” Xu Xiaoyou said, a little displeased that Xia Chen had forgotten.

“Oh, right! Mom’s birthday is coming up soon. We can tell our parents and invite them over; they can’t refuse this time,” Xia Chen thought about how the two of them would soon meet and wondered if Mom would be happy to know.

“Then I’ll call Dad, and you should say something too,” Xu Xiaoyou released Xia Chen and went to grab her phone.

Sure enough, when Papa Xu heard that Mom Xia was celebrating her birthday, he realized he couldn’t refuse this time, so after a moment of consideration, he replied, “We’ll be there in a few days.”

Xu Xiaoyou joyfully hugged Xia Chen, thrilled that their parents could make it.

“Alright, alright, look at how happy you are,” Xia Chen said with a smile, holding Xu Xiaoyou in his arms. “Let’s inform Mom about this so she can prepare and discuss our wedding.”

Mom Xia was indeed very happy to hear this news. She was finally going to meet Xu Xiaoyou’s parents, and they could have a proper discussion about the wedding. She was curious about what Xu Xiaoyou’s parents were like, having asked Xia Chen about them before, but he always said she would know when they met. Now the meeting was finally happening, and she guessed they must be very easy to get along with.

A few days later, Papa Xu and Mama Xu took a flight to City S. Xia Chen and Xu Xiaoyou went to the airport to pick them up. As soon as the two elderly parents came through customs, Xia Chen stepped forward, taking their bags and leading them to the car.

“Mom and Dad, I’ve reserved a table at a restaurant in the hotel to welcome you both. My mom is already there to prepare everything, so let’s head over!” After starting the car, Xia Chen turned to Xu Papa and Xu Mama sitting in the backseat.

“Did your mom come too?” Mom Xu asked, glancing at the thoughtful Papa Xu before continuing, “Has she been doing well over the years?”

Xia Chen nodded, “She’s doing alright.”

Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Did her mom know Mom Xia?

“Mom, do you know Xia Chen’s mom?”

“I’ve met her once before,” Mom Xu replied.

“Why didn’t you ever mention it?” Xia Chen had been to their house a couple of times and had never heard his parents talk about it. Besides, the way Papa Xu treated him seemed less like a friend’s son and more like an enemy.

“It was a long time ago, so I didn’t bring it up.”

Upon entering the hotel, the lobby manager immediately approached to lead them. “Mr. Xia, the food is ready. Shall we serve it now?”

Xia Chen turned to ask for both of their opinions. Mom Xu remained silent, as she usually deferred to Papa Xu, who nodded in agreement.

Xia Chen pushed the door open first, and then Xu Xiaoyou followed. Mom Xia was about to ask where Xu Xiaoyou’s parents were when she saw them push the door open. For a moment, she was stunned. After more than twenty years, she never expected to meet them again here-he was actually Xu Xiaoyou’s father!

Papa Xu also felt a wave of excitement upon seeing Mom Xia. It had been over twenty years since they last met, and now they were reunited, but the world had changed. “Mei Yun,” he called out.

“Senior brother… is it really you?” Mom Xia stood up, visibly emotional. She quickly walked up to Papa Xu, scrutinizing him with a smile. “You still look as charming as ever!”

“And you haven’t lost a bit of your charm either!” Papa Xu chuckled in response.

“Dad, you know Xia Chen’s mom too?” Xu Xiaoyou asked, her curiosity piqued about their relationship since no one had ever told her, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“I just found out that senior brother is your dad,” Mom Xia said.

“Then Dad must have known all along. Just look at how he treats Xia Chen; it always felt off to me.” Xu Xiaoyou looked at Papa Xu, seeking an explanation.

“I actually knew about Xia Chen’s identity from the beginning, but so what? That doesn’t stop me from choosing a son-in-law. I’m not going to let things slide just because Xia Chen is Mei Yun’s son. He dared to take my daughter to get a marriage certificate without consent,” Papa Xu said, still a bit angry. He recalled how he had punched Xia Chen when he first heard about it.

“So that means Xia Chen knew too, which means both of you were hiding it from Mom Xia and me. Well, Dad, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, considering I’m your daughter,” Xu Xiaoyou said, annoyed that Xia Chen hadn’t shared this information with her.

“Ah Xia should have told me as well,” Mom Xia added.

“I’m just trying to give you a surprise,” Xia Chen quickly clarified. “I knew you had always wanted to find your senior brother. I only confirmed during the New Year that Papa Xu was the person your mom had been looking for! I wanted to keep it a surprise, honestly, it was hard for me to hold it in.”

“Alright, alright, everyone stop arguing about this. Now that our families have met, it’s time to discuss the matters concerning the kids,” said Mom Xu, who had been quiet until now.

Mom Xia looked at her and they shared a knowing smile.

“Mei Yun, I brought you your favorite tea and Huadiao wine,” Papa Xu said as he handed a gift box to Mom Xia.

Mom Xia was surprised; she hadn’t expected her senior brother to remember her favorites after so many years.

“Thank you,” she replied as she took the items and called the manager in to prepare the meal.

After they enjoyed a hearty meal, Xia Chen drove everyone back to the Xia Family home. Although he had initially planned to have Papa Xu and Mom Xu stay at his house, Mom Xia disagreed, saying it was too small and cramped. Besides, she wanted to catch up with her senior brother, and they needed to discuss the wedding plans, so they decided to stay at the Xia Family residence instead.

Xu Xiaoyou was very curious about the relationships among the adults. Although she had heard her mother mention her dad’s past, it had always been fragmented details. Given that he was Mom Xia’s senior brother, he was involved in the same world, and she was surprised to realize that her dad had such an identity.

“Dad, tell me about your past! I’m really curious,” Xu Xiaoyou insisted, trying to get Papa Xu to share his stories.

“What’s there to say about the past? It’s not worth talking about,” Papa Xu tried to deflect.

“Dad, you can’t do that,” Xu Xiaoyou said, wrapping her arms around Papa Xu’s. “Look, everyone else knows about your past, but I don’t. That’s not fair!”

“Are you really that interested in knowing about your dad’s past?” Papa Xu asked.

“Absolutely!”

“Do you have any regrets?”

“Definitely not! How could I regret getting to know my dad better?”

Papa Xu had once been involved in the underground world, which Xu Xiaoyou knew because Mom Xu had mentioned it, but she didn’t know exactly what he did back then.

“Back then, I did everything,” Papa Xu said slowly as he settled onto the couch.

“I fought, claimed territory, and even considered going into business. But as a person from the underworld, transitioning to a legitimate life requires a tremendous amount of time and effort, as well as connections in various fields. At that time, I was solely focused on strengthening the gang and never thought about cleaning up my act.”

“Later, my master, Ah Xia’s grandfather, passed away. Right before he died, he held my hand and urged me to lead our brothers onto the right path and start fresh. It was then that I realized I shouldn’t just think about fighting and claiming territory; I had to consider the future for myself and my brothers. That’s when I began my journey to go legitimate.”

“That path was truly challenging. It took us over a year to make just a small step. Eventually, I used my connections to spread the brothers across various factories. I figured if I kept them all together, we would draw too much attention. If we separated for a while, they might forget their past and find new opportunities.”

“How did you meet Mom?” Xu Xiaoyou asked, recalling that her mother was from the south and had said she had never been to City S. So, it must have been after Papa Xu moved south that he had met her mother.

“When my career was just starting, I encountered difficulties, so I left City S and went to City Y, where I met your mom.”

“And what about Mom Xia? Was that when she found her way to a legitimate life as well?” Xu Xiaoyou was full of questions.

Mom Xia glanced at Papa Xu and Mom Xu, nodding as she said, “Yes, it was because of that that I met Xia Chen’s father.”

“Well, since you understand so much, shouldn’t we let your parents rest? They’ve had a long day and need to sleep early,” Xia Chen interjected, gently steering the conversation. Why did this girl have to dig so deeply?

“You’re right! Mom and Dad must be tired from flying today. I can’t believe I forgot about that and kept pestering Dad to share stories from the past. I’m really unfilial,” Xu Xiaoyou said with a sense of guilt.

“You, you, you’re like a child who never grows up. I hope when you have kids, they won’t be like you,” Mom Xu chuckled.

Hearing Mom Xu say this, Xia Chen and Mom Xia exchanged glances. Kids? That felt like a very distant dream.

“That’s okay; I actually like Xu Xiaoyou’s personality. It would be interesting if our kid turned out like her,” Xia Chen defended Xu Xiaoyou.

“Kids, kids, it’s too early to be talking about this. I’m not even pregnant yet, and you’re already worrying about future children,” Xu Xiaoyou pouted.

With that, the two families considered their formal meeting complete. Regarding the wedding plans, Papa Xu thought it would be best for Mom Xia to take the lead since Xu Xiaoyou would be marrying into the Xia Family. He pointed out that weddings these days were all flashy and elaborate, something their generation couldn’t quite grasp. Plus, given the Xia Family’s social standing, it would be essential to host an extravagant affair. Various people from different sectors would likely attend, most of whom they wouldn’t know, so it made sense to let Mom Xia take charge.

Their new home was almost finished with renovations. Xu Xiaoyou had visited a few times and was very pleased with how it turned out. With just a month left before they could move in, Xia Chen accompanied Xu Xiaoyou on her visits. He realized that she had quite a talent for design and wondered why she had chosen to study journalism in the first place. But perhaps that was what brought them together, leading to their relationship today.