Love in the Fast Lane - Novelbike

The sudden appearance of Third Uncle made Tang Ning break out in a cold sweat. What kind of person could be so formidable? However, upon further reflection, Tang Ning wasn’t too surprised.

He himself was currently seeking help from Mo Zihan, and he had agreed to assist Mo Zihan during the upcoming New Year. Even though they hadn’t yet discussed the specifics-like when they would meet, start dating, or move in together-Tang Ning felt that Mo Zihan might have employed the same approach.

Of course, if Tang Ning knew that Mo Zihan hadn’t even thought about how to explain things to her family yet, he might not have wanted to say anything at all.

In reality, Mo Zihan’s straightforward personality meant that she still hadn’t figured out how to talk to her family. She thought that since she had mentioned it to her mother last time, there was no need for her family to ask for detailed explanations.

Naturally, when the moment of truth arrived, Mo Zihan would have to think it through carefully. However, since that critical moment hadn’t arrived yet, she wasn’t overly concerned.

You must understand, right? Besides, according to Mo Zihan’s thinking, it wasn’t really a big deal.

“So, Third Uncle, are you here on a business trip or…?” Mo Zihan asked.

Third Uncle placed his bag down, rubbed his hands together, and smiled, “Firstly, I came to stock up on some goods, and secondly, I came to see you. Your situation has worried the family for years. You’re almost thirty now, and everyone is anxious. Now that I’m here, your parents are scared you might not be telling the whole truth, so they sent me to check on you secretly. But now I’ve seen everything, and it’s great. I can report back with a clear conscience.”

Tang Ning and Mo Zihan exchanged bewildered glances. What was going on? Were they really going to go through with this charade?

Mo Zihan felt helpless. It seemed her turn to worry about whether Tang Ning would cooperate had come. If he decided to run now, seeing how tough the situation was, what would she do? Right now, she was in too deep, and if Tang Ning was scared off by Third Uncle’s grand entrance, she would be in big trouble.

Fortunately, Tang Ning gave her a reassuring look, signaling that she could trust him to handle it. Otherwise, Mo Zihan really wouldn’t know how to respond to Third Uncle.

“Then, where will you stay?” Mo Zihan asked.

Third Uncle looked at her oddly and replied, “I came to see you, where else would I stay? Have you forgotten how much I’ve spoiled you over the years? Oh…” Then, as if realizing something, Third Uncle glanced between the two of them, and after a moment, let out a peculiar chuckle, “Oh, I see, I see. Alright, I’ll find a place to stay. Heh heh.”

Mo Zihan’s neck flushed red, and Tang Ning felt like he was drenched in hot sauce, but he didn’t dare say anything that might raise suspicion. After thinking it over, Mo Zihan reluctantly suggested, “How about you stay at my place, Third Uncle? I just moved out a few days ago and haven’t returned the keys to the landlord yet…”

Third Uncle winked at Tang Ning and let out another odd laugh, nodding, “Oh, you’ve already moved, have you? Alright, Xiao Tang, make sure to hold onto those bags carefully. It’s better if some things aren’t seen by others. Ahaha.”

Mo Zihan stomped on Tang Ning’s foot. Who told you not to hold the bags properly? Now we’re both embarrassed. Hmph, you definitely need some punishment.

However, Mo Zihan hadn’t figured out how to punish him yet, but that didn’t stop her from stomping on his foot a few more times.

“Alright, alright. So, I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” Third Uncle confirmed once more.

Tang Ning quickly replied, “No, no, actually…”

Mo Zihan quickly interrupted him. Are you going to die if you don’t speak? What happens if you slip up? In this situation, the best thing is for us not to attract any more trouble. What do you want to achieve? Don’t you understand? The less we say now, even better if we don’t say anything at all, the better it is!

Fortunately, Third Uncle didn’t catch what Tang Ning was about to say, thinking the two were just embarrassed in front of him. He spoke earnestly, “You two aren’t young anymore. Xiao Tang must be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, right? This is good. In today’s society, even young kids in elementary school hold hands and go out. In the old days, you’d both be settled down by now. I completely understand this, so there’s no need to be embarrassed. Relax, Xiao Tang is a good guy, and he knows how to take care of our daughter. I’ll definitely put in a good word for you with your mother-in-law.”

Then he picked up his bag, “So, shall we go now?”

Mo Zihan didn’t know exactly how she felt, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, there was a hint of joy. She exhaled softly, “Let’s go then, let’s drop off the things first, and we’ll take you out for dinner.”

Third Uncle waved his hand, “What are you talking about? I’m a grown man, I can find a place to eat on my own! Besides, you two are working hard here, making money isn’t easy. Save your money for yourselves, no need to take care of me.”

Though Third Uncle could be somewhat unscrupulous, his words made Tang Ning feel a genuine warmth. In this society, the term “mother-in-law” has often replaced the historical notion of the “evil mother-in-law,” instantly conjuring an image of a fierce figure for most men. And the extended family of the mother-in-law only adds to this intimidating image.

But now, this middle-aged man’s sincere language made Tang Ning feel a sense of closeness. There are still many good people in this world, even though… it didn’t really matter if they were good people or not in his case. He and Mo Zihan were just helping each other out, nothing more. Don’t overthink it and give anyone reason to laugh at you.

Mo Zihan’s previous room was supposed to be taken back by the landlord in the next few days. It should have already been reclaimed, but the landlord happened to be away, giving Mo Zihan a few additional days. The landlord would come back in a few days to reclaim the place. Thus, Third Uncle could stay there for the night without fear of being kicked out by a returning landlord in the middle of the night.

When they arrived at the place, Mo Zihan took out her keys and opened the door. The inside wasn’t very organized, but it wasn’t too messy either. Qi Xiaomeng had stayed there for a night, and she was a meticulous person who didn’t allow anything to be out of place. If Mo Zihan hadn’t come by to pick up some of her personal clothes in the past couple of days, the place would have been even tidier.

Third Uncle looked around and commented with a smile, “It seems you two haven’t been living together for long; this place still needs cleaning.”

Boiling some water, Tang Ning went out to buy some tea leaves. He made tea to help them relax and ease their tiredness. After a short rest, they invited Third Uncle to a small local restaurant-Third Uncle wasn’t fond of Western cuisine, something he and Tang Ning had in common.

Third Uncle was firm in his opinion: Western food, altered by locals, wasn’t fit for consumption in his view. He would rather eat heartily at a roadside stall than sit in one of those places.

Tang Ning’s taste in food delighted Third Uncle immensely. In his words, Tang Ning was “genuine, without any pretentiousness, which is great.” Furthermore, Third Uncle promised to put in a good word for Tang Ning with the drama mom. It was clear he was serious, not just offering empty promises.

Tang Ning, sweating profusely, could only respond vaguely, feeling extremely embarrassed but unable to show any surprise. All he could do was repeatedly serve Third Uncle food and pour him drinks. Over time, Third Uncle got quite drunk. It was then that Mo Zihan realized Tang Ning, who usually didn’t touch a drop of alcohol, was actually quite the drinker. Despite Third Uncle’s business-honed drinking capacity, Tang Ning managed to keep up, and even after Third Uncle was down, Tang Ning was still fine.

However, drinking that much beer, even if it doesn’t make you drunk, certainly makes you need to use the restroom. As Tang Ning got up to go to the bathroom, Third Uncle suddenly opened his bleary eyes, startling Mo Zihan.

“Third Uncle, y-you’re not drunk?”

Third Uncle chuckled, “How can I test this guy if I’m really drunk? He’s good; let’s go with it. I’ll keep pretending to be drunk. Remember to take me back later. And you two should think about bringing Xiao Tang home for the New Year. So many relatives are concerned about your relationship. They should meet Xiao Tang. I think he’s fine.”

Mo Zihan was worried!