Love in the Fast Lane - Chapter 60 - The Same Old Topic

Mo Zihan’s eyes began to blink rapidly again, leaving her mom speechless for a while before finally poking her on the forehead with a resigned look. “Silly girl, when Xiao Tang cooked at home, it was because he’s filial and knows how to care for his parents-it’s only natural. But now that you’re together, he’s been happily cooking for you all this time and doesn’t let you into the kitchen while he’s frying stuff. Do you know why? It’s to keep the oil and smoke from ruining your skin. These days, which cosmetic products don’t have some harmful side effects? Sure, your skin looks fine now, but what about in a few years? Do you think it will still be this good? By keeping you out of the kitchen, he’s ensuring you can go a few more years without relying on makeup. Xiao Tang doesn’t want to tell you this directly, so he comes up with lots of excuses to push you out of the kitchen. Do you now understand his good intentions?”

Huh? Is this what they call good intentions?

However, seeing that her mom was about to digress from cosmetics to international affairs, Mo Zihan, well aware of her mom’s lecturing skills, quickly nodded like a pecking chick. “I know, I know, I get it. Let’s leave this topic aside. I need to warn our relatives not to force Tang Ning to drink too much tonight. He always works on writing and designing at night, doesn’t sleep well during the day, and has been worried about me traveling and not resting well due to thinking someone might steal my things from the lower bunk. If he drinks more, he’ll definitely get sick.”

Only then did her mom approve, “That’s more like it. We don’t expect Xiao Tang to become some hugely successful person. People like that usually aren’t too responsible towards their families. You’re still young. As long as you have enough to eat and wear, and can live a decent life, that’s enough for now. Don’t rush for more; it will come with time. As for you youngsters, you shouldn’t smoke or drink too much, but these few days, we can’t avoid it-that’s the rules. At the very least, we need to follow them. And since it’s Xiao Tang’s first visit, don’t worry, with me here, no one will dare to take advantage of his kindness.”

Hearing her mom’s words made Mo Zihan increasingly nervous. It felt as though her mom genuinely considered Tang Ning her future son-in-law. Mo Zihan cautiously responded, “You know, this is your first time meeting Tang Ning, right?”

Knowing her daughter well, Mo Zihan’s mom immediately picked up on her hesitance and glared at her. “What do you mean by that? From your tone, it sounds like you’re not entirely satisfied with Xiao Tang. What are you thinking? Are you just having fun, or are you still unsure?”

Mo Zihan quickly replied, “No, no, it’s not that. It’s just that we both feel it’s still a bit early…”

“Early for what?” her mom snapped. “Look at so-and-so, they’re your age and their kid is already in kindergarten, in the senior class even. And you think it’s still early? Any later, and you’ll be in your thirties! I think Xiao Tang feels pressured by you. I’m warning you, if you’re not planning to just fool around for a few years, then put away your little schemes. Understand?”

With such heavy words, what else could she do?

Mo Zihan had no choice but to repeatedly assure her mom that both she and Tang Ning were serious. After signing several “unequal treaties” with her mom, Mo Zihan finally left the room. Seeing her relatives chatting in the living room, she quickly darted into the kitchen.

Tang Ning, preparing the last dish, looked surprised. “What’s going on? Get out of here; the oil and smoke are too strong.”

Mo Zihan, still uneasy, clutched her chest and said with a crestfallen face, “Tang Ning, it’s over. I was just forced by my mom to…”

“Oh?” Tang Ning immediately set down the spatula. “Did you tell the truth? It’s all right. We’ll just say it started as a temporary measure, and then our fake relationship turned real. It’s fine, it’s fine. If you can’t handle it, I’m still here.”

Mo Zihan, blushing, replied, “No, that’s not it. I’m not that silly. What I mean is I just signed several unequal treaties with my mom. I think after the New Year, they’ll actually pressure us to get married. What are we going to do?”

Tang Ning’s hand trembled slightly. He asked, somewhat unintentionally, “Oh? So, what do you think we should do?”

Mo Zihan, looking pitiful, thought for a moment before giving Tang Ning a sidelong glance and whispering, “Would you agree to that?”

Tang Ning picked up the spatula and walked back to the stove. “Me? I think it’s no big deal. I don’t have any objections.”

Mo Zihan was silent for a moment, then bit her lip and huffed, “Just because you’re willing doesn’t mean I’m fine with it. It feels like you’re getting off too easy. Originally, I was just helping you out. And now, look at you, scoring such a big deal. Don’t you think our time together has been too short?”

Tang Ning shrugged. “We could get married first and then date. It’s quite trendy. We could give it a try.”

Mo Zihan grabbed his arm and pretended to bite him. “You’re taking this too lightly. I still can’t wrap my head around it. Never mind, I won’t argue with you. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Thinking too much now is pointless. We’re already pushed to this point, and we can never reveal the truth. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time.”

Tang Ning seemed to have anticipated her response and chuckled. He began guiding her out of the kitchen again. Mo Zihan, looking pitiful, raised her head and said, “It’s cold outside. Can’t I stay here and keep warm?”

Tang Ning patted her cheek. “Be good. The oil and smoke aren’t good for your skin. If the living room is too crowded, you can rest in the side room. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. It’s not good to keep everyone waiting. You see, they’ve already turned on the lights.”

Mo Zihan scrunched her nose and reluctantly went to the side room. More and more, she seemed to enjoy every minute she spent with Tang Ning. When had this started? Probably since Tang Ning moved in with her. Gradually, the feeling had grown stronger. From the moment they started living together, her initial wariness and defensiveness had slowly faded. By now, it seemed she couldn’t sleep well unless he was beside her at night.

She remembered one night when Tang Ning had gone out drinking with some friends who were passing through. Left alone at home, she couldn’t sleep all night. She kept drifting off but wasn’t able to fall into a deep sleep. It felt like something was missing and she didn’t feel safe.

It was probably from then on that she didn’t reject the idea of living with Tang Ning deep down. There had been other people in the house back then-specifically, Tang Ning’s parents were still around.

From that moment on, Mo Zihan had subconsciously pondered the issue. Even though she never expressed it openly, she knew she couldn’t live without Tang Ning.

Before long, the sounds from the kitchen came to a halt, and Mo Zihan’s dad started inviting guests to the dining table. Mo Zihan got up and ran to the kitchen to find that all the dishes were ready. She helped her mom carry the dishes to the living room, where the stove was burning brightly, creating a cozy and warm atmosphere. The dampness in the air was completely eliminated as soon as they closed the door.

However, Mo Zihan was still worried. With so many relatives, each having different tastes, she wondered if they would like the food Tang Ning had prepared. She had already grown accustomed to the flavors from outside, but what if her relatives didn’t enjoy the meal? That could ruin Tang Ning’s impression.

Fortunately, the elderly members of the family had more decisive opinions. Mo Zihan’s grandmother invited her grandfather and a few other older relatives to the table first. They sampled the dishes, and to Mo Zihan’s delight, they all said the food was delicious and suited their local tastes.

Tang Ning, on the other hand, seemed very composed, as if he had anticipated this outcome. But Mo Zihan noticed that when his back was turned, he subtly exhaled a sigh of relief. This behavior showed her that Tang Ning actually cared a lot about making a good impression. After all, no matter how confident you are, can you really expect everyone to be satisfied with everything you do?

That night, Tang Ning drank quite a bit. Although Mo Zihan couldn’t tell exactly how drunk he was, she knew that he had been drinking Baijiu¹, and his slightly glazed eyes were a clear sign that he was indeed tipsy.

Mo Zihan couldn’t understand why Tang Ning didn’t even try to hide it a little.

As they were getting ready to rest for the night, Mo Zihan was about to head upstairs when her mom pulled her aside and quietly asked, “Xiaohan, did you guys buy any insurance before you came back?”

Mo Zihan felt a wave of exasperation rush over her. Oh great, it’s that question again!

Footnote:

1. Baijiu(白酒):Baijiu is a traditional Chinese distilled liquor, typically made from grains such as sorghum, corn, and wheat. It has a much higher alcohol content compared to beer, making it significantly stronger.