Chapter 19: Older Than You or Older Than Us?

Standing at his front door, Xiao Yu’s hand shook slightly as he held the key.

How long had it been since his mom had last scolded him?

He’d abandoned his blind date and hadn’t been home for two days. Was he in for a disastrous scolding?

Xiao Yu felt like an ant on a hot plate, frantically brainstorming ways to diffuse the situation.

Wait, didn’t he have a girlfriend now?

The thought brought a smile to his face, steadying his trembling hand. This was the only escape plan he could muster. It was worth a shot in this dire situation.

Quietly opening the door, he tiptoed into the darkened living room.

Strange, wasn’t it just ten o’clock? Had his parents retired to bed this early?

The anxiety that had been choking him eased, settling his heart back into his chest.

Facing ruthless criminals was one thing, but why did the thought of facing his mother instill such fear?

Childhood traumas indeed!

His mother’s disciplinary methods were straightforward and tough. In one word, it was severe.

Though this approach to child-rearing might not have been the most orthodox, it was undeniably effective.

After all, his mother was a veteran of the provincial Sanda team. In matters of disciplining her child and husband, she always knew how to strike a balance.

Just as Xiao Yu had slipped into his house slippers,

Click.

The living room lights snapped on.

Xiao Yu: Σ⊙▽⊙!

His pupils contracted slightly, and with a rigid neck, he slowly turned, inch by inch, to face the sofa.

There, his mother sat with an icy expression, calmly setting down the remote control.

His father was perched quietly beside her, barely daring to breathe, continuously casting meaningful glances at his son. ‘Son, you’re on your own!’

Mom: (￢_￢)

Xiao Yu: (￣ω￣;)

Time trudged slowly in the silent hall.

Liu Yunqing sat with the dignified air of an empress dowager, eyes narrowed as she gazed at her son.

Xiao Yu’s forehead glistened with nervous sweat.

He wished he could fortify himself with a buff that rendered him unflappable even in the face of disaster. But alas… that was beyond his power.

“Come here,” Liu Yunqing commanded.

Xiao Yu hurriedly approached and sat down obediently beside his mother.

“You think staying silent will make this go away?” Liu Yunqing reached out, twisted her son’s ear, and sneered.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Xiao Yu offered a sheepish smile. “It’s just that every time my mom gets angry with me, I never get tired of watching her.”

“Pfft!” Xiao Shengguo burst into laughter, giving his son an approving thumbs up.

Liu Yunqing’s mouth twitched, struggling to keep a straight face, “Go on.”

“Besides, Mom is stunningly beautiful.” Xiao Yu continued earnestly, “I couldn’t possibly interrupt such a sight!”

“Haha!” Liu Yunqing couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore and released her son’s ear.

Xiao Yu exhaled deeply, feeling like he narrowly escaped.

Xiao Shengguo’s eyes sparkled with admiration, thinking, ‘That’s a good one to remember.’

Indeed, Liu Yunqing was quite attractive.

In her youth, she might not have been a ravishing beauty, but she was impressively spirited and strong-willed, even clinching awards in national women’s Sanda competitions.

Otherwise, why would Xiao Shengguo, a handsome man himself, have fallen for her?

Speaking of Xiao Shengguo, standing tall at 183 cm, he possessed an elegant demeanor, sharp features, and deep, dark eyes that held a lifetime of wisdom and charm. The kind of allure that could make young girls swoon.

No wonder this couple had such a handsome and impressive son.

“What was that about the day before yesterday? Abandoning Aunt Zhou’s daughter and running off with another woman?” Liu Yunching’s eyebrows shot up. “Come on, out with it. What really happened?”

“Hey now, he’s just got back. Ease up a bit,” Xiao Shengguo chimed in, seeing his wife’s temper wasn’t flaring.

But at Liu Yunching’s sharp glance, he quickly clammed up.

Xiao Yu rolled his eyes at his dad, quickly adopting an appeasing demeanor. He gently took his mother’s arm, smilingly explaining, “What other woman? She’s… your future daughter-in-law. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was afraid you might disapprove. Mom, you wanted me to go on that blind date, right? Well, she found out and showed up there to find me.”

“Ah?” Both Liu Yunching and Xiao Shengguo exclaimed in unison.

Their son had a girlfriend already?

Why didn’t they know about it?

“Really?” Liu Yunching sounded skeptical. “Why would you think we’d disapprove?”

“Well…” Xiao Yu feigned hesitation, looking slightly troubled, “She’s older than me, quite a bit older.”

“How much older?” Xiao Shengguo asked with concern.

It was about his son’s girlfriend, and they’d kept it a secret from the parents.

Was she older than Xiao Yu, or even older than them, his parents?

The couple exchanged a look, each reading the alarm on the other’s face. They felt a sudden urge to buy heart-saving pills.

Seeing the shock on his parents’ faces, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but feel amused, yet he maintained a serious tone, “She’s… six years older than me.”

“Phew!” The couple exhaled in unison, relieved.

This kid nearly gave them a heart attack.

In this day and age, it wasn’t uncommon for couples to have over a decade age difference. So, what’s six years?

“She might be older, but that’s not necessarily a problem. It’s more about the person,” Xiao Shengguo, the family head, prepared to give his two cents.

“Go sit over there.” Liu Yunching rolled her eyes at her husband and then turned to her son, “Bring her home tomorrow. If you don’t, you’re dead meat.”

Xiao Yu: “…”

I knew it would come to this!