Chapter 319

Chapter 319 Family Gathering

Lin You Xi was helping Mei Fang tend to his injuries when Mei Fang received a call from his father, Mei Lijun.

“We’re at the entrance of the neighborhood. The security won’t let us in without registering. What’s your apartment number again?”

“Can’t even remember that… It’s Unit 1302 in Building 3… Ah, tsk tsk!”

“Did I hurt you?”

Lin You Xi asked, “Let me be more gentle.”

“It’s fine, just keep going…”

Mei Fang continued talking to Mei Lijun, but Mei Lijun’s voice on the other end sounded very soft.

“Son, if you’re not comfortable, should we come over later?”

“It’s fine, what’s uncomfortable? What are you thinking about? Yuan and her parents have arrived. Come up quickly.”

While Mei Fang and Lin You Xi were busy inside, the Meis knocked on the door.

Xia Yuan ran up to greet them upon hearing the knock. As soon as she saw Mei Fang’s parents, she greeted them with a smile.

“Uncle Mei, Aunt Xiang, you’re here!”

“Big Sister Yuan!”

Little Mei Ya threw herself into Xia Yuan’s arms. Xia Yuan stroked Mei Ya’s head and couldn’t help but comment, “Xiao Ya, Xiao Ya, you’re changing so much. At the beginning of the year, you were this tall, now you’re almost at my chest.”

“Hmm… because I never picky eat! I drink milk every day!”

Mei Ya told Xia Yuan seriously, “My brother said astronauts have height requirements, so I need to grow taller quickly.”

“Mm-hm, Xiao Ya, keep it up!”

When Mei Lijun and Xiang Xiaxia met Xia Yuan, they felt a bit conflicted. After all, they had been together and then broke up, and Xia Yuan had ended things with Mei Fang. It was impossible not to feel some resentment.

But seeing her still热情地对待他们, their doubts diminished significantly.

Xiang Xiaxia immediately grabbed Xia Yuan’s hand and sighed, “You’ve become even prettier, Yuan Yuan. Being a big star really makes a difference.”

“But you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight…”

Mei Lijun scratched his head, “Is it because your appetite—”

He was interrupted by Xiang Xiaxia with a jab. Xia Yuan awkwardly scratched her head and said, “I was a bit overweight before, so I exercised and lost weight with Afang.”

“Oh, children in their developmental stage shouldn’t be dieting. Yuan Yuan, you weren’t fat to begin with, you were so healthy…”

“Still, it’s important to manage your diet…”

Xia Yuan waved her hand and said, “Anyway, come in and sit down. Let’s chat.”

At this moment, Xia Xun and Teacher Yu also stood up to greet Mei Lijun and Xiang Xiaxia.

Optimistic father Mei Lijun waved enthusiastically, “Teacher Yu, Old Xia, you’re here too!”

Teacher Yu smiled, “Sister Xiaxia, you seem to be getting younger.”

“That’s not something you should say… I must be getting older. You look like sisters standing next to Yuan Yuan…”

Compared to the warmth between the three, Xia Xun spoke very little, only softly greeting:

“Uncle Mei, Sister Xiaxia.”

During the time when Xia Yuan and Mei Fang were dating, Xia Xun used to call Mei Lijun “Lijun Brother,” but now, after pulling back, it seemed distant.

Despite years of interaction in politics, Mei Lijun didn’t mind the cold reception and warmly patted Xia Xun’s shoulder.

“Oh, why are you calling me like that again? Don’t call me Uncle Mei. We’ve known each other for so long, why not call me Lijun Brother?”

Xiang Xiaxia added, “Exactly… We’ve been neighbors for so many years, don’t be so distant.”

Xia Xun was attacked by everyone, including his wife and daughter, for the distant term. Despite being a powerful figure in the county business world, he couldn’t control the family dynamics. He could only promise to change.

After some small talk, Lin You Xi and Mei Fang came out of the room, and everyone’s attention shifted to Lin You Xi.

“Uncle Mei, Uncle Xia, Aunt Xiang, Teacher Yu, you’re here…”

Unlike Xia Yuan’s confident demeanor, Lin You Xi displayed a gentle and virtuous grace in front of the elders.

Xiang Xiaxia truly wanted to praise Lin You Xi, but had to hold back due to Xia Yuan’s family.

Straightforward Mei Lijun had no qualms and couldn’t help but marvel, “Well done! You’ve changed so much… Like a big star, truly beautiful.”

Lin You Xi smiled, “Thank you, Uncle Mei.”

Mei Ya patted her father’s shoulder, “Dad, how can you be so lacking in vocabulary? Every time you see Sister You Xi, you say the same thing. You said the same thing at the beginning of the year!”

“At the beginning, it wasn’t so obvious, but now…”

Mei Lijun scratched his head, “Ah, I can’t explain it.”

“Is it because you think Sister You Xi suddenly seems more mature?”

“Yes, exactly!”

…

Mei Lijun and Mei Ya couldn’t stop praising Lin You Xi. Xia Xun appeared calm on the surface but felt slightly uneasy.

Xia Xun’s dissatisfaction +10.

“Alright, let’s stop for now… Since everyone’s here, let’s prepare to eat.”

Mei Fang chimed in, “Yuan and You Xi have been preparing since morning!”

“If they’ve been preparing since morning, you wouldn’t have been sleeping, right?”

Xiang Xiaxia frowned, “That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Of course not, I definitely helped!”

“That sounds better.”

Xiang Xiaxia nodded, “Yuan and You Xi are treasures to their parents, not to serve you. All three of you need to support each other.”

Mei Fang sounded somewhat aggrieved, “I know, I know… When I fell outside, you didn’t comfort me, and instead scolded me. Isn’t that a bit biased?”

“Hmph, you’re a grown man. You don’t need comfort. Getting sentimental with age isn’t becoming of a boss.”

“Hahaha!”

The laughter of the three families eased Xia Xun’s dissatisfaction.

Xia Xun’s dissatisfaction -10.

Lin You Xi invited everyone to sit down for dinner, “Today’s meal was prepared by Yuan and me. We’ve been cooking ourselves recently, and Yuan’s skills have improved greatly.”

“I didn’t do much… This stir-fried pork with mushrooms and this braised chicken were made by me…”

Just as Xia Yuan finished speaking, Xia Xun picked up a piece of chicken to taste.

“Mm, delicious… Better than what your mother cooks now.”

“What did you bring me into this for?”

Teacher Yu lightly hit her husband’s arm, causing everyone to laugh heartily.

“I’ll try too.”

Xiang Xiaxia took a bite and couldn’t help but praise, “This braised chicken is excellent, restaurant quality.”

“Hehe… You Xi taught me well,” Xia Yuan smiled, “She’s really good at cooking…”

Xia Yuan noticed her father continuously picking at her dishes and pulled his arm, “Dad, try some of You Xi’s dishes too, not just mine.”

“What? There’s no need… This dish is closer to me.”

Mei Fang enjoyed watching the joyful scene of the families, while Little Mei Ya moved around with her bowl, whispering to her brother:

“Still, Sister You Xi’s food tastes better. Big Sister Yuan’s is a bit salty. Why not let Sister You Xi cook everything and say it’s Big Sister Yuan’s?”

“This is adults’ business, you don’t understand…”

Mei Fang patted Mei Ya’s head, “How have you been at school recently? Are you doing well?”

“Hmm, I’m walking around like a king at school now. Everyone wants my autograph and asks me to help them get C Station accounts.”

“I can’t help with that, it might mislead the kids. Parents would complain if they found out.”

Mei Fang thought for a moment, “But I can give away some merchandise. That’s enough.”

“C Station has a lot of merchandise now!”

“They’re still arranging it, but there will be plenty.”

“Great! My brother is the best!”

“But remember, don’t be showy. Don’t bully others just because of your wealth and power. You’re not that kind of person, right?”

“What are you saying! Of course not.”

Mei Ya giggled at Mei Fang, “I’m your sister, Mei Fang.”

Previously, Mei Fang had asked Guo Yun to design Q-version mascots for the three founders. Additionally, he had the UI team design small creature characters like a little TV.

It was worth mentioning that Uncle liked these designs, which made Mei Fang feel a bit guilty.

During the meal, the main focus was on Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan. Initially, Xiang Xiaxia worried that Yuan’s family might be unhappy because she favored Lin You Xi, but seeing that Yuan and You Xi got along well, she expressed her fondness for Lin You Xi more openly, always asking about her well-being.

To succeed in a three-way relationship, one needs to make a good impression on the parents. So, whenever possible, Lin You Xi mentioned Yuan, never trying to stand out, successfully earning goodwill from Teacher Yu and Xia Xun.

No one drank alcohol during lunch. Afterward, Mei Fang, who seemingly had no authority, offered to clean up, while Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi were busy entertaining the parents. Only the kind-hearted sister came to lend a hand.

After the meal, they toured each other’s rooms. To avoid inspection, Mei Fang had certainly moved everything back to his place. Hearing that Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi were still sleeping together, both sets of parents felt reassured, believing that the two girls’ relationship hadn’t been affected by Mei Fang.

Xia Yuan clapped her hands and said, “Alright, alright… Since everything’s settled, let’s go to the villa I booked. We can enjoy the scenery, soak in the hot springs tonight, experience skiing tomorrow, and celebrate New Year’s Eve together!”

Xia Yuan had arranged everything, and her parents had no objections, letting her take charge.

“Yuan Yuan is really acting like an adult now, handling everything herself.”

Mei Lijun smiled, “Speaking of which, you’re a big star now. Don’t you have assistants or agents?”

“Of course! Afang is my agent and assistant. Not just that, he’s also my—”

Xia Yuan suddenly realized everyone was looking at her with complex expressions and realized she had gotten too close.

She intended to let go of Mei Fang’s hand, but Mei Fang held onto hers tightly, “Afang is my agent and assistant. Besides, he’s also my—”

Xia Yuan suddenly realized everyone was looking at her with complex expressions and realized she had gotten too close.

She intended to let go of Mei Fang’s hand, but Mei Fang held onto hers tightly, “Afang is my agent and assistant. Besides, he’s also my—”

Xia Yuan blushed and protested cutely, causing everyone to laugh.

Although they tried to avoid discussing Lin You Xi and Mei Fang’s relationship, it became clear during departure. Lin You Xi voluntarily sat in Mei Lijun’s car.

“Damn, why didn’t you send Afang to sit with Sister Yuan and Sister You Xi? I want to sit with them.”

“Don’t be unreasonable. Parents visiting their daughters rarely get alone time. Of course, You Xi sits with us.”

Xiang Xiaxia smiled at Lin You Xi, “By the way, You Xi, I noticed today that you and Afang are quite close. Are you… okay with that?”

“Not at all, we’ve always been like this.”

On the car, Lin You Xi could finally freely show affection with Mei Fang. Unlike Xia Yuan’s restrained behavior in front of Mei Fang’s parents, Lin You Xi appeared more intimate and enthusiastic, hugging Mei Fang’s arm and leaning on his shoulder.

“When Yuan and Afang were dating, Afang and I didn’t deliberately avoid anything. After all, we grew up together, so we know each other well and wouldn’t be jealous.”

“Oh, that’s true.”

Xiang Xiaxia originally wanted to say that such behavior wasn’t suitable for couples, but was she supposed to remind Lin You Xi to keep Yuan and Mei Fang at a distance?

She wasn’t going to be the bad guy.

“Right… As long as you and Yuan aren’t bothered by it.”

She sighed, “But our son gets all the benefits.”

“Mom, stop calling me a dog son. If you’re a dog mom, then I’m—”

“Right, I’m a dog dad.”

Xiang Xiaxia pointed at Mei Lijun, “Where there’s a dog dad, there’s a dog son.”

“Hey, I’ve been well-behaved today, Mom.”

“The range of damage from your mom is too strong.”

Mei Ya raised her hand, “Can we not discuss pet ownership anymore? I don’t want to be a dog daughter.”

“It depends on your future behavior.”

Xiang Xiaxia looked in the rearview mirror and watched Lin You Xi whisper sweet nothings to Mei Fang.

Without a doubt, this was exactly what she wanted for a daughter-in-law.

If it were Xia Yuan, it would also be quite nice.

Although Yuan wasn’t as mature as You Xi, she truly loved and relied on her son wholeheartedly.

Even after the breakup, their relationship remained close.

There was no sign of any rift.

It was unimaginable that she would leave her son.

Because if there was any pretense, it would reveal itself somehow.

But there was none.

This was strange…

“Therefore, Afang… Although I’ve heard your explanation several times,” Xiang Xiaxia thought for a moment and continued,

“In your opinion, what do you think was the real reason Yuan proposed the breakup?”