Chapter 246 - 243: Ping’an’s Sweetheart
Wang Xiaojuan smiled and shook her head. She gave Li Xiu a nod and walked away. She didn’t want to face the happy couple either. Their constant affection was a sight to behold, but ’that aura of his is really too much for most people to handle!’
Li Xiu gently helped Zhou Lian to her feet and, taking her hand, led her away from the corner. It was time to start socializing. Though everyone knew the ball’s true purpose, they still had to keep up appearances.
Seeing the couple finally approach, Mrs. Ping smiled and said, "Come say hello to everyone. It’s getting late, and they’ll be leaving soon!"
Li Xiu and Zhou Lian stood beside her with charming smiles. At Mrs. Ping’s words, they greeted each of the ladies in turn. Li Xiu patted Zhou Lian’s hand, leaving her to chat with them. The ball was about to end, and he still had some arrangements to take care of.
Seeing that Miss Liu’s mother was among the ladies, Zhou Lian subtly began asking about Miss Liu’s recent goings-on. These women were all seasoned experts in social maneuvering; one look was enough for them to understand that Li Xiu and his wife had set their sights on the Liu Family. As if on cue, they all stole a glance at Mrs. Ping.
Mrs. Ping froze for an imperceptible second before instantly composing herself, her smile hardly changing. She was surprised by Zhou Lian’s behavior but said nothing. Although Miss Liu wasn’t on their list, Zhou Lian was clearly doing this intentionally. ’There must be an inside story,’ she thought.
After making arrangements for the guests’ departure, Zhou Lian personally escorted Madam Liu out by the arm. At the entrance to the hall, they ran into Miss Liu. Zhou Lian smiled at the younger woman and said, "I hear you have a week-long vacation. You should come visit when you’re free. The garden at my home is lovely. Even in winter, it has a unique charm. Aunt Liu, wouldn’t you agree?"
Seeing her daughter’s face suddenly flush bright red, Mrs. Liu understood everything. No wonder the normally gentle and reserved Zhou Lian had initiated a conversation with her and was now personally seeing her out. Looking up into Zhou Lian’s sincere eyes, Mrs. Liu sighed in relief. "It’s true, this garden has a very unique charm. And it seems you’ve gone to some trouble for my girl!"
"Oh, don’t say that! We’re practically family," Zhou Lian said, pressing her advantage. "Miss Liu is so dashing and spirited, I liked her the moment I saw her. I’ll have someone pick her up to visit tomorrow!"
Looking at Zhou Lian’s earnest expression, Madam Liu glanced helplessly at her daughter, then back at Zhou Lian, who was waiting for an answer with wide, innocent eyes. She gave a slight nod in agreement, thinking, ’No wonder Li Xiu keeps this woman so well hidden. If an old lady like me can’t resist her, what chance does anyone else have!’
After the guests had departed, and Li Bao and his wife had seen Zhang Hongying off, only Li Xiu, Zhou Lian, Mrs. Ping, and Ping’an remained. Finding himself the focus of three pairs of eyes, Ping’an cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
The corner of Zhou Lian’s lips curled into a half-smile. "You’ve really matured," she said, her tone teasing. "What was that about ’marrying her’?"
Ping’an, who had been sipping tea to conceal his emotions, choked on the mouthful. He coughed for what felt like an eternity, his face flushing red as he stared at Zhou Lian. He opened his mouth to speak, but after a glance at the formidable Li Xiu standing guard by her side, he swallowed his words. He looked down, dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief to hide his embarrassment. ’How did she know? Before today, I’m sure Jin Chen and Mom had no idea. In that case...’
He looked up at Zhou Lian in shock, stammering, "S-s-sis... h-how...?"
"You want to ask how I found out?" Zhou Lian said, amused by his flustered state as she raised an eyebrow.
Seeing a gesture so similar to one Jin Chen would make, Ping’an’s heart skipped a beat. He blushed but nodded anyway.
Raising her cup, Zhou Lian took a delicate sip of tea. "Oh, let’s see now," she said slowly. "It’s been a few years. Mmm, four or five years, I think!"
Both Li Xiu and Mrs. Ping stared at Zhou Lian in shock. Li Xiu knew she’d found out early on, but he never imagined it had been that long ago. Mrs. Ping was utterly stunned. She had only just realized that Ping’an might be interested in Miss Liu, only to now be told that Zhou Lian had known all along!
Ping’an shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "S-Sis, how... how did you... know?"
"Ping’an, have you never noticed how sensitive you are to the name ’Miss Liu’?" she retorted irritably. "A few years ago, Aunt Zhou introduced you to a girl with the surname Liu. Did you think I was blind? Or that I studied psychology for fun? I wanted to see what you’d do, and you really are something else. All these years, and you’re still marching in place. So impressive!"
’I originally couldn’t be bothered to meddle in his affairs, but who would have thought that Li Xiu and I would come to genuinely care for the boy? But his sluggishness is really in a league of its own!’
"Ping’an, when did you develop feelings for Miss Liu? We wouldn’t have objected, so why did you..." Hearing this, Mrs. Ping could hardly bear to look at her own son. ’Zhou Lian figured it out five years ago, back when she barely knew Ping’an and wasn’t paying him any attention. For her to have seen it then... I’ve really been blind to what’s right under my nose!’
"I... I..." Ping’an stammered, unable to form a coherent explanation. ’What can I say? That I only just figured out my own heart tonight? Or that I used to just think of Shengnan as one of the guys?’
"Pfft..." Zhou Lian couldn’t stand watching his idiotic display any longer. With a mischievous grin, she said, "Aunt Zhou, you can stop asking him. He probably only figured it out himself tonight!"
Seeing Ping’an stare at her in terror, Zhou Lian sighed in resignation. "Ping’an, your IQ isn’t low. You’ve learned all sorts of things from Jin Chen, so your temperament and strategic mind are both decent. It’s just... your EQ is genuinely worrying."
Mrs. Ping asked Zhou Lian curiously, "And how did you know that?" Seeing her son’s dumbstruck expression, she feared Zhou Lian had hit the nail on the head.
Instead of answering, Zhou Lian said softly, "Aunt Zhou, you should discuss this with Elder Ping tomorrow. We should move forward with the betrothal gifts. With this boy’s EQ, I’m honestly afraid Miss Liu will see right through him and want nothing more to do with him!"
"Aunt Zhou, the Liu Family is a good choice," Li Xiu said, smiling at Mrs. Ping. "They have courage and foresight, their family has strong morals, and they conduct themselves properly. There are no problems there. And that young woman has a resilient character; her IQ and EQ both leave Ping’an in the dust." Then a thought seemed to strike him, and he turned to Zhou Lian hesitantly. "But, Bao’er, how does she feel about Ping’an?"
Zhou Lian patted Li Xiu’s arm and said gently, "She’s the same age as Ping’an. They’re both 27, almost 28, and she’s never been in a relationship or gone on a single blind date."
Upon hearing this, both Mrs. Ping and Li Xiu relaxed. It seemed Miss Liu was also fond of Ping’an. ’That’s good! That’s very good!’
Glancing at Ping’an, who was grinning like an idiot, Zhou Lian said impatiently, "Alright, Ping’an, it’s getting late. You should take Aunt Zhou home. First thing tomorrow morning, go pick up Miss Liu!"
Ping’an nodded enthusiastically, then got up and went downstairs to start the car. Watching him go, Zhou Lian helped Mrs. Ping stand up. "Aunt Zhou, don’t overthink things. It’s too late tonight. We can talk about the details another day. For now, it’s enough for you to know that the Liu Family is a good family, and Miss Liu is a good person."