Chapter 259 256. Elders
Early in the morning, the sound of children playing outside woke An Han.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, she propped herself up with one hand and looked toward the floor-to-ceiling window nearby. Outside was a perimeter of shrubs forming a fence about a person’s height—enough to block the view of passersby and ensure the privacy of the first floor.
An Han sat on the bed dazed for a long time, scanning the thirty-odd-square-meter guest room. She ran a hand through her messy hair before slowly crawling out of bed and heading into the en-suite bathroom. It seemed every bedroom here came with its own bathroom; this one even had a small bathtub. She had wanted to soak in it last night, but she was worried about accidentally breaking or dirtying Su Peng’s things.
Toiletries had been prepared by a housekeeper before her arrival. Brushing her teeth, she looked in the mirror at her slightly puffy post-sleep face and noticed white flakes of dry skin around her nose. She sighed with a headache, "I forgot to bring my skincare products..."
It was only seven in the morning. Su Peng’s bed was a bit too soft, which had prevented her from sleeping well.
From the direction of the living room, faint voices of conversation seemed to drift in. She looked up curiously but felt a surge of timidity; she didn’t even want to run into the housekeeper Su Peng’s family employed. Once she finished washing up, she sat back down on the bed with nothing to do.
"Rich snob..."
An Han muttered under her breath. Back at school, she couldn’t truly feel the weight of Su Peng’s family wealth, but now she felt a bit flustered—and increasingly curious about him. They say "rich second-generation" kids play around in scandalous ways... but in her daily interactions with Su Peng, the guy seemed no different from any other peer. He liked games, was a bit of a homebody, had no strange fetes, and she’d never heard of him participating in the "full-service" nightlife scene. In fact, he didn't even have many girls around him.
Feeling bored staying in the room, An Han paced restlessly before moving to the door, pressing her ear against it to listen to the conversation outside. She couldn't hear clearly, but assumed it was the housekeeper. After a moment of hesitation, she finally stepped out, wanting to see if Su Peng was awake yet.
Reaching the hallway, she cautiously poked her small head around the corner. Just as she peeked out, she saw a middle-aged man and woman sitting on the sofa—and they happened to be looking right in her direction.
"..."
She zipped her head back instantly. An Han couldn't understand why Su Peng's father was home. Hadn't he said they were away visiting relatives for the New Year and wouldn't be back?
"Hey, young lady, come over here for a second."
An Han’s nerves spiked. She wanted to bolt, but felt it would be too rude. She took two steps out before realizing she was still in her pajamas. Touching her messy hair, she hurried back into the room to tidy herself up. She threw on a trench coat to give herself a more "mature, older-sister" look. Most people shouldn't dislike their child’s friends being mature, right?
Returning to the corner, she peeked out again to find Su Peng's parents still smiling at her, beckoning her over. It seemed an encounter with the "Auntie and Uncle" was inevitable. Judging by their burning gazes, they likely misunderstood her as Su Peng’s girlfriend.
Meeting their scrutinizing looks, An Han awkwardly shuffled forward with tiny steps. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."
After a slight bow of respect, she stood by the sofa, looking down at her feet, feeling completely out of place. Simultaneously, she stole glances at them.
"Su Peng's girlfriend, I saw her once yesterday," Su Guangyu said, turning to his wife. "Quite a cute girl."
Zhang Peiling nodded, warmly patting the spot next to her. "Sit down. Why are you just standing there?"
At this moment, An Han only regretted her curiosity. If she hadn't peeked, she’d still be under the covers playing on her phone instead of being surrounded by Su Peng’s parents.
"I’m not Su Peng’s girlfriend, just a classmate," she explained, sitting down stiffly, her cheeks already flushing.
"We know, we know," Su Guangyu nodded cheerfully.
No matter how lively she usually was, An Han felt incredibly constrained facing elders she didn't know at all. Sitting there with her head down and legs pressed together, she could feel their gazes drifting over her—now on her face, now on her chest—their expressions gradually turning to one of satisfaction.
"So handsome/pretty~" Zhang Peiling’s smile was the definition of maternal.
"An Han~ is staying here comfortable?"
"What do you want to eat later? Auntie will cook for you personally."
Both spoke almost at once, making An Han even more flustered. She shook her head in a panic; her usually eloquent mouth could only manage mechanical responses.
"Staying here is very nice... I’ll eat whatever you make for breakfast, I'm not picky."
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, drifting into wild territory. Would Su Peng’s parents suddenly slap down a bank card and tell her to leave him like in those cheesy dramas? That’s how it always happens on TV.
"My family... lives in Changle. It’s just my parents and a younger sister. She's twelve this year."
An Han's mind kept conjuring images of wealthy couples from idol dramas, but looking at the amiable pair in front of her, they didn't quite fit the mold. The uncle wasn't even dressed as formally as her own father—no flip-flops and tank top, just a simple shirt and a knit cardigan. The aunt wore a bit of light makeup, about on par with her own mother. Forget gold chains and massive jewels; they weren't even wearing basic jewelry.
"Me? I’m... twenty-two by nominal age, twenty by actual age."
Zhang Peiling beamed. "Just the right age for marriage."
"Yeah, just the right age for marr—huh? I haven't thought about getting married!" An Han reacted suddenly, emphasizing again, "Su Peng and I are just friends."
"Just friends."
The two elders repeated in unison, then nearly burst out laughing. One had witnessed the excitement when An Han and Su Peng first met, and the other had never seen Su Peng bring a girl home. They had already made up their minds about the nature of the relationship.
An Han felt like she was being teased...
"I'll go make breakfast. Don't be nervous, make yourself at home," Zhang Peiling said with a smile, heading toward the kitchen.
Su Guangyu checked the time and stood up abruptly. "How is that boy Su Peng not up yet!" With that, he strode upstairs.
An Han slumped onto the sofa with a sigh of exhaustion. Fortunately, Su Peng's parents were easy to talk to; she just didn't know how to handle such overwhelming warmth from elders, especially given the misunderstanding. In just over ten minutes of chatting, she felt like she’d practically handed over her entire family tree.
"Luckily, I can bail this afternoon."
She had a bus ticket for 2 PM. She could probably leave right after lunch and wouldn't have to keep facing the two elders so stiffly.
"Don't they care about... social status? They seem so eager to find Su Peng a wife," An Han grumbled to herself, feeling an odd, secret spark of happiness.
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!