“No,”
Lu Jingming said, “Mrs. Meyer is so low-key that she wouldn’t easily attend this kind of business event.”
“That makes sense.”
Xu Yanxia nodded. If she could appear so openly, there wouldn’t be no information about her identity online until now.
“But this time, Meyer’s side has been very cooperative. Mrs. Meyer must have given some instructions,”
Lu Jingming said, then asked her, “How about you? Are you happy with the outfits today?”
“Very happy,”
Xu Yanxia replied, “The first three sets were all pretty good. Auntie even ordered a really expensive one for me, and I almost feel a bit guilty about it.”
Lu Jingming responded with a chuckle, “My mom’s taste has always been excellent. If it’s expensive, there’s definitely a good reason for it.”
“That’s true,”
Xu Yanxia nodded, “They’re all very beautiful to wear.”
“That’s what matters,”
Lu Jingming said, “From now on, we’ll truly be one family. To my mom, ordering clothes for you is the same as ordering for me. You don’t need to feel burdened. And you adopting me as your own — you have no idea how grateful she is.”
“Oh, come on…”
Xu Yanxia laughed at his teasing. Then Lu Jingming asked, “Do you have any photos you can send me to take a look?”
“I didn’t take any just now,”
Xu Yanxia reassured him, “But you’ll get to see them on our engagement day, won’t you?”
“All right then,”
Lu Jingming sighed on the other end of the video call, “Baby, you don’t know how much I’m looking forward to it.”
“I miss you,”
Xu Yanxia smiled, “I miss you too. We’ll see each other very soon.”
He nodded in agreement and glanced at the time on his watch. Then he said, “Well, I’m off to do some important work. Drive safely.”
“Okay,”
Xu Yanxia waved goodbye, “Bye, have a smooth trip back.”
After hanging up, she quietly took a deep breath.
Yes, the engagement was just around the corner, and then came the wedding.
She and Lu Jingming would soon become a formal married couple, and each would become a new member of the other’s family.
No matter how the elders treated him or her, it was all the same.
As the younger generation, all they needed to do was work hard to repay the elders.
She smiled softly, then started the car and headed to the office.
——After a few days of hard work, the colleagues in the Investment and Expansion Department had already drafted a preliminary plan for cooperation with Meyer. She needed to hurry over to discuss it with everyone and push for a swift implementation.
……
Two days passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the engagement.
Since both the Lu and Xu families were from the North, the engagement ceremony followed northern customs.
At nine in the morning, Lu Jingming, accompanied by his parents and uncle, arrived at the residence of Xu’s grandparents in Dongpan Garden.
Relatives from Xu’s hometown in Qingcheng had also gathered there to await their arrival.
Upon entering, they presented the traditional four sets of gifts: the Four Colors Gift, the Scholar’s Desk Gift, the Gold and Jade Gift, and the Wedding Gift.
After paying respects with tea to Xu’s grandparents, aunt, and other elders, Xu Yanxia appeared, flanked by her sister-in-law and cousins.
Today, she wore that pearl-studded little dress paired with a cream-colored cropped jacket, looking both gentle and lively.
The moment Lu Jingming caught sight of her, he almost couldn’t look away.
Fortunately, he still had today’s important matters on his mind, so he quickly stepped forward with the carefully prepared champagne roses. When she accepted them, the two of them, along with their respective families, followed Uncle Shen and the mutual friends to discuss the main details of the upcoming wedding.
After settling all the arrangements one by one, it was about time for everyone to head out together. They got into cars and drove to the Zhongjiang Villa, where the engagement ceremony and luncheon were to be held.
This was Lu Jingming’s private villa, also one of the potential future homes for the couple.
Unlike the Lu family’s current semi-mountain mansion, this villa was located in the heart of Rong City. The entire community was surrounded by lush gardens that shielded it from the hustle and bustle of downtown—a perfect blend of prime location and peaceful seclusion.
The Lu family’s residence was tucked away at the very back of the villa district, offering excellent privacy.
The expansive courtyard, spanning hundreds of square meters, was divided into three levels: front, middle, and rear. It featured not only parking spaces and a fountain but also a traditional Chinese garden complete with rockeries, a koi pond, and a lawn, all arranged with exquisite taste.
The main building had four floors, designed in a modern minimalist style. It included everything from the living room and dining area to the master bedroom and guest rooms, even equipped with an indoor elevator.
In the backyard, besides the swimming pool and terrace, there was even a dedicated spot reserved for the couple to grow flowers and vegetables in the future.
Mrs. Lu chose to hold her eldest son’s engagement party here, partly to ensure the comfort and privacy of both families and friends, and partly to give the Xu family a chance to tour the couple’s potential future home—so they could feel at ease entrusting their daughter.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the guests’ tour, Xu Yanxia had changed into a qipao in her bedroom and asked Xiaozhen to help adjust her hairstyle.
While she was touching up her makeup, Ye Shu, who had just finished touring the villa, came in excitedly and said, “Oh my God! Who would’ve thought I’d ever get to see a top-tier villa in Rong City! This is the real deal! Those little dramas are instantly outclassed by this!”
Xiaozhen smiled and explained, “Most of those dramas use sets, or they rent places. Rentals can never compare to a genuinely wealthy home like this.”
“That’s true,” Ye Shu nodded. Then she asked Xu Yanxia, “Xia Xia, do you two plan to use this as your wedding home? Will you live here after you get married?”
Xu Yanxia replied, “I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
She had been busy with work recently and, before today, had only come here once with Lu Jingming.
Today was only her second visit.
“To be honest, even though it’s quite big, just the two of us living here might feel a bit wasteful,” she smiled. “Don’t laugh, but I actually prefer smaller houses. Big places sometimes make me feel a little insecure.”
“Makes sense,”
Xiaozhen said, “You could always live at Dongpan Garden first, then move here once you have kids. No rush.”
“Exactly,”
Ye Shu nodded along, “With so many rooms, you could have a bunch of kids and still have plenty of space!”
“Yeah, right...”
Xu Yanxia laughed heartily, “Are you treating me like a rabbit, expecting me to have a bunch more?”
Just as she finished speaking, her sister-in-law Luo Jiajia came in to remind her, “Xiaoxia, Aunt Xiaohua is here, and Grandpa and Grandma are already chatting with her.”
—After Monday’s “family recognition” event, at Mrs. He’s request, the children in the Xu family had started calling her “Aunt” instead.
To distinguish her from their biological aunt, Xu Xuemei, they added her name in front, so she became known as Aunt Xiaohua.
True to her word, Aunt Xiaohua had traveled all the way from Jingbei, and Xu Yanxia quickly agreed and got up to greet her.
