"What condition?" Chi's mother pressed.
"I will convince her to get married soon, but the wedding must be held in France." After a pause, Chi Heng added, "And Grandfather and Grandmother must attend the ceremony."
As the only grandson of the Qin family, his request was perfectly reasonable.
Yet, Chi's mother on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment.
She had been keeping the fact that the two old folks had taken their own lives a secret from Chi Heng. If he insisted on returning to China for the wedding now, it would be impossible to keep it hidden any longer.
She knew Chi Heng's temperament all too well.
If he found out those two old folks were gone, he would surely fight her to the bitter end.
Chi's mother had schemed for so many years to reach this point.
She absolutely could not allow even the slightest mishap.
What Chi's mother didn't know was that Chi Heng was already aware of Qin Grandfather and Qin Grandmother's passing.
Making this demand was deliberate on his part.
Recently, Takeda had been leaving early and returning late every day, and Chi Heng suspected he must have been assigned some mission.
Now that Takeda was already inside, if this mission remained uncompleted, knowing his mother, she would undoubtedly send someone else to carry it out.
If she refused to send a replacement, it could only mean the mission's deployment was already complete.
Chi Heng wanted to use this opportunity to test the waters, or rather, he was forcing Chi's mother to make a choice.
Because he was well aware that his mother would never agree to his return and would have to give him a plausible explanation.
"You can't come back just yet," Chi's mother said indeed, after some consideration, her tone softening. "I still have some important matters for you to handle."
"Once everything is settled, I will arrange a grand wedding for you both. I would never let my future daughter-in-law be treated poorly."
Then, shifting gears, she proposed a compromise. "You could also send a signed marriage proxy document back first. Staff at overseas units often do it this way. Of course, you could also hold a small ceremony in China first..."
Before she could finish, Chi Heng interrupted.
"What makes you think Chris would agree? Don't forget, her father is also in China."
"No, she will definitely agree!" Chi's mother's tone was firm.
She understood Chris, knowing the girl held an almost obsessive affection for Chi Heng.
Faced with the temptation of marriage, it was impossible for her not to be moved.
As for Chris's father's attitude, she wasn't worried about that.
"I know some things are difficult for you to bring up. Call Chris over, I'll speak to her myself."
"No need." Chi Heng knew there was no point in arguing over this.
Moreover, this was the outcome he wanted, so he seized the chance to steer the conversation back.
"What exactly is this matter that requires me to stay in China, that I can't even return home for a wedding?"
"You don't need to know that now. Once your marriage proxy document is sent back, I'll naturally tell you."
Running out of time, Chi's mother said, "That's it then. Tomorrow morning, go see him at the time I mentioned."
Without waiting for Chi Heng's response, she hung up.
During their conversation, Chris had been nearby, though she couldn't quite make out what the mother and son were discussing.
Seeing Chi Heng holding the receiver, looking somewhat dazed, Chris took it from him and hung it up. "What did you two talk about just now?"
Chi Heng turned to her, his expression growing complicated.
But in the end, he didn't hide it from her.
After briefly recounting the conversation, he said, "My mother hopes we sign the marriage proxy document as soon as possible."
Sign the marriage proxy document!
Upon hearing this, Chris's heart gave a violent leap.
If they signed that, wouldn't they be legally husband and wife?
This was so sudden!
But... she loved it!
It was just a shame Chi's mother wasn't a good mother-in-law, otherwise, she would definitely follow Chinese tradition and enshrine her, offering respects morning and night!
Chi's mother: "..."
Thank you so much, I'm not dead yet!
Unaware of Chris's inner thoughts, Chi Heng continued, "Chris, given my mother's efficiency, once that proxy document is sent back, our registration will be completed the same day. Legally, we would be husband and wife."
This had completely exceeded the scope of their original cooperative agreement.
Chris desperately wanted to suppress her ecstatic grin but finally found it utterly impossible.
So, she stopped torturing herself.
Right in front of Chi Heng, Chris covered her mouth and laughed out loud. "I understand all that. I agree!"
Chi Heng glanced at her, his gaze growing even more complex. "We should discuss this with your father first."
"I'll go tell him," Chris said immediately.
After a pause, she added, "Don't worry, my dad will definitely agree!"
Just then, a few deliberate coughs sounded from outside the door.
There had been a work dinner that evening, and Chris's Father had just returned home. Upon entering, he learned from the housekeeper that Chris had taken Chi Heng upstairs.
Although they were nominally engaged, having worked in China for over a decade, Chris's Father felt, both emotionally and socially, that it wasn't quite proper for them to be alone together in a room at this hour.
Out of respect for the young people, he didn't barge in directly but instead cleared his throat a couple of times outside the door.
Chi Heng promptly got up and opened the door. "Hello, Uncle."
Chris's Father nodded.
Before entering, he instinctively glanced at both of them.
Seeing Chi Heng's attire was neat and Chris's demeanor normal, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked at his daughter and asked calmly, "What did you want to tell me?"
He had faintly overheard phrases like "I'll go tell him" and "will definitely agree" from outside.
Chris didn't answer immediately but quickly winked at Chi Heng.
The meaning was for him to leave; she would handle the rest.
She had plenty of ways to manage her own father.
But Chi Heng shook his head.
He bowed solemnly to Chris's Father, his attitude earnest.
"Uncle, I just received a call from my mother. Her health isn't the best, and she's been very concerned about Chris's and my marriage. She wanted me to discuss with you her hope that Chris and I could marry soon..."
"Dad, I agree!" Chris, afraid her father would object, immediately chimed in. "We plan to prepare the marriage proxy document tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, Chris's Father, who had just clasped his hands behind his back intending to carefully consider the matter, nearly saw stars!
What kind of girl throws herself at a man like this?
He knew his daughter liked him.
Liked him immensely!
But marriage wasn't child's play; it couldn't be based on mere infatuation.
He was a man of experience, and his relationship with Chris's mother had been a love match.
How could he not see that Chi Heng's feelings for Chris hadn't yet reached the point of marriage?
He had no idea what this silly girl found so amusing, giggling and happy all day long.
But these were things he couldn't very well say directly in front of his daughter, especially since her tendency to side with outsiders was nothing new.
Suppressing the emotions in his heart, Chris's father looked at Chi Heng. "You, come with me for a moment."
With that, he turned his back and led the way towards the study.
Seeing this, Chris quickly shot Chi Heng a meaningful look. "Don't worry about it, just go. I'll handle things later."
But Chi Heng shook his head once again.
Some things, he had to explain clearly to Chris's father personally. It was a matter of basic respect.
"Don't worry, we'll have a good talk."
After saying this, Chi Heng straightened his collar and followed with a calm expression.
The study door was custom-made, offering excellent soundproofing.
Chris, feeling uneasy, pressed her ear against it for a long time but couldn't hear a thing.
And so, she paced outside for nearly an hour before the study door finally opened from the inside.
The first one out was Chi Heng.
His expression didn't seem to have changed much from when he went in.
"So? Did my dad agree?" Chris asked.
Chi Heng smiled and nodded. "It's getting late. You should get some rest."
As he spoke, Chris's father also stood up and walked out.
Chi Heng gave a slight nod, his attitude still respectful. "Sir, I'll be heading back now. You should also rest early."
Chris had a bellyful of questions and was unwilling to let him leave just like that. She hurriedly said, "Dad, I'll see him out!"
"Come back here!" Chris's father called his daughter to a halt, clearly annoyed.
Since he had spoken, Chris couldn't blatantly disregard her old father's face.
She could only watch Chi Heng leave with longing eyes.
Only when his figure was completely out of sight did she finally turn back and link her arm through her father's.
"Dad, what did you talk about for so long in the study? You didn't give him a hard time, did you?"
Seeing his daughter like this, Chris's father nearly had a heart attack from frustration.
He asked irritably, "Am I the kind of person who gives young people a hard time?"
Chris nodded affirmatively. "You are!"
On Mid-Autumn Festival, he had called Chi Heng into the study for a long talk.
Chris's father was left speechless for a good while.
"Alright, Dad, I'm just joking."
Knowing when to stop, Chris quickly shook her father's arm. "Come on, tell me. What exactly did you talk about?"
