Baihe Fan

Chapter 8: Mother Xia

In the living room, Ji Fengxue looked at the smiling elder couple with inner astonishment.

Xia Lianchao, Xia’s father, is a well-known entrepreneur. He made his fortune early, entering the internet industry at its inception. The group’s main business is mobile communications, with involvement in other areas of telecommunications.

After retiring, the company was managed by his son, who expanded its operations overseas, quickly surpassing other manufacturers and becoming a leading enterprise.

Although Ji Fengxue had guessed that Xia Linxia’s family background wasn’t simple, she didn’t expect it to be this strong, with no word of it leaking out.

She nodded slightly and greeted, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie. I’ve been wanting to visit you, but I couldn’t find the time. I’m truly sorry.” As she spoke, she took out a small gift box from her bag and handed it to Xia’s mother with both hands. “I didn’t prepare much in such a hurry. This jade piece caught my eye at an auction, and I wanted to give it to you.”

“Ah, thank you, Xiao Xue. I love it. You’re very thoughtful.” Xia’s mother, though over sixty, was well-maintained, wearing a composed smile. She discreetly gave Xia Linxia a thumbs up.

Xia Linxia: “…” This woman is so cunning, she almost believed it herself.

“Come, let’s sit and talk,” Xia’s father said with a smile.

A servant came forward to pour tea for everyone. Xia’s mother looked at Ji Fengxue, smiling warmly. She was elegant, polite, and beautiful, truly satisfying in every way. Then she glanced at her daughter, who was sprawled on the sofa, looking as unsightly as possible.

Xia’s mother coughed, caressing her new jade piece, and said, “Linxia, come help me put this away.”

Xia Linxia pouted, reluctantly got up, and squeezed Ji Fengxue’s shoulder, exerting pressure to warn her to behave well.

Ji Fengxue nonchalantly patted Xia Linxia’s hand and looked up, smiling, “Go ahead, we’ll only be apart for a little while.”

Xia Linxia: “…”

What a loving scene!

The elders looked meaningfully at Xia Linxia, shaking their heads and sighing: Why is this child so clingy when in love?

Upstairs, Xia’s mother opened the safe and asked, “When did you two start dating?”

“Recently,” Xia Linxia replied.

“Do you like her a lot?”

“Of course not.”

Xia’s mother squinted her eyes, “You don’t like her?”

Xia Linxia clicked her tongue and scratched her head, “Like, I like her, okay?”

“We like her too,” Xia’s mother finally smiled, taking out a pair of bracelets from the cabinet. “Although you’re young, we think you’re very suitable. Really, our judgment is much better than yours.”

“Can you just talk normally? Why are you taking these out? Put them back!” Xia Linxia quickly grabbed the bracelets and threw them back into the safe, locking it neatly. “Weren’t these from grandma?”

Xia’s mother laughed, “That’s why I want to give them to Xiao Xue.”

“You mustn’t!” Xia Linxia was shocked. “We’re just dating now, nothing more. You’re making it seem like we’re getting married.”

“Aren’t you planning to get married?” Xia’s mother frowned. “The law allows it now. Or are you just playing around?”

Xia Linxia pressed her lips together and thought, “We need to take things slowly. Who gets married right after starting to date?”

“Your dad and I got married three days after meeting. Is there a problem?”

“…” Xia Linxia had to find another way to persuade her, “Mom, you don’t know, Ji Fengxue is very shy! If you give her this now, she might feel too pressured to take on the family’s responsibilities and break up with me. You know how expensive it is to raise me. The little money she earns daily isn’t even enough for me.”

“Yes, that makes sense. I’ll give it to her when you get married then. For now, let’s find another gift.” Xia’s mother opened the safe again and took out some gold bars. “These won’t carry the pressure of family responsibilities. Are they enough?”

“…”

Xia Linxia was about to cry. If she had known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have brought Ji Fengxue home no matter what. Meeting for only a few minutes, her mother was either entrusting her daughter or giving gold bars. This was too good for Ji Fengxue.

So, she decided to slander her.

“Mom, don’t give her such good things. She doesn’t deserve it.”

“What do you mean?”

Xia Linxia closed the door and whispered to her mother, “Ji Fengxue, she… can’t.”

Xia’s mother shivered and hesitated, “Do you mean what I think?”

Xia Linxia nodded tearfully, looking pitiful.

“This…” Xia’s mother took a long time to recover, but being someone who had seen a lot, she took a deep breath and seriously caressed her daughter’s face, “Then you’ll have to bear the hardship. Being the top isn’t easy either.”

Xia Linxia froze halfway through her tears, “Mom? Do you know too much???”

Xia’s mother had a resolute expression, “After I knew you were dating a woman, I read extensively and did my homework. Now I can be considered half an expert.”

Xia Linxia: “Aren’t you afraid of Dad knowing you’re reading GL?”

“He knows. He read with me.”

Xia Linxia: “…” This family is hopeless. Is there any normal person left?

At that moment, a car drove into the courtyard. Xia Linxia’s eyelid twitched, “Why is my brother back so soon? Isn’t he working today?” She had specifically chosen a working day to come back!

“You’re bringing your girlfriend home, of course, he would come back.” Xia’s mother quickly put down the things and dragged her downstairs.

In the living room, Ji Fengxue was already playing chess with Xia’s father. Hearing the commotion outside, they all looked towards the door.

After a moment, a tall and handsome man appeared at the door, wearing a tailored suit. His sharp features and aura were evident, with gold-rimmed glasses unable to hide the sharpness in his eyes.

The man glanced at Ji Fengxue, his gaze softening slightly as he nodded in greeting, “Hello, Miss Ji, I’m Linxia’s brother, Xia Yangxuan.”

“Hello.” Ji Fengxue couldn’t believe that the person Xia Linxia asked her to get an autograph for last time was actually Xia Yangxuan.

Xia Yangxuan is famously tall, rich, and handsome, a dream lover for countless women. Even within the circle, many wanted to marry into the Xia family. But Xia Yangxuan had no scandals, focusing solely on his career, earning him the nickname “National Boyfriend.”

“Dating Linxia must be tough,” Xia Yangxuan said politely.

“Not too bad.” Ji Fengxue smiled.

“Hey! Talking bad about me right in front of me, is that okay?” Xia Linxia couldn’t help but shout at her brother.

Xia Yangxuan walked over, slowly unbuttoning his shirt cuffs, “I heard you hit someone today?”

Xia Linxia quickly hid behind her mother, shouting, “That bastard started it!”

“So?” Xia Yangxuan stood before them, “Mom, move aside.”

Xia’s mother quickly moved, sitting next to her husband and patting her chest, “Scary, Big Treasure is getting scarier.”

Xia Linxia stepped back, turned, and ran into the elevator, quickly reaching the second floor. She leaned over the balcony railing, making faces, “Xia Yangxuan, you’re so annoying. Big demon king, long tongue. Bleh bleh bleh…”

Xia Yangxuan stepped onto the spiral staircase, and Xia Linxia immediately pleaded, “Brother, I was wrong! I was just kidding! Mom, Dad, won’t you save me? Am I still your daughter? Why was I born after Yangxuan… ah ah!”

Xia Yangxuan dragged her into the study, the door muffling her miserable cries.

Xia’s father laughed awkwardly, “Sorry about that. These siblings are just very loving. You’ll get used to it.”

Ji Fengxue: “…”

In the study, Xia Linxia pretended to cry loudly.

Xia Yangxuan commanded, “Stop it.”

Xia Linxia immediately stopped, “Was my performance not good enough?”

“At least squeeze out some tears.” Xia Yangxuan opened his computer and pulled up a file. “You hit someone today. Why were you so lenient?”

Xia Linxia’s eyes widened.

“If it was a physical assault, you don’t need to hold back, especially with someone like him.” Xia Yangxuan moved the computer screen, and she leaned over the table to look. The screen displayed detailed information about the director from that morning, including a list of women he had arranged to meet through his position.

“I was planning to have this information released publicly,” Xia Yangxuan paused, “but after reviewing the hotel surveillance footage, I saw him going to a room with a woman. If I’m not mistaken, it was your former teammate, Fu Xiaoxuan?”

“…” Xia Linxia was stunned for a few seconds. “Was it voluntary or forced?”

“Judging by the video, it seemed voluntary.” Xia Yangxuan took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. “So, I wanted to get your opinion. Should we expose this directly?”

Xia Linxia sighed, “Forget it. After all, he didn’t actually touch me.”

Xia Yangxuan stared at her for a long moment, then a small smile appeared on his lips.

“No way, you actually smiled!” Xia Linxia pointed at him in shock and quickly began to flatter him. “Brother, you look so handsome when you smile. And this outfit today, it’s so cool. How did I get so lucky to have such a handsome brother!”

“Flatterer.” Xia Yangxuan stood up, ruffled her hair, and hooked his arm around her shoulders as they went downstairs. “Don’t worry, even if we don’t expose him, there are plenty of ways to make sure he can’t continue in the industry.”

Xia Linxia immediately hugged Xia Yangxuan’s arm and nuzzled her face against it. “Thank you, brother. I love you, super super love you.”

“Just try not to cause any more trouble,” Xia Yangxuan said helplessly.

During dinner, Xia’s mother specifically arranged for Xia Linxia and Ji Fengxue to sit together. Ji Fengxue, having finished a game of chess with Xia’s father, pulled out a chair and sat down, only to feel a nudge against her knee.

She looked to the side and saw Xia Linxia pouting her lips.

“?” Ji Fengxue was puzzled.

Xia Linxia silently maintained her pout: “Pig—”

Ji Fengxue glanced at the Xia family members, noticing the eager and excited expressions on the parents’ faces. She instinctively thought it was a signal to continue acting.

So she reached out and pinched Xia Linxia’s lips, shaping them into a Psyduck beak, and smiled, “Let’s kiss after we finish eating.”

“???” Xia Linxia was completely baffled.

Watching this scene, Xia’s mother couldn’t help but recall a popular saying among their CP fans online: “Excited heart, trembling hands, XiaJi CP forever!!!”