Xu Zifan and Zhao Xin were talking inside when Yue Lingling leaned over the door and knocked, saying with a smile, "Brother Zifan, Xiaoxin, come out for dinner."
As Yue Lingling watched them come out, she affectionately took Zhao Xin's hand and said, "Xiao Xin, let me take you to wash your hands. You must eat more today. Xu Mama made a lot of delicious food, but we don't know what flavors you like. Try them all later."
"It's as if she's a member of the Xu family," Zhao Xin glanced at Xu Zifan, her expression turning somewhat unpleasant.
Xu Zifan stepped forward to stop them, "Lingling, don't steal my girlfriend. You're a guest too, go and rest. Of course, I'll take care of my girlfriend." After saying that, he took Zhao Xin to wash her hands, and Yue Lingling had no choice but to go to the living room to sit down.
Zhao Xin whispered in the restroom, "She's just trying to intimidate me."
Xu Zifan reassured him, "I can see that. Let's go, let's not talk about it now. My parents are waiting, it's not appropriate for us to whisper here."
Zhao Xin added, "Now you believe me, right? Just you wait, she'll deliberately make fun of me again later."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "I've already said I believe it. Don't worry, I know what to do."
Zhao Xin pinched his arm and muttered, "If you had known, you wouldn't have argued in the first place. I'll see how you behave."
Xu Zifan frowned imperceptibly but said nothing. After his parents were seated, he quickly led Zhao Xin to sit down and first served his mother a bowl of soup. "Mom, you've worked so hard. You must be exhausted from cooking so many dishes. I'll cook next time."
Xu's mother smiled so much that her crow's feet wrinkles disappeared. "You always say that. I've never seen you cook before. Xin Xin, these are just some home-style dishes. Try them and see if you like them. Don't be shy."
Zhao Xin said politely, "Thank you for your hard work, Auntie."
Xu Zifan put a few dishes into Zhao Xin's bowl and said with a smile, "Try them, they're all your favorites. I specifically told my mom this morning that these are fresh vegetables that my dad specially went to the market to buy."
Yue Lingling lowered her head to eat, concealing her somewhat stiff face. Her previous show of defiance towards Zhao Xin had become a joke. She had originally wanted to show off her mother-daughter relationship with Xu's mother, demonstrating that they knew each other's tastes. However, these seemingly ordinary dishes turned out to be Zhao Xin's favorites. Xu Zifan really valued Zhao Xin; even a straight man like him had thought of this.
Yue Lingling looked up and said with a smile, "Such delicious food should be paired with some red wine. I'll go get it."
Xu Zifan stood up. "I'll go. I just tidied up the house. You don't know where it is. Mom, you're taking care of Lingling. I can't let her run around like this."
Xu's mother realized what was happening, glanced at Zhao Xin, and smiled as she put some food on Yue Lingling's plate. "Lingling, eat more. I'm getting old and confused. I invited you over for dinner and then made you do this and that. Eat up."
Yue Lingling said with a laugh, "Aunt Xu, you're not old at all. When we go out, people always say you're my older sister. Besides, I haven't done anything. I'm just helping you out. I'm used to it, and I feel uncomfortable if I don't help."
"Good, good child." Xu's mother hurriedly put some food on Zhao Xin's plate as well. "Xin Xin, eat more too."
Xu Zifan opened a bottle of red wine, poured some for everyone, and didn't drink any himself. "Xiaoxin, it's okay if you drink more. I'll drive you home later, so don't take the subway."
He saw that there were shrimp in Zhao Xin's bowl, so he picked them up and put them in his own bowl to peel. "I'll peel them for you, so you don't have to get your hands dirty."
"Hmm." Zhao Xin looked up at Yue Lingling, a genuine smile finally appearing on her lips.
Yue Lingling's expression remained normal, but her heart ached as if pierced by needles. The red wine was clearly still in its original place; Xu Zifan had deliberately prevented her from taking it. And while the house had indeed been tidied, she discovered upon arriving that everything she had bought for the Xu family over the years was gone.
She put away all the oil paintings she painted herself ten years ago, the carpet she bought with Xu's mother five years ago, and the tea set she gave to Xu's father on his birthday three years ago.
Furthermore, she bought two new, beautiful, and expensive outfits for Xu's parents, perfect for today, but they insisted on wearing the clothes they had bought themselves a few months ago, clearly out of concern that Zhao Xin might feel uncomfortable.
But what right does Zhao Xin have? She's only been dating Xu Zifan for two months and he wants to kick her out, even hiding the things she gave to Xu's parents. What did she do to deserve this? Why should nearly thirty years of relationship be sacrificed just because of Zhao Xin?
What do they see in this pretentious, petty, and immature woman? When she asked her friend to introduce Zhao Xin to Xu Zifan, she knew their personalities wouldn't match and the relationship wouldn't last. But now Xu Zifan is being so considerate to Zhao Xin? Shouldn't he be impatient with this kind of person?
During the meal, Xu Zifan focused all his attention on Zhao Xin. He was able to detect her needs immediately and take good care of her.
Xu's parents naturally paid close attention to their son's girlfriend, but didn't pay much attention to Yue Lingling, who was used to being around them.
As a result, Yue Lingling became the only person who didn't fit in at the dinner party. She couldn't even taste what the food was like, and she had to use all her strength to maintain a smile.
After dinner, Xu Zifan took Zhao Xin out. He had already made his stance clear. It's best to avoid such chaotic situations, as they make everyone unhappy.
Zhao Xin said dejectedly in Xu Zifan's car, "Yue Lingling is such a good actress, she doesn't give herself away at all. She can even smile when you're being so considerate to me, it's terrifying. You need to move out quickly, I can't stand you being with her every day. She eats at your house, is so familiar with your friends, and is so compatible with you. Compared to me, she's more like your girlfriend."
Zhao Xin looked at Xu Zifan and frowned, saying, "I've said so much, why haven't you said anything? Do you think what I said is wrong?"
Xu Zifan said calmly, "No, I don't think we need to talk about her anymore. It's pointless. I believe she likes me. I've moved out and won't contact her anymore. You won't have a chance to see her in the future, so there's no need to think about her anymore."
"I don't want to mention her either, but I'm just uneasy. I find her terrifying; she can remain unfazed in front of a love rival. I can't do that. I'd feel sick to my stomach if I had to smile at a love rival. Let me tell you, this is my bottom line. I simply cannot tolerate my boyfriend having even the slightest bit of flirtation with other women."
"There's no ambiguity. From the beginning of our relationship, I've been very careful to avoid suspicion. The thing you were concerned about last time was a friend's birthday party where everyone was invited, and that's why I brought you along. As for the chemistry we have when playing games, we've known each other for over twenty years, so I just won't play games with her anymore." Xu Zifan parked the car at the jewelry store. "Let's not talk about that. This store is very nice. Let's go in and see if there's any jewelry you like."
Zhao Xin asked instinctively, "How do you know this jewelry store is good? Have you bought anything from it?"
Xu Zifan paused for a moment, "My mom bought it, that's what she said."
He used to be a jewelry tycoon, so he could naturally tell that the store was pretty good. However, to avoid Zhao Xin suspecting Yue Lingling again, he simply brought up Xu's mother, and sure enough, Zhao Xin stopped asking questions.
After browsing for a while, Zhao Xin finally chose a jade bracelet made of small beads, which cost 20,000 yuan. Xu Zifan then took her home. Zhao Xin was happy when she got home, but Xu Zifan felt quite tired.
He thought about it carefully and realized that Yue Lingling had shamelessly ruined their relationship, but even without Yue Lingling, the original owner and Zhao Xin would have broken up anyway.
The original owner was a model, and during work, there were bound to be opportunities to work with beautiful models. In that industry, sometimes clothes were changed backstage, which Zhao Xin absolutely could not accept. Moreover, the original owner was not a sensitive person who knew how to coax his girlfriend, so they were simply not compatible.
This relationship started with a blind date. Because a friend was involved, everyone had a beautiful, idealized view of the relationship when they met, which made it a bit hasty.
Xu Zifan drove alone to look for a house. He went directly to an area far from the Xu family home and chose a high-end community with very strict management. He paid a year's rent in one lump sum.
The original owner didn't have much savings, and he spent almost all of it in one day. Xu Zifan went to several travel agencies to inquire, found a reliable one, and took a lot of information home.
Xu's mother was sitting on the sofa watching TV, wiping away tears with a tissue. Xu Zifan asked in surprise, "Mom, what are you watching? Why are you so engrossed in the show?"
Xu's mother complained, "Isn't it that popular family drama that's been all over the place lately? I wish I hadn't watched it. The male lead's cousin is such a bad person. She did all the dirty work and even tried to frame the female lead. The male lead just couldn't see through it and believed his cousin. Oh, she hurt the female lead so badly. It's infuriating."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Then don't watch it, find something fun to watch."
"No, I've already watched half of it, I won't be able to stop until I see the ending." Xu's mother wiped away her tears and asked him while watching the show, "Did you send Xin Xin back? How did it go? Did you two have a fight?"
"No, Mom, don't worry. I'm all grown up now, I know what to do. By the way, I've found a place. I'll pack up and move in tomorrow."
Xu's mother was startled. "You've already found one? Who looks for a house like this? You should look at more places and compare more!"
Xu Zifan put his arm around his shoulder and said with a smile, "I picked an expensive one. Go take a look tomorrow, and I guarantee you won't find any fault with it."
Mrs. Xu had never seen a rental house like this before, so how could she feel at ease? Her brows furrowed tightly, she sighed, and said, "Are you in such a hurry to hide from Lingling? What... what's going on here?"
Xu Zifan opened all the travel brochures and spread them out on the coffee table, immediately changing the subject, "Mom, Lingling and I are almost thirty, don't worry about it, it's nothing. Look at this, you and Dad haven't gone on a trip in years, anyway, we don't have anything to do these days, I'll book you a tour, you can go and have some fun."
"Huh?" Xu's mother was a little confused and subconsciously looked at the travel brochure. "Is this a trip abroad? Three countries?"
"Yes, this is a luxury tour group. The itinerary is not tight, so you can relax and enjoy your trip and take lots of photos."
"No, no, this is too expensive. Why spend this money?"
"Isn't money meant to be spent? You guys go first this time, and when I have time, I'll take you to other places. This time, we won't go with a tour group; I'll show you around."
Xu Zifan went to great lengths to persuade his mother, and once she agreed, his father had no further objections. After moving and sending his parents on a trip abroad, the mess left by the original owner would be much easier to manage. His parents' concern for Yue Lingling was well-intentioned, not something Yue Lingling could exploit.