"I know, Mom, just remember not to say it was me who wanted her to come to our house for dinner."

Si Jing’s heart was filled with trepidation; he was terrified his mother would portray him in front of that girl as if he were some kind of stalker.

"Don’t worry, I always know where to draw the line," Mrs. Si said, unable to hold back a laugh at the sight of her son’s anxious demeanor.

Indeed, people only start caring about their image once they have someone they care about.

"Alright." Although Si Jing said this, he was still slightly uneasy.

In the evening,

When the family was all back and gathered around the dining table for dinner, Mrs. Si couldn’t wait to tell them about it.

"Qiaoqiao, Si Jing has taken a fancy to one of the artists from your company."

Sang Qiao’s hand, which had been reaching for food, paused instantly. She turned her head to look at her mother, trying to gauge her thoughts from her expression.

"Qiaoqiao, don’t overthink it. We’re not the kind of family that forces a girl into anything. We just want a chance, wondering if we could invite the young lady over for dinner to introduce her to Si Jing?"

Mrs. Si, who was experienced and used to seeing all sorts of things in the entertainment industry, knew all too well what her daughter-in-law was thinking with that look in her eyes.

"Oh, that’s fine, who does Si Jing like?" Sang Qiao instantly breathed a sigh of relief; as long as there was no coercion involved.

Si Jing, sitting on the side, felt completely out of sorts, his face flushing a deep red. He was extremely shy, not daring to utter a word, especially with everyone at the large table listening in.

"The girl named Chen Ling," Mrs. Si said, completely oblivious to her second son’s emotions, instead talking cheerfully about Chen Ling with Qiaoqiao.

The name made everyone at the table pause, the Si Family was known for making such decisive decisions.

Sang Qiao herself was surprised; Si Jing actually liked Chen Ling, but with Chen Ling’s personality, she likely wouldn’t be so easy to win over.

"Alright, I’ll invite her over for dinner in a couple of days."

"Mm, just arrange it as you see fit. Si Jing, you need to put in more effort and show your best, understand?" Mrs. Si patted her second son’s shoulder, her words heartfelt.

She, as a mother, had already tried her best to create such a good opportunity, now it was up to him alone.

"I understand," Si Jing’s voice was as feeble as a mosquito’s.

"What is Chen Ling’s background?" Father Si asked casually.

"She doesn’t come from any particular background, just a pitiable yet hard-working girl," Sang Qiao said honestly.

Since they were considering a relationship, it was important to understand each other’s background thoroughly to avoid conflicts later on.

"So what do her parents do?" Father Si felt he hadn’t received the confirmation he needed, but it wasn’t appropriate to ask directly, especially since so much time had passed since the previous events.

If Chen Ling wasn’t the Chen Family’s child, bringing up the topic now would be like dragging out the Chen Family’s affairs for another round.

Best not to mention those old, scar-covered issues.

"She... no longer has parents, she’s on her own," Sang Qiao recalled hearing about this and felt her heart clench.

"How come she has no parents, what happened?" Si Jing suddenly tensed up.

He hadn’t expected Chen Ling, who appeared so strong and optimistic, to be without parents. She was still so young...

"There was a tragedy in the family, and if she comes over, let’s not bring this up in front of her," Sang Qiao sighed.

"What kind of catastrophe is so serious... Could she be the lost child of the Chen Family?" Father Si’s hand tightened around his chopsticks, feeling the answer was on the tip of his tongue.

Every detail fit so perfectly, even the surname was the same — could Chen Ling really be that child from the Chen Family?

"How did you find out?" Sang Qiao looked up at Mrs. Si, voicing her confusion.

The affairs of the Chen Family had been concealed for a very long time. If it weren’t for Chen Ling’s own revelation, they might never have known.

Father Si didn’t appear to be someone who would focus on such matters. How could he be so clear about it...

"Chen Ling is that child from the Chen Family... What a coincidence," Old Madam Si was also astonished.

They had an arranged marriage when they were children, but later the young girl from the Chen Family disappeared. Unexpectedly, after growing up, they encountered each other again.

And Si Jing had fallen for this girl.

"What do you mean?" Si Jing looked at his family’s suddenly changed expressions, confused.

Chen Ling, what about the Chen Family?

"It’s quite a coincidence, before their family was struck by disaster, you two actually had a marriage arrangement, but afterward, Chen Ling vanished, and we gradually put the matter aside, thinking she was long gone," Father Si explained to everyone with a smile, internally marveling at the twists of fate.

Those who are meant to meet, no matter how much time passes, will eventually see each other again.

Si Jing: "?" A marriage arrangement? Did he actually have such a thing when he was a child?

He then thought about the numerous adversities Chen Ling had faced in her life, the girl enduring them all on her own to this point, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

Si Tiantian listened to the adults’ conversation with a mix of understanding and confusion; she stayed quiet without interjecting, simply burying her head in the bowl of rice and eating.

Si Chenli sat beside her, reaching over to serve her the dishes out of her reach, his face showing a faint smile, "Eat more."

"Okay." Si Tiantian ate very slowly, but she kept chewing diligently.

Although the adults conversed, they ate faster than her, and it was without doubt that she was the last to finish at the table.

After wiping her mouth, Si Chenli handed her over to one of the housekeepers, "You can watch TV a bit longer before going upstairs, but you need to get to bed early tonight, understand?"

"Got it. You go find Mom," Si Tiantian obediently settled on the couch.

She had already figured out that her father’s caring actions, like serving her food, were all to quickly finish his ’task’ and go find her mother.

"Okay," Si Chenli strode upstairs with his long, strong legs, unperturbed that his daughter had seen through his intentions.

Upon entering the room, he saw Qiaoqiao lying on the bed, playing with her phone.

"Has Tiantian finished eating?" Sang Qiao, too, had heard his footsteps and looked up.

"Yes, she’s downstairs watching TV now," Si Chenli replied in a low, husky voice, sitting on the edge of the bed and lying down, his arm reaching out to encircle the woman’s waist.

Ever since the arrival of that little one, coupled with the demands of his job during the day, their time together as husband and wife had become very limited.

"Let’s take a day off when we invite Chen Ling over to play, and then we can host a little gathering at home," Sang Qiao reached to touch his somewhat stiff hair, which was slightly prickly.

"Okay."

"Haven’t you shaved? It’s scratching me," Sang Qiao felt the side of her cheek being brushed by the man’s face, frowning a little at the sensation akin to being pricked by tiny needles.

Si Chenli: "..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com