?After dinner, Yating and Chyou were chucked out of the room by their own fathers to give them some privacy for discussing business related matters. Yating awkwardly hung around and eventually suggested they could take a walk until then.
Chyou chuckled. "You were bubbling like a volcano, weren't you?"
He refused to accept. "I wasn't."
"You were. You were throwing daggers at Uncle Gu the whole time."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was kept in the dark. It was supposed to be a private dinner between us and then I suddenly saw you. I know how much Dad has pushed me for our marriage, so I thought it was regarding that…I was annoyed even more because I am supposed to be independent in choosing my life partner but here he was unnecessarily interfering again. And then I thought Dad put you in an awkward position knowing full well that you are already dating. I am sorry."
Chyou sheepishly grinned. "Don't worry. I was the same. I wondered why Dad was pulling me to come with him for dinner with you and Uncle Gu. But it turned out for a project! If it's anything about the camera, I am always happy~"
"First Director Murong and now this project…" Yating suspiciously narrowed his eyes. "Are you all secretly plotting something to make me an actor instead of an editor?"
"You have the talent, so why not?"
"Talent in acting?" His eyes widened. "For all I know I might degrade your hard-earned Queen image with my presence," he shook his head. "Cheng Yin is more suited for this commercial than me. I doubt the branding our fathers are imagining will even pass by my subpar camera skills."
"Don't be so pessimistic!"
"I am not a very camera friendly person. I cannot even normally smile in a selfie," he blankly spoke the bitter truth.
She rolled her eyes. "It cannot be that bad. You are overthinking. Okay, wait."
Chyou hopped a few steps away and took out her phone. She aimed the camera at his face and said, "Let's take your picture. Come on, smile now~"
Yating blinked and froze. He cleared his throat and awkwardly stood, not knowing what to do with his hands and with his expression.
"Why don't you keep your hands in your pockets? You know stand with a suave pose," she beamed.
"What is a suave pose?"
"Dashing and charming~"
He gave a dumb look and Chyou tapped her finger on the click button.
"Hahahaha!" She trembled and laughed hard, looking at the picture. "S-so…so cute…"
Yating ran upto her and took a peek in it. "I told you! Look, it's so horrible! I look like a buffoon!"
Chyou was shaking her head while continuing to burst into another round of laughter.
Yating smiled. "Thank you for the fake confidence but please delete the picture and let me go back and tell them that it's not possible."
"No, no!" She pulled his arm back with a jolt, her stomach now aching with the rolls of too much laughter. "It's nothing about you. I just took advantage of your confusion and took a cute picture. Let's try it seriously now."
Yating frowned. "I don't feel your sincerity."
"You are very rude. A subject must always feel his Queen's sincerity."
In round two, Chyou taught him how to move his jaw and lift the curvature of his lips to give the perfect smile. But instead, it looked as if he was threatened at gun point, making her laugh in the round two as well.
"Okay, you really need to delete those blasphemous pictures."
"What blasphemous? They are adorable!"
"Will you delete them or should I snatch that phone from you?"
He chased after her and she ran away from him, ferociously protecting the treasure she had just gained.
From the window view, Gu Rong watched the two playing some kind of a tag game which he failed to understand. What he did understand was something else though.
Xiaosi said, "Don't eye my daughter like you would kidnap her right away and make them register for marriage."
"You really want me to become your enemy?"
"I wouldn't dare to become Zhu Xiaosi's enemy. Everybody knows that it's the worst idea."
"I am so glad that you are aware."
Gu Rong stared at Yating outside and said, "I don't understand. Is it because I sincerely wish for them to get together that I am misunderstanding things or does my son really feel different for her? Or maybe starting to?"
Gu Rong tilted his head, watching Yating very carefully. It felt as if he would never really forget Ai and move on, but the Yating in front of him now looked different.
At this point, the duo outside was gasping for breath and Chyou asked for a pause. Yating took pity and agreed for a five minutes break.
Xiaosi now gazed at them too. "But Chyou loves somebody else."
"So did my son. Feelings can change."
Xiaosi felt he stepped into twenty years of the past with a glassy gaze. "Sure, they can."
Gu Rong's brow twitched and murmured. "My son is way ahead and better than that Cheng Yin…"
He looked at him. "Tell me that you don't feel the same way about them that I do."
"What matters is what Chyou and Yating feel."
"Is Cheng Yin really that good?"
"And you and Mrs. Zhu as her parents?"
He answered nothing to that. Instead, he said, "If you have this conversation with Yating, I believe he would see you in a very different light. You need to bridge the differences between you two. How long are the father and son going to keep building walls like that?"
"I am not building any wall. It's him who is not listening to me. I only want what is best for him whether it's his career or marriage. He is being stubborn." Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Xiaosi smiled. "Like father, like son I suppose."
Gu Rong stiffened. A faint flash of an unknown emotion settled in his irises and he looked outside the window once again.
"Like father, like son indeed…" he whispered.