Then Jiang Lei and Li Xiuyun appeared at the Jiang family home.
As soon as they reached the door, they heard Fan Xiuyun seeing someone out.
"Aunt Liu, I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect that brat to be so unreliable. He stood them up again this time. Don’t worry, when he comes back, I’ll definitely break his legs. How can he treat a girl like that?"
Fan Xiuying’s exasperated voice made Jiang Lei shiver.
"Xiuying, from now on, I really can’t handle your Jiang Lei’s affairs, I’m incapable. Your Jiang Lei, time and again, how many times has this happened? I set him up with a girl, and he stands her up again.
How can I face those girls with this old face of mine? They might think that the people introduced by me, Liu, are very unreliable. Anyway, I’m not getting involved in your family’s matters anymore."
Aunt Liu’s angry voice trailed off as she stormed out.
She bumped right into Jiang Lei and Li Xiuyun standing at the door.
Upon seeing Jiang Lei and Li Xiuyun, Aunt Liu’s anger flared up anew.
"Xiuying, it’s really unscrupulous of you! Your son already has a girlfriend, but you still ask me to introduce someone. Isn’t this deceitful? Don’t ask me again in the future."
She gave Jiang Lei a stern glare.
Aunt Liu twisted her under-five-foot chubby body and left.
Fan Xiuying was already completely frazzled by these words.
When she saw her son standing at the gate with a pretty girl, she instantly understood what Aunt Liu meant.
She couldn’t give her son a hard time in front of the girl.
"Everyone’s here, come on in quickly."
Li Xiuyun greeted them politely.
"Auntie, I’m very sorry for coming empty-handed on my first visit. It’s a bit impolite."
Fan Xiuying saw how refined and polite the girl was.
The tension in her chest eased immediately. As long as her son brought someone home, even if she wasn’t the match-made candidate, it showed her son’s capability.
This brat obviously had a girlfriend, why didn’t he mention it to me? If he had, I wouldn’t have been in such a rush.
Plus, the girl genuinely seemed decent, like she came from a respectable family.
Not like those gaudy girls on the street with curled hair, high heels, and painted eyebrows.
"There’s no need to be so formal; you don’t have to bring anything when coming over. Come on in, come on in. That brat, Jiang Lei, never said anything. Miss, what’s your last name? Where do you work? How old are you?"
Li Xiuyun laughed, "Auntie, my name is Li Xiuyun. I work as an accountant at the First Cigarette Factory."
Fan Xiuying quickly assessed in her mind that this girl really was a great match for her son.
Being an accountant is great. Accountants sit in an office poised and graceful, just writing and calculating.
So much better than those factory workers in workshops; the work is easier.
She kept sizing up Li Xiuyun.
This girl is truly pretty.
With double eyelids and big eyes, although her skin isn’t very fair, her features are delicate, giving off a genteel vibe. Her smile radiates warmth.
Moreover, she loves to smile, and she seems like an easy person to get along with.
Fan Xiuying playfully glared at Jiang Lei. She didn’t expect this brat to have such good taste and to keep it a secret.
"Come inside, come inside. We shouldn’t let guests stand in the yard talking."
She gestured for Li Xiuyun to go in.
Li Xiuyun lifted the curtain and went inside, while Fan Xiuying deliberately lagged a few steps behind.
She gave Jiang Lei’s arm a sharp pinch.
Jiang Lei inhaled sharply in pain.
This move of his mom’s was truly fierce; she hadn’t let up over the years. He didn’t know who she practiced on.
His dad probably endured a lot of his mom’s torment.
When he finds a wife in the future, he definitely won’t find one who pinches like his mom.
"Brat! Bringing a girlfriend home is such a big deal, and you didn’t even tell me in advance to get the house ready. The house is all messy, nothing is tidied up. What will the girl think?
It might seem like we don’t welcome her. You’ve grown up yet still not using your brain?"
Fan Xiuying scolded her son in a low voice.
Jiang Lei was just about to explain that this was not his girlfriend.
But Fan Xiuying had already hurried a few steps to follow Li Xiuyun inside.
Jiang Lei was speechless.
Could his mom really be misunderstanding?
She’d mistaken Li Xiuyun for his girlfriend, and it might embarrass the girl later.
"Third Brother, has Yiyi been here?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao barged in, sweating, with Song Moting behind her.
Though it was hot these days, both were sweating profusely.
The weather today wasn’t particularly hot, with a slight evening breeze.
Jiang Lei chuckled, "What wind blew you two here? It’s not even Friday. Why are you here? Yiyi? I haven’t seen her. Go inside and ask Mom if she’s in there."
He had just arrived as well.
Jiang Xiaoxiao pushed Jiang Lei aside and barged in.
Jiang Lei, caught off guard, staggered when his sister barged into him, almost hitting the back window.
"Song Moting, what’s up with my sister? What urgent matter has her in such a rush?"
Jiang Lei managed to brace his elbow against the windowsill just in time; otherwise, he might have shattered the glass.
Though his elbow hit the wall, it still hurt a little.
Song Moting wiped his sweat.
"Bai Yiyi didn’t go to school this afternoon at all. Her teacher called home just now, and we found out. She hasn’t come back this evening either, so we thought she might be having dinner here with Mom."
They were startled when they got the call, returning home to find everything neatly arranged, with no sign that anyone had been back. That’s why they rushed to Fan Xiuying’s place.
This child hadn’t been to school for an afternoon. Who knows what might have happened?
Song Moting and Jiang Xiaoxiao had previously experienced someone attempting to kidnap Tang Yuan.
They naturally paid more attention to the kids, yet despite this, one still went missing right under their noses.
Song Moting was frustrated, as he had arranged for some people to protect his family discreetly.
However, there were too many family members and too vast an area. He thought Bai Yiyi was unlikely to be a target.
After all, in everyone’s eyes, Bai Yiyi was just a relative’s child, nothing compared to Tang Yuan.
If someone were targeting them, they would likely go for Tang Yuan first or the Fan family members, so his people were concentrated around these areas, never suspecting...
Bai Yiyi would disappear right under their noses.
Jiang Lei laughed, "You two are overreacting. The child is that age; Bai Yiyi is so sensible. She’s never been any trouble; she’s probably just having dinner with Mom.
I guess she didn’t feel well this afternoon or maybe she skipped class in a huff, worried you two might scold her. So she ran over to Mom’s directly."
He didn’t think much of it.
After all, they didn’t know what Jiang Xiaoxiao and Song Moting had been through.