"Delicious! These dumplings are way better than the ones your mom makes. The flavor of the filling hasn’t been boiled away!"

Lin Qiu offered her praise, then lowered her head and dug in.

Jun Qingmeng dipped a dumpling in a little of the sauce and fed it to Tongtong. "Is it spicy, Tongtong?"

"It’s okay, Mommy." Tongtong wore a blissful expression as she chewed the dumpling.

The dumplings Daddy made were truly to the little darling’s liking.

Jun Qingmeng smiled. "Honey, open up. Let me feed you one!"

Jiang Liu gave a resigned smile. His parents were still there, after all.

But he still opened his mouth and ate it.

"Is it delicious when your wife feeds you?" Jun Qingmeng asked, pursing her lips as she smiled at Jiang Liu.

"Delicious. The most delicious thing in the world!"

Jun Qingmeng immediately rolled her eyes at Jiang Liu.

The old couple buried their heads in their food, doing their best to dim their own brightness as third wheels.

After dinner, Jiang Dahai volunteered to clear the table.

Jiang Liu grabbed a few bottles of iced fruit juice.

What he gave Jun Qingmeng was a mixture of room-temperature orange juice and hot water.

He had seen a sanitary pad in Jun Qingmeng’s bag earlier today.

He guessed her period must be coming soon.

Jun Qingmeng took the warm orange juice, paused for a moment, then gave Jiang Liu a look full of tender affection.

She liked Jiang Liu even more now.

Affection +10.

Lin Qiu took a sip of juice and asked, "Sweetheart, have you and your dad decided where to meet?"

Jun Qingmeng quickly replied, "Yes, Mother-in-law! It’s at a Six Flavors Restaurant in Qinghe District, about five kilometers away. Their Sichuan food is pretty good, and the quality and atmosphere are both nice."

"Good. When the time comes, don’t try to save money. Let Liu’er pay." Lin Qiu smiled gently. "As our family’s daughter-in-law, you can’t always be spending money on our behalf."

Jun Qingmeng gently bit her rosy lip and shook her head. "It’s alright, Mother-in-law. It’s the same no matter who pays. I have money on me right now..."

She loved to spoil Jiang Liu.

Spending money on Jiang Liu made her much happier than spending it on herself.

Lin Qiu took Jun Qingmeng’s hand and continued in a warm voice, "You silly girl, it’s not that we don’t want you to contribute to this family. A single meal doesn’t cost much. Do you think your man can’t afford it?"

"I understand you care for Jiang Liu and dote on him, but let’s be frank. You can spend your money on Jiang Liu whenever you want—I have no issue with that. But this time is different. We’re paying to show how much we value you. Understand, girl?"

When two families meet, the man’s side usually pays. It’s a sign of courtesy and respect toward the woman’s side.

If Jun Qingmeng had to pay herself when she brought Jiang Liu to meet her parents, it would make it seem like the Jiang Family didn’t value her.

Jun Qingmeng’s eyes reddened. "Mother-in-law, I want a hug."

Lin Qiu pulled Jun Qingmeng into an embrace and gently patted her back.

’Poor sweetheart. If she marries into our family in the future, no one will be allowed to bully her!’

Jiang Tongtong, having rested her little stomach, perked up again. "Grandma, what about me? Aren’t you going to hug Tongtong?"

"Oh! Of course. Hugs, hugs for everyone!"

Jiang Dahai was still washing the dishes and also helped Jiang Liu take out the kitchen trash.

Jiang Liu walked out of the kitchen. "Qingmeng, I’ll pay when the time comes."

Jun Qingmeng: "But—"

Jiang Liu reached out and pinched Jun Qingmeng’s rosy lips, silencing her.

He said:

"It’s not because I’m a man and it’s my duty to pay, nor is it because of some Hua Country tradition. It’s because I love you. Therefore, I will pay for everything. Understand?"

’Ah...!!’

Jun Qingmeng blinked her dazed, cute eyes.

She was completely stunned.

’How could my honey flirt with me like this in front of my mother-in-law? So embarrassing!’

’But I love it.’

"You didn’t hear me?" Jiang Liu tugged on her lips.

"Mmph," Jun Qingmeng hurriedly and obediently nodded her head.

Like a little wife who had been thoroughly tamed.

She loved Jiang Liu very much, which was why her usually cold and proud self could be so easily tamed by him.

Jiang Dahai untied his apron and came out to watch the fun.

Lin Qiu shot Jiang Dahai a look.

"Son, your father and I are a little stuffed from the meal. We’re going to go out for a jog. You three don’t need to wait for us. Head back and get some rest early, okay?"

"Alright. Be safe, don’t run too far."

Lin Qiu smiled, nodded, and eagerly pulled Jiang Dahai out the door.

After the two elders left, Jiang Liu scanned the room. "Let’s tidy up the dishes and get ready to go home and sleep."

"Okay~"

Jun Qingmeng’s face was still a little flushed.

She touched the lips Jiang Liu had pinched and stomped her foot.

Next, the three of them worked together with practiced ease.

Tongtong put all the chairs up on the table.

Jiang Liu was responsible for mopping the floor, while Jun Qingmeng followed behind, spraying disinfectant.

After they finished mopping, a delivery boy arrived at the door, looking excited. He said, out of breath:

"Boss Jiang, I’ve bought everything you asked for."

"Great, thank you."

"You’re welcome!"

Jiang Liu took the large bag of ingredients. They were raw materials for making a Chiffon cake, including milk, milk powder, butter, and so on.

All of it was from major brands of high quality.

Jiang Liu handed the delivery boy a bottle of juice. "Thanks for your hard work. Have some orange juice."

"Hey, thanks, Boss Jiang."

The delivery boy was also a regular customer of Jiang Liu’s. Whenever he had free time, he would ride his electric scooter over to get in line.

Today, when he saw Jiang Liu’s order, he had snatched it in a second without hesitation, even though it was eight kilometers away.

He had just been hoping to get more familiar with the boss, but he hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise. The delivery boy left happily.

Jiang Liu checked the room one more time, with Tongtong trailing behind him, taking serious mental notes.

After the check, he drove the two beauties, one big and one small, back to their apartment building.

On the way, he also replied to Yue Longfan’s message.

It had to be said, Yue Longfan was truly a capable dipping sauce.

Now, the number of positive reviews for Jiang Liu had reached 78,563.

He believed he would be able to unlock a brand-new page in less than two days.

Jun Qingmeng and Jiang Liu parted ways and went back to their respective homes. As soon as she got in, she casually tossed the delicious food she was carrying to the little pig at home to root through.

Then, she went to take a nice, fragrant shower.

After all, she would be sleeping next to Jiang Liu tonight, and she wouldn’t allow herself to smell even a little bit like cooking fumes or sweat.

Although, Jun Qingmeng felt that even her sweat smelled fragrant.

After her shower, Jun Qingmeng came out drying her hair. She had changed into a nightgown, and her fair, slender, jade-like legs were dazzlingly bright under the light.

While drying her hair, Jun Qingmeng sent a text to Jun Xinghe: "I’ve picked the place. Six Flavors Restaurant in South City’s Qinghe District. 11:30 AM."

「At that moment.」

Jun Xinghe, who was in the middle of eating dumplings, heard his phone vibrate.

He had two phones: one for work and one for personal use.

He had few family members and few close friends, so he rarely got messages.

As for the dumplings, Jun Xinghe had heard that Boss Jiang made dumplings today. Xia Changzhi had even described to him how delicious they were, so he had ordered his chef to make a large portion for him.

And here he was, late at night, eating them all by himself with a sullen face.

Picking up his phone, Jun Xinghe’s eyes narrowed.

South City?

’Why would my daughter be there?’

’Still, this is a good thing.’

But then it occurred to him: his daughter was also in South City, yet she’d let an outstanding potential son-in-law like Jiang Liu slip away, and found some damn good-for-nothing boyfriend instead!

The thought made his liver ache with anger again.

It wasn’t his fault for not connecting the dots to his daughter,

........