Accompanying her until dawn, the implication was obvious.
Tang Xiaomin's embarrassment vanished, and she refused, "No."
This damn reserve, it tormented him.
"Why not, are you afraid I'll eat you?"
Heaven and earth as his witness, he was a rare, serious and honest person. Loyal in love, he wouldn't overstep boundaries, and was incredibly upright.
Tang Xiaomin's bright eyes suddenly dimmed, replaced by a heavy, unhappy melancholy.
"My mother... is critically ill."
"Diagnosed with heart failure, she's been getting weaker lately. And I saw a dark cloud over her forehead, a lingering death aura, the situation is not optimistic."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jue's expression also turned serious.
Although he had wronged Tang Xiaomin before, he had now repented and was devoted to her, showing his love and apology in his eyes.
After finally putting their past behind them and living a good life, she was suddenly struck by a grave illness. Life was truly full of regrets.
"Don't worry, I'll help you. Besides, your mother is a strong woman, maybe there's still a chance."
Good people don't live long, but villains can last for a thousand years.
At first glance, no one in the Tang family seemed like a good person.
Although his comfort was vague, Tang Xiaomin still hoped it would come true as Yan Jue said.
She took out her phone and recorded a long video of the venue, then took more than a dozen photos.
After finishing, she had to face Yan Jue's expectant gaze.
"Alright, alright, come home with me. My mother will be happy to see you."
She took his hand, just as he had taken hers earlier, and led him home.
That sounded a bit strange.
After getting into the car, Yan Jue asked, "Minmin, you're bringing me home just to make your mother happy?"
Tang Xiaomin replied without thinking, "Of course. She likes you very much."
"When we get engaged, she'll definitely be proud and beaming with you as her son-in-law."
He knew it, his position in her heart was decreasing.
But no matter what, as long as he kept moving towards his goal, he would eventually be number one.
When they returned to the Tang family with Tang Xiaomin, it was dinner time.
With the New Year approaching, everyone was on holiday and home.
Yan Jue's appearance brought a smile to Zhang Meiyu's pale face.
"Yan Jue hasn't visited in a while, quickly, sit down and eat with us."
Yan Jue could hear the implication in Zhang Meiyu's words. She deliberately mentioned his long absence, clearly to probe what he had been up to.
Of course, what he had been doing wasn't the main point; the engagement banquet was.
"It's almost New Year, work has been busy, and with the engagement banquet preparations, I haven't had time to visit."
As soon as the engagement banquet was mentioned, Zhang Meiyu's pale face broke into an even brighter smile.
"The date is fast approaching, it's time to announce the news and send out the invitations. An engagement is a grand occasion, and your status is extraordinary, the more elaborate the better."
Zhang Meiyu's actions made Tang Xiaomin feel awkward again, but she couldn't say anything.
"Aunt is right. Tomorrow, we'll book the headlines and broadcast news of the engagement banquet twenty-four hours a day."
"Yes, yes, it's good that the young people think things through," Zhang Meiyu said, beaming.
Yan Jue was very accommodating. His arrangements left Zhang Meiyu with no room for criticism, and they chatted the most animatedly at the dinner table.
Suddenly, Tang Yan's cold voice rang out.
"Coming empty-handed during the holidays, and now spouting a lot of empty words. Tang Xiaomin, how old are you?"
She was twenty-two years old, long past the age for platonic love.
As a former wealthy family, not only Tang Yan but everyone in the Tang family approached love from a practical standpoint, rejecting superficial vows and deception.
This was something Zhang Meiyu had long instilled in them as part of their upbringing.
Tang Ye also chimed in, "What's the use of saying so much? It's more important to do things."
If it weren't for their mother being in a good mood, he would have retorted earlier.
Seeing the atmosphere disrupted, Tang Yu quickly tried to smooth things over.
"What kind of person is President Yan? The boss of the group, of course he's a man of his word. Since he said he'll book the news tomorrow, we'll just wait and see."
It seemed like he was offering a way out, but it was subtly increasing the pressure.
The three brothers' coordination was impeccable.
"Heh..."
Tang Yan let out a cold laugh.
"A day on the trending topic list is no small expense. It's best not to speak too soon, lest people be disappointed."
Cough, cough...
Tang Yu coughed twice, subtly signaling him to stop talking.
Tang Yan had been abroad for a long time, and after returning, he was sent to prison by Tang Xiaomin. He probably didn't realize how strong the current Xianfu Group was.
Zhang Meiyu also said, "Tang Yan, eating shouldn't stop your mouth."
Then, she cheerfully said to Yan Jue, "Yan Jue, you rarely come to eat with us, eat more. Make yourself at home."
...
Although the topic had ended, the atmosphere had become strange.
Yan Jue wouldn't care if he was suspected of anything.
But questioning his attitude towards the engagement banquet made him uncomfortable.
Moreover, Tang Xiaomin had been quite upset about the engagement banquet before. Did he really seem like an empty-talking liar, as they thought?
Unreliable?
Their eyes met, and seeing Yan Jue's changed expression, Tang Xiaomin sensed his emotional shift.
"Don't mind him, he doesn't understand anything. Hurry up and eat."
Tang Xiaomin's words triggered Tang Yan's rebellious streak, and he decided to press the issue.
"Yes, yes, you all understand, only I don't. But even if I don't understand, I know the principle that politeness is never wrong."
"Actually, whether it's a grand gift or a small one doesn't matter. Just bringing something as a token of your appreciation would be fine. After all, even though our family isn't what it used to be, we haven't fallen to the point of relying on others' gifts to survive."
"But bringing nothing at all, I don't see any sincerity."
He had forgotten to buy a gift because he had come in a hurry.
But it wasn't Yan Jue's fault. People usually gave him gifts and tried to curry favor with him, so he never had the chance to give gifts to others.
Therefore, he hadn't considered the complexities of worldly social etiquette.
With the facts laid bare, there was nothing he could argue.
Tang Xiaomin glared at Tang Yan displeasedly, "Is this little matter worth you going on and on? Have you never received a gift? Anyone who didn't know would think we were greedy for other people's things."
"It's fortunate we're at home. If this were outside, you'd have completely embarrassed me."
"You..."
Tang Yan had never seen Tang Xiaomin so ungrateful. Didn't she realize that he was saying all this for her?
If the future son-in-law wasn't respected by her family, her married life would be imaginable.
After all, she was too young and didn't understand.
Tang Yan said bluntly, "You don't give gifts during the New Year, so when do you plan to give them, Tang Xiaomin? Tell me."