Chapter 417 - The Family (1)
Zhao Youlin was stunned. ‘Han Yichen’s temperament is the same as Zhao Shunrong when he first met Duan Yarong back then?’
Did this mean Zhao Shunrong was also like that… back then?
Looking at Zhao Youlin’s dumbfounded expression and upon hearing his beloved wife’s hearty laughter, Zhao Shunrong heaved a sigh and said in a low voice, “Yarong…”
His tone was filled with helplessness and forgiveness which was exactly the same when he had proposed to her all of a sudden back then.
Duan Yarong’s laughter was gradually fading. Instead, it was replaced by an attractive gentle smile.
Over the years, no matter what had happened, this man’s love for her had never changed. Their relationship was still as heartwarming and enduring as it was when they were young.
Perhaps, at that time, many people had thought that they had fallen in love way too soon. However, only the parties involved knew that they only needed a love that came in a haste once in their lifetime.
Looking at the couple locking gazes with each other softly, Zhao Youlin apparently felt that she, as an onlooker, had been completely ignored. In the couple’s hearts, they only have each other, and no one could interfere with them. She could not help but feel the corners of her lips twitching up again.
Were her eyes deceiving her? Recently, she had been blinded by many young couples flaunting their affections everywhere. It was still okay to see young couples doing this since they were still energetic. But, even her parents were beginning to be like this…
Has spring arrived? Why were the couples not restraining themselves and kept making their presence known?!
Zhao Youlin knew that she could not count on the two anymore. So, she had to fall back and move her gaze to the former master. “Grandpa, what is it?”
Grandpa had a wicked sense of humor. How could he so easily let go of such an opportunity of mocking his son? Upon hearing Zhao Youlin’s question, he hurriedly answered, “Your father is my oldest son. Back then, not long after your grandma and I arrived at Shalnork, we started our business. We often moved out from time to time due to our work. As such, when your father was in his primary school and high school, he often changed schools. During the final semester of his senior year, your father transferred school again and coincidentally ended up in the same high school where your mother was.”
“That’s when my parents met each other?” This had piqued Zhao Youlin’s interest. She had never thought that Duan Yarong and Zhao Shunrong had met so early.
They met each other, their soulmate for life during the most innocent of school days. Were they considered… childhood sweethearts?
“Yes. At that time, your grandma and I were busy. We did not have time to take care of your father. So, we let him stay in the boarding school in his final semester. The high school is one of the most famous high schools in the city. Therefore, its scale is much larger than the average university. That year, your father was new to the school and thus, he was not familiar with the surroundings. He got lost on his first day of school. If not for running into your mother, I’m afraid he couldn’t find a way out of the school entrance even after taking a long time.”
Zhao Youlin thought to herself. ‘What a cliche setting…’ She did not know what to say.
Zhao Youlin sucked in a deep breath and put on a fake smile as she asked, “Father, please don’t tell me that you fell in love with Mother at first sight after she helped you once, is it so?”
Duan Yarong had already regained her senses from their passionate gazes. Upon hearing Zhao Youlin’s question, her face slightly turned red and he looked a bit embarrassed.
Zhao Youlin fell speechless. Fine. She had roughly learned the entire story. How disappointing was this!
“Hahaha! At that time, your mother was the president of their school’s student council. Not only was she a beautiful girl, but she was also gentle and had good grades in her studies. She was fairly desired by many boys in school.”
“Father!” Upon hearing her father mentioning her suitors back in those days to her daughter, Duan Yarong could no longer hold herself back and protested in annoyance.
Upon watching this, a hint of a smile showed up on Zhao Youlin’s face. Duan Yarong glared at her angrily, only then did Zhao Youlin fake a cough and take the initiative to switch the topic. She said, “Father, Mother, how did you guys get together back then?”
“Hahaha! Your father and mother were unlike the youngsters nowadays. They didn’t go through so many steps such as a time to hold hands, a time to share a kiss, a time to meet the parents, crack their heads to meet the parents and talk about wedding. Don’t forget, at that time, your mother had a lot of suitors. If your father were to go through all the steps, your mother would have long become someone else’s wife.”
“Father!” Upon hearing the former master’s increasingly outrageous words, Duan Yarong could not help but shout at him once again. A hint of embarrassment and annoyance unusually appeared on her usual gentle and calm expression.
However, the former master’s words had whetted Zhao Youlin’s appetite to find out more. She asked tentatively, “So?”
“So, your father called me and your grandma that night after he met your mother. He told us that he laid an eye on a girl and was going to propose to her the next day. He told us to get ready for it.”
“Pfff…!” Zhao Youlin was holding a cup of tea and was about to drink it. Upon hearing the former master’s words, she nearly choked. “Asking you guys to get ready for it. That means the next day, Father…”
“That’s right. The next day, your father brought a bouquet of flowers and a ring and proposed to your mother. Your father nearly got kicked out of the school on his first day. If not for the principal giving their respect to me and sparing your father, I’m afraid your father would not even graduate from high school. Sigh… The school principal was making a fuss out of it… My son was only dating, why did they have to overreact like that?! That’s so old-fashioned of them.”
Zhao Youlin thought to herself. ‘Father and Mother were only in their senior years of high school. They dated so early and even made such a big fuss out of it. How could the school principal turn a blind eye to things like that?!’
Before Zhao Youlin responded to him, Zhao Shunrong had already refuted him, “Father, how could you only talk about me and Yarong. As far as I know, you and my mother were also in a similar situation like us back then, right?”
“Huh?!” Zhao Youlin was struck dumb and looked at the former master bizarrely.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the former master’s expression. The next moment, he shouted in a poorly disguised attempt, “We’re not as open-minded as you guys back in those days. I didn’t propose to your mother like you did to Yarong the moment you met her. I… I only… ahem… I only asked her to be my girlfriend and date me the moment I met her.”
Duan Yarong and Zhao Shunrong thought to themselves. ‘Father is getting more thick-skinned.’
Zhao Youlin thought to herself. ‘Why do I have a feeling that the genetics of gunshot wedding runs in this family? Like father, like son. More so, the next generation is surpassing the previous generation!’
Grandpa and grandma met and fell in love in university whereas Duan Yarong and Zhao Shunrong had already… in their high school. Before Zhao Shunrong had proposed to Duan Yarong, he at least had briefly reported it to the former master. Meanwhile, Han Yichen had proposed to An Yue first before they met the parents. Wait, that’s not right. He did not even plan to inform them. He straight away brought his wife back to meet his parents!
Zhao Youlin did not know what else to quip about. ‘What a crazy family…’