Chapter 357: Chapter 356: Not as Scary as the Rumors

Zhou Mochen had brought the alcohol himself. The trunk was packed with gifts; there were several boxes of assorted liquor alone, and the majority of the rest consisted of nutritional supplements for the elderly.

Even Xu Su had no idea when he had prepared all of this.

In truth, Xu Su was already used to Zhou Mochen giving her expensive and rare gifts. The only thing that could still move her was his genuine thoughtfulness.

Zhou Mochen was willing to go to great lengths for her family. Right now, he was acting like a respectful junior in front of her uncles, patiently engaging with them as they rambled on about farming, all with a perfectly serious look on his face.

Maintaining a humble and polite attitude toward Xu Su’s uncles was easy for Zhou Mochen. The challenge was keeping up with the two uncles’ conversation and responding fluently and naturally.

Xu Su’s two uncles were farmers through and through. They spoke Mandarin with a heavy accent, and their topics rarely strayed from their farmland. Aside from sharing funny stories about Xu Su’s childhood, they had absolutely nothing in common with a man like Young Master Zhou—an heir from a long line of tycoons who seemed completely detached from the realities of everyday life.

As the conversation went on, the topic gradually shifted to Zhou Mochen himself.

As the elders who had watched Xu Su grow up, her uncles were more like fathers to her than her own biological father, Xu Weiping.

After another glass of liquor, Uncle Xu couldn’t hold back any longer. He looked at the young man beside him and asked tentatively, "So, Chen, what kind of work do you do?"

Second Uncle Xu also looked over, his interest piqued.

Before meeting him, they had actually believed their sister’s story—that their niece had gotten involved with some thug who would chop off her own father’s finger over a minor disagreement. Now, however, they had completely abandoned that notion.

After all, they’d seen real thugs before, and none of them looked anything like him. With his distinguished air, he seemed more like a royal prince from a TV show than the actors who played them.

Xu Su, who was sitting to the side, also tilted her head, curious as to how he would introduce himself.

With three pairs of eyes on him, Zhou Mochen casually refilled Uncle Xu’s glass and replied, "You could say I build houses for a living."

Xu Su: "..."

’Build houses, my ass.’

Uncle Xu, assuming he was a construction foreman, was surprised. "You look so clean-cut. You really work on construction sites? That’s a good job, pays well."

Zhou Mochen paused before explaining, "I don’t do the manual labor myself. I have people who work for me."

’Oh...’ Uncle Xu nodded thoughtfully. ’So he really is a foreman.’

Just as Xu Su was about to burst out laughing from listening to the men’s disjointed conversation, her eldest aunt tapped her on the shoulder. "Susu, come and give your aunt a hand in the kitchen."

’She obviously wants to ask me something.’ Xu Su nodded. But as she stood up, a hand grabbed her wrist. Zhou Mochen was looking at her.

He was wearing a loose, gray T-shirt with a shallow V-neck that offered a glimpse of his collarbone. As he turned to her, his profile showed off his straight shoulders and long neck, his eyes filled with a questioning gaze.

He had the complete look of a clingy boyfriend...

Xu Su froze for a second, embarrassed to be so affectionate in front of her family. She gently pulled her hand free and said, "I’m finished eating. I’m going to chat with Grandma and my aunts. You stay here and have a drink with my two uncles."

Zhou Mochen’s brow furrowed, but he gave a slight nod.

He had a pitiful expression that only Xu Su could understand, leaving her momentarily speechless.

’Did he really think they could be as inseparable here as they were in Beijing? Not a chance.’

Her eldest aunt pulled Xu Su toward the backyard, leaving Zhou Mochen behind to drink with her two uncles and face their interrogation.

But Xu Su didn’t have it any better.

Grandma Xu and her two aunts had organized a joint interrogation.

When did they meet? What was their age difference? Where was he from? What did his family do for a living? What did he do? What really happened with Xu Weiping’s finger? The questions came one after another.

Xu Su had prepared herself for these questions, but they still gave her a headache. She paused for a moment before giving a carefully edited version of the truth. "We met a couple of years ago. He’s five years older than me and from Beijing. His family is in business, and his job right now involves supervising people who build houses."

"His car didn’t look cheap, and neither did all those gifts he brought." Her youngest aunt asked, "Is his family wealthy, this Chen fellow?"

Xu Su nodded. "It seems so."

"He may be rich, but that doesn’t mean we should lose our principles. You can’t just go spending a man’s money without a second thought, you hear?"

Grandma Xu took Xu Su’s hand and advised her gently, "If you don’t have enough for your college tuition, Grandma has some money saved. Don’t go asking him for money to pay for school. Susu, you’re still so young, with your whole future ahead of you. Don’t tie yourself to a man this early on."

Her eldest aunt chimed in, "That’s right, your grandma’s right. It’s fine to date, but once you start taking things from someone, you’re in their debt. It makes it much harder to break up if things don’t work out."

Their words were filled with genuine concern, and Xu Su was deeply touched. At the same time, she was at a loss for how to explain her situation, so she could only stammer and nod in agreement.

’In reality, forget her non-existent tuition problem. The birthday gifts Zhou Mochen had given her over the past two years were each worth at least seven figures...’

The Jade Lock she was wearing around her neck right now was his eighteenth birthday gift to her.

Seeing her nod, Grandma Xu asked, "Your mother said you didn’t come home after the college entrance exams. Are you two living together?"

"Um..." There was no hiding it. Xu Su nodded bluntly. "Yes, we are."

They were all women who had been around the block; they understood exactly what "living together" implied. Grandma Xu fell silent for a long moment.

It was her eldest aunt who finally broke the silence. "You still have college ahead of you. Be careful. Don’t get pregnant."

"I won’t," Xu Su said, her face flushing crimson.

She was very embarrassed to discuss such topics with her elders.

Seeing how embarrassed she was, her eldest aunt didn’t say any more. Somehow, the topic then shifted to Shen Chen, the young man from last year’s banquet.

"You know, we all thought the boyfriend you’d be bringing home today was going to be that young man from the fight last year."

Xu Su explained Shen Chen and Zhou Mochen’s relationship, adding, "He just saw I was being picked on and decided to stick up for me, for my boyfriend’s sake."

Grandma Xu asked, "Tingting said his family has a powerful background. Is that true?"

"I heard the guys he fought ended up in a really bad way," her youngest aunt said in a hushed, mysterious tone. "That whole thing was a huge deal last year. It was all over town. Even when I went out to buy groceries, acquaintances would chase me down to ask about it."

"The rumors were wild. Some said he was a big shot from Beijing, others said he was a gang leader. Since he’s good friends with your boyfriend, doesn’t that mean your boyfriend is also..."

Xu Su laughed awkwardly. "He’s not a gang boss. I think his family has some influence in Beijing, but it’s not as crazy as the rumors say."

She couldn’t continue. Instead, Xu Su shook her grandmother’s arm playfully. "I don’t really know all the details, Grandma. I’ve never even been to Beijing! They’re actually very nice people. You can see for yourselves how polite my boyfriend is. He’s nothing like those scary rumors."