Invincible Dad-Chapter 454 I Don’t Understand_1

Liu Wan was speechless.

Afterward, Taotie was inexplicably dragged inside for tea. Then, in a daze, he found himself helping Liu Wan’s parents skin the Moon Sheep and chop its meat. Though the Celestial Venerable Realm creature was dead, its corpse was still not something an ordinary person could carve. The work took the entire day.

"You’re already here, and you’ve helped our family all afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Would it be too much to ask you to stay for dinner?" At six in the evening, Mother Liu glared at her daughter, Liu Wan. "How can you be so clueless about basic etiquette!"

This was because Liu Wan had been subtly hinting to Taotie that it was getting late and he should head home soon.

Liu Wan was at a loss for words.

That was the situation, but they had no formal relationship. How could Taotie stay at her house for New Year’s Eve dinner? And after dinner, wouldn’t her parents insist he stay to watch the Spring Festival Gala? After that, what if they made excuses about the slippery roads or the subway shutting down and made Taotie sleep in the guest room?

After all, based on the earlier probing conversation, Taotie had laid his background bare—his hometown was very far away, and he had no immediate family in East Sea City.

Liu Wan could already see the undisguised, joyous smiles on her parents’ faces. They were clearly very pleased with Taotie!

Fortunately, Taotie realized something was amiss. He stood up and said, "I’m sorry, Uncle, Aunt, but I have other matters to attend to and can’t stay any longer."

"Just stay a little longer," Mother Liu said anxiously. "We have a guest room. If you’re worried it doesn’t have air conditioning, you can just sleep with Wan’er. Her father and I aren’t that old-fashioned."

Liu Wan was dumbfounded.

Other parents protected their daughters like delicate flowers in a greenhouse; ensuring they came home at night was the bare minimum. But her parents? They were practically selling their own daughter off!

Both embarrassed and annoyed, she pushed Taotie out the door. "Hurry, you should go catch the subway."

Taotie left.

As the door closed, Mother Liu’s smile vanished. She looked sternly at her daughter and asked, "What, exactly, is the relationship between you two!"

"We’re just friends..."

"Fine, ’just friends,’ is it? I’ll go chase him down and tell him that right now."

"..."

Liu Wan panicked. "Oh, Mom, what on earth are you trying to do?"

Mother Liu glared. "What do you think I’m trying to do? There are three unfilial acts. Which is the greatest?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Not taking the civil service exam?" Liu Wan ventured. "But my major isn’t really suited for a civil service career."

Mother Liu was speechless. Exasperated, she said, "It’s having no descendants! You like this young man, don’t you?"

Liu Wan didn’t answer. Her parents exchanged a look.

Mother Liu sighed. "Wan’er, we aren’t trying to rush you into marriage. It’s just that it’s so rare for you to find someone you like. We’re already in our fifties and won’t be around for many more years. We just truly hope you can find your soulmate."

"But you can’t just try to give your daughter away, as if I’m so desperate I can’t find a husband myself," Liu Wan retorted.

"Give you away?" Mother Liu shook her head. "You don’t understand. You used to be like a robot. It’s only in the last few days that we’ve seen you smile more. When you like someone, your eyes don’t lie. He spent all afternoon helping in the kitchen, and what were you doing? You were sneaking glances toward the kitchen the entire time. The fondness in your eyes was practically spilling out. Did you really think we couldn’t see it?"

As she spoke, Mother Liu grew contemplative again. "Your father and I know you’re an outstanding woman with many suitors, but fate is a precious thing. When it appears, you must seize it."

Mother Liu was about to continue her nagging when Father Liu frowned. "That’s enough. Our daughter doesn’t like us pushing her, so let’s stop."

"Mr. Liu, are you trying to pull rank on me?" Mother Liu glared.

Father Liu, who had just raised his teacup for a sip, answered awkwardly, "No, it’s just that our daughter doesn’t like us pressuring her..."

"Is it that she doesn’t like it, or you don’t like it?"

"..."

In the past, Liu Wan would have just found her mother’s scolding of her henpecked father noisy, but today, she actually found a trace of warmth in their bickering. She couldn’t help but break into a smile.

...

「Haitang Court.」

Xu Lai, unaware of what was going on between Taotie and Liu Wan, put away the Recording Jade Slip and gave the hairpin to his daughter. Yiyi adored the gift and excitedly asked her mother, Ruan Tang, to style her long hair with it. Then she bounced over to Beibei to show off her new hairdo.

"Which ex-girlfriend gave you this one?" Ruan Tang asked suddenly.

Xu Lai was completely baffled. "Honey, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

"The hairpin smells of another woman."

"..."

Xu Lai took a sharp breath. "Honey, are you part dog? Your nose is so..."

Before he could finish, Ruan Tang stomped hard on his foot. "You’re the one who’s part dog!"

Xu Lai felt helpless.

Was there really a fragrance on the hairpin? He hadn’t noticed it at all. His wife’s intuition was just too sharp.

To change the subject, Xu Lai said earnestly, "Honey, I prepared a New Year’s gift for you. Guess what it is."

"A wedding dress," Ruan Tang said without looking up. "Didn’t I already guess that last time?"

Xu Lai sighed.

This woman just wouldn’t play along. Couldn’t she at least pretend not to know?

As if reading his mind, Ruan Tang’s lips curled into a brilliant smile. "Oh, my dear boyfriend, what is the New Year’s gift? I’m so excited!"

"Ugh."

Not far away, a shiver ran down Ruan Lan’s spine, and goosebumps prickled her skin.

Xu Lai’s mouth twitched. "My apologies. I take back what I was just thinking."

"So, where’s the gift?" Ruan Tang asked. She was, in fact, genuinely a little excited.

Was it one of the dresses she had tried on at the bridal shop? The Chinese-style qipao? Or the Western-style white wedding dress?

Her younger sister Ruan Lan, Yiyi, and the Conch Girl all leaned in to look.

Xu Lai gestured with his hand, and in an instant, the living room was shrouded in a hazy starlight. The women were all stunned.

The wedding dress was neither a Chinese-style qipao nor a Western-style gown. Instead, it was crafted in the style of the Immortal Domain, somewhat resembling a classical long dress. But it was far from ordinary. The dress was pure white, woven from threads refined from the Milky Way. Starlight flowed across the fabric, twinkling with a dazzling brilliance.

From the first glance, all the women fell completely in love with it.

Ruan Lan was awestruck. "Sister, you’ll look so beautiful in it!" She reached out, her fingers brushing against the gown, clearly eager to try it on herself.

Xu Lai glanced at his sister-in-law and said lightly, "Don’t even think about it. This dress was tailored to your sister’s measurements. You couldn’t fill it out."

Couldn’t fill it out? That Xu guy! Would he care to explain to this 36D fairy just what part she supposedly couldn’t fill out! Ruan Lan shot a fierce glare at Xu Lai.

"Come on, since you like it so much, why don’t you try it on?" Xu Lai goaded.

"..."

Ruan Lan turned her head away, her expression unnatural. "It’s my sister’s wedding dress. I would never wear it."

Ignoring the bickering between her sister and Xu Lai, Ruan Tang said in surprise, "The material... it’s the same as the one you gave Yiyi."

"Mhm," Xu Lai smiled. "Want to try it on?"

"Well..." Ruan Tang hesitated.

"Yiyi wants to see Mommy looking pretty." Yiyi blinked her big eyes, her voice full of anticipation. "Mommy, please, try it on."

"Alright then." Ruan Tang took the dress and returned to her room.