AMRWFA -Chapter 369 Meeting the Parents

Early the next morning, when Ruan Yaoyao woke up, she noticed that Xie Xiuming had changed into a new outfit. A deep gray suit, with a silver tie clip pinned neatly to his tie—it was both refined and eye-catching, making her glance at him a few more times than usual.

【As expected, a domineering CEO is still a domineering CEO—just so good-looking!】

【But… where did this outfit come from?】

【Did he bring clothes with him yesterday?】

For a brief moment, Xie Xiuming stiffened, but he pretended not to hear anything and greeted Ruan Yaoyao with a smile.

Image, image—he had to carefully maintain his image in front of someone. After all, someone was quite susceptible to a “beauty trap.”

So early in the morning, he had his secretary deliver a fresh set of clothes, eagerly putting them on just for her to see.

Although it didn’t achieve the same stunning effect as yesterday, seeing Ruan Yaoyao glance at him several times still comforted him—his effort hadn’t been in vain.

“Morning, Sister Yao!”

“Morning! Later, Lingling and I are going shopping. You go handle your work first. When you’re done, give us a call and I’ll come pick you up.”

“Alright, then I’ll leave my share to you, Sister Yao.” Xie Xiuming felt a faint sense of regret. Though he wanted to stay by Ruan Yaoyao’s side at all times, he still had such a large company to manage—it simply wasn’t realistic.

They had agreed to accompany her and Lu Lingling back home to meet her parents, but he could only spare an afternoon. In the morning, he still had to go back to the company.

Ruan Yaoyao had no idea what was on his mind. After breakfast, she led the group out—first dropping Xu Anzhi and the other kids off at school, then taking Lu Lingling to the mall to pick out some things.

“Master, you really don’t need to spend so much…”

Before even stepping into the mall, Lu Lingling hesitated when she saw where they were going.

It couldn’t be helped—her family wasn’t well-off, and she had never entered such luxurious stores in her life. Only now did she realize that everything Ruan Yaoyao had given her before hadn’t been cheap at all.

“Master, let’s just buy a few things on the street… some fruit, health supplements, maybe…”

With her limited life experience, Lu Lingling felt that the fruit and milk sold at roadside shops were already more than enough. If elders drank alcohol, they could add some liquor or tea.

But her parents neither smoked nor drank, so those weren’t necessary. Fruit and milk would be enough.

Besides, she was still just a child with no money of her own—everything was being paid for by her master, which made her even more uneasy.

Ruan Yaoyao smiled and patted her head. “It’s my first time visiting your home, of course I have to bring something nice. Even if not for your parents, I still have to pick out a few new outfits for you. Come on—my disciple deserves the best.”

To reassure her, Ruan Yaoyao explained that once she learned skills from her, she would take on assignments from the national team, and the pay wouldn’t be low. She could repay her later.

Since she was willing to spend so much now, it meant she was confident she could “earn it back” in the future—consider it an early investment.

Previously, the clothes she bought for Lu Lingling were chosen based on her own taste. This time, with the girl present, she could let her try on styles she liked.

She also took her to pick out a watch.

Having never stepped into a luxury store before, Lu Lingling was like a country bumpkin entering a grand garden—looking here and there, completely unsure of herself. If Ruan Yaoyao hadn’t been with her, she would have run away long ago.

Seeing her discomfort, Ruan Yaoyao didn’t push. She understood—this was unfamiliar territory. Once she came more often, she would get used to it.

A young girl should see more of the world—otherwise, she might easily be deceived by some smooth-talking guy outside.

Before lunchtime, Ruan Yaoyao received a call from Xie Xiuming, asking if they had finished shopping.

“You’re done with work?”

“Mm, more or less. If you’re done, let’s book a restaurant. We’ll have lunch together, then pick up Anzhi from kindergarten, and afterward go to Lingling’s home. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. You book it—I’ll bring Lingling over.”

…

The three met at the restaurant. After lunch, they went to the kindergarten and picked up Xu Anzhi, who had been waiting.

“Daddy~”

Seeing Xie Xiuming, Xu Anzhi happily ran straight into his arms.

He lifted her up, asking how her day at kindergarten had been and whether she was happy. To an outsider, they truly looked like a father and daughter.

While things were warm and harmonious on their side, the situation at Lu Lingling’s home was far from smooth.

Old Madam Lu had brought her daughter over and insisted that Lu’s mother—who worked serving dishes outside—come back at noon to cook for them. She complained about Lu’s mother being stingy, scolding her for not even preparing a proper meat dish.

Lu’s mother looked embarrassed, repeatedly begging her to lower her voice and save them some dignity. But Old Madam Lu only grew louder, cursing her as a jinx who had brought misfortune to the family since marrying in, and berating her for failing to bear a son—saying even the daughter she had given birth to was mentally ill.

Between the lines, she was clearly trying to force her to divorce Lu’s father so she wouldn’t drag him down.

After asking around for quite some time, Ruan Yaoyao and her group finally found the shabby rented room where Lu Lingling’s parents lived. Just as they arrived, they heard the old woman’s scolding—and then saw Lu’s mother being shoved out the door. Losing her footing, she tumbled down the narrow staircase.

“Mom—!”

Lu Lingling cried out.

Ruan Zhihe reacted instantly, stepping forward to catch the frail woman.

Leaning against the wall, Lu’s mother looked dazed.

What had she just heard?

Her daughter calling her “Mom”?

Impossible…

Her Lingling was in a psychiatric hospital—how could she be here?

Yet a beautiful girl in a white dress rushed up to her, holding her hand with concern, asking if she was alright and whether her grandmother had bullied her again.

Lu’s mother stared at her for a long moment before finally reacting. “Lingling?”

“Mom, it’s me—Lingling, your daughter!”

“How are you here?! Weren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?”

“I met my master—she cured me,” Lu Lingling quickly explained, introducing Ruan Yaoyao and the others.

Hearing that Ruan Yaoyao had “cured” her daughter, Lu’s mother was overwhelmed with gratitude and nearly dropped to her knees.

Ruan Yaoyao grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What are you doing? Your daughter has already paid the price. There’s no need to kneel. Just let her study well under me, and once she graduates, she can repay me with her filial piety.”

“Yes, yes—Lingling will definitely be filial to you in the future.”

…

Before Lu’s mother could say much more, a young woman pushed her aside and squeezed forward.

“So you’re Lingling’s master? Hello, hello—I’m her aunt, Lu Chahua. If there’s anything, just talk to me. My sister-in-law doesn’t understand anything—talking to her is pointless… Has Lingling really been cured?”

As she spoke, she looked Ruan Yaoyao up and down with an unsettling gaze, as if calculating something.

Ruan Yaoyao’s expression instantly turned cold.

She might not enjoy socializing, but she wasn’t foolish. At a glance, she could tell this woman’s eyes were full of schemes—though what exactly she was plotting remained unclear.