yournovel Chapter 466 You all thought you'd been hiding it from me all along?
Chapter 466 You all thought you'd been hiding it from me all along?
Chapter 466 You all thought you were hiding it from me all along?
The room was warm and cozy, filled with the lively conversation of the men, their hearty laughter echoing through the air.
At this moment, Lin Yourong had completely blended into the lively atmosphere, and her initial awkwardness and restraint had vanished like smoke.
The mask covered the lower half of her face, but her eyes were full of smiles, deeply infected by the relaxed and joyful atmosphere, as if they were about to overflow at any moment.
Teacher Wu was busy working methodically in front of the gas stove, the roaring flames licking the bottom of the pot, making a "whooshing" sound.
The red ginger tea in the pot bubbled and churned, releasing a spicy yet sweet aroma that instantly filled the entire room.
After a flurry of activity, Ms. Wu, carrying two steaming cups steadily in each hand, turned around and walked back with light steps.
Lin Yourong, who was sitting on the innermost side, was the first to capture this scene.
She turned to the side, reached out and patted Yu Huan's thigh, saying softly, "Quickly help Mom carry this."
Before Yu Huan could react, Grandpa Yu, who had been secretly observing his granddaughter-in-law's every move, immediately turned to the side and, as if giving an order, called out to Old Yu, "Quickly lend a hand to Xiao Wu, don't just sit there like an idiot!"
Upon hearing this, Lao Yu immediately turned around and realized that Teacher Wu had already walked up to him.
He quickly reached out and carefully took the two mugs from Teacher Wu's hands.
With one hand hanging down at her side, Teacher Wu walked briskly down the back of the chair to Lin Yourong's back.
With a gentle smile on her face, she said with concern, "You Rong, there's still some ginger tea in the pot. You have a cold, so you should drink more to warm yourself up."
"Thank you, Mom." Lin Yourong's clear and melodious voice rang out in the room.
That "Mom" sounded both affectionate and natural.
Upon seeing this, Yu Huan quickly stood up, deftly took the two cups from her mother's hands, and then handed one of them to Lin Yourong.
With a humorous smile on his face, he joked, "Look how much my mom loves you. As soon as she heard you had a slight cold, she immediately started making ginger tea. This full cup is full of her love!"
"That's right, once Sister Rong finishes this cup, she'll be all warm and cozy, and all her cold germs will be gone!" Yu Songnian's tone was as humorous as a stand-up comedian, accompanied by exaggerated gestures, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Yourong touched the warm cup with her fingertips, turned to Teacher Wu and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mom."
Teacher Wu smiled and gently tapped Yu Songnian's fat head: "I wonder where he learned this glib tongue from!"
Hearing this, she looked at Lin Yourong with concern in her eyes: "Yourong, don't listen to Songnian's nonsense. Although this red ginger tea may not cure a cold immediately, it will make you feel better. You should drink more of it."
Lin Yourong really didn't expect that just because Yu Huan casually mentioned that she had a cold, the whole family would take it so seriously.
This unexpected act of care shone directly into her heart, warming her deeply.
Without making a sound, she raised her hand and placed it on the leg of this usually cunning and deceitful man, pinching it gently. Her tone was both reproachful and sweet as she said, "Mom, I just have a little cold, it's really nothing."
Yu Huan, with his thick skin and tough body, held the mug steadily without changing his expression.
Although Grandpa Yu was old, he was still sharp of hearing and sight, and since he was sitting right next to Yu Huan, his granddaughter-in-law's little movements naturally did not escape his notice.
With a suppressed smile, he spoke earnestly, "Even a minor cold requires attention, especially a viral cold, which is particularly prone to recurrence. The longer you delay, the more serious it will become."
"She just caught a slight chill from the wind. Rongrong is in great health. This little cold will be fine after drinking the ginger tea Mom made and getting a good night's sleep. She'll be bouncing around again tomorrow," Yu Huan said, taking a sip of ginger tea.
"Ah."
Lin Yourong smiled and nodded in agreement, taking a small sip as well.
In an instant, spiciness and sweetness collided on the tip of the tongue, and a warm feeling spread from the throat to the whole body.
"It's good that it's not serious." With a relieved smile on her face, Teacher Wu turned around and walked back towards the gas stove to prepare to take the remaining two cups of tea.
Yu Songnian half-squatted up and placed the cup steadily on the stove.
As he sat back down, he casually pulled a pack of Furongwang cigarettes from his pocket. Just as he was about to do so, Old Master Yu saw him.
Grandpa Yu gave him a light tap on the wrist and said with a chuckle, "Your sister-in-law has a cold, she needs to go outside to get it done!"
Yu Songnian recoiled as if he'd been electrocuted when he was slapped, but he still smiled and said, "Look at my brain, Grandpa's thinking is always the best!"
Lin Yourong said with a smile, "It's okay for me, I'm wearing a mask anyway."
"With the door so closed, the air isn't circulating well. If three people are smoking, it'll definitely be smoky. Taking a few less puffs won't hurt," Grandpa Yu said, picking up the fire tongs and turning the firewood in the stove.
The fire instantly intensified, and heat spread throughout the area.
Hearing this, Lao Yu said half-jokingly, "Dad, you know that smoking one or two less puffs won't hurt, but I keep telling you to smoke less, and you still smoke a pack a day."
Old Master Yu was taken aback by Old Yu's words. He paused in his fiddling with the fire tongs and said helplessly, "It's just that I'm too old to quit."
Yu Huan nodded repeatedly and agreed, "At Grandpa's age, the most important thing is to be happy. The same goes for drinking; as long as it's in moderation and not excessive, it's fine."
When Grandpa Yu heard his grandson supporting him so much, the smile on his face widened instantly.
He leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "Huanhuan is the best listener. I know that smoking and drinking are bad for your health, but it's a habit I've had for most of my life, and I can't just change it like that. But don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
“That’s right,” Yu Songnian quickly chimed in, lightly reciting a rhyme: “Smoking and drinking, live to ninety-nine!”
After saying that, he proudly raised his chin.
Grandpa Yu laughed so hard his wrinkles creased together. He reached out and poked Yu Songnian's head with his finger: "Don't try to act like your brother Huan."
Upon hearing this, Yu Songnian immediately put on his dramatic act, putting on a pitiful expression.
He spread his hands exaggeratedly to both sides and shouted at the top of his lungs, "This is so unfair! If it's something like that, it sounds nice when Huan-ge says it, but when I say it, it sounds like I'm just joking around. Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt, you two be the judge for me, why is there such a big difference in treatment!"
Just then, Teacher Wu came over with the last two cups of ginger tea, walking briskly.
With a smile, she steadily handed the cup to Old Yu and said, "Songnian, there's an art to flattery; it's about timing. Like a fire that's too hot, it burns the food. What you just said was a case of hitting the bullseye." Without even sitting down to rest, she turned and paced towards the door, bent down to move the chair blocking it, and left.
Yu Huan turned her gaze away from her mother's busy figure and half-jokingly chimed in, "Song Nian, to put it simply, you've gone too far."
Old Yu laughed so hard he almost fell over, but he accidentally choked on his own saliva and coughed several times before he recovered.
He quickly leaned forward and turned to Yu Huan and Lin Yourong to ask, "How about we have a late-night snack at 10:30? If you're hungry, just let me know, and the food is all prepared in the steamer."
Yu Huan picked up her cup, took a small sip of the ginger tea, and said slowly, "We're still full. We had dinner at our godchild's house tonight."
"Wow! Huan-ge, when did you adopt a godson?" Yu Songnian's eyes widened like saucers, his face full of surprise. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "Why don't you have one yourself?"
The moment those last words were spoken, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Lin Yourong subconsciously brought the rim of the cup close to her lips and took a small sip, trying to hide her slight embarrassment.
Yu Huan smiled and explained, "You have Rong Jie's good friend's daughter, who is a little over three years old. She's at that mischievous and naughty age, very clever and full of ideas."
"That sounds quite appealing," Old Yu said with a smile.
"Yes." Yu Huan nodded.
A short while later, Teacher Wu returned with a plate of snacks.
As she bent down and used a chair to brace against the door, she said, "I've already closed the door!"
Yu Huan nodded knowingly and replied, "Okay."
Grandpa Yu raised his voice and said, "Why close the door? Let alone the possibility of people coming to visit, we still need to welcome the God of Wealth on New Year's Eve!"
Yu Songnian put his arm around the old man's shoulder and said with a grin, "Grandpa, do we still need to welcome the God of Wealth? I think the God of Wealth has already come to our house."
As he spoke, he gestured towards Lin Yourong with his lip and continued jokingly, "Look, here it is!"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Yu's smile vanished instantly. He raised his hand and gave the man a sharp tap on the head, scolding him sternly, "Don't talk nonsense. You can't keep your mouth shut during the New Year."
Seeing that the old man was quite serious, Yu Songnian coughed and put on a fawning smile, saying, "Just kidding, just kidding, I was just trying to make everyone have a laugh!"
Grandpa Yu turned his head, looked at Lin Yourong, and his kind smile returned to his face. He said, "Yourong, Songnian is just a bit of a chatterbox. Don't take it to heart."
Lin Yourong smiled and said softly, "Grandpa, I've met Songnian many times, and I know he was joking. Why would I take it to heart? I think it's wonderful that everyone is so lively and cheerful. This is what the New Year should be like."
“Yes, a family should be happy and harmonious.” Grandpa Yu nodded repeatedly, and then said, “But if the door is closed, so be it. There are public figures in the family, and the family members can just sit quietly and chat. It’s quite comfortable and carefree.”
Grandpa Yu had a beaming smile on his face.
Since his grandson made a name for himself, he has been very proud to go out.
Thinking of how he had found such a wonderful granddaughter-in-law, he even straightened his back a bit more when he ran into acquaintances on the street.
Teacher Wu placed the plate full of snacks on the stove in front of Yu Huan. After being busy for a while, she finally had some free time.
She sat down next to Lao Yu and explained, "I didn't close the door for that reason—"
"Grandpa, you don't know this, do you?" Yu Songnian chuckled and couldn't wait to interject, "Brother Huan is a public figure, and Sister Yourong is an even more famous figure nationwide! If people knew she was here, the scene would be so chaotic that the door would be surrounded by crowds three layers deep, and the threshold would be worn down!"
"Huh?" Old Master Yu put down the fire tongs with a puzzled look, narrowed his eyes slightly, and turned his head to look at Yu Huan and Lin Yourong. "What do you mean by Song Nian's words?"
Old Yu coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and said slowly, "Dad, what Songnian said is not an exaggeration at all. The young couple only got their marriage certificate and didn't have a wedding ceremony, and there's a reason behind that."
Grandpa Yu turned back to look at his son, his wrinkles furrowing slightly with confusion: "What's the reason?"
Old Yu picked up his teacup, took a small sip to moisten his throat.
Just as he was about to speak, Teacher Wu suddenly pushed his arm and scolded him, "You're not teaching a class here, why are you beating around the bush when you talk to your dad? Just say it!"
Teacher Wu leaned forward and turned to Grandpa Yu, saying, "Dad, the ringtone I set for you is a song sung by You Rong. Do you understand what I mean?"
"What ringtone?" Old Master Yu looked bewildered, his eyes wide with confusion. "Why is my hearing suddenly not working well? Please explain more clearly."
Yu Songnian smiled and shook his head, took out his phone from his pocket, and skillfully swiped his fingers across the screen to play the song "It's You".
The familiar melody instantly filled the room.
"Oh!" Upon hearing the rhythm, Grandpa Yu immediately understood and nodded emphatically.
He started singing at the top of his lungs, using his unique, sawing voice: "It's you~ It's you~ All the youth behind me is you~"
His singing was so off-key that it made everyone burst into laughter.
Yu Songnian laughed so hard he almost fell over. After finally calming down, he handed the phone to his grandfather, pointed at the screen, and said humorously, "Old man, look at who's on the screen? It's the cover of this song."
Grandpa Yu squinted and strained to get closer to the phone screen to take a closer look.
He held the phone away and looked at it several times.
He muttered to himself, "My presbyopia is getting worse, I really can't see very clearly."
Yu Songnian couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed the phone, pointed directly at the singer's name, raised his voice to drown out the speaker, and said, "Look, this is Sister You Rong's stage name! Now you should understand, right?"
The old man really doesn't play by the rules.
As the music of "It's You" played, just as Yu Huan began to vaguely sense that something was amiss, Old Master Yu shook his head, glanced at him sideways, and slowly spoke:
"To tell you the truth, as soon as Chengzi came back that night, she told me everything! You thought she had been keeping it from me all along? What, did you really think that the public figure I was talking about was Huanhuan?"
(End of this chapter)