Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Twilight Romance
He looked at Ji Xiuyuan: “Actually, right when we entered the restaurant, my mom noticed your dad. She kept praising him to me, saying that your dad is handsome, and he must have been a real hunk in his younger days!”
Only then did Ji Xiuyuan notice that an elderly mother was sitting at the neighboring table, shyly looking at him.
He inexplicably shuddered and turned to look at Huo Tingdong.
Huo Tingdong asked: “Did your mom take a fancy to my dad?”
The man smiled somewhat embarrassedly: “Yeah, but my mom is too shy. She’s always been quite introverted and easily embarrassed. But I think, since it’s fate, we shouldn’t let it slip away easily.”
Originally, Ji Xiuyuan made himself up to look like some old geezer in his seventies or eighties. After his fake beard was blown off, he instantly looked thirty years younger and rather spirited, so no wonder the old auntie fell for him at first sight.
Turns out, this guy came over to set up his mom on a blind date!
No way!
Ji Xiuyuan kept giving Huo Tingdong meaningful glances.
But then he saw Huo Tingdong respond with aplomb: “Isn’t this just perfect? Since your mother is also single, and so is my dad, this shows that the two have a destiny together.”
Ji Xiuyuan was taken aback.
Lin Qi and Momo exchanged glances, realizing that Huo Tingdong was deliberately teasing Ji Xiuyuan. They covered their mouths to laugh, giving Ji Xiuyuan a sympathetic look.
Ji Xiuyuan immediately spoke up: “Tingdong, um…”
“Dad,” Huo Tingdong interrupted him.
Ji Xiuyuan stared at him dumbfounded as he stood up and watched Huo Tingdong come over to his side. A strong hand slapped onto his shoulder with a “smack”.
Huo Tingdong bent down, squeezed his shoulder, and said in a tender voice laced with coaxing: “Dad, it’s been so many years since mom passed away, and we have only had each other. You’ve given up so much for this family. Now, it’s time for you to enjoy life. Let your son find you a companion!”
Ji Xiuyuan was so flustered that he started coughing loudly: “Cough, cough, cough… you rascal… cough, cough, cough…”
He figured it out!
Huo Tingdong was seeking revenge!
All because he disguised himself as an old man, pretending to be his dad, taking advantage of him. Now he was going along with it, actually considering setting him up with a late-life romance!
This must not happen!
Huo Tingdong said: “Dad, what’s wrong? Don’t get so worked up. Did you also take a liking to that old lady?”
Ji Xiuyuan glared at him.
Huo Tingdong silently shot back a glare.
Ji Xiuyuan instantly turned into a pushover, but he had to play along: “Tingdong, although you’re married now, your dad still can’t let go of you…”
Huo Tingdong said: “Dad, don’t worry. As your son, I also hope you can have a companion in your later years. Your daughter-in-law thinks the same, right, wife?”
Lin Qi immediately nodded: “Right, dad, you should think more about yourself! Having a partner is better than being all alone!”
Ji Xiuyuan completely panicked.
He didn’t expect Huo Tingdong to set him up like this and now he was in a tight spot.
The man immediately brought his mother over.
The old lady was truly embarrassed, repeatedly declining, but she was still forcibly brought over by the man. She sat down shyly across from Ji Xiuyuan, looking very restrained and clearly uncomfortable, with her head down, shy like a young girl.
Ji Xiuyuan looked at her straight on, cold sweat pouring from the back of his head, but forced to maintain a stiff smile: “Hello… hello there…”
The old lady looked up in surprise, her face reddening even more: “Hello… hello to you.”
Ji Xiuyuan felt his facial muscles stiffening to the point of twitching: “How old… how old are you this year?”
The old lady said: “After the New Year, I will be fifty-seven… What about you?”
Ji Xiuyuan looked towards Huo Tingdong.
Huo Tingdong said, “Auntie, my dad just had his sixtieth birthday this year after the Lunar New Year.”
“Oh dear, your dad is three years older than me!” said the older auntie.
Her son said reassuringly by her side, “Being three years older is good. My mom doesn’t like guys younger than her; she says she can’t get a grip on them.”
Huo Tingdong said, “My dad is really well-behaved. Although he’s a bit childish, like a mischievous old child, he has no bad habits. He’s been retired for two years and has nothing much to do. Apart from dancing in the square dance, playing with his grandson, he doesn’t have any other hobbies.”
The older auntie’s eyes lit up: “Do you like square dancing too?”
Ji Xiuyuan: “… Don’t listen to his nonsense, I’m not good at dancing.”
The older auntie said, “That’s okay, we can dance together. I’m pretty good at dancing. In the future, you’ll be my dance partner, and I’ll teach you!”
Huo Tingdong squinted and smiled, “That’s great. Auntie seems like a cheerful person. With you around, my dad won’t be lonely in the future.”
Ji Xiuyuan nervously grabbed Huo Tingdong’s hand.
Such a good brother he is.
Pushing him into the fire pit like this!!
Huo Tingdong said to Ji Xiuyuan: “Dad, after the meal, why don’t you take a walk with this auntie? I saw there’s a square and some lawn nearby. You can get to know each other better. And she seems to be a nice person. If it’s a good match, you should cherish it.”
Lin Qi also said, “Yes, dad, don’t miss out on a good match!”
Ji Xiuyuan: “…”
Lunch was over.
Huo Tingdong and Lin Qi took Momo and Han to ride the merry-go-round.
Though the older auntie was of age, she was quite cheerful and talkative. She took Ji Xiuyuan’s hand and the two strolled together on the lawn.
After walking with her for a while, the auntie suddenly started to pant. It seemed she was tired from the walk, so he said, “… How about we sit down for a while?”
“Sure!”
The two of them sat down.
The auntie asked, “I still don’t know what your name is?”
Ji Xiuyuan replied, “My name is… Xiuyuan.”
The older auntie said, “I’m called Qindi.”
Ji Xiuyuan said, “I heard from your son that his dad passed away a long time ago.”
The auntie nodded, her eyes looking forlorn: “Ah! Actually, after so many years, I still can’t forget him. Time flies too fast. In the blink of an eye, thirty years have gone by. I remember when he left us, our child was just two years old and still couldn’t say ‘daddy’. So many things feel like they happened yesterday. How come in the blink of an eye, I am already fifty-seven, haha!”
The auntie asked again, “What about you?”
Ji Xiuyuan said, “Well… I…”
How should he make it up now?
What did Huo Tingdong say earlier again?
Ji Xiuyuan couldn’t remember clearly for the moment and vaguely said: “My wife and I divorced a long time ago, and all these years, I’ve been raising our son on my own till he’s this old…”
The auntie was suddenly stunned. She said blankly, “Didn’t your son just say that his mom passed away?”
Ji Xiuyuan’s heart skipped a beat.
It’s over!
He remembered it wrong!
Ji Xiuyuan quickly covered it up, “Ah, that’s because… actually, my first marriage was an arranged marriage. We divorced due to incompatible feelings. Later, I remarried for love, but my son’s mom was unlucky! She got sick, and it couldn’t be cured, so she left us! Leaving me and the child to depend on each other, ah! Ah!”
As he spoke, he pretended to be grief-stricken, slapping his thigh repeatedly.