"This neighborhood... seems like the occupancy rate is very low?"
Seated next to Ding Yi in the back seat of the Audi, Zhou Wang greeted the driver named "Uncle Li" and casually asked.
"Yeah, there are very few people, the living environment is quite good, but my parents had a big argument about it when they came here. I overheard my dad saying, ’How can you let them mess around like this?’ but I don’t know what he meant..."
Turning onto the internal road of the neighborhood, and driving further in, the Audi finally stopped in front of a three-story villa with a garden.
Uncle Li didn’t come inside. Zhou Wang followed Ding Yi into the foyer where the distinct aroma of food wafted into his nostrils. Turning ahead into an open kitchen, Zhou Wang saw a figure busy at the stove.
"Mom, I’m back!"
Ding Yi called out, and the slender woman turned around. Zhou Wang saw her face and was immediately taken by a hint of amazement.
Because of Ding Yi’s outstanding looks, Zhou Wang could guess her mother was definitely a beauty too. But subconsciously, he had always assumed it would come with a "past tense" prefix. He never expected it to be "ongoing."
Judging from Ding Yi’s age, her mother must be at least forty years old. Yet the woman before him looked only around thirty, as if time had left no traces on her but added a touch of mature charm.
Skin as fair as Ding Yi’s, almost glowing, features about fifty or sixty percent similar, deep eyes, irises darker than typical Asian brown, instead carrying a slight hint of blue, reminiscent of a pure lake on a snowy mountain...
Seeing her, Zhou Wang finally understood where Ding Yi’s seemingly mixed-heritage genes came from. Clearly, Ding Yi’s mother is not purely Han.
"Yiyi is back?"
Nie Xiaoyun turned and saw the two of them, smiling gently. Then her gaze fixed on Zhou Wang, praising him: "Is this your new friend? Such a handsome young man."
"Mom, his name is Zhou Wang... This is my mom, surname Nie."
Ding Yi introduced them, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Hello Zhou Wang, why don’t you go to the living room and watch TV for a while? There’s some washed fruit on the coffee table."
Nie Xiaoyun nodded and smiled at Zhou Wang before explaining to Ding Yi, "Your Aunt Chen is not here, so mom might be a bit slow cooking by herself. You’ll have to wait a bit, okay!"
"Aunt Nie, do you need some help? My cooking skills are quite decent."
Zhou Wang jokingly asked.
Nie Xiaoyun was startled, looking at Zhou Wang in surprise, seemingly not expecting that Zhou Wang lacked the usual awkwardness boys his age exhibit when meeting the parents. Instead, he had a graceful demeanor.
This composure was quite similar to some of the well-known youngsters from Beidou.
Even though both parents had previously understood that Zhou Wang came from an ordinary working-class family.
The initial reason for inviting Zhou Wang for dinner was because Nie Xiaoyun and Ding Baiyu, after being transferred to Jing City, were constantly busy with work, lacking quality time with their daughter. Upon suddenly hearing their daughter had made a new friend, they wanted to use this opportunity to make up for it and also help keep an eye on her.
Born into such a family, Ding Yi had always been protected too well, with barely any close friends. Additionally, knowing it was a boy, the couple had some apprehensions and concerns.
But witnessing Zhou Wang now, from just the first impression, Nie Xiaoyun was quite pleased with this young man.
He didn’t seem to be some reckless young boy.
"No need, Auntie is making hometown dishes, and you wouldn’t be of much help."
After Nie Xiaoyun cheerfully declined, Zhou Wang followed Ding Yi to the living room. After Ding Yi’s explanation, Zhou Wang suddenly realized.
It turns out Ding Yi’s grandmother is a native of Jiang Province. Ding Yi’s grandfather met her when he was a youth working there. Ding Yi’s mother and she herself had inherited her grandmother’s genes, resulting in an appearance akin to a mixed heritage.
It wasn’t long before, amid Zhou Wang and Ding Yi’s casual chatter, that Nie Xiaoyun brought the food to the table, taking just over ten minutes.
"Yiyi, Zhou Wang, come eat!"
Nie Xiaoyun called out.
"Isn’t dad back yet?"
Leading Zhou Wang over, Ding Yi inquired in surprise.
"Let me call and check. He promised he would come home early today."
Nie Xiaoyun furrowed her brows, looking somewhat angry, then took out her phone and walked off to make a call.
Because of the distance, Zhou Wang couldn’t hear the specifics of the conversation, only that at one point, Nie Xiaoyun raised her voice several notches, and later returned looking somewhat cold, forcing a smile at the two of them.
"We won’t wait for him, something urgent came up in the city, and he can’t get back for a while, let’s eat first."
"Oh, alright then..."
Ding Yi was evidently a bit disappointed but quickly put her emotions in check, pulling Zhou Wang to the table.
Moreover, Zhou Wang was somewhat regretful not having met Ding Baiyu but considering his level, surely busy with countless tasks, it’s normal not to meet him for the moment, so it didn’t weigh on his mind.
This meal turned out quite a surprise for Zhou Wang. At first, he assumed judging by Nie Xiaoyun’s style which seemed pampered, her cooking skills probably wouldn’t be great. But after eating a few bites, Zhou Wang realized it was purely his bias.