Chapter 138: Group Pet Na x Group Deception Chen.
Chapter 138
In the car, Xiao Chen was too shy to say anything else, he just threw her a look. A look that only she could understand.
The car stopped at the entrance of the residential complex.
Xiao Chen lifted his chin and pointed at Yu Na's side of the car window, "Look over there."
Yu Na turned her head to see her grandparents-in-law huddled together, waiting for them.
She had seen photos before. The elderly couple took good care of themselves and looked quite young. They had an outstanding temperament, especially grandmother - one look and you could guess she must have been very beautiful when she was young.
Xiao Chen had said his grandparents were in excellent health. Every day, rain or shine, they would go out to exercise. Perhaps that was one reason why they looked so young.
The old couple seemed to have noticed the people sitting in the car. From the moment they saw the car, their eyes had been fixed right here.
The residential area was located in the center of North City. It had been renovated so the environment was not bad - clean and comfortable. There were elevators and amenities were quite complete nearby.
It had more of a down-to-earth feel compared to high-end complexes.
Yu Na slipped her hand into Xiao Chen's pocket and pinched his fingers. "I'm suddenly feeling a little nervous..."
"Nervous about what?" He laughed as he looked out the window. "They can't wait anymore, let's go."
Xiao Chen opened the car door. Yu Na got out from his side and said again, "I really am a bit nervous!"
Her words had just fallen -
"Na Na?"
The voice came from the direction of the grandparents.
Xiao Chen chuckled softly and took over the luggage from the driver, thanking him.
Yu Na stiffened as she turned around. She had been very nervous initially but relaxed a little when she saw the elder couple's kindly faces.
She took the initiative to greet them, "Hello Grandfather, Hello Grandmother."
The grandparents brushed past Xiao Chen and went up to Yu Na. Seeing their grandson's wife, they were delighted, the corners of their mouths turning up as they showered her with compliments:
"She looks so beautiful!"
"Even prettier than in the photos!"
"Grandma's made lots of tasty food for you. I wasn't sure what you liked to eat so I made a bit of everything. Come, let's hurry home."
"Oh your hands are so cold!"
"Is it because you're not used to the weather here? Don't worry, it's warm at home. Let's go."
"..."
The two of them spoke one after another while Yu Na stood between them, unable to get a word in. She could only smile and respond politely, "Alright, thank you Grandfather and Grandmother."
Xiao Chen stood behind Yu Na and draped his arms over his grandparents' shoulders, a meaningful expression on his face as he asked in jest, "Grandfather, Grandmother, do you still remember who I am?"
Yu Na: "..."
Grandmother immediately turned around and cupped her precious grandson's face in her hands. "Look at you, saying such things. Grandma isn't senile yet. It's just that we got overly excited upon seeing Na Na."
Grandfather chimed in, "Grandpa has been waiting for you to come home all this while but you've been busy with work. I didn't want to disturb you. At least you're back now."
Grandmother said playfully, "And you've brought Na Na with you too. Your grandpa was over the moon. He couldn't sleep at all last night, kept looking at the time."
Grandfather remarked, "Now you're talking about me huh. I finally managed to fall asleep and you dragged me out of bed early in the morning, kept nagging me to go buy food and snacks for the kids."
It turned out Xiao Chen's grandparents interacted in the same way as his parents - they loved to banter but were afraid of their spouses deep down too.
Sandwiched in between them, Yu Na felt a little emotional amidst the lively and joyful atmosphere.
Ever since she could remember, she had never experienced such a warm family setting before.
She used to think such family scenes only existed on TV.
No wonder Xiao Chen was so cheerful and sunny. A child raised in an environment full of love would see the world through a rosy filter.
His grandparents and parents had wonderful relationships and there had never been any family conflicts. He was given autonomy over his life from young. No matter what he wanted to do, his family supported him wholeheartedly.
More importantly, he came from a well-to-do background too.
His world was full of love and nothing but the best.
Yu Na thought to herself: He's really taken all the good fortune in this world and now he even has such a pretty girlfriend like me!
The phrase "born lucky" was simply tailor-made for him.
They lived on the first floor. The friendly neighbors who were close to the grandparents all knew Xiao Chen was bringing Yu Na home today. Their enthusiasm matched his grandparents'.
Yu Na didn't really like being the centre of attention but her mindset had strangely changed today.
These neighbors had been living here for many years and some had seen Xiao Chen grow up. Even though they hadn't met for years, no one felt like a stranger.
Even the neighbors from Xiao Chen's childhood were all very nice people.
The apartment was not very big but it had warm, sunny decor. As sunlight streamed in, it instantly lifted her mood.
After entering the house, Grandmother asked, "Na Na, are you still feeling cold? Grandma can get you a blanket if you're cold."
"I'm not cold anymore. It's so nice and warm at home!" Yu Na gave her a sweet smile.
Grandfather chuckled, "The heating in our home is very good. Xiao Chen directly wears short sleeves in here."
Indeed, Xiao Chen was taking off his clothes. He had deliberately worn a short sleeve shirt inside his gray sweatshirt.
In just a few moves he had removed his down jacket and hoodie, leaving only a black short sleeve. Often Yu Na would wear that shirt herself as pajamas.
She took off her outerwear too, sitting on the sofa in a thick knitted sweater.
They had just sat down when someone knocked on the door. It was a neighborly elderly couple close to Grandfather. They brought a plate of frozen pears over, saying they wanted Xiao Chen and Yu Na to have some.
Seeing the visitors, Xiao Chen reacted as if they were family since he used to play with them frequently as a child. He accepted the pears readily and even took the initiative to ask if they wanted to play cards over the next few days.
Yu Na thought to herself, he really manages to get along well with people from all age groups.
Grandmother was preparing food in the kitchen while Grandfather went to retrieve snacks he bought that morning.
Only Xiao Chen and Yu Na were left alone in the living room. She still felt rather ill at ease.
Xiao Chen sat next to her, his arm around her waist. "Feeling nervous?"
Embarrassed, she replied, "Mm."
"It's alright. They're just being overly warm. Our family will all be here tomorrow anyway."
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve.
Xiao Chen said, "Qiao Rui is coming tomorrow too."
Yu Na was surprised. "Ah? He's coming as well?"
"Mm. My maternal grandparents passed away early so Qiao Rui comes here to play every New Year. My grandfather is very fond of him." He paused for a bit before continuing, "Qiao Rui's parents are coming tomorrow too. He's always talking about calling his parents. Tomorrow his real parents will be here."
When Yu Na heard that, she instantly became interested, her eyes lighting up. "Oh that's right! You've reminded me, I really do need to chat with his parents."
Xiao Chen leisurely concurred, "He pesters you daily. Here's your chance for revenge."
With one arm wrapped around Yu Na's waist and his other hand holding a frozen pear the neighbors gifted, he brought it to her lips. "Try it."
Yu Na examined the blackish fruit doubtfully. "What's this?"
He answered serenely, "You'll know once you try it."
"Oh."
Yu Na wanted to take it from him but Xiao Chen stopped her. "It's too cold, don't freeze your hands. Just bite it directly."
"Alright."
Not noticing his mischievous grin at all or doubting his intention one bit, Yu Na unhesitatingly leaned forward to bite the rock-hard frozen pear he held.
Just then -
Grandmother's flustered voice suddenly rang in her ears, "Dear Na Na, you can't bite it directly!"
But Yu Na had already bitten down. Her expression froze abruptly, eyebrows knitted together tightly. "Mm..."
Unable to hold back his laughter after the successful prank, Xiao Chen let out a snigger.
The very next second though, Grandmother's resounding slap, brimming with the desire for revenge on Yu Na's behalf, accurately landed on Xiao Chen's back.
The crisp, loud "slap!"
Xiao Chen: "..."