We moved to Golden Courtyard

"Ok?"

Xu Qi grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into Mei Yi's mouth.

Eat well.

586. I want to hold our wedding on your birthday.

The first day of the Lunar New Year at Golden Courtyard was relatively quiet.

Even someone like Qian Jie has relatives and friends he needs to visit. For example, Chief Engineer Xia and Xu Qi are not related by blood, but Xia has long been an elder whom Xu Qi truly respects.

The same principle applies.

So Kevin and his friends left early in the morning.

Even Eden was no exception; she had to take Gretchen to meet her parents.

Throughout the year, Gretchen may only be able to see her parents on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year.

Kosmo has no need for this.

Because he was an orphan...

But he never felt anything was wrong with it. In the Golden Courtyard, no one around him had any concerns about it. Even that bastard Xu Qi would make some kind of hellish jokes about Kosmo.

Of course, this is also because Kosmo never considered himself an orphan. He only lacked parents, but that did not mean he lacked familial love.

He's a high school sophomore now, considered a big kid, so he went out alone this morning to visit the orphanage that used to take him in and wish the director a Happy New Year.

Everyone else had people to visit, so by the afternoon, only Mei was left with Xu Qi.

"Shall we go? Come with me to see Chief Engineer Xia."

"Hmm." Now that things have come to this, Mei seems increasingly poised and confident about such matters.

Clearly, she already considers herself Xu Qi's wife.

Xu Qi has long considered himself her husband.

So today's visit isn't just about paying a visit to Chief Engineer Xia...

"After we finish meeting with Chief Engineer Xia, we'll go to Tilanqiao."

Mei nodded.

Now, she no longer feels ashamed of her father's status as a sinner.

On that Christmas Day, the moment that ring was placed on her ring finger, Mei knew that she was no longer just Raiden Ryoma's daughter.

She is still Xu Qi's wife.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they've been reborn...

Thinking of this, Mei glanced at Xu Qi's left hand holding the steering wheel, and there was clearly a ring on his ring finger.

They really are a married couple...

I couldn't suppress the little thrill in my heart.

Especially when we arrived at Chief Engineer Xia's home.

"Hey! You brat, you came all this way, why did you bring a gift?"

He said that, but the old man's face was clearly wrinkled from smiling.

Xu Qi helped put the bottles of old yellow wine he had gotten from Eden at the door and said with a smile, "Uncle, I couldn't have come empty-handed, could I?"

Chief Engineer Xia warmly welcomed Xu Qi and Mei into the house.

It's a villa, and the space is very large.

Chief Engineer Xia keenly noticed the rings on the two men's hands and his face lit up with a smile.

He looked at Mei closely, paused for a moment, and said, "You are..."

Mei quickly bowed and said, "Hello, Elder Xia, I am Mei."

“I think I’ve seen you before… Xu boy! Isn’t my granddaughter-in-law the little girl you were hugging in Meilong that day?”

Mei blushed deeply and nodded shyly.

“Old Xia, that day… it was me.”

"Hahaha! Good, true love prevails, that's better than anything. My son is still unmarried, but my grand-disciple has already started a family."

Xu Qi helped put the gift away for Chief Engineer Xia, and paused upon hearing this.

"Uncle, my master... he didn't come this year?"

Chief Engineer Xia snorted coldly and said unhappily, "What do you mean by 'coming' or 'not coming'? Wasn't he executed?!"

Xu Qi quickly stepped forward, patted Chief Engineer Xia's back, and helped him sit on the sofa.

Mei sat obediently beside Xu Qi—what to do! She said she wasn't nervous, but... but this really made her look exactly like Xu Qi's wife!

Oh wait... I am Xu Qi's wife!?

"Uncle, look at my mouth, I won't mention him, I won't mention him."

Despite saying not to mention him, Chief Engineer Xia said instead, "Hmm? Why are you calling him 'Master' again?"

"Forehead……"

Xu Qi remained silent, but Chief Engineer Xia could guess that Xia Ya, that bastard, still cared about his apprentice after all.

"I won't say anything more. Whether he lives or dies, or whatever state he falls to, it's all his own fault. Fortunately... you stopped him before he made that biggest mistake."

Chief Engineer Xia sighed deeply.

"I should be thanking you, Xu Qi."

Xu Qi smiled casually, opened a bottle of rice wine, and poured some for Old Xia and himself.

"Alright, Uncle, let's not talk about these things during the New Year. Even if your master doesn't come to see you off in your final days, I will definitely come."

"Hey! You little brat, are you cursing me to die? Drink a cup yourself!"

"Of course, of course!"

For older generations of Shanghai residents, just a few ounces of Shaoxing wine can evoke many memories.

Chief Engineer Xia was unusually in a good mood today, so he talked a lot about his past when he was young, but in fact, most of it... couldn't be separated from his son Xia Ya.

Around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, Chief Engineer Xia's wife returned home. It was then learned that Chief Engineer Xia had originally planned to go to his daughter's house that day, but because Xu Qi was coming, he had been waiting at home.

Not wanting to cause trouble for the elderly, the two quickly got up and prepared to go home.

Xu Qi declined the invitation to dinner, saying, "It's alright, Uncle. Why don't you go stay with your daughter for a few days? You don't need to accommodate me like this."

"Alright, alright, I know... Remember this old man on your wedding day with Mei, okay?"

"Haha! Of course! Alright, uncle, that's enough for now, it's getting chilly outside."

"Well, you don't have to come during the Chinese New Year in the future. Anytime is fine. Anyway, I'm retiring soon."

"Okay! Definitely!"

After leaving Xia Lao and his family, Xu Qi and Mei Yi fell silent as they thought about where they were going next.

"Old Xia really treats you like a grandson. Hey? Xu Qi, where are your grandparents?"

“I died when I was very young; the elderly people in my family all passed away early.”

"Feel sorry……"

Xu Qi held the steering wheel with one hand and reached out with the other to gently stroke Mei's nose.

"Isn't it awkward to talk to me about this?"

"hey-hey……"

"After the New Year, you'll be a year older, and next April we can officially get married."

Hearing Xu Qi talk about this so formally made Mei feel a little uncomfortable, and she gave a shy reply.

"I'm planning to hold the wedding on your birthday next year, is that okay?"

"You arrange it... I... I'm fine with anything..."

"That won't do. My wife's opinion is very important."

Before, the terms "husband" and "wife" were just for intimate moments in the bedroom. But when Mei realized that they would really be husband and wife in the future... she felt incredibly shy no matter how she heard it.

"Well... I'll take care of the planning. After all, I'm still in school and have some free time."

"Okay, I'm relieved to have you handle it."

Mei's smile was as sweet as honey.

"Wait... should I tell my father about these things? Including the wedding..."

"Let me tell you. To be honest... this is my first time visiting my father-in-law, which is a terrible thing for me."

587. I'll answer this question when you're old.

When you walk into prison, no matter how happy you were before, you can't help but feel a little gloomy.

When Xu Qi saw his father-in-law appear in prison clothes, he was momentarily dazed, and for no apparent reason, a thought popped into his head.

I will never be that kind of father... Never!

"Mea Yi..."

His cloudy, lifeless eyes only showed a sliver of light when he saw his daughter. Through the glass wall, Ryoma saw Xu Qi standing next to Mei.

Thunder Dragon Horse was slightly taken aback.

It wasn't because the other person was a man, but because he noticed the rings on Xu Qi and Mei's ring fingers.

“Father, he is Xu Qi, whom I have been mentioning to you before, and he is also my…husband.”

……

The two men exchanged a glance.

Xu Qi did not show enough respect, but that was by no means because he disrespected Mei.

However, Xu Qi's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

He thanked Raiden Ryoma, who brought Mei into this world and raised her. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have met such a wonderful girl as Mei.

But it was also him... because of his imprisonment, that gave Mei a hopeless youth and left her with a deep psychological trauma.

Whatever the reason, he failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father.

Thunder Dragon Horse seemed to have understood the young man's thoughts.

He suddenly smiled with relief.

“In the past… I was always worried about what kind of boyfriend Mei had found, especially after I learned that you two were seven or eight years apart in age, I was even more worried.”

Through the glass, Raiden Ryoma, dressed in prison clothes, stood facing Xu Qi.

"You love Mei very much."

"Of course I love her." Xu Qi's words were calm yet firm.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you before."

Thunder Dragon Horse suddenly revealed a smile.

Are you... angry with me?

Mei suddenly tensed up.

She looked at Xu Qi, clearly not understanding why her lover was angry with her father.

"Hmm... Although Mei has always been reluctant to let me see you, it wouldn't be difficult for me to see you if I wanted to. The reason is simply—I don't want to see you either."

Xu Qi's expression was somewhat indifferent, and his fists were clenched tightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

"Because of your existence, you hurt her."

……