"Whatever you say." Meng Yao couldn't shake him off and let him follow.
Fortunately, he kept his word and left after escorting Meng Yao to the entrance of the Huangfu family's mansion, thoughtfully reminding her to rest well.
Meng Yao returned home and went to bed early that night.
However, she didn't sleep well. She kept having dreams, with Song Jiaping and Hong Jiaxi in them, and many past events intertwined.
They all wanted her to make a choice, but she hesitated, looking at Song Jiaping on her left and Hong Jiaxi on her right, both in the mist.
When she looked left and right again, Song Jiaping had disappeared into the mist, while Hong Jiaxi stared at her coldly, his gaze terrifying.
She suddenly woke up with a start, sitting up in bed, only to find that it was the alarm on her bedside phone ringing.
Meng Yao turned off the alarm, remembering that she had to report to the research institute today and present the situation of the overseas project to the leadership. She got up immediately.
After washing up, as soon as she opened her bedroom door, she saw both her parents standing at her doorway, likely about to knock to call her.
"Dad, Mom, why are you both here to wake me for breakfast?"
Huangfu Sisong glared at her with anger.
Wu Xiufang didn't know what to say to her. Seeing her still looking relaxed and clueless, she said, "Yaoyao, Jiaxi proposed to you, you accepted, right?"
"Mom, how did you know?" Meng Yao asked in surprise.
She hadn't mentioned this when she got home yesterday. Had Jiaxi told her parents?
But Jiaxi had also promised her not to inform both sets of parents for the time being.
"Do you still have me as your father in your eyes?" Huangfu Sisong asked with a cold snort.
"Dad, I've always respected you," Meng Yao asked inexplicably, "Dad, Mom, what exactly happened?"
"You really don't know anything?" Wu Xiufang said, "Your dad and I were woken up by many congratulatory calls in bed this morning! Just look at the headlines on all the major websites."
Meng Yao still didn't know what they were talking about and quickly took out her phone from her bag to go online.
Huangfu Sisong also noticed that she seemed completely unaware and turned to Wu Xiufang, saying, "We'll wait for her in the dining room downstairs. Let her wake up and then explain to us."
Wu Xiufang hummed and followed Huangfu Sisong downstairs.
Meng Yao saw that the front pages of all the major websites were filled with news of Jiaxi proposing to her at the airport yesterday. She was stunned.
The photos online were clear, and it was written that she had accepted the proposal on the spot.
There were media reporters present when Jiaxi proposed to her, yet she hadn't noticed at all.
Some websites even did in-depth reports, saying they were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match, and after more than ten years of love, they had finally achieved their happy ending.
Now, everyone in Lan City thought they were a celestial couple...
At this moment, her phone also rang incessantly, with congratulatory calls from her research institute leaders and congratulatory text messages from colleagues.
She had to respond to each one and express her gratitude.
After responding to everyone's congratulations, she answered Jiaxi's call and questioned him, "What exactly is going on?"
"Meng Yao, you saw the headlines online. I only found out this morning too. I'm sorry..."
"Didn't you call the media reporters?" Meng Yao felt that it was all his pre-planned scheme, otherwise, this wouldn't have happened.
Jiaxi immediately said, "No! I didn't call any reporters. Proposing to you was something I wanted to do myself, just to express my feelings to you and give you a surprise. Why would I arrange for reporters to be there?"
Could it be a coincidence?
Meng Yao thought her parents were waiting for her explanation and she didn't have time to argue with him, so she said, "I have something to do, I won't talk to you anymore."
Without waiting for Jiaxi to explain further, she hung up and went downstairs to meet her parents.
Seeing her arrive, Huangfu Sisong angrily slammed the dining table and said, "What are you and that Hong Jiaxi up to? Your brother has only been gone for a short while, and you're already making such a big show of affection! Are you that impatient?"
Wu Xiufang also said angrily, "Last time I asked you if you had accepted Jiaxi's proposal, and you said no. Why did you do this as soon as you got back?"
"If you've reconciled and want to be together and get married, we won't object. But our Huangfu family, and his Hong family, are both reputable. If he wanted to propose to you, he could have booked a hotel or a restaurant, and you could have had your romantic moments. Making such a public spectacle, are you afraid people don't know? You two are not young anymore, you're simply ignorant and shallow!" Huangfu Sisong had always disliked his children being high-profile and had taught them this since they were young.
He didn't expect Meng Yao to be so reckless. It had been less than half a year since Shaohua passed away, and she showed no sisterly affection, rushing to get married in such a grand manner. It was too disheartening for him.
Meng Yao couldn't lift her head under her parents' scolding, feeling extremely wronged.
The proposal at the airport yesterday was Jiaxi's unilateral decision, and she hadn't expected it to become a headline on all the major websites.
"Dad, Mom, I didn't know Jiaxi would propose to me like that when I returned to Lan City. With so many people in public, I couldn't refuse him. I also didn't know there were media reporters around, and I didn't want this."
Wu Xiufang asked her, "You don't know anything, what about Jiaxi? Did he know that proposing to you like this would cause a sensation throughout the city, and that you would have no room to go back on your word?"
"Dad, Mom, I won't marry Jiaxi! He's changed so much over the years, he doesn't consider my feelings in anything he does, and he doesn't discuss it with me..."
"Didn't you hear what your mother just said?" Huangfu Sisong interrupted her, "You have no room to reconsider this marriage; you must go through with it."
"Dad, aren't you very angry? Why do you insist that I marry him..."
"Yaoyao, if you say now that you don't want to marry him and want to break off the engagement, and betray such a beautiful relationship, everyone in the city will point fingers at you. Who would dare to marry you? We will also be criticized along with you. Will your father and I, and the people of the Huangfu family, still be able to hold our heads high?" Wu Xiufang told her the most serious consequences.
She also felt that Yao Yao had been set up by Jiaxi.
Jiaxi was afraid that Meng Yao's feelings might waver, and she would leave him again, so he used such a ruthless tactic.
Wu Xiufang felt that she had truly underestimated Jiaxi before. She had always thought he was just a foolish boy, but it seemed Meng Yao was right; he had changed.
The human heart is unfathomable. She couldn't help but worry about her daughter. If she married into the Hong family, would she truly be happy?
Meng Yao froze, her expression turning very grim. She hadn't expected to have no choice, and this was likely what Jiaxi wanted.
Seeing that it was getting late and he had to go to the group, Huangfu Sisong said to Meng Yao helplessly, "The Hong family will soon come to formally propose. Your mother and I can't avoid it any longer. However, with Shaohua having passed away not long ago, we will set your wedding date for next year. Tell Hong Jiaxi not to be so clever in the future and make your wedding public knowledge. We will let you marry him, but the timing is not right now."