Ling Yuchen nodded slightly to Ouma, showing respect, and then introduced, "Ouma, this is Xia Wantang, my girlfriend."
Xia Wantang was a little shy and greeted politely, "Hello, Ouma."
Ouma's spirits immediately lifted, and she smiled so widely her eyes couldn't be seen. She looked at Xia Wantang and found her likable in every way.
She laughed heartily, "Good, good, Young Madam, hello, hahaha..."
Ling Yuchen then introduced Ouma to Xia Wantang.
"This is Ouma; she's been with my family for over thirty years."
Ouma could no longer pay attention to what Ling Yuchen was saying. She walked a few steps closer to Xia Wantang and clasped her hand.
Her young master finally had a wife,
Finally, he had a wife!
Sob, heaven had opened its eyes.
Suppressing her excitement, she said gently, "Young Madam, are you hungry? I'll make you a late-night snack. Would you like mala tang? I can also make fried barbecue, and there are crayfish in the fridge."
Ouma was overly enthusiastic, and Xia Wantang felt a bit overwhelmed and uncomfortable.
Ling Yuchen's brows twitched. He pulled Xia Wantang into his arms and said helplessly, "Ouma, eating such heavy-flavored food this late is bad for the stomach."
Ouma wasn't concerned. "Young Master, you don't understand. Young people like to eat this for their late-night snacks. Barbecue, fried food, mala tang, paired with some small beers. It's great, one word: great."
Ling Yuchen: "..."
Wasn't he young?
He wasn't even thirty yet.
Having eaten light meals with Ling Yuchen for the past few days, Xia Wantang had been craving something more.
Seeing this, she said to Ouma, "Ouma, do you like late-night snacks too?"
Ouma quickly waved her hands, "I don't like those things. I'm already this old; how can I eat things that cause internal heat? It's my grandchildren who like to eat them. I worry about the ones outside not being healthy, so I learned to make them on Douyin."
"Ouma, you're amazing."
Xia Wantang's mouth watered, but she dared not say she wanted to eat because Ling Yuchen was there.
Ling Yuchen could see Xia Wantang's thoughts. Seeing her trying hard to suppress her desire, he said to Ouma,
"Ouma, make her some. Use less chili and seasoning."
"Okay, okay, you two wait a moment. I'll go make the late-night snack right away."
Ouma was full of energy. She threw her coat on the sofa, rolled up her sleeves, and walked into the kitchen.
"Thank you, Ouma," Xia Wantang smiled, her heart filled with joy.
It was because of the delicious food, and even more because she felt Ling Yuchen's doting on her.
"Not tired anymore?" Ling Yuchen looked down at her, his eyes gentle.
"I'm not tired. You have to go home tomorrow, so you should go to bed first." Looking up at Ling Yuchen, Xia Wantang's eyes curved into a smile.
Her eyes sparkled, as if they contained stars and the sea, pure and clean.
Ling Yuchen's heart was deeply touched. He felt happy along with her joy.
It was just that she was so happy for being allowed to eat a little bit of food. He hadn't seen her this happy even when he gave her company shares.
"You, why are you looking at me like that?" Being stared at by him, Xia Wantang lowered her head shyly.
The atmosphere between them gradually became ambiguous, as if the air around them was filled with pink bubbles.
Han Xiao tiptoed towards the door. He felt he should leave.
Xia Wantang, flustered, turned her head and happened to see Han Xiao, who was about to leave.
She asked, "Assistant Han, are you leaving so late?"
Han Xiao's movement of leaving paused. He stiffly turned his head and saw his president's expression instantly return to being cold and heartless.
"Yes... yes, I was about to leave. You continue, continue..."
It's over. Did he just ruin his president's good time?
"Don't do that. It's so late. You should stay the night! We can all eat late-night snacks together later." As she spoke, Xia Wantang took a few steps forward, moving away from Ling Yuchen.
Han Xiao retreated in fear, his face full of distress.
Ling Yuchen glanced at him lightly and said, "You can leave tomorrow."
But he needed Han Xiao to drive him back to the old house tomorrow. It would take a lot of time to go back and forth.
Just then, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. Han Xiao had an idea and said, "I'll go help Ouma."
As soon as he finished speaking, he dashed off faster than a rabbit.
Finally, only Ling Yuchen and Xia Wantang were left in the living room.
Xia Wantang's face was slightly red, and she was a little nervous.
Ling Yuchen dared not tease her now, fearing he would scare her away.
"You'll stay in the room next to mine tonight. I'll take you upstairs to see the room."
After saying that, Ling Yuchen took Xia Wantang's hand and led her upstairs.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, there was a large living room, and rooms lined both sides of the long corridor.
Ling Yuchen's room was the first one near the stairs, with a study opposite.
This place was too vast. The far end of the corridor was dark because the lights were off, making it seem endless.
No wonder in novels, the female lead, imprisoned by the male lead, couldn't escape.
Xia Wantang couldn't help but exclaim in her heart again—it was ridiculously extravagant.
Ling Yuchen opened the door to the room and turned on the light. He saw Xia Wantang staring blankly at the end of the corridor.
"We can look at other places tomorrow. Tomorrow, let Ouma take you around. Behind the main building, there's a ski resort, a stage, a theater, a sports field, a horse farm, and more."
Xia Wantang's lips twitched. Indeed, money power was amazing. She could enjoy everything without leaving home.
What should she do? Being his girlfriend put a lot of pressure on her.
She was starting to regret agreeing to be with Ling Yuchen.
Nothing was that simple. Families like this always had arranged marriages.
Xia Wantang couldn't help but imagine a scene where a beautiful woman threw a card and said, "There's ten million in this card. Please leave my son."
...
"What are you spacing out about?" Ling Yuchen's soft call broke Xia Wantang's wandering thoughts.
Xia Wantang collected her thoughts and walked into the room. The interior was still decorated in a cool color scheme, lacking any human touch.
Xia Wantang wasn't in the mood to pay attention to that. Instead, she asked, "How long do you think we can be together?"
Her question made Ling Yuchen pause. Standing at the doorway, his eyes deepened, and he remained silent for a long time.
His gaze made Xia Wantang feel uneasy, but she didn't shy away, looking at him directly.
Unable to guess her thoughts, Ling Yuchen said, "How long depends on you. If you're willing, we can get the license now."
Xia Wantang didn't take his words seriously. Getting a license wasn't that simple; it required family consent!
Her household registration was still with the Xia family.
Without a registered address and a property deed, she couldn't establish her own household registration.
This condition wasn't difficult. She could use the house Ling Yuchen gave her later.
But there was another condition: being an adult and economically independent. Although she was an adult, she was still a student.
And she had only started her internship this year. She clearly didn't meet this condition.
Even though she had severed ties with the Xia family, if she wanted to move her household registration, Xia Linfeng wouldn't let her off easily.
In her moment of distraction, Ling Yuchen was already standing in front of her, bending down and leaning close to her ear.
Xia Wantang sensed it and froze, not daring to move.