Mu Yuchen laughed when he heard her. He suddenly grabbed onto her shoulder and dragged her nearer to him.

Xi Xiaye was stunned and could not react. By the time she could, she was already in front of him and the certificate was taken from her hands. His voice was mixed with a tint of gentleness. "Mmm, it's all in the past. Had I been just several years younger, we might've known each other back then."

"That might not be the case. After all, I never mingle with top students," Xi Xiaye gave it some thought before replying seriously.

He raised his eyebrows in shock. "Why? I'm a top student. Shouldn't you feel proud instead? What's with your expression?"

"Because I don't think they belong to the same world as me," Xi Xiaye replied honestly.

Mu Yuchen was speechless for a moment. He patted her little head and said, "Don't overthink. Back then, my good friends and comrades were all like you. They were bad at their studies and had bad grades. Every parent-teacher meeting, their names would surely be mentioned like Su Chen, Zhou Zimo..."

"Su Chen? Zhou Zimo?"

Xi Xiaye dragged his big hand away from her head. She gaped at Mu Yuchen in surprise with a sparkle in her eyes as she asked, "Are you talking about the Vice Chief of the Traffic Control Bureau, Su Chen? The young and handsome looking Master Su of City Z? And Zhou Zimo... He's the top gun in the technology field, isn't he? Mister Zhou?"

"You've heard of them before?" Mu Yuchen spoke in a quiet voice as he stared at Xi Xiaye.

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Of course, they are popular icons in City Z! Many colleagues always talk about them. Even I heard they're your close friends. They're quite notable public figures. Some time ago, I saw Mister Zhou at a charity dinner and I think he's pretty nice."

"They'll surely be overjoyed if they knew you had such good impressions of them. I'll introduce you to them one day. By then, you'll find out what kind of people they really are."

"Did they go to school with you too?" Xi Xiaye asked curiously.

"Mmm, we're childhood friends. We've always been in the same class from kindergarten to high school. After graduating from high school, we all went to the same military school. They can be pretty rowdy at times, but if you can't handle it, then just ignore them when the time comes."

Mu Yuchen understood both Su Chen and Zhou Zimo well. If they found out that he got married, they would surely be shocked, so he decided to not reveal it at the moment. He would find the right time to tell them.

Xi Xiaye nodded after giving it some thought. "Right, are you going back to the office in the afternoon? Are we staying here tonight?"

"We're going back to Maple Residence at night. We'll leave after lunch. I'll only go back to the office tomorrow. Imperial Sky Entertainment City is already opened for a trial run, so I'll go over and take a look," Mu Yuchen replied indifferently.

"Imperial Sky Entertainment City? The project I was in charge of? I think all the phases are done, and the slots for merchants are filled up as well. Imperial Sky Jewellery City is opening during the New Year as well... Hmm, can I join you too?"

She was not very focused on this project because she had not taken care of the New Era Plaza. After she was done with the big issues, she had delegated the rest of the tasks to others.

"Are you ok in your condition?" Mu Yuchen glanced at her.

She quickly stood firmly to indicate that she was fine.

Mu Yuchen smiled. "Do as you wish then."

A servant knocked on the door. "Master, Missus, lunch is ready. Elder Madam asked you both to come down!"

They both went downstairs together.

The lunch seemed extravagant. All the dishes did not look very different from a hotel banquet. It was apparent that both Mu Yinan and Wang Hui spent every last ounce of their cooking skills.

Xi Xiaye was starting to feel nervous when she saw the grand spread before her.

"Come and have a seat. It's your first time here and I know you're not very fond of strange things, but you'll get used to it after some time. Chen's always busy working, so you don't have to mind him. It's our own company after all, so it's alright to leave early from work or take a break sometimes. Come back and visit us," Mu Yinan said gently.

Xi Xiaye had no idea that the serious-looking old chairman was such an easygoing person, very much similar to his grandpa who was always kind and gentle.

She nodded. "I got it. I will, Grandfather."

"That's right, listen to your grandfather. There's no point for a girl to work so hard. It's the man's job to earn money and support the family. You just need to learn how to enjoy. The Mu family doesn't need the ladies to work hard outside. If you're free, come here and play some mahjong with me or help me with my plants. Isn't that right, Grandfather?" Wang Hui said with a big smile on her face.

"Mmm, I agree with your grandmother on this. Chuan, Rong, what do you guys think?"

Mu Tangchuan and Zhuang Shurong looked at each other, then he said gently, "Let the kids make their own decisions. We won't know what the youngsters might be thinking."

"Also, Chen, you have to give your marriage ceremony with Xiaye serious consideration. Find a time as soon as possible and visit the Shen Residence. We need to talk about it. We don't mind your sudden marriage, but we have to fulfill the basic courtesies. These are the thoughts of your grandparents, your father, and mine altogether."

It was Zhuang Shurong who had spoken up.

Marriage ceremony...

Xi Xiaye was stunned. She tilted her head and glanced at Mu Yuchen, who was using a handkerchief the servant had handed to him to wipe his hands. There was a short pause before he replied, "I'll visit them this coming Saturday. Don't worry about the marriage ceremony for now. I'll discuss with Xiaye and decide on the specifics later."

"Mmm, get on it. Alright, the dishes are getting cold. Let's eat," Mu Yinan said.

The whole family grabbed their wine glasses and gently clinked against each other's glasses before drinking.

"Granddaughter-in-law, I made this for you. Give it a try! It's really fresh!"

"Eat more, your grandfather made this. He said it's nearly as fantastic a standard as a hotel dish, and he's not embarrassed at all!"

Wang Hui kept spooning food for Xi Xiaye. In just a moment, a tiny mountain had appeared on her bowl.

Xi Xiaye was bad at handling them. As she looked at the pile of food before her and wondered how to deal with it, the man beside her took her bowl and pushed half of the food into his bowl.

"Eat."

He then continued on with his meal elegantly...