The stubborn her

dinner gathering

It was a high-end Cantonese restaurant, located in the most prominent position on the busiest commercial street, named "Xin Qianjin Grand Restaurant".

Shen Zhitong followed Zhou Xingjin through the magnificent golden gate, greeted by rockeries, fish ponds, and pavilions, presenting a stark contrast to the modern and trendy commercial street outside.

In the luxurious private room on the top floor sat two middle-aged couples, dressed in expensive attire.

In the middle of the two couples sat a young woman with short hair, wearing a leather jacket and boots, looking cute and trendy.

As soon as the woman saw Zhou Xingjin enter, her face lit up, and she waved eagerly, "Xingjin Ge, you're here!"

"Sorry for the wait." Zhou Xingjin handed his coat to the waiter behind him and gestured for Shen Zhitong to come in. "This is my... friend." Zhou Xingjin introduced Shen Zhitong to the people at the table. "Shen Zhitong."

The people in the private room visibly changed their expressions upon seeing Shen Zhitong come out from behind Zhou Xingjin.

Zhou Xingjin rarely brought girls to this kind of gathering, so bringing one along this time made his intentions quite clear.

Tao Xinxin, seeing Shen Zhitong, was initially puzzled, but as she took in Shen Zhitong's appearance, she suddenly understood Zhou Xingjin's intentions and couldn't help but smirk.

She gave Zhou Xingjin a look that said "You really know how to pick them."

***

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a private family dinner.

On the right, a couple with gray hair, dressed in expensive sportswear, sat stern-faced. The man was none other than Zhou Xingjin's father, Zhou Xingjing, the founder of Ansha Group.

Sitting beside Zhou Xingjing was a middle-aged woman wearing exquisite pearl earrings and a necklace, undoubtedly his wife and Zhou Xingjin's mother.

Shen Zhitong took a deep breath inwardly and greeted the people at the table with a slight bow before sitting down with Zhou Xingjin.

Zhou's mother looked at Zhou Xingjin with concern across Zhou's father. "Xingjin, you haven't eaten yet. Hurry up and have something."

Zhou Xingjing glanced indifferently at Shen Zhitong before focusing on his son.

Zhou Xingjin's love life and the type of girls he dated were usually not a matter of concern for Zhou Xingjing. On one hand, his son was quite reliable in this regard, and his personal life was not chaotic. On the other hand, he understood the younger generation's views on relationships and wasn't interested in interfering too much.

He only had two requirements for Zhou Xingjin's relationships: no children during dating, and when it came to marriage, the choice of spouse had to pass his strict scrutiny.

"I thought you were busy lately and didn't plan on inviting you," he spoke in a manner similar to Zhou Xingjin, but with a slightly more imposing tone.

"Just got off work. Had some time tonight," Zhou Xingjin replied.

Tao Xinxin interjected from across the table, "Uncle Zhou, I'm the one who invited Xingjin Ge." Sitting beside Tao Xinxin were her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tao Zhanli.

Mr. Tao, slightly chubby with gray hair, wore glasses.

He said to Tao Xinxin in a stern tone, "Inviting Xingjin Ge won't help. You have three days to break up with that boy."

Mrs. Tao patted Mr. Tao and said something in Cantonese, probably meaning "talk to your daughter nicely."

***

Shen Zhitong sat awkwardly in the middle of the two families, silently listening to the conversation, feeling embarrassed.

Zhou Xingjin gestured for her to help herself to the dishes in front of her.

Shen Zhitong picked up a piece of boiled chicken and took a small bite.

The taste was too bland for her liking.

Tao Xinxin, under her father's ultimatum, pursed her lips and shifted her gaze to Shen Zhitong, trying to divert the conversation. "Xingjin Ge, you rarely bring girls home for dinner. This girl... is yours..."

She winked at Zhou Xingjin, causing Shen Zhitong's hand with the chopsticks to freeze.

Zhou Xingjin remained silent, only smiling faintly.

Shen Zhitong waited for his clarification for a while, but when it didn't come, she felt stiff in her spine.

Not only her, but everyone would interpret this kind of silence as tacit agreement.

The Tao couple across the table exchanged a silent glance.

Zhou Xingjin was originally their favorite candidate for a son-in-law.

In terms of family background, appearance, personality, and job, he was the best candidate.

Most importantly, he had been fond of their daughter Tao Xinxin since childhood, willing to spoil her, and for so many years, they had hardly seen him seriously date anyone else.

But now they couldn't say these things.

The Zhou and Tao families had intended to arrange a marriage between their children, but now both children had found their own partners outside. The Tao couple's faces grew increasingly unpleasant.

They blamed themselves for allowing their daughter to be the first one to find a partner, and what's more, he turned out to be a poor boy!

Mr. Tao's face turned even darker at the thought, and he reprimanded his daughter, "It's all because I and your mother didn't teach you well. You're being too reckless outside, bringing back a poor boy to embarrass your old father."

Tao Xinxin was not afraid of him at all, rolled her eyes, and signaled Zhou Xingjin with her eyes, "What's wrong with poor boys? Xingjin Ge here... doesn't he look like..."

She implied something suddenly, and Shen Zhitong's face stiffened.

"Can boys be compared to girls like this?" Mr. Tao frowned.

Shen Zhitong suddenly found it hard to swallow the food in her mouth.

Zhou Xingjin calmly advised, "Uncle Tao, Xinxin has grown up and can make her own judgments."

Mr. Tao shook his head helplessly. "Xingjin, don't spoil her too much."

Zhou's father also advised, "As long as the boy is ambitious, being poor now is not a problem." "That's true... but..." Mr. Tao sighed.

As the conversation went back and forth, Zhou's mother secretly sized up Shen Zhitong, who had remained silent throughout. This girl sat quietly beside Zhou Xingjin, looking rather special and having a pretty face, but...

Her gaze fell on Shen Zhitong's affordable shirt, coat, and the bag casually hanging on the back of her chair, and her eyebrows furrowed.

Zhou's mother had a gentle temperament and maintained an elegant demeanor in front of others. Although she immediately dismissed the idea of Shen Zhitong as a potential match for her son, she did not show any obvious displeasure or dissatisfaction at the dinner table.