The Reborn Aristocrat's Daughter-Chapter 890 - 409

"Who made them give birth to such a good son?" someone said sourly.

"I don’t see anything great about Xu Haoyang, though. There are plenty in our circle who are handsomer than he is. And there are those who are better than he is. Why did the Xiao family’s eldest lady take a fancy to him of all people?" This person voiced the doubt in everyone’s minds.

If Xu Haoyang were the most outstanding among their peers in this circle, they would have been more at ease. But after much thought, they still couldn’t figure out why Xiao Shiyao, the eldest lady of the Xiao family, would be interested in Xu Haoyang.

"There are plenty of people better than Xu Haoyang in our circle, but among those of Xu Haoyang’s age, who has a cleaner private life than Xu Haoyang?" someone in the crowd held a glass of wine, swaying the glass while laughing with an especially sarcastic tone.

Each and every one of them was jealous of Xu Haoyang, jealous of the Xu family. Why didn’t they think about what their own children were like, or what their own family situations were like, all murky and shady, not nearly as clear and clean as the Xu family. "There are many among you with better family backgrounds than the Xu family, but whose households are as clean as the Xu family’s? Personally, I think that the Xiao couple made a shrewd choice picking Xu Haoyang from the Xu family. You all think that with the Xiao family and Situ family’s current status, they need to trade their daughter’s lifelong happiness for something? What they want is just for their daughter to be happy, that’s all."

The others turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw an unfamiliar face.

What this stranger said was like a sword piercing directly into their hearts. "Who is this, spouting nonsense?"

"Exactly, thinking they are someone important."

While people said this, they took the stranger’s words to heart, murmuring among themselves and eventually dispersing.

&

Mother Xu, with Situ Xin’s arm in hers, had a smile on her face that never faded.

Xiao Muli, following them, saw Mother Xu’s adoring look at Situ Xin and his eyebrows furrowed, the temperature around him dropping slightly.

Father Xu felt a chill and turned his head, just in time to see Xiao Muli’s frowning look and then followed his gaze to see his own wife, who seemed to be sticking to Situ Xin. His head really felt like it was going to split open.

There, his wife, as soon as she saw Madam Xiao, threw everything he had previously said out the window. He wanted to remind his wife not to overdo it, as the Family Head of the Xiao family was present. Everyone knew how much Family Head Xiao cared for his wife.

However, with Muli right by his side, he truly didn’t know how to remind his wife.

"That Family Head Xiao, my wife has always idolized Madam Xiao. She thinks Madam Xiao is exceptionally outstanding. Right now, seeing Madam Xiao like this, she’s as joyful as meeting her idol. Don’t mind her, please." Father Xu had no choice but to try and explain his wife’s behavior to Xiao Muli.

"Mhm, I understand," Xiao Muli withdrew his gaze and spoke indifferently.

Although Xiao Muli’s expression didn’t change, the temperature around him returned to normal. Father Xu, who had felt a chill down his back, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Madam Xiao, Xiao Family Head truly loves you very much," Mother Xu said to Situ Xin with no sense of distance, speaking more comfortably.

"Stop calling me Madam Xiao, just call me Xiao Xin," Situ Xin actually quite liked Mother Xu’s temperament.

"Alright, then don’t call me Lady Xu, my name is Sun Juan, just call me Xiao Juan."

"Alright."

With that, the two looked at each other with a smile, marking the beginning of their friendship.

"Xiao Xin, how did you come to fancy my Haoyang? I see your daughter is so beautiful and accomplished, my son doesn’t deserve her," Mother Xu was a straight talker, and she truly didn’t think highly of her son.

After all, she had always wanted a sweet and soft daughter.

Situ Xin, seeing Mother Xu’s disgust towards Xu Haoyang, couldn’t help wanting to laugh. She joked, "Xiao Juan, are you sure Haoyang really came from your belly? Seeing how you disdain him, I would think he wasn’t born from you at all."

Instead of getting angry, Mother Xu just laughed out loud upon hearing Situ Xin’s words.

"You know what, if Haoyang didn’t resemble both of us, I would indeed think that he was switched at birth at the hospital."

"Huh?"

Situ Xin was truly rendered speechless.

"You don’t know, but I’ve always wanted a daughter. So, from the moment I knew I was pregnant, I prayed it was a girl in my belly. And later, the hospital examinations all said it was a girl. All the preparations, the baby clothes, were for a girl, but then when it was born, I was told I had a boy. You know, the disappointment I felt at that moment? I’ve never believed that I gave birth to a son, I always thought that somehow during delivery, the doctor switched my baby with someone else’s," Mother Xu earnestly explained.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Xiaoxiao was listening with a face full of disbelief. She had heard of preferring boys over girls, where clearly having given birth to a girl, parents would still wish it were a boy. However, she had never encountered the opposite, where actually having a boy, the parents would still wish it were a girl.

"Your obsession with wanting to have a daughter really amazes me. But if you want a daughter so badly, why don’t you have one more child?"

"I do want to, but my body was damaged after giving birth to Haoyang, and it’s not suitable for pregnancy anymore. And my husband, he can’t bear the thought of me going through that again, so he won’t agree to it."

"Well, when you have time, I’ll prepare some medicine for you to help you recover."

"Really? That would be wonderful." Situ Xin’s words were an unexpected delight for Mother Xu. "Ah, I really don’t know what good deeds my Haoyang has done to have caught the attention of your family."

Mother Xu was initially worried that the Xiao Family and Situ Family were of much higher social standing, and it would be tough for her naive son to be associated with them.

But after interacting with Situ Xin today, she really felt that all her previous concerns were overthinking.

Her son having Situ Xin as a mother-in-law would be the blessings of several lifetimes for him.

"You can’t say that. Haoyang is a good kid, and you’ve raised him well. If he wasn’t, it wouldn’t be just me, but my husband would be the first to disallow him from approaching our Yaoyao."

Situ Xin and Mother Xu chatted back and forth, getting along so well that they didn’t seem like they had just met.

&

After Xiao Shiyao had arranged a meeting with Xu Haoyang, he personally drove her home. The Xiao Family had strict curfews, especially for Xiao Shiyao who was dating. Every time she went out on a date with Xu Haoyang, her father Xiao Muli would wait at home, keeping an eye on the clock.

If she was even a minute late, she could expect a call from her dad.

After a few of such incidents, Xu Haoyang didn’t dare to dawdle any longer. He feared that a few more times and he might be erased from existence by Xiao Shiyao’s father Xiao Muli.

"Yaoyao, it’s so hard to part with you." Xu Haoyang became increasingly clingy with Xiao Shiyao, wishing he could stick to her side wherever she went. "Ah, I really wish I could marry you and take you back home sooner."

"Wake up, let’s at least graduate first. Besides, I think my dad definitely won’t be ready to let me get married so soon." Xiao Shiyao covered her mouth, giggling.

Hearing Xiao Shiyao’s words and imagining what his future father-in-law, the daughter-con Xiao Muli, might be like, Xu Haoyang let out a mournful cry, feeling that the day he could marry seemed so far away. "How about this, you talk to your dad, and I’ll try to buy a house next to yours. After we get married, we’ll live there. That way your dad won’t have to worry about missing you." The more Xu Haoyang talked, the more feasible he felt his plan was.

"You sure there’s a house for sale next to mine?" With that one sentence from Xiao Shiyao, Xu Haoyang’s hope was doused with cold water, bringing him back to reality. Looking up, he realized it was true.

"Alright, stop daydreaming. I need to go back now, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?" Xiao Shiyao said, watching Xu Haoyang’s dejected look, which inexplicably made her mood very good.

Xu Haoyang heard Xiao Shiyao and perked up, hoping to steal a goodbye kiss from her, but before he could speak, her phone rang from inside her purse.

Xiao Shiyao took out her phone and saw it was her second brother calling.

"Hello, second brother."

"Yaoyao, are you home yet?"

"I’m at the front door. What’s up, did dad ask you to call to hurry me up?" Xiao Shiyao instinctively felt that the call from her second brother must have been at her father’s behest.

"Looks like you’ve still been kept in the dark by mom and dad." On the other end of the phone, Xiao Xuyang’s mood lifted upon hearing Xiao Shiyao’s words, finally feeling better about being outwitted by his own parents.

"Second brother, stop playing riddles with me. Speak quickly, otherwise I’m hanging up." Xiao Shiyao knew her second brother’s temperament; the more interest she showed, the more he would keep her in suspense.

"Hey, don’t hang up. Honestly, you... as a girl, should have a bit more patience. Also, work on your temper, be more ladylike, so you don’t scare people away."

Xiao Shiyao felt like steam was about to shoot out of her forehead.

"Xiao Xuyang." Xiao Shiyao blurted out her brother’s full name.

"No, please don’t shout my full name, it makes me nervous." On the phone, Xiao Xuyang sat up straight when he heard his sister call his full name.

"Then be sensible and get to the point, don’t beat around the bush."

"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. Actually, you didn’t need to come back so early today. Mom and dad aren’t home, no one is going to mind what time you come back." Though Xiao Xuyang said he wouldn’t beat around the bush, his words still seemed to lead on.