Chapter 1344: APPROVAL

SHEN JI YUN stepped out of the car after it parked in the driveway of the Bai family mansion. He looked up at the house, and his hand went straight to the ring hanging from the chain around his neck. He looked down at it. The band was thick and made of dark gray metal with a single thin line of silver running through the middle. There were no stones or extra decorations on it. The design was simple, but the ring looked well made and sturdy.

Just like how he liked most things he wore or put on. Simple and uncomplicated. No extra fuss, no unnecessary details. But still nice to look at. Luo Yan must have taken his preferences into account when he bought this ring.

That’s right. The ring was Luo Yan’s anniversary gift to him. Just like Shen Ji Yun had given Luo Yan a ring, Luo Yan had also chosen to give him one. It was an amazing coincidence, like the two of them had decided on the same idea without even talking about it. Now they both had rings to wear, and Shen Ji Yun was happy about that.

He wanted to think of the rings they had given each other as promise rings. A sign that they were promising to stay together for a lifetime. Of course, that was probably just wishful thinking on his part. But it was a wish he really hoped would come true.

And the first step toward making that wish come true was to make sure this conversation went well.

"Are you ready, Ji Yun?" his uncle, walking ahead, asked.

Shen Ji Yun looked at him and nodded. "Yes."

Uncle Yue walked in step beside him as he walked. "Don’t be nervous. Everything will be alright."

Shen Ji Yun looked at him and gave a small, grateful smile. Uncle Yue didn’t have to come today. He wasn’t directly involved in any of this, but he had insisted on being here anyway, just to offer moral support. He said he wanted to be in their corner since he and his uncle were already outnumbered. That meant a lot to Shen Ji Yun.

They reached the front door, and as if someone knew they were there, it swung open. For a second, Shen Ji Yun hoped it would be Luo Yan. Instead, it was one of the household staff who greeted them.

The staff gave them a smile and a polite bow. "Good morning, and welcome. The family is expecting you. Please follow me."

They followed the staff through the front door and into the foyer. Shen Ji Yun glanced around as they walked. The living room was empty. No sign of Luo Yan or anyone else. He wondered where everyone had gone. Maybe they were all waiting in whatever room the staff was leading them to.

The staff stopped in front of a closed door near the end of the hallway and knocked lightly before opening it. Shen Ji Yun recognized the room. It was Uncle Chen’s study. Inside, only three people were waiting. Uncle Wei Tian, Uncle Chen, and Aunt Xiulan. The rest of the family was nowhere to be seen.

The three of them stood as Shen Ji Yun and the others entered. The staff stepped back and closed the door, leaving them all inside.

Shen Yi Mu stepped forward first. "Hello. Thank you for having us."

"No, no," Sun Xiulan replied, waving a hand. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit down."

Shen Yi Mu placed a hand on Jiang Yue’s back and gently guided him forward. "By the way, this is Ah Yue. My lover. I hope you don’t mind that he came along with us."

Jiang Yue felt his face heat up at how bluntly Shen Yi Mu had introduced him. He glanced at the three people across from them and saw their reactions. Luo Wei Tian looked like he was trying not to show surprise, but it was clear on his face, anyway. The same went for Bai Chen. As for Sun Xiulan, her smile froze for just a second before she recovered.

"Of course he’s welcome," she blurted, her voice warm again. "Hello, Ah Yue."

Jiang Yue’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. He bowed his head slightly. "I’m Jiang Yue. It’s nice to meet you."

They all took their seats after that short introduction. Shen Ji Yun sat between Shen Yi Mu and Jiang Yue. Across from them, Luo Wei Tian sat in the middle, with Bai Chen on one side and Sun Xiulan on the other.

Luo Wei Tian folded his hands on his lap and looked directly at Shen Ji Yun. "I won’t waste time with small talk. You already know why I asked you to come here today."

Shen Ji Yun nodded. His throat felt dry. "Yes, sir."

He decided to address him as ’sir’ instead of ’uncle’ as usual. He kept his hands still on his knees, not letting them fidget. His face stayed calm, but inside, his heart was beating faster than he wanted it to.

"Then tell me," Luo Wei Tian said. He held Shen Ji Yun’s gaze without blinking. "What are your intentions with my son?"

The words came out before Shen Ji Yun could even think about them. "I love him. I want to be with him. Not just for now, but for the long term."

Uncle Wei Tian studied his face for a long time. Shen Ji Yun felt like the other was looking right through him, reading every thought he had ever had. He forced himself not to move and kept his breathing steady. No matter how much he wanted to look away, he held his ground.

"You’re about to graduate. He still has years of school left. Have you thought about how that will work?"

Shen Ji Yun met his gaze without flinching. "Yes, sir. I’ve thought about it a lot, actually. I’m not planning to leave B City after I graduate. I’ll be working at my uncle’s company since it’s based here. So I won’t be far from Yan Yan at all. I’ll still be able to see him regularly."

Luo Wei Tian glanced at Shen Yi Mu, who gave a small nod.

Shen Ji Yun held his breath, waiting for the next question.

"Your family," Luo Wei Tian said slowly. "I imagine they won’t take this well. Your uncle’s situation with your grandfather must be already strained. How do you think they’ll react after finding out you’re in a relationship with my son?"

Shen Ji Yun felt his stomach tighten. "They won’t like it," he admitted. His voice came out rougher than he meant it to. "But I don’t make my choices based on what they think. The only people on that side of the family I care about are my uncle and my grandmother. And they already support me." He paused, meeting Luo Wei Tian’s eyes. "If one of them ever try to do anything to Yan Yan because of this, I’ll protect him. I won’t let them touch him."

The silence stretched. Shen Ji Yun’s chest felt tight, like something heavy was pressing down on him. His palms were sweating against his trousers, but he didn’t wipe them. He didn’t want anyone to notice how nervous he was. Inside, his thoughts were spinning, but he kept his face still and his mouth shut. He didn’t know if that was the right answer or if he had said too much. All he could do now was wait for Uncle Wei Tian’s verdict.

"I can see you’re serious. And I can tell you make my son happy." He paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I won’t stop you. But I’m warning you now. If you ever hurt him, I don’t care where you go. I will find you, and I will hurt you a hundred times worse. No, a thousand times. So don’t even think about it."

Shen Ji Yun felt a wave of relief wash through him. "I understand, sir. And I don’t plan on giving you any reason to."

Uncle Wei Tian held his gaze for another few seconds. Then he stood up and walked over. He extended his hand. Shen Ji Yun got to his feet, his legs feeling a little shaky, and shook it. He could feel how firm his grip was, almost to the point of breaking his hand.

But Shen Ji Yun didn’t mind. He could actually barely feel it since he’s too relieved at the idea of Uncle Wei Tian giving his approval.

"Take care of him," Luo Wei Tian said quietly.

Shen Ji Yun nodded once, hard. "I will, sir."

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