While Ichin and his father were chatting about work up front, the two women in the back—mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—were also quietly conversing.
"Utaha, I heard from Ichin that your birthday is on the 31st, right?"
Utaha nodded. "Yes, it just happens to fall on New Year's Eve here."
Ichin's mother smiled happily. "Perfect! That means we can celebrate your birthday along with the New Year. We've already reserved a table at a hotel for the New Year's Eve dinner. Besides our immediate family, a few of Ichin's uncles will be joining too. I've told everyone about you already, but I haven't shown them your photo yet. They're all really curious about you."
Hearing that, Utaha couldn't help but get nervous.
"We're meeting them that soon?"
Ichin's mother chuckled and gently patted her on the head. "Don't worry. No one's going to make things hard for you. At most, they'll ask about you and Ichin."
At that moment, Ichin turned around in his seat and reassured her, "My mom's right. Don't be nervous. If there's any question you don't want to answer, just don't."
Ichin's mom rolled her eyes at him. "What are you saying? Do you think your uncles are that kind of people? Besides, your older cousins are all very steady—they're not going to throw out random questions."
Ichin shrank his neck and muttered, "I was just saying that to ease her nerves. By the way, Mom, is Cousin and his whole family coming too? Are they bringing the kids?"
"Of course. It's been a while since you saw them, right? The little ones have grown up a lot—they're adorable."
She looked meaningfully at her son and Utaha and added, "If you and Utaha have kids in the future, I'm sure they'll be even more beautiful."
Ichin remained calm, but Utaha turned bright red at the topic.
Still, she forced herself to reply quietly, "Um… kids… maybe after we finish university."
Hearing that Utaha didn't outright reject the idea made Ichin's mother even happier. She grabbed Utaha's hand with a beaming smile.
Ichin, of course, understood what his mom was thinking. Her son had a girlfriend now, there was no need to worry about studies or work, and the family was financially stable. All she was hoping for next was a grandchild she could spoil.
But realistically, that was still far off. At the very least, they'd wait until after marriage. During university, both Ichin and Utaha wanted to focus on honing their professional skills.
With the New Year's dinner plans mostly discussed, Ichin's mom turned the conversation to Utaha's first trip abroad.
"Is this your first time in Shanghai, Utaha?"
"Yes."
Utaha nodded, glancing out the car window. "When I was in middle school, I went to Hong Kong once because my dad was on a business trip. Both are modern cities, but the main difference is that trip was in summer, and now it's winter. It's really quite cold."
"If you're cold, just layer up more. That's all you need."
Luckily, Utaha was well bundled up today—Ichin had made sure of it. He knew just how chilly winters in his hometown could get. If she dressed like she did in Tokyo, wearing only thermal socks or something, she'd not only freeze—he'd also definitely get scolded by his mom.
The restaurant for dinner was close to home—a place Ichin had visited many times with his parents. The owner was an old acquaintance of his dad's.
After parking and heading inside, the boss at the front desk immediately greeted Ichin's father with a smile. Then, he spotted Ichin, and beside him—Utaha.
"Well, the young master's back! And he really did bring his girlfriend—what a beauty! Come on in, your private room is ready, and the dishes will be out soon."
Ichin smiled and replied, "Long time no see, Uncle Liu."
The restaurant owner patted Ichin on the shoulder and laughed, "You've really matured after a year away. Even settled your love life—your girlfriend looks like a movie star. Nice, much better than my own kid."
Ichin had met the owner's son a couple of times—three years older than him, currently studying in the capital. He should be coming back soon too.
As they stepped into the private room, the heating had already been turned on in advance, making it comfortably warm inside.
Ichin helped Utaha take off her coat and hang it up, then held her hand as they sat down. He asked, "What would you like to drink? Cola, juice, or coconut milk?"
Utaha thought for a moment and replied, "Coconut milk, please."
So Ichin turned to the restaurant owner and ordered two cans of warm coconut milk.
After checking whether Utaha had any dietary restrictions, the owner headed straight to the kitchen to get the chefs moving. Ichin's dad followed him back to take a look as well.
Utaha glanced around the decor of the private room, a bit curious, and asked in a low voice, "Ichin, when we came in just now, a lot of people were greeting your dad?"
"Yeah, this place is pretty close to our neighborhood, and the food is great, so a lot of locals come here often. Over time, everyone's gotten to know each other pretty well."
As he said that, Ichin glanced at the door to the private room. "Mom, I bet Dad didn't go to the kitchen to check the dishes. He probably went to smoke again, right?"
Ichin's mom waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. I already told him when we came to pick you two up—no smoking in the private room tonight. If he really can't hold it, let him smoke outside before coming back in."
Ichin's face twitched. "Mom, you didn't used to be like this when it was just the three of us eating together."
"You think you're the same as Utaha?"
That one sentence immediately made clear who held the higher status in her eyes.
Ichin gave a helpless shrug and looked at Utaha. "See? In this house, my mom is the highest authority. After that, it's you. Me and my dad? We take turns being at the bottom."
Utaha's lips curved into a small smile. Under the table, she gently squeezed Ichin's hand.
She could tell he was half-joking—but mostly trying to make her feel at ease.
Across from them, Ichin's mom saw the way they looked at each other and smiled with satisfaction. She didn't say anything more.
Dinner was enjoyable and filled with laughter. After all, it was a well-established family-run restaurant with years of history.
Once they were full and satisfied, they headed home by car.
Ichin's family didn't own a villa, but they lived in a high-end residential complex, with a spacious three-bedroom apartment. It hadn't been cheap when they bought it, and its value had only gone up since.
They took the elevator up, and as the front door opened, Ichin's mom beamed and said, "Come in, Utaha. Change into slippers. No need to be shy—treat this like your own home."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie," Utaha responded sweetly.
As soon as she changed into slippers and stepped inside, Ichin's mom pulled her over to the living room to sit down. Then she turned to Ichin, who had just walked in behind them, and said, "Ichin, go put away the luggage. After that, head to the kitchen and wash some fruit."
"…"
Ichin had fully expected there'd be a clear difference in how he and Utaha were treated once they got home—but he hadn't expected it to kick in this fast.
Still, seeing how well his mom was treating Utaha, he didn't mind at all. If it made her happy, let her do as she pleased.
He exchanged a look with Utaha, subtly signaling with his eyes that she should stay and keep his mom company. Then he grabbed the luggage and headed into the bedroom.
....
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