He didn't point it out, though.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Dad, she and I are going out for some air."
"Ah... good, it's a good chance for you two to get to know each other better," Ning Xuesheng nodded, not stopping them. He actually felt this was normal.
He had known for a long time that Ming Yi disliked talking much with him and never cared about topics concerning elders. This engagement, which he had strongly opposed before, now saw him refraining from outright rejection, a change that reflected his son's evolution.
Since the young couple had their own ideas and wanted to spend time together, he wouldn't interfere.
"Let's go for a walk, it's quite boring staying here," Ming Yi invited Shi Yiling.
Upon hearing the invitation, she immediately grabbed her phone, stood up, and nodded at him emphatically.
She had been waiting impatiently!
Her father was already drinking with Ning Xuesheng, her mother was chatting with Liu Feiyan, and her elder brother was engaged in conversation with Uncle Qi. She, on the other hand, was stuck here with Ming Yi, trying to find common ground amidst awkward silence.
Naturally, she didn't want to continue this way.
As the two walked out, Shi Qing, who had been drinking, put down his bowl. The two mothers who were chatting also paused. Uncle Qi and Shi Yiling's elder brother immediately leaned in.
"Are the two of them going out to talk?" Shi Qing lowered his voice, ensuring it wouldn't reach Ming Yi and the other.
"They should be. Two young people have their own topics to discuss," Liu Feiyan agreed wholeheartedly. "We parents need to give them some private space."
"My sister is so beautiful, how could Da Bao not like her? Countless suitors have come from all over the neighborhood," Shi Yiling's brother said with a hint of defiance. "How could he not like her?"
"Forget whether Da Bao likes your sister or not. I suspect it might be your sister, back from the big city, who doesn't like Da Bao?" Uncle Qi whispered his guess.
"Don't talk nonsense, how is that possible? My son is so handsome, he's even been on the national news broadcast, how could she not like him?" Ning Xuesheng said, looking at Shi Qing. "Right?"
"Exactly, exactly. Da Bao's conditions are so good, Lingling wouldn't have faulty judgment," Shi Yiling's mother chimed in at this point.
The group at the table, each speaking their mind, eventually fell silent. They looked at each other, and almost simultaneously, everyone stood up, preparing to see what would unfold between the two.
Meanwhile, on the other side, as the pair walked into the outer courtyard, Ming Yi glanced back at the room before lowering his voice. "You know, don't these elders always worry too much?"
"What era are we in, and they're still talking about arranged marriages? Shouldn't we advocate for free love? With your excellent conditions over these past two years of schooling, there are bound to be boys who like you and pursue you. If you have someone you like in your heart, they'd still try to break you up? How unfair is that?"
He continued, confessing that he personally disliked the practice of arranged marriages.
Although, he admitted, Shi Yiling's appearance was certainly pleasing to his eyes.
"You don't like me?"