Dating the Heartthrob Superstar
Chapter 87: Meeting the Parents

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Meeting the Parents

Chapter 87: Meeting the Parents

Lin Qin didn’t catch the hint of bitterness in Lin Chengdu’s tone. He glanced at himself in the mirror a few more times, feeling utterly perfect, before responding to Lin Chengdu’s question. "That’s exactly why I need to dress so formally—meeting the parents isn’t the time to leave a bad impression, right?"

Lin Chengdu immediately retorted, "Whoever dares to say a bad word about my son, I’ll take it up with them!"

Lin Qin chuckled, feeling a reassuring warmth in his heart.

As if suddenly remembering something, Lin Chengdu added, "Meng Chao is already waiting for you downstairs. Are you heading down now?"

"Dad, why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Lin Qin dashed downstairs in a hurry. He was sure his father had intentionally withheld the information.

And indeed, Lin Chengdu had done it on purpose. His son had been snatched away by someone—couldn’t Meng Chao wait a little longer downstairs? What was there to complain about?

Lin Qin jogged downstairs. Once at the bottom, he paused, worried his outfit might have wrinkled, and hurriedly straightened it before looking at Meng Chao. "Brother Chao, I’m ready. We can head out now."

Meng Chao walked over, took Lin Qin’s hand, and intertwined their fingers. He reached out as if out of habit to ruffle Lin Qin’s hair, but noticed that today Lin Qin’s hair was stiff with styling wax. His hand hovered in the air before shifting to Lin Qin’s cheek instead, praising him, "My Qinqin is so handsome."

Lin Qin felt a bit nervous, and his voice came out slightly dry. "Am I really okay like this?"

"You’re dressed well enough to attend an award ceremony. You’re more than fine to meet my family," Meng Chao reassured him, adjusting Lin Qin’s tie. "Really, don’t worry."

With Meng Chao’s assurance, Lin Qin relaxed noticeably, even the tension in his shoulders easing a bit.

Lin Chengdu came downstairs at that moment. Meng Chao politely nodded at him and said, "Uncle, I’m taking Lin Qin with me now."

Lin Chengdu reminded him, "Make sure Qinqin doesn’t suffer even the tiniest grievance. Otherwise, you’ll never get past me."

Lin Chengdu, who was well-acquainted with the upper-class circles, was aware of what kind of person Meng Zhao Kang was. He knew that meeting Meng Chao’s family wouldn’t be an easy task and might even mean facing challenges from Meng Zhao Kang himself.

But he trusted Meng Chao. He trusted that Meng Chao would protect his Qinqin.

Meng Chao promised, "Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll take good care of Lin Qin."

"Alright. You two be careful on the road," Lin Chengdu said with a wave of his hand, urging them to get going.

Lin Qin wasn’t too nervous when he got into the car. But as they got closer to Meng Chao’s house, an intense feeling of being judged started creeping in. His whole body tensed up again, sweat began to form on his palms, and the car seat felt as though it were sprinkled with needles, leaving him in discomfort.

Suddenly, a hand reached over and held Lin Qin’s hand. The warmth from Meng Chao’s hand instantly chased away the cold sweat. Lin Qin turned his head to look at Meng Chao.

Meng Chao focused on driving and didn’t meet Lin Qin’s gaze, but his hand firmly held Lin Qin’s, silently providing him with a sense of security.

Lin Qin intertwined his fingers with Meng Chao’s, and a sudden calm washed over him. He whispered, "I’m fine now."

The car finally came to a stop in front of the Meng Family’s old mansion. A butler in a tailcoat and white gloves stepped forward to open the car door for Lin Qin and Meng Chao.

As soon as they exited the car, the ground beneath them was already laid with a red carpet stretching all the way to the villa. On either side of the carpet stood maids in uniforms. When Lin Qin and Meng Chao stepped out, the maids all bowed to them in unison.

This was Lin Qin’s first time visiting someone’s home and witnessing such a grand scene. He was quite stunned and naively thought it was the Meng Family’s way of welcoming him.

But this formality only made Lin Qin more nervous.

It was Meng Chao’s first time experiencing such an elaborate display at home as well. He immediately guessed his grandfather’s intentions. The old man was trying to intimidate Lin Qin, sending a message through material grandeur to make Lin Qin feel inferior, as though they were from completely different worlds.

However, his grandfather’s scheme was bound to fail. Although Lin Qin had never encountered anything quite like this, his own family background was equally formidable. There was no reason for Lin Qin to feel inferior over such petty games.

Lin Qin had never considered himself and Meng Chao from different worlds—he hadn’t even thought so during the worst times of his illness. Although Lin Jing had once been timid due to his social anxiety disorder, he had grown up in a distinguished family. Now that he had mostly recovered, if not completely, the poise ingrained in Lin Qin’s very being had returned.

So, while Lin Qin was a bit nervous, he walked into the house with Meng Chao calmly and gracefully, exuding confidence.

The Meng Family had already heard that Meng Chao would be bringing his lover home today. Everyone who was available had made sure to come back to the house, and they were sitting eagerly in the living room, waiting for the couple to appear.

When Meng Chao and Lin Qin walked into the living room hand in hand, the members of the Meng Family were startled to see that Meng Chao’s lover was Lin Qin.

After all, no one had been told that Meng Chao’s significant other was a man. Some of them had even watched the show *Together with Us*, where they had sensed the chemistry between Meng Chao and Lin Qin on-screen but had dismissed it as part of their roles. They never expected the fake act to turn into reality.

No matter what thoughts crossed their minds, no trace of it showed on their faces. They all rose with warm smiles to greet Lin Qin.

Lin Qin suppressed his nerves and his instinctual fear of strangers, appearing calm and collected as he greeted Meng Chao’s family members.

"You must be Lin Qin, right?" A middle-aged elegant woman descended from upstairs. She wore a light green cheongsam, its tailored cut perfectly accentuating her figure. She was impeccably well-maintained, looking only in her thirties or forties. Everything about her exuded an air of wealth and grace—she was someone who drew attention effortlessly.

Meng Chao whispered to Lin Qin, "That’s my mother. You can call her Auntie."

"Hello, Auntie." Lin Qin quickly caught on and respectfully greeted Meng Chao’s mother.

Meng Chao’s mother beamed warmly as she approached Lin Qin. Her demeanor was friendly as she held Lin Qin’s hand and slid a bracelet off her own wrist, placing it into his hand. "I didn’t prepare much as a meeting gift. This bracelet was passed down to me by my mother, and it’s a family heirloom meant for our daughter-in-law. Keep it safe."

Lin Qin didn’t immediately accept the bracelet. He glanced at Meng Chao for guidance. Only when Meng Chao gave him a reassuring nod did he take the bracelet. "Thank you, Auntie."

"Thank you seems so formal! I’m just waiting for you to change how you address me," Meng Chao’s mother said warmly. Her words, filled with enthusiasm, showed that she had already accepted Lin Qin as her child’s future spouse, even though the ’daughter-in-law’ was, in fact, a man. As long as her son was happy, nothing else mattered to her.

"Change how he addresses you?" A deep and commanding voice rang out from upstairs. Everyone turned to see Meng Zhao Kang descending, his expression radiating authority as he said, "Without my permission, who dares acknowledge him?"