Life and Death Insurance – EXTRA 1.1

Meeting the In-Laws 01

After Ling Zhengzhong and Xiang Tian’s relationship stabilized, they decided to visit Xiang Tian’s parents in Canada.

Firstly, Xiang Tian had been away from home for a long time, and it was time to go back and see them. Secondly, his parents had heard about Ling Zhengzhong and were clamoring to meet their son-in-law. So, they both took leave from work, and Ling Zhengzhong bought gifts for the Xiang family before accompanying Xiang Tian to meet his mother-in-law ^{(wife’s mother)}.

To be precise, Mrs. Xiang should be Ling Zhengzhong’s mother-in-law ^{(husband’s mother)}, but this was a fact Ling Zhengzhong would never admit. They might be passionately intimate in bed, but publicly, he always maintained his position as the head of the family—or so he said.

Xiang Tian was a pragmatic man. He didn’t care about Ling Zhengzhong’s public image-conscious pronouncements. He not only didn’t refute Ling Zhengzhong’s claims but also agreed with him, satisfying him both in and out of bed. This made the usually oblivious Mr. Ling, although he didn’t particularly like some of their current positions, gradually lose his initial determination to be on the offensive.

Before going to Canada, Ling Zhengzhong had seen many photos of Xiang Tian’s family. It was a family portrait. Besides the upright and handsome Mr. Xiang and the slightly plump but still charming Mrs. Xiang, there were Xiang Tian’s three older sisters: Xiang Ling, Xiang Li, and Xiang Ke—three beautiful sisters, each more stunning than the last. And then there was Xiang Tian, ​​obediently standing on the very edge, practically squeezed out by his sisters. Ling Zhengzhong’s parents had both passed away. He envied Xiang Tian for having such a loving and filial family. So, after seeing the photo, he immediately said solemnly, “Xiang Tian, ​​your family is my family. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them.”

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

These words brought tears to Xiang Tian’s eyes. He hugged Ling Zhengzhong tightly and said excitedly, “Then I’m entrusting this to you, Zhengzhong. With you sharing half the burden, the weight on my shoulders feels so much lighter.”

Xiang Tian’s overreaction startled Ling Zhengzhong. They were already lovers; his words were perfectly normal. There was really no need for such a reaction, little hamster.

The oblivious Ling Zhengzhong didn’t think much of it at the time, only understanding the true meaning behind Xiang Tian’s words much later.

The long flight was tedious. After watching two movies, Ling Zhengzhong grew drowsy and leaned against the cabin wall, almost falling asleep. Suddenly, Xiang Tian woke him up and began a unique lecture.

For the next few hours, Xiang Tian repeatedly described how warm and welcoming his family was, how direct they were, and how Ling Zhengzhong needed to be mentally prepared and remain calm at all times. The repetitive nagging and serious tone made Ling Zhengzhong feel less like visiting relatives and more like an undercover agent about to infiltrate the underworld.

From the photos, the Xiang family seemed like ordinary people. Ling Zhengzhong couldn’t understand why Xiang Tian was so alarmed. However, he soon realized how naive his initial thoughts had been.

After disembarking the plane and completing immigration procedures, Ling Zhengzhong was immediately greeted by a large yellow sign held high outside the airport. Three tall, scantily clad women were waving and calling out, “Xiang Tian, ​​Xiang Tian, ​​Zhengzhong, Zhengzhong…”

Come on, he was with Xiang Tian! Why was he being treated like a stranger, with such a large sign? And a yellow one at that?

To Ling Zhengzhong’s astonishment, Xiang Tian responded with a helpless, wry smile.

“Zhengzhong, I told you my family is very welcoming…”

They really were welcoming, because as Ling Zhengzhong approached, he saw the three beautiful women waving and chattering, “That’s Zhengzhong.”

“He’s good-looking, even more so than in the photos…”

“Xiang Tian has good taste; he snagged a rich husband on his first try…”

Good heavens, did they have to speak so loudly? Luckily, most of the people around were foreigners who didn’t understand Mandarin; otherwise, these few words would have made a huge commotion. Even so, these three eye-catching beauties who had come to pick them up had drawn the attention of almost everyone at the airport.

Ling Zhengzhong couldn’t help but glance at Xiang Tian standing beside him. “I kind of understand what you meant on the plane.”

“Zhengzhong, this is just the beginning…”

Xiang Tian was right; this was just the beginning, because in the next second, Ling Zhengzhong was surrounded by three beautiful women. Before he could even introduce himself, one of them took the initiative to squeeze his arm, saying with satisfaction, “Xiang Tian, ​​you have good taste in men. Zhengzhong is quite muscular.”

“Let me see… Hmm, it really is. Xiang Tian, he passed Second Sister’s test.”

Ling Zhengzhong was naturally happy to receive the favor of these beauties, but being scanned and touched by several radar-like gazes made his back feel a little cold. Why did he feel… It felt like he’d entered a wolf’s den, constantly in danger of being devoured.

It was his mother who came to his rescue. She stepped forward, pushing away her three daughters who were groping him, and said warmly in Mandarin with a slight southern accent, “Zhengzhong, I’m Xiang Tian’s mother. You must be tired after such a long flight! This airline is so irresponsible; the plane was delayed! We’ve been waiting for you at the airport for over an hour. You have no idea how anxious we were waiting. I was so excited last night that I couldn’t sleep, constantly thinking about what to say to you, but now I can’t think of a single word. Hehe, you’re even more handsome than our Xiang Tian! I’d only seen your photos before; now I’m finally meeting you in person…”

Good heavens, Mrs. Xiang was so talkative! He hadn’t even introduced himself yet.

Standing at the back, Mr. Xiang noticed Ling Zhengzhong’s awkwardness and quickly pulled Mrs. Xiang aside, saying, “You’ve met Zhengzhong, and you didn’t even introduce yourself first. You just kept chatting. Flight delays are normal; why are you nagging about this endlessly?”

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

“What do you know? If you’re even a minute late clocking in at work, you get your salary docked. Why can their plane be delayed this long?!”

“Sigh, what kind of analogy is that?”

“Where did I say anything wrong?”

“…”

Seeing Mrs. Xiang, who was barely taller than Mr. Xiang but possessed an imposing presence, Ling Zhengzhong was somewhat dazed. He had already realized that Mr. Xiang not only had no status in the family but could even be said to have no status at all.