The Magician of Clow

Chapter 1514 On How to Have an Appearance That Parents Will Like at First Sight
The sky over Beijing was a clear, cloudless blue, and the morning sun gently shifted across the small table.
Despite the room being filled with gold, Fang Ran, still maintaining the serious demeanor of a dark villain, looked earnestly at the group around the small table:
"So, does anyone have any good suggestions?"

Hearing this completely different topic, Gou Yu was speechless with a slightly complicated feeling. He didn't have any objection to Fang Ran wanting to leave a good impression on his mother; what he cared about more was...

Was the welcome plan already finalized?
"My advice is that you should give up now, bro. You're the kind of guy who skips three out of four months of a semester and practically prays to the God of Love when it comes to exams. No matter how you try to package yourself, you can't fake that kind of genuine excellence."

Meanwhile, Meng Lang, standing nearby, looked at Fang Ran with a pitying gaze, as if looking at a salted fish, and bluntly stated the ruthless and cruel truth.

Because the dissent had just been suppressed, Tang Bing secretly followed up with another blow:

"Exactly, senior, you might not even pass your final exams, so why are you acting all high and mighty?"

"The results haven't been released yet, Hulu, what makes you say that!"

When his most sensitive spot was mentioned, Fang Ran's serious demeanor instantly crumbled, and his eyes widened in shock.

As the meeting chair (in his own opinion), he was immediately undermined by half the members as soon as he started soliciting opinions, but after a moment of anger, he silently looked at Meng Lang and Tang Bing:
"Then tell me, brothers, do you want to leave a good impression on Xiao or Mom?"

"But then again" ×2
Then, after being asked that question, the two who had just been undermining each other changed their tune.

"Um, Captain, I think your usual style is fine."

Seeing that Meng Lang and Tang Bing were also about to join in, Gou Yu quickly tried to dissuade them, but it was too late; the three of them had already formed a united front.
Tang Bing's small face seemed to have undergone deep thought before she said seriously:

"I think to make a good first impression, the first thing is definitely appearance. You have to dress in a way that parents like."

Fang Ran nodded in agreement with her suggestion, stroking his chin.
"Is that really the case? I actually had some thoughts on this."

Ok?
Upon hearing Fang Ran's words, Meng Lang, Tang Bing, and even Fang Xiaoran all turned to look at him.

"According to the preferences of Chinese parents, especially mothers, they like the appearance of a good child who is clean, simple, dignified and upright, and who looks like he comes from a good family and is well-mannered."

At this moment, it sounded like he was reciting a research report from somewhere, but it wasn't exactly a stereotypical way of speaking. Fang Ran then proceeded in a serious tone:

"So I'll choose my most expensive shirt, paired with the dress pants and shoes I wore when I was a CEO in North America, to show off my neat and presentable appearance,"

"So that my child or mother can notice me at a glance in a crowd!"

"Yes, who can ignore someone wearing a shirt in the dead of winter?"

Meng Lang stood to the side, silently complaining while holding a bowl of black wheat and tangerine peel.

But as if he hadn't heard a word of his sabotage, Fang Ran remained immersed in his perfect plan, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"And most importantly, based on this outfit, I will then present my certificates and trophies from outstanding student awards at Peking University and national competitions,"

"This will further demonstrate that beneath my excellent appearance lies not only outstanding appearance but also exceptional talent and virtue."

At this point, he pulled out a certificate frame and a crystal trophy from behind him, with gold lettering on them proclaiming him "Outstanding Student of Peking University" and "Special Prize Winner of the National Challenge Cup Science and Technology Works Competition."
Fang Ran, holding a certificate in one hand and a trophy in the other, beamed with pride and gave a low hum:
"This way, my daughter or mother can immediately tell me that I am a well-mannered, disciplined, and responsible young person who doesn't stay up late, doesn't drink excessively, and can take care of myself and cook for myself."

"And she's a top student with excellent grades, always winning scholarships, excelling in competitions, and directly admitted to a master's or doctoral program,"

“You must have taken good care of Xiao Huo in your daily life.”

No, bro, is any of these things you mentioned even relevant to you?
Having heard Fang Ran's plan, Meng Lang found it so flawed he couldn't bear to look at it. He wore a helpless, speechless expression, wondering how Fang Ran could have listed so many qualities completely opposite to his own.
Gou Yu, standing to the side, thought about the suit and shirt he had mentioned at the beginning, and helplessly rubbed his forehead with mixed feelings.
Captain, didn't you notice?
Your outfit doesn't look like that of a student at all; it looks more like that of a white-collar worker.
Meanwhile, Tang Bing was staring suspiciously at the certificate and trophy in Fang Ran's hand. The former was indeed an award from Peking University, and the competition for it was said to be fierce every year. The latter was even more impressive; it was a highly prestigious national science and technology competition.

But he knew very well that given his senior's character, he should theoretically never have anything to do with those two things in his life.
Before Tang Bing could ask a question, Fang Xiaoran, who was standing next to her, looked at Fang Ran and asked curiously:
"Where did you get these certificates and trophies?"

Upon being asked this, Fang Ran's confident expression froze for a second. He silently turned his gaze away and whispered guiltily:

"I saw it in Pinduoduo's bedroom soft furnishing fashion items."

Tang Bing and Fang Xiaoran: "."

"Well, alright, bro, although the packaging and the actual product are really... indescribable, the overall direction of the idea is still correct." Hearing where he'd gotten these 'soft furnishing items,' Meng Lang was speechless for a moment, letting out a somewhat approving sigh.
He then raised his face arrogantly, speaking with an air of superiority and disdain:
"However, my brother, your understanding of the preferences of the older generation is still too superficial."

After hearing Fang Ran's overly ambitious idea, and hearing that there were other experts involved, Gou Yu, Tang Bing, and Fang Xiaoran all immediately looked at him, feeling they had done their best to portray the image of a good kid.
Fang Ran was even more skeptical, doubting that he could possibly surpass his plan in any area.

"Dude, what did you say?!"

"Hmph, let me show you an outfit that parents will love at first sight!"

But to his questioning, Meng Lang simply downed his cup of black wheat and tangerine juice in one gulp, then let out a powerful and resounding shout.
He then got up and dashed back to his room. Amidst the curious onlookers at the small table, he made a dazzling reappearance from the doorway less than two minutes later.

Then I saw that he was wearing the same shirt and trousers as Fang Ran had planned, but the quality and details were far inferior, except for his upper body.
He was wearing an executive jacket.

When they saw Meng Lang in this outfit, for a moment, everyone was amazed by his extraordinary appearance.

"Hahaha, did you see that, bro!"

At this moment, a man in a black executive jacket stood at the door, arms outstretched in the standard boss-like posture:

"This is the ultimate outfit that parents truly love!"

Then, to everyone's astonishment,
He produced another dark blue thermos from somewhere, opened the lid, and leisurely blew out a puff of hot air, looking every bit like a municipal party committee leader, seemingly possessing a buff that guaranteed success for meeting one's future father-in-law, even in certain provinces.

At this moment, Meng Lang looked smug and confident, displaying what it meant to have a "lower-dimensional attack" from a civil servant, while feigning a sigh:
“Brother, no matter what, your thinking is still stuck in the realm of children, but I am standing in a position ten years in the future.”

"My daughter or mother could immediately tell that I come from a family with impeccable revolutionary credentials, joined the Party at a prestigious university, then pursued postgraduate studies, and upon graduation, relied on my outstanding abilities to be selected directly into a government agency—a promising new generation of young cadres."

"Finally, we can completely entrust Xiao or to us with peace of mind."

After hearing this, the four people at the small table all wore strange expressions, a kind of speechless silence that left them unsure whether to call his thinking unconventional or his understanding too profound.
After a long while, Fang Ran was the first to speak, his eyes wide with disbelief as he clutched his head:

"impossible!!!"

"Brother, you actually beat the plan I spent a whole night thinking about!"

"So you had already thought about this before, senior!?"

Tang Bing had been wondering why his plan was so detailed. Seeing Fang Ran howling like a villain in a martial arts film who had meticulously planned for ten years only to be defeated, she couldn't help but stare at him speechlessly with her big eyes.
Then she looked at Meng Lang, surprised that he had actually come up with a better plan, and couldn't help but strangely discover that...
Including the banner just now, this guy is really good at these things.

"Ahhh, no way, I don't believe it!"

"Alright, senior, stop wailing. If you think it looks good, then just wear it too."

Hearing the 'villain' still howling over there, Tang Bing gave him a playful glare, but upon hearing this,
Fang Ran swiftly regained his previous serious demeanor and stepped in, saying:

“That won’t do. I have to differentiate myself from my brother.”

At this moment, Gou Yu, who had been listening to their conversation ever since Meng Lang came out, felt he had nothing more to say.

After hearing Fang Ran's idea, the welcoming scene I had imagined—flower baskets, red carpet, bouquets, cannons, plush toys, and banners—had been expanded to include a company executive in a suit and shirt holding trophies and certificates, looking more like an award-giver than an outstanding young person.
And now another municipal party committee leader has appeared in the picture.
Good news, this time the scene didn't look outrageously like a celebrity airport pickup or wedding reception.

This time it really felt like a company awards ceremony witnessed by the municipal party committee.

After finishing his demonstration at the bedroom door, Meng Lang returned to his seat next to the small table, seemingly lost in thought as if he had just remembered something:
"Hey bro, don't you think that although our plan is perfect, it seems to lack a bit of the dreamlike impact compared to the last time we met the kids or their parents?"

"Wow, bro, you're kidding, it's true!"

On a sunny morning in the small house, upon hearing these words, I recalled what they meant by "the last time I met the parents."
Gou Yu took a deep breath, suddenly realizing his goal in this meeting.

We must stop them from cosplaying no matter what.
As the meeting in the cabin was in full swing, an airplane slowly streaked across the sky.
A female figure then looked out the window at the distant capital city.
Happy Chinese New Year everyone again! Haha, I started writing on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, but I still couldn't update a single page during the holiday. I only finished writing today. I didn't go home for the New Year this year; my mom came to stay with me, which helped me avoid the lonely scene of eating takeout alone during the holiday, haha. Uh, what was I originally going to say here? I racked my brains and wrote it all, then forgot. Oh well, since that's the case, I'll wish everyone a Happy New Year again! May you all be happy, safe, healthy, and prosperous in the new year.