chapter 9 Plainness is true ===

Fiona had prepared a lavish dinner, eagerly awaiting the return of her husband and son.
When she saw Bianca following Dunstan back, Fiona's wrinkled face lit up with joy.
She was well aware of the girl's affection for her son from their high school days. Even after Dunstan disappeared, Bianca was visibly distressed for a long time and continued to support the Dunstan family whenever possible. It was clear she had feelings for Dunstan.
Moreover, Bianca was still single, and now that Dunstan had returned, perhaps it was the perfect opportunity to play matchmaker, hoping the two could finally come together.
Fiona, being a woman, didn't think like Rick, who felt Bianca, being a mid-level manager in a large corporation, was out of Dunstan's league. In Fiona's eyes, her son was the best.
Regarding work, they could take it slow. After all, a grown man couldn't just starve. In her view, a man should establish a family before focusing on his career.
Fiona greeted them from afar, taking Bianca's hand affectionately, "Girl, you should have told us you were coming. I would have prepared a feast for you."
Bianca chuckled, "Auntie, anything you cook tastes delicious to me."
Rick added, "You've been mentioning Bianca so much, I invited her over."
After their son disappeared, the family was nearly ruined in their search for him. It was Bianca who stepped in to support them, preventing them from ending up on the streets.
Five years ago, when they gave up the search, they began to consider Bianca as their daughter.
Even if Bianca and Dunstan didn't end up together, the couple would still treat her with genuine affection.
Seeing his childhood friend warmly interacting with his family, Dunstan felt a warm current in his heart.
He might not know everything Bianca did for his family, but their treatment of her showed she truly cared for his parents as her own.
As Dunstan was lost in thought, Fiona called everyone to dinner.
"What are you all standing around for? Come sit down and eat before the food gets cold."
Since they hadn't anticipated Bianca's visit, there weren't enough chairs. Dunstan, having not been home in a long time, looked around but couldn't find an extra stool.
Eventually, Bianca went into another room and brought out a stool, making Dunstan feel somewhat like a guest in his own home.
This indirectly showed how well Bianca knew their home.
She acting almost like the lady of the house.
Seated at the table, surrounded by the delicious smell of the dishes, Dunstan felt a lump in his throat.
During his days abroad, although he lived on the edge of life and death, he always had the most luxurious accommodations and food.
But now, back home, seeing the humble house and the simple homemade dishes, he realized what he had been missing all along. Despite seemingly having everything, he lacked the happiness of a family.
Simple and plain was the true essence of life.
Eating the dishes his mother had cooked, Dunstan's eyes moistened, but he fought back the tears, not wanting to ruin the harmonious atmosphere.
Rick noticed all of this, understanding the hardships his son must have faced these past ten years, which made him even more heartbroken.
After a few rounds of drinks, Rick gently steered the conversation towards Dunstan, inquiring about his experiences over the last decade.
Dunstan smiled wryly inside, knowing it wouldn't be so easy to gloss over his past experiences.
After downing a shot of liquor, feeling its burning sensation, Dunstan pretended to be slightly drunk and slurred his words, "Back then, aiming to make big money, I was deceived by someone claiming to be an intermediary who said they could take me abroad to earn money."
"I followed them, only to find myself in a den of thieves. After a desperate escape, penniless and abroad, I wandered for a long time until a kind-hearted boss took me in, providing food and shelter. Over the years, I worked and saved enough money to finally make my way back."
Hearing Dunstan recount his experiences over the past ten years in a matter-of-fact tone, not only Rick and Fiona but also Bianca sitting beside felt their hearts clench.
So he had suffered so much alone all these years.
Bianca felt a wave of sadness, but Dunstan, noticing her every reaction, couldn't help but find it amusing, thinking to himself how tender-hearted she still was, unable to bear seeing others in hardship.
With these thoughts, Dunstan couldn't resist ruffling Bianca's hair, teasingly saying, "Bianca, I hear you're now a mid-level manager in a big company. You'll have to look out for this old friend in the future."
Bianca, her face turning red from Dunstan's actions, quickly got up to help with the dishes and followed Fiona into the kitchen.
Once Bianca had left, Rick patted Dunstan's shoulder and said, "Dunstan, you've suffered a lot these years outside. Let the past be the past. From now on, stay quietly by your parents' side. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, you won't get hungry."
Dunstan nodded vigorously, unable to utter a word.
"By the way," Rick suddenly changed the subject, "Dunstan, during all these years abroad, did you take a fancy to any girl?"
Dunstan had left home at sixteen, and now, ten years later, he was twenty-six. Typically, men his age would either have a successful career or a happy family. Rick was prepared to accept even if Dunstan had found a foreign partner.
Without hesitation, Dunstan replied, "No, Dad. With how poorly I was doing abroad, how could I possibly find a foreign partner? Besides, foreigners' standards are not lower than ours in the Red Dragon."
Dunstan's response was a mix of truth and jest—the truth being that he indeed hadn't settled down, and the jest in the notion that he lacked foreign admirers. In reality, he simply chose not to pursue any relationships.
Preferably, he thought, it would be best to find someone from his own country, musing this to himself.
Rick paused, then laughed, "It's okay if you haven't found anyone. If you really had a foreign partner, your mother and I might not even be able to speak foreign language, haha."
At that moment, the sound of Fiona and Bianca chatting in the kitchen drifted over.
Rick glanced towards the kitchen, then whispered in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Son, what do you think of Bianca?"