Ye Qing did not know, although He Xixian’s family was wealthy, they weren’t extraordinarily rich, and certainly not like Ye Peilin who would indulge her in buying things beyond the family’s financial capacity.

He Xixian’s bag was bought by Ye Qiu. Not only the bag, but also clothes, jewelry, shoes, and makeup were all bought by Ye Qiu. Initially, Xixian refused to accept them, but she couldn’t withstand Ye Qiu’s various reasons for gifting her, and over time, her wardrobe and makeup table filled up more and more.

There was even a day when He Xixian casually complained about not having enough space in her rented apartment, Ye Qiu decisively bought a villa under her name.

He Xixian was both touched and angry, touched by his love and dedication, angry that he didn’t consider himself at all.

"Aren’t you starting a business recently? Where did you get so much money to buy a villa? Also, how did you get the qualification to purchase property?"

"The startup funds are sufficient, you don’t need to worry about these things, and as for the property qualification, I helped a department resolve an issue, and they returned the favor by helping me with this small matter."

Damn those departments, He Xixian always knew her boyfriend was impressive, but didn’t expect him to be impressive enough to do things for the state.

"Aren’t you worried?"

"Worried about what?" Ye Qiu looked at her in confusion.

"Aren’t you afraid that by putting the villa in my name, I might take off with the money?"

"I trust you."

He Xixian curved her lips: "Do you trust that I love you so much I can’t help myself?"

"No." Ye Qiu shook his head.

He Xixian was puzzled: "Then what do you believe?"

"I believe you’re not that foolish. I’m a stock with potential. If I can give you a villa today, I can give you more tomorrow. Is my future not worth more than a single villa?" Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow at her, smiled and then affectionately patted her head.

He Xixian knew he was joking, so she naturally linked her arm with his and said with a playful laugh, "Yes, you’re such a big benefactor, I must hold on tight and never let go."

While the two were immersed in their sweetness, Ye Qiu’s phone rang at an inopportune moment, the caller was Ye Qiu’s mom. He Xixian worriedly furrowed her brow.

From the day they officially decided to date, Ye Qiu told her he didn’t get along well with his family. Since then, every time Ye Qiu received a phone call from home, loud yelling would ensue on the other end.

She couldn’t understand it, her friend Ye Qiu was so outstanding, not only winning numerous awards in and out of the country, but also earning substantial funds at a young age and starting a business. What could her boyfriend’s parents be dissatisfied with?

Later she found out, that her boyfriend’s family favored daughters over sons. From childhood to adulthood, the sister was always right, the boyfriend was always wrong, and even before he got into college, his family didn’t know his real grades.

After graduation, it got even more ridiculous; they insisted on having her boyfriend give up opportunities here and return home to take a job that paid only a few thousand yuan.

Initially, He Xixian didn’t understand what Ye Qiu meant when he said his girlfriend needed to be tough because she would be facing unreasonable in-laws and a very confrontational older sister.

But He Xixian wasn’t afraid, because she had her boyfriend to protect her, and she was determined to give him the warmth of family that he didn’t receive from his family of origin.

"Hello? Mom, what’s up?" Ye Qiu’s previously lighthearted tone became immediately somber as the call connected, He Xixian couldn’t suppress the worry on her face, Ye Qiu smiled at her, signaling with his eyes that she needn’t worry.

"I wanted to ask if you’ve got a girlfriend?" On the other end, Han Hui asked hesitantly, realizing how much she and her husband had neglected their son after managing finances these years.

The annual living allowance they gave him was less than three thousand yuan, and they didn’t know how he managed, as he never asked for more. However, during the annual New Year visits home when he appeared well dressed, Han Hui speculated her son must be working part-time.

She thought it was good for him to learn about the hardships of society early, so he wouldn’t squander money carelessly.

Yet she never considered, if her son weren’t Ye Qiu but an ordinary college student entering a prestigious school where all the students were top-notch, how could he find time for part-time work if he didn’t study hard, only to be left behind by others?

The phone was bought with his part-time earnings, as was the computer, including clothes, shoes, and daily necessities. What can five hundred yuan do in a top international city?

They only thought it was reasonable for Ye Qing, being a girl, to have more pocket money, but never realized Ye Qiu’s living expenses didn’t even suffice for Ye Qing’s leftovers, or a late-night snack out for Ye Qing.

They regarded Ye Qiu’s satisfactory performance as a pretext to treat him harshly, never acknowledging their partiality.

"Mom, how did you find out I have a girlfriend?" Ye Qiu retorted.

Han Hui didn’t answer his query; instead, she asked, "So it’s true? Why didn’t you tell the family or bring her home once?"

"Alright, I’ll bring her home during New Year."

"Ye Qiu." Han Hui’s voice carried an undertone of awkwardness, speaking quietly, "Is your girlfriend around?"

Hearing this, Ye Qiu exchanged a glance with He Xixian, both narrowing their eyes like foxes; He Xixian even gritted her teeth, wondering what could be said to sidestep her? Fortunately, her boyfriend was reliable and firmly on her side.

"She’s not here, why?" Ye Qiu lied smoothly.

"Here’s the thing, did your girlfriend’s family mention anything about dowry?" With Ye Qiu’s reply, Han Hui spoke openly.

"No, what’s the problem?"

"As you know, I’ve been a regular teacher all these years, and though your dad’s salary is decent, household expenses have always been high."

"Mom and Dad, you’ve never traveled, don’t like luxury goods, and I haven’t asked for living expenses, so family expenses shouldn’t be that high, right?" Ye Qiu stated bluntly, aware of why the expenses were high, he just said it deliberately.

Han Hui chuckled awkwardly, "You don’t understand the cost of living until you’ve managed a home; these years, we really haven’t saved much, so I wanted to say, if your girlfriend’s family demands a dowry, we genuinely can’t afford it."

Finally, it was out, Ye Qiu’s eyes flashed coldly, and He Xixian widened her eyes incredulously, was this really what her future mother-in-law said? Not wanting to pay a dowry for marrying a daughter-in-law? Hoping to gain a dowry for nothing? She had heard from Ye Qiu that the father-in-law and mother-in-law were highly educated, yet they could be this unreasonable.