"Dad, Mom, there’s something else I need to tell you."

"We’re all family now, just say whatever’s on your mind."

"My parents have never been very satisfied with me." Ye Qiu lowered his head, looking like it was hard to speak about.

Mr. He and Mrs. He couldn’t believe it. Such an outstanding son and they’re still not satisfied? What kind of son are they hoping for? If they had such a son, they’d be ecstatic, but now they’re nearly like that—now their son-in-law is just like a son to them.

"Because my parents tend to favor my sister a bit, they’ve never really understood me since childhood, and there’s even been some misunderstanding, so they also don’t really know my real financial situation." Ye Qiu spoke frankly.

"Not only that, they wanted me to always come back here to develop. Xianxian knows, my business over there is just starting, how could I give it up? So before coming back, my parents fiercely scolded me again, even saying they’d refuse to handle my wedding." After he said this, he quickly promised, "But don’t worry, I’ll give Xianxian everything she deserves, and I’ll never let her suffer any grievance."

At this point, He Xixian also sat beside Ye Qiu to speak for him: "Dad, Mom, you probably don’t know how biased Ye Qiu’s parents are. When Ye Qiu was studying at Q University, all these years they only gave him five hundred yuan a month. Five hundred couldn’t even cover meals at school, let alone buying living supplies, clothes, shoes, and so on. If Ye Qiu couldn’t earn money himself, he probably couldn’t even have completed his studies."

"Is it that serious?" Mr. and Mrs. He exchanged a look of disbelief—are there parents as harsh as this towards their sons?

"But I’ve grown up, and if they can give me an allowance, I’m already very happy. But they oppose everything else I do, so when I told them about getting married, they certainly would have a big reaction too. If they can’t come in person to propose, please don’t mind, because I have everything ready. I’m not sure what’s missing, but before coming, I also purchased a house here, and everything is inside. When you have time, please come see it with me."

"You’re a thoughtful child, but since your parents have so many misunderstandings about you, you should explain everything to them," Mrs. He said gently, "Maybe after they know your abilities, they won’t misunderstand you anymore."

"It’s not as easy as you say, Mom." Xianxian pouted, "You don’t know how excessive Ye Qiu’s sister is. She even deliberately went on our school’s website to find pictures of Ye Qiu and me, and said Ye Qiu was living off my earnings."

"How could you speak about your sister-in-law like that?" Mrs. He gently slapped her daughter, thinking she was being thoughtless. It was somewhat acceptable for Ye Qiu to say this, but how could her daughter say it?

"Mom, Xianxian is speaking up for me, please don’t scold her." Ye Qiu quickly defended, which made Mrs. He’s heart even more pleased.

"Xianxian is right, my sister has always misunderstood me a lot. My parents think of my sister as a girl who should be pampered, while I, a boy, should be toughened. So, I’ve never had a very good relationship with my family. If my parents are at all improper, please forgive them. It’s not aimed at Xianxian, it’s because of me."

Though he said it simply and with no expression on his face, Mr. and Mrs. He could feel it, couldn’t they? This child has always shown them great respect and deeply cares for Xianxian. If he wasn’t truly disappointed in his family, would he say such things?

"We always understand your intentions, Xianxian is marrying you, not your family. But we’d still advise you, if possible, to have a good talk with your family. Don’t let yourself regret it in the future." Mr. He considered before telling Ye Qiu this, clearly deciding they recognized him, no matter how his family was.

"Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom!"

The next day, Ye Qiu and a determined He Xixian headed home. Seeing her ready-for-battle posture, he couldn’t help but laugh, "What are you preparing for?"

"Of course I’m preparing to protect you. With me around, I won’t let you get bullied again." She promised confidently.

"Don’t worry." Ye Qiu patted her head, "I’ve already grown up, and I’m about to establish my family. They can’t bully me anymore."

"I’m afraid you’ll feel wronged."

"What do I have to feel wronged about? With you defending me, I fear nothing, no matter how many difficulties there are." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As expected, as Xianxian predicted, when they arrived at Ye Qiu’s home, the atmosphere felt off. It was Ye Qiu’s mother who opened the door, but her expression was unnatural, and her greeting for Xianxian wasn’t warm.

Let alone Ye Peilin and Ye Qing—both sat upright on the sofa. Ye Peilin didn’t even glance at them, while Ye Qing squinted at He Xixian, her demeanor distant with a touch of hostility.

Xianxian thought, if she hadn’t already known about Ye Qiu’s family situation, she might have been scared away. What girl going to visit her boyfriend’s family gets treated like this these days?

Unbeknownst to her, this was all part of Ye Qing’s plan, already discussed with Ye Peilin and Han Hui, to make He Xixian retreat. They were just an ordinary middle-class family and couldn’t support such a wealthy girl. She couldn’t believe this pampered rich girl would endure such frustration.

"Dad, Mom, this is Xianxian. These are a few tokens of her regard." Ye Qiu placed some gift boxes on the coffee table.

Ye Qing squinted and saw that, sure enough, they included some precious ginseng, bird’s nest, and liquor. She thought this rich girl truly spared no expense, but this would mean that once married in, she’d have no status in this house.

"Why isn’t there anything for me?" she asked with a smile, "Are you looking down on me?"

Xianxian thought, here it comes, the sister-in-law challenging her.

Just as she was about to retort, Ye Qiu spoke up: "I specifically told her not to buy anything for you."

Ye Qing was furious: "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing at all. I just felt that you wouldn’t like Xianxian, so there’s no need for her to cater to you. After all, you’re not a senior, and before asking for a gift, you should consider if you’ve brought anything yourself." Ye Qiu replied bluntly.

"You..."

"Returning just to rile us up, she’s your sister, not your enemy. You’ve started working, so use your brain a little; being family doesn’t mean unconditional tolerance of your actions." Ye Peilin reprimanded.

"Dad, I think you’re right. Even as family, there shouldn’t be unconditioned tolerance. May I ask what I did wrong? Even if you don’t like me, Xianxian’s here for the first time. She even bought so much for you guys, yet why do you treat her with such hostility? You don’t even give her a smile?"

"I knew it, since you got a girlfriend you’ve forgotten your family. Little brother, you need to remember, money isn’t everything. What’s the point of marrying her? Do you plan on selling your dignity just for some money and endure a lifetime of grievances? Family is who truly treats you best. Honestly come back to work and marry a simple wife and live a normal life—what’s wrong with that?" Ye Qing said with a look implying she understood best and was speaking for Ye Qiu’s benefit.