Xu Lai glanced at Liu Nanwei but didn't reply.

Zhou Feng did the same; he had also grown somewhat accustomed to Liu Nanwei's sudden suggestive comments.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Liu Nanwei took an unopened, small board game out of a drawer. She had painstakingly selected it online, planning to pass the tedious work hours with everyone.

But now...

Liu Nanwei reluctantly tossed it into a corner. She stopped eating sunflower seeds and instead propped her chin on her hand, continuing to pore over professional medical journals.

Let me just immerse myself in the ocean of knowledge. Games aren't worth it!

「...」

At the Su residence in Hangcheng and the Jiang residence in Liu City, the thresholds were nearly worn through by visitors today. Congratulations and gifts arrived in a continuous stream at the two estates, located in their respective cities.

Su Daiyi had a smile on her face all day. It wasn't just because the Su Family had won their bet, but also because Xu Lai hadn't died yesterday and hadn't suffered any injuries. That fact alone was enough to keep her happy for a long time.

After she dealt with the various well-wishers, she found some time to return to her room for a rest. By her side was a luxuriously dressed middle-aged woman—her mother.

Su Daiyi's mother poured her a cup of tea and said with heartfelt concern, "You've been up since early this morning without a break. You must be tired, right?"

"I'm not tired."

Su Daiyi shook her head and smiled. "Besides, this is my job."

Looking at her daughter's smile, her mother fell silent for a long time before speaking softly. "In the past, the old Family Head raised you as the future head of the Su Family, and your uncles strongly supported you. But you always declined. You said that as a woman, you shouldn't hold power and that you wanted to wait for a good man, to be a devoted wife and mother living a peaceful life.

"Recently, however, you asked to take this on yourself. You're sleeping only a few hours each day, and your schedule is filled with work, work, and more work. The Su Family has me, your father, and your uncles. Daiyi, you really don't need to push yourself so hard."

"I'm not tired," Su Daiyi chuckled, hearing her mother's concern. "Seeing the Su Family prosper makes me happy."

"But you're not truly happy. You're my daughter; I can feel it," her mother sighed. "Also, Song Qing, the second son of the Song family, is of good character and has been pursuing you earnestly. You two grew up together, so why do you keep rejecting him?"

In a rare display of playfulness, Su Daiyi blinked. "Mom, I still have photos on my phone of Song Qing wearing split-crotch pants when he was a kid. Want to see?"

"..."

Her mother gave her an exasperated look. "Honestly, you're just being glib with me."

Su Daiyi hid a mischievous smile.

It's true that I don't like managing a huge family, and I really do want to be a gentlewoman who is cared for. But the man I want to lean on isn't Song Qing, or anyone else. If I were ordinary, I couldn't stay by that man's side.

"The one you like is Xu Lai, isn't it?" her mother suddenly asked.

SWISH!

Su Daiyi's face flushed. "No! Mr... Mr. Xu already has a wife and daughter," she retorted.

As an experienced woman, her mother could easily see that her daughter's heart was stirring with affection. She couldn't help but pull Su Daiyi into her arms and warn her, "Of the eighty thousand words in the world, 'love' is the one that hurts the most. Daiyi, you must never do anything to wreck another person's family."

"..."

This time, Su Daiyi didn't argue or explain. She simply lowered her head in dejection and replied, "I know, Mom."

I never planned to do anything, nor did I dare hope for anything. I just wanted to work hard so that the Su Family and I could keep up with that man's pace. Just being able to watch him from afar is enough. Some affections are doomed to be unrequited. And yet, this kind of love is like an intense flame, attracting and burning moth after moth. Are the moths afraid of dying? No, they aren't. From the day they are born, their fate is sealed.

「...」

After sitting in the school infirmary for a full day, Xu Lai checked the time. It was five in the afternoon. He stretched lazily, deciding it was time to pick up his wife and daughter.

As he was leaving the school, he caught sight of his sister-in-law, Ruan Lan, acting suspiciously not far from the parking lot. She seemed to want to approach yet was too afraid, and she kept glancing around.

"What are you doing?" Xu Lai asked in a low voice, coming up behind her.

"Don't speak!"

In her highly nervous state, Ruan Lan didn't recognize his voice and mistook him for a passing student. "I'm checking if my brother-in-law is here yet," she whispered.

"..."

Xu Lai pursed his lips. "He's here."

"Where?!"

Ruan Lan whipped her head around and immediately spotted Xu Lai behind her. She froze for a second, her expression a fascinating mix of emotions.

Then, she turned to run!

But Xu Lai grabbed the back of her collar, just like he would Qian Xiao.

However, unlike Qian Xiao, Ruan Lan felt she could still be saved. She struggled frantically, flailing her arms and legs, and her comical movements made her look like a drowning person.

After struggling for a moment, Ruan Lan realized she couldn't escape. She drooped her head in defeat and said, "Brother-in-law, please put me down! It would be so embarrassing if any of the freshmen saw this."

"You won't give me the bank card, but now you're worried about your reputation?" Xu Lai glanced at her sideways. "You've got some nerve."

Ruan Lan said guiltily, "It's all in the family. A man shouldn't be so petty. My sister and Yiyi don't like stingy men, you know."

Xu Lai was speechless.

Wonderful. Now I'm the one getting lectured.

Opening the car door, Xu Lai tossed his sister-in-law into the passenger seat and said, pursing his lips, "Alright, spit it out. What do you want from me?"

If it were nothing, Xu Lai wouldn't believe for a second that his sister-in-law would risk a beating just to find him here. She had probably gotten into some kind of trouble again.

"Hehehe." Ruan Lan scratched her head, looking a bit sheepish. "Brother-in-law, I want to borrow some money from you."

"No money," Xu Lai said as he started the car, then spread his hands. "I could have had hundreds of millions, but you gave it all to Ruan Tang."

"Hundreds of millions!?" Ruan Lan's eyes widened in shock. "Brother-in-law, did you rob a bank? That's illegal!"

Ignoring his sister-in-law's wild imagination, Xu Lai asked, "What do you need the money for?"

"Yiyi's birthday is coming up," Ruan Lan said quietly. "I want to prepare a gift for her."

Xu Lai was confused. If he remembered correctly, his daughter's birthday was at the end of December. It was only November.

As if sensing her brother-in-law's confusion, Ruan Lan explained, "Xiaoxiao and her boyfriend, Hu Yanjie, are going to Sakura Country in a few days. I was planning to have them buy some fabrics and materials for me."

She paused, then continued, "I'm going to make Yiyi an item of clothing by hand. It... might take quite a long time."

"You know how to make clothes?" Xu Lai looked at her doubtfully.

"Just tell me if you'll lend me the money or not!" Ruan Lan decided to lay her cards on the table. "If you don't, I'll just go ask Xiaoxiao or Li Li!"

"Here."

Without a second thought, Xu Lai handed his salary card to his sister-in-law.

Ruan Lan sighed with relief. "Thanks, brother-in-law. I didn't want to ask my sister for money because I was afraid Yiyi would find out. It wouldn't be a surprise then."

"No, I should be thanking you," Xu Lai said with a smile.

My daughter has a great mom and a wonderful auntie. I guess I can forgive Ruan Lan for swindling me.

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