By the time Wong Qifu had changed her clothes and walked out of the bathroom, Xu Ke was sitting on a chair nearby.

A faint fragrance emanated from Wong Qifu as she walked past him. However, Xu Ke couldn't help but glance again at the bath towel on the wardrobe.

Seeing his gaze, Wong Qifu remained unfazed. "The bath towel was just hung out to dry today, and I only just brought it in. What's there to look at?"

"Okay." Xu Ke pondered for a moment before slowly nodding.

Wong Qifu saw that while Xu Ke verbally agreed, his expression betrayed obvious distrust. Her eyes flickered. "You should hurry and take a shower..."

But just then...

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Lin Qinghua's voice came from outside the door. "Miss, I've folded the clothes that were just brought in and left them by the door."

After speaking, Lin Qinghua turned and left.

An eerie silence suddenly fell over the room.

Wong Qifu quietly stared at Xu Ke.

Xu Ke looked back at her, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curling upward. The truth was obvious.

But even under Xu Ke's gaze, Wong Qifu remained composed. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Huh?" Xu Ke was startled.

"Hurry up and take a shower. Don't dawdle and waste time. You can tell me about your parents afterward," Wong Qifu said, her tone laced with impatience.

Xu Ke gave a dry cough. "Alright."

So she's getting angry out of embarrassment?

Xu Ke grabbed his clothes and ducked into the bathroom.

The first time is awkward, the second is familiar. I'm not going to bother finding another place to shower this time!

Wong Qifu watched Xu Ke enter the bathroom. Long after the door had closed, an unnatural blush finally surfaced on her composed face.

...

When Xu Ke came out from his shower, Wong Qifu was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard with her eyes slightly closed.

Seeing her like this, Xu Ke immediately began to tiptoe away.

But Wong Qifu opened her eyes and looked at him. "What did you do today?"

Xu Ke stopped and approached her. "Today, I met with Zhang Qiming, got the evidence against Jiang Yi and Yuk Dalong, and finally went to find Li Lang."

"The one from the Li Family?" Wong Qifu frowned.

Xu Ke sat down on a chair not far from her. "Yes, Li Jun's brother."

"What did you want with him? Didn't you just humiliate him at Jincheng yesterday?" Wong Qifu asked, puzzled.

Xu Ke smiled. "I told him that the Wang Family and the Ye Family were planning to cooperate and that the Ye Family had sold you out."

Wong Qifu was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "Did he believe you?"

Xu Ke's move was rather unexpected! But after thinking about the evidence Xu Ke mentioned last night, she figured this move was worth a try.

Xu Ke said, "I don't know, but we might have results the day after tomorrow."

"Good!" Wong Qifu changed the subject. "Now tell me about your parents."

As she spoke, the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. Xu Ke wondered if he was mistaken, but he thought he heard a hint of tension in her voice.

"My parents..." Xu Ke took a deep breath. "My dad is rather stubborn and prideful, while my mom is easier to talk to. As long as I'm happy, she usually doesn't have many demands."

"The ones who might be harder to deal with are probably my dad's siblings."

When he finished, Wong Qifu asked, "Why?"

Xu Ke shifted his posture slightly and spoke slowly, "My dad is the eldest son; he has two younger brothers and a younger sister. My grandfather named them after the phrase 'a prosperous country and a peaceful populace.' My dad is Xu Zhenguo, my second uncle is Xu Zhentai, my third uncle is Xu Zhenmin, and my youngest aunt is Xu Feng'an."

Wong Qifu listened quietly.

Xu Ke gave a bitter smile. "My dad and my second uncle often argue until they're red in the face over some issue, but privately, they have the best relationship."

"On the other hand, my third uncle and my aunt are petty and can be quite nasty."

"So, I'm thinking that tomorrow, after I get my second uncle, third uncle, and aunt out of the way, I'll have you meet my parents."

"What do you think?" he asked, feeling a little apprehensive.

He feared that if Wong Qifu met his third uncle and aunt, she would be disgusted. He had already experienced just how venomous his aunt's tongue could be. But he also worried that preventing her from meeting his relatives might be interpreted as him rejecting her from his family. When he was with Siao Jia, this exact issue had caused a misunderstanding, and she had given him the silent treatment for days.

While Xu Ke was feeling anxious, Wong Qifu tilted her head to look at him and then broke into a smile. "Okay, I'll follow your lead!"

Xu Ke's eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but smile back. "Great!"

Hearing Wong Qifu say, "I'll follow your lead," made Xu Ke feel as refreshed as if he had just downed a large, ice-cold cola on a hot summer day, setting his heart at ease.

...

After leaving Wong Qifu's room, Xu Ke went to his own room, booked a hotel, and sent a screenshot of the reservation to Shen Fen.

However, Shen Fen did not reply. Xu Ke figured his mom might have already gone to sleep.

...

Shen Fen had not gone to sleep.

At that moment, she was staring distractedly at the television screen.

Xu Ke's parents lived in a house in Jiang City's Xu Family Village, one Xu Zhenguo had built with his own money twenty years ago, not far from their pig farm. They were all chatting in the ground-floor living room, and the front door stood ajar.

His aunt, Xu Feng'an, was sitting on the sofa to the left. "Sister-in-law, that Wong Qifu really doesn't know her place! So many of our elders are going to Tianhai to visit her, and she doesn't even offer to drive us there?"

"With a daughter-in-law from a rich family like that, you'll find being a mother-in-law isn't going to be easy!" Xu Feng'an's lips curled into a mocking sneer as she spoke.

Shen Fen's expression darkened.

Xu Zhenguo, who had just come out of his room, frowned. "Nothing's set in stone yet, so stop spouting nonsense."

Xu Feng'an scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Have you seen the news in Tianhai? If my Qing He hadn't been a journalist there and told me, I never would have known that Xu Ke ran off to become a kept man! The deed is done now, big brother, so don't you go on about how 'nothing's set in stone'."

"You might think it isn't settled, but for all we know, other people think our Xu Family is shameless and only after money!"

"It's a good thing my Qing He's last name is Nie, not Xu, so she doesn't have to walk around with her head down in shame like you all."

"Tsk, tsk, and it's all thanks to your precious Xu Ke!"

Xu Zhenguo's face immediately turned ashen. Xu Feng'an's words were utterly vile!

Shen Fen's face turned even paler.

Just then, a man with a buzz cut wearing a heather gray shirt pushed open the ajar door and walked in.

This was Xu Ke's second uncle, Xu Zhentai.

As soon as he stepped inside, he glared at Xu Feng'an, his eyes wide with anger, and barked, "If you keep up that sarcastic tone, I swear I'll kick you out of here, believe it or not!"

"Second Brother! What are you saying?!" Xu Feng'an immediately exploded.

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