The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The air in the living room seemed to freeze, as if solidified by the words "I am her father." An overwhelming sense of awkwardness, almost suffocating, pervasive, and a tense atmosphere of cautiously avoiding breaking the silence, filled the air.

Ye Shu moved a chair over and sat down obediently beside him, placing her hands neatly on her knees and lowering her head like an ostrich, studying the pattern and color scheme of the carpet under her feet.

Zhi Qiu sat beside her father, holding a freshly brewed cup of hot tea, and gently placed it on the tea table in front of him.

Meanwhile, the victim who had just been scolded sat arrogantly in the main seat of the sofa, one hand on the armrest and the other casually on his knee, his eyes fixed on the young man sitting next to him who looked like he wanted to curl up in a ball.

Time crawled by silently, each second making Ye Shu feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Finally, Ye Shu mustered her courage, swallowed hard, raised her head, and stammered:

"Um... Uncle... I'm so sorry... I... I really..."

"Okay, okay, stop now."

Zhi Qiu's father waved his hand, interrupting Ye Shu's apology.

His face showed little anger, and his tone was even quite calm:

"I understand. Young people, when they see a strange man holding their roommate's hand, especially a pretty girl like Xiao Qiu, touching her all over, it's normal to feel a surge of blood and want to be her protector. Your reaction shows that you consider her one of your own, and in that respect, I, as her father, should thank you for your thoughtfulness."

???

So...so understanding? So easy to talk to? They're not going to pursue the matter?

Ye Shu looked at the overweight middle-aged man opposite her with some disbelief. Her heart, which had been in her throat, dropped a little, but then rose even higher. Something was wrong. Something was definitely amiss!

Sure enough, the next second, Zhi Qiu's father changed his tone, adopting the posture of a serious elder admonishing a younger generation:

"However, as an elder, I still have to criticize you a bit if I have to."

Zhi Qiu's father extended a finger and pointed it at Ye Shu in a suggestive manner:

"You act without thinking, relying entirely on recklessness. Just because you see it doesn't mean it's true? Can't you ask questions? You've practically etched the word 'misunderstanding' onto your forehead today, haven't you?"

He reached out, seemingly aggravating an old injury, and subconsciously shifted his position, grinning as he added:

"...It's still noon, and my tailbone is still hurting! You look so refined, but you're really ruthless, always kicking where there's bone!"

"Noon? What's up at noon?"

Upon hearing this, Zhi Qiu, who was sitting next to him, immediately looked up at her father.

"Cough... um!"

An Jianxing's expression stiffened, and he immediately coughed tactically, his eyes darting around as he chuckled awkwardly.

"N-nothing! Dad just blurted it out... he was saying... he was talking about a colleague of mine who was a bit rough..."

He abruptly changed the subject, letting out a comfortable sigh, clearly not wanting his daughter to know that he had secretly followed Ye Shu during the day and pretended to be a scoundrel to extort money.

Zhi Qiu's father looked at Ye Shu again and continued his teachings:

"He leaves no room for maneuver in his actions, and he can't hold his tongue either. 'Old scoundrel,' 'scumbag,' 'burglar'... he has quite a rich vocabulary."

Every time he repeated a word, Ye Shu's shoulders would hunch.

"You dialed the police pretty quickly, but did you even consider what would have happened? What if the person sitting here today was just a visiting elder, or... someone Xiao Qiu's friend? How would you make them look bad? How is Xiao Qiu supposed to interact with people after this?"

He tapped his temple.

"Indulging in momentary verbal sparring or acting impulsively is often the easiest way to ruin things; it's this kind of thoughtless sense of justice that leads to trouble. We should use this approach more often when getting things done!"

Ye Shu didn't dare to refute at this moment, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice, and repeatedly replied:

"Yes, yes, Uncle, you're right. I was too impulsive and didn't think things through. I'll definitely be more careful in the future and change!"

Ye Shu's sincere attitude pleased Zhi Qiu's father, and the atmosphere in the living room eased slightly. Suddenly, a nostalgic old song from the early days of the internet started playing:

"Wife is the boss, husband is second."

The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang, the volume was very loud, and the word "wife" appeared on the screen.

Zhi Qiu's father glanced at it, and the stern expression on his face instantly melted away, even revealing a hint of pride. He pointed to his phone and said to Zhi Qiu:

"Look, your mom misses me. She can't be without me for a moment."

Then, she happily pressed the answer button and even switched to speakerphone, wanting to show off her status in the family.

However, the next second...

"An Jianxing! Where have you been again?! What time is it?! If you're not home by now, don't even think about coming back tonight!"

A powerful soprano voice burst out from the phone's receiver like popping beans, so loud that the water glasses on the coffee table seemed to shake.

"!"

Ye Shu was startled by the sudden roar and his whole body trembled. He glanced at the phone on the coffee table and then subconsciously looked at An Jianxing.

Just moments before, An Jianxing had maintained a stern fatherly demeanor, but upon hearing his wife's shrewish roar, his straight back visibly bent, his head drooped, and the seriousness on his face instantly transformed into a fawning smile mixed with guilt, ingratiation, and even servility.

"Oh, honey! Don't be angry! Getting angry is bad for your skin!"

He frantically grabbed his phone, quickly turned off the speakerphone, held it to his ears with both hands, bent even lower, and slurred his words as he explained into the phone:

"I'm at our daughter's house. Yeah, I missed her, so I came to check on her. I'll be back in a bit... No, I really didn't go out drinking. I'm really at our daughter's... Why won't you believe me?"

An Jianxing quickly handed his phone to Zhi Qiu next to him, lowering his voice even further:

"Good girl, sweet daughter, quick, say something for your father."

Zhi Qiu wore a helpless yet amused expression; clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened. She took the phone and said into the receiver:

"Hello, Mom. Yes, Dad's here with me. He just got here a little while ago. Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on him and making sure he doesn't drink. Okay, I'll make sure he goes home early. Bye, Mom."

After saying that, she handed the phone back to An Jianxing.

An Jianxing seemed to straighten up a bit after taking the phone. He put the phone back to his ear, his voice carrying a hint of grievance and a touch of smug satisfaction at having "turned the tables":

"See! I didn't lie to you! I really am with our daughter! Honey, you always overthink things... Okay, okay, I'll be right back, right away. Don't worry, bye-bye, mua~!"

Finally, he blew a loud kiss into the microphone.

......

Ye Shu, who had been watching the whole thing, unconsciously opened his mouth slightly. He watched as this man, who had been an unfathomable and strict father a moment ago, transformed into a henpecked husband who skillfully blew kisses to his wife on the phone the next second. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

An Jianxing hung up the phone, and the fawning look on his face vanished instantly. He cleared his throat, straightened his back, completely forgetting his previous servile demeanor, and regained his authority as an elder.

His gaze returned to Ye Shu, who was still in a daze.

"Cough... um."

He coughed, feigning authority, trying to regain his previous rhythm:

"Where were we?"

Ye Shu whispered:

"...Speaking of which, I act without thinking and have a loose tongue."

"right!"

An Jianxing slapped his thigh, perhaps too hard, because the corner of his mouth twitched again:

"This mistake must be thoroughly reflected upon, and it must never happen again! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you, Uncle."

Ye Shu quickly continued pecking at the rice like a chick.

An Jianxing glanced at the clock on the wall, then at his phone, and finally slowly stood up.

"Alright, it's too late, I have to go back now."

He waved his hand and looked at Zhi Qiu:

"Daughter, Dad's leaving now. You... get some rest."

His gaze swept between his daughter and Ye Shu, his unspoken words carrying a profound meaning.

"Dad, let me see you off."

"No need to see me off, it's just a short walk. Your arm is injured, don't move."

An Jianxing stopped his daughter and went to the entryway to change his shoes. After changing his shoes, he placed his hand on the doorknob, paused for a moment, but did not turn it immediately.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the living room and landing once again on Ye Shu, who was still standing properly beside the chair.

"Ye Shu".

He called Ye Shu by her full name, his voice not loud, but very serious:

"Let's let this matter go today, since your initial intention was to protect my daughter."

Ye Shu felt a sense of relief, but An Jianxing's next words made his heart jump again:

"However, you know something about my daughter's situation. I'm the kind of person who judges people by their actions, not what they say... You'd better watch yourself."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He opened the door, and his figure quickly disappeared into the corridor lights outside.

Ye Shu stood there blankly, wondering what An Jianxing's last words meant.

He sat back in his chair, lost in thought as he pondered the last words, "Take care of yourself."

Tonight was really exciting!