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

Shen Jingwan had a very good first impression of Ye Shu.

She is well-mannered and polite. She stands or sits properly when entering a room, keeps her eyes straight ahead, and responds to questions with a serious attitude, showing that she has a good upbringing.

He was also good-looking, and most importantly, his eyes were clear. This was what Shen Jingwan valued most.

She and An Jianxing had been navigating the so-called upper-class circles of the business world for many years, and had seen all sorts of people. Especially when suddenly surrounded by young people whose upbringing was so different from their own, some things were hard to hide.

The couple had actually dug up some details about Ye Shu after their daughter showed unusual interest in him.

Born in a small county town in the north, from an ordinary family, he got into a university here on his own merit and graduated not long ago. His life trajectory is as ordinary as it gets, a young person just entering society.

Knowing Ye Shu's ordinariness, Shen Jingwan had been observing him discreetly ever since he stepped into her home.

From the expensive decorative items in the entryway to the books covering the walls of the study—books he probably couldn't afford even with a year's salary—to the unquestionable rug underfoot, and the details throughout the house that reek of money...

Ye Shu saw it, but there was no shock or disorientation in his eyes after being overwhelmed by luxury, nor did he pretend to be indifferent.

He seemed to have seen it, but didn't take it to heart; it was just that he saw it.

It's like someone walking down the street and seeing a tree. They know it's a tree, but they don't think about what kind of tree it is, how much it's worth, or whether they can dig it up and take it home.

His attention was more focused on the people in front of him. Although he was cautious and uneasy as a newcomer, he did not have the kind of desire or inferiority complex that one might have for material things.

This alone has already earned her a lot of points with Shen Jingwan.

Wealth can be accumulated, and status can be earned, but character is hard to come by.

The fact that a young man can maintain such a clear gaze in the face of such a huge change speaks volumes.

He might be a bit naive, but he's not inherently greedy, and perhaps he hasn't been tainted by society too much. Most importantly, his initial motivation for getting close to his daughters was most likely unrelated to the An family they represented.

That's enough; at least it's a starting point where we can sit down and have a proper talk.

Shen Jingwan gently patted Ye Shu's hand, then stood up:

"Let's not talk in this little house. Come on, let's go sit in the living room, it's more comfortable there. Old An, go and ask Sister Liu to brew some good tea."

cabin......

Ye Shu looked up and glanced around the "little house" that was almost as big as her entire old house. Her lips twitched.

Guests should follow the host's lead.

He silently repeated it to himself as he quickly stood up.

As Ye Shu walked down the stairs beside Shen Jingwan, he finally understood a little bit of how he felt when Sister Zhi Qiu first came to his house—nervous, really nervous.

An Jianxing followed behind, completely lacking the demeanor he had when he was lecturing Ye Shu.

As Ye Shu reached the corner of the stairs, he quickly took the stone out of his pocket.

"Auntie, Uncle, this..."

He put the stone back on the shelf, a little embarrassed, and looked somewhat awkward.

"I was a little nervous going upstairs just now, so I grabbed it... well, to give myself some courage. Now I've put it back where it belongs."

An Jianxing and Shen Jingwan exchanged a glance. Shen Jingwan could roughly guess why, and gave her husband a kind look. An Jianxing almost burst into tears.

Shen Jingwan turned her head, looked at Ye Shu's honest and simple appearance, then glanced at the ore specimen that An Jianxing had brought back from some mine a few years ago, and smiled slightly. She reached out, picked up the stone, and put it back into Ye Shu's hand.

"Xiao Shu, if you like it, take it. Auntie will give it to you."

"ah?!"

An Jianxing couldn't help but gasp in disbelief; he'd spent a fortune to get that... But under his wife's gaze, he forced a somewhat twisted, benevolent smile and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, that's right... If you like it... take it, Uncle... it's a gift for you. It's just a little trinket, it's not worth much, just take it and play with it..."

As he spoke, he almost ground his back teeth to powder.

Ye Shu wasn't stupid. Although the stone was displayed on the wall as decoration, even a fool could tell it wasn't some worthless trinket. He quickly shook his head, trying to stuff the stone back.

"Auntie, really, you don't need to. I don't know its value, it would be a waste for me to take it. Please keep it."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

An Jianxing quickly replied:

"Honey, Xiao Ye is right, that kid is honest! This thing isn't suitable for him... Um, Uncle will pick out something better for you young people later, something suitable for you young people, like this one..."

Shen Jingwan acted as if she hadn't heard her husband's dying struggles. She simply looked at Ye Shu, her smile deepening slightly, her tone still gentle:

"If Auntie tells you to take it, then take it. Don't be shy, just take it from here."

She slowly closed Ye Shu's hand, letting him hold the stone.

"It doesn't matter if you don't know what it is, as long as you think it looks good and you feel a connection with it. Old An has so many more, they're just gathering dust here. Take them, listen to me."

Since things have come to this point, it would be rude to refuse. We can't treat someone's face like a doormat, so we can only ask Uncle to accept.

"Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Uncle..."

Tick-tock, tick-tock...

Ye Shu seemed to hear a sound. Oh, it was the sound of An Jianxing's heart bleeding.

The bloodstains stretched all the way to the living room. As soon as Ye Shu sat down, she realized that the sofa was so soft that it could envelop a person completely.

The aroma of tea filled the room. Shen Jingwan sat down in the main seat, with An Jianxing sitting next to her. He looked like a wilted eggplant, listless and dejected, his eyes constantly glancing at Ye Shu's pocket where he was carrying a stone.

Shen Jingwan picked up her teacup, gently blew on the tea leaves, but didn't drink it, and put it back. She looked at Ye Shu, her face still bearing that gentle and polite smile, but her eyes held a hint of seriousness.

"Xiao Shu, Auntie can tell you're an honest child. So, Auntie won't beat around the bush. There are some things I need to tell you beforehand."

coming!

Ye Shu's heart skipped a beat, and her mind flashed through various TV drama scenarios like a movie... things like exorbitant dowries, the necessity of marrying into the family, who the child's surname should be, and having no status at home...

In an instant, a novel titled "The Suffering of a Rich Family's Son-in-Law" came to an end in his mind.

However, Shen Jingwan's next words had nothing to do with any of that.

"Actually... part of the reason you were able to move into Cloud Garden and become my daughter's roommate is because of me and Lao An."