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

They embraced silently, their heartbeats and warmth becoming their only senses, as if time itself had stopped for them, united by their shared feelings. In a moment of passion, they forgot they weren't home.

"Cough, hmm!"

An Jianxing, with a stern face, let out a deliberately coughing sound to remind the two that there were other people around and they should behave themselves.

The two snapped out of their daze, hurriedly separated, and blushed slightly on their faces.

Ye Shu scratched her hair a little embarrassedly, while Zhi Qiu lowered her head and tugged at the hem of her clothes, which were not messy.

An Jianxing sat on the sofa, arms crossed, looking at Ye Shu with an expression and eyes that practically screamed "unhappy." It wasn't directed at Ye Shu personally, but rather the feeling of an old father watching his precious young cabbage being... taken away by a responsible and diligent young man.

He reached out, picked up the bank card, tapped it with his finger, and then held it out towards the two of them.

"Okay, take it."

Ye Shu subconsciously waved her hand:

"Uncle, I really don't want to, I..."

"Who said I was going to give it to you?"

An Jianxing interrupted him without any politeness, even rolling his eyes at him, and said with a hint of disdain:

"Don't flatter yourself, this is for my daughter."

Zhi Qiu understood what her father meant, and a somewhat helpless smile appeared on her face. She sat down next to An Jianxing, gently took her father's arm, and called out:

"dad."

"Hmm! Hmph hmph hmph."

An Jianxing was easily appeased; hearing his daughter call him, his face immediately brightened. He slipped the bank card into Zhi Qiu's hand and patted his daughter's hand.

"Here, this is for your allowance. In the future, if either of you is short of money, don't try to tough it out. Tell Dad, understand?"

"Dad, we really don't need it. Ye Shu has a job, and I have one too..."

"Just take it! Don't be so formal with me!"

An Jianxing deliberately put on a stern face, but there was not a trace of anger in his eyes, only overflowing affection:

"This isn't just for you; it's for both of you in case of emergency. Keep it safe, and don't make me say it twice."

Knowing her father's temper, Zhi Qiu stopped refusing and carefully put the card away.

"Yes, thank you, Dad."

"Hmm, why thank Dad?"

An Jianxing was satisfied. He stood up and stretched his shoulders. He looked much more relaxed. Whether it was because Ye Shu's statement eased his burden or simply because Zhi Qiu's repeated calls of "Dad" pleased him, he walked forward, seemingly talking to no one in particular.

"Alright, it's getting late. You two can have lunch here. Ask Sister Liu to add a couple more dishes."

As An Jianxing passed by Ye Shu, he paused, turned his head, glanced at Ye Shu from head to toe, and suddenly curled his lip, mimicking a phrase in a high-pitched voice:

"Uncle, I don't want to~ Hmph."

After finishing the lesson, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He shrugged his shoulders a couple of times, then put his hands behind his back, strode confidently towards the kitchen, humming a little tune as he went.

"..."

Ye Shu's expression was complicated. He felt that his future father-in-law seemed a bit...unserious.

Shen Jingwan found her husband's childish behavior both amusing and exasperating. She walked over to Ye Shu and patted his arm.

"Ignore him, he's just a child. Come on, Xiao Shu, let's go to the restaurant with Auntie. We'll have a proper meal today."

Ye Shu nodded, her heart filled with a warm sense of fulfillment. It wasn't just the ease of passing the test, but also a sense of belonging to being included in her important world.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he suddenly felt his arm being enveloped by a soft, warm sensation.

Ye Shu turned her head and saw Zhi Qiu holding her arm. Zhi Qiu looked up at her slightly, and her eyes, which always held a gentle smile, were now surprisingly bright in the sunlight.

The sunlight gilded her with a soft golden edge, and in Ye Shu's eyes, Zhi Qiu was radiant at this moment.

It wasn't a glaring light, but rather like a piece of jade that had been washed by a stream for a long time, radiating a warm and calm luster from the inside out.

Her smile was no longer the kind that carried a hint of aloofness and politeness, but rather a pure beauty filled with trust and love.

So dazzling, so bright, so...perfect.

Ye Shu's heartbeat involuntarily skipped a beat with her breath.

As soon as Ye Shu entered the living room, she saw that the dishes on the dining table were already laid out, and they looked very plentiful.

An Jianxing was standing in front of a wine cabinet, taking out a box of unopened liquor.

He waved the wine box at Ye Shu, raising an eyebrow:

"Can I have something to drink?"

Ye Shu looked at the box of baijiu and grinned:

"Beer is alright, but I haven't tried much baijiu (Chinese liquor)."

He wasn't being modest; he usually only drinks beer, and he genuinely can't handle strong liquor.

Upon seeing Ye Shu's reaction, An Jianxing's subtle sense of superiority as a "father-in-law" resurfaced. He felt that this kid must have a low alcohol tolerance, and it would be interesting to see his reaction after giving him a couple of drinks.

"It's perfect that I haven't tried it before, let's give it a try today."

As he spoke, he had already unpacked the package and taken out a nicely shaped white porcelain bottle, followed by two small porcelain cups.

As soon as the liquor was poured into the glass, a rich and mellow aroma immediately filled the air, almost overpowering the fragrance of the dishes on the table.

Ye Shu took the wine glass that An Jianxing pushed towards him with both hands, and respectfully touched the rim of his glass to An Jianxing's glass.

Ye Shu's eyebrows furrowed after just one small sip, and it took her a while to stop coughing. It was too spicy; she felt a fiery line slide from her mouth down to her stomach.

Ye Shu always felt that drinking ice-cold beer was refreshing, but drinking baijiu (Chinese liquor) felt like his mouth was on fire, which was pure torture.

Seeing Ye Shu grimacing from the spiciness, An Jianxing dropped the pretense and grinned smugly. He slowly sipped his drink, narrowed his eyes, and deliberately asked:

"Xiao Ye, how's the wine?"

To be honest, Ye Shu knew this wine must be expensive, and he wanted to reply, "This wine is truly wonderful~", but what came out of his mouth was a very honest reply:

"Hmm...it tastes quite strong. However, it feels...no different from the loose liquor sold outside."

An Jianxing's smile froze, and the flesh on his cheeks twitched.

No difference? Just like scattered white ink?!

He felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. This was something he had treasured for many years! He was usually reluctant to open it!

That silly boy, he's really wasting his talents!

An Jianxing was so angry he was speechless. He tilted his head back and downed the last bit of fine wine in his glass in one gulp. He closed his eyes and savored the layers of the wine, as if trying to salvage the dignity of this desecrated wine.

After finishing his drink, he exhaled a breath of alcohol, and as if he didn't believe it, he took the bottle again and filled Ye Shu's glass, which he had only taken a small sip from, with an air of "I'm going to make you taste something good today."

Ye Shu felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the wine glass that had been refilled, but he couldn't refuse a drink poured by an elder. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, hold the glass with both hands again, and prepare to clink glasses with An Jianxing before closing his eyes and downing it.

Just as he reached out to clink glasses, a fair hand suddenly reached out from the side and steadily took the glass from his hand.

Zhi Qiu held the wine glass and said softly to An Jianxing:

"Dad, Xiao Shu doesn't like this, so don't force him. If you really want to drink it, I'll drink it for him."

An Jianxing held his wine glass, blinked his two not-so-big eyes, and was about to open his mouth to say something when another hand reached for the wine glass.

Shen Jingwan took the wine glass from Zhi Qiu's hand and said:

"You don't drink, don't try to be a hero. Mom will drink this one for you."

After saying that, she flicked her wrist, not even bothering to approach herself, and placed the glass of wine directly in front of An Jianxing. Looking at An Jianxing, who was still holding the glass and looking completely bewildered, she said with a "gentle" expression and a "soft" tone:

"Old An, you drink this one for me."

An Jianxing: "Huh?...Me...me, take my place?"