Let me explain, it's not what you think.

The next morning, Qin's mother knocked on Su Wanqing's door.

But at this moment, Su Wanqing was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face pale, obviously she hadn't slept well all night.

"Wanqing, didn't you sleep well? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, no, Mother, I just... was thinking about some things."

Looking at her like this, Qin's mother sighed inwardly.

"Wanqing, there's something I want to tell you."

Su Wanqing raised her head and met Qin's mother's eyes, and suddenly felt a little flustered.

"You've been married into the Qin family for almost ten years now. All these years, you've suffered. Feng'er left us too soon, without even leaving you an heir..."

"Mother, please don't say that..." Su Wanqing's eyes were a little red.

"Let your mother finish speaking," Qin's mother said, pressing her hand down.

"You're over thirty this year, you can't waste your whole life like this. Your mother and father have discussed it and want to find you a good home."

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to refuse, but Qin's mother didn't give her a chance to speak.

"You know Lu, the boy. You've seen how he's treated us all these years. You know in your heart whether he's good to you or not. He's all alone, and you're all alone, and I think... you two are quite suitable."

Su Wanqing's face flushed instantly, the heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears and then to her neck.

"Mother, my brother Shen... I only ever thought of him as a younger brother..."

"What do you mean by 'brother'? You're not related by blood. If you two get together, it'll be like family doubling down. I've already spoken to your father; he'll talk to Xiao Lu. As for you, think it over carefully and don't rush to refuse."

Su Wanqing lowered her head, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes.

She remembered those four words from last night, and her heart started beating even faster.

In the next room, Qin's father was sitting opposite Lu Chen.

"Little Lu, there's something your uncle wants to tell you."

"Uncle, please feel free to ask. Why are we being so formal?"

"You're not young anymore," Qin's father said, looking at him with a serious expression typical of an elder.

"Your uncle and aunt are worried about you wandering around alone without someone to care for you."

"I……"

"Let your uncle finish. You know Wanqing, she's had a tough time all these years, carrying this family on her own without ever complaining. Your aunt and I have thought about it for a long time and think that you two... are quite suitable."

Lu Chen was stunned.

"Your uncle knows you're a good child and won't let Wanqing suffer. Wanqing is also a good child; she knows how to take care of others. If you two get together, your aunt and I will be at ease."

Lu Chen sat there, his mind blank.

He remembered Su Wanqing's flushed face last night, the way she lowered her head and dared not look at him, and the blessing of many children.

"Uncle, actually... I have a boyfriend."

Qin's father paused for a moment, his hand holding the teacup still.

"She's from the sect. I left in a hurry this time and didn't have time to bring her over for you to see. Next time, I'll bring her to you and your aunt to see her."

Qin's father remained silent for a while, then sighed.

"You have a boyfriend/girlfriend... That's great, that's great. I didn't know, you're worrying unnecessarily."

"In that case, then Wanqing's matter... let's just forget about it, I won't force you." After saying that, he walked out of the room.

The door closed.

What Lu Chen didn't know was that Su Wanqing was standing at the corner of the corridor outside the door.

She originally came to stop Qin's father from persuading Lu Chen, but she accidentally overheard the conversation inside the house.

"I have a boyfriend."

These words were like a needle, thin and sharp, piercing the softest part of her heart.

It didn't hurt, just a soreness, so soreness that she felt like crying.

She didn't know why she was feeling down.

Lu Chen has a girlfriend, shouldn't we be happy for him? She's his sister-in-law, Qin Feng's widow, what right does she have to be upset?

But she just felt uncomfortable.

From those four words last night, when she heard Qin's mother say she wanted to bring them together, her first thought wasn't to refuse, but... she didn't dare to think any further.

……

"Xiao Lu, your sister-in-law came looking for you just now. Why did she run back to her room crying? What happened?"

"Huh? I didn't see my sister-in-law? Did someone bully her?" Lu Chen immediately stood up.

"No, we've been doing very well in the outer sect thanks to your care. How could anyone dare to bully us? Why don't you go ask Wanqing?"

"Well... okay!"

As Lu Chen spoke, he got up and headed to Su Wanqing's room.

"Sister-in-law, it's me."

"Your aunt said you cried. What happened? Who bullied you?"

The door opened a crack, and Su Wanqing stood behind it, her eyes red, clearly having cried. She kept her head down, not looking at him.

"Nobody bullied me, it's just... I got sand in my eyes."

Lu Chen sighed inwardly as he looked at her. He reached out and pushed open the door, went inside, and sat down at the table.

Su Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then sat down opposite him, still keeping her head down and refusing to look at him.

The two sat facing each other in silence for a long time.

The sibling relationship from the beginning is gone.

"Sister-in-law, my uncle just called me. He said... he wants me to be with you."

I refused.

Su Wanqing clenched her fists, but she didn't say anything.

"It's not that I think my sister-in-law is bad, she's a good person, it's just... I'm not good enough for her."

Su Wanqing suddenly raised her head, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back.

The two remained silent for a while before Lu Chen got up and left.

"Sister-in-law, I'll be going now."

He walked to the door, reached out and pulled, but found that the door wouldn't open.

He paused for a moment, looked down, and saw that the door was locked from the outside.

Lu Chen was both amused and exasperated.

He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he could crush this lock made of ordinary iron with just one finger.

But he didn't move, because he knew who had locked the door.

He turned around and looked at Su Wanqing. Su Wanqing was also somewhat surprised; she was also stunned.

Qin's mother's voice came from outside the door:

"Xiao Lu, don't blame your aunt for meddling. Your aunt knows you have a boyfriend, and your aunt won't stop you. But Wanqing has suffered for so many years, just... just take pity on her."

"Auntie, my poor sister-in-law isn't that pitiful! Please let me out!"

"Your aunt doesn't want you to marry her, she just... she just wants you to leave her with something to remember her by."

"You know, Feng'er has been gone for so many years, and our Qin family hasn't even had an heir. Your aunt and uncle are getting old and don't know how many more years they have left, so they just want... they just want to see the Qin family have an heir before they die."

"Just consider it as adopting a child for Feng'er, okay? The child's surname is Qin, not yours, so it won't affect your dating life. Just think of it as... just think of it as doing your aunt and uncle a favor."

Lu Chen was numb.