Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

Forty minutes later, the SUV arrived at the Han family villa.

Han Yue got out of the car first, helped open the back door, then took out the suitcase and carried it into the living room with one hand.

Hearing the noise, Han's mother came out from inside, followed by two little ones with short legs. Each of them grabbed one of Han's mother's legs and stood on one side, their little hands holding onto Han's mother's legs. Because of Tong Xuxu's unfamiliarity, the two little ones timidly hid behind Han's mother.

But then it curiously peeked out to see who it was, looking very cute.

Han Yue stepped into the villa, reached out and patted his daughter's head, his eyes full of doting affection. He took the luggage to the guest room upstairs and told Lan Yunxi which room the suitcase was in when he came downstairs.

Then he knelt down, holding his daughter in one arm and his son in the other, making sure neither was neglected. Both children adored Han Yue, and whenever he had free time, he would sit in the children's play area and play games with them—riding horses, spinning around, building blocks…

Over time, the two children have become quite attached to Han Yue, especially little Han Yinuo, who always likes to tiptoe to kiss her father's cheek. Han Yue's fatigue after a long day at work is always dispelled by a kiss from the little one.

Lan Yunxi usually spends more time with her children with Han's mother, who has fully retired and stays at home to help take care of the two little ones.

At that moment, Han Yue took his two children to the play area, took off his shoes, sat on the mat, and built blocks with the two little ones, competing to see who could stack the highest.

Han Yinuo gave a thumbs up and said, "Dad." She grabbed Han Yue's arm, walked over, and gave him a kiss. Han Yue's smile gradually widened.

Tong Xuxu looked at this heartwarming scene with envy, something she could never have. Hiding the sadness in her eyes, she politely said, "Hello, Auntie, I'm sorry to bother you."

Han's mother gestured for her daughter-in-law to take her friend upstairs to take a look: "We won't disturb you, you're very welcome. Xixi, take your friend upstairs to see the room, and tell Mom if there's anything you need."

"Okay, Mom, come on, I'll show you your room." After walking a few steps, Lan Yunxi stood at the top of the stairs, leaned on the handrail, and stretched her neck to call out to her son and daughter in the play area, "Mom's going upstairs now, listen to Dad, okay?"

Han Yichen continued playing by himself, while Han Yinuo, still clinging to her father's neck, nodded obediently, "Mmm."

Tong Xuxu was led upstairs by Lan Yunxi. The room that Han's mother had prepared for Tong Xuxu in advance was very nice, clean, and cozy. The bed sheets were sky blue, and the curtains had been changed to white gauze, giving it a very elegant feel.

"Xixi, thank you so much. I'm so happy for you." The two sat down on the edge of the bed, and Lan Yunxi closed the door, preparing to whisper to each other.

Lan Yunxi noticed that Tong Xuxu wasn't in a good mood while they were in the car, but she didn't ask because she was mindful of Xuxu's feelings.

Lan Yunxi took off her shoes, crossed her legs, and sat facing Tong Xuxu, just like in their university dormitory. The two of them always sat like this to eat and play computer games. "Xuxu, did you have a fight with your aunt and uncle this time?"

Upon hearing this, Tong Xuxu gave a wry smile, revealing her true feelings, "Do I look like something's wrong?"

"No, not really. Actually, I've been suspecting it for months. You were supposed to graduate this summer, but you kept putting it off when I asked you to come to Beijing. I felt like you had something on your mind that you weren't telling me. Did we have a fight?"

Tong Xuxu also followed Lan Yunxi's example, crossing her legs, resting her elbows on her knees, and supporting her chin with her hands. "After graduation, I told my parents that I was going to work in a big city. I didn't tell them where I was going, and they didn't ask. They naturally assumed that I was planning to work in Lancheng. Plus, my brother and his family had their third child. My mom felt that after so many years of university, I should repay the family and help my brother and his family reduce their burden. So she asked me for money, saying that I should give them 8,000 yuan every month after I start working, because the children need money for school and clothes."

After listening, Lan Yunxi looked at her friend with heartache and frowned. "Why is he like this? You earned your own tuition in college and worked several part-time jobs to support yourself. If your brother felt it was a big burden, why did he have a third child?"

Lan Yunxi was furious. How could her parents be like this? She really wanted to hug Xuxu.

And Lan Yunxi did just that. She shifted her position, put her arm around her friend's shoulder, and said, "From now on, you'll stick with me, and I'll protect you."

These words made Tong Xuxu laugh. He turned to look at Xixi's small figure and said, "I'm more like I'm protecting you."

In fact, Xu Xu knew that Xi Xi's protection was genuine, and she had the ability to do so, as did Han Yue. However, she wanted to rely on herself and not hold Xi Xi back.

"Don't get excited, I know you can do it, okay? Just kidding. I want to establish myself in the capital on my own. I will never go back to Blue City again. Before I came to the capital, I had the village chief witness me and cut off all ties with them. I am very free now, all alone. I can feed myself and my family without any pressure." I don't need to support anyone anymore.

Lan Yunxi narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "You've severed ties, so do your aunt and uncle agree to that?"

Tong Xuxu rested her chin on her hand, tilted her head to look at Xixi, and answered seriously, "Yes, I agree. I gave them all my savings."

Tong Xuxu's tone was somewhat sarcastic, mocking herself. "Originally, it was an unbreakable bond, but when they saw that I didn't agree to give them 8,000 yuan for living expenses, they wanted me to become the wife of a bachelor in the next village to collect a dowry. Do you know how much that dowry was? 30,000 yuan. They wanted to sell me for just 30,000 yuan. In the end, I gave them all my savings to redeem myself."

Lan Yunxi asked cautiously, noticing the tears welling up in her friend's eyes. Xu Xu rarely cried; she had only seen her cry twice since college: once when her family cut off her tuition and living expenses, and once now.

She felt bad too, and silently patted her friend's shoulder, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. I'm sorry, I won't ask anymore. From now on, we'll start over here. You still have me, and all of us. My sister and the others are very happy to have you here. And Guoguo, Sister Xue, Feifei, they're all very nice. You still have so many of us."

"It can only get better," Lan Yunxi thought to herself, her throat feeling sore.

Tong Xuxu hid her tears, looked at the ceiling, and forced a smile, seemingly relieved but also hiding something. "I gave them double the money, 8.8 yuan. I gave them all the money I earned from part-time jobs and scholarships over the past few years. I originally planned to come here after graduating in the summer, but I didn't have any money. I couldn't really come here penniless and mooch off you, so I worked in Blue City for almost half a year. Now I have money in my pocket again, sister."

After speaking, Tong Xuxu patted his pocket, indicating that he was very confident and that it was good.

Tong Xuxu, the person involved, didn't cry, but Lan Yunxi's tears fell like raindrops. This worried Xuxu a lot. Han Yue treated Xixi like a treasure and protected her. If he found out that Xixi was sad, she would still be homeless that night. "Don't cry, sister. I'm free now. I should be happy. Hurry up and wipe your tears."

Tong Xuxu quickly took the whole pack of tissues from the bedside table, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to Lan Yunxi.

Lan Yunxi pouted, tears still streaming down her face. She truly felt sorry for Xu Xu. She took Xu Xu's tissue and began wiping her eyes, saying with a nasal tone, "You made the right decision. You should have come out sooner. If I had known you would be out sooner, I would have redeemed you long ago."

"It's not too late to start now, it's good. I'll send out some resumes tonight."

Lan Yunxi sniffed. "Are you really not planning to come to my company? I'm going to start working next year. My mother-in-law wants me to manage her tech company. Why don't you come and help me? We can work hard together."

"You go first, I'll go after the New Year next year, how about that?"

Tong Xuxu shook her head, "Then I still have to rely on you. I want to try on my own. Don't say hello to them for me, and don't tell Sister Yaoyao and the others. I'll submit my resume myself, whichever company I want. I have to give it a try."

Seeing her friend's determination, Lan Yunxi didn't press the issue. "Alright, but my company's doors are always open for you."

"understood."

After dinner, Tong Xuxu started sending out resumes without stopping for a moment. She was grateful to Xixi for taking her in, but she couldn't disturb her for too long.

Lan Yunxi accompanied Tong Xuxu in her room looking for a job. It wasn't until 10:30 p.m. that Xuxu urged her to go back to her room, saying that she would look for an apartment tomorrow. Xixi told her to rest for a few days and look for an apartment later, but Xuxu didn't agree, saying that she would find one sooner or later, and that they could meet up anytime in the capital.

Inside the room, Lan Yunxi was not in a good mood. She sat in bed with a worried look on her face, her eyes wandering, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

When Han Yue came out of the bathroom, he saw Xiao Xi staring blankly. The two little ones were already fast asleep in their crib. Han Yichen had kicked off half of his blanket. He went over to cover the child with the blanket, lifted the blanket and sat in bed. He turned off the light and turned on the bedside lamp, which was not bright and was a bit dim.

Turning around, she pinched Lan Yunxi's cheek and patiently asked, "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy since Xuxu came?"

Lan Yunxi is a bit like Feifei in that she can't keep things to herself. However, there is a difference between her and Feifei's inability to keep things to herself. She can't keep anything from Han Yue. She wants to share everything with Han Yue, whether it's a big or small matter. Han Yue also particularly likes her talkative nature.

After Lan Yunxi finished speaking, Han Yue could still offer his opinions, and he became much more talkative.

Lan Yunxi nestled in his arms, playing with Han Yue's slender fingers, counting them one by one, from left to right and then from right to left, recounting Tong Xuxu's story from beginning to end, and also talking about Tong Xuxu's job search.

Finally, she tilted her head back, wanting to ask Han Yue if there was anything he could do to help. When she met Xiao Xi's eyes, Han Yue lowered his head and kissed her eyelids, holding her tightly. "It's not appropriate to help now. I can have someone help find a suitable house tomorrow, but this is a genuine help in finding one, not something we rent for her and then sublet cheaply. The truth will eventually come out, and she'll be upset when she finds out."

Lan Yunxi nodded, knowing that Xu Xu was strong-willed. "Yeah, that's what I thought too, otherwise she would have asked me for money long ago."

Han Yue had a good impression of Tong Xuxu. "Don't worry, she can handle it. You have to trust her. If she can't handle it, then we'll step in. If we step in now, her confidence will be damaged. We can only help her find an apartment. Don't get involved in her work. It won't be difficult for her to find a decent job after graduating with her master's degree."

"Go to sleep, hmm? Feeling any better now?"

Lan Yunxi nodded, and Han Yue helped her tidy up the blankets, then pulled her into his arms and lay down. His deep, magnetic voice rang out, "Goodnight, wife."

Goodnight, my love.

"Um."