She had bought a lot of groceries, clearly intending to prepare a lavish lunch. As soon as she arrived, Mi Xue immediately followed her into the kitchen to lend a hand.

Watching them enter the kitchen, Zhang Yang almost followed but ultimately decided against it.

After all, he had only just arrived, and since he was staying for a few days, he would have plenty of opportunities to show off his culinary skills later.

Mi An kept Zhang Yang company in the living room, continuously asking him questions about school life, with the most frequent inquiry being how Zhang Yang met his sister and how they ended up together.

In this era, things weren't as liberal as they would become later; generally, people waited until after college graduation to start dating. However, if a relationship did blossom at school, the family usually wouldn't object.

While Zhang Yang and Mi An were talking in the living room, Mi Xue was chatting with her mother inside the kitchen.

In their conversation, it was mostly Mi Xue speaking while Wu Fenglan listened.

Mi Xue recounted all the interesting anecdotes from her time with Zhang Yang at school, even mentioning how Zhang Yang got into a fight with some thugs to save her, which resulted in him being hospitalized.

These stories, told through Mi Xue’s voice, carried an added layer of tenderness.

Wu Fenglan listened more than she spoke, but the more she heard, the deeper her frown became. Finally, she let out a soft sigh. It was a pity that Mi Xue was so engrossed in her own narrative that she failed to notice the change in her mother's expression.

“Dad, you’re back!”

Mi An suddenly exclaimed. Two figures, one older and one younger, walked in through the front door; they looked quite similar. The elder one carried an air of authority, and both Mi Xue and Mi An shared a resemblance to him.

Mi An ran towards them first, but upon seeing the two figures, his brow twitched unnaturally, and he stopped moving where he stood.

“Xiao An, where is your sister?”

The younger man asked Mi An with a hearty laugh. Mi An’s brow twitched again, and then he immediately scurried back to the living room, completely ignoring the man.

“You child, how can you treat your uncle like that!”

The elder man suddenly called out, sounding genuinely annoyed. From their exchange, Zhang Yang had already guessed that the older man was Mi Xue’s father, Mi Zhiguo, and the younger one was likely the younger uncle Mi Xue had mentioned earlier.

Mi Xue clearly didn't care for this younger uncle, and seeing that Mi An felt the same way puzzled Zhang Yang. However, since it was their private family matter, Zhang Yang felt it inappropriate to pry further.

Both men walked directly into the living room and paused briefly when they saw the two occupants.

“Hello, Uncle. I am Mi Xue’s classmate, and also her boyfriend. I came specifically to visit you today!”

Zhang Yang quickly stepped forward, taking the initiative to greet Mi Zhiguo. This was his future father-in-law, a person he absolutely could not afford to be careless with.

“Mi Xue’s boyfriend?”

Mi Zhiguo was stunned, while the person beside him gasped in surprise. Both men looked utterly astonished.

“You’re back. Rest for a bit first. Mi Xue brought her boyfriend home, and she brought lots of gifts too.” Wu Fenglan and Mi Xue emerged from the kitchen. Wu Fenglan smiled as she spoke to Mi Zhiguo, and Mi Xue happily walked over to stand beside her father.

As for the other man standing nearby, Mi Xue didn't spare him a single glance.

Although Mi Xue ignored him, he kept his attention fixed on Zhang Yang. He suddenly smiled and said softly, “So you’re Mi Xue’s classmate. You’re a guest in our home, please sit down and talk!”

This man was indeed Mi Xue’s younger uncle; his name was Mi Zhicheng. He was a businessman who had managed to amass some wealth through his ventures.

Zhang Yang glanced at Mi Xue before settling onto the sofa beside him.

“Weren’t you making lunch? You two should go back inside,”

Mi Zhiguo waved his hand at Wu Fenglan and the others, even shooting a stern look in Wu Fenglan’s direction.

Wu Fenglan glanced at Mi Zhiguo, then at Mi Zhicheng, and finally let out a soft sigh. She took Mi Xue’s hand and led her back to the kitchen. Mi Xue sensed that something was amiss and wanted to ask, but she was pulled away before she could.

Mi Xue was perceptive; although the interaction was brief, she clearly felt that her father was not treating Zhang Yang very warmly.

“Xiao Zhang, is it? You’re also studying at Changjing University?”

After the mother and daughter left the living room, only the four men remained. Mi An was too young and sat quietly to the side. Both Mi Zhiguo and Mi Zhicheng were scrutinizing Zhang Yang.

Mi Zhiguo remained silent, but Mi Zhicheng took the initiative to question Zhang Yang.

“Yes, Mi Xue and I are classmates. I am a student in the Clinical Medicine department of the School of Medicine!”

Zhang Yang nodded slightly. Mi Xue had noticed something was off, and he certainly felt it too.

However, he didn’t understand the situation yet, so he decided to answer minimally and ask Mi Xue later to get a clearer picture of what was going on.

“Now that graduation doesn't guarantee job placement, have you made any preparations to find work in advance?”

Mi Zhicheng asked again, a smile plastered on his face. Yet, a flicker of astonishment, mixed with vigilance, sparked in Zhang Yang’s heart.

This question, though seemingly one of concern, was actually rather insidious. Few students in their third year had already secured jobs, unless their families had connections, and even then, most waited until their fourth year to start making arrangements.

If Zhang Yang answered that he hadn't, it would make him seem incapable, someone unable to secure employment after graduation.

“I am currently an intern at Changjing Third Hospital!”

Zhang Yang replied quietly. He wasn't lying; he was indeed an intern at the Third Hospital, although he had only worked a few days before taking leave for the summer vacation.

“Changjing Third Hospital, that’s a very good hospital; it’s not easy to get an internship there. Does your father also work at a hospital?”

A hint of something—perhaps curiosity—flickered across Mi Zhicheng’s face before he quickly followed up with another question.

This question caused Zhang Yang’s brows to knit together sharply.

Anyone, at any time, would feel an instinctive discomfort when his father was mentioned, and he couldn't help that reaction.

“My father is not a doctor; he is just an ordinary person!”

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yang spoke slowly. Thankfully, it was the current him; if it were the former ‘Zhang Yang,’ he probably would have just told them outright that he didn't have a father.

“Is that so? Then you are only interning at the hospital!”

Mi Zhicheng said with a smile, but Zhang Yang had a persistent feeling that his smile was rather cunning—no wonder Mi Xue and her brother disliked him so much.

It actually seemed more appropriate for Mi Zhiguo to be the one questioning Zhang Yang, yet Mi Zhiguo had remained silent the entire time, letting Mi Zhicheng drive the interrogation. This asymmetry struck Zhang Yang as unusual.

Unfortunately, lacking context, he could only respond passively. Furthermore, Mi Zhicheng’s probing about his father had left Zhang Yang feeling unsettled, so he chose to remain silent.

“Mom, what did you say?”

Inside the kitchen, Mi Xue suddenly cried out in shock, looking at her mother with disbelief.

“Secretary Yu himself came over and brought up the matter. Your father already agreed!”

Wu Fenglan shook her head helplessly. She finally explained the situation to Mi Xue, though she truly hadn't wanted to bring it up, having initially intended to discuss it with her husband that evening to see if they could accommodate Mi Xue’s feelings. However, events had unfolded unexpectedly, and seeing the men in the living room preparing to confront Zhang Yang, she felt she had to tell Mi Xue now so she wouldn’t be completely blindsided later.

“On what grounds? This is my business; nobody can decide for me! Besides, I have a boyfriend!” Mi Xue pouted, sounding deeply wronged. She dropped the vegetables she was washing, her eyes turning red.

Her mother had just revealed news that was both utterly shocking and infuriating to her.

She had a high school classmate named Yu Yong who had pursued her back then, but she had rejected him. At the time, she was focused on getting into a good university and wasn't thinking about anything else.

That chapter had closed, but she never expected that Yu Yong’s father would recently visit her own father personally to propose an engagement between their children.

Yu Yong’s father was Yu Wenwu, who was formerly the Deputy Secretary of the county. Rumor had it he was a strong candidate to become the next County Magistrate. If he took that position, his rank would be a significant step above Mi Zhiguo’s.

Because Yu Wenwu had approached him personally, Mi Zhiguo had considered the matter carefully and ultimately agreed—but only to allow Mi Xue and Yu Yong to spend time together and get acquainted; he hadn't explicitly committed to marriage.

This wasn't the old era where parental orders and matchmakers held absolute sway. Moreover, Mi Zhiguo was well aware that Yu Wenwu’s proposal of a marriage alliance wasn't without its own motives. If he became County Magistrate, he would need to rally a faction of loyal supporters. Mi Zhiguo, though not a standing committee member, was a veteran official whose cooperation would ease his future work.

“Mom, did Mi Zhicheng play a part in setting this up?”

Mi Xue suddenly turned, asking her mother this question.

Mi Xue had disliked her uncle since childhood. When they were young, this uncle had been a hoodlum, committed many misdeeds, and had even been jailed.

But that wasn't the main point. Crucially, when the siblings were poor, they used to live with their grandparents and uncle. Mi Xue and Mi An both lived there while Mi Zhiguo and his wife worked long, grueling hours and had no time to care for them. During that time, Mi Zhicheng frequently abused their grandparents and sometimes even threatened to harm the two children.

Later, their grandparents fell ill due to the stress he caused and eventually passed away. The death of the grandparents who cherished them most cemented the siblings' hatred for their uncle. When Xie Hui spoke of the harmony in the Xie family recently, Mi Xue’s eyes were filled with envy—this was precisely why.

That wasn't all. When Mi Zhiguo’s career began to improve slightly, Mi Zhicheng immediately reappeared, extracting numerous benefits from them. Later, the uncle apparently pulled off some clever scheme and made a little money, causing his visits to become less frequent, but every time he did show up, he managed to earn their disgust anew.

Mi Xue knew her uncle also maintained good relations with the Yu family; they had done business together. That was why she asked her mother, as Yu Yong had mentioned this connection when pursuing her, saying that her uncle relied on the Yu family’s connections to manage his business successfully.

“I don’t know for sure. If you are unwilling, I will talk to your father properly later. I actually think this Zhang Yang boy is quite nice!”

Wu Fenglan sighed again, her face etched with a touch of regret.

She hadn't truly agreed with the arrangement from the start, but since Mi Zhiguo was the head of the household, his agreement made it difficult for her to object. However, her impression of Zhang Yang was genuinely good. Zhang Yang was quiet and seemed honest. As an intellectual herself, she felt her daughter would be safer with someone like that, especially since Zhang Yang’s very first gift to her—a book she enjoyed—had left a very positive impression.

Second update, 68 votes. Just one vote away from ten chapters! Xiao Yu is working hard on the manuscript, the next chapter will be updated around eleven!