If he hadn't feared disturbing Cheng Ying's sleep, Chi Wu would have wanted to shout for joy.

No matter how this relationship had come to be, it was now fixed.

Chi Wu chuckled with a slight twitch, and Cheng Ying frowned, eyes still closed, "What are you fidgeting about? If you're not eating, then sleep."

Chi Wu dared not make a sound.

He didn't dare move even an inch closer to Cheng Ying.

His stomach rumbled loudly, but looking at Cheng Ying’s profile, Chi Wu couldn't bring himself to leave.

He had used every excuse imaginable to sleep in the same room as the Old Lady and Cheng Ying before, but this time it was legitimate—

In the village, being in the same room as Cheng Ying was considered perfectly proper given their status.

Perhaps from sleeping too well, Chi Wu lay there with his eyes wide open for half the night, just watching.

It was only because Cheng Ying was so oblivious that she could sleep soundly while being stared at like that.

Anyone else would have been scared awake at least twice.

When morning came, Cheng Ying was refreshed and energetic, but both the Old Lady and Chi Wu were yawning constantly, looking utterly drained.

Cheng Ying brought breakfast in early, "Did you two go out stealing last night? Why do you both look so listless?"

The Old Lady felt a pang of awkwardness; she hated hearing the brat say things like that.

Still, she observed the two troublesome youngsters, wondering if anything had actually happened between them.

Chi Wu let out a big yawn and took a gulp of congee, "I'm starving."

Cheng Ying rolled her eyes, "I told you last night there was rice in the pot. Why didn't you get up and eat? You're starving like this?"

Chi Wu stole a glance at Cheng Ying; he certainly couldn't say, I couldn't bear to leave you side.

He glanced quickly at the Old Lady, and like her, said nothing, focusing on eating.

But the atmosphere felt strangely off. Yingzi was now effectively his wife, so why did nothing feel different?

Chi Wu frowned.

The Old Lady frowned even harder, "You miserable child, Wu Zi, you were drunk. I asked you to go over there so you could look after Wu Zi—to pour him a cup of water or get him some food at night! Are you serious? You let Wu Zi, half-out of it, fend for his own food?"

Cheng Ying countered, "Grandma, I told him to get his own food after he sobered up."

Chi Wu thought, Finally, a hint of sentiment! Grandma really does care. He shot Cheng Ying a wounded look, "Grandma, don't blame Yingzi. I won't drink that much again."

The Old Lady was vexed. Hearing Wu Zi speak, he sounded like a little wife who’d been wronged.

If other people overheard this, they might think their family was bullying someone.

Imagine, how much of an imposition it was for a grown young man like that to stay in their house—how much hardship he must have endured. How could they possibly let the child suffer over something like this?

The Old Lady truly adored Wu Zi.

It was understandable; in the countryside, only families who couldn't feed themselves or marry off their children would have their sons 'recruited' to live with the prospective in-laws. A boy like Chi Wu, who had a home, status, and money, no family would be eager to let him go. Which bride wouldn't be rushing to join his household?

Yingzi had truly found a treasure.

The Old Lady understood this perfectly; she needed to treat Wu Zi even better and secure him firmly.

As for her granddaughter’s attitude, it was unacceptable. The Old Lady felt it necessary to properly lecture Yingzi on the art of being a good wife. "Wu Zi, if you are hungry, tell Yingzi to cook for you. If she dares to be lazy, tell me, and I’ll smack her. Don't let yourself starve. A man needs to eat, especially when he’s growing strong bones. Eat quickly. You didn't sleep well yesterday, so after eating, go back to the room and rest well. You two can go to school in the afternoon."

Her tone was gentle, which made Cheng Ying feel wary. Grandma had never treated anyone with such kindness. If one had to compare, perhaps it was closest to the way she treated the headmaster and the village chief, but even that was less tender. This meant a shift in the weather was coming.

Cheng Ying suspected her life was about to get considerably more difficult.

Chi Wu ate happily, pausing only to pick up some stir-fried greens from the communal dish and place two bites into Cheng Ying’s bowl.

Of course, he didn't forget to serve the Old Lady as well, fully demonstrating his satisfaction with this engagement and the joy of them all becoming a single family unit.

They were a family before, of course, but not with this new intimacy. In Chi Wu's mind, his 'temporary contract' had finally been converted to a full-time position.

Cheng Ying looked at the bright green stalks of the vegetables and lost all appetite. This boy was acting strangely early in the morning. If this was how things were going to be, she felt a lot of pressure already.

The Old Lady, eating the same vegetable stalks, felt completely different from Cheng Ying. Having a grandson-in-law like this, she was content.

Her heart felt settled; her granddaughter wouldn't suffer in the future. She could die in peace.

Seeing both of them sporting smiles, Cheng Ying felt that it would be ungrateful not to eat what was in her bowl.

The minority yields to the majority. Cheng Ying ignored the journey of those vegetable stalks from the communal dish to her own bowl, which, admittedly, went quite smoothly.

Not bad, it tasted quite good.

As for Chi Wu, he stopped thinking about it. A son caring for his mother, a younger brother caring for his elder sister, or a boyfriend looking after his girlfriend—he didn't want to categorize it anymore. They were all the same, as long as they weren't mortal enemies.

After the meal, the Old Lady asked, "Wu Zi, are you still sleepy? Do you want to rest a bit? You must not drink heavily again; it hurts your body, understand?"

Chi Wu glanced at Cheng Ying, then replied, "I won't. I was just happy yesterday."

He then lowered his head, clearly conveying his profound satisfaction with the engagement and his excited state.

The Old Lady immediately beamed like the Maitreya Buddha. What could be more satisfying than seeing the newly engaged couple getting along so well? Chi Wu's happiness proved that his heart was entirely set on her granddaughter. "Alright, alright. A little more tonight is fine."

Chi Wu offered, "Grandma, where are you going today? I'll take you, or perhaps I can accompany you to the park to watch the opera?"

The Old Lady sighed, "Ai-yo, things aren't that simple for me now. Your Third Uncle and Auntie, they have no idea how to care for a child. I was busy for just a few days, and they managed to give the baby a severe case of heat rash on his bottom. It broke my heart! Children are so delicate. How can those two wasteful things not even look after one properly? I’m going over today to help watch the child. I haven't seen him for a few days; I really miss that little thing. I haven't held such a fragile little creature in years. When Yingzi was small, at least we raised her fine. Why do today's children seem so delicate? Could it be the difference between city kids and village kids?"

As the Old Lady spoke, she pondered seriously: when her granddaughter had children, she absolutely must give birth in the village, where they were easier to raise.

Cheng Ying watched Chi Wu and the Old Lady chatting happily and thought that if this engagement truly went through, the Old Lady was certainly genuinely thrilled. Look how much they had to talk about. This engagement's biggest success was this—it was worth enduring a little trouble just to make the Old Lady happy by hosting a feast for her.

Chi Wu said, "Grandma, what are you talking about? Back then, nobody had food to eat; everyone had to go out and earn work points. Children couldn't afford to be delicate. I remember when my dad went out to work, he used to tie me to his back. I wasn't let down to play on the ground until I was much older and we were in our village. Grandma, look at our family's situation now; if we had a child, wouldn't they be treated like a living ancestor?"

This thought perfectly mirrored the Old Lady's own mindset. And Chi Wu's father really had spoiled his own little wild thing, so Chi Wu spoke from experience.

Chi Wu added, "Look at Uncle Gan, how filial he is to Big Cousin. Remember what Yingzi said? A twenty-four-karat filial father."

The Old Lady pursed her lips, "Ai-yo, that’s certainly true," then her expression became uncomfortable.

When children were mentioned, the Old Lady grew worried. Since the two were sharing a room, this topic was bound to surface. But how could she bring it up? Talking to her granddaughter was fruitless. Hearing Chi Wu's words, it seemed he was already thinking about children.

The look on the Old Lady’s face was the picture of internal struggle.

Chi Wu wondered what he had said that displeased the Old Lady; there seemed to be no taboo mentioned.

The Old Lady said, "Yingzi, there are some clothes outside, go and wash them for me."

Cheng Ying thought, Is there some big event coming? She’s trying to avoid me.

Never mind, let them fuss. She turned and walked away. If they didn't want to talk to her, she didn't want to listen either.

The Old Lady and Chi Wu were inside for only a few minutes before Chi Wu emerged, his face flushed crimson.

He hadn't thought much about what the Old Lady had said, but now it wasn't too late—what a beautiful future awaited!

The Old Lady worried a bit too much. He actually wished Yingzi would give him a child right now, but did he even possess the capability? If he was honest, he'd only dared to do what he did that other day because his mind was blank. If it came to touching Cheng Ying, he wouldn't dare if she hadn't agreed. What did Cheng Ying represent to Wu Zi since childhood? He wouldn't dare initiate that; they still had a long way to go.

Then Cheng Ying saw Chi Wu couldn't even look at her and fled into the west room.

What was this about?

The Old Lady hadn't been too explicit. She only told Wu Zi that they were in the city now, not the village. They were both heading to university; adhering to national policies and obeying laws was the principle. Although subtle, she was pointing directly at family planning issues, circling around the topic so Chi Wu wouldn't misunderstand.

When the Old Lady came out of the room, she saw her granddaughter and was instantly irritable. Seeing mother and daughter together, the Old Lady scolded, "Yingzi, you need to be more attentive to Wu Zi from now on. Don't yell at him at every turn, do you hear? That’s no way for a woman to act. Look how considerate Wu Zi is, how good he is to you. I just asked, and Wu Zi said that your education comes first, and you’ll wait until you both have jobs before having children."

Cheng Ying felt a chill. These two were thinking far ahead; they had even planned out the children. No wonder Chi Wu couldn't look at her. This was such a sensitive topic for a young man.

Cheng Ying looked at her grandmother, Can you stop stirring up trouble? When will I ever be able to tear this whole mess apart?

The Old Lady demanded, "Did you hear me?"

Cheng Ying ground her teeth, "Then I suppose I should go thank him for his consideration. I'm truly so grateful." She thought, Kid, if you dare cause any more trouble...

The Old Lady's face darkened, and she raised her hand as if to strike her. "You unlucky brat, what are you saying? You dare? As long as you understand in your heart, that’s enough, do you get it? I’m telling you, you need to live your life properly. Look at how your mother treated your uncle, and look at how your Auntie treats your Uncle Gan. If you don't know how, then learn! If I ever see you dare to raise your voice at Wu Zi again, I’ll beat you senseless, understand?"