"Hah! I wouldn't believe a word of it even if you told me," the old woman scoffed at Chi Wu, completely unconvinced.

Chi Wu’s face flushed; coaxing someone wasn't as easy as it sounded. The old woman sent the two of them packing. She certainly understood who her grandson was interested in, but she was happier that these two young people were getting along well.

Cheng Ying yawned as she entered the west room, completely devoid of any pressing thoughts.

Chi Wu sat on the edge of the kang, his face red and his heart pounding. Being out in the world had certainly been an eye-opener; the things those married couples got up to behind closed doors—his dorm mates would talk about anything. No matter how conservative the era, dirty jokes flowed freely.

When Chi Wu was away, the west room was pretty much claimed by Cheng Ying—stacked with everything from extracurricular reading material to account books. Even the wardrobe held more of Cheng Ying’s clothes than his own.

Cheng Ying was in the habit of looking over these things before going to sleep.

So, Cheng Ying leaned back, looking over her belongings. There were a few matters concerning their joint business that needed discussing with Chi Wu.

And there were also things regarding Chi Wu’s construction and renovation plans. It was a good time to hash it all out.

The moment Cheng Ying started speaking, any romantic atmosphere vanished; the two of them were seriously discussing business until past midnight.

By the time they reached their beds, both were too sleepy to keep their eyes open.

Think about it—how much material had accumulated over more than a month? Chi Wu’s carefully hidden budding affections were abruptly cut short.

When Chi Wu finally opened his eyes, his wife next to him was still fast asleep.

Chi Wu felt completely content, except for the lingering regret from the previous night: he hadn't even managed to kiss his wife before she fell asleep.

He recalled the time in school when he’d planted a quick kiss on Yingzi’s cheek. Oh, that face of Yingzi’s—it was smooth, just like a hard-boiled egg. Thinking of this, Chi Wu’s hand drifted toward Cheng Ying’s face.

This was his wife; touching her felt entirely righteous. Chi Wu leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Cheng Ying registered the irritation of a mosquito bothering her in this month, and she slapped hard at her face before finally opening her eyes.

Then she saw Chi Wu glaring at her with resentment, and a fresh handprint blooming on his own cheek.

She blinked. "That wasn't me, was it?"

Chi Wu pursed his lips. "Did I run into your hand myself?"

Cheng Ying raised her hand; it still felt a little numb. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. You should hurry up and use a cold compress. Otherwise, you'll be walking around with that slap mark all day."

Chi Wu turned and walked away. Why was kissing his own wife resulting in such severe punishment? Why?

Cheng Ying calmly tidied the room. The young man had picked the wrong time and place to act like a hooligan. Was taking advantage of her so easy?

The atmosphere at mealtime was noticeably worse than the day before. The old woman didn’t pay it much mind; she never worried about these two children; they were sensible enough.

She brought out the gifts prepared for the elder Chi couple. "Take these back and visit the elders."

Chi Wu thought to himself how thorough the old woman's preparations were. This was far too much.

Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu. He looked exactly like a groom taking his new bride to meet her in-laws. Grandma had packed quite the interesting assortment; she wondered if the elder Mrs. Chi would choke when she understood the implication.

Not long after, Chi Yong arrived with his wife and children to pick them up.

It was Chi Wu’s first time seeing the new house, and he was quite pleased, especially seeing his and Cheng Ying’s new room upstairs, decorated so festively.

It was a pity Yingzi hadn't accompanied him upstairs to look around.

Chi Wu pushed the door open and ran right into someone he decidedly did not want to see.

The elder Mrs. Chi had brought Qingfang up to admire the flowers on the balcony, coincidentally running into her grandson. The elder Mrs. Chi felt it was inappropriate; after all, her grandson was engaged. Moreover, she had once considered that young lady Qingfang as a potential granddaughter-in-law.

The main issue was that just moments ago, Qingfang had asked, "Grandma, why did Wu Zi get engaged?" Her tone suggested deep unwillingness to accept it.

The old woman was too embarrassed to tell Qingfang the truth about her grandson’s foolish antics; she still had to save face.

So, this encounter was awkward.

Chi Wu opened the door and saw his grandmother; he still offered a polite greeting. "Grandma."

Qingfang showed no surprise at seeing Chi Wu in his own home. "Wu Zi!" Her voice radiated delight. A man like Chi Wu was someone people noticed, even at B University.

Even though Wu Zi had a temper and his personality wasn't the best, Qingfang felt she was hopelessly infatuated and simply couldn't let go.

The old woman felt she had no place in this interaction; it was best to let the grandson handle this himself. She felt truly awkward facing Qingfang.

The grandmother had a "manage the beginning but not the aftermath" kind of personality. "Wu Zi, Qingfang came to see my new plants. You two are young; you chat. I’m going downstairs now." With that, she left.

Chi Wu looked at his grandmother; she was truly irresponsible. What was there to discuss with this young woman who wasn't his fiancée? Chi Wu turned, intending to leave.

Unfortunately, the young lady Qingfang grew agitated, and her words came out tinged with grievance. "Wu Zi, why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

Chi Wu rolled his eyes, his tone sharp. Yingzi was downstairs; a misunderstanding would be bad. "Who are you? Should I have specifically informed you about my engagement?"

Tears welled up in Qingfang's eyes. "How can you speak to me like that? Don't you know how I feel about you..."

Chi Wu quickly cut her off, speaking with brutal finality. "I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Qingfang hadn’t attended university for nothing; she hadn't learned the good things, but her stubborn persistence was commendable. "It’s not too late to know now. Your engagement might not even count—it’s just to placate some country girl, after all. How big a deal is an engagement? Why weren't we, your close friends and acquaintances, notified?"

This statement struck Chi Wu hard. He, too, now felt the engagement formality was too flimsy. He maintained a dark expression, remaining silent, but the look he gave Qingfang was intensely grim—how dare she call his wife a country girl?

Chi Wu’s fists clenched. He looked ready to hit her.

Qingfang flinched back a step but didn't believe she was wrong.

Cheng Ying, having waited quite a while for Chi Wu to come downstairs, came looking for him. Upon hearing the exchange, she conceded that Qingfang was sharp; at least the Chi family clearly didn't think highly of her, which suited Cheng Ying just fine.

As for being called a country girl, she wasn't wrong in the slightest. Cheng Ying never looked down on her origins. A country girl who could drive a city girl to distraction—how successful was that?

Seeing Chi Wu’s clenched fist, it was genuinely dangerous. This boy’s gentlemanly manners were truly lacking; how could he raise his fist at a woman? "Wu Zi, what’s wrong? Still trying to pick a fight with a girl? That’s so rude. Are you demanding money from classmate Qingfang? Didn't you say it was just a small amount? Why the fuss? If Qingfang is having trouble right now, couldn't you just cover it for her?"

This was a direct slap to the face; Cheng Ying was dredging up old history.

Chi Wu saw Cheng Ying’s slight tension and stammered nervously, "It’s nothing between her and me, you can’t misunderstand!"

Cheng Ying eyed Qingfang. The girl’s character wasn’t great; refusing to return money owed was a serious flaw. "Oh, what are you talking about? Does Qingfang even fancy you? Look at you—big and clumsy, with no looks and no talent. Who do you think you are?"

Chi Wu felt a little aggrieved; his wife didn't think highly of him. "How am I that bad?"

Qingfang turned on Cheng Ying, marking her as an immediate class enemy. "You’ve also been to university. Why is your mouth always filled with talk of money and debts? Isn't that tacky?"

Chi Wu’s face darkened. What right did she have to criticize his wife? "You’re not tacky, so why don't you pay me back the money I covered for you first? I have absolutely nothing to do with you. Why should I cover money for you?"

Cheng Ying rubbed her nose. This boy was annoying; why couldn't he let her handle it? It left her with no room to maneuver.

Qingfang looked at Chi Wu, furious. "It’s all her! Look, it’s all because of her! She’s leading you astray!"

Chi Wu was about to lose his temper. What kind of person was this? Refusing to repay a debt and twisting the logic?

Cheng Ying wasn't an actress; seeing such a scene gave her a headache. "Um, you two sort out the repayment. I'm going downstairs first."

She turned and spoke to Chi Wu in front of Qingfang, without any politeness. "Wu Zi, this girl has character problems; she loves taking small advantages. Stay far away from her. We don't need to get involved with someone whose background, family, and this kind of personality are questionable."

With that, she headed downstairs. Chi Wu felt instantly healed. Seeing his wife was jealous, telling him to stay away from another woman—his expression was nothing short of basking in spring sunshine, utterly radiant.

Qingfang, who had been staring at Chi Wu, froze. She reached out and yanked his arm. "Wu Zi, that woman—"

Chi Wu didn't utter another word. He shook off Qingfang's hand as if she were hot coal and hurried after his wife downstairs. The money repayment was a minor issue; he couldn't let his wife go down alone. There would be trouble later if he did.

This left the young lady Qingfang upstairs, stamping her feet in heartbroken frustration.

Cheng Ying’s peripheral vision caught the brief exchange of hands. To be honest, the immediate feeling was one of displeasure—intense displeasure.

Cheng Ying couldn't quite figure out why she was unhappy, only that she blamed Chi Wu for allowing someone to take advantage of him so casually.

Chi Ye called out, "Sis, hurry up! Grandpa and Grandma are waiting for you."

Cheng Ying reluctantly mustered some cheerfulness and walked over, sitting down in the living room with the rest of the family.

The elder Mrs. Chi looked somewhat uneasy. Displeased or not, this was her granddaughter-in-law. She regretted coming downstairs and leaving those two alone upstairs; if Yingzi misunderstood, that wouldn't be good.

Despite her internal turmoil, the elder Mrs. Chi held onto one guiding principle: this person wasn't inherently bad. "Yingzi, is Wu Zi upstairs? I have something here I prepared for you two. I originally intended to give it to you at your wedding, but I'll bring it out now."

The elder Mr. Chi glanced at his wife; why was she suddenly so overly enthusiastic? His wife wasn't usually like this.

Cheng Ying replied, "Grandma’s good things, I certainly need to look at them closely. That bracelet last time, I was too scared to wear it; it was far too valuable."

The old woman was delighted that she appreciated quality. She turned and brought out a small box from inside the room. "See what you think of this. This jade material came from the same rough stone as that bracelet, and this one has been blessed before the Buddha."

The elder Mrs. Chi rarely encountered someone who truly appreciated such things, so she spoke a little more freely, mainly because her heart was heavy with guilt—Qingfang had been brought here by her, after all.

Cheng Ying knew it was a good item just from the description, though she wasn’t an expert on jade.

She opened the box to reveal a pair of jade pendants; they flashed brilliantly. Cheng Ying exclaimed, "This has actually been blessed?"

The elder Mr. Chi cleared his throat. "Nonsense! Stop talking carelessly." In those years, saying such things could lead to severe repercussions, especially after the destruction of the Four Olds.

Cheng Ying said gently, "Grandma, it must have been difficult to keep these safe, right?"