Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Humph! It was good that they had chased her away!

  If Miao Jing had been more self-aware, she would have left a long time ago. Then, she wouldn’t have gotten in trouble at all.

  If Miao Jing had taken the initiative to leave, she would perhaps have been willing to treat Miao Jing like a normal relative even after her marriage to Zhai Yaohui.

  But even though Miao Jing was finally self-aware now, her father had already borne the brunt and had already been forced to retire.

  It was all too late.

  Once Miao Jing stepped out of the Zhai family’s gates today, she had better not think of ever entering ever again. She would never allow it as the family’s mistress.

  Thinking about how Auntie Zhai and Zhai Yaohui had gotten justice for her by chasing Miao Jing away, Qi Minlan returned home to take a shower and doll herself up. After putting on a beautiful dress, she headed over to the Zhai family’s house to make her presence known.

  Over the past year while Zhai Yaohui had been in the military, she hardly had any chance to meet Auntie Zhai, much less spend time with her.

  Now that that annoying person was finally gone, she had to improve her relationship with Auntie Zhai.

  Miao Jing’s appearance was enough to worry Qi Minlan. What if another Miao Jing appeared if she didn’t take the initiative now?

  Compared to other men, Zhai Yaohui was not bad. Even her elder brother had always complimented Zhai Yaohui’s performance.

  If she were to miss out on Zhai Yaohui, it would be hard to find someone similar.

  Before heading over to the Zhai family’s house, Qi Minlan notified Old Master Shi of the situation.

  When Old Master Shi heard about it, he agreed with Qi Minlan. “You’re right. You have to forge stronger ties with the Zhai family, and you’d better stop all those messy relationships on the side. If your brother finds someone like that, I’ll be driven to my grave from anger. I’d never allow a woman like that to marry into our family.”

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  “Dad!”

  Qi Minlan felt aggrieved that her own dad had mocked her. “I’m just friends with them. There’s nothing going on between us. Dad, why do you think so poorly of my friendships? Do I seem like that kind of person?”

  “Hehe…” Old Master Shi sneered. “If you really dared to do something like that, do you think I would have tolerated it until now? At least, you have some self-control.”

  If Qi Minlan really went overboard, the most embarrassed one would be Old Master Shi, her father, and not the Zhai family.

  Even so, Old Master Shi could not stand Qi Minlan being a social butterfly and surrounding herself with so many men.

  Old Master Shi would never allow such a woman into his family.

  Initially, Old Master Shi had thought that the Zhai family had brought a countryside bumpkin to keep Qi Minlan and the Shi family in check because of Qi Minlan’s situation.

  Now that he knew that the Zhai family had chased Miao Jing away for his daughter’s sake, Old Master Shi couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a misunderstanding.

  That was true. Everyone was different. He minded, but that didn’t mean that the Zhai family would mind.

  Minlan was his own daughter, and if he as a father didn’t see anything wrong with it, there was no reason for him to be worried about it, especially since the Zhai family didn’t take it to heart either.

  That being said, the past was the past. There was no point in bringing it up.

  But if Qi Minlan really wanted to get married to Zhai Yaohui, she had better end those relationships.

  Old Master Shi might not be able to guess the Zhai family’s requirements of Qi Minlan before marriage, but he was sure he wouldn’t be wrong about their expectations after marriage.

  Unless they were crazy, they would never allow their daughter-in-law to spend all her time with male friends outside.

  “Alright, I know that you don’t like hearing these things either. Anyway, you’d better remember not to let this situation happen again. If you do it again, the Zhai family might take issue with it now even if they didn’t in the past. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  She wasn’t a fool.

  Even without her dad’s reminder, she wouldn’t commit the same mistake again.

  She had been upset and furious for quite a while after learning that Uncle Zhai had forced her dad out of his position.

  Now that the situation had finally taken a turn for the better, there was no way she was going to let such a good opportunity go to waste.

  She had already thought it through. She would either get married to someone as brilliant as Zhai Yaohui or remain single her whole life.

  She was good friends with Lanlan, and she had already agreed to let Lanlan be a bridesmaid at her wedding with Zhai Yaohui and to find Lanlan a good partner.

  She had already made a promise. If she couldn’t even keep that promise, she had better not attend any of her friends’ gatherings in the future.

  “Alright, go on to the Zhai family’s house. You know how much Old Zhai and Zhai Yaohui care about your Auntie Zhai. When you’re there, don’t try to explain yourself. Just do your best to coax your Auntie Zhai.”

  Auntie Zhai was the Zhai family’s soft spot. Coaxing her was more effective than completing a hundred other tasks.

  “Dad, I know.” She wasn’t a three-year-old kid. There was no need for her dad to repeat his words over and over again.

  The father and daughter chatted for a long while before Qi Minlan finally left and headed to the Zhai family’s house joyfully to knock on their door.

  Coincidentally, the one who had opened the door was Zhai Yaohui, who had just returned.

  Even though Qi Minlan knew that this was only a coincidence, this made Qi Minlan feel like Zhai Yaohui had been waiting for her and had specially been waiting to open the door for her.

  With that thought in mind, Qi Minlan blushed, realizing that she liked Zhai Yaohui even more now. “Brother Zhai, why didn’t you tell me that you’re back?”

  Actually, what Qi Minlan wanted to ask was why Zhai Yaohui didn’t look for her or ask her out on a date now that he was back.

  “Why are you here?”

  “I’m here to see Auntie Zhai.”

  Hearing that Qi Minlan was here to see his mom, Zhai Yaohui could only take a step back and allow her in. “Mom, Qi Minlan is here to see you.”

  “Brother Zhai, it hasn’t been long since we met. Why are you addressing me by my full name? You can just call me Minlan.” There was no need to be that polite.

  Zhai Yaohui gave no response but simply yelled for his mom. “I’m sorry. Have a seat and have some tea. I’ll go get my mom.”

  “Why don’t I go with you? Auntie isn’t in the best of health. Could she be feeling unwell? If that’s the case, we’d better send her to the hospital.”

  She wasn’t going to wait there alone foolishly.