The question she posed couldn’t be any more direct.

  Have I been in any prior relationship? Of course I have! I’ve even been married! If not for Li Jinnan, me and might ex-husband might not even be divorced at this moment! But, can those words be said? No!

  In that moment, Ye Youyou was at a loss of how to reply. She smiled faintly and replied, “Yes, Auntie.”


  Qin Shuhua felt a little disappointed when she heard that. She nodded her head and said, “That makes sense too. It’s normal for a lady in her 20s to have been in a relationship before. But, my dear Anan has never been in a relationship with any other girl before. All my children are like that. They’re so stubborn. Once they decide on someone, they hold on until the end. The fact that he’s with you means that he intends to spend the rest of his life with you. I know my child too well.”


  Ye Youyou nodded her head and responded, “I know Anan’s intentions.”


  Although she did know them, her heart was still undecided. The progress of their relationship was moving a little too fast!

  Is his mother here to discuss the details of a wedding?

  Ye Youyou had her suspicions and began to panic. She looked toward the inside instinctively, praying fervently that Li Jinnan would quickly emerge.

  Qin Shuhua grinned when she witnessed Ye Youyou’s reaction. “It’s good that you know. To be honest, I don’t have any objections toward young people being in a relationship. But, if they’re in a relationship, they have to be serious about each other. Don’t you agree?”


  What is she trying to say? Is she worried that I wouldn’t be dating Li Jinnan exclusively and break his heart?

  Ye Youyou cussed inwardly. On the surface, she had no choice but to agree with her. “You are right, Auntie.”


  “So, why did you break up with your previous boyfriend?” Qin Shuhua asked.

  What sort of question is that?

  Ye Youyou couldn’t exactly complain aloud. She gave it some thought. After considering her words, she replied, “He had other women.”


  Upon hearing the reply, Qin Shuhua resolve to cross-examine Ye Youyou suddenly lessened. Although she sympathized with the girl, she couldn’t help herself from feeling a little gleeful at her misfortune.

  “Those sorts of men are best forgotten,” she said. “There’s nothing good about such men. It’s good that you broke up with him early and didn’t get taken advantage of physically. That would have been horrible!”


  Her words made sense, but their underlying meaning were frightful. Ye Youyou broke out in a cold sweat.

  Isn’t her statement akin to asking about her first night? What a dark trap that was! It’s a good thing I caught on early. Otherwise, I would have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker!

  With a chuckle, Ye Youyou replied in the affirmative. “Yeah. It’s a good thing we broke off early.”


  Qin Shuhua was satisfied with her answer. Just as she was about to say something, she saw a joyous smile break out on Ye Youyou’s face. With that one look, she knew that Li Jinnan must have appeared. Indeed, when she turned her head, Li Jinnan was walking over at his own pace.

  He sat down beside Ye Youyou like it was the most natural thing for him to do, and asked, “What are you talking about?”


  “We were in the midst of some girl talk. Why did you have to come over?” Qin Shuhua glared at him.

  “Did I come at a bad time?” Li Jinnan chuckled. “Mom, have you had breakfast yet?”


  “No,” she replied. “When I left the house, Liu Sao hadn’t come yet, and it took me almost half an hour to reach here.”


  “I’ll make breakfast!” Ye Youyou immediately volunteered. “Auntie, please have a seat while I prepare something simple. I’ll be quick. Since my cooking isn’t too good, please be forgiving.”


  Regardless of whether Ye Youyou’s words of self-deprecation were real or not, they made Qin Shuhua feel good.

  Qin Shuhua smiled and nodded her head. “OK. Thank you, Youyou.”


  “Auntie, you’re being too courteous.” Ye Youyou stood up and quietly released a sigh of relief as she turned around.

  This encounter was proving to be so scary.