Xu Tingsheng was given half a day’s buffer as he was checked and ‘analysed’ by the specialists as he also got to sleep after that.

  The next day, the courts of family, relatives and friends awaited him.

  Xu Tingsheng said utterly shamelessly, “What a real happy occasion, me waking up. How about we celebrate for a couple of days first?”


  Mr Xu coughed, ignoring him as he turned towards Little Xiang Ning and said, “Well, young lady, how about you go home first?”


  Little Xiang Ning shook her head, saying, “I can see that you guys are going to scold him. Scold me too then. It’s all my fault.”


  In her mind, Xu Tingsheng had wrongfully suffered and tolerated so much to get her parents to agree to their relationship. Now that it was her turn to face her in-laws, Little Xiang Ning would naturally not falter and shrink back.

  Her innocent, pitiful eyes were so resolute as she looked at Mr and Mrs Xu, her mouth pursed as it was as if she was ready to burst into tears at any moment.

  Mr and Mrs Xu exchanged glances. Despite not having done anything at all yet, it already felt like they were great villains, the villainous in-laws to be precise.

  “Tingsheng, you’ve got to at least tell us what this is about, right? You almost died, you know,” Mr Xu said to his son.

  Xu Tingsheng very much felt like yelling loudly, “Ah, I’m fainting again!”


  Yet, it seemed like it would be very unchivalrous of him to leave Little Xiang Ning in the lurch.

  “Okay, well……” Xu Tingsheng was going to fabricate a story which began from the time when he had skipped classes in twelfth grade and left his school. He could narrate how Little Xiang Ning had so very kindly helped him out of goodwill when he had fainted dead by the roadside due to hunger……

  In the end, he did not even get a chance to do so.

  “It’s probably because he listened to you that this happened. That’s why you can’t blame him,” Little Xiang Ning said as she secretly squeezed Xu Tingsheng’s wrist to get him to play along.

  “Listened to us?” Mrs Xu asked in puzzlement.

  “That’s right, Auntie. Remember that time back in his office, at the training institute? When you saw me, you said I have Fuxi bones, highest grade under the heavens. Then Uncle said: what, you want to take her as your daughter-in-law? ……At that time, me and Mr Xu were right outside.”


  Little Xiang Ning argued eloquently, insinuating that it was clearly Xu Tingsheng’s parents who had instigated him to hit on her, and so how could they be blaming him now?

  Husband and wife discussed this in a low tone and realised that something like this did indeed seem to have happened.

  They directed their gazes at Xu Tingsheng, awaiting his answer.

  “That’s right, that’s how it was,” Xu Tingsheng said firmly.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly intend it at first. Actually, I just found it interesting at the time. But as time went on, I came to learn more and more good things about her, just how great she is. Then, unknowingly……it’s really just a five years age difference. That won’t matter in a few years.”


  Having already decided to be shameless till the end, Xu Tingsheng built up on this with that partial tale he had fabricated, bringing their first meeting back to when he had skipped classes in twelfth grade. With that, he reinforced the notion of ‘fate’ existing between them.

  Little Xiang Ning did not even blink as she nodded in agreement, indicating that his words were indeed true.

  Xu Tingsheng very much wanted to add, “Mum, this is the daughter-in-law you were constantly nagging me to go look for but I dared not look up for a whole three years in my previous life. In that case, shouldn’t you grab on to her and not let go now that she’s right in front of you?”


  In his previous life, his mother and Xiang Ning had once had a brief encounter.

  Mrs Xu whispered something to Mr Xu, tugging at his arm.

  Actually, there was one aspect in which she was very similar to Mrs Xiang, maybe even surpassed her. They were both superstitious people.

  She had been the first one to notice that Little Xiang Ning possessed inborn Fuxi bones.

  “Tingsheng’s Dad, do you remember when Tingsheng changed all of a sudden?” Mrs Xu enquired, “If I remember correctly, he fled school to play for a few days, and when he had returned, you told me ‘the child’s grown up’, right?”


  Mr Xu thought about it and replied, “I think so. I was even called to the school then.”


  “Isn’t that right?” Mrs Xu asked, “Afterwards, be it him becoming sensible and doing well in the university entrance examinations or our family rising up so quickly……why do you think this is so?”


  “Mmm?”


  “Because of the Fuxi bones! After our Tingsheng encountered them, our fates veered towards wealth and fortune. Didn’t he just say that it was on that very trip that he met this young lady? Well, after that……you can see what happened for yourself.”


  Mr Xu was rendered somewhat confused by Mrs Xu’s abstruse explanation and unable to immediately accept it.

  Still, the sudden change in Xu Tingsheng and the Xu family’s sudden rise to prominence, considered from their first bucket of gold and producing a top scholar till now, was itself extremely abstruse and undecipherable in the first place. No other explanation seemed anywhere close to being able to explain this.

  “Could it really be?” Mr Xu wondered aloud.

  “I’m sure that’s basically it. Come, let’s talk outside.”


  Mrs Xu dragged Mr Xu out of the room. It seemed they had survived the first trial just like that.

  Huang Yaming and the other guys entered.

  “Woah, beast……” Huang Yaming said.

  The others laughed, taking delight in his unfortunate plight.

  “What’s the age difference between you and Sis Qing, Tan Yao?” Xu Tingsheng launched a preemptive strike, first targeting Tan Yao.

  “Nine, or maybe ten……” Tan Yao answered.

  “What right do you have to judge me then? No, disqualified,” After vanquishing the first, Xu Tingsheng turned towards Fu Cheng, smiling at him, “Oh, Fu Cheng, must we be so overt?”


  “Seven,” Fu Cheng smiled, “Fine, I’ll shut up.”


  Huang Yaming looked left and right before he crowed triumphantly, “Hey, looks like there’s nothing holding me back……”


  Little Xiang Ning tugged on Xu Tingsheng’s wrist, eyeing Huang Yaming as she complained, “When you were unconscious, this person was so fierce to me. He even asked me to get lost……”


  Telling on him? And looking so very pitiful too.

  Huang Yaming was distressed. Bullying a young girl, and his future (elder) sister-in-law at that……

  While Xu Tingsheng could basically guess how Huang Yaming must have been feeling at the time, he still deliberately put on a grave expression and asked, “Really, what should be done about this?”


  Huang Yaming decisively straightened himself and bowed deeply, “I’m sorry, sister-in-law!”


  Now it was Little Xiang Ning’s turn to feel distressed. She had never met anyone half as shameless as this before.

  “It’s, it’s fine. I know you were just worried about him. Also, it really was my fault too,” Little Xiang Ning incoherently replied.

  Then there was only Fang Yuqing left.

  Xu Tingsheng looked at him.

  “If even sexuality isn’t a problem,” Fang Yuqing laughed, “What does age matter?”


  In other words: Hey, I’m already able to accept my sister, much less you?

  The second trial was also not that hard to pass.

  Xu Tingsheng wanted to give Little Xiang Ning a high-five.

  Yet, if there came a third trial which consisted of Xu Qiuyi, Song Ni, Apple and his junior Wu Yuewei……

  “It could literally prove fatal……if they don’t say anything, I’ll feel guilty to death. But if they let something slip, I probably won’t be able to explain things to Little Xiang Ning……”


  Xu Tingsheng was on tenterhooks.

  Huang Yaming went and surveyed the area outside before coming back and reporting, “The four girls are out shopping.”


  Xu Tingsheng heaved a sigh of relief, thinking: So they intend to let me go with this?

  “Right, I saw Sis Apple,” Little Xiang Ning said.

  “Gah……”


  “Sis Apple told me yesterday that when you’re better and before school begins for me, she’ll take me to Yanjing to watch an award ceremony for music. She’ll definitely win a prize, and I’ll be able to see many celebrities too. I’m so happy! Sis Yuewei also said that she can take me to Qingbei University to play. When my Mum and Dad heard that she was a big sis from Qingbei University, they very happily agreed. Xu Tingsheng, will you also be going together with us?”


  Xu Tingsheng broke out in a cold sweat as he thought: Oi……Apple, Wu Yuewei, which nerve of yours is connected wrong? Shouldn’t you be hurt and grieving and angry and resentful? What exactly are you trying to do?