Ye Zhen got a headache from hearing the aunts loudly going back and forth about domestic trifles.

  Ye Zhen didn’t respond much to these unfamiliar relatives. She casually nodded and made a few noncommittal sounds. Fortunately, Father Ye soon came to the table to fetch her. He wanted her and Lu Beichuan to cut the cake.

  ***

  During the banquet, Father Ye had gotten drunk and kept saying, “Ah, my good son-in-law, my good son-in-law.” He was walking on clouds from everyone fawning over him. Who knows how many times he had patted his chest and guaranteed favors?

  ***

  Mother Ye held her older daughter’s hand and quietly asked her, “How did it go?”


  Mother Ye had spent several days talking to Ye Qing before persuading her to apologize to Ye Zhen.

  Mother Ye knew that her older daughter had a stubborn temperament, and it had taken a lot of persuading to get her to agree to apologize. Even though Ye Qing would feel wronged, it was better than having Ye Zhen become her enemy in the future.

  “Mom, don’t worry. I already…… apologized to Ye Zhen.”


  Mother Ye looked at her in distress. “That must have been hard on you.”


  Ye Qing showed a faint smile. She comforted her mother by saying, “I’m okay. I’m willing to do anything as long as Zhenzhen will reconcile with us.”


  She said these words as if she had been horribly wronged. She put on a brave smile with tears in her eyes as if she was enduring a great injustice. Seeing her older daughter like this, Mother Ye felt even worse for her. She tightened her grip on her daughter’s hand.

  ***

  For Lu Beichuan, the other guests at the banquet were insignificant people, so he didn’t chat long with them. Concerned about Ye Zhen’s health, he took her away after they had mingled with the guests and the main part of the banquet had concluded.

  On the way home, Lu Beichuan told Ye Zhen every big and small thing that had ever occurred between him and Shen Weiyin. There hadn’t been anything special going on between him and Shen Weiyin. They merely saw each other occasionally because their grandfathers were friends. He didn’t have the tiniest bit of interest in Shen Weiyin.

  Ye Zhen naturally already knew this. In the novel, Lu Beichuan was practically an ascetic monk when it came to his lack of interest in women. Other than Ye Qing, no women ever caught his interest, seriously or otherwise.

  “Mr. Lu, you’re such an excellent man. It’s very normal that you would have a few admirers. Don’t worry, I’m very magnanimous. I won’t get jealous about that sort of thing.” Ye Zhen slyly looked at him and said, “I’m actually very curious what you think of Ye Qing.”


  Lu Beichuan’s brow deeply furrowed. He didn’t understand why Ye Zhen would suddenly mention Ye Qing.

  From the time that he had woken up from his coma to now, he barely had any interactions with Ye Qing. How could he have any thoughts about her?

  Ye Zhen’s behavior was strange. When they talked about Shen Weiyin, she seemed to genuinely not care at all. But, when she mentioned Ye Qing, it was as if she was facing a formidable foe.

  Lu Beichuan indifferently said, “She’s the type to seek short term-benefits. That’s the only thought I have about her.”


  Ye Zhen carefully thought over his words. Yes, he was right.

  Although she didn’t know why Ye Qing was so different from her book counterpart, since she had transmigrated here, Ye Qing had been acting like someone that couldn’t think beyond short-term benefits. Even a slightly clever person, much less an astute person like Lu Beichuan, would be able to see right through Ye Qing’s bad intentions.

  Ye Zhen pensively thought about the novel’s Ye Qing.

  In the novel, Ye Qing was beautiful, clever, kind-hearted, and generous. She had bone-deep pride, but she wasn’t arrogant. Perhaps, she was the type of woman that the novel’s Lu Beichuan liked.

  As for now……

  “Mr. Lu, what kind of woman do you like?”


  Lu Beichuan closely looked at her and lightly said, “I like a kind-hearted and clever woman that isn’t spoiled.”


  T/N: Are Ye Qing and her mom really that delusional that they think one insincere apology makes up for everything they’ve done?