The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

When Ye Shu returned to her room, the faint fragrance of Xiao Nuan lingered in her arms, along with the words, "I will always be with you."

He stood in front of the bed and took a deep breath, feeling as nervous as if he were about to go to the execution ground.

Running away won't solve the problem. Now that Aunt Shen has spoken up, we have to get past this hurdle in our own family, no matter what.

Furthermore, if we're going to be together, we should be clear and transparent about it, not vague or ambiguous. Before, the situation wasn't settled, but now that the relationship is established, keeping it a secret would be irresponsible to everyone.

Ye Shu's stubborn streak resurfaced.

I must be honest, I have to be honest and tell my family the truth about their situation. As for how my father will react, what my family's attitude will be... that's a matter for later. I can only take it one step at a time.

I glanced at the time on my phone: 9:40. My dad is usually still awake at this hour, either drinking tea and reading the news or tinkering with his plants.

I found the word "Dad" in the contact list, gritted my teeth, and dialed the number.

The phone beeped, each beep making him more nervous. After about four or five beeps, the call connected.

The sound coming from the other end wasn't as quiet as I'd imagined; it was rather noisy, as if several people were talking and laughing.

"Feed? Little Shu."

My father's voice came through, strong and clear, though his slurred speech suggested he'd been drinking.

"Dad, you're not home? Why is it so noisy?"

"She's home. Xiao Tao just got home and is eating. Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"

When Ye Shu heard that everyone was eating at home, she felt that it wasn't the right time to talk about this in front of so many people.

But he had to say it sooner or later, and besides, Aunt Shen was still waiting for a reply, so he had to bite the bullet and speak up.

"Dad, well, I've started dating someone. It's that girl who came to our house last time, Zhi Qiu, you remember her, right?"

"Yes, I remember. The little girl was quite polite. And then?"

The old man's tone didn't change much. In the background noise, Ye Shu vaguely heard his aunt asking, "Is that Xiao Shu on the phone?"

Ye Shu was a little nervous and gripped her phone tightly.

"Then...then her parents called me today. They wanted to ask when it would be convenient for you to come to Nancheng. They want to meet you formally."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone; it seemed as if even the voices of the other people in the background had lowered.

Ye Shu didn't dare to speak, waiting for her father's reaction. Was he surprised? Did he think it was too fast? Or something else?

"Okay, I got it. I'll have Xiaotao book a ticket for me later, and I'll head over in the next couple of days."

This went too smoothly; Ye Shu didn't need to use a single one of the many excuses she had prepared.

"Dad, there's no need to be in such a hurry."

Because things were going too smoothly for his father, Ye Shu felt uncomfortable and tried to slow down the pace.

But Dad said on the phone:

"Why aren't we in a hurry? The parents brought it up themselves, which means they value you and it's also a matter of courtesy. We can't drag our feet and seem insincere, like we're putting on airs."

On the phone, Ye Shu seemed to hear her aunt say, "That child is quite good, I like him very much."

Ye Shu's father nodded twice to someone, then spoke again:

"Is there anything else? If not, I'll hang up now, I'm still eating..."

"Hey! Dad, wait a minute."

Ye Shu quickly stopped him, because the most crucial part hadn't been said yet; what was about to be said was the key to this phone call.

"There's something else, Dad, it's about Zhi Qiu."

"Okay, go ahead."

Ye Shu took a deep breath, steadied himself, and then spoke:

"Zhi Qiu... her physical condition is a bit special. She has multiple personalities, it's like... well... you could say she's one person, but her mind is divided into four completely different people, who take turns appearing... you... do you understand what I mean?"

He was afraid his father wouldn't understand, so he explained it in simple terms.

Moreover, he spoke very quickly, as if afraid that if he slowed down, he wouldn't be able to continue.

On the other end of the phone, her father remained silent for a long time, with only the sound of Tang Xiaotao saying something and the television broadcast remaining.

Ye Shu felt incredibly nervous. He didn't know how his father would react, or whether he would object to him being with them.

Just as he was about to speak again, his father finally spoke, his voice unusually calm:

"Oh, about that? Okay, I understand."

Got it? That's it?

Ye Shu held her phone, momentarily stunned. Was her father misunderstanding? Had he not heard her clearly? Or... was he just too angry?

"dad."

Ye Shu had to find out the truth, because if he didn't find out what their attitude was, he wouldn't be able to sleep with this unease in his mind.

"Did you...did you hear what I just said? I meant, Zhi Qiu...her situation is rather special, she has multiple..."

"I heard it, I heard it."

His father interrupted his rambling:

"Yes, I already knew about this before I ate."

"What?!"

You knew? You knew before dinner? Who told him? How did you find out?

As Ye Shu held the phone, unsure of what to say, Tang Xiaotao's voice came from the other end:

"Hey, Mom, don't take it... Uncle, I'll talk to my brother."

Then, Tang Xiaotao's slightly guilty voice came through the phone:

"Brother, brother, it's me. Um... brother, please don't be angry! I really didn't mean to reveal your wife's situation! It was Mom and the others who kept asking, and I couldn't handle the pressure... so I just... revealed a tiny bit..."

She tried to speak softer, but then her voice suddenly rose again, as if she were trying to make amends, whispering into the phone:

"But don't worry, brother, I swear! I only said nice things to them! I introduced all my sisters-in-law to them, really! Uncle just said 'oh' after hearing that, and then he ate and drank as usual, and... didn't seem to have any major objections? Anyway, he wasn't angry!"

Ye Shu held the phone, listening to her sister chatter on the other end, her expression complex.

No wonder her father wasn't too surprised; it turned out that Tang Xiaotao, that little traitor, had leaked the information beforehand. But hearing how nervous she was, she really couldn't bring herself to be angry.

Fortunately, Dad's statement... didn't seem to have any major issues? He wasn't angry? He just said "oh"?

This didn't match the scenario he had mentally rehearsed beforehand. No questions, no objections, not even a single extra inquiry—he just accepted it like that? At least that's how it appeared on the surface...

Ye Shu leaned against the wardrobe, feeling somewhat more relaxed.

"Feed? Bro? Bro, are you still listening? Don't be mad at me, I really didn't mean it..."

Hearing Tang Xiaotao calling him from the other end, Ye Shu smiled. He wasn't really angry. Because this unspoken understanding was bound to be revealed sooner or later, and tonight he was going all in.

What if I chicken out tonight? Am I just supposed to keep this a secret forever? Am I just supposed to let them cooperate and keep it from my family?

That can't be done; that would be irresponsible to them. He didn't want to rely on Zhi Qiu to cover for them every time they came home, or for someone else to impersonate Zhi Qiu. That wouldn't be fair to the others. He rubbed his temples.

"Xiaotao, I understand, it's not your fault. My dad... he really didn't say anything?"

"He didn't say anything! He just asked how I was. I said I was great, even better to you, and he didn't ask anything else."

After she finished speaking, it seemed like someone was talking to Tang Xiaotao:

"Okay, brother, Uncle asked me to tell you that he'll call you tomorrow once he confirms the time, and ask you to pick him up at the station."

"Okay, I understand."

"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now, bye-bye bro."

After saying that, Tang Xiaotao hung up the phone without waiting for Ye Shu's reply.

Ye Shu put down her phone and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Dad found out, and he even knew beforehand. And his reaction was so calm. But beneath that calm, did he truly understand? Or was he just keeping it to himself, planning to tell him after they met?

He looked at the ceiling and sighed.

One must always take things one step at a time. Getting past my father is the first step. I'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow...