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

Alcohol has the power to unlock the deepest secrets of people's hearts.

"Brother..."

An Jianxing was clearly drunk; his face was flushed, his eyes were glazed over, but he was very excited.

With one arm around Ye Guoqiang's shoulder, and the other hand gesturing about something else, he slurred his words, finally blurting them out in a drunken rush:

"I...I want to tell you...my heart is...choked with grief...I'm so sorry to my daughter...I'm such a bad father...I didn't do a good job...I didn't protect her..."

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice trembling, and in the end, he even cried.

Ye Guoqiang, standing beside him, was also flushed from drinking, but his eyes were still relatively clear, though his movements were a beat slower than usual. He didn't push An Jianxing away, nor did he say anything to comfort him; he just listened quietly, occasionally taking a sip from his glass.

"My daughter...so young...and suffered like that...I regret it so much...I'm so damn remorseful...I'm so damn..."

An Jianxing blinked hard, trying to force back his tears, but it didn't seem to work and they still flowed out.

"Old An."

Shen Jingwan interrupted him, glancing at her daughter whose eyes were already red and Ye Shu, whose brows were slightly furrowed:

"Alright, why bring this up now? The kids are all here."

It was indeed the first time An Suxue had ever seen her father cry. Her nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She gripped her dress tightly under the table with both hands.

Ye Shu looked at An Jianxing, who usually seemed a bit unserious, now crying like a child, and then at An Suxue beside him, who was holding back her tears with her head down. He felt genuinely uncomfortable. He didn't say anything, but quietly took An Suxue's hand.

An Jianxing seemed to sober up after Shen Jingwan's words. He was stunned for a moment, then casually wiped his face, removing his tears and snot, and grinned.

"...I'm not going to say anymore, I'm not going to say anymore..."

He muttered to himself, propped himself up on Ye Guoqiang's shoulders, sat up straight, and leaned back in his chair.

He looked at his daughter across from him, unsure if he could even see her clearly now, but still slurred:

"But it's okay now..."

As An Jianxing spoke, he pointed at Ye Shu:

"Ye Shu is such a good kid... I really like him... I'm really at ease with him!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Ye Guoqiang's hand again. Because he pulled too hard, Ye Guoqiang was jerked and almost lost his grip on the wine glass.

An Jianxing gripped Ye Guoqiang's hands tightly with both hands, patted them twice forcefully, and swirled his tongue around:

"Brother! You raised a good son... I... I thank you! Don't worry! From now on, Ye Shu... he's my son too! I'll definitely... treat him like my own son... I... ugh."

Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. He released Ye Guoqiang's hand, covered his mouth, and bent over as if he was about to vomit.

"Old An!"

Shen Jingwan walked over and patted him on the back. An Jianxing waved his hand, and after a while, he raised his head, his face even redder, and let out a long sigh:

"No...it's nothing, I just drank too fast..."

After saying that, he reached for the wine bottle again and said to Ye Guoqiang:

"Brother, come on... let's... let's drink again..."

"Brother."

Ye Guoqiang finally spoke, reaching out to press down on An Jianxing's hand, which was swaying and spilling wine onto the table. An Jianxing was no longer able to aim at the rim of the glass.

"Let's call it a day. We've already had quite a bit to drink. The sentiment is enough."

"without!"

An Jianxing stiffened his neck and even raised his hand forcefully, trying to prove that he was alright:

"I'm not drunk! I... I've only had a little bit! I can still drink..."

"Old An!"

Shen Jingwan's voice became much more serious as she spoke:

"Brother Ye, you're not drinking anymore. Listen to me, don't drink anymore, or you'll really feel unwell. Get up, I'll help you upstairs to rest."

An Jianxing turned his head, squinted, and stared at Shen Jingwan for several seconds before recognizing her as his wife.

Then he jumped up, his face flushed red, chest puffed out, raised his right hand, and gave Shen Jingwan a quick salute.

"Yes, sir! I guarantee... I'll complete the mission!"

No one expected him to pull this stunt. Ye Shu frowned and grinned as he looked at Uncle An, who had just been being sentimental, and was speechless for a moment.

An Suxue forgot to cry and stared blankly at her father.

Ye Guoqiang lowered his head, his lips twitched, and he quickly picked up the tea and took a sip.

Shen Jingwan was both annoyed and amused by his behavior, and grabbed his arm:

"Nonsense! Hurry up and come upstairs with me!"

An Suxue also realized what was happening, quickly got up from the other side, took An Jianxing's other arm, and whispered:

"dad……"

An Jianxing was being supported by two men as he walked forward. He turned around, saw his daughter, let out a drunken hiccup, and then chuckled foolishly.

"Oh...my daughter...hehe...my precious daughter...she's so good..."

Shen Jingwan supported An Jianxing, helping him move out while saying to Ye Guoqiang:

"Brother Ye, I'm so sorry, my husband is always like this when he drinks too much. You should go to the guest room and rest."

After saying that, she turned to Ye Shu and said:

"Xiao Shu, take your dad to rest. The room is all ready, it's the first one on the left on the second floor."

Ye Shu quickly stood up and replied:

"Okay, Aunt Shen."

Ye Shu looked at his father, who was still sitting there drinking tea, and asked:

"Are you drunk?"

Ye Guoqiang put down his teacup, glanced at Ye Shu, then stood up, swaying slightly, and said:

"That's a bit too much; this alcohol is quite strong."

Ye Shu helped his father slowly upstairs to the second floor and into the guest room. The bed was already made, and the quilts looked like they were freshly aired.

Ye Guoqiang seemed to be under the influence of alcohol; he swayed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Dad, why don't you lie down and get some sleep?"

"Wait a minute."

Ye Guoqiang waved his hand and patted the spot next to him:

"Sit down, I have a few words to say to you."

Ye Shu's heart skipped a beat. "Something to say?" What was it? Was his father about to confront him? Had he changed his mind?

He sat down beside him, a little nervous, and asked:

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Ye Guoqiang didn't rush to speak, staring at his son's face for a long time, making Ye Shu increasingly uneasy. After a while, he finally spoke, asking a question:

"I'm asking you, do you really like that girl? An Suxue, and... her other... circumstances. Are you truly sincere, have you thought it through, and want to be with her?"

Ye Guoqiang had asked him this question once before, back in his hometown. But at that time, Ye Shu hadn't figured it out yet; he was confused, and the answer was hidden in his worries about the future, unable to be expressed.

But this time, Ye Shu answered without any hesitation, meeting his father's gaze:

"Yes, Dad, I really like her. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; I've made up my mind to be with her and with them."

After listening, Ye Guoqiang stared at him for a few more seconds, then nodded slightly and hummed in agreement. He reached up and rubbed his temples, as if he had a headache from drinking too much.

"That's fine then. You go out and have some fun. I... I'll take a nap... I drank a bit too much today..."

As he spoke, he lay down on the bed, his words becoming increasingly indistinct.

That's...that's it?

There was no long talk as I had imagined, no nagging instructions, no warnings, not even an "I agree," just a simple "That's fine" and that was it?

Ye Shu was still feeling uneasy, caught in a state of unease. Seeing his father about to fall asleep with his eyes closed, he finally couldn't help but ask:

"Dad, so you mean... you agree? You don't object to me being with Xiaoxue and the others?"

Ye Guoqiang lay on the bed, reached out and pulled the blanket over his stomach, his eyes still closed, and said as if talking in his sleep:

"When did I say I disagreed?"

After Ye Guoqiang finished speaking, he seemed to sigh softly, and then he said, as if in a daze:

"You've always been obedient and easy to manage. Back when your mother was alive... I told her... if there's anything you'd ever turn against me for... I reckon it's getting married..."

His voice grew softer and more indistinct as he spoke:

"...That girl...is a good child. It's just that she's had a hard life, suffered a lot...it hasn't been easy for her. Since you chose her, you have to treat her well...you can't bully her, you can't...let her down..."

After Ye Guoqiang finished speaking, he immediately started snoring and fell asleep.

With a thud, the huge weight that had been hanging over Ye Shu's heart finally lifted. A surge of excitement and joy instantly filled every corner of her heart.

He stood up and tiptoed outside; he had only one thought in mind.

He wanted to see her immediately, to tell An Suxue right away, and to see what expression would appear on her face when she heard the news.

Is it a surprise? A sense of relief? Or will I burst into tears?

He wanted to hold her tightly and tell her that everything was alright, and that they could walk hand in hand on the road ahead with greater confidence.