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

As soon as Ye Shu got out of the car at the hotel entrance, he saw Ye Guoqiang already waiting for him on the steps.

He was carrying a large travel bag, and when he saw Ye Shu get out of the car, he came over to greet her.

But when he saw Xia Qing getting off the bus with Ye Shu, his eyes clearly widened in surprise.

Xia Qing was dressed in a neutral black casual outfit as usual, her hair combed back, looking like a slicked-back style when the wind blew it. Perhaps feeling it would be impolite, she wasn't wearing her large sunglasses, but her overall demeanor was still cool and confident, completely different from An Suxue who had desperately tried to hide behind Ye Shu yesterday.

Although Ye Guoqiang knew what was going on, the shock of such a stark contrast genuinely stunned him for a moment.

If they didn't look exactly alike, Ye Guoqiang would have really thought his son had changed partners.

Ye Guoqiang suffered a blow here, and Xia Qing wasn't much better off.

She tried her best to stand like a proper young lady, but found that her hands and feet seemed to be out of her control. Her usual flamboyance had vanished without a trace, leaving only nervousness.

Looking at the middle-aged man she had met once before, she felt her throat tighten. All the words she had practiced in the taxi were now stuck in her throat, leaving her standing there, staring at Ye Guoqiang.

Ye Shu looked at his bewildered father, then at Xia Qing who was so nervous she was almost having a seizure, and quickly went over to smooth things over:

"Dad, this is... Xia Qing."

He didn't explain much, believing his father would understand.

Ye Guoqiang nodded, looked the girl up and down, and simply said "okay" twice.

Hearing Ye Guoqiang speak, Xia Qing took a deep breath and took a small step forward. This step brought her closer to Ye Guoqiang, and also made her more nervous.

"Uncle, hello, my name is Xia Qing. Um... I'm your son's girlfriend... I..."

The moment she uttered the words "girlfriend," her face flushed red. She herself seemed to realize that what she had said sounded a little awkward.

Because she was too nervous and eager to impress Ye Guoqiang, her body acted faster than her brain, and she formally extended her right hand towards Ye Guoqiang.

The situation seemed even more awkward.

Ye Guoqiang was a little confused as he looked at Xia Qing's hand. Should he shake hands with his future daughter-in-law?

Shaking hands... that's a bit inappropriate.

Don't shake hands... Don't let the girl think she's not interested in you...

Ye Shu looked at Xia Qing's right hand, which had been bravely sacrificed, and then at her expression, which clearly showed that she had realized how abrupt her actions had been. But since her hand had already been extended, it wouldn't be good to just pull it back, so she could only freeze in mid-air.

He quickly reached out and grabbed Xia Qing's right hand, then gently let go, quickly changing the subject:

"Dad, why did you bring this big bag down? Couldn't you have left it in the hotel room? We need to carry it to Uncle An's house later."

Upon hearing his son's question, Ye Guoqiang quickly turned the tide and avoided an awkward situation.

"Oh, this. I've already met and had a meal with your Uncle An and Aunt Shen, and the important business is done. I'm thinking of taking the bus back this afternoon. Your grandma is still at home. Although your aunt is looking after her, I've been here all day, and I'm still a little worried."

Ye Shu understood that her father was worried about her grandmother, and also felt bad that her father was staying in such a nice hotel, which wasn't cheap and was entirely paid for by the An family. Having already met and talked with them, she didn't want to trouble them any further, nor did she want to spend any more of their money.

"Ah... I was thinking of showing you around the city since you've come all this way. Well... let's get in the car and head to Uncle An's house."

The group got into a taxi, and Ye Guoqiang took the passenger seat, leaving the back for the young couple.

Xia Qing sat dejectedly next to Ye Shu, looking like a wilted eggplant, radiating an aura of defeat.

Her carefully prepared formal meeting started off so awkwardly. She'd even completely forgotten to bring out the gift she'd prepared because of her nervousness!

She turned to look at Ye Shu, her lips curling downwards, her eyes conveying a multitude of meanings, but the central thought was simply, "It's over," "I messed up," and "I've lost face big time..."

Ye Shu looked at her like this, smiled at her, and quietly reached out to gently hold Xia Qing's hand.

He originally intended to offer some words of comfort.

Xia Qing, whether she misunderstood or was simply venting her anger, pinched the back of Ye Shu's hand with her fingernail when Ye Shu held her hand.

Caught off guard, Ye Shu almost cried out. He bared his teeth, widened his eyes, and stared at the perpetrator, whispering, "..."

What are you doing?

After pinching him, Xia Qing felt a little guilty looking at Ye Shu's accusing eyes. She turned her head and looked out the window as if nothing had happened, leaving Ye Shu with only the back of her head that said, "I don't care, I'm just not happy."

However, the hand that Ye Shu was holding did not pull back; instead, it gently squeezed back.

The taxi arrived at the An family's door, and as soon as it stopped, the iron gate opened automatically. An Jianxing and Shen Jingwan, a married couple, came out one after the other, beaming with smiles.

"Hey bro, you're here!"

An Jianxing quickened his pace, and as he approached, he saw Ye Guoqiang take a large travel bag out of the back of the taxi and asked:

"Hey bro, what's going on?"

Ye Guoqiang shook hands with An Jianxing and smiled憨厚ly:

"Brother, here's the thing. I've met with you and your wife, and we had a good chat. We've pretty much finished with the important matters, so I plan to take the bus back this afternoon."

The group exchanged pleasantries, essentially repeating what Ye Shu and Ye Guoqiang had just said.

On the other side, Ye Shu paid the fare and had just closed the car door when she felt an itch in her nose.

"Achoo!"

Another sneeze. Ye Shu rubbed her nose and muttered something under her breath:

"That's strange, I keep sneezing today... Which little girl is talking about me?"

This was a catchphrase he used when he was in school. His dorm was a "monk's dorm," with four people in one room, none of whom had a partner. So when one of them sneezed, the others would say, "Which girl is talking about you?" It was a kind of nice wish, I suppose.

Ye Shu was just saying it casually out of habit, but the speaker meant no harm, while the listener took it to heart.

Especially since the listener was Xia Qing, who was already a little annoyed and knew all too well that her boyfriend was a womanizer.

As for the phrase "attracting bees and butterflies," Ye Shu only learned much later that Xia Qing was dating him and actually thought that way, and he even asked her about it.

Xia Qing's explanation is:

"Aren't you going to attract all the ladies? You've managed to snag all four of us at once, have I wronged you?"

Now that An Jianxing and his wife have brought Ye Guoqiang inside, only the two of them remain at the door. Xia Qing's initial restraint has naturally disappeared, and her slightly domineering aura immediately returns.

"Um?"

A dangerous nasal voice sounded in Ye Shu's ear, and the next second, an arm wrapped around his neck and hooked him down.

Ye Shu could only bend down and rest her face on Xia Qing's shoulder.

Xia Qing turned her head to look at Ye Shu's face, then pinched his chin with her other hand, forcefully turning his face to look directly at her.

The two were very close, and Xia Qing's breathing was very clear.

Xia Qing hooked her arm around Ye Shu's neck again, making him bend over a little more so that she could look down at him.

The small gift bag hanging on her wrist swayed slightly; inside were gifts that she and Ye Shu had chosen for Ye Guoqiang.

"Which girl do you want to talk about you?"

She asked again, raising an eyebrow at Ye Shu and tightening her grip on his chin slightly.

Well, we've run into the line of fire.

Ye Shu immediately backed down, her survival instinct kicking in:

"Of course it's you, little girl, who's been talking about me! Who else could it be but you?"

Although this trick was clumsy, Xia Qing fell for it.

She snorted, satisfied with the answer. She released Ye Shu's jaw and neck, and patted Ye Shu's shoulder with a hint of disdain.

"I can't be bothered to nag you. You must have caught a cold last night. You deserve it."

Xia Qing said he deserved it, but her hands were busy helping Ye Shu adjust his collar.

"Xiao Qing".

Shen Jingwan's slightly reproachful voice came from behind. She had come back to check on the two children when she noticed they hadn't kept up. She ended up witnessing her daughter bullying her future son-in-law.

"Honestly, what kind of behavior is this for a girl?"

Shen Jingwan wasn't really angry, but she felt a little helpless because her daughter was so unreserved.

"Xiao Shu, are you dressed too lightly? It's gotten colder these past few days, so be careful not to catch a cold. Come inside quickly."

Ye Shu smiled; this motherly care warmed his heart.

"Okay, Aunt Shen, I'm fine."

Watching her mother talk about her and show so much concern for Ye Shu, Xia Qing felt a pang of resentment. She pouted and said sourly:

"Mom, why don't you ever care whether your daughter is dressed lightly or not?"

Shen Jingwan was amused by her daughter's continued vying for attention despite being so old. She reached out and pinched Xia Qing's puffed-up cheek; it felt wonderful.

"Okay, Mom cares about you too. My daughter should wear more clothes too. You're such a grown-up, yet you're still acting like a little kid."

Xia Qing smiled smugly, grabbed Shen Jingwan's arm, and proudly raised her chin at Ye Shu, clearly saying, "See? My mom still loves me more."