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

From the moment Qin Lili finished explaining how she met Xia Qing and the others, her eyes were fixed on Ye Shu's face, observing his expression.

Ye Shu was still holding the half-eaten chicken foot in his hand, but he didn't rush to respond or do anything like some people would instinctively dodge or force a smile when faced with such a warning look.

He simply met Qin Lili's gaze indifferently, still chewing on the meat on the chicken feet.

Qin Lili frowned slightly; she was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Shu's indifferent silence.

She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table. This posture made her seem even more intimidating, and when she spoke again, her voice was colder.

"Ye Shu, this is our first meeting today, and I don't know much about you. But I just heard from Xiao Qing that both of your parents have met. So, I won't say any of those pointless things like 'Are you after something from her family?' or 'Do you have ulterior motives?' It's beneath me to say such things."

She paused, observing Ye Shu's expression.

But Ye Shu just listened quietly, as if the conversation wasn't about him, while still gnawing on the chicken foot.

Qin Lili then changed the subject and said directly:

"However, there's something I have to say upfront. Ye Shu, I don't care who you are or what you think. If you dare to do anything to betray her, I'll make you regret it. I advise you not to try."

This is no longer a warning; it's a threat, a blatant threat. The viciousness and protectiveness in their words were completely undisguised.

She didn't care if she was being aggressive now, nor did she care what Ye Shu thought. She just wanted to draw a clear line, plain and simple.

After listening, Ye Shu still didn't speak immediately. He simply put the half chicken foot in his hand into the plate, wiped his hands with a tissue, and then took a sip of beer.

Are you angry?

To be honest, a little.

No one would feel comfortable being threatened like this by someone they've just met.

Ye Shu isn't made of clay; naturally, he has a temper too.

However, I can understand.

Qin Lili, this suddenly appearing older sister, all her hostility, scrutiny, and warnings ultimately stemmed from her concern for Xia Qing.

She was doing her part to provide an extra layer of insurance for the little sister she had watched grow up.

Xia Qing stood to the side, watching the two people in front of her suddenly turn cold.

On one side is Qin Lili, who treats her like a younger sister, and on the other side is Ye Shu, whom she loves very much and who loves her very much in return.

This sense of confrontation made her feel a little tense, a little warm, and a little inexplicably awkward, as if she were the one who had caused the conflict.

Seeing that neither of them moved, Xia Qing deliberately cleared her throat, sat up straighter, revealed a carefree smile, reached for her can of beer, and said loudly:

"Hey, what's going on here! We were just enjoying some drinks and food, and now it's like a negotiation! Come on, let's drink! The meat's getting cold!"

However, the two people opposite her seemed not to hear her words, and Qin Lili continued to stare at Ye Shu.

Ye Shuye maintained eye contact, neither backing down nor offering any further explanation.

Xia Qing's smile faltered, and she silently muttered to herself, "These two blockheads."

Under the table, she quietly kicked Ye Shu's leg and whispered his name:

"Ye Shu..."

"Um."

Ye Shu then shifted his gaze and turned to look at Xia Qing, who was winking at him.

He understood what Xia Qing meant, so he didn't say anything more. He simply picked up the can of beer in front of him, raised it towards Qin Lili, and then looked at her again. This time, his eyes held less resistance and more composure.

"Sister Lili, my greatest strength is that I listen to advice, especially reasonable advice. Besides..."

He glanced at Xia Qing, then returned to Qin Lili, adding:

"I can't bear to part with it either."

Qin Lili narrowed her eyes slightly, staring intently at Ye Shu's face to judge how much sincerity was in his words and how much was just polite talk.

She saw that Ye Shu's eyes remained calm, without any evasion or flattery; instead, they seemed to show a hint of disdain for her.

The aura that Qin Lili had maintained since they met was suddenly broken.

Well, after all, it was my little sister who chose this boyfriend herself. A little warning is enough. I can't really ruin the relationship and make things difficult for Xiao Qing.

Thinking of this, she grinned, revealing her first real smile of the night, and raised her beer towards Ye Shu's can.

After touching it, Qin Lili tilted her head back and took a big gulp, then smacked her lips and casually teased:

"Well, you're not intimidated. Tsk, I knew I should have quit and not stayed with the company. If I can't even scare this one person, how can I scare so many people to work for me?"

She said this to Ye Shu, and also to Xia Qing next to her, meaning "you've passed," and also to ease the tension from before.

Xia Qing breathed a sigh of relief, her face immediately lighting up with a smile. She quickly raised her beer can and joined in the fun, clinking it against the two of them.

"Lili, stop with the nonsense. Who are you trying to scare? Ye Shu is a scaredy-cat. Last time we went to the haunted house, he was so frightened he kept hiding in my arms. Don't scare him away! Let's drink! This duck neck is really good, Ye Shu, you should try it!"

As she spoke, she placed a piece of duck neck on Ye Shu's plate and then on Qin Lili's plate as well, bringing the conversation and atmosphere back to a relaxed and pleasant rhythm.

Ye Shu watched Xia Qing blinking frantically at him, but didn't expose her. Instead, he smiled and lowered his head to start gnawing on a duck neck.

Qin Lili leaned back in her chair, picked up a skewer of grilled rice cakes and started munching on it. However, the hostility she had shown in her occasional glances at Ye Shu had lessened considerably.

Xia Qing turned to Qin Lili and asked:

"By the way, Lili, where did you go? You must have visited a lot of fun places! Tell us about it!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Lili raised an eyebrow, crossed her legs, and gave a look that said, "You've finally got to the point."

"Where did they go? Lots of places!"

She began to talk on and on.

From the vast Gobi Desert in the Northwest to the mysterious rainforests in the Southwest, from the snow-covered forests of the Northeast to the azure seas and silver sands of the Southeast.

She described being blown about by the wind at a mountain pass at an altitude of four or five thousand meters, recounted singing and dancing around a campfire with local residents in a border town, complained about some popular tourist attractions being overrated, and marveled at the simple and honest people in some little-known villages.

Xia Qing listened intently, forgetting to eat the chicken leg in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on Qin Lili, and she sometimes exclaimed in amazement and sometimes burst into laughter as she followed Qin Lili's story.

Ye Shu also put down his chopsticks, took a small sip of beer and listened. Looking at Qin Lili's excited expression, he could feel the vibrant life force and free spirit emanating from her.

"Talk is cheap, let me show you!"

Qin Lili stood up, went to the sofa, took out a camera from a soft cloth bag in her large backpack, walked back, and showed the two photos.

The snow-capped peaks, bathed in golden light at dawn, are majestic and sacred.

In the twilight, the boundless grassland stretches out, with a lone shepherd and his flock of sheep becoming silhouettes.

The unreal blue seawater crashes against the rocks, allowing you to feel the grandeur of the vast ocean from the eastern edge of Jieshi.

There are also layers upon layers of deep mountain forests, where sunlight filters through the branches and leaves, casting beams of light.

As the photos scrolled by, Xia Qing exclaimed in surprise, asking where each one was taken and how it was taken.

Then Xia Qing suddenly turned to Ye Shu and said:

"Let's go on a trip sometime, okay?"

"it is good."