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

It was already dark at six o'clock in the evening.

Ye Shu held Xiao Nuan's hand as they strolled along the streets of Nancheng, taking a city walk.

The streetlights on both sides of the street were already on, and together with the lights of the shops on both sides, it gave people a strange illusion that it was a little warm.

As cars drove by and pedestrians hurried by, the warmth of another hand reached into Ye Shu's hand, giving him an indescribable sense of peace.

This ordinariness is good in itself.

"Xiao Nuan, would you like a drink?"

As they passed a milk tea shop, Ye Shu turned to look inside and asked Xiao Nuan.

But after waiting for a while, I didn't hear Xiaonuan's reply.

Her hand was still being held by Ye Shu, and she stopped walking with him, but her eyes remained fixed on the front.

Ye Shu noticed that she was blinking faster than usual.

She was thinking, and she was very engrossed in it.

Ye Shu didn't urge her, and just stood at the store entrance holding her hand, waiting.

Because he knew that Xiao Nuan sometimes got lost in her own little world, but she would usually come out after three to five minutes.

But this time, time seemed to pass particularly slowly.

She stood still, unresponsive to the sounds, the light, and Ye Shu's gaze.

The timing of this outage is a bit unusual.

"Xiao Nuan?"

Ye Shu reached out and pinched her cheek, which was a little cool from the night breeze.

He loved pinching Xiao Nuan's face; it was soft and smooth, and it seemed to be the only way to make her face, which was as hard as a rock, show any expression.

Feeling her cheek being pinched, Xiao Nuan moved her eyes and looked at Ye Shu, asking:

"What's wrong?"

Would you like a drink?

Ye Shu pointed to the milk tea shop next door.

Xiao Nuan turned her head to look at the signboard following his gesture, then nodded:

"Yes, I want to drink."

After ordering milk tea, Ye Shu and Xiao Nuan sat on chairs and waited.

The store was very warm, and Ye Shu noticed that Xiao Nuan's eyes were glazed over again, and she started blinking again.

What is he thinking?

Ye Shu went through the events of the day in her mind.

After lunch, Xiao Nuan's grandfather went back to his room for a nap after drinking two glasses of wine.

Uncle An went to the study saying he had some things to take care of, and didn't show up much all afternoon.

I chatted with Aunt Shen for an entire afternoon.

As for Xiao Nuan... thinking about it carefully, it seems that she has been in this state ever since she finished lunch, with her eyes vacant and not knowing what she is thinking.

She was pondering a difficult problem, a problem that had been troubling her for the entire afternoon.

"Handsome, your two cups of hot oat milk tea are ready."

The shop assistant's voice interrupted Ye Shu's thoughts.

"Thanks."

Ye Shu picked up the bag with one hand and took Xiao Nuan's hand with the other; her hand was a little cold.

As they walked out of the store, Ye Shu helped Xiao Nuan insert the straw and handed it to her.

Xiao Nuan held the cup in both hands, followed Ye Shu with her head down, her eyes fixed on the ground, her mind completely elsewhere.

This child completely shuts down when he's thinking, just walking with his head down, and almost bumped into the tree next to him several times.

Ye Shu had no choice but to hold the drink in one hand and put his arm around Xiao Nuan's shoulder with the other, pulling her slightly closer to him.

After walking for a while, from somewhere in the distance, I heard a few loud bangs, and then several fireworks bloomed in the sky.

"Xiao Nuan, look, someone's setting off fireworks. It's not even the fifteenth yet, what's the point of setting them off now, in this awkward, inappropriate time?"

Ye Shu looked up and said to Xiao Nuan.

Xiao Nuan still didn't look up; she kept staring at the ground in front of her, pondering a question that only she knew the answer to.

Ye Shu couldn't resist any longer. He bent down, brought his face close to Xiao Nuan's, and directly entered her world of thought:

"Xiao Nuan?"

Xiao Nuan's vision was suddenly filled with Ye Shu's face. She came to her senses, blinked twice, and looked up at Ye Shu, asking:

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with me... but what's wrong with you? What are you thinking?"

Ye Shu straightened up and asked:

"I've seen you pondering this all afternoon. What problem is so difficult for you? Tell me, and I'll give you some advice. Even if I can't help, it's better to say it than to keep it bottled up inside."

After saying that, seeing that Xiao Nuan hadn't spoken yet, he asked again:

"What, you don't trust me?"

"no."

Xiao Nuan immediately shook her head. Holding her milk tea cup, she looked up at Ye Shu.

By the light of the streetlamp, Ye Shu noticed that there was emotion in her eyes, as if she were struggling a little.

After a while, she spoke:

"Ye Shu, I'm wondering, are we really suited for marriage?"

Ye Shu frowned slightly. If anyone else had said this, it might have been a test or a joke, but when Xiao Nuan said it, it meant she was serious.

After all, Xiao Nuan never jokes.

Ye Shu smacked his lips and thought for a moment.

He looked into Xiao Nuan's eyes, and instead of immediately answering the question of whether they were suitable, he asked her a question in return:

Why did you suddenly think this way? Is it because of the story you heard about your parents today?

Xiao Nuan nodded:

"Yes. I analyzed the process and foundation of my parents' emotional bond. The trigger point was largely accidental and irrational, but the key factors for maintaining the bond included mutual attraction, shared interests, aligned values, and subsequent emotional support and resistance. My father would develop feelings for my mother because of a smile, while I..."

As she said this, it was as if a sore spot had been touched; she choked for a moment, but still continued:

"I find it difficult to even spontaneously offer a smile that meets social expectations. Based on the current situation, I... do not possess the qualifications to be a qualified wife in the general sense of society."

She raised her eyes and looked at Ye Shu.

The light from the streetlamp flickered slightly in her eyes, reflecting Ye Shu's even more furrowed brows.

This time, her emotions were more apparent: helplessness, confusion, and pain masked by reason.

"My emotional feedback is delayed and absent. I am unable to properly regulate my behavior patterns based on my own internal emotional drive. I process thoughts and feelings differently from most people, which may lead to misunderstandings, communication barriers, and unnecessary social friction."

Her speech became faster and faster, and her voice was no longer as flat and straightforward as when she read from a script. Instead, it was a little hurried, as she was eager to know the answer, to know Ye Shu's answer.

"In a long-term, stable marriage, this difference can cause ongoing distress and have unpredictable negative impacts on your career, social life, family relationships, and more. Ye Shu, I may not be able to be a partner who can provide you with enough emotional support and positive feedback, like your mother did for your father."

As she said this, she took a deep breath and asked the question that had been troubling her all afternoon.

"So please tell me honestly, do I, in my current state, still deserve to be your wife?"