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

The dinner was in full swing, as everyone had gotten to know each other to some extent and started chatting.

Especially Tang Xiaotao and Chen Sansan, the two girls, who were about the same age and sat next to each other. In less than a meal, they became as close as sisters. At this moment, they were huddled together, looking down at the table.

The two phones were brought together, and because the screens were so bright, their faces appeared somewhat pale.

Tang Xiaotao was still holding chopsticks in her hand, and she stretched out a finger to swipe across the screen.

Chen San San stared at Tang Xiao Tao's phone screen and whispered:

"These homemade sweets are so delicious! As expected... I still inevitably miss the sweetest moments every day."

Tang Xiaotao immediately shook her head smugly:

"You probably haven't seen my brother sing 'Little Rabbit, Be Good' to Sister-in-law Xiaoxue, have you?"

"What?! Such a rare sight?!"

Chen San San looked extremely regretful, as if he had missed out on a fortune. He then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Tang Xiao Tao.

"So you're a senior! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

"Oh, you're too kind. These are all homemade candies, feel free to enjoy them."

Tang Xiaotao also cupped her hands in a very江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) manner in return.

When you make friends, you're really risking your brother and sister-in-law's feelings.

Ye Shu naturally witnessed the two becoming sworn brothers and heard Tang Xiaotao's words, "Feel free to eat our own candy." Sure enough, these two girls had nothing else to do when they got together.

But let's not worry about what they're talking about. Both kids are good. San San has no bad intentions, and Xiao Tao is honest. They're really good friends.

Ye Shu picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, removed the bones, and put it in his mouth, but he couldn't taste it because he was reflecting on his thoughts.

Ye Shu has this one good quality: he can reflect on things. Ever since Qin Lili said that he had the mentality of an old father that night, Ye Shu has really reflected on that statement.

He couldn't say he acted voluntarily before, because subconsciously he felt that as the older brother and husband, he loved and cared for his younger sisters, so he always had to stand in front of them, shield them from the storms, and smooth out their detours before he could feel at ease.

Xiao Tao has just entered society and has not yet experienced its harsh realities.

Their situation is somewhat special, and they cannot withstand any more setbacks.

Ye Shu always felt that it wouldn't hurt to know more and be more involved.

But after Qin Lili said that, he lay in bed for half the night after Xiaoxue fell asleep.

Is he... really meddling a bit too much?

Xiaotao and Xiaoxue are adults; they have their own judgment and know what is good and what is bad.

How is there any difference between parents who want to be involved in everything, who want to control everything and only feel at ease when they have everything under their noses, and those control freaks who are afraid that their children will get hurt and end up raising useless children?

My God, this is terrible.

When Ye Shu realized this, he broke out in a cold sweat.

He protects his lover and his family out of love and responsibility, but if this love goes astray, won't it become a shackle? What's the difference between that and harm?

He always wanted to nip any danger that could harm them in the bud, but this protection itself became a constraint. So, was this safety really safe?

Fortunately, Ye Shu remained clear-headed and did not go too far down the path of being an old father. He always respected their privacy and never interfered too much with their personal space.

He still needs to remind himself that protecting others is his duty, a sacrifice he is willing to make.

But don't overdo it; don't let this protection become a constraint.

He turned his head and glanced at Xiaoxue, who was drinking orange juice through a straw. Xiaoxue also sensed that Ye Shu was looking at her, so she looked up at him while still holding the straw, and then gave him a soft smile.

Ye Shu smiled at Xiao Xue. From now on, he would have to learn to be a worry-free husband and a brother who would let go.

As long as they know what's going on, let them figure out the rest of the journey themselves.

He only needed to follow slowly behind them, so that when they turned around, he would be right behind them.

Ye Shu was pondering the issue of overprotection when he suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his thigh, and his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He told Xiaoxue, "I'm going out to take a call," then got up, left the private room, and went downstairs. The seats on the first floor were almost full, and the noise was very loud and chaotic.

Ye Shu walked out of the restaurant in a few steps. Because she was used to the air conditioning inside, as soon as she opened the door, the damp and stuffy heat hit her immediately. Although it was already evening, she still felt a little suffocated.

I took out my phone, and the caller ID showed "Dad".

Swipe to answer the call and hold the phone to your ear:

"Hey, Dad, what's up?"

On the other end of the phone, the sound of a television could be heard, and then Ye Guoqiang spoke:

"It's nothing, it's just that your grandma is worried about you and insisted that I call you to ask if you've finished eating, and to tell you to drink less and go back to the hotel to rest early so as not to delay your business tomorrow."

Hearing this, Ye Shu couldn't help but laugh.

Sure enough, his tendency to worry is hereditary; it's inherited from his roots.

He could tell that his father was just using his mother as a shield because he was worried about her but couldn't bring himself to say it directly.

However, Ye Shu didn't point it out, and simply responded:

"Okay, we understand. Is Grandma settling in well at the hotel?"

"Hmm, not bad, she's already asleep."

Ye Guoqiang paused, as if he were drinking water, because Ye Shu heard a slurping sound:

"I mean, this bed is too soft, it's not as comfortable to sleep on as the kang (heated brick bed) at home."

Ye Shu laughed. He had indeed experienced this firsthand. Having gotten used to sleeping on a hard kang (a traditional heated brick bed), suddenly sleeping on such a soft bed did feel like his whole body was unsupported and he couldn't exert any strength.

"Well, there's really no other way. We can't exactly let the old lady sleep on the floor, can we? Alright, Dad, we'll go back after we finish eating here. It won't take long. You should go to sleep early too."

"Okay, drink less then. Bye."

Ye Guoqiang, as always, didn't waste any more words once he had finished his business; he simply hung up the phone after speaking.

Ye Shu stood at the restaurant entrance with her phone in hand. The screen was off, revealing the restaurant's large, illuminated signboard overhead.

The bustling atmosphere of the restaurant, the passing vehicles on the road, the flashing neon lights, and the fact that Ye Shu was indeed a little tipsy, or perhaps the weather was making him a bit oxygen-deprived...

Whatever the reason, he suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

He looked down at the tips of his shoes, then looked up at the sky above where he couldn't see any stars. Suddenly, he realized that he was going to marry Xiaoxue tomorrow.

Is this true or false?

A year ago today, I was still in that tiny cubicle, worrying about making a living and unable to sleep night after night.

Now I've suddenly achieved success in both my career and love life, and I'm about to start a family.

This feeling is a little unreal, but... it's really blissful.