Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

He Ping'an watched He Daqing rambling on speechlessly...

"Ping An, you're smart and capable, those big brothers all acknowledge that. But in this world, that's not enough, far from enough! Take Lou Xiaohui, for example, do you even know who she is?"

"Peace, Lou..."

"Big brother, I know..." He Ping'an interrupted He Daqing's rambling.

"Her father's name is Lou Zhenhua. I also know that he has businesses all over the place, connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, and a powerful figure in both politics and business. He's a true tycoon in Beiping. Even the steel mill that those people in the courtyard rely on for their livelihood belongs to him. He also has a nickname: Lou the Half-City, right?"

He Ping'an knew so much because, firstly, he had an omniscient perspective—Lou Xiaohui and Lou Xiao'e, plus the Stypton Kia sedan that he usually drove to and from school, easily reminded him of Lou Bancheng.

Furthermore, there was Luo Chengjun's intelligence—He Ping'an was, after all, the captain of the action team. Before He Ping'an even enrolled, Luo had already informed him of all the potentially dangerous people around him. Among them, Lou Xiaohui's information was the most detailed.

"Then you...?" He Daqing was taken aback, his expression growing increasingly serious. He assumed that Lou Xiaohui had told He Ping'an all of this, and that this was the prelude to meeting each other's parents.

"Ping An, your older brother has been through this. Although you are very outstanding, people like Lou Bancheng only care about matching social status and forming alliances based on mutual benefit. They will absolutely not agree to your marriage with Lou Xiaohui. I've heard that this guy is very ruthless. If you insist on going ahead, what if... Ping An?"

"well……"

Now, He Ping'an really didn't know what to say...

He Daqing's concerns were not unfounded; the gap between social classes is not something that ordinary people can bridge. Otherwise, the plot of a rich heiress pursuing a poor boy wouldn't only appear in plays.

To be honest, no man could remain unmoved by a gentle, beautiful, and frequently affectionate rich heiress.

He Ping'an did have romantic feelings for Lou Xiaohui, but it was just attraction. Given their social statuses, marriage was absolutely out of the question…

Lou Bancheng's opposition was one thing, but his own problem was even bigger. He was a Party member, and getting married required submitting a marriage report to his superiors. Although the organization advocated freedom of marriage, that varied from person to person.

Children of big landowners, capitalists, and warlords—the organization will tell you that what you have isn't love, but rather the corrupting influence of the enemy's sugar-coated bullets. Still want to get married? Dismissal and a written self-criticism await you!

Of course, as long as Lou Xiaohui publicly announces that she has severed ties with her parents and joins the organization, all problems will be solved.

The problem is that... World War II had just ended, there was no external oppression from foreign powers, and the Kuomintang was in our favor internally. This moment can be said to be the happiest time for capitalists in the 40-year history of the Republic of China.

Would Lou Xiaohui, as the daughter of a capitalist and a beneficiary of the system, be willing to abandon her status as a rich young lady for love?

He Ping'an dared not gamble! He didn't care if his identity was exposed, but what about his family? To risk his entire family's lives for a girl he barely liked? He couldn't do it!

Only when...when the whole country is liberated and the Korean War ends, and those capitalists witness the power of the new China, will Lou Bancheng probably take the initiative to ask his daughter to sever ties with the family.

But... pressure from parents and repeated persuasion from relatives and friends, what about an 18-year-old girl?

He Ping'an's silence made He Daqing think that his brother was stuck in a rut.

"Peace...peace?"

"Brother, what are you doing? Put down the water glass first, I'm really fine! Lou Xiaohui and I aren't like what you think, we..."

He Daqing was about to splash water on his face when He Ping'an quickly stopped him. Was this... another sign that he was possessed?

He Daqing was even more nervous about He Ping'an than about himself. No matter how good one's cooking skills are, it is still a profession of serving others, a lowly profession that is looked down upon. It is not as precious as a cultured person.

A golden phoenix flies out of a poor mountain village, how could he sit idly by and watch his own brother perish over the love affairs of young men and women?

After He Ping'an's repeated assurances, He Daqing finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Then, his tone changed abruptly, and his smile became somewhat lewd.

"Ping An, that girl next to Lou Xiaohui the other day, isn't she your classmate? She's pretty, intelligent, and seems quite interested in you. Aren't you going to consider it?"

"go out……"

"Hehe... Okay, okay, I'm leaving, I won't disturb your rest!"

After shooing He Daqing away and closing the door, He Ping'an collapsed onto the bed.

Lou Zhenhua's situation is just that—difficult. No matter how powerful he is, he's still just a merchant. Not to mention the shift in power in two years, even now, with his own skills, if he really wanted to forcibly seize Lou Xiaohui's property against her will, what could Lou Zhenhua do, or dare to do anything about it?

Bai Ling was truly a prodigy... fluent in Russian and exceptionally learned, in an era when even men struggled to study, a woman achieving such accomplishments was rare. Aside from high-ranking officials and nobles, there was only one other place like that.

He first worked in the Jin-Cha-Ji region and later was transferred to Beiping, where he was directly responsible for liaison between Bai Ling and Luo Chengjun. The fact that Bai Ling served as both a secretary and an action team leader demonstrates the organization's trust in her within the Beiping underground party.

18 years old, female, with access to education, and trusted by her organization. All these factors combined suggest that Bai Ling definitely grew up in Northwest China. She might even be a descendant of the legendary Red Boy who carried his parents and elders on their 25,000-li journey.

Disturbed by He Daqing's anxieties, He Ping'an, for the first time ever, didn't enter the space to study. He murmured "whatever will be" and drifted off to sleep. That night, the gentle and considerate Lou Xiaohui and the beautiful and confident Bai Ling took turns appearing in his dreams.

The next day, He Ping'an walked into the classroom carrying a baby in one arm and a bottle and formula in the other, causing quite a stir. However, everyone knew about his family's situation, and no one dared to gossip.

After pouring formula into the bottle, Lou Xiaohui, who was overflowing with maternal love, rescued her niece from her arms. She then got up and carried Xiaoyushui into the teachers' office next door, where a middle-aged woman who looked like a nanny had been waiting for a long time.

Last night, aside from not having any feelings for Lou Xiaohui, He Ping'an didn't lie to his older brother about anything else. His teacher really helped, calling a nanny from home and even buying the baby formula for him.

Lou Xiaohui had actually offered to help, even suggesting that her nanny go to the He family to help look after the children, but he politely declined. He didn't want to confront Lou Bancheng so soon, not because he was afraid, but because there was no need.

Without revealing their identity or trump cards, all they achieve is a mess and nothing else.

The pink and tender little thing in my arms blinked its clean, bright eyes and kept calling out, "Little Su, Little Su."

"It's my uncle... my uncle, not Xiao Su!"

The little boy's speech was still unclear, and He Ping'an patiently corrected him again and again. Slightly childish, yet inexplicably serene and peaceful!