We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Xie Zhiqiang looked at Xie Shu with anticipation, waiting for her to nod, even if it was just a slight smile.

But a second, two seconds passed, and Xie Shu remained sitting quietly.

After a long silence, she finally raised her head and looked at her father for the first time that night.

"I will not give up on him, just as he will not give up on me."

Her voice wasn't loud, and her tone wasn't particularly harsh, but the light in her eyes made Xie Zhiqiang momentarily dazed.

He recognized that look all too well; it was like when he was young. Back then, Xu Ting's parents had opposed their relationship in the same way, and even went to him alone to force him to break up with her.

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself should become a monster; and if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you?" He suddenly thought of Nietzsche's words.

I didn't think much of it when I was young, but decades later, it's like looking in a mirror.

Looking at his daughter, whose personality resembled his, and the many things on the bedside table, he understood why Xu Ting's parents had stopped him back then.

They were simply uneasy about entrusting their daughter to a boy of unknown origin, and they didn't believe the child's vows of eternal love...

"Xiao Shu," Xie Zhiqiang lowered his voice, as if he had finally made a decision, "Dad won't force you to break up with him."

Xie Shu's eyes flickered slightly, but her lips remained closed; she knew there was more to come.

"However," Xie Zhiqiang's tone became more serious, "our family will not accept him for the time being. If he still likes you after he finishes his four years of university, then I can reconsider."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shu's slightly tense brows finally relaxed a little.

"During this period, you must not do anything excessive. The premise of loving someone is to love yourself first. You are about to become an adult, so you must learn to protect yourself, understand?" Xie Zhiqiang said with a serious expression.

Xie Shu kept his mouth shut, paused for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

For Xie Zhiqiang, it didn't matter what his daughter was like. It didn't matter if her grades were average or she didn't achieve much in the future. He just wanted his daughter to grow up safely and happily.

As for Xiaoshu's partner, he doesn't need to earn a lot of money, but he must ensure Xiaoshu's happiness...

"Xiaoshu, Dad won't say much more. After you finish your college entrance exam, Dad will take you out for a trip." Xie Zhiqiang's tone finally softened. He thought for a moment, then added, "As for your going abroad, I'll try to persuade Mom."

Xie Shu lowered his head, remained silent for two seconds, and then said, "No need, Dad."

"You don't need it anymore? You don't want to go on the trip?"

"There's no need to persuade Mom anymore."

Xie Zhiqiang was taken aback: "Didn't you say you didn't want to go abroad? I'll try to persuade you; what if you decide you don't need to?"

"This is something I promised Mom. Dad, haven't you always taught me to be a person who keeps promises?"

Xie Zhiqiang opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't say anything, almost forgetting that he had said such a thing.

"Alright," he stood up, patted his trouser leg, "Dad won't bother you anymore. Remember what Dad said: the prerequisite for loving others is loving yourself."

"Okay, I understand."

With a click, the door closed gently.

The room fell silent again. Xie Shu sat on the edge of the bed, and the corners of his mouth, which had been down all night, finally curled up slightly.

She got up, walked to her desk, picked up her phone, typed a line of text, and pressed send.

"What were you talking about? Why did it take you so long to come down?" Xu Ting sat on the sofa, watching Xie Zhiqiang walk down the stairs, her tone slightly surprised.

"Let's talk about Xiaoshu and that boy at school."

Xie Zhiqiang found his own cup, brewed himself a cup of tea, and then leaned back on the sofa.

"What's wrong, Lao Xie? Trying to break up a couple again?" Xu Ting sneered.

"I'm just afraid our daughter will meet the wrong person," Xie Zhiqiang said worriedly.

"So what? Relationships are just a small thing in life. What Xiao Shu should learn is how to grow up." Xu Ting's tone was nonchalant.

Xie Zhiqiang picked up his teacup, lowered his head and blew on the steam rising from the water, without immediately responding.

After a while, he slowly said, "Growth is not just about career development; she needs to grow up well in all aspects."

"Then we shouldn't object to her going through these things. Only by experiencing them firsthand can one truly understand them." Xu Ting took off her glasses, took out a cleaning cloth, and gently wiped them.

He held his teacup, waiting for the tea to cool slightly, before looking up at Xu Ting, who was about to get up and return to her study, and called out to her:

"Xu Ting, do you remember what Teacher Yang told us last time? As long as the child doesn't go in a bad direction, give her some freedom, especially after she grows up."

Xu Ting stopped and turned to look at him.

"So?" she asked.

"If Xiaoshu doesn't want to go abroad, I think we should follow her opinion. These days, overseas returnees are just so-so, there's no need to go abroad. Studying in China is pretty good too."

"Is this your idea? Or Xiao Shu's idea?" Xu Ting asked.

"Xiaoshu is a trustworthy child. She won't go back on her promises to you. But as her father, I feel that I should be involved in her growth and have a say in it."

Xu Ting didn't answer, but just gave a soft, cold laugh, turned around and went back to her study, closing the door behind her.

The huge villa was filled with cold air, and Xie Zhiqiang felt like a complete idiot.

His wife and he were estranged, and his daughter favored outsiders. The happy scene of his family chatting together at home, which he had dreamed of since childhood, did not appear.

Perhaps this family needs an injection of fresh blood to make a difference...

"Dad, how's business lately?"

On Sunday afternoon, Li Mubai sat in the passenger seat and turned to look at his father.

Why are you worrying about this? Focus on your studies.

Li Mubai pursed his lips. He just wanted to inquire about his family's situation. If his mother were here, she might say that they would sell everything they owned to support his education.

Sigh—oh well, he sighed inwardly, turned his head to look at the rearview mirror of the car, and saw what looked like a black sedan following behind...

On Sunday, the senior high school students returned to school early, and the back gate of the school wasn't too crowded. Mr. Li found an empty spot and finally didn't have to walk back from dozens of meters away.

"Dad, I'm going back to school now. Goodbye."

"Um."

Mr. Li deftly released the handbrake, and the white sedan disappeared from sight after only a few seconds.

Li Mubai adjusted his handbag, making sure nothing was left behind, before turning and walking towards the school's back gate.

He had just reached the door when he heard a faint rolling sound behind him, which then disappeared as it approached him.

Immediately afterwards, two hands covered his eyes from behind, plunging him into darkness.

"Who am I?" A calm voice sounded in his ear, very low, as if imitating someone else's speech.

"Xie Shu, stop playing around, we're at the school gate."

The hand moved away, and the light returned to his eyes. He turned around and saw that Xie Shu had taken a step back and was standing behind him, with a slight curve at the corner of his eye.

"How did you guess that?" Xie Shu asked.

No matter how low you lower your voice, it's still the same voice.

"Oh—" Xie Shu nodded, as if accepting a reasonable answer, and turned around to pull his suitcase back.

"Don't play like that next time. It would be so embarrassing if the teachers and classmates saw you."

"It's okay, we haven't entered the school yet, the school gate isn't considered part of the school."

Li Mubai thought about it and realized that he really didn't have anything to refute. The two of them walked into the school gate one after the other.

A little distance behind them, a black Mercedes stopped for a moment before slowly starting and driving away from the school gate.