From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Su Qing frowned and thought seriously for a while before slowly saying:

"It's hard to say. From what I know of him, Fang Bo doesn't bother with these backstabbing and scheming things at all; he's focused entirely on his career."

After a brief silence, I said, "It's okay, let's try to make contact first."

Su Qing nodded: "Then we can only try asking my sister. As for whether she's willing to help make the connection, it's hard to say."

"Okay, I'll contact her later and ask."

Just then, Su Qing's phone rang.

The moment she heard the bell, her body tensed slightly involuntarily, and a hint of instinctive fear appeared on her face.

She reluctantly picked up her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and instantly looked utterly dejected.

"Who hit him?" I asked in a low voice.

"My dad," Su Qing said in a low voice.

My heart sank.

Previously, Su's mother had told us that Su's father was unaware of these online controversies.

I never expected that after such a short time, it would finally come out.

I took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Accept it. You'll have to face it sooner or later; there's no escaping it."

Su Qing closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress her surging emotions.

She opened her eyes again and pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Dad." Su Qing tried her best to keep her tone calm.

On the other end of the phone came Su's father's calm yet authoritative voice: "Are you free now? Come home and bring Lin Ye along."

Hearing this, my heart sank again.

What was bound to happen has finally happened; there's no escaping it this time.

"Now? It's so late, let's talk about it tomorrow."

I have something to do tomorrow.

Su's father calmly interrupted her, his tone carrying an unyielding authority.

Su Qing immediately retorted, "You have things to do tomorrow, and I have things to do now. Why should I always have to go along with you? Can't you be understanding just this once?"

"Su Qing, I'm trying to discuss this with you properly. I'm leaving the country tomorrow and won't be back for a long time."

Su Qing looked up at me, her gaze questioning, wanting to hear my thoughts.

What I have to face, I can't avoid. I know that this trip back to the Su family will most likely not be well received, but running away won't solve anything.

I nodded slightly to her.

Su Qing then softened her tone and replied into the phone, "Okay, we'll go back now."

After hanging up the phone, Su Qing turned to me, frowned, and asked, "Are you really planning to come with me?"

"We have no choice but to go. This matter needs to be laid out and clarified. Avoiding it won't solve anything."

Su Qing sighed softly, as if accepting reality, and said, "Alright, how about we change our clothes?"

I looked down at my casual clothes, which I usually don't mind wearing.

But going to see her parents now is indeed not a proper gesture.

"Wait for me a moment, I'm going back to my room to change."

I turned and went into the bedroom, changing into the formal suit that Su Qing had bought for me when I first visited the Su family.

I'm not someone who cares much about my appearance, but if I dressed too casually in front of such respectable people as Su Qing's parents, I could easily be looked down upon.

After tidying up briefly, Su Qing and I walked out of the courtyard and took a taxi straight to the villa area where the Su family lived.

We held each other's hands tightly the whole way.

Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

I kept imagining what questions Su's father would ask later, and figuring out how to answer them.

What Su Qing was thinking was probably not much different from what I was thinking.

After getting off the bus, Su Qing turned around, gently straightened my turned-up collar, and softly instructed me:

"Lin Ye, no matter how difficult they make things for you later, you must remember that I will not make you choose between two options."

"I will not abandon you for the sake of my family, nor will I disregard the Su family for your sake. I want to find a way that satisfies both sides."

"But I know in my heart that my parents won't give in easily, so we need to prepare for the worst."

I looked into her bright and determined eyes, nodded emphatically, and followed her into the villa area.

We boarded a sightseeing electric vehicle driven by the park security guards and headed towards the main villa building.

The moment I got off the bus, a heavy sense of oppression hit me.

This is the natural sense of oppression that comes from the differences between social classes.

Although I had been here once before and met her parents.

But I still remember the suffocating feeling I had when we met last time very clearly.

Standing before the cold, exquisitely carved gate of the Su family villa, Su Qing hesitated to raise her hand to ring the doorbell.

A gentle evening breeze blew by, and she turned her head to look at me, asking softly, "Are you nervous?"

I nodded honestly, took a deep breath to suppress my nervousness, and said:

"It's okay, just ring the doorbell. What you have to face, you can't avoid."

Seeing my state, Su Qing raised her hand and gently patted my back.

"Relax, don't feel pressured. Just remember, no matter what my parents say or ask for later, I will always be on your side."

I looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

After receiving a response, Su Qing finally raised her hand and pressed the smart doorbell on the door.

The doorbell rang crisply, and a few seconds later, the villa door was opened from the inside.

The door was opened by the Su family's nanny, who greeted Su Qing with her usual gentle smile.

Then his gaze fell politely on me, with a hint of politeness and distance, and he turned to the side and raised his hand to gesture for us to enter.

The moment you step into the villa's living room, a strong sense of opulence from a wealthy family hits you.

A warm yellow crystal chandelier hangs high overhead, its soft yet cold light illuminating the vast, empty living room.

The entire house features a light luxury and exquisite decoration, with understated yet expensive ornaments, showcasing the refined taste of the top class.

Mr. Su sat upright on the main sofa in the center of the living room, dressed in a dark formal suit. His posture was upright and dignified, his face expressionless, and he exuded the aura of authority of a superior.

Su's mother sat on the sofa to the side, her posture elegant and proper, her demeanor dignified and appropriate, yet she exuded a sense of distance, every move she made showed the composure of a wealthy housewife.

Two heavy gazes fell on me at the same time, and an invisible pressure instantly made my heart tighten.

Su Qing and I walked over side by side and sat properly on the guest sofa opposite the two elders.

The nanny stepped forward at the right moment, brought two cups of warm tea, gently placed them on the coffee table in front of us, and then quietly retreated to the side.

Without any pleasantries or beating around the bush, Mr. Su went straight to the point: "You two are officially together now, right?"

Su Qing didn't flinch at all and nodded frankly: "Yes, Dad, we're together."

Su's father remained completely unmoved and continued to press, "Was it before or after your trip to the no-man's-land?"

"Before!"

"after!"