From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Before they could speak, I continued, "I may be poor, but I will never drag Su Qing into an endless cycle of misery."

"If one day I am unable to support the life she wants, I will make my own choice without you two having to break us up."

This wasn't said in a fit of pique; it was the bottom line I had already set in mind.

Su Qing, standing nearby, panicked and grabbed my arm tightly, her voice trembling with fear: "Lin Ye, what are you saying! I can't..."

I turned to look at her, gently shook my head, and gestured for me to finish what I had to say.

Then I looked at the Su couple again.

"As I told you both before, I won't pester Su Qing relentlessly. But I have one request: don't erode her trust in her family through deception. You can disapprove of me, you can keep your doubts to yourself."

"Could you give me a genuine test? It won't be long, until this Terra Line trip is over."

"Let's see if I'm just a dreamer who only talks big, or if I can actually produce something."

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

The last rays of dawn faded slowly, and a hazy twilight gradually enveloped the entire courtyard.

The evening breeze rustled through the branches and leaves in the courtyard.

Su's father stared intently into my eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

Those eyes, which had seen it all in the business world, seemed to pierce through my appearance and see through all the true thoughts in my heart.

After a long pause, Su's father sighed softly, turned to look at Su Qing, and said in a complicated tone:

"Su Qing, Su Qing, how come you... look exactly like your sister?"

Su Qing didn't understand the deeper meaning behind those words and immediately retorted, "Don't compare me to her. How am I the same as her?"

I knew in my heart that the "same" that Su's father was referring to was Su Qing's older sister, Su Wan, who had also fallen in love with a penniless man without hesitation back then.

A thought flashed through my mind subconsciously: like father, like daughter.

But after a moment's thought, I swallowed those words and didn't say them aloud.

Mr. Su gently shook his head and said nothing more.

I could tell he was really tired. It wasn't just physical exhaustion; it was the kind of powerlessness that comes from being caught between family ties and worries.

Su's mother turned her head and advised him, "Old Su, let it go, let them be. Look at Su Wan, because of that incident back then, she's completely..."

She paused halfway through her sentence, glancing furtively at Su Qing out of the corner of her eye.

The second half of the sentence stuck in his throat, never to be uttered.

Mr. Su sighed heavily, looked up at me, and his tone carried a hint of warning:

"Listen up, kid! If you dare do anything to betray Su Qing, I won't let you get away with it!"

"Also, I hope you'll be a man of your word. If you ever realize you can't give Su Qing happiness, then leave her on your own."

These two sentences were spoken with particular force, carrying the intimidation of an elder.

But I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I understood that he had relented and was willing to give me this opportunity.

I nodded solemnly and said sincerely, "I remember, I definitely will."

Mr. Su did not say anything more. He gave Su Qing a deep look one last time, then turned to Mrs. Su and said, "Let's go."

Mother Su nodded gently, her gaze lingering on Su Qing, her voice soft:

"Qingqing, take good care of yourself. Call home anytime you miss home."

Su Qing nodded gently, her previously confrontational gaze softening somewhat.

As the couple turned to leave, Su Qing suddenly spoke up: "Dad, I heard there's been a problem with one of the drugs the company was developing. Is that true?"

Without turning his head, Su's father said in a calm but distant voice, "Mind your own business. You don't need to worry about things at the company."

After he finished speaking, he didn't linger and walked out of the iron gate of the courtyard side by side with Su's mother.

I stood there, silently watching them until their figures completely disappeared around the corner of the path and could no longer be seen.

The tense atmosphere in the courtyard, which had almost solidified, suddenly relaxed.

The tension I had been holding in vanished instantly, and I let out a long breath of stale air that had been stuck in my chest for so long, my shoulders slumping down.

Su Qing turned to look at me, her voice low and tinged with guilt:

"I'm sorry... Lin Ye. It's all my fault. I didn't communicate with you beforehand. I had no idea they would suddenly come to our door today, and I never imagined that the promise of a month was just a delaying tactic."

I gently shook my head, stretched out my arms and hugged her soft body tightly, my hands slowly stroking her back to soothe her trembling shoulders.

"It's not your fault, don't blame yourself. Your parents are just protecting their daughter in what they think is the safest way."

"But they treated you like that just now..." Su Qing buried her face in my arms, her voice choked with sobs.

"It's alright. No matter how much you argue, you can't earn genuine respect. What can dispel their concerns is never just nice words; what they ultimately want to see is a tangible result."

My gaze swept across the stone table, where the two large bags of groceries I had bought were quietly laid out on the bluestone surface.

I was originally overjoyed and planned to cook a hot dinner to help Su Qing relax.

No one expected such an unexpected confrontation.

After a long while, she slightly raised her head, her wet eyes looking at me, and asked softly:

"So... shall we still make dinner tonight?"

I smiled and reached out to rub her head.

"Of course we'll do it. We still need to eat well, and we'll keep moving forward step by step."

Su Qing's gaze finally fell on the pile of ingredients on the stone table. She paused for a moment before snapping out of her daze and asking:

"By the way, when did you leave? I was just about to call you when they suddenly showed up at the door."

I smiled slightly at her and said, "I was thinking of letting you rest a bit more. Seeing that you'd been staring at the computer screen for so long, your eyes must have been sore by now, so I quietly went out to buy groceries."

"But sitting alone in front of the screen, I get more and more tired. The yard is quiet, and when I turn around and see that you're not beside me, I suddenly feel a void in my heart."

Upon hearing this, my heart softened instantly.

Thinking back to those days when I was a food delivery driver, all I could think about was taking orders and making money, desperately saving up to make ends meet. Back then, I never dared to dream of having this kind of life.

It turns out there really is someone in this world who feels empty inside just because they can't see me.

I turned around and gently ruffled her hair.

"Do you want to come into the kitchen and help me out? It's just that there's a lot of oil and smoke in the kitchen, and I'm worried it might bother you."

"Don't be afraid!"

Su Qing's eyes lit up instantly, and the gloom that had been hanging over her face disappeared. She immediately straightened up and reached out to take my arm.

I looked down at her; there were still faint red marks from her crying in her eyes, but they still radiated a vibrant energy.

The tense standoff from just moments ago hadn't faded away, but now the atmosphere in the courtyard was slowly warmed by the warmth of everyday life.