Ji Shuli was a little overwhelmed by Qin Manshu's aggressive approach. He choked for a moment, but Qin Manshu laughed first and said, "Sorry, I was too hasty. We can start as friends."

Jiang Shichu sat to the side without saying a word.

Qin Manshu rested her chin on her hand and asked Ye Qingcheng, "Uncle Ye, what conditions are required to become Shuli's girlfriend?"

Ye Qingcheng would definitely find it harder to handle. He had already disapproved of Qin Manshu and Ji Shuli's relationship, feeling that Qin Manshu's personality might not be a good match for Ji Shuli. Leaving aside the previous conflict between the Qin and Ji families, Qin Manshu's personality alone—

However, Ye Qingcheng would certainly not reject the girl directly under these circumstances. Under Qin Manshu's gaze, he simply smiled and said, "It's mainly because Shuli likes her."

Qin Manshu smiled and said, "That's true. I know Shuli's personality. As long as he likes something, he will disobey his elders' orders and insist on doing what he wants to do, even if his elders don't like it. I especially like his personality."

Ji Shuli coughed. "And what do you know about my personality?"

Qin Manshu narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled, "I think you would think so."

Ji Shuli remained silent, while Qin Manshu turned her gaze to Ye Yingying. She seemed quite interested in Ye Yingying, even though it was their first meeting. Her feelings towards Ye Yingying were clearly complicated. Initially, she was slightly hostile, but now she seemed very friendly, smiling as she asked, "Zhiwei's sister, Ye Yingying? I'll just call you Yingying."

Ye Yingying nodded slightly.

"You're a senior in high school this year, right?"

Ye Yingying said, "Yes."

"Senior year of high school is a very stressful time." Qin Manshu asked with a smile, as if she had thought of something. "But I don't know why, it seems that when the pressure of senior year comes, it's easy to want to date to relieve the pressure? I remember when I was in senior year, a lot of couples appeared around this time. Yingying, do you have someone you like?"

"Yes," Ye Yingying suddenly said.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Manshu's gaze sharpened, and Ye Zhiwei was also somewhat surprised. Only Jiang Jianian glanced at Ye Yingying. Just as the atmosphere at the table was becoming increasingly subtle, Ye Yingying took the opportunity to put her arm around Ye Zhiwei's arm and said with a smile, "I like Sister Zhiwei the most."

These words immediately eased the atmosphere. Qin Manshu smiled, Ji Shuli shook his head, and Jiang Jianian stared expressionlessly at Ye Yingying's hands clinging to Ye Zhiwei.

As if oblivious to everything, Ye Yingying sweetly said to Ye Zhiwei, "If I were a boy, I would definitely compete with Brother Jia Nian for Sister Zhiwei. I wouldn't bear to let such a good Sister Zhiwei go."

Ye Zhiwei smiled and said that Ye Yingying had a sweet tongue, while Ji Shuli said with disdain, "You girls just like to be all lovey-dovey together."

Qin Manshu's originally gloomy expression softened considerably. In a good mood, she said to Ji Shuli, "Being able to be all lovey-dovey together proves that you have a good relationship. I'm quite envious of Yingying and my little cousin's good relationship. However, Yingying seems to be very sociable. I think my little cousin really likes her, and it seems that you all really like this girl too."

Ji Shuli shook his head, "This little girl is only like this in front of my little cousin. She's very polite to the rest of us. Oh, what's even funnier is that she always tries to win over my little cousin by competing with Xiao Jiang for her affections."

"Xiao Jiang, Jiang Jianian?" Although Qin Manshu mentioned Jiang Jianian, her gaze did not fall on him. She seemed to be avoiding any other contact with Jiang Jianian.

She seemed somewhat surprised to hear these words, and sat at the dining table as if deep in thought. Finally, she gave Ye Zhiwei a deep look and did not say anything else outrageous.

Aside from the occasional instance of him proactively serving food to Ji Shuli, and then smilingly serving it back to her after seeing her unsure whether to eat or not, the dinner was exceptionally harmonious.

Everything went smoothly afterward. Qin Manshu was very polite to Ye Yingying, and he also heard that Ye Yingying had a good image. He would help recommend Ye Yingying if she had any endorsement opportunities. He even asked for Ye Yingying's phone number before leaving.

She remained all smiles throughout the Ye family's visit, offering her heartfelt wishes for Ye Qingcheng's speedy recovery. She addressed Song Min as "Auntie" and treated her with great courtesy. In the end, she even watched a variety show with Ye Zhiwei for a while. Before leaving, she didn't hesitate to take some of the Ye family's exquisite pastries with her. Because she had been praising a particular pastry during the meal, the housekeeper thoughtfully had the kitchen prepare another one for Qin Manshu to take away.

So far, the night seemed to have gone smoothly.

Only Jiang Shichu could sense that Qin Manshu's smile always carried the marks of training and was a deliberate one.

Qin Manshu and Jiang Shichu left the Ye family together and got into the car. After the car left the Ye family, the smile on her face slowly disappeared. She casually threw the snacks aside, and the smile on her face disappeared completely. She made no attempt to hide her feelings in front of Jiang Shichu.

"Are you unhappy?"

Qin Manshu remained silent.

Jiang Shichu asked, "If you're unhappy, why did you insist on visiting the Ye family? You seem very eager to get along with the eldest daughter of the Ye family. Is it all for that Ji Shuli?"

"You have so many questions, Shichu," Qin Manshu couldn't help but complain.

As Jiang Shichu drove, his hands trembled slightly. After a long while, he continued, "Don't you feel tired of keeping everything to yourself?"

"I didn't hide any emotions."

"Then why did you force yourself to go to the Ye family? Your emotions are very unstable. You were different when you talked to them at the Ye family than usual. It seems like you were always deliberately hiding your emotions, including your attitude towards Ye Yingying, the adopted daughter of the Ye family. Isn't she only a senior in high school? How could she have any interaction with you at such a young age? It seems like you were targeting her."

Qin Manshu laughed, "Shichu, why would I target a little girl? She hasn't offended me in any way. Just like you said, we don't have any interaction, so why would I target her?"

Jiang Shichu said calmly, "Whether it's targeting you or not, you know perfectly well."

Hearing this, Qin Manshu's smile faded again. She looked at Jiang Shichu with some curiosity and asked, "That's strange. You've only met that girl once. You usually side with me, so why are you taking her side today? Is she pretty? I mean, she's very much your type. Do you like her? She's eighteen this year and will be taking the college entrance exam soon. It's not impossible for her to date after the exam. I just added her contact information. Do you need me to help you test the waters? Don't worry, if you like her, I will definitely help you. It's normal for boys to like young and pretty girls; it's understandable—"

“Qin Manshu.” Jiang Shichu’s expression broke down. He took a deep breath and said after a while, “I know you’re in a bad mood, but you don’t need to say such hurtful things.”