Even so, Meng Zhao still raised her head, her voice carrying a hint of expectation that she herself didn't even realize: "So? Can you accept what I'm saying?"

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. She saw his deep-set eyes move, saw his Adam's apple bob slightly, and saw his fingers, hanging by his sides, gently curl and uncurl.

Finally, after a long wait, Xiao Youzhi's deep voice broke the silence: "If I wasn't serious, I would have accepted immediately. After all, this is a wonderful thing for a man."

He took a step forward, his voice soft yet clear, “But I’m serious. I look forward to marrying you, to spending the rest of my life with you. As for children…” His Adam’s apple bobbed, “I won’t force it, but I do… hope for them.”

Seeing that Meng Zhao was somewhat stunned, Xiao Youzhi continued, "You are young, so perhaps you haven't thought it through yet. Perhaps you will understand in the future."

Meng Zhao wanted to roar in her heart, "If you add up the ages of both lifetimes, you'd still have to respectfully call me 'Big Sister'!" But now she could only keep these words to herself. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She must have been bewitched. Knowing it was impossible, why did she say all this to him? She really wished she had a memory erasure technique so she could erase his memories.

"Alright, alright, I know. It's getting late, you should go back now."

Seeing her sudden change in attitude, Xiao Youzhi felt a pang of anxiety, realizing that he had said the wrong thing. He immediately wanted to make amends, but Meng Zhao didn't want to listen anymore. "I've been busy all day and I'm a little tired. You should go back first. We can talk about it later."

Without waiting for a reply, she pushed Xiao Youzhi out of the courtyard. Xiao Youzhi initially wanted to say something, but after seeing her tired expression, he couldn't bear to linger and could only leave.

Lying in bed, Meng Zhao pondered his strange behavior that day, finally attributing it to Xiao Youzhi's kick to Xiao Hengyu. His sharp figure, the sound of wind created by the fluttering of his dark robes, and the crisp and clean force of that kick—he had to admit, Xiao Youzhi was incredibly handsome at that moment.

Looking back, it's understandable that I acted impulsively, but thankfully I remained clear-headed and didn't go completely insane. I must never do that again.

The next morning, after washing up, Meng Zhao slowly walked into the dining hall, only to find three people already sitting at the table. She paused, surprised, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Youzhi calmly put down the bowl of porridge, pointed to himself, and said, "Are you talking about me?"

"Who else could it be but you?" Meng Zhao's eyes widened.

Xiao Youzhi smiled slightly, “I was thinking that your restaurant is about to open, and I happen to have experience, so I came over to give you some advice. I didn’t expect your uncle and aunt to be so enthusiastic. When they heard that I hadn’t had breakfast, they insisted on inviting me to join them.”

Meng Zhao looked at Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan, asking with his eyes: Is that so?

The family of three was very in sync. Just by looking at Xu Yunrong's pursed lips, Meng Zhao knew what she wanted to say: I had no idea. He had been waiting at the door since early morning. He couldn't just leave her standing outside, could he? After they came in and it was time for lunch, he had just politely asked if she wanted to eat together when she sat down without any hesitation. She was really not polite at all.

Meng Dashan, standing to the side, was all smiles, clearly quite welcoming to this uninvited guest. However, due to Xu Yunrong's expression, he could only hold his porridge bowl and pretend to focus on eating.

Seeing this, Meng Zhao rushed forward, grabbed Xiao Youzhi's sleeve, and dragged him out. "How can you do this? Cramming into someone else's house so early in the morning, where's your manners?"

Xiao Youzhi stumbled as she pulled him, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Isn't it because you chased me away last night, and I had so much to say but I didn't get to say it all, so I rushed over here first thing this morning?"

"What do you want to say?" Meng Zhao stopped and looked at him with her arms crossed.

Xiao Youzhi straightened his disheveled sleeves and became serious: "I have thought carefully about what you said, and although some of it is unconventional, it is not without reason."

In the morning light, his features were particularly clear: "However," he glanced back in the direction of the dining hall, his voice softening, "seeing how loving my uncle and aunt were this morning made me think that marriage doesn't necessarily have to be a constraint. Isn't it wonderful to be loving and devoted to each other like my uncle and aunt for a lifetime?"

Early in the morning, Meng Zhao didn't want to argue with him about survivor bias. Instead, she was more interested in the restaurant he mentioned. She waved her hand and said, "Stop talking about these irrelevant things. Since you're free today, come with me to the restaurant."

Xiao Youzhi grabbed her wrist, his grip light but firm enough to prevent her from breaking free: "What's the rush? I have plenty of time. Let's have breakfast first."

Meng Zhao pulled her hand away from his. "No need. Breakfast is prepared at the restaurant. I'll eat there."

Meng Zhao told him to wait outside while she went back to get her things. Xiao Youzhi had just reached the gate when he saw Shen Qinghe being stopped outside by Xiao Chuan. He smiled slightly and slowly walked over: "Isn't this Lord Shen? You usually call me 'Sister' so affectionately, how come you can't even get in today?"

Upon seeing Xiao Youzhi emerge from the inner courtyard of the Meng residence, Shen Qinghe's expression suddenly darkened. "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Youzhi calmly brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Her restaurant is about to open, and she invited me to give her some advice. As for you, what brings you here so early in the morning? If you're really in a hurry, you might as well just tell me."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Shen Qinghe's eyes. He stepped forward, his voice low but sharp as a knife: "What are you to presume to ask about my affairs with her?"

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