"I want to make money, I want my own business, and one day I want to build my own business empire." For the first time, Qin Xiaoyu boldly and clearly stated her wish.

"But that doesn't conflict with becoming my woman, does it? I can help you."

"I don't need your help! I'll fight for what I want myself!" Qin Xiaoyu interrupted him.

"Fine, you don't need my help. Are you saying you don't need a man, or just that you don't need me?" A Lei pressed on.

"I don't need a man." Qin Xiaoyu knew this better than anyone. She wasn't targeting anyone in particular; she just didn't want a big, unattractive man. Carrying him around was too tiring, and she couldn't let him go. It was better to have none at all.

"That's a contradiction. You don't need me, but I need you. What should I do?" There was a hint of sadness in A Lei's voice.

He slowly walked towards Qin Xiaoyu, so slowly that Qin Xiaoyu forgot his threat. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already in his arms.

"You'd better respect me!" Qin Xiaoyu trembled slightly. She knew she couldn't escape with her strength alone, so she tried her best to salvage the situation.

“I like you because I respect you. Don’t you think love is the best compliment for a woman?” A Lei snatched the things from her and threw them on the ground. He then leaned down and began to attack her lips.

"No, I can't be your woman!" Qin Xiaoyu tried her best, but she couldn't push him away. Because she was drunk, she felt weak all over and was even more passive.

A Lei was no longer satisfied with just kissing; his plans went much deeper. His hands began to wander, reaching for her waist.

Qin Xiaoyu tried to stop him, but her petite body was like a child in his arms, powerless to resist. Moreover, the more she moved, the more excited A Lei became; his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

"How far do you want us to go? Until we're in bed? Then I'll go upstairs with you now. And then it will all be over." Qin Xiaoyu stopped struggling and suddenly burst into tears, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness.

A Lei was taken aback by her question, and stopped holding her, but he didn't let go of her, still holding her tightly.

"Did you hear what I said? If all you want is to go to bed, then go right now. And don't bother me anymore, that's it." Qin Xiaoyu realized how pathetic she was; why did the words she used to threaten others cause her such heartache?

"Then tell me, how far can we go?" A Lei suddenly asked. Qin Xiaoyu felt a chill on her neck—was it his tears?

"How far do you want to go?" Qin Xiaoyu was also making up her mind; this was truly an evenly matched pair.

"I want a lifetime, will you give it to me?"

"If you dare to ask, I dare to give." Qin Xiaoyu felt a loosening on her body as A Lei released her.

"Let's go, the road is slippery, drive carefully. I've had a lot to drink, so I won't see you off. I'll come see you tomorrow." A Lei walked to the door, entered the password, and the lock clicked open.

Qin Xiaoyu reached out and opened the door, but before she could step out, A Lei slammed it shut again. She looked over in surprise; breaking his word wasn't A Lei's thing.

"You can't just leave like this." A Lei stepped forward and pulled her into his arms without any hesitation, kissing her passionately until Qin Xiaoyu almost suffocated.

She stepped onto the snow and slowly came to her senses. Looking back, she could vaguely see A Lei's tall figure by the living room window.

He said he wanted to spend his whole life with it.

She said she gave it to her.

What's this?

Qin Xiaoyu panicked, slipped, and fell to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, and in the blink of an eye, A Lei had already rushed out of the house.

"You silly woman, you have so many tricks up your sleeve! Did you twist your ankle?" A Lei squatted down to check her foot.

"It's okay, you're not dressed warmly enough, come on in!" Qin Xiaoyu was a little anxious when she saw that A Lei was only wearing a shirt, and pushed him hard.

"Wait for me, I'll take you there." After saying that, A Lei turned and ran back.

"No need! You've been drinking!" Qin Xiaoyu strongly refused, but A Lei's stubbornness was unmatched.

Ten minutes later, Qin Xiaoyu drove the car, with a drowsy A Lei sitting next to her.

"What are we going to do? How are you going to drive back like this?" Qin Xiaoyu said in frustration.

"Since you refuse to stay, this is the only option," Are said vaguely.

"They'll worry if I don't go home this late." Qin Xiaoyu was right. The living room light was on, and Zhou Xing's mother was dozing on the sofa. When she saw Qin Xiaoyu and A Lei come in, she quickly stood up.

"Can I stay here? Xiaoyu must come back, I'm worried about leaving her alone." A Lei was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open, his long eyelashes fluttering as if they wanted to stick together.

"Take him upstairs," Zhou Xing's mother said decisively.

Helpless, Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to drag him upstairs, stuff him into the guest room, and throw him onto the bed.

"Little Fish, I love you," A Lei murmured before drifting off to sleep.

Qin Xiaoyu was both amused and exasperated.

"Mom, you should go to sleep, you'll have a headache tomorrow."

Qin Xiaoyu went downstairs to find Zhou Xing's mother and saw her sitting upright, waiting to interrogate someone. She was wide awake.

"Did you meet his grandfather? What did you say?" It turned out that Zhou Xing's mother was worried about the elders' opinions.

"I didn't see her." Qin Xiaoyu sat down next to her and said with a wry smile.

"What's going on? Are they deliberately avoiding you?" Zhou Xing's mother became anxious.

“Mom, Lei’s family is different from our traditional families. He’s also different from what you see on the surface. They’re very open-minded, and there are some things they might not be able to accept. So let’s just let things take their course.” Qin Xiaoyu could only hint at this; there were some things she couldn’t say aloud, and she was afraid of scaring Zhou Xing’s mother if she did.

“I don’t understand the thinking of young people these days; I’m just old. Take your sister Xiaoyue, for example. She got pregnant out of wedlock. If this happened in the past, I would be so ashamed. I wouldn’t dare to face anyone, let alone marry her off in a grand manner. So, don’t think of me as too old-fashioned. If I can’t accept it, I’ll accept it slowly. As long as you’re happy, just do it. You’re a sensible girl; whatever you do, I’ll support you.” Zhou Xing’s mother’s words reassured Qin Xiaoyu.

This is truly treating her like their own daughter, showing such tolerance and trust – the truest of human kindness. Perhaps she can open her heart and fall in love with A Lei once, even if it doesn't end well, but she has to try to know.

Qi Si now comes over every day to freeload breakfast. He's gotten used to it. He calls out "Mom!" as soon as he walks in, in a loud voice, as if afraid Zhou Xing's mom won't hear him.

“You should eat less of this seaweed. There’s too much chili oil. You eat too much chili; your stomach can’t handle it,” Zhou Xing’s mother nagged as she sat down next to him.

"What time did Xiaoyu come back yesterday? I went to bed at midnight and didn't see her." Qi Si was worried.

"A little past one o'clock, I've been waiting, it's okay..."