"Shuling".

He looked into her eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice steady and powerful.

“My mom is right. I can’t just let you go to the south with me without any explanation. That would be a terrible thing for me, and I would be irresponsible!”

"But please, you and Mom, believe me and give me some time!"

"You're going to Shenzhen to make your fortune? Fine, I'll go with you! You want to open a garment factory? I'll handle the marketing for you! You want to be a female boss? I'll be your slave!"

"I, Ye Sheng, am here today, in front of my whole family, to promise you that I will work hard! I will become a man you can be proud of, a man who can protect you with dignity, a man worthy of you!"

"Then, I will marry you in a grand and proper ceremony, with eight sedan chairs carried by eight men!"

"At that time, all the money I earn, all the companies I own, and all the land I buy will be registered in your name! I will belong to you too!"

These words, though simple, are deeply moving.

Like a red-hot iron, it was branded hard on Shen Shuling's heart, burning her eyes instantly to tears.

She looked at the man before her, whom she had once both loved and hated, now making a lifelong promise with an earnestness and devotion she had never seen before.

Her heart felt as if it were being tightly enveloped by a warm, large hand.

All defenses and pretenses melted away completely at this moment.

That idiot...

Who wants his money...?

Who wants his company anymore...?

All she ever wanted was Ye Sheng himself, and his burning heart.

Seeing this touching scene, Ye Nian'an walked to Jin Xiangyu's side and asked softly with a smile, "Mom, are you satisfied now?"

Jin Xiangyu wiped her eyes, her face beaming with an undisguised smile, but she still stubbornly insisted, "What's the use of whether I'm satisfied or not? It depends on whether Shuling is satisfied or not."

Ye Yao, who was standing nearby, also came over and said gently, "Mom, don't worry. Although my third brother is usually unreliable, he is never ambiguous when it comes to important matters."

“If he dares to bully Shuling in the future, you don’t even need to say a word. As the eldest brother, I will be the first to stop him. Our Ye family will definitely stand up for Shuling.”

Ye Sheng immediately replied, "Yes, big brother, if you ever see me dare to let Shuling down, then beat me! Beat me to death! I will never fight back! I will never have any complaints!"

Jin Xiangyu sighed, finally feeling relieved.

She held Shen Shuling's hand and said softly, "Child, as long as you agree, Mom won't object. Anyway, I've decided that you're my only daughter-in-law for life!"

Shen Shuling felt the warmth from her palms and looked at the sincere eyes of the family in front of her, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She wasn't one to mince words; her mind worked quickly, and she immediately found the best solution to the problem.

She rolled her eyes: "Auntie, Ye Sheng, I have a suggestion."

"How about... we get engaged first?"

"After we graduate, let's settle our marriage first. Then, we can go to Shenzhen to develop our careers. That way, no one will have any objections. What do you think?"

This suggestion is absolutely perfect!

This not only gave both parties a legitimate status, satisfying the elders' concerns about reputation, but also gave the young people enough time and space to pursue their careers.

"Oh! This is great! This is a good idea!"

Jin Xiangyu's eyes lit up instantly: "Yes, yes, yes! Let's get engaged first! That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"

She immediately announced in a flurry, "Alright! It's settled then! I'll go talk to your Uncle Ye right now, pick an auspicious day, prepare a generous betrothal gift, and formally propose marriage to your Shen family!"

Jin Xiangyu had just finished speaking.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

Immediately afterwards, a "mini football team" rushed in.

It was those ten kids who had been playing wildly outside all afternoon!

Now, Dada, Er'er, and San'san are eight years old and will soon be starting elementary school. They are all clever and witty little adults.

The seven little ones who were once helpless infants have now grown into four-year-old adults, following their older brothers and sisters around like little tails all day long.

As soon as the ten little ones entered the yard and saw the house full of adults, they immediately started calling out in their childish voices, one after another:

"grandmother!"

"Uncle!"

"Third Uncle!"

"Mommy!"

"aunt!"

"Aunt Siqing!"

"Aunt Shuling!"

The clear, crisp voices of children instantly ignited the festive atmosphere in the courtyard.

Ye Nian'an looked at her precious children, then at Shen Shuling standing to the side with a blush on her cheeks, and a mischievous smile flashed in her eyes.

She crouched down and smiled at the little ones running in the lead, saying, "Oh, wait a minute, we'll have to change how we address you from now on."

She pointed at Shen Shuling, deliberately keeping her in suspense: "Now, you should call her Third Aunt."

"Third Aunt?"

All ten little heads froze, completely bewildered.

Soon, the eldest brother was the first to react. His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, realizing the truth.

"Third Aunt...isn't she Third Uncle's wife?!"

He called out the new title crisply: "Third Aunt!"

Wow! My third uncle is finally getting married!

This was like lighting a powder keg, and the remaining nine little guys instantly went wild!

"Third Aunt!"

"Third Aunt, when are you going to marry our Third Uncle?"

"Does getting married mean you'll have a baby?"

"Third Aunt, you look so beautiful!"

The ten little ones instantly surrounded Shen Shuling, chattering away, their innocent and adorable little faces tilted upwards, their eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.

This is even more intense than when Jin Xiangyu "interrogated" me just now!

Shen Shuling was no match for the fierce onslaught of these ten adorable girls. Surrounded by them, she felt both shy and delighted, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

Just then, Ye Sheng, who had been secretly amused by the situation, finally couldn't stand it anymore.

He took a step forward, and his arm naturally reached out, pulling Shen Shuling out of the "encirclement".

He naturally put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.

The entire movement was executed in one smooth motion, brimming with an undeniable possessiveness.

He put on a stern face and, feigning seriousness, began to "educate" the ten little boys:

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? You're all forbidden from bullying your third aunt! Do you hear me?"

As he spoke, he glanced smugly at Shen Shuling, whose face was flushed, in his arms.

The smile he couldn't suppress at the corner of his mouth completely betrayed his inner smugness.

San San clapped her hands and exclaimed in a childish voice, "Oh! Third Uncle is protecting his wife!"

"Third Uncle is protecting his wife!!"

"Third Uncle is protecting his wife!!!"

The other nine little ones followed suit.