The more they explained, the hotter Zhou Qiqi felt her face burning. She was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground, so she quickly interrupted them:
"Alright, alright! I know! Stop talking!"
It's nothing shameful for the newlyweds to be intimate with each other.
I was just too embarrassed to be seen by someone I knew.
She quickly cleared her throat, trying to appear calm, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the blushing Yuan Xiaoyuan and the unnatural-looking Lei Ming.
Finally, his gaze settled on their clasped hands, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips as he asked:
"Ahem... um... I'm actually quite curious, what are you two doing here?"
Yuan Xiaoyuan was still a nineteen-year-old girl. When Zhou Qiqi asked her that question, her face turned even redder. She let go of Lei Ming's hand as if she had been electrocuted and shrank behind him in embarrassment.
He stammered "We...we..." for a long time, but couldn't bring himself to say it.
Lei Ming, being more thick-skinned, though his ears were also bright red, mustered his courage, straightened his back, and loudly admitted:
"Reporting to Sister Qiqi! I... Xiaoyuan and I... we're dating now!"
After saying that, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded quickly beside her like a chick pecking at rice, her face beaming with undisguised sweetness and shyness.
Zhou Qiqi had actually had a vague feeling about this before, but she had been busy with family matters lately and hadn't had time to ask in detail.
Now that the two of them had openly admitted it, she was genuinely happy for them and jokingly said with a smile:
"Oh! So you two have been secretly dating all along! Tell me, how did you two hit it off? Who pursued whom first?"
Lei Ming then briefly recounted their first encounter on that rainy night.
That night, he was driving back to the city when he passed the forest farm and saw Xiaoyuan chopping at a door with an axe. He thought she was a bad guy and almost delayed Xiaoyuan's rescue of the patient.
Later, the two of them took the old man from the forest farm to the hospital together. Lei Ming then stepped on Xiao Yuan's foot and promised to treat her to a meal.
Through these back-and-forth exchanges, the two gradually became acquainted.
As Lei Ming spoke, Yuan Xiaoyuan quietly added details from the side. When they got to the interesting parts, the two of them couldn't help but become animated.
As Zhou Qiqi listened, a "doting auntie smile" involuntarily appeared on her face, and she suddenly realized:
"I knew it! How did Xiaoyuan know you had candy in your pocket last time at Wo's house? Turns out it was specially prepared for girls!"
"hey-hey..."
Lei Ming chuckled sheepishly, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Looking at the young couple in front of her, Zhou Qiqi was filled with mixed emotions.
They were only in their early twenties, an age when they were full of hope and passion for love. Their personalities were also well-matched; one was straightforward and honest, and the other was lively and innocent. They seemed like a match made in heaven.
Looking at myself, although I have the appearance of a twenty-year-old, inside I am a soul that has been tempered by modern society, and my thoughts are no longer so simple and pure.
She knew very well that even if time could be reversed and she were the first person to meet Lei Ming, she would never be able to be with him.
Shen Huaichuan, a calm and reserved man who can tolerate everything about her and give her a strong sense of security, is her destiny.
The innocent and carefree Yuan Xiaoyuan is the girl who is truly suitable for Lei Ming and can make him happy.
Seeing that Lei Ming had finally found the right person, Zhou Qiqi was genuinely happy for him.
The burden she had felt before because of his affection for her had now vanished.
But as happy as he was, a more practical problem immediately came to mind.
Zhou Qiqi's smile faded, her expression turned serious, and she looked at Lei Ming, asking:
"Lei Ming, it's a good thing that you and Xiao Yuan are dating, but... have you talked to your aunt Zhou Shuhua about this? What's her attitude? Does she approve?"
When asked the name "Zhou Shuhua," Zhou Qiqi tensed up a bit, thinking it would be difficult for her to answer.
But when I actually said it, I found it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined; I just stumbled a little.
Her concerns were not unfounded.
Previously, because Lei Ming had shown some affection for her, Zhou Shuhua had been finding fault with her and disliking her in every way.
She was really afraid that Yuan Xiaoyuan, who was simple-minded and had no guile, would also suffer the same difficulties, which would be a huge blow to the young girl.
"Sister Qiqi,"
Lei Ming quickly explained, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"My aunt... she used to treat me like a shadow of Uncle Shuisheng, and she was too controlling. Now that Uncle Shuisheng has been found, and she has you as her niece, she... she's practically abandoned me..."
There was a hint of disappointment in his words, but more than that, there was relief and happiness for his aunt.
“When I went back last time, I told her about Xiaoyuan and me. My uncle said that he should find out about Xiaoyuan’s family situation before making a decision. But my aunt said directly that Xiaoyuan is a simple and kind girl. She can tell whether someone is good or bad. Her family situation is not important. What’s most important is that she is a good person!”
Hearing this, Yuan Xiaoyuan grinned and tugged at her orange coat:
"Sister Qiqi, look, this ink-wash radiance dress I'm wearing, I couldn't afford it myself, Aunt Zhou bought it for me! She's such a kind person..."
Lei Ming looked at Zhou Qiqi with sincere eyes, taking the opportunity to say a few words on behalf of his aunt:
"Sister Qiqi, actually... my aunt, aside from being a bit stubborn about my Uncle Shuisheng's matter and sometimes speaking bluntly, is a very kind-hearted person, and she's incredibly devoted to her family. Look at her now, isn't she trying her best to make amends..."
He genuinely hoped that Zhou Qiqi could resolve her misunderstanding with her aunt.
Zhou Qiqi was taken aback upon hearing this.
How could she not know all this? During this time, Zhou Shuhua had been trying to be nice to her whenever she could, and she could feel Zhou Shuhua's clumsy yet eager desire to make amends.
Putting aside past unpleasantness, Zhou Shuhua was the only blood relative she had in this world besides the Shen family.
But...
That thorn in your heart isn't so easy to pull out.
Forgiving so easily seems to violate my principles of conduct.
This feeling is somewhat like her past life.
Her parents divorced early and ignored her completely.
Back then, she couldn't afford the tuition, so she had to bite the bullet and beg them, only to be met with cold words and harsh treatment.
After she graduated from university and had a stable income, her so-called father came to her door again, saying that he was old, knew he was wrong, and tried to repair their relationship.
She swore then that she would never forgive those who had hurt her so badly.
This principle has continued to this day.
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