episode_0047

Xu Nian still couldn’t quite understand why Su Qingya didn’t need her to pretend to be her boyfriend to placate her family and instead chose to procrastinate outright.

Wouldn’t it be especially troublesome when her parents started nagging and asking all sorts of questions?

Su Qingya, on the other hand, could somewhat grasp what Xu Nian was worried about.

It was nothing more than her parents not accepting their relationship.

Would the news be too much of a shock for them?

But what could be done if her parents didn’t accept it?

Would she have to break up with Niannian just because they disapproved?

Would she be forced to separate from Niannian against her will?

Impossible.

Su Qingya and Xu Nian’s love was never something her parents could dictate.

After all, compared to fearing whether her parents would approve of their relationship, she was far more terrified of not being able to stay with Xu Nian.

The mere thought of that possibility made her so scared she felt like she was going insane.

Might as well… charge in blindly and drop the bomb—declare that the two of them had already been a couple three years ago, back when they were nothing more than complete strangers.

Forget about ancestral recognition or anything like that. Su Qingya might as well go straight to registering their marriage with Xu Nian and enter the Xu family as their daughter-in-law.

The more she thought about it, the more this idea clung to her mind.

In an instant, she felt as though a solemn mission had been placed upon her shoulders.

She’d drop the bomb first and see what happened.

Who knows? Maybe her parents would just accept it like that.

But what about Xu Nian?

Right now, of course, she had no intention of separating from Su Qingya.

Even if her parents stood in their way.

But she still had to consider her parents’ feelings.

What normal parents would immediately accept this kind of relationship?

At the very least, there needed to be a gradual process.

Xu Nian wasn’t an irrational person.

“By the way, when did you find out that I was Mom and Dad’s biological daughter?” Su Qingya asked curiously.

“Not long ago. Dad can’t keep secrets—I just looked into it a little and found out. But what shocked me at the time was that I never expected it to be you.”

This was a lie.

Xu Nian still didn’t want to reveal the simulator so soon.

“So, was this also one of the reasons you joked about breaking up back then?”

“Uh, not really. Why are you bringing this up again? Let’s just sweep this unpleasant matter into the dustbin of history.”

Xu Nian spoke in a fluster. She really didn’t want to talk about it.

She also didn’t want Su Qingya to keep remembering it.

Every time it came up, she’d feel flustered, as if she owed Su Qingya something, her heart pounding wildly.

“Alright, alright, I got it. I won’t mention it again. I just thought it seemed like a plausible reason—like, after you found out your parents’ biological daughter was me, you fell into a negative spiral, questioning whether being with me was right, and then, unable to bear the guilt, you resolved to break up… only to regret it and take me back.”

“W-what kind of soap opera nonsense is that?”

But she had to admit, Su Qingya’s theory wasn’t entirely unfounded.

Su Qingya let out a long sigh.

“But… I really never expected fate to play such a joke on us.”

“So?”

“So, even so, I won’t let go.”

Su Qingya stared into Xu Nian’s eyes and spoke with absolute seriousness.

Xu Nian froze for a moment before finally relaxing.

“Well then… please take care of me from now on, Qingya.”

“Mhm. Niannian, does this mean we’re officially living together now?”

“Y-you! Why do you always steer the conversation in such a suggestive direction?”

“Shh.”

Su Qingya pressed a finger to her lips.

She leaned in so close to Xu Nian that they were nearly touching.

The two fell silent, and in that enclosed space, it was as if time itself had slowed.

They gazed into each other’s eyes, and in that moment, there was no one else in the world but them.

“Oh, Niannian, those lilies in the flower bed—you planted them all for me, didn’t you?”

“Y-you noticed?”

“Hard not to. They’re as beautiful as you are. Everything there carries your touch, your scent.”

As they spoke, Xu Nian realized Su Qingya was inching closer and closer, until their lips were almost brushing with every word.

And so, naturally, they met.

Unlike the previous three kisses, which had been more aggressive, this one was tender and romantic.

It lingered for a long, long time.

After settling their discussion, the two eventually returned to the stone table in the courtyard.

“Hey, why do you think their faces are so red? What’s with that blush?”

Xu Qingshan nudged his wife, utterly baffled by this development that fell outside his expectations.

He had assumed they’d either be happy or hostile.

But this? This was beyond his comprehension.

“I don’t know either, but it can’t be anything bad, right?”

Xu’s mother whispered back before quickly straightening her posture.

Xu Nian steadied her emotions. They had already agreed—nothing unexpected should happen during the upcoming lunch.

All she had to do was tease the hapless Qingya a little.

Time to eat.

Suddenly, Su Qingya slammed her hands on the table and stood up, startling everyone.

“Dad, Mom, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Her sudden solemn expression made the two tense up as well.

They shot Xu Nian questioning looks.

But Xu Nian had no idea what Su Qingya was planning either.

She shook her head, just as confused.

“I just want to know—if your daughter, whether biological or not, were to get married in the future, would you prefer her to stay in the family or marry out?”

“Why are you asking this?”

This was Xu Nian’s question.

She couldn’t fathom why Su Qingya would bring up such a topic out of nowhere.

Xu Qingshan and his wife were equally puzzled.

In response to Xu Nian’s confusion, Su Qingya simply gave her a reassuring look, as if to say, “Leave it to me.”

“W-well… as parents, of course we’d want her to stay. But girls are meant to marry out, so… I’m not sure.” Xu’s mother answered cautiously.

Xu Qingshan didn’t object, leaving the response entirely to his wife.

“So, you’d actually prefer your daughter to stay at home, right?”

“More or less. Why do you ask?”

Xu’s mother blinked, still completely lost.

Xu Nian, however, was growing increasingly uneasy.

That ominous feeling was getting stronger.

“What if I told you your wish could be fulfilled all at once?”

“All at once?”

“Yes. Both of your daughters could stay and take care of you in the future.”

“Really? That’d be wonderful. But… how? Daughters are meant to marry out. Unless they both marry into the family? That’d be hard to arrange.” Xu’s mother chuckled awkwardly.

“Nothing’s impossible. So let me be honest with you—actually, I’m… mmmph!!”

Seeing disaster looming, Xu Nian rushed to cover her mouth.

“Ah, Qingya’s just being silly again. She does this sometimes.”

After brushing off her parents, she turned to Su Qingya and hissed, “We agreed on this earlier!”

Su Qingya ignored her completely, grabbing Xu Nian by the waist and giving her a firm pinch.

She had already made up her mind.

“Ow-ow!”

Chaos erupted briefly, but Su Qingya managed to break free from Xu Nian’s grip.

She slammed the table again.

“The truth is—I’m Niannian’s boyfriend! The girlfriend I mentioned? It’s Niannian!”

The moment these words left her mouth, Xu Qingshan and his wife recoiled slightly, their chopsticks clattering to the ground, their faces a picture of shock.

Xu Nian’s face burned so red it was practically steaming.

Too late to stop it now!

She tugged at Su Qingya’s sleeve, flustered and furious.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Damn it!

Why did this woman have to be so bold at the worst possible times?!

“What? What did you say? My hearing’s not so good—couldn’t catch that.”

Xu Qingshan chose that moment to chime in.

Hah, who knew his biological daughter had such a sense of humor?

This had to be a joke, right?

“I said—I’m Niannian’s boyfriend! My girlfriend is Niannian!”

Su Qingya would gladly say it as many times as it took!

“Gah—!”

Beside him, Xu’s mother shuddered violently, her eyes rolling back as she fainted on the spot!