Inside the Zhu Family Mansion.
The guests had all left, and the servants were cleaning up the mess after the day's revelry.
Zhu Zhengchu was chain - smoking in his room.
He used to avoid smoking to protect his voice. But ever since he went abroad, the continuous nightmares had made him restless, and he had to rely on nicotine to numb himself.
Zheng Wanyin opened his door and was immediately hit by the strong smell of tobacco.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Zhu Zhengchu put away his cigarette case. "Mom, why aren't you resting?"
Zheng Wanyin was holding a fruit salad. "You didn't go downstairs to eat anything tonight. Have some of this, okay?"
"No, thanks, Mom. I have no appetite."
Zheng Wanyin's eyes fell on the cigarette butts all over the floor. Worry was written all over her still - charming face. "Is there something bothering you? Talk to Mom, okay?"
"I just suddenly lost my inspiration for songwriting." Zhu Zhengchu didn't want his family to worry about him.
Zheng Wanyin placed the fruit salad on the table. After a moment of silence, she asked directly, "You dated Yutang, didn't you?"
Zhu Zhengchu stiffened. He had no idea how his mother had found out.
Zheng Wanyin sighed. "I was just guessing based on my intuition at first. It seems I was right."
"What exactly happened?" Zheng Wanyin looked at him with concern.
Zhu Zhengchu decided not to hide it anymore. "I was stupid back then, so we broke up. Later, to avoid any awkwardness between our two families, I fled abroad. I didn't expect to run into her again when I came back this time."
"You still can't forget her, right?"
Zhu Zhengchu didn't answer, but his silence was his answer.
Zheng Wanyin sat down beside him and took his hand. "When you were recording the show, you told me you had a girlfriend. I guessed it might be Yutang at that time."
"It's no use talking about this now. She has a boyfriend." Zhu Zhengchu covered his face, looking unusually dejected.
Zheng Wanyin was taken aback. "Just now, her father told me that Yutang is still single."
"She might not tell her family about her relationship for fear of worrying her father."
Seeing her son so sad, Zheng Wanyin felt heart - ache. "Zhengchu, if you still can't let her go, then try your best to fight for her one more time. Don't be afraid of failure or embarrassment. After all, nothing is more important than the person you love."
Zhu Zhengchu said dejectedly, "She doesn't even want to talk to me. What can I do?"
"Then try to win her over little by little. You're still young, and you have plenty of time. If you just let it go like this, you'll regret it even more in the future." Zheng Wanyin gently held his hand.
"But make sure you really still like Yutang. Don't hurt her again, okay?"
"Okay..."
Zheng Wanyin hugged Zhu Zhengchu. "No matter what, Mom will always be by your side."
Zhu Yuan, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, didn't go in. Instead, he turned around and called Xiang Zhengyun.
"Hello, Lao Zhu. What's up?" Xiang Zhengyun had just finished sharing some gossip with others and was in a great mood.
Xiang Zhengyun scratched his nose. "Is your daughter dating someone?"
"No. She hasn't told me anything."
"Oh, really... But is it possible that she's hiding it from you?"
Xiang Zhengyun was confused. "I don't think so. She used to say that if she ever had a boyfriend, she'd bring him home first."
"Lao Zhu, what's going on with you? Why are you suddenly so concerned about my daughter's love life?"
Zhu Yuan made up an excuse on the spot. "It's nothing... Lao Xiang, we've known each other for so long. What do you think of my son and your daughter as a couple?"
Xiang Zhengyun was embarrassed. "I don't think it's a good idea. Your son is gay! My daughter isn't!"
"What's wrong with it! What do you dislike about my son!?"
"No, no, no. Your son is great. It's just that my daughter isn't good enough for him. That's all right, isn't it?"
"She is good enough!"
Xiang Zhengyun quickly hung up the phone. He thought Zhu Yuan must have drunk too much tonight. Why was he calling in the middle of the night to arrange a marriage for his son?
Could it be!
Zhu Yuan had found out that his son was gay and wanted his son to turn straight, so he was trying to set him up with his daughter?
Xiang Zhengyun thought his analysis made perfect sense.
If that was the case, then Zhu Zhengchu was really a danger. He mustn't let him get close to his precious daughter!
Zhu Zhengchu's standing in his future father - in - law's heart had become extremely precarious.
---
Xiang Yutang and the others had an event to attend the next day, so they got up very early in the morning and were about to leave for the company they had founded together for the upcoming event.
It was Xiang Yutang's turn to make breakfast today. She got up early to make sandwiches for everyone. Suddenly, she heard the doorbell ring. Thinking it was the milk she had ordered, she went to open the door wearing a little Ultraman apron.
"Thanks for your hard work... What are you doing here?"
When she saw that it was Zhu Zhengchu, Xiang Yutang's expression immediately changed.
Zhu Zhengchu seemed to have dressed up carefully today. He looked incredibly handsome. But no matter how handsome he was, Xiang Yutang didn't want to see him. She turned around and was about to close the door.
Zhu Zhengchu followed her. "Tangtang, can we have a talk?"
Xiang Yutang walked into the kitchen and took out the sandwiches. "Zhu Zhengchu, this is getting ridiculous. We've been broken up for a year. What are you doing now? Are you going to pester me?"
Zhu Zhengchu still had a smile on his face. "I'd like to ask you to give me another chance."
Xiang Yutang said mercilessly, "I don't want to. Get out."
Zhu Zhengchu followed her. "I know I was wrong back then. I'll respect you from now on, Tangtang. Let's get married, okay? I won't touch you if you don't want me to."
Xiang Yutang pointed a soup spoon at him. "I'm warning you. Don't come any closer. Otherwise, I'll call the police and say you're here to rob us."
Zhu Zhengchu took a few steps back and looked at Xiang Yutang with burning eyes. "Tangtang, give me another chance..."
"I'll give you nothing!" Ying Zikui, who had heard the commotion and come downstairs, rushed up and started wrestling with Zhu Zhengchu. "You bastard! I was nice enough not to go after you, and now you dare to come to our door!"
"Stop fighting!" Xiang Yutang didn't want to watch them fight.
Zhuo Ziyu stood at the top of the stairs and called the security guards in the community. Soon, the security guards came and separated the two of them.
Xiang Yutang calmly explained the situation to the security guards. "This guy, Zhu, looks like he's here to rob us. Please deal with him. If you see his face again in the future, don't let him in. Otherwise, I'll file a complaint against you."
"I... Tangtang!"
Before Zhu Zhengchu could finish his sentence, he was taken out by the security guards.
Zhu Zhengchu didn't want to cause too much of a scene at her place, so he could only watch helplessly as he was led out.
Ying Zikui provocatively put his hand on Xiang Yutang's waist and smiled arrogantly.