Zhou Zhuofei was born in a third-tier city, a place small enough that you could travel from the east end to the west end by bus in just an hour.
The city had only a handful of central commercial districts, so during holidays, the streets would inevitably be packed with crowds.
Zhou Zhuofei believed this was the root of her aversion to noisy, crowded environments.
Since adults only had free time during holidays, she had no choice but to tag along as a child.
But once she gained control over her own life, she quickly retreated into her comfort zone, refusing to step out during any holiday.
This time, however, she had no choice but to venture out.
As soon as she stepped out of the train station, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but yawn.
Xiao Wang, standing beside her, noticed and asked, "Still tired?"
"I slept a bit on the train, so I should be fine." She patted her cheeks, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
After all, she had a "battle" to face soon.
Just then, she noticed Xiao Wang frowning slightly as he gazed into the distance, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh.
"What’s wrong? Not feeling well?"
As she spoke, her hand instinctively reached out to pat his back.
"Did you get carsick?"
"I’m fine. It’s just…" Xiao Wang hesitated, his expression even a little embarrassed. "I’m just a bit nervous."
Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t surprised. Instead, she gave him a knowing look. "I figured as much. You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?"
Xiao Wang was usually a sound sleeper, but last night, she had vaguely sensed him tossing and turning. It wasn’t hard to guess why.
"Poor thing." She patted the back of his hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Just treat them the way you’d treat General Manager Ling. Compliment my mom on how young she looks and my dad on his youthful attitude. Hit those two points, and you’ll be 80% safe."
Xiao Wang took her advice seriously. He really wasn’t good at handling interactions with elders, especially when the elders in question were Zhou Zhuofei’s parents. The thought alone made his anxiety spike.
That was why he had barely slept last night, his mind plagued by worst-case scenarios.
What if he messed up? What if her parents didn’t like him?
He hadn’t felt this unsettled in a long time—not even when facing the toughest work challenges.
At least with work, he had experience to fall back on. But winning over elders? That was entirely unfamiliar territory.
"Relax, I have faith in you."
Zhou Zhuofei was certain that, by any measure, Xiao Wang would be an ideal son-in-law in her parents’ eyes. The problem was, he didn’t seem to realize it himself.
Laden with bags, they finally reached her parents’ doorstep. Before knocking, Zhou Zhuofei paused and turned to Xiao Wang. "I’m about to knock, okay?"
Xiao Wang took a deep breath, steadied himself, and nodded.
The doorbell rang, and heavy footsteps approached from inside. Even through the door, Father Zhou’s booming voice was unmistakable.
"Coming, coming!"
The lock clicked, and the door swung open, revealing a beaming face.
"Welcome back, sweetheart! And this must be Xiao Wang! Come in, come in!"
Their slippers were already laid out. Zhou Zhuofei noticed Xiao Wang’s were brand new and teased, "You even bought him new slippers?"
Father Zhou chuckled. "Your mom picked them up at the supermarket yesterday."
"Lucky you," Zhou Zhuofei said to Xiao Wang. "Most guests just get shoe covers."
"Of course!" Father Zhou, whose cheerful demeanor mirrored Zhou Zhuofei’s, chimed in. "Xiao Wang isn’t just any guest!"
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but laugh at Xiao Wang’s flustered expression.
She had never seen him so nervous that he was practically speechless. To ease the tension, she quickly changed the subject. "Where’s Mom?"
"She’s frying fish in the kitchen. Can’t leave the stove, but she’ll be out soon."
They stepped into the living room, the sounds of sizzling oil and the range hood roaring in the background. Xiao Wang shifted uncomfortably at the thought of just sitting there. "Shouldn’t I greet your mom first?"
"Wait till she comes out. The kitchen’s probably chaotic right now."
"Should I go help?"
"Just sit. You’ll have plenty of chances to help later," Zhou Zhuofei said.
Seizing the opportunity, Father Zhou asked, "Xiao Wang, do you cook?"
Though Zhou Zhuofei had briefed her parents about Xiao Wang, most of the details had been shared with her mom. Father Zhou, eager to learn more about his daughter’s boyfriend, couldn’t resist probing.
Zhou Zhuofei answered for him, "He does. He’s the one who cooks at home."
"Impressive!" Father Zhou praised, mentally adding points to Xiao Wang’s score.
For parents, expectations for their child’s partner usually boiled down to good character and a stable job.
Xiao Wang’s career was undeniably solid and promising. He was well-mannered, presentable, and—most importantly—willing to cook. In Father Zhou’s eyes, he was already close to perfect.
The kitchen noises gradually quieted down. Ms. Hu made sure to remove her apron and wipe her hands before stepping out.
"Xiao Wang’s here?"
Xiao Wang immediately stood up, greeting her with polite restraint.
"Hello, Auntie."
Compared to Father Zhou, Xiao Wang had a clearer impression of Ms. Hu.
He often overheard her conversations with Zhou Zhuofei, and from her daughter’s descriptions, he had pegged her as a straightforward, no-nonsense woman.
This worried him a little, as such elders usually favored smooth talkers—a skill he sorely lacked.
But today, Ms. Hu was all smiles, her tone noticeably softer than during their phone calls.
"Sit, sit! No need to be so formal. You two chat; dinner will be ready soon. Zhou Zhuofei, come help me set the table."
"Huh?" Normally, she wouldn’t hesitate, but with Xiao Wang in this state, she was reluctant to leave him alone.
Her dad, however, urged her on. "Your mom called you. Go on."
The parents’ coordinated act made Zhou Zhuofei suspect this was all part of a plan.
She shot Xiao Wang one last encouraging glance before heading to the kitchen.
Even there, she kept the door slightly ajar, straining to catch snippets of the conversation in the living room.
Sure enough, the moment she left, her dad started firing questions. Zhou Zhuofei listened intently, not wanting to miss a word.
Ms. Hu caught her eavesdropping almost immediately. "Can’t you focus on helping for once?"
"Then maybe I should go back?"
"What would you go back for?" Ms. Hu frowned. "Just stay here."
She knew it—this had to be a scheme between the couple!
"There’s something I still want to ask you. You’ve been dating for over a year—what’s the plan bringing him home now? Thinking about marriage?"
"Just wanted to let you meet him, that’s all. Marriage depends on how things go."
Ms. Hu spoke leisurely, "I won’t rush you about marriage. You can decide for yourself when it feels right. But if you want kids, it’s better to marry earlier—it’s for the sake of your own health."
"What?" Zhou Zhuofei asked incredulously. "You’re not rushing me to get married? Then why have you always pushed me to find someone?"
The other party countered logically, "Look at how lazy you are—other than work, you just hole up at home. If I didn’t push you to date, wouldn’t you just muddle along every day?"
Zhou Zhuofei was instantly too guilty to retort, because that’s exactly what she used to think—as long as life was manageable, why not just coast along?
If she hadn’t met Xiao Wang, she’d probably still be in that same rut.
"So how could I not push you? You’re young now, and your friends are all single—you can still go out with them. But what about later? The reason I want you to find someone is so you won’t be alone in the future."
The more Zhou Zhuofei listened, the more remorseful she felt. Even if their perspectives clashed sometimes, Ms. Hu’s concern for her would never change.
Maybe people really do grow more tolerant with time. These days, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t approach problems with the same sharp edges as before.
"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this. He’s a good guy."
"Marriage isn’t just about whether someone’s ‘good.’ There’ll be plenty of headaches down the road—what matters is whether a man can shoulder responsibility. Don’t judge by your dad’s current state; back in the day, he could handle things."
Zhou Zhuofei perked up with interest. "What things? How come I never heard about this?"
"It was years ago. Your dad and I had only been dating for a little over a month when your Maternal Grandfather suddenly fell ill. He was hospitalized for three months, and your dad was the one running around taking care of everything. Back then, he’d rush to the hospital right after work—lost so much weight."
Who knew she’d actually dig up a new story? Zhou Zhuofei asked, puzzled, "Why’d you never mention this? With Dad’s personality, that’s surprising."
Her inability to keep things to herself was inherited straight from Father Zhou—if anything happened, he’d make sure everyone heard about it. Yet this was the first she’d heard of this story. How strange.
"Later, after your Maternal Grandfather passed…" Ms. Hu’s voice turned wistful. "Before he left, he called me over and said your dad was a good man, worth considering. Six months later, I married him. But after that, no one brought it up again—it was too painful to talk about."
Zhou Zhuofei walked over and patted her mother’s back. It had been so long since they’d sat down and talked like this, face to face.
"Okay, okay, let’s not dwell on it."
Ms. Hu composed herself, then switched tones and continued, "So when you mentioned his family is blended and he has a younger brother, I thought it wasn’t so bad."
Zhou Zhuofei blinked. "Huh? How’s that good?"
"The burden of caring for elders, of course. That younger brother is from his mom and stepdad, right? In the future, that’s one more person to share the responsibility of looking after the parents. Less pressure on you two."
"You’re thinking pretty far ahead."
Ms. Hu was blunt. "Marriage is all about these trivial little things. That, or money. But you both have decent jobs, and we don’t expect anything from you—just live well."
"You just said you wouldn’t rush me about marriage, and now you’re already calculating all this?"
"I’m saying this for your sake—you have to consider these things!" Ms. Hu smacked Zhou Zhuofei in frustration, seeing her indifferent expression.
"You’re too careless. If you don’t pay attention to anything, how will you avoid getting hurt?"
She’d raised this girl herself—how could she not know her daughter’s nature?
Sharp-tongued, but softer-hearted than anyone. That kind of personality was the easiest to suffer in society.
Hearing her sigh, Zhou Zhuofei quickly hugged Ms. Hu and vowed, "It’s fine, really! I’ve grown up—you can’t judge me by the old standards. I’ve dealt with way more trouble than you think."
She emphasized the last line: "And I handled it all!"
