Inside the Su Family house, everyone was gathered.
“Are you still trying to lie?” Grandma Su glared at Su Yutao with reddened eyes, furious to the point of bursting. “Two skirts are so expensive— even if it’s your own money, where did the tickets come from?”
“They really were borrowed from a friend,” Yutao insisted once more. Early in the morning, Grandma Su had entered her room to wake her, and had unexpectedly discovered the new clothes she had set aside but hadn’t put away.
The old lady was sharp; she could immediately tell the value of the clothes. She suspected that Yutao had stolen money or tickets, or engaged in some shady deal at the black market. She pressed for answers, but no matter how Yutao explained, Grandma Su refused to believe her.
“Then who exactly is this friend?” Grandma Su demanded angrily. “Which friend is so generous to lend you enough tickets to buy these clothes?”
“Just one friend—you don’t know them,” Yutao replied. She had wanted to say the tickets were from Lu Yunyang, but worried that Grandma Su wouldn’t believe her and might keep a close watch, preventing her from seeing him.
“You may not know them, but a name and address exist.” Grandma Su’s voice was sharp. Even though she wanted to trust her granddaughter, the two skirts had cost at least six yuan, and five yards of cloth—both far from cheap. If they were her own money and borrowed tickets, she wanted to know exactly who this friend was.
Yutao lowered her eyes, remaining silent.
Seeing her silence, Grandma Su’s anger grew. She had felt some relief after Yutao’s engagement was broken, thinking her granddaughter had calmed down, but it seemed nothing had changed.
“So you’ve stopped making a scene, and now you’re secretly doing bad things?” she continued, furious.
“I didn’t do anything bad,” Yutao replied calmly, lifting her gaze. “I explained everything, but you don’t believe me. Even if I told you who the friend was, you’d think I was lying.”
“Yes, daughter,” Zheng Chunling said, unsure where her daughter had gotten the skirts, but willing to believe her. “Yutao’s cautious. Two expensive skirts—she wouldn’t do anything wrong.”
“Big sister definitely isn’t lying,” Su Yuqing added, noticing Grandma Su’s fury. “I know she has money—she could afford it.”
Su Yuqing knew that her sister often held back money from her, so this was likely savings. As for the tickets, if Yutao said they were borrowed, then they must have been.
“Don’t defend her,” Grandma Su’s voice was stern as she continued, scolding, “If the tickets were borrowed, why not say so? What kind of friend is so secretive you can’t even name them?”
“Just tell them, big sister,” Su Yuqing urged, confused why she wouldn’t say it. After all, they would have to be returned anyway, and maybe Grandma Su could even help. “Who did you borrow the tickets from?”
As the room buzzed, Yutao took a breath, about to speak, when a man’s voice cut in: “I lent the tickets.”
Heads turned, and everyone saw Lu Yunyang standing at the courtyard entrance, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“The tickets were for Yutao,” Lu Yunyang said as he stepped inside. “Grandma Su, Yutao didn’t do anything wrong—please don’t misunderstand her.”
Yutao felt a flicker of unease. “You… you came here?”
Lu Yunyang raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer her. Instead, he looked at Grandma Su with a serious expression. “Grandma, I gave the tickets to Yutao. I heard you were arguing, so I came to explain.”
That simple statement immediately gave the Su Family members pause.
The two had never been particularly close, and after the engagement was broken, there had been tension between them. Now Lu Yunyang said he had given Yutao tickets and had come to see her?
When did they become so close?
Grandma Su’s eyes softened slightly. Knowing the tickets came from Lu Yunyang, she felt relieved. “So you came to collect the tickets?”
“No,” Lu Yunyang said. He had realized that the Su Family’s attitude toward him hadn’t changed, and he didn’t want to make his visits to Yutao seem sneaky. He decided to be upfront. Grasping Yutao’s hand, he looked at Grandma Su sincerely. “I missed her, so I came to see her.”
The warmth of his large hand made her reflexively pull back, but he held on tightly.
Yutao stared at him, surprised that he had grabbed her hand in front of the whole family without asking.
This was practically announcing to everyone that they were together! She hadn’t prepared for this.
Grandma Su and the others were shocked, eyes wide as they stared at the intertwined hands, unable to react for a long moment.
Zheng Chunling quickly stepped forward and pulled Yutao back. “What are you doing? Holding hands out here—are you crazy?”
Lu Yunyang had anticipated the Su Family’s reaction. “Aunt Su, I’m not crazy. I came for Yutao and to tell you about us.”
With their hands still clasped, his words made the situation obvious. Everyone could now see their relationship.
Grandma Su, however, remained composed and called everyone into the house.
The atmosphere inside felt tense despite the heat outside. Yutao glanced at Lu Yunyang; he remained serious, more so than even Grandma Su. Noticing her gaze, he smiled subtly, reassuring her.
Grandma Su cleared her throat and asked sharply, “When did you two get together?”
“Not long,” Yutao answered honestly. “Just recently.”
Grandma Su was not satisfied. “How recent?”
“Almost a month,” Lu Yunyang immediately added, knowing she wouldn’t accept the short answer. “Grandma, please don’t be angry. This is mostly my fault—listen to me first.”
“How can I not be angry?” Grandma Su fumed. “Before, you insisted on the engagement and made a spectacle. Now you tell me you’re together?”
“Grandma, if you’re really angry, you can punish me. After that, don’t worry, I won’t let you down,” Lu Yunyang said sincerely, taking responsibility.
Yutao was taken aback; even though she had pursued him relentlessly, he made it seem like it was all his fault.
“Is that so?” Grandma Su wasn’t easily fooled. “With you two, are we supposed to expect another breakup in a few months, maybe even a suicide attempt?”
“Never,” Yutao quickly interjected, looking at Grandma Su with pleading eyes. “Grandma, I’m serious this time. Doctor Lu treats me well—I won’t do anything reckless again.”
She glanced at Zheng Chunling and Su Dahe, blinking innocently.
Lu Yunyang leaned closer to Yutao and said to Grandma Su, “Trust me this once. I won’t disappoint you.”
Their demeanor, as if acknowledging their mistakes and seeking forgiveness, softened Zheng Chunling. Though her daughter had been unreliable in the past, she had recently behaved. And she trusted Lu Yunyang’s character, so seeing them together without incident made her willing to wait and observe.
“Let’s not be angry anymore,” she said, trying to mediate. “Yutao knows her mistakes, and Yunyang is sensible. Let’s see how things go.”
Su Dahe nodded in agreement. “They’ve been together a month, nothing happened. We should trust them.”
Su Yuqing, ecstatic, added, “Big sister and Yunyang have been together a month, nothing’s happened!”
Grandma Su, though aware of the reason for her anger, could not help but remain cautious about their stability.
“Does your family know?” she asked Lu Yunyang, concerned about his mother’s reaction to the engagement break.
“Not yet,” he replied. “My grandfather and father never reacted to the engagement. I’m confident they won’t oppose us. I’ve planned how to tell my mother—just give me a few days.”
“Grandma, you should trust Doctor Lu,” Yutao added. “If the Lu Family disagrees, I’ll break off with him.”
Lu Yunyang’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Don’t say that. With me here, they won’t oppose us.”
Grandma Su felt conflicted. She had favored Yunyang, so in theory she should be happy about them, but her granddaughter had caused so much trouble previously.
“I’ll trust you this once,” she said to Lu Yunyang, then glared at Yutao. “Before this, don’t get into trouble again!”
Yutao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Yes, Grandma.”
After a flurry of instructions from Grandma Su, Zheng Chunling began lecturing as well. If Lu Yunyang hadn’t been pressed for time to return to the commune, the discussions could have gone on longer. Yutao had no chance for a private word with him.
Before leaving, Lu Yunyang said seriously, “Wait for me at home. Don’t worry about anything else. Once my mother confirms your work, she won’t oppose us.”
“Will the work thing really work?” Yutao frowned. A good job wasn’t easily secured. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her face a mix of playfulness and charm.
Lu Yunyang smiled. “It will. Don’t worry—once it’s confirmed, I’ll tell you first.”
Time pressing, he said a few more words before leaving, and Yutao sent him off under everyone’s watchful eyes.
Once he left, Su Yuqing and Wu Xiaofeng immediately swarmed her, firing off questions like machine guns. Yutao, in a good mood, didn’t mind sharing about her relationship with Lu Yunyang.
Two days later, no call came to the production office from him, but Su Yuqing’s exam results arrived.
As expected, she had done extremely well, ranking fifth in the commune out of roughly three hundred students.
Grandma Su, delighted, arranged a feast that night, inviting friends from the team, including Lu Zhijun.
The house was lively. Grandma Su even brought out her homemade wine. Yutao, secretly sipping some, felt lightheaded after only a small amount.
Unable to resist, she carried the lamp back to her room.
Once the door closed, the noise outside was blocked, and the room felt much quieter.
Setting the oil lamp on the small table, she turned, only to be suddenly embraced from behind and pulled into a strong chest.
Dizzy from the alcohol, she instinctively wanted to shout. But a large hand covered her mouth, and a low voice whispered, “Don’t scream—it’s me.”
The familiar scent enveloped her. Yutao relaxed, leaning against him, turning her head to see his deep face.
With people outside, the sudden secret intrusion thrilled her heart. She hugged his neck, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him passionately.
Her kiss was urgent, catching Lu Yunyang off guard. The mingling fragrance on their tongues made him close his eyes instinctively, holding her tightly. He noticed the faint scent of alcohol on her.
Pulling back, he asked, “You drank?”
Yutao, reluctant to leave his lips, nodded while clinging to his waist. “Yuqing did well. Grandma had people over for dinner. Your grandfather is outside—do you want to greet him?”
“No,” Lu Yunyang said. He had intended to enter through the main door, but hearing so many from the Su Family, he climbed through the window instead. “I only came to see you.”
Yutao, surprised, smiled. “Tomorrow isn’t the weekend—why come now?”
Her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, slightly unfocused from the wine, made her look enchanting.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. “I brought news—you might be anxious waiting.”
“What news?” Yutao asked, clearing her woozy head.
“About your job,” he said. “They said you should meet the manager in a couple of days. It should be finalized.”
“Really?” Yutao was overjoyed. “Meeting the manager means I’ll be hired?”
“Almost certain,” Lu Yunyang said gently, squeezing her soft cheek. “Happy?”
After three months with the Su Family, she had never done hard labor, though she was exhausted from daily chores. A lighter job thrilled her.
“I’m so glad—I won’t have to work in the fields anymore,” she said, tugging at him playfully. “Look, I’m tanned!”
The soft lamp light cast a warm glow on her exposed arms. Lu Yunyang reassured her, “Don’t worry—you’ll get your fair skin back soon.”
“Thank you,” Yutao said, smiling. “You helped me a lot. How can I ever thank you?”
Her hair slightly messy, face radiant under the lamplight, she looked utterly enchanting.
Lu Yunyang’s heart raced, each beat wild in his chest. He pulled her closer, holding her tightly.
“Then let’s get married,” he whispered, lips near her ear, sending heat down her neck. “How about it?”