The butcher was in a real bind, racking his brain for ways to apologize. He hadn’t left a good impression on Mengyao; it was his own fault for having a loose tongue, always joking around.

Well, great, now he’s offended his sister-in-law.

Just thinking about her angry face made him feel more despondent than a wilted eggplant.

"Why can’t I control my mouth? Why do I always make such brainless jokes? Looks like I’ve really messed up this time." The butcher thought this, almost wanting to slap himself.

It seemed like Ye Fan wouldn’t help him, judging by his gloating expression.

He turned to Fire Phoenix for help, saying, "Fire Phoenix, you have to help me this time. You need to change the bad impression I left on my sister-in-law. You’re a woman; you must have a way. Plus, you’re close with Mengyao, so you’ve got to help me out."

"Help you? How?" Fire Phoenix smiled innocently and said, "I really can’t do anything about this. But I think, given how thick your skin is, you’ll definitely come up with a brilliant idea."

"Come on, you have to help me." The butcher clung to Fire Phoenix, saying earnestly, "My sister-in-law is a frail woman; I can’t fight her. If I could, I would solve it with a little match, and I wouldn’t mind losing. But the trouble is, my sister-in-law is a lot like this guy lying here. Her angry face is really scary. Besides, I want to leave a good impression, not just a bad image."

Changing that bad image would require a lot of effort.

"You know, I haven’t spent much time with Mengyao, so I honestly don’t know how to help you." Fire Phoenix said innocently, then turned to Ye Fan, "I think only he knows Mengyao well enough to help you."

"Him? Yeah, right!" The butcher glanced at Ye Fan and said grumpily, "He just wants to see me make a fool of myself. No way he’d help me."

"In that case, I don’t know what else to say." Fire Phoenix shrugged, looking like she was above it all.

"Hey, do you know what gifts my sister-in-law likes? I’m thinking of preparing something." The butcher eventually turned to Ye Fan, seeing Ye Fan’s indifferent look, he taunted, "Don’t tell me you don’t even know what your own fiancée likes?"

"Telling you now, taunting won’t work." Ye Fan said calmly.

"Fine, looks like you all are determined not to help me. I accept it." The butcher said magnanimously, "It’s just a woman, after all. I refuse to believe I can’t handle it. Just wait and see."

He appeared confident, but inside, he felt anything but.

With that, he resolutely left.

...

At the airport, amidst anxious waiting, Mengyao’s flight arrived.

The butcher hadn’t made any plans. He drove straight to the airport to pick them up, coming alone without notifying anyone else. He kept things low-key; the fewer people knew about his apology plan, the better.

Only Mengyao and Qiu Wen came on this trip. It was a secret mission, and no one knew their whereabouts. They hadn’t told many people about Ye Fan’s injury, either.

"Over here, sister-in-law!" The butcher greeted Mengyao and Qiu Wen with an awkward smile. When he saw Mengyao carrying a purse, he eagerly said, "Sister-in-law, that bag must be heavy. Let me carry it for you. Follow me, I’ve been waiting a long time, the car is outside."

Mengyao looked at the butcher with interest but said nothing, following him.

However, she ignored his gesture of wanting to take her bag, leaving him to awkwardly withdraw his hand.

"It’s just a little purse with some documents. How heavy can it be?" Qiu Wen said irritably.

The last time she met the butcher, he’d toyed with her, scaring her quite a bit.

They hadn’t even met yet this time, and he was already causing trouble with his jokes. His words had left her very displeased. Talking about her master like that naturally upset her, and it was understandable that she wouldn’t be friendly with him.

"Even if it’s just documents, the combined weight of the purse means it must weigh a bit. It’s definitely heavy." The butcher chuckled dryly.

The three got in the car, with the butcher as the driver and Mengyao and Qiu Wen sitting in the back.

Mengyao said nothing, making the butcher keenly aware of the icy beauty’s aura, and he felt incredibly awkward.

The car started and headed towards the hospital.

The butcher stole glances at Mengyao a few times, but her calm demeanor and aloof nature left him at a loss.

After thinking for a bit, the butcher decided to start with Qiu Wen. He had to apologize; he needed his sister-in-law to have a good impression of him. Otherwise, how would he get along with people later, especially in crowded places? Where would he hide his face?

"You must be Qiu Wen? We’ve met before. Socially speaking, you should call me Uncle, you know?" The butcher glanced back at Qiu Wen, wearing a broad smile.

"All I remember is you teasing us before, even getting handsy." Qiu Wen said coldly.

"Can’t we have a pleasant conversation? Can’t you see I’m trying to make up to you, to apologize?" The butcher felt like crying inside, but his smile didn’t fade, "That was just a way of saying hi, nothing like how you described it. You’ve exaggerated it."

"Really? I remember you being quite arrogant and brazen back then. Have you forgotten?" Qiu Wen asked.

"I have a poor memory, honestly. I’ve already forgotten." The butcher said seriously.

"You’re really thick-skinned." Qiu Wen shot him an unimpressed look.

"Actually, I’m very shy." The butcher grinned bashfully.

"Oh, sure." Qiu Wen replied with just three words.

"Focus on driving and watch the road." Mengyao cautioned when she noticed the butcher turning back to talk.

"Sister-in-law, I thought you were mad and not speaking to me." When the butcher heard Mengyao’s voice, he immediately brightened up and quickly said, "Don’t mind what I said. I was just speaking off the cuff. Please don’t take it to heart."

"I know you and Ye Fan are as close as brothers, inseparable, and are used to joking with one another without any restraints."

"But next time, could you not say things like ’almost dead’? It’s really unsettling. I know you were joking, but hearing something like that suddenly is frightening. Even though Fire Phoenix had already told me the truth, your words were still enough to scare anyone, you know?"

"The speaker may not mean anything by it, but the listener takes it to heart. Do you understand that concept?"

Mengyao finally spoke, and her eyes began to mist over.