Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 339 - 334: Headlong into the Depths (1) (Added for the second alliance @Dai Zhi on QQ Reading)
"Your senior brother is so outstanding, why don’t you consider it?" Lu Bingran asked Yan Yan.
Yan Yan was startled by her mother’s question.
It wasn’t that her mother’s question was particularly shocking, but rather it seemed as if her mother knew exactly what was on her mind.
Yan Yan had just been thinking to herself about how outstanding Qi Yi was, feeling resentful on behalf of her boyfriend, when her mother threw a question at her that used very similar wording.
Her mother was also taking up someone’s cause, only the people they were indignant for were not the same.
"There’s nothing to consider about this!" Yan Yan looked very unhappy.
"At first, when Aunt Lei told us her youngest son has liked you since college, we thought it was just a joke.
But time reveals a person’s heart, look at him, a prominent diplomat, mature and stable, a man of good appearance.
The key is, his parents are so easy to get along with. In the future, you all..." Lu Bingran continued to persuade Yan Yan.
"Don’t bring up that senior brother at a time like this," Yan Dingbang interrupted what Lu Bingran was going to say next, and then continued to speak to Yan Yan:
"The current problem is, both I and your parents, we all equally cannot accept Qi Yi’s family.
They are still letting their son go on blind dates, which clearly shows they have no intention of accepting you.
Putting aside the clichéd issues of family background, let’s talk about talent, appearance, and character.
Our Yan Family’s treasured pearl, in which aspect is she not bright enough?
If anyone should be disdainful, it should be us disdaining others.
Think about it yourself, over these years, his mother must have given you no small amount of grief, right?"
"Not at all~ Aunt, how could I have any grievances? It’s all Qi Yi working hard by himself. I have always been just fine," Yan Yan said, speaking not very loudly, but there was no doubt she was speaking with conviction, and after finishing, she looked pitifully at Yan Dingbang.
Aunt usually couldn’t stand to see Yan Yan deliberately putting on that pitiable look, and it would take no more than two seconds for him to surrender.
But today, Aunt surprisingly turned a blind eye to it.
"A man, when pursuing you, of course, is willing to make every effort for you.
But what about after a long time?
Can he make efforts for you for a lifetime?
Qi Yi’s mother is someone he had no choice over, but your mother-in-law is someone you can choose.
Do you have the heart to have your mother worry about you for a lifetime?" Yan Dingbang asked Yan Yan very seriously.
"Why should she worry? Qi Yi and I have always been just fine together.
I’ve met his mother a few times, and I haven’t been mistreated.
Don’t worry, I’m grown up now, I’ll eat anything, but I definitely won’t take any losses," Yan Yan replied with a look of great confidence in herself.
"You’re right to not want to suffer a loss.
If you don’t want to suffer a loss, you should know you and Qi Yi aren’t suitable.
You can’t just argue with his mother every time you meet, right?
Whose side would Qi Yi take then?
If two people want to have a lasting relationship, family harmony is essential.
If even this can’t be achieved, where’s the enduring love going to come from?"
"Your brother was a cautionary tale, too. Back then, he was willing to abandon his family just to get married.
And what’s the outcome now?
Our opposition always has its reasons.
After your cousin got married, your Aunt and I really didn’t interfere at all.
Yet, trouble still arose.
Don’t speak of love as if it’s everything, the one who ends up getting hurt in the end will be you," declared the Yan Family patriarch once more.
At this point, Yan Yan had started to feel somewhat helpless.
It was as if she was witnessing the resurgence of the scene when her uncle first opposed Yan Ling and his American wife being together.
Yan Yan wanted to say something in rebuttal, but indeed, her cousin and his American wife eventually encountered problems.
Now that her uncle was using Yan Ling as an example, Yan Yan truly didn’t know what else she could say.
The four heads of the family had clearly come to an agreement before meeting with her.
Yan Yan’s parents had always been open-minded; how could they align so closely with her slightly conservative uncle this time?
She was well aware of the influence her uncle had on her father.
Besides her uncle’s influence, her father himself clearly looked very unhappy that day.
"Do you not want people to eat in peace this early in the morning?" Yan Yan muttered as she took her seat at the table.
"Yes, yes, let the child eat first. Don’t crowd her all at once. You can’t eat hot tofu in a hurry. Yan Yan has always been the most sensible one, she’ll figure it out on her own," Aunt, noticing Yan Yan’s expression, began to feel a bit of pity.
The memory of Yan Ling falling out with the family was still vivid; she didn’t want to see Yan Yan end up in a similar rift with the family.
The exceedingly long breakfast finally came to an end.
Everyone returned to their own rooms, leaving only Yan Yan and Aunt in the dining hall.
"Your parents only recently learned about Qi Yi’s matchmaking antics.
They’re angry because they think you’ve been bullied.
It’s not just your dad and mom who feel indignant. I’m indignant too.
Xiao Yan, you need to understand your dad and your mom.
You know how they’ve always coddled you, letting you make your own decisions for everything," Aunt began to persuade Yan Yan.
"If I had truly been bullied, I would have definitely come back to you all crying, not acting like this now. Aunt~ Please talk to my dad and mom for me~" Yan Yan’s tone started out filled with righteous indignation, but by the end of her plea, she was cajoling.
Aunt had always been on her side, the most approachable elder in the family.
Right now, Yan Yan wanted to at least win one person over to her side.
"Yan Yan, do you know what your mom’s divorced friends envy her for the most?" Aunt suddenly asked a question unrelated to the earlier topic.
"How would I know? My mom only has one dad, what’s the use in envying that?" Yan Yan said, feeling frustrated as Aunt didn’t seem to follow her train of thought.
"They don’t envy your mom for having a husband. They envy her because she doesn’t have to deal with a mother-in-law.
Those friends of your mom divorced because of mother-in-law issues.
That’s why your mom especially hopes you’ll find someone from a stable family, someone who has grown up surrounded by love.
Also, your mom’s got a weak heart. You need to understand her, not resist her, got it?" Aunt continued earnestly advising Yan Yan.
