"Damn it, Li Yuan, if it weren’t for Zhiyu protecting you, I’d have killed you, chopping off your third leg..."

...

「Meanwhile,」

After Xia Qin returned home, she was still basking in her joy. Her son had grown up and was finally chasing after a girl. What’s more, he’d managed to find such a beautiful and outstanding one! The thought made her feel incredibly content.

As soon as she entered the house, her sharp eyes noticed an extra pair of women’s slippers.

TSK TSK. Looks like Yuan has brought Tingyue home.

Seeing the living room, kitchen, and bedroom all tidied up so neatly, Xia Qin’s smile grew even broader. She knew her son and daughter’s habits well. While they weren’t lazy, they weren’t exactly diligent either. There was no way they could have cleaned the house so spotlessly on their own. This could only mean someone else had come over to clean. Connecting this to the women’s slippers by the door, Xia Qin naturally thought of her son’s pretty girlfriend.

Now that they’re an item, we can meet her parents over New Year’s. We should settle the relationship soon. They can get married after university graduation and have a big, healthy baby boy. Then, Old Li and I will have truly completed our life’s mission...

Xia Qin washed up quickly and lay down on her bed for a nap. Around five in the afternoon, she went to the supermarket early, bought some vegetables, fruit, and meat, and then headed to Xia High School to wait for Li Zixia.

Before long, Li Zixia’s figure appeared at the school gate. The moment she saw Xia Qin waiting, she ran over, surprised and delighted. "Mom, why are you here to pick me up?"

Xia Qin stroked her beloved daughter’s head and replied with concern, "I was in our old hometown for the last few days, and you’ve gotten so thin."

Li Zixia squinted and replied with a giggle, "That’s not true. I’ve actually gained a pound."

"You’re so skinny you’re practically a stick, and you still say you’ve gained weight," Xia Qin glared, correcting her daughter’s misconception. "Zixia, girls should be pleasantly plump; that’s a sign of good fortune. You’re in a crucial period of high school, and studying is so tiresome, so you can’t starve yourself. Don’t listen to your brother’s nonsense about girls being prettier when they’re thin. He’s a man—what does he know..."

"I know, Mom!" Li Zixia muttered. Her gaze fell on the large bags in Xia Qin’s hands, which were full of her favorite foods, including a lobster wriggling its claws and a crab blowing bubbles. She murmured excitedly, "Mom, you’re the best. You always make me delicious food the moment you’re back. I’m so sick of eating at the school cafeteria every day."

Xia Qin asked, "Have you been eating at the cafeteria these past few days? Your brother hasn’t been home?"

Hearing Li Yuan mentioned, Li Zixia blinked, thinking about her brother’s situation. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure whether she should tell her mother. The news was simply too explosive. She herself had taken a long time to accept the truth, and even now, it still felt unreal, like she was in a dream.

Li Zixia mumbled, "Yeah, my brother has been quite busy lately and hasn’t been home much."

Xia Qin patted her head and consoled her, "Zixia, your brother is in university now and has a girlfriend. When he has free time, of course he needs to spend it with her."

Li Zixia was startled, her eyes widening in shock. Her delicate, oval face was a picture of astonishment as she asked skeptically, "Mom, you already know?"

Xia Qin chuckled. "Mhm, I just met her this afternoon. Your brother has excellent taste. His girlfriend is as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal."

Li Zixia nodded in agreement. Images of Xia Zhijin, Bai Weixi, and Zhong Tingyue—all three of his girlfriends—flashed through her mind. In terms of looks, all three were top-tier, impossible to rank, and each had her own unique charm. She herself couldn’t be sure which one her brother loved more...

Suddenly curious, Li Zixia asked, "Mom, which one do you like?"

Hearing this, Xia Qin’s expression briefly faltered. She replied almost instinctively, "Which one what?"

Li Zixia’s mind went blank. Could it be that Mom doesn’t know her brother is dating several girls at once?

"Mom, did you meet several of my brother’s girlfriends this afternoon?"

Xia Qin gave her precious daughter a stern look. "Zixia, what nonsense are you talking about? How can he have several girlfriends? For your brother to find such a high-achieving, beautiful, and sensible girlfriend is already a blessing from our ancestors..."

Li Zixia was now certain that her mother was unaware of her philandering brother’s three-timing ways. "Um, Mom, what’s the name of the girl you met at noon?"

Xia Qin asked with a puzzled look, "Zixia, you don’t know? It looks like your brother has already brought her to our home."

Li Zixia was speechless. Two of them had been to their house—Xia Zhijin and Bai Weixi—and she wasn’t sure which one her mother meant. She stammered for a moment before pleading, "Mom, just tell me already!"

Xia Qin didn’t suspect a thing and said with a beaming smile, "Your brother’s girlfriend, her name is Zhong Tingyue. She’s even prettier than those big stars on TV. More importantly, she’s very polite and even brought me a gift..."

Upon hearing the name "Zhong Tingyue" from her mother, Li Zixia’s expression froze. For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of indignation for Xia Zhijin. Xia Zhijin was the sister-in-law who had spent the most time with her. She was incredibly gentle and considerate, always cooking delicious Sichuan food and patiently helping with her studies...

Yet, her brother hadn’t taken her to meet his mother...