While Zhu Yuan was secretly feeling pleased, her sharp-eyed mother noticed something off.
She grabbed Mr. Zhu and stopped him from continuing, saying, "Old man, I think I just saw a shadow pass by. Come with me to take a look."
Without giving him a chance to respond, she pulled him toward the kitchen.
"What's wrong? I was just about to tell Zhu Yuan to wait a few more years before getting into a relationship."
Mr. Zhu asked in confusion.
He honestly couldn't hold it in anymore—he wished his daughter could stay his obedient little girl forever and never have to deal with blind dates again.
Society nowadays was terrifying. Even a strong and successful man like Sol Mercer turned out like that; he couldn't even imagine what other people were like.
"I don't think this matter is that simple." A sharp glint flashed in Mrs. Zhu's eyes as she said, "Do you really think that Sol Mercer is as disgraceful as he appeared? From what I've heard about that young man, he actually seems to be a pretty decent person overall."
"That over-a-hundred-year-old officer, Qingyi, has never had any rumors about dating anyone before. Would she really suddenly develop feelings for a man several times younger than her?"
Though the group's acting had been quite good—playing villains so convincingly, with drama that was absurd yet somehow reasonable—something still didn't add up when you looked at it logically.
"You're saying... they were acting for us?" Mr. Zhu frowned as realization dawned on him. "But what's Zhu Yuan getting out of this? Just trying to make us angry?"
"She probably doesn't want to go on blind dates, so she staged the whole thing."
Mrs. Zhu made her guess.
And though it was a guess, she was almost sure of it.
"So, what do we do then?"
Mr. Zhu rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on.
His wife sneered slightly. "Since Zhu Yuan wants to act, then let's play along. Let her and that young man really 'date' for a while. Honestly, I think Sol Mercer's a good catch."
"No way! I don't want to die of anger." Mr. Zhu quickly refused. "We'll let her know there are consequences for deceiving us—but let's not rush into this whole dating thing."
He already had a psychological shadow; even if this was probably an act, he didn't dare take that gamble.
"Either way, we'll keep playing along for now. Whether it turns into something real, we can decide later."
Mrs. Zhu made the final decision firmly.
"Alright then," her husband said helplessly.
When they stepped out of the kitchen, their faces had changed from earlier frustration to smiles as warm as spring sunshine.
"Dad, what were you about to say just now?" Zhu Yuan asked eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation. "Please continue—I'll definitely respect your opinion."
There was a hopeful light in her eyes, as if freedom from blind dates was within reach.
Her father hesitated, mumbling, "I... don't really have an opinion."
"You should respect our opinions," her mother smoothly took over, smiling kindly. "After talking it over, your father and I think Sol Mercer is a wonderful young man—definitely someone worthy of spending a lifetime with. We've decided to respect your generation's choices. As long as you start dating early, that's fine by us."
"Huh?"
Zhu Yuan was dumbstruck. "Mom, are you sure you're not misunderstanding something?"
This wasn't what she had in mind!
What was happening? How did things turn out like this!?
Sol, on the other hand, had a hunch where this was going—but he decided to go with the flow. "Yeah, Uncle, Auntie, you really need to think this over carefully. If I end up marrying Zhu Yuan and you two cause a fuss later, that'd be really bad."
"Don't worry, we're quite open-minded."
Mrs. Zhu smiled kindly.
By now, she was completely certain of her theory—not from watching Sol, but because Zhu Yuan herself just couldn't hold up under pressure.
"Really?" Sol sounded doubtful.
"Really," Mrs. Zhu said as she nudged her husband. "Mr. Zhu here thinks the same as I do."
Realizing he couldn't stay silent, Mr. Zhu closed his eyes and blurted out nonsense, "Sol, even though you're... juggling a few women and your private life's a bit messy, I know deep down you're a good man. Zhu Yuan will surely live a happy life with you."
The words made his stomach churn—Sol had left such a bad impression earlier that saying this felt like swallowing glass.
Sol gave him a thumbs-up and said cheerfully, "Uncle, you've got great taste! Then from now on, Zhu Yuan will be my number three—no, wait, number five girlfriend!"
"As long as you two are happy, she could be number eight for all I care."
Mr. Zhu shut his eyes in agony, waving dismissively.
Zhu Yuan was completely stunned. Was this still her stern, old-fashioned father?
Sol and Qingyi exchanged glances. It was fun to watch the chaos, sure—but it looked like Zhu Yuan's plan had completely backfired.
"Come on, let's head to the kitchen and make a nice dinner for Sol," said Mrs. Zhu, knowing her husband would only cause more trouble if he stayed. She grabbed his arm and led him away.
"Mom!"
Zhu Yuan reached out, wanting to say something—anything.
But to her despair, she realized she couldn't find the words.
What do I do now?!
Zhu Yuan muttered softly in frustration.
"Don't worry. Things always work out somehow," Qingyi said with a barely suppressed laugh, patting her on the back.
"Try to see the bright side," Sol added, taking a sip of tea. "At least your parents won't set you up on any more blind dates."
"Well... that's true."
Zhu Yuan nodded blankly, murmuring, "But what now? If my parents bring this up again, do I have to make Sol come back and keep pretending?"
The usually confident woman with her high ponytail looked utterly defeated in her own home.
"Zhu Yuan, why don't you actually try dating Sol? You might find out what love feels like," Qingyi suggested, tilting her head.
"Ah—uh—this!"
Zhu Yuan's face turned bright red, caught in even deeper turmoil.
She had no intention of dating this early, but now her parents had completely misunderstood the situation.
Still, would dating Sol really be such a bad thing?
He was her ideal type—but she wanted to focus on her career. A relationship might get in the way...
If I had a child, I wouldn't be able to serve as an officer for a long time.
Zhu Yuan frowned deeply, murmuring to herself in distress.
"That's fine. I don't want kids for now either," Sol said gently, patting her back comfortingly. "If you'd rather wait a hundred years before having one, that's perfectly fine."
"Eh!"
Zhu Yuan froze.
What did she just hear?!
"Eh?"
She gasped again.
What did she just say?!
"Ugh~"
Zhu Yuan clung to Qingyi, letting out a miserable wail—completely overwhelmed.