Everyone in the Yuan family was stunned.

Including Yuan Han himself – no one had expected Zhou Yi to suddenly appear.

The Yuan family members sized up Zhou Yi, with Big Sister Yuan giving Second Sister a knowing look. This disheveled woman hardly resembled the high-ranking official’s daughter Yuan Han had described. If Yuan Han hadn’t personally visited the Zhou family, they would never have believed it.

Mother Yuan was the first to react:

“Yuan Han, this is…”

It wasn’t proper to be embracing in broad daylight.

Yuan Han steadied Zhou Yi by her shoulders, helping her stand properly.

“Mom, Big Sister, Second Sister, this is Zhou Yi whom I’ve told you about. She should be in Beijing right now, and I don’t know why she suddenly came here. Let me find out first, then I’ll explain to you.”

Zhou Yi appeared dazed, her joy at seeing Yuan Han mixed with fear of facing his family’s reaction. She managed a weak smile at Yuan Han’s mother and sisters.

Big Sister Yuan pulled at her mother: “You two talk then. Zhou Yi looks exhausted. I’ll go see if I can prepare something for her to eat.”

The Yuan family’s home wasn’t bad at all – not the apartment building Zhou Yi had imagined, but rather a traditional courtyard house.

In this small city, the fact that the Yuan family owned such a house exceeded Zhou Yi’s expectations.

She remembered Yuan Han saying his family’s circumstances weren’t very good.

However, Zhou Yi’s mind was too chaotic now to think about anything else.

Mother Yuan wanted to say something more, but Big Sister Yuan forcefully pulled her out, leaving only Zhou Yi and Yuan Han in the room.

Yuan Han was genuinely touched that Zhou Yi had traveled all this way in such a disheveled state to find him. He softened his voice and asked, “Why did you come here? Weren’t you being kept at home? I had someone deliver a message to you, telling you to forget about me and live your life well.”

Yuan Han’s voice was very gentle.

Zhou Yi’s heart pounded, tinged with bitterness:

“Aren’t you angry at how my family treated you? I’ve ruined your career prospects – how can I live well after that? Yuan Han, I don’t agree to break up. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll stay.”

Yuan Han sighed:

“Of course I was angry. You know how difficult it is for ordinary people like us to get transferred to work in Beijing. After years of hard work, your family casually sent me back home with just a word. I was furious at the time. I wanted to confront your parents and ask why they couldn’t accept our sincere love. I also thought about taking you away, but I didn’t dare. I became cowardly when faced with your family’s status. Zhou Yi, forgive my weakness… You’ve grown up in a prominent family and don’t understand the concerns ordinary people face in life.”

Zhou Yi hadn’t known before, but after this journey, she finally felt how different her life was from ordinary people’s.

The terrible travel experience was something Zhou Yi had never encountered in all her years. It wasn’t that she hadn’t traveled before – she had never traveled alone. Since childhood, she could go to Beidaihe with her grandfather, with cars to pick them up, drivers, and security personnel. Zhou Yi never had to worry about anything.

Hearing Yuan Han say he was angry at her family made Zhou Yi feel even more guilty.

“It’s all my fault for not being able to convince my family-“

Yuan Han covered her mouth with his hand: “I haven’t finished speaking. Let me continue. When people are angry, their thoughts can become extreme. By the time I could have someone deliver a message to you, I wasn’t angry anymore. Your family didn’t do anything wrong – if I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her to marry a recently divorced man either. We know we maintained our principles, but others don’t understand that. Perhaps with time, your family would understand who I am. Everything happened too quickly – I wasn’t given time to prove myself!”

Zhou Yi agreed with every word Yuan Han said.

Although she had run away from home, she still worried about Jiang Hong being in the hospital.

If Yuan Han could understand her parents after his anger subsided, why couldn’t her parents set aside their prejudices and try to understand Yuan Han?

Yuan Han’s words made Zhou Yi feel that her desperate decision to jump on that train had been worthwhile and satisfying.

She rested her face against Yuan Han’s chest: “I’ve made up my mind anyway. No one can separate us. I want to be with you. Yuan Han, I’m afraid my father might try other methods, like forcibly taking me back or making sure you can’t find work. If that happens, please don’t give up on me, okay? As long as we persist, my family will eventually see my determination.”

If they could endure, they could be together.

If they couldn’t endure… no, that wasn’t possible.

The Zhou family had initially opposed Xia Xiaolan too, but they agreed eventually, didn’t they?

Besides Xia Xiaolan’s excellent personal qualities, it was also because she knew how to win people over.

Yuan Han wasn’t lacking in excellence either; he just hadn’t found his opportunity.

However, Zhou Yi felt embarrassed about expecting a grown man to please her family like Xia Xiaolan had. When a woman did such things, no one said anything, but if a man did the same, people would say he had no backbone and was living off women.

Yuan Han patted Zhou Yi’s back, “I won’t give up. You’ve come from Beijing for me – how could I send you away? Be good now, sit here for a while. I’ll get some water for you to wash your face, then see what my sisters have prepared for you to eat, okay?”

Just as Yuan Han finished speaking, Zhou Yi’s stomach growled. She felt both embarrassed and amused.

“Come back quickly!”

After settling Zhou Yi, Yuan Han had barely left the room when the three Yuan women pulled him aside.

“What’s going on?”

Yuan Han didn’t answer his mother’s question. Big Sister Yuan smiled, “What else could it be? The young lady has followed her little brother here. Yuan Han, won’t this cause trouble for our family? Her family doesn’t seem easy to deal with.”

They weren’t easy to deal with.

Zhou Yi was right – the Zhou family must be furious now. They would not only forcibly take Zhou Yi back but also target his work.

From the moment Zhou Yi ran away from home, the Zhou family would never let him off.

The Zhou family was too domineering!

Yuan Han felt both embarrassed and angry, yet also secretly envious and yearning.

A person’s birth was too important!

If he had been born into a family like the Zhous, he definitely wouldn’t waste resources idling away like Zhou Yi.

Think about Zhou Yi’s cousin – she had praised him as being so remarkable… What was so remarkable about him? He interfered too much as a cousin, and it was all because of his family background.

“Big Sister, don’t talk like that. Zhou Yi has traveled so far to come to me – I can’t betray this devotion. There will be trouble for the Zhou family. Zhou Yi and I can’t just wait here for them to send people. I’m thinking of taking Zhou Yi away to hide for a while until things calm down. The Zhou family might give you trouble – you should be prepared.”

Mother Yuan was stunned, “Have you gone mad? This time they transferred you back from Beijing – if it happens again, you might lose your job entirely. Is it worth taking such a risk?”

Big Sister Yuan smiled: “Mom, little brother is clever. What does losing a job matter? The Zhou family might take away his job now, but they’ll have to compensate with a better one later… Their daughter is in our hands – even the most powerful family will have to yield eventually!”

Yuan Han frowned:

“Big Sister, I truly love Zhou Yi.”