“Sister Zhou Yi, don’t you have any regrets?”

True love?

The way true love worked in this world, Xia Xiaolan could barely recognize those two words anymore!

Guan Hue’e hadn’t noticed whether Zhou Yi regretted it or not. As they were talking, the phone in the living room rang. It was from Zhou Yi’s grandparents. Zhou Yi had taken Yuan Han to see them – Grandmother Zhou was so angry her chest hurt, and the old master refused to see Zhou Yi. Now Zhou Yi was kneeling at their doorway while pregnant—this was in mid-December, and Beijing’s weather was bitterly cold. The first snow had fallen in late November, and wouldn’t the cold from the ground seep straight into her body?

Her knees would surely be frostbitten.

This was not something a pregnant woman should do!

Xia Xiaolan used to think Zhou Yi wasn’t that brainless, at least smarter than Tong Lili. She had been somewhat of a fence-sitter, which was another form of being practical.

How did she become so completely senseless when it came to Yuan Han?

Guan Hue’e hung up the phone and put on her coat:

“Xiaolan, I need to go. As soon as the Yuan family showed up, Elder Uncle Zhou’s wife fell ill again.”

Xia Xiaolan grabbed her clothes too, “I’ll go with you.”

Zhou Cheng had told her not to get involved, but while she didn’t want to deal with Zhou Yi, now that it affected Grandmother Zhou who had always been so kind to her, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t just ignore it.

Zhou Guobin wasn’t in Beijing, so only Guan Hue’e and Xia Xiaolan hurried over.

They arrived at the grandparents’ place at seven-thirty.

The sky was completely dark.

Zhou Yi was kneeling stiffly on the ground, and beside her knelt a man – none other than Yuan Han.

Yuan Han hovered near her, still trying to persuade her: “Xiaoyi, let me kneel alone. I’m sure I can make Grandfather and Grandmother see my sincerity. You’ve been kneeling for so long, the baby… listen to me, please get up.”

Xia Xiaolan’s temples throbbed.

What nonsense was this!

Didn’t he realize where they were?

Though it was a private residence, how many eyes were watching?

Yuan Han seemed determined to let everyone know Zhou Yi was pregnant.

What kind of reputation would it bring to the Zhou grandparents, letting their pregnant granddaughter kneel in the cold begging at their door?

Using public opinion to force the Zhou grandparents to agree to the marriage… Yuan Han was clever but too clever for his good.

Guan Hue’e went straight inside – the guards who blocked Zhou Yi and Yuan Han wouldn’t stop her.

Xia Xiaolan circled to face the couple before going in.

Zhou Yi wore a blue cotton jacket. She was thinner than when she left Beijing, and her pregnancy wasn’t yet visible. Her face hadn’t darkened, but her skin had become rough, and her hair had lost its shine.

It made sense – hiding in the countryside with Yuan Han, without shampoo or face cream, the quality of life was worlds apart from Beijing. Zhou Yi’s condition couldn’t be good.

Zhou Yi had never been able to endure hardship.

If she could tough it out, she should have stayed in the countryside until the baby was born before bringing it back for acknowledgment.

Coming back just after getting pregnant – who knew if this was Zhou Yi’s idea or Yuan Han’s suggestion?

Zhou Yi looked mentally exhausted. Seeing Xia Xiaolan, she tried to straighten her back, but Xia Xiaolan sneered:

“Sister Zhou Yi, you’ve outdone yourself!”

These words stung Zhou Yi deeply.

When she first met Xia Xiaolan, Zhou Yi had thought: who was this country girl who had captivated Zhou Cheng with her pretty face? How could she possibly marry into the Zhou family? Back then, she and Tong Lili had brought a whole group of friends to confront her at the Beijing Hotel, looking down on her from their high horses.

Later, she changed her attitude because Xia Xiaolan proved too capable, gaining the approval of the Zhou family elders.

Now she was the one who had lost face, kneeling at her grandparents’ door while Xia Xiaolan could walk right in – who was the real granddaughter here? Why couldn’t her grandfather and grandmother show her any mercy?

Zhou Yi turned her gaze away, “Leave. This has nothing to do with you.”

Yuan Han supported her, “Xiaoyi, don’t talk like that. In this family, if anyone can understand us, it might be Sister-in-law… “

Coming from humble origins himself, he had pursued a Zhou family daughter, while Xia Xiaolan had married a Zhou family son – neither of them should pretend to be noble. Yuan Han had always wanted to ally with Xia Xiaolan, hoping they could help each other in the Zhou family, but Xia Xiaolan never responded to his overtures.

Xia Xiaolan felt nauseated: “Why should I understand you?”

Zhou Yi bit her lip, her expression ugly.

Yuan Han wasn’t intimidated by Xia Xiaolan, “Love shouldn’t be restricted by family status. I thought Sister-in-law would agree with this point.”

Xia Xiaolan looked at Yuan Han as if he were an idiot.

Why should she waste words on an idiot?

It was Zhou Yi who had given this fool face.

But Zhou Yi was Zhou Cheng’s cousin, and couldn’t be ignored. Xia Xiaolan turned her head:

“Sister Zhou Yi, you can be heartless, kneeling here to force the grandparents to agree to your marriage with Yuan Han through public sympathy. But you’re only newly pregnant, right? Aren’t you afraid of harming your body by kneeling for so long? With the baby, Uncle and Aunt might grudgingly accept this son-in-law you’ve chosen for them, but if you lose the baby, what leverage will you have over the family?”

If it’s true love, then let it be true love. For marriages parents don’t approve of, if you have a backbone, don’t use your parents’ resources – naturally, marry whoever you want.

If marriage is free and even parents can’t control it, why seek the Zhou grandparents’ approval?

In the end, they wanted both true love and the privileges of being a Zhou family young lady.

This was Yuan Han’s instigation, but undoubtedly also Zhou Yi’s intention.

Hearing Xia Xiaolan’s “reminder,” Yuan Han’s face stiffened slightly.

He had brought Zhou Yi back to Beijing right after she got pregnant.

There was an old saying about being careful in the first three months, as the fetus wasn’t stable then.

His mother had privately instructed Yuan Han not to touch Zhou Yi again – what if young people’s fooling around caused a miscarriage?

The Yuan family was counting on Zhou Yi’s pregnancy.

“Xiaoyi, get up. I’m worried about you and the baby. If anything happened to you two, I would…”

Yuan Han was wasting his talents not being an actor.

Acting out fatherly love towards a blood bubble as if it could understand.

Never mind, these words were meant for that fool Zhou Yi anyway. Xia Xiaolan felt too disgusted watching. Seeing Yuan Han desperately trying to pull Zhou Yi up, she smiled mockingly: “Grandfather Zhou and Grandmother Zhou are elder generations. For marriage, you only need your Uncle’s approval. If you keep troubling the grandparents like this, you might lose even Uncle’s support. When that happens, everything will fall apart, and you’ll regret it! If I were you, I’d hold onto what I can get and not be too greedy. Sister Zhou Yi, don’t you agree?”

Xia Xiaolan turned and entered the house after speaking.

Zhou Yi’s knees were stinging, her whole body was cold, and her lips had turned purple:

“She’s not even properly married into the Zhou family yet, why is she meddling in everything!”

When she should have helped, she didn’t – if she had been willing to plead for her and Yuan Han, why would she have to make herself so miserable?

When she shouldn’t interfere, she did – was she showing off how capable she was?

But Zhou Yi felt relieved – she couldn’t have kept kneeling much longer… after all, she had never really suffered much hardship in her life.