Singing opera was not going to happen.

The dinner eventually turned into a situation where Tang Hong’en and Liu Yong didn’t explicitly say anything, while Liu Zitao seriously negotiated with Zhou Cheng:

“Is Sister Xiaolan going to marry you?”

“Will you treat Sister Xiaolan well?”

“…I don’t trust you.”

Some of these words were picked up from adults, and mixed to become Liu Zitao’s own thoughts. Boys typically mature later, and since Liu Zitao’s family conditions had improved after he turned six, this child hadn’t really experienced much hardship. Most of what he said was still childish prattle!

The little cousin was incredibly adorable. Xia Xiaolan, being “protected” by this little man, felt her heart melting.

Though Liu Zitao was young, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t brush him off.

It wasn’t just Liu Zitao – his two future fathers-in-law were also listening to his answers.

“Taotao, I’m going to treat you like an adult now, and we’ll discuss these issues as equals. Is that okay?”

Zhou Cheng spoke seriously, and Liu Zitao nodded, “I’m not like those snotty kids anyway. They don’t even wipe their noses. You’re right to treat me like an adult!”

Could the ability to wipe one’s nose be the standard for distinguishing between children and adults?

Xia Xiaolan thought about it and found she couldn’t argue with this logic. A boy being hygienic and caring about his appearance was indeed a sign of growth.

Zhou Cheng maintained a serious expression, “You’re right! So let me begin. For your first question, is your Sister Xiaolan going to marry me? Yes, I proposed to your Sister Xiaolan and expressed my intentions, and she has accepted this idea.”

She had completely accepted the proposal, but in front of the two vigilant fathers-in-law, Zhou Cheng cautiously added the word “basically” to avoid adding fuel to the fire.

Liu Zitao’s mouth was pursed so high you could hang an oil bottle from it.

He wanted to object, but Zhou Cheng’s tone treated him like an adult… and adults couldn’t throw childish tantrums. He had to listen to Zhou Cheng’s complete explanation.

“Xiaolan and I have plans to marry because we’ve known each other for over three years and have been through a lot together. I understand her, I like her, and she understands and supports me. Taotao, what do you think – can we move from being boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife?”

Well, how could one argue with that?

Liu Zitao’s age and experience left him unable to handle this question. Zhou Cheng’s words made his brain freeze up a bit.

Even Liu Yong and Tang Hong’en couldn’t answer this.

When two young people understand and like each other, and neither has any major character flaws, who could stop them from getting married?

They were both adults.

They weren’t Romeo and Juliet with feuding families.

China’s Marriage Law stated that marriage was free, and arranged marriages were illegal!

How could anyone argue against something that was both reasonable and legal?

This was exactly why Tang Hong’en and Liu Yong had agreed to drink themselves drunk. Their precious daughter was being taken away, and they had no way to prevent it. Though their hearts were reluctant to let go, they could only put on a show.

They were playing the role of stern fathers-in-law to let this rascal know just how precious the treasure he was stealing truly was.

At the core, it was the mentality of fathers with daughters, terribly afraid their daughters might suffer even the slightest grievance after marriage.

If she did suffer later, beating up the rascal wouldn’t undo the hurt their daughter had already endured.

Better to prevent it from the start.

Tang Hong’en and Liu Yong maintained stern faces. Liu Zitao was just a child who could easily be persuaded by Zhou Cheng to switch sides, but they had to hold the last line of defense!

At this point, Liu Zitao finally thought of something:

“Even if you can be husband and wife, you could wait a while, right? You like Sister Xiaolan, and Sister Xiaolan likes you – are you afraid she’ll run away?”

Zhou Cheng couldn’t help but smile, “We’re not saying we’re going to get our marriage certificate right away. Whether we can marry still depends on your Sister Xiaolan’s school regulations. Even in the most optimistic case, we’ll have to wait until she finishes her senior year, which is more than a year away. Am I afraid your Sister Xiaolan might run away? Of course I am, because she’s an exceptional person – it’s not just me who would like her, others would too. But marriage isn’t about binding her down. Her person and her heart will still be free. If I didn’t do well after marriage, she could still leave me. Taotao, do you know what this means?”

Liu Zitao’s thoughts were already following Zhou Cheng’s lead:

“What does it mean?”

“It means your concerns are unnecessary. How could I not treat your Sister Xiaolan well after marriage? We’ll be husband and wife for life. My love for her will grow deeper each day. I’ll care for her, protect her, and give her everything I can. If I don’t treat her well and disappoint her, she would be right to leave me!”

Was marriage a constraint?

Zhou Cheng didn’t think so.

Marriage was between two people who, because of love, willingly joined hands to enter the next stage of life, weathering storms together, leaning on each other, ready to face any challenges life might present.

By answering Liu Zitao’s questions, he was telling his two fathers-in-law, Tang Hong’en and Liu Yong, about his attitude and thoughts.

He was also telling Xiaolan.

Marriage wouldn’t chain Xiaolan down – she would be free at any time.

If after five or ten years of marriage, Xiaolan felt it wasn’t working out, she could still choose to leave – it wouldn’t be Xiaolan’s fault then, it would only mean that while he could be Xiaolan’s partner, he failed to be a good husband to her!

Though Xia Xiaolan knew the elders were watching, she couldn’t help but secretly hold Zhou Cheng’s hand under the table.

Would she change?

Would Zhou Cheng change?

Until the day they were laid in their coffins, who could be certain! This wasn’t something that could be predicted, it wasn’t even something Xia Xiaolan could control herself!

But at least for now, her heart filled with joy at the sight of Zhou Cheng. She was fond of him and trusted him.

Living in fear of future unhappiness and letting it stop you from eating – that wasn’t something Xia Xiaolan would do.

The secretive gesture was still noticed. Tang Hong’en and Liu Yong exchanged glances – hmph, they had nothing to say, but that didn’t mean they had surrendered or approved!

Li Fengmei smacked Liu Zitao’s head:

“That’s enough from you! A child shouldn’t meddle in adult affairs. Only Zhou Cheng would humor you like this. Hurry up and eat!”

Liu Zitao held his head:

“Brother-in-law Zhou, I think what you say makes sense, but whether you can do what you say in the future – I’ll have to wait and see!”

Don’t underestimate children’s understanding. Liu Zitao had seen plenty. Hadn’t he seen classmates who promised teachers they would complete their homework, only to break their promises? Some couldn’t even stick to their word for a week, let alone a semester. How long could Brother-in-law Zhou persist? Liu Zitao didn’t believe in promises, only in what he would see for himself in the future.

This was truly Liu Yong’s offspring, a Liu family child. Call him immature if you want, but he wasn’t easily fooled.

…

While Zhou Cheng was hoping to gain his father-in-law’s approval, Ye Xiaoqiong, who had just gained her freedom, was hoping to quickly resolve matters with Yuan Han!