This was truly too much.

In Zhou Yi’s 24 years of life, today was the most nightmarish, most unforgettable day!

The other young members of the Zhou family felt similarly to Zhou Yi. They didn’t dare breathe heavily as they quietly watched the videotape, which spent a full half hour praising Xia Xiaolan – direct narration, indirect buildup, interviews with Xia Xiaolan herself, the principal of Anqing No. 1 High School, her homeroom teacher, her subject teachers, her classmates, and even the school security guard… If that stray dog that accidentally wandered into the frame could speak, it would surely have praised Xia Xiaolan too.

There was no need for further explanation now – how Xia Xiaolan had risen against the odds was all there in the ‘Top Scholar Interview.’

The Zhou family wasn’t particularly outstanding in academics. Even Zhou Cheng, the most successful among the younger generation who left home at 15, couldn’t be expected to have finished university by that age, right?

Cheng Min, who had just been trying to help her cousin, Zhou Yi, was only in her second year of high school, with college entrance exams the next year.

Even attending a good high school in Beijing, even with Qinghua University’s lower admission scores for Beijing students compared to out-of-province candidates, Cheng Min wasn’t confident she could get into Qinghua or similar top schools. And she had just foolishly concerned herself with Xia Xiaolan’s dress and handbag. Cheng Min had a premonition that her mother wouldn’t let her off easy when she got home – she could already guess what she’d say: Look at others, then look at yourself. Others focus on grades while you’re focused on clothes and accessories. No wonder your grades can’t improve… God, Cousin Zhou Yi had gotten her into trouble!

Uncle Gu Zhengqing’s two children, both in middle school under his strict educational guidance, looked at Xia Xiaolan with pure admiration.

How amazing!

The academic star’s aura was too expansive, inflicting deep wounds on poor students while drawing admiration from the mediocre ones – those mediocre students being the intermediate level between poor and excellent students. Without encountering true academic stars, they were teachers’ favorites, parents’ good children, appearing quite scholarly on the surface. Of course, once they went head-to-head with a true academic star, these mediocre students would crumble to pieces.

Finally, the videotape ended.

But Zhou Yi’s torment wasn’t over yet. She heard her usually serious grandfather very earnestly inquiring about Xia Xiaolan’s academic plans, such as what major she had chosen and what work she planned to do after graduating.

Xia Xiaolan said she had applied to Qinghua’s Architecture Department and hadn’t thought about work yet because she might pursue further studies after completing her undergraduate degree.

“I want to learn as much as I can while I’m young.”

Gu Zhengqing couldn’t help interjecting: “With those scores, it’s a shame to choose architecture… Of course, when choosing a major, your wishes should come first.”

She simply wanted to study architecture; it wasn’t wrong to “waste” those extra points.

Whatever career one chose to pursue was worthy of respect. Even if Xia Xiaolan wanted to return to develop her hometown after graduation, as a Qinghua graduate returning to the grassroots level, she would at least be a parachuted official at the county level – the township was too small to contain a golden phoenix-like Xia Xiaolan. Studying architecture wasn’t bad at all, far better than Zhou Yi’s daily idling. Old Master Zhou glanced at Zhou Yi, his disdain quite obvious. Zhou Yi felt the living room was so hot and stuffy, her grandfather so cruel, the whole world so cruel – she would faint if she stayed any longer!

Only Grandmother Zhou seemed hesitant to speak. After four years of university, Zhou Cheng would be 26, and both of them would be at the age to start a family.

If Xia Xiaolan wanted to continue her studies, how old would Zhou Cheng be before he could marry?

It must be said that in this roomful of people, only Grandmother Zhou truly cared for her precious grandson. Others were still dazed by Xia Xiaolan’s academic star aura – everything from Xia Xiaolan’s mouth seemed right, knowledge was to be pursued lifelong, and who would look down on higher education?

Xia Xiaolan also wanted to explain her situation completely at once. As long as she didn’t break up with Zhou Cheng, she would be living under the Zhou family’s scrutiny for four university years.

She didn’t want every bit of money she spent to be secretly suspected of leeching off Zhou Cheng.

When Old Master Zhou asked about her plans, she took the opportunity to reveal some information, mentioning she had a small business, and while her plans weren’t clear yet, she could at least support herself now.

Finally that evening, Zhou Cheng had a chance to speak up for his wife:

“Xiaolan still runs her own business, she specially flew in from Yang City today. To be honest, Xiaolan is even busier than I am right now.”

The subtext was clear: my wife is so busy, elders present shouldn’t casually ask her to come out for visits – she’s not idle like Zhou Yi, she has important matters to attend to!

This wife-protecting fanatic hadn’t left Xia Xiaolan’s side all evening. Any Zhou family member who wasn’t blind could see it: Zhou Cheng was deeply fond of this girl, and in their relationship, Zhou Cheng was the more invested one!

Guan Hui’e felt exhausted. Before the meeting, she had thought it was some rural girl from another province clinging to Zhou Cheng.

After meeting, she discovered this rural girl was completely different from what she had imagined, and it was her son who was clinging to her!

Had he never seen a girl before or what?

Zhou Cheng, couldn’t you show some dignity?

Zhou Cheng hadn’t sensed his mother’s resentment at all. Even if Guan Hui’e asked him, he would confidently reply: How was he not showing dignity? Bringing home a beautiful, smart, and capable wife was the most dignified thing possible!

When Xia Xiaolan noticed it was getting late and suggested leaving, all the poor and mediocre students among the Zhou family’s younger generation breathed sighs of relief.

Zhou Yi had sat on pins and needles for several hours, feeling as if she were soaked in sour liquid, sticky and suffocating – if Xia Xiaolan didn’t leave soon, she would suffocate!

Unconsciously, this meeting lasted until 10 PM.

Though she had come to have dinner with Zhou Cheng’s parents, she had talked more with Zhou Cheng’s grandparents, and there was Uncle Gu Zhengqing who had become quite animated in the latter half.

What surprised Xia Xiaolan was that Zhou Cheng’s mother had remained distant throughout, maintaining neither far nor close distance from Xia Xiaolan. Yet when Xia Xiaolan suggested leaving, it was Guan Hui’e who actively tried to keep her:

“It’s so late, why don’t you stay here tonight?”

The Zhou family’s younger generation stared intensely at Xia Xiaolan. Guan Hui’e had mild obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, and actively inviting someone to stay was extremely rare!

Had she accepted Xia Xiaolan?

Wasn’t it more likely she didn’t accept her and therefore liked her? Of the elderly Zhou couple, one admired Xia Xiaolan, while the other liked her.

Xia Xiaolan herself was also slightly stunned:

“Thank you, Auntie, but I’ve already booked a room at the guesthouse, and my items are there. I’d better stay at the guesthouse.”

How could one stay over at their boyfriend’s house on their first visit? Guan Hui’e was being polite, and Xia Xiaolan knew what was appropriate. The Zhou family members all enthusiastically saw her at the door. Sitting in the passenger seat, holding various welcome gifts from the Zhou family in her arms, she smiled at Zhou Cheng:

“Your family is quite easy to get along with.”

Zhou Cheng proudly looked at his wife – of course his family was easy to get along with, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have high standards. Only someone like his wife could be loved by everyone!