When Zhou Mi put on this new engagement diamond ring, she felt somewhat embarrassed, yet strangely justified, smiling there coyly: “Won’t we have too many rings between us? We could almost open a store.”

Zhang Lian replied calmly: “It’s fine.”

Zhou Mi lowered her gaze, staring at the impressively large diamond, unable to suppress a smile: “This isn’t just wearing a BMW X3 on my hand, is it?”

Zhang Lian remained nonchalant: “It’s wearing my car on your hand.”

Frightened—Zhou Mi pulled her chin back in shock: “That’s so extravagant, you might as well have given me…”

Zhang Lian: “Hmm? Finish what you were saying.”

Zhou Mi shifted her gaze, deliberately avoiding looking at him, pretending to speak with a faint voice: “A small apartment, so when we argue I can move out.”

Zhang Lian laughed: “We haven’t even legally lived together yet, and you’re already thinking about arguing and living separately?”

Zhou Mi hummed: “Anyway, I’m already used to living apart from you, it would just be returning to normal.”

Zhang Lian didn’t engage with that comment, changing the topic: “How long have you rented this place?”

Zhou Mi said, “One year.”

Zhang Lian said, “When the lease expires next year, give it up and come live with me in Huajun.”

Zhou Mi narrowed her eyes: “Are you looking down on my little nest? Tired of living with me already?”

Zhang Lian curved his lips: “Tired of washing dishes.”

Zhou Mi flailed her arms, drumming against his arm: “How many dishes are there, young master?”

“Want to take over next time?” Zhang Lian caught both her wrists.

Zhou Mi plopped back down, letting him hold her, and asked curiously: “Is Auntie Chen at your place when you’re not in Huajun?”

Zhang Lian said, “Of course.”

Zhou Mi asked: “What about her salary?”

Zhang Lian said, “As usual.”

Zhou Mi exclaimed: “Even for all these days? That’s such a waste.”

She pondered for a moment, murmuring: “Maybe I should move back then…”

Zhang Lian asked: “Made up your mind?”

Zhou Mi waved her right hand: “It’s just because you bought such an expensive ring, I can’t bear to see you waste more money.”

Zhang Lian raised his thick eyebrows slightly: “Very enlightened, Zhou Mi.”

Zhou Mi blinked: “What enlightenment?”

Zhang Lian said meaningfully: “Starting to manage my money.”

Zhou Mi made a long dismissive sound, changing the subject, but with deliberately altered tone revealing a hint of secret delight: “I don’t want to, I’ll only do what’s my business.”

Zhang Lian fell silent, just looking at her with a smile.

Zhou Mi pressed her lips together and fiddled with the ring: “Actually, I’m a bit surprised. I never expected you’d propose so quickly.”

Zhang Lian asked: “When do you think would be appropriate?”

Zhou Mi tilted her head and thought: “Maybe in a year or two?”

Zhang Lian said: “Tell me why.”

Zhou Mi “hmm”ed for a while: “Because we’re still in the honeymoon phase, and it’s easy to make unreasonable decisions in the heat of the moment.”

Zhang Lian gave a low grunt: “Our honeymoon phase has been quite long, hasn’t it?”

Zhou Mi asked: “Is it that long?”

Zhang Lian said: “Isn’t over two years long enough?”

Zhou Mi objected: “The first year doesn’t count at all. If you insist on counting it, that’s only twelve days, no, twelve nights, which adds up to barely six days.”

Zhang Lian was amused by her sophistry: “That’s still over a year.”

Zhou Mi exclaimed: “The forced cohabitation period and the ambiguous period don’t count either.”

Zhang Lian exhaled: “Why are you so fond of subtraction?”

Zhou Mi said: “Because I don’t want to get married yet.”

Zhang Lian agreed: “That’s fine, but keep the ring on your finger for now.”

Zhou Mi made a motion as if to remove the ring, with an expression of wealth-cannot-corrupt-and-power-cannot-coerce: “Look at you, starting with material and formal spiritual kidnapping again.”

Zhang Lian frowned: “Your expression and actions when you first put it on didn’t look like someone being kidnapped.”

“What expression and actions did I have?”

“Drool was almost flowing out of your eyes.”

“…”

—

This ring was naturally carefully transported back to Zhou Mi’s home safely on a weekend.

“Two million? Really? I must say, this young Zhang…” After storing it like a family heirloom, Tang Peili couldn’t stop talking as she ran to her daughter’s room: “The previous one worth over three hundred thousand, was quite enough. What’s he doing? Even with money, one shouldn’t spend like this. Ah, my feelings are complicated.”

Zhou Mi sucked on a candied hawthorn: “Come on, your smile is nearly reaching the sky, what’s so complicated?”

“…” Tang Peili collected herself, sat on the edge of the bed, thought for a moment, and concluded: “I see that Zhang Lian is serious this time. Are you still going to drag things out with him?”

Zhou Mi gave her a sidelong glance: “I’m dragging things out precisely because I’m afraid of you acting like this.”

Tang Peili asked: “What did I do?”

Zhou Mi replied calmly: “Once I marry him, you’ll be the first to pressure me about having children, driving me crazy.”

Tang Peili found this quite unreasonable: “How can you accuse me of something I haven’t done? Look at this past year, have I said anything to you or interfered with your life? I’ve let things take their course. Besides, the Zhang family has been straightforward with our family. In my opinion, you and Zhang Lian are meant for each other, a match made in heaven. Otherwise, how could there be so many coincidences in this world?”

She continued with a final judgment: “Heaven has destined Zhang Lian to be my son-in-law; there’s no escaping it.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the phone in front of Zhou Mi, in a calm tone: “Auntie, I feel the same way.”

Tang Peili jumped up from the bed in fright, demanding: “What are you doing? Was that… was that young Zhang’s voice just now?”

Zhou Mi burst into laughter in her chair, barely able to catch her breath: “I was on a call with Zhang Lian.”

She maliciously added: “And… it’s… on… speaker!”

Tang Peili scolded her angrily: “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Zhou Mi laughed until her stomach hurt: “You came in firing like a string of firecrackers. I didn’t have a chance to warn you.”

Tang Peili exhaled sharply: “Is the call still connected?”

Zhang Lian answered for Zhou Mi in advance: “Yes.”

Tang Peili: “…”

To save face, she quickly moved to the desk and entered scolding mode to ease the awkwardness: “I don’t mean to lecture you, young Zhang, but how could you buy such an expensive ring again? Isn’t that being excessive?”

Zhang Lian was unfazed: “It’s nothing, Zhou Mi is worth it.”

Zhou Mi secretly cupped her slightly reddened cheeks, suppressing a smile.

Tang Peili glared at her daughter’s beaming face, then spoke kindly to Zhang Lian: “I heard from Mimi that you went to Shenshi on a business trip, otherwise, I would have invited you over for a meal.”

Zhang Lian said: “Yes.”

Tang Peili asked: “Can you make it back tomorrow? If you can, come to Auntie’s house for dinner. I’ve recently worked on two new dishes, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

Zhou Mi interjected: “Didn’t you just see him during the National Day holiday last week?”

Tang Peili retorted: “Would it kill you to say a few words less?”

Zhang Lian’s voice carried a hint of amusement: “I’ll be back in Yishi tomorrow afternoon, and I’ve brought something for you and Zhou Mi.”

Tang Peili smiled along: “Ah, child, why are you always so polite with us?”

She continued chattering, asking about his well-being, until Zhou Mi couldn’t bear it anymore and complained in a strong voice: “Mom! I’m the one on a call with Zhang Lian!”

“Alright, alright.” Tang Peili immediately retreated from the young couple’s world.

The room quieted down again, and Zhou Mi propped her head on one hand, connecting her earphones: “I give up on my mom.”

Zhang Lian said, “You’re a bit like her.”

“No way—” Zhou Mi was quite displeased with this.

Zhang Lian gave several examples: “In terms of expression, emotions, both are very clear, but awkward when accepting kindness from others.”

Zhou Mi pursed her lips for a while, finding it hard to disagree: “Maybe a little.”

“Then are you more like your dad or Professor Xun?” Zhou Mi extended the topic to him.

Zhang Lian said, “Probably both to some extent, after all, children are mirrors of their parents.”

Zhou Mi leaned back in her chair: “Are you coming to my house tomorrow afternoon?”

Zhang Lian made an affirmative sound.

Zhou Mi instructed: “Remember to go home and feed Mifaso first, even though I left plenty of food before coming home today, but with Mifaso’s tiger-like appetite, it’s hard to say.”

Zhang Lian said, “Don’t worry, feeding the cat is already on my schedule.”

Zhou Mi suddenly became curious: “Am I on your schedule?”

Zhang Lian said, “Yes.”

Zhou Mi asked: “Today too?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What does it say?”

“Let me check.” After a few seconds, Zhang Lian sent a software screenshot through the chat, which essentially said: [20:00, 20-minute voice call with Zhou Mi]

Zhou Mi laughed like a pig—yes, truly happy to the point of allowing unintentional snorts to roll out of her nose.

Zhang Lian sighed deeply: “Is that necessary, laughing like that?”

Zhou Mi bared her teeth threateningly: “What’s wrong! Not allowed to laugh! This is how women in love are!”

She joyfully enlarged and reduced the image, finally exiting to check the current time: “What should we do, it’s already 8:30, we’ve gone overtime.”

Zhang Lian said, “There were interruptions midway, so we’ll restart the timing now.”

Zhou Mi pushed her luck, deliberately using an extremely soft and delicate voice: “Then breaking the rules must be punished.”

Zhang Lian asked: “What punishment?”

Zhou Mi maintained that voice that gave even herself goosebumps: “Well… you have to chat with me until nine o’clock, punishing you with an extra ten minutes.”

Zhang Lian chuckled lightly, casual yet enticing. Suddenly, he asked in a serious tone: “Have you showered yet, Zhou Mi?”

Role-playing is a passive skill of couples in love.

And Zhang Lian was particularly good at switching modes—he could be a knight, a prince, or a king. At present, he was the third type. Even without being present, he could convey a natural sense of command with his voice, which was both captivating and particularly deadly.

Zhou Mi returned to her normal tone: “Not yet, why?”

Zhang Lian said, “Go shower first. Come back later for a video call, and remember to lock your door.”

Zhou Mi’s head had already begun to spread with some yellow waste material, yet she pretended to be innocent: “Huh? What do you mean?”

Zhang Lian said, “It means I don’t want any interruptions midway.”