One year later.
By the end of August, the seaside city already carried a hint of autumn. The cool breeze had dispelled the sweltering heat, making the air feel noticeably fresher and easier to breathe.
Zhao Ran, dressed in a formal suit, stood nervously by his car, pacing back and forth. He thought about pulling out a cigarette from his pocket to light one and ease his nerves, but then it occurred to him that reeking of smoke might be inappropriate for the occasion ahead. Reluctantly, he slipped the half-pulled cigarette back into his pocket.
Suddenly, a clear, lively voice called out from behind him, “Hey, Zhao Ran.”
There stood a girl in a white summer dress, her jet-black hair falling just past her shoulders. She was about 1.6 meters tall and wore a pair of white high-heeled sandals. Her figure was curvaceous and alluring, and her fair, delicate face bore a sweet smile. She ran over to him, wrapped her arms around his, and said in a half-coquettish tone, “Looking quite handsome there. Let’s go.”
Zhao Ran replied, “Of course. Have you forgotten whose boyfriend I am?” The girl laughed and said, “Don’t get too full of yourself. Just try not to be too scared to speak later.”
Her words made him even more nervous. Noticing this, she quickly reassured him, “I’m just teasing you! Relax, my family isn’t that intimidating.”
Zhao Ran smiled wryly at her. “That’s your mom you’re talking about. It’s easy for you to say. Ah, whatever—let’s just go. Who asked me to fall for a young lady from an official’s family?”
Pretending to be offended, she retorted, “Oh, poor you. So many people chased after me, but I turned them all down. And I just had to pick you, huh?”
Zhao Ran hurriedly softened his tone. “Yes, yes, you picking me is my great fortune. Now let’s hurry, my dear young lady.”
The girl nodded in satisfaction. “That’s more like it.” With that, Zhao Ran opened the car door for her. After she got in, he quickly settled into the driver’s seat and headed straight for her family home.
The Zhao Ran of now carried himself with a maturity that hadn’t been there a year ago. Standing around 1.8 meters tall, he may not have had the pretty-boy handsomeness of some, but his features were the kind that grew more appealing the longer one looked.
After his father’s passing, Zhao Ran had not returned home for a year. Back when he first returned to school, he was plagued by low spirits and frequent insomnia, convinced he was just drifting through life waiting to die. But fate had other plans—it brought him a girl named Yin Yue, the very same girl he had once helped. During that dark time, upon learning about his struggles, she took the initiative to set aside her work to be there for him, helping him climb out of that emotional abyss. Gradually, the two grew closer and had now been together for over half a year.
Now, due to a school-arranged internship, Yin Yue wanted him to return to this city. That was why Zhao Ran was back. Today, at the request of Yin Yue’s mother, he was going to meet her parents.
It was only yesterday that Yin Yue came clean about her family background. Her father was relatively straightforward—an ordinary university lecturer, an associate professor. But her mother’s side was an entirely different story. Her grandfather was a high-ranking official in another province. Her mother, after graduating from university, had embarked on a political career. With her own father’s support and her considerable capabilities, her rise through the ranks had been smooth. By the age of forty, she had already become a vice mayor. Zhao Ran was stunned—randomly dating a girl only to find out she was the daughter of a mayor who had been, in a way, “traveling incognito”? It felt too unreal.
According to Yin Yue, her mother, a strong-willed figure, had insisted she work in government. But Yin Yue disliked that environment and instead struck out on her own, landing a job at that small company where she eventually crossed paths with him again.
Zhao Ran could only accept the situation, however unbelievable it seemed. Still, he was worried that her parents might disapprove of him. But Yin Yue assured him that her father had always doted on her and would basically agree to anything she wanted. As for her mother, although formidable, she was not an unreasonable person. And so, here they were today.